Chapter 114: Two in One

Chapter 114: Two in One

After the New Year, Qin Yao’s family prepared to return to the island. This time, they would travel by plane, first flying to Guangcheng and then taking a boat to the island. The plane, though small, had enough capacity for quite a lot of luggage. Before leaving, Qin Yao and her husband, along with their two children, bought some local specialties in the capital.

Even if they didn’t need the stuff themselves, they’d still bring some back as gifts for friends.

The department stores in the capital were packed with people. Though it was said that people were living in poverty during this time, consumption didn’t seem to be low. This was because housing was mostly allocated or rented, and even though living space was small, housing costs were minimal. In the capital, renting a house cost only a few bucks a month, but one needed to have an urban household registration and a job unit.

Newlyweds didn’t need to buy a house before marriage; instead, they could apply for housing through their work units after getting married. Buying a bicycle cost only a hundred or so yuan. When you added it all up, the cost of marriage was quite low, so people were eager to get married and have children.

In other words, everyone was equally poor, with little disparity in wealth. As long as someone’s appearance was passable, if they liked each other, they would be together.

“The train station is always crowded, packed with people every day.”

Since 1976, large numbers of educated youth had been returning to the city, causing congestion everywhere. In the hutongs and large courtyards, there were dozens of new faces, with many educated youths returning with their families.

If Qin Yao and Xie Hongni hadn’t changed their status, they would have been able to return to the city as educated youths. Of course, it wasn’t entirely a good thing, as too many educated youths were returning, competing even for street-sweeping jobs, with large numbers of unemployed urban youth.

This had a huge impact on urban security. While Qin Yao and Gu Cheng were buying specialties, they encountered several instances of petty theft, as well as black market vendors openly making transaction gestures. Some even had toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap hidden under their clothes, asking passersby if they wanted to buy them.

Fights in the corners were countless, and the social atmosphere between men and women had become intimate. In skating rinks and parks, young couples were sneaking around, holding hands and whispering to each other. In the evening, there were even people having sex in the parks, truly unafraid of the cold.

Why was no one managing this? Because police resources were severely inadequate. There were too many idle youths in society, and these young people in their twenties were quick on their feet, slipping away like rabbits. Some even acted as lookouts. As long as they weren’t caught red-handed, the police couldn’t do anything to them.

Most of the time, they had to turn a blind eye.

“The changes are really fast,” Qin Yao thought, watching the transformations around her. When she studied history, she only remembered that the college entrance exams were restored in 1977, followed by economic reforms and the development of the individual economy starting in 1979.

But in reality, people’s behaviors were at the forefront. The various policies introduced above were based on the existing social situation. If the college entrance exams hadn’t been restored or the individual economy hadn’t been developed, where would these idle youths in their twenties and thirties be placed?

If left unchecked, they could tear the city apart.

Restoring the college entrance exams helped keep young people focused on their studies. This was a major benefit for social stability.

“There are even people perming their hair.”

“Probably did it themselves; it smells burnt.”

“I’ve even heard of people using kerosene on their hair.”

Many traveled by train, and quite a few also flew. People at the airport were relatively more formally dressed, with 80% on business trips, such as delivering urgent documents to various key units. If the documents emphasized the need to fly, then a plane ticket had to be purchased.

Business trips came with travel expense reimbursements, which made flying more affordable for those on official duty. A plane ticket cost twenty to thirty yuan, which was a lot for most families.

The return plane tickets were sponsored by Old Master Gu. If the journey weren’t so long, the old master would have liked to go along to supervise his granddaughter-in-law’s writing.

“Grandfather, don’t worry, I’ll write seriously.”

After reassuring Old Master Gu, Qin Yao’s family boarded the plane. Before boarding, they made sure to tire out the kids. As the plane took off, they looked out the window. Once they entered the stratosphere, it was nothing but white clouds. Soon, the children fell asleep out of boredom.

Qin Yao also fell asleep, and by the time they landed, her whole body ached. Though the plane ride was short, it was torturous. The seats were narrow, like economy class in the future, and the cramped space felt like a punishment. Compared to this, sleeper berths on trains were more comfortable, even if they took longer. At least you could lie down and sit.

As the largest in the family, Gu Cheng was the most uncomfortable. When they arrived at the guesthouse, the whole family slept like logs.

The next morning, Qin Yao woke up early, before Gu Cheng, and found him still sound asleep on the large bed, with their two children sprawled across him like little pigs.

At home, she didn’t feel it much, but traveling made her realize how hard the conditions were and how tiring the journey had been. How long would it take for the economy to grow and living conditions to improve? She suddenly felt a strong urge to make some serious cash.

The 1980s were a gold rush of opportunities. It would be a shame not to make some money while she could. In the capital, she had already seen people becoming vendors. She estimated that in the summer, there would be people selling iced tea and melon seeds—endless opportunities.

Don't think that the whole country was poor during this time. In many places, the "enterprises" of communal teams were in full swing, making parts for state-owned companies and earning a lot of money, making the entire commune rich.

These activities were all done under the radar, where the bold reaped the rewards while the cautious missed out.

The original female lead, Bai Qiuling, was a typical protagonist of the era. She became wealthy in the 1970s and 1980s by running a clothing business. Qin Yao had originally planned to join Bai Qiuling's business and get a share of the profits, but now she realizes it's better to rely on herself. Waiting for Bai Qiuling to become wealthy would take too long.

It's 1976 now, and Qin Yao figured it was time to get a head start on her own business plans. After all, she had come back from forty years in the future and knew the development trends of the next forty years. How could she not make money?

There were plenty of opportunities to make money in the 1980s, and Qin Yao didn’t want to miss out. She had already seen people selling goods in the city. In the summer, some would sell iced tea and melon seeds... There were too many opportunities to catch.

Making money was a straightforward idea. The most profitable ventures were arbitrage, buying and selling, and other retail businesses like clothing stores and restaurants, which were easy to start.

In addition, Qin Yao's biggest dream was to open a magazine publishing house, focusing on fashion, lifestyle, and beauty magazines, advocating new lifestyle trends.

Compared to writing novels, these lifestyle magazines were probably more profitable because they could earn substantial advertising fees.

*

After returning to the island, the couple first took the child to clean the house. With Shen Guixiang gone, all the household chores fell on Qin Yao. Gu Cheng felt guilty: "In the future, taking care of the child will be hard on you."

Qin Yao let out a soft sigh, a mix of resignation and weariness.

"Even though I’m not home much, when I am, you can put me to work like a mule."

Qin Yao burst out laughing.

Gu Cheng asked, "Should we send the child to the nursery?"

"It's too early to go to the nursery. I'll take the child to work with me for a while, and if I can't manage, I'll send the two kids to the nursery."

Gu Cheng nodded.

The couple tidied up for a day or two, and after Gu Cheng returned from his leave, he was away from home for another two days. Qin Yao, left at home with the two kids, wished she could tie a leash around each of them like raising little dogs and keep them in the yard.

A new neighbor had moved in next door. Now, besides Neighbor Sister Zaohua, the closest neighbor to Qin Yao's house was this new family. The man was named Shen Hai, and the woman was Gao Lili. Gao Lili was tall with striking features—big eyes, a high nose, and delicate bone structure—but her dark skin and deep nasolabial folds gave her face a somewhat stern, almost angular look.

Her features were beautiful when viewed separately, but the deep nasolabial folds made her face look less attractive overall. Individually, her eyes and nose were very delicate and beautiful.

Gao Lili had attended a medical school but hadn't worked since getting married. She was a devoted wife and mother, taking care of her family wholeheartedly. Her husband was Shen Hai, and they had a son named Cheng Cheng.

"Hello, I'm the new neighbor who just moved in," Gao Lili greeted Qin Yao.

"I live next door. My husband is Gu Cheng, and my name is Qin Yao. I work at the cultural center."

"My husband is Shen Hai, and I'm Gao Lili. I stay home to take care of my child."

Qin Yao said, "Did your family just transfer here? Hasn't work been arranged for you yet?"

"No, no, no. I'm not suitable for work," Gao Lili waved her hand. "I used to work in a hospital as a nurse. Back then, I was quite famous in the hospital. Whatever I did, people paid attention to me, and I couldn't handle it. They always said I wasn't proactive at work. I prefer cooking at home; I don't have much ambition. They would say that with my looks, I should marry a good man and be a devoted wife and mother."

As she spoke, Gao Lili wore a hint of pride. She was satisfied with her current life, having married a husband who earned a good salary and could support her, living a more comfortable life than most people.

As Gao Lili sized up Qin Yao, she noted that while Qin Yao had fair skin, her features weren’t as sharp or defined as her own. Qin Yao's eyes weren’t as large, and her nose wasn’t as high-bridged. To Gao Lili, Qin Yao seemed more like a sweet, unassuming girl. Qin Yao’s youthful face, still full of collagen, made her look soft and round, while Gao Lili’s sharper features gave her a more refined, if slightly harsher, appearance.

"I don’t think I should just be a homemaker, but for now, this is my life. Staying at home avoids a lot of hassles. At least, there aren't many gossiping people. When I was in the hospital, whenever I spoke to men, they would talk about me."

"They’d always say I should settle down with a good man… I couldn’t take it anymore. Every time I wore something new, people would gossip about me behind my back. I was always in the spotlight."

"Even when I lived in another housing complex for families, people still paid attention to me. No matter what I did, they would discuss it for a long time behind my back. I don't know why they liked to focus on me so much."

...

Listening to her neighbor talk for so long, Qin Yao could only marvel at Gao Lili's endless chatter, her mouth never stopping as she talked about herself nonstop. Yet, it was clear that Gao Lili had no ulterior motives and spoke her mind freely.

After a brief chat, Qin Yao already knew all about her background—born in a county town, with an older sister, an older brother, and a younger brother, all of whom were married...

Qin Yao didn't reveal any information about herself. She wasn't particularly bothered by Gao Lili, who continued to talk about herself, mentioning how many eyes were on her, how many people liked to observe her, and gossip about her behind her back.

She was indeed a very confident woman, the first of her kind that Qin Yao had encountered in the 1970s.

Qin Yao noticed Gao Lili's face and guessed that she must have been a rare beauty when she was sixteen or seventeen. Unfortunately, such beauty had a short "bloom." The Gao Lili before her was only twenty-five or six, not much older than Qin Yao, but she looked like a woman in her thirties or forties. She wasn't fat, but the flesh on her cheeks had sagged, and her large eyes were accentuated by even more prominent bags underneath.

If Gao Lili hadn't said she was twenty-six, almost twenty-seven, Qin Yao would have thought she was over thirty.

"Alright, Lili, we'll chat again next time."

Qin Yao wasn't annoyed by Gao Lili's incessant talking; it was rather amusing to listen to. Encountering such a chatty and innocent neighbor was better than having a cold, silent one who found everything disagreeable.

For now, Qin Yao had no complaints about Gao Lili, though she didn't know that Zao Hua's wife detested her intensely.

Ever since the Gao Lili family moved in, Zao Hua's wife had been thoroughly disgusted. "I really can't stand her! What nonsense does she spout? She's a woman with education, isn't she? She can work in a hospital, yet what comes out of her mouth is—'They all say I'm suited to be a virtuous wife and good mother at home.'"

"When I work at the hospital, I'm well-known there. They know whenever I make a sound. Pah! How shameless this woman is!"

Zao Hua's wife was a child bride, not particularly striking in appearance, just plain-looking. Over the years, she considered herself a good woman, devoted to household chores and raising children, a model wife in every sense.

But Gao Lili's words made her feel sick, as if she was boasting, "Even though I have a job, I don't want to do it; I prefer to be a virtuous wife and find a good husband," "I'm so beautiful that whatever I do, everyone pays attention to me," "A woman like me is the best virtuous wife for men—educated, beautiful, and a great cook. Don't try to emulate me..."

Qin Yao said, "Sister, just let it go. Don't take it to heart."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to quarrel with her. I just feel uncomfortable." With that, Neighbor Sister Zaohua flicked her hair back.

Qin Yao caught a whiff of cold cream from Neighbor Sister Zaohua, seeing that Gao Lili had really gotten under her skin, making her start to care about her appearance.

"Yaoyao, you're much prettier than her. Why is she so full of herself? I doubt she'd ever say that to your face," Neighbor Sister Zaohua, still upset, opened her mouth as if to say something more but swallowed the words. "Anyway, you should be careful."

This Gao Lili talks a lot, not just to women but to men as well. Last time, she spent ages chatting with Political Commissar Zhou at the door, which really got under Neighbor Sister Zaohua's skin.

It wasn't anything out of the ordinary—just Gao Lili talking about her time in the hospital and her husband and child—but no wife would be able to stomach that.

"Alright, alright, Sister Zaohua, I understand."

Thinking about these neighbors with their different personalities, Qin Yao couldn't help but find it amusing. Neighbor Sister Zaohua was a good neighbor. During her leave, Neighbor Sister Zaohua helped look after the yard, and Qin Yao had given her some specialties from the capital.

"Xiao Qin, the box of pastries you gave last time was delicious. The child loved it."

He An said that the wine she had sent over had arrived on the island—several types of baijiu and some fruit wines, including six bottles of high-quality aged Maotai, all carried into the house one by one.

Qin Yao wasn't familiar with baijiu and didn't pay much attention to it. She didn't understand the value of Maotai either. To her, all baijiu tasted harsh—she couldn't tell the difference in fragrance.

To someone like her who didn't understand baijiu, drinking it felt like pouring alcohol straight into her stomach.

But most households kept some baijiu to entertain guests. For important guests, you couldn't serve fruit wine. Baijiu is usually the drink of choice at the dinner table.

Qin Yao took a sip of the fruit wine. "Hiss—that's quite strong."

It was wine, but with a high alcohol content. Too bad they didn't have Sprite at the time; she would have liked to mix some wine with Sprite.

After one sip, her cheeks flushed like a ripe apple, as if she had just applied a natural blush.

Gu Cheng looked at her face, wishing he could nibble on her cheek.

"These bottles don't have any labels—could they be fruit wine too?" Qin Yao had found a few unmarked bottles. She opened one and took a whiff. It seemed to be baijiu.

Gu Cheng poured some out to taste. "It's Maotai."

"You can really tell the difference?" Qin Yao looked at him suspiciously.

Gu Cheng chuckled. "Why don't you give it a taste? Yaoyao, have a couple of sips."

"Baijiu all tastes the same to me. I can't tell where the fragrance is," Qin Yao said, touching her nose. "Although I don't like drinking baijiu, I have to admit that my sister-in-law's uncle is quite generous to send so much wine."

Tobacco, wine, sugar, and tea were all pricey, but Maotai was especially hard for regular folks to get.

Compared to tobacco and wine, sugar and tea were relatively cheaper. At that time, tea cakes and jars didn't sell for much, but cigarettes and alcohol were costly.

Many male writers, despite earning decent royalties, could end up broke if they smoked a lot. If they also had a taste for fine wine, it became even more expensive.

Unless they smoked homemade tobacco and drank homemade rice wine, which were cheaper.

"It's to thank you," Gu Cheng said, reaching out to pinch Qin Yao's face.

Qin Yao curiously asked, "Is this really Maotai?"

"Without the bottle, maybe not?" Gu Cheng said, crossing his arms and looking down with a smile.

Qin Yao nodded. "That's true. Maotai is bought for the bottle, right? Real or fake Maotai, ordinary people can't really tell the difference."

Later, Qin Yao had also heard that Maotai was one of the most counterfeited wines, with many fakes being almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Because of this, empty Maotai bottles were valuable, and many people paid a high price to collect them.

"We’ll drink the unpackaged ones when you and Lao Gao get together, and save the bottled ones." Qin Yao quickly made a plan, deciding not to touch several bottles of aged Maotai, saving them for the future—perhaps for her son's wedding, to give to the father-in-law?

Gu Cheng: "..."

"Hey, Old Gu, should we start saving a couple of bottles of Maotai each year? Store them for ten or twenty years, and their value will increase... Of course, not by too much."

Gu Cheng was stunned. "Haven't you seen the wine at our house?"

Gu Cheng rarely drank much alcohol, and there was no shortage of wine at home. Due to his upbringing, there had always been good tobacco and wine at home, kept in storage without being opened, some of which were issued annually and saved.

Qin Yao: "..."

"I forgot."

Qin Yao suddenly remembered that there was indeed a lot of wine at home. The neighboring Political Commissar Zhou loved drinking and often eyed her stock enviously. It was hard to tell if Gu Cheng loved drinking, but he certainly enjoyed collecting wine.

Because of this, Gu Cheng never bragged about his collection; it just sat at home gathering dust.

They had a storage room, and Qin Yao didn't pay much attention to his wine—after all, she didn't drink it herself.

"You should still be careful and keep it well hidden, in case our son grows up and smashes them for 'good fortune'—"

Before she could finish, Gu Cheng expressionlessly reached out and covered her mouth. "Say something lucky."

Qin Yao: "..."

"I was just saying, it's not certain—"

Gu Cheng paused for a moment and slowly said, "I’ve been there before."

Qin Yao: "..."

"Comrade Gu, you should definitely be careful. Maybe the retribution is a cycle."

Gu Cheng carefully went to hide the baijiu, and the two kids cunningly followed their dad. Even though they were young, they seemed to have a built-in radar. The more the adults tried to keep them away, the more curious they became.

"Wife, hold onto your two kids."

Qin Yao said coolly, "My sons, this is called following in your father's footsteps."

Shen Guixiang was not around, and meals had become a family affair of four. Today, Qin Yao opened two bottles of baijiu. Although one bottle could last a few days, the couple planned to finish them soon, so during dinner, each had a bowl.

The two little ones saw this and protested about the unfairness!

"I want it, I want it!!"

"Mom, I want it!"

Why shouldn’t they get some too?

Qin Yao finished her drink in one go, not daring to let her two or three-year-old kids taste alcohol. She gave Gu Cheng a look, urging him to drink it in one go.

"One gulp."

Gu Cheng pointed at himself, asking if he should really chug the baijiu?

"Are you trying to chug it like water?"

Qin Yao laughed, "For the sake of the children, you should lower your head and be like an ox."

Gu Cheng smiled and dipped his chopsticks in the baijiu, tasting it. He couldn’t bring himself to gulp it down in one go.

He waved the bottle in front of the kids before taking a small sip himself.

Rui Rui was a bit overwhelmed by the smell of the baijiu, but Mingming was curious, his little head following his dad, wanting to taste it.

Qin Yao rested her chin on her hand, "Don't let your hand shake."

"It won't," Gu Cheng teased the kids but remembered to place the baijiu far away, out of reach of the two little ones.

After returning from Beijing, the two kids were dressed in short clothes, not as chubby and cute as before.

"Let's eat first; it won't be good if it gets cold. I feel like our two kids have pretty strong learning abilities. By the time they're six or seven, Dad can lead them into the kitchen to learn cooking. One can wash the vegetables, one can cut them, and one can stir-fry them—all arranged!"

"We can also send them to someone else's house to learn how to make steamed buns." After a month of eating steamed buns in Beijing, Qin Yao didn’t mind alternating between rice and buns.

Gu Cheng: "..."

He lowered his head, "I’ll do as you say, Mom."

The other two kids didn't voice any opinions, focusing on eating.

Without Shen Guixiang around, Qin Yao felt a bit lonely, but now, without any elders present, she was the highest authority in the house. She could do whatever she wanted without worrying about nagging from the elders.

"Listen to your Dad, okay?" Qin Yao said with a smile, pinching the kids' faces, starting to teach them, "In the future, always listen to Mom."

Gu Cheng: "Our family is like a dictatorship."

"Hmm?" Qin Yao thought, "You're just figuring that out now? Too late, I should have been running the show from the start."

Qin Yao added, "I try to be a fair mom."

Gu Cheng was speechless.

A simple but noisy meal shared by the four of us felt surprisingly warm, like the start of something new for our family.