Chapter 71 Commotion

Chapter 71: Commotion

The "autumn tiger" heatwave had just passed, and even without the sun, the air was stiflingly hot, making it hard to breathe.

Xie Xinyi, cradling her large belly, joked with Uncle Wang as she walked toward the factory gate. She didn't notice the man standing outside, but he stepped forward and stopped her. "Cousin, I need to talk to you."

If not for that familiar address, Xie Xinyi might not have recognized the man before her, as tall and thin as a bamboo pole—Xie Jianjun.

In the few years since she had come to the Xie family, Xie Xinyi had only seen this cousin once, and that was from across a large courtyard on a pitch-dark night.

In her memory, Xie Jianjun was tall, but not this gaunt.

He wore an ill-fitting Zhongshan suit, not of good wool fabric. As he moved to stop her, his tall, thin frame seemed to sway loosely within the clothing.

He stood a head taller than Xie Xinyi and wore a hat. She had to lower her gaze slightly to see his face clearly.

A round face with narrow, slanted eyes—somewhat resembling his younger brother, Xie Jianmin. However, Xie Jianjun liked to smile, making him appear friendlier than Xie Jianmin, though Xie Xinyi knew this was just a facade for outsiders.

Sensing he meant no good, Xie Xinyi wasn’t keen on engaging with him. She simply asked, "What is it, cousin? If it’s about your cousin’s wife, I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything."

"It’s not about your cousin’s wife." Seeing her start to walk away, Xie Jianjun quickly denied it. "I just wanted to ask if you could help find out any news about Tingting."

Xie Tingting!?

Xie Xinyi looked up, somewhat incredulous, at the man blocking her path.

So he wasn’t here to ask about Liu Zhenzhu but to inquire about Xie Tingting?

But Xie Jianjun knew perfectly well that she and Xie Tingting had never gotten along. Why would he come to her?

"Did Xie Tingting go to the countryside?"

Since seeing Xie Tingting arrested in the suburbs last time, she had assumed the other had been sent back to the village where she was originally assigned.

"She didn’t go back." Xie Jianjun hung his head as if he had done something shameful and whispered, "She ran away."

What, she ran away again!?

Xie Xinyi’s eyes widened in surprise, and she gasped in shock.

Wasn’t it Xie Tingting who had made a fuss about swapping places—Xie Xinyi to marry, Xie Tingting to go to the countryside?

Not only had she been willing and even joyful about it, but she had also applied multiple times to the Sent-down Youth Office for her rural assignment. So why was she repeatedly running away now?

Xie Xinyi couldn’t understand it, but since Xie Jianjun had asked, she told him what she had witnessed in the suburbs.

As for this time, "Where she escaped to, I really don’t know."

Xie Xinyi answered truthfully. As if caught off guard, a flicker of disappointment crossed Xie Jianjun’s face.

He looked at Xie Xinyi and nodded gravely. "Then I’ll ask someone else."

With the family having just gone through such turmoil, and now his beloved younger sister missing, the man in his early thirties seemed utterly dejected by the blows.

He thanked Xie Xinyi at the factory gate. Just as she was about to walk toward Gu Yu, Xie Jianjun’s voice called out from behind, "Wait."

He stopped her.

Xie Xinyi looked up and saw Gu Yu, who had been standing less than five meters away, quickly striding toward her.

When Xie Jianjun had first stopped her, Xie Xinyi had noticed Gu Yu standing near the guard booth.

But since Xie Jianjun had been polite and respectful, Gu Yu hadn’t approached, staying just a few meters away—close enough to step in if needed but not intruding on her conversation with her relative.

Just like now, hearing Xie Jianjun call out to her and seeing him striding toward her, Gu Yu intercepted him before he could get too close.

"What else is there?"

He placed his bicycle between them, standing half a head taller than Xie Jianjun. His gaze was cool as he looked at the other man, his expression cold.

"I…" Xie Jianjun was startled into silence by the man’s coldness, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. He stammered for a long time without managing to speak.

Xie Jianjun had heard a few things from Xu Wenxia about the man Xie Xinyi had married.

He knew the man came from a good family and was a troublemaker, but he hadn’t expected him to be this harsh, exuding an ice-cold aura that kept people at a distance.

He cautiously glanced up at the man.

A cold face, a wary gaze…

He had only called out to Xie Xinyi to wait—was it necessary to treat him like an enemy?

Xie Jianjun pursed his lips and finally replied awkwardly after a long pause, "N-no… nothing. I just wanted to thank my cousin."

And then?

Gu Yu didn’t respond, only frowned at him with impatience.

Xie Jianjun: "…"

"Th-then… I’ll… I’ll go."

He glanced awkwardly at the two standing before him, who paid him no mind. Unlike his wife, who would cling stubbornly, he didn’t dare look back even once as he walked away in the opposite direction.

Xie Xinyi watched him leave, still wondering what exactly Xie Jianjun had meant by thanking her. The next moment, she heard Gu Yu say coldly, "Why did he suddenly come to see you?"

Xie Xinyi didn’t know either. "And he thanked me—for what?"

She thought about recent events and the questions he had just asked.

"Could it be for telling him about Xie Tingting?"

If that were the case, he was far too easily satisfied.

Xie Xinyi didn’t think Xie Jianjun was that easy to satisfy. Recalling what he had said about Xie Tingting running away again, she asked Gu Yu, "Do you know anyone who can find out about sent-down youth matters?"

With the sent-down youth soon returning to the city, Xie Xinyi suspected there was more to Xie Tingting’s escape at this time.

She asked Gu Yu to help look into Xie Tingting’s situation as much as possible. Meanwhile, their workshop also faced the annual production shutdown.

The moment Cui Jun switched off the cooling machine’s power, Xie Xinyi led the enthusiastic applause.

Xiao Jiang, Ms. Liu, and the temporary workers followed suit. For a moment, applause erupted, even more enthusiastic than during a celebration.

"Finally finished just before maternity leave begins."

Xiao Jiang rubbed her round, full belly and heaved a long sigh of relief.

Cui Jun brought out the White Rabbit candy he had prepared in advance and celebrated with everyone.

This year, the Ice Pop Team's new ice cream products sold quite well. They were sure to get their year-end bonus, and there was a good chance they would be named the Advanced Collective again. Having contributed so much to the factory’s revenue, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone from their team became a model worker.

As she ate the White Rabbit candy, Xiao Jiang figured Xie Xinyi would definitely be awarded model worker this time. “Since the team leader role went to Eldest Brother Chen, they’ll probably give her a model worker as a consolation, right?”

“A consolation prize?”

Ms. Liu, knitting, chimed in jokingly. As soon as the team’s shift ended, she eagerly picked up her knitting needles.

Xie Xinyi’s due date was in October, less than two months away. Ms. Liu had been knitting nonstop, even during the busiest times, knitting a few rows even after getting home.

Now, with only two pairs of small wool pants left to finish, Ms. Liu joked with Xiao Jiang and others during overtime.

“We don’t want a consolation prize. If they’re giving one, it should be something meaningful, right, Xiao Xie?”

“Right, it has to be something big.”

Xie Xinyi chuckled in agreement, though everyone knew she wasn’t really interested in such recognition.

And indeed, she didn’t.

She hadn’t cared before she was pregnant, and now that she was further along in her pregnancy, she cared even less.

However, she had given serious thought to something Old Liu mentioned to her a few days ago, and it had made an impression on her.

“Young lady, would you like to learn the craft from me?”

That day, while she and Old Liu were counting inventory of ice cream in the finished product storage room, the old master had casually brought it up as he counted.

At first, Xie Xinyi didn’t quite catch his meaning, but when Old Liu looked at her with a smile, she understood what he meant.

To learn the craft from Old Liu—in other words, he was asking if she would become his apprentice.

The reason she hadn’t caught on immediately was that she had never considered such a possibility.

Moreover, she knew that master craftsmen of his generation were often traditional and rarely took on apprentices casually. Even when they did, they typically passed down their skills only to men, not women.

Especially someone like Old Liu, who had both skill and a “reputation” in the field—he was usually reluctant to take on disciples.

So when Old Liu asked her directly if she wanted to learn from him, Xie Xinyi was not only surprised but also somewhat confused.

She had previously heard from Cui Mama about Old Liu’s former female apprentice. Though it happened many years ago, the incident had left a deep impact on him.

Cui Mama said that after the incident, Old Liu had sworn off taking apprentices. So when he asked her, Xie Xinyi initially thought she had misheard.

Becoming the old master’s apprentice was something Xie Xinyi never dreamed possible. After all, Liu Yinsheng was a respected master in the field, and being his disciple would be an immense honor and pride.

Xie Xinyi loved tasting new foods and enjoyed even more the process of developing new creations with Old Liu.

She was excited that he wanted to take her on as an apprentice, but she was also concerned about his sudden change of heart.

That past incident had deeply affected him, and for many years, he had never taken on another apprentice.

Now, out of the blue, he had offered to teach her his craft.

Xie Xinyi wasn’t worried about herself—she was worried about whether Old Liu might be bearing any burden or pressure in his heart.

After all, a trauma that significant was not something most people could easily move past.

While she was concerned about Old Liu’s emotional state, Gu Yu felt the situation was less complicated than she imagined.

“If Old Liu has made up his mind, it means he’s ready.”

He advised her not to underestimate people’s resilience, adding that taking Xie Xinyi as an apprentice might even help Old Liu overcome his personal demons.

Gu Yu was an optimist, while she tended to be more cautious. The couple had different perspectives on the matter, and Xie Xinyi privately thought carefully about what he said.

When Old Liu brought up the topic again, Xie Xinyi asked him some questions back.

“Will taking on a female apprentice have any impact on you?”

“What impact could it possibly have?” Old Liu chuckled. “There’s no rule against having a female apprentice.”

So, no impact then.

Xie Xinyi nodded, understanding, and asked another question, “Does Aunt Liu know about this? Isn’t it said that an apprentice is like half a son—or half a daughter?”

Liu Yinsheng: “…”

Was she trying to tell him what to do? But after a moment’s thought, he replied seriously, “Your aunt knows. An apprentice is indeed like half a daughter.”

Satisfied, Xie Xinyi nodded again. “I’m not the quickest learner. If I don’t learn well, you can’t scold me or change your mind.”

Old Liu snorted, about to remark how quick she was to take advantage of the situation, when Xie Xinyi held out her hand and said, “Give me a key to your house.”

A key? She even wanted a key?

Old Liu gaped at her for a moment but eventually meekly handed over a key.

“No regrets once the decision is made.”

Xie Xinyi smiled as she pocketed the key. The next day, she brought a traditional apprenticeship gift and visited Old Liu’s home with Gu Yu.

Aunt Liu had prepared a table laden with dishes. Looking at the lovely young couple before her, her face wrinkled with a smile.

“I’ve always wanted a daughter. I never thought heaven would actually grant my wish.”

From the first time she met Xie Xinyi, Aunt Liu had taken a genuine liking to this sensible and well-mannered girl.

Due to health reasons, she had never been able to have children. The elderly couple had spent most of their lives without sons or daughters, their greatest wish being to have a child to bring them joy.

They had once had Xiao Jing, which gave them some hope, but after the child was gone, it took Aunt Liu a long time to recover.

Aunt Liu loved children, especially responsible, thoughtful ones like Xie Xinyi.

When Liu Yinsheng mentioned his intention to take Xie Xinyi as an apprentice, she was so overjoyed she couldn’t sleep for two nights. That morning, she had risen early to prepare a lavish meal.

She took the girl's hand and said kindly that her husband had a temper, telling Xie Xinyi to bear with him, which made Old Liu, standing nearby, fume and grumble.

"I heard you got a key to our house from your master?"

"Mm," Xie Xinyi didn't deny it. "Having the key gives you peace of mind, and me too."

Aunt Liu gently patted her hand. "You're so thoughtful, child."

The elderly couple had no children. Last time when Liu Yinsheng fainted at home, she happened to be away.

Hearing that the old man’s face turned pale when he was sent to the hospital, Aunt Liu had been too scared to even leave the house since then.

Older age brings more health problems. After the scare of Old Liu collapsing at home, Aunt Liu’s biggest fear was that one day both of them might collapse at home with nobody knowing.

When Liu Yinsheng mentioned that Xie Xinyi had asked for a key to their place, she didn’t understand at first. But after thinking it over that night, she realized what the girl meant by saying "an apprentice is like half a daughter" and taking their key.

The girl truly cared about them. So when someone gossiped about Liu Yinsheng taking on a "money-losing" apprentice, Aunt Liu chased the gossip several blocks with a broom.

The news of Xie Xinyi becoming Old Liu’s final apprentice spread quickly in the factory, making some people burning with envy.

"Who knows how she managed it? Not only do the factory leaders look out for her, but even Old Liu took her as his disciple."

"Exactly. I heard Old Liu said he wouldn’t take any more disciples. Who knows what spell Xie Xinyi cast on him—not only did he take her as a disciple, but as his last one. The special treatment… tsk tsk… remarkable."

Hearing this, someone in the next stall pricked up their ears. "Remember when people said she pulled strings? Not long ago, Director Fang was summoned for questioning. Do you think there’s any truth to it?"

In the public restroom, Xie Xinyi and Xiao Jiang had just walked in when they overheard people gossiping about her.

Xiao Jiang, hot-headed, immediately frowned and was about to step forward and ask, "What are you whispering about?" But considering Xie Xinyi was with her, she checked her reaction, worried she might feel awkward.

Awkward? Others might, but Xie Xinyi didn’t care at all.

With a cold face, she listened as the people inside continued to spread nasty rumors about her. She never expected that just by becoming a disciple, people would start spreading malicious gossip about her again. They've really got some nerve.

Before Xiao Jiang could react, Xie Xinyi stepped forward and rapped on the door. "Are you done? Speed it up, people are waiting."

She wasn’t about to tolerate it. If she wasn’t embarrassed, then they'd be the embarrassed ones.

As women, instead of supporting each other, they hid in corners gossiping maliciously.

Xie Xinyi despised such petty, jealous people. After knocking, she folded her arms and waited at the door, ready to confront them face-to-face, leaving Xiao Jiang both trying not to laugh and giving her a thumbs-up.

The two stood at the door for a while, but the people inside remained silent. Imagining their flushed, embarrassed faces, Xie Xinyi finally led Xiao Jiang away, satisfied.

After handling the gossipers, Xie Xinyi returned home in the evening but froze as soon as she stepped into the yard.

She glanced at the rearranged yard, wondering if she had entered the wrong house, and stepped back outside to double-check.

"You’re not lost," Gu Yu followed behind her, noticing her odd behavior and reminding her, "Mom had the place straightened up earlier."

Oh, so it had been cleaned.

Relieved, Xie Xinyi stepped inside.

Walking into the living room, she noticed not only had the furniture been rearranged, but many items had been removed.

For instance, Grandma Gu’s vegetable racks in the yard, the ornament Gu Yu’s father cherished in the hallway, the position of the sofa, and the stair padding.

This…

Before Xie Xinyi could process it, Wen Shuhua approached with a bowl of chicken soup.

"Come, have some chicken soup. Wang Ma just made it. Drink it while it’s hot."

She looked up to greet her but noticed Xie Xinyi staring at the rearranged furnishings. She explained, "Since you’re due soon, that scamp insisted we rearrange the house."

Gu Yu’s idea?

Xie Xinyi glanced back at the man playing innocent.

Recalling his earlier remark about his mom tidying up, she found it amusing.

The man had put in so much effort to ensure a safe environment for their child. Not wanting to embarrass him in front of everyone, Xie Xinyi thanked him and thanked Wen Shuhua and Grandma Gu.

"No need for thanks? It’s my own grandchild. If I don’t care, who will?"

Wen Shuhua smiled, guiding Xie Xinyi to the dining table. As she urged her to drink the soup, she mentioned another round of adjustments in a few days.

Grandma Gu chimed in, "I noticed Xie Xinyi’s belly has dropped. The baby must have dropped. We should hurry with the adjustments and finish before the baby comes, so we don’t bring bad luck to the child."

When rearranging furniture, Grandma Gu preferred consulting the almanac to avoid any bad luck for the family.

With Xie Xinyi’s due date approaching, she had checked the dates when Gu Yu suggested rearranging the house. After today’s changes, they’d have to wait another ten days for the rest.

"We’ll finish before you get home then. Just remember the new arrangement to avoid bumping into things."

"Really, it’s not necessary, Grandma."

Xie Xinyi took a sip of the soup and shared her thoughts on the rearrangements. "This is our home, not a child's playground."

The child wasn’t even born yet, and everything already revolved around her. What if she grew up spoiled rotten?

Xie Xinyi believed children should be given more freedom, not excessive attention.

But Gu Yu disagreed. "Girls are different from boys. They need more careful attention."

"How do you know it’s a girl?" Xie Xinyi chuckled, about to ask what if it was a boy when she felt a sudden pressure in her lower abdomen.

"I just have a feeling," Gu Yu said, not noticing her discomfort, continuing his point about girls needing careful nurturing. "We definitely need to move any furniture that could trip her."

He was certain. Just as he turned to discuss with Wen Shuhua, he noticed the girl sitting in a daze, looking stunned.

The ceiling fan whirred overhead, and amidst the mechanical noise, he heard her soft voice.

"We can’t move anything else. The baby… the baby's coming."

*Crash!*

Everything was silent for two full minutes before Gu Ying’s scream scared the daylights out of the frogs in the paddy fields outside.

"The baby’s coming! The baby’s coming!"

Wen Shuhua exclaimed, rushing to gather necessities—diapers, swaddles, baby clothes, and what else?

"Wait, where’s the thermos I left in the kitchen? And the basins for the mother and baby? Gu Yu, have you seen them?"

"Gu Yu!!"

"Gu Yu!!"

"What are you just standing there for? Xie Xinyi is going into labor—go get the hospital bag and head to the hospital!"

She's in labor! To the hospital!

Yes, yes, to the hospital!

The man, who had been frozen in his seat for a while, was jolted by his mother’s slap. He finally stood up from the stool to help gather the things, but in his haste, his knee even made a solid bump with the table leg.

Xie Xinyi watched the man limping upstairs and couldn’t help but wince in sympathy.

It must have hurt a lot. She touched her belly—probably much more than the contractions she had felt earlier.

Xie Xinyi sat in her seat, watching the bustling Gu family members scurrying around like headless chickens, and felt completely useless.

So, everyone was busy—should she be doing something too?

She slowly stood up, thinking she'd help in the kitchen.

"Hey, don’t come over here. I’ll leave as soon as I find the thermos. Go sit on the sofa and wait for us."

Wang Ma raised her hand to stop her, then went to help Wen Shuhua get the baby stuff ready.

"No, no, I’ll handle it. You go sit down and don’t move. I’ll grab the swaddle and be right there."

Xie Xinyi: "..."

It seemed she really couldn’t help. So, she waddled upstairs with her pregnant belly. Before even entering the room, she heard Gu Ying shouting at her dazed brother in the room at the top of her lungs: "Let’s go! What are you dawdling for? You're gonna be a dad—let's get to the hospital!"

After shouting, she even looked down to double-check if she had forgotten anything, then muttered to herself, "I’m going to be an aunt too."

"Gu Yu, are you ready or not?"

Wen Shuhua’s anxious voice echoed from downstairs. Gu Ying hurried down, and Gu Yu, finally snapping out of it, followed. As he passed Xie Xinyi, he even politely said to her, "Come on, hurry up!"

Hurry up?

Xie Xinyi didn’t rush because she had seen her sister-in-law give birth and knew that the process from first contractions to delivery was long and exhausting. So, she went to her room.

Thinking about the traditional month-long lying-in period common in this era, she took her time taking a shower first.

Then, realizing that labor would require a lot of physical strength and energy, she went to the snack jar and grabbed some substantial things to eat.

There were also changes of clothes, a nursing pillow, a headscarf to cover her head...

After finishing everything she could think of, she took her sweet time going downstairs.

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she ran into Wang Ma, who was doing last-minute tidying in the living room. Wang Ma glanced up at her and stammered, "You... you..." without finishing a sentence.

Xie Xinyi looked around the quiet house, puzzled.

"Wang Ma, where did everyone go?"

***

Author’s note: Gu Ying: Brother, let’s go—to the hospital to become a dad!