Everyone could see the changes between Bai Jiu and Gao Zhijun.
When Aunt Peng learned that Bai Jiu would be leaving with Zhijun, she was happy for her from the bottom of her heart.
"It’s good that you’ve figured it out. I was afraid you were going to keep being stubborn. This is great; your good days are ahead of you," Aunt Peng said, her face full of relief and gratification.
Bai Jiu was speechless. Was she making it that obvious?
"I didn’t do anything," Bai Jiu refused to admit it.
"Alright, alright. Have you packed everything? When are you leaving?" Aunt Peng knew she was easily embarrassed and stopped teasing her, changing the subject instead.
Speaking of serious matters, the petty awkwardness in Bai Jiu’s heart dissipated.
"We haven’t set a time yet, but it will be soon. There isn’t much to pack." On their second day at her family’s home, Gao Zhijun had gone to make a call to finalize his destination, so they still had to wait for a reply letter. But with his teacher handling it, it wouldn’t be difficult.
For some reason, perhaps because they had crossed the final threshold between them, Bai Jiu’s trust in him had steadily grown.
"Not much is still not a little. You should bring everything you need to bring. Be frugal when you get there. The city isn’t like our village." Everything required money there. With the little cash she had on hand, who knew how long it would last.
The worry in Aunt Peng’s heart was entirely visible on her face. Seeing this familiar expression, Bai Jiu looked helpless. Why was Aunt Peng still worried she couldn’t support the family even with Gao Zhijun back?
"All those things of yours were newly bought. It’d be a pity to just throw them away. Listen to me, endure the hassle and bring everything with you."
Bai Jiu could feel Aunt Peng’s good intentions. "Mm, I will. Rest assured, Aunt Peng." To be honest, she was quite reluctant to part with Aunt Peng when leaving the village. "I’ll write letters to you in the future, Aunt Peng." Bai Jiu had a unique kind of reliance on her.
Hearing her words, Aunt Peng felt a sweetness in her heart. "Alright, write often. I’ll send you good food." Turning her face away, Aunt Peng wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt reluctant to part, but she had no intention of asking Bai Jiu to stay. She knew exactly what kind of people lived in the village. She couldn’t let Bai Jiu suffer the same hardships she had.
Bai Jiu and Aunt Peng had finally calmed their emotions when the voices of Aunt Li and Qian Xiaojie came from outside. Bai Jiu immediately went out to welcome them, bringing the two into the house to sit down.
"Don’t busy yourself, we’re not strangers." Seeing Bai Jiu about to make sugar water, Aunt Li immediately stepped forward to stop her, pulling her aside to sit down. "Do you need my help packing?" She had come to lend a hand.
The straightforward Aunt Li was the polar opposite of Aunt Peng. She was thoroughly thrilled from the inside out that Bai Jiu was leaving with Gao Zhijun. She had some reluctance to part, but it wasn’t important.
"No need, the time hasn’t been set yet." If she packed everything now, what would they eat or sleep on? So, there was no rush. They had to wait for a reply letter from the other side.
"When will it be roughly decided?" Qian Xiaojie asked. "Before you leave, you should come over for a meal. We’ve always eaten at your place; you and Zhijun haven’t visited our home once."
Their family had eaten here quite a bit. Whether it was her sisterly bond with Bai Jiu or the brotherhood between Qingshan and Zhijun, she had to invite them for this meal.
"Alright, once the time is set, I’ll let you know, Jie." Bai Jiu didn’t dawdle. She knew that if she didn’t go, Jie might let her imagination run wild. So she definitely had to go eat this meal.
"And our house too. My husband also told me to invite you over for a meal, so don’t forget," Aunt Li chimed in.
Bai Jiu’s mouth twitched. The production team leader invited her for a meal? Why did she find that so hard to believe?
"Alright, I’ll let you know when the time comes too," Bai Jiu agreed without refusing.
Seeing the two bring up meals, Aunt Peng couldn’t be left behind.
"My house as well, you must come." She knew Bai Jiu felt sorry for her finances, but this meal had to be eaten.
"Alright." She agreed to each of them.
Seeing that there was nothing to help with, Aunt Li and Qian Xiaojie left first since they still had to work in the fields in the afternoon. Because Aiguo cared for her, Aunt Peng wasn’t allowed to do heavy labor. She just stayed at home, taking on small mending jobs.
Gao Zhijun had gone out and hadn’t returned yet. Bai Jiu was bored at home, so Aunt Peng stayed behind to chat with her. They chatted right up until the afternoon when Gao Zhijun returned.
"It’s good that you’re here, Auntie. I saw they were selling bread at the supply and marketing cooperative, so I bought some for you. Take it back with you later, and don’t refuse," Gao Zhijun said, his bamboo basket full of items. After setting it down, he pulled out a yellow paper bag. As soon as he brought it closer, the fresh aroma of bread wafted over.
"You child, why waste your money like this?" Although she grumbled, the look on Aunt Peng’s face was clearly one of happiness.
"If it goes into your stomach, it’s not a waste." Gao Zhijun was quite good at coaxing people. With just one sentence, he had Aunt Peng beaming with joy.
"You just have a sweet mouth." Aunt Peng wouldn’t stand on ceremony with him, no matter who else she might be polite to.
"By the way, Auntie, is Aiguo still going to school?" He hadn’t been back in a few years and hadn’t asked much about Aiguo’s situation.
"What school? Nowadays, you can’t just study for free once you reach high school. He feels it’s a waste of money and refuses to go." Aiguo was only fifteen. How could she not want him to attend school? Only by going to school could one understand reason and broaden their mind.
"That won’t do. He has to go to school," Gao Zhijun disagreed. "I’ll talk to him about this. If he’s short on money, I’ll pay for his tuition. He’s still so young. What else can he do if he doesn’t go to school?" No matter what, he needed to finish high school first. Aiguo’s grades had always been very good.
"Then you try to persuade him." Aunt Peng was more than happy to let him try.
"Mm, I’ll talk to him tomorrow." It was almost summer vacation anyway, so starting high school next semester would be perfect. The town wasn’t like other places; there weren’t many students, so anyone willing to study could enroll. Unlike the big cities where you had to test in yourself—if you failed the exam, you couldn’t study.
Aunt Peng walked back with a smile, carrying the bread.
Today, not only had Gao Zhijun received a letter, but he had also gotten some news. The higher-ups were beginning to consciously emphasize education. Coupled with a few other movements, he personally felt that Blue Country might be undergoing major changes. Of course, what made him even happier was...
After Aunt Peng left, Bai Jiu couldn’t help but ask.
"You received a letter?"
Gao Zhijun didn’t answer directly. He pulled an opened letter from his jacket. "Yes. My teacher also helped us select housing. However, there are two options: one is an old courtyard house, and the other is a new apartment building. He didn’t know which one we’d prefer, so he had people set aside both."
There were several sheets of paper inside the envelope, each one filled to the brim. The handwriting was beautiful. She didn’t know much about calligraphy, but she knew that someone with such penmanship surely had good character.
"Can I read this?" Bai Jiu asked as she pulled the letter out, suddenly realizing a potential issue.
Gao Zhijun paused for a moment but quickly caught on. "You can read it. This is a personal letter my teacher wrote to me; it doesn’t involve work." If it had been about work, this letter wouldn’t have been sent by standard mail.
"Oh." Bai Jiu truly didn’t understand the intricacies, but for both his sake and hers, it was better to be cautious sometimes.
Unfolding the letter, Bai Jiu began reading it word by word. Gao Zhijun stayed by her side, putting away the things he had brought back.
After finishing the letter, Bai Jiu was a bit surprised. "You can be allocated such a large house?" It had to be known that in this era, housing was a scarce resource. For him to be allocated a large courtyard or a three-bedroom apartment all by himself was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
"Is your work very dangerous?" Bai Jiu couldn’t help but ask.
Women were emotional creatures. Even though she hadn’t given him her heart yet, having given him her body meant she would inevitably invest some feelings into him.
For a moment, Gao Zhijun didn’t grasp what she meant.
"No?" He stayed in the laboratory all day long. What could be dangerous about that? "Why would you ask that?" He had read that letter no less than three times and didn’t think there was anything in it that would make her associate it with this question.