Chapter 25: Chapter 25: A Letter Read by Even Numbers

Early the next morning, Gu Qinghuan cooked a big pot of cornmeal porridge—basically corn porridge, with some purple kidney beans added in.

Though it was coarse grain, it tasted wonderful. In her previous life, Gu Qinghuan had always loved this—soft, fragrant, and sweet, with every bite full of the fresh aroma of corn.

She also steamed a pot of mixed-grain mantou, each one fluffy and soft.

The whole family had breakfast at the new kang table in the east room—everyone got a bowl of cornmeal porridge, and there were plenty of big mantou to go around.

Dabao and Beibei each finished a full bowl of porridge and a mantou. Only when they couldn’t eat another bite did they stop. Gu Qinghuan quickly told them to go out and walk off their meal.

The two little ones volunteered to do the dishes, which Gu Qinghuan was more than happy to let them handle.

Xu Huaian, as usual, had a great appetite—two bowls of porridge and three big mantou.

After the meal, Gu Qinghuan still made him take his medicine with a bowl of spiritual spring water.

Xu Huaian did seem much more stable these past two days, not as agitated as when they first met.

It looked like the spiritual spring water and medicine were really helping him.

After tidying up, Gu Qinghuan slipped into her space and put a pot of lean pork congee on the stove to simmer—this was for her mother and grandmother’s lunch.

She got Xu Huaian’s discharge papers and ID from Dabao, then grabbed her bags and got ready to head to the county seat.

“I’m going to the county today to buy supplies for winter and pick someone up. I might not be back until tonight.

I made extra porridge and mantou this morning—just reheat them for lunch. I’ll make something tasty for dinner when I get back.

While I’m gone, don’t open the door for anyone, no matter who it is. We have enough food now, so you don’t need to worry. And remember to talk to Dad more.”

For the first time in her life, Gu Qinghuan truly felt what it was like to be anxious about her family.

She hated leaving the two kids at home, worried something might happen, but it just wasn’t convenient to take them with her.

The two little ones nodded furiously, reluctantly seeing her out the door.

“Mama, come back soon,” Beibei called, peeking out the crack in the door for a long time, watching until Gu Qinghuan disappeared from view.

As usual, Gu Qinghuan first went to the educated youth spot to borrow a bike from Chen Jianghe—her motto was, “If I’m not embarrassed, it’s others who’ll feel awkward.”

Why walk when you can solve the problem with twenty cents?

Chen Jianghe was home today. When he heard she wanted to borrow the bike, he acted very generous: “If you need it, just take it. No need to pay me.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xue cursed Gu Qinghuan in her heart from head to toe—vixen, married and still trying to seduce Jianghe.

Gu Qinghuan quickly waved her hands—don’t say that, we’re not that close, I can’t accept that.

“I’ll leave the money here. I’ll take the bike and bring it back tonight.”

She was getting better at riding it, too—the more she rode, the smoother it got.

Her first stop was the county government’s civil affairs office, where she found the department for veterans’ affairs.

The staff there seemed pretty relaxed, even had time for tea.

She explained her purpose and handed over the documents. They didn’t give her any trouble—after checking everything, they quickly approved her request and sent her to the finance office to collect the money.

As she was leaving, someone said, “Comrade, if your family is really struggling, remember to let the government know. If it’s true, we can increase your subsidy as appropriate.”

This comrade also had family in the military, so he felt sympathy for soldiers. After reading Xu Huaian’s file and learning about his illness, he understood that the family had probably lost their main breadwinner.

Maybe it was also because Gu Qinghuan’s clothes were so patched up that people misunderstood her situation.

She’d deliberately worn her old clothes, thinking it wouldn’t be right to dress up when coming to collect money.

From Xu Huaian’s few words, it was clear he didn’t want to trouble the government. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited so long after discharge without ever claiming his pension.

So Gu Qinghuan didn’t feel right about applying for extra subsidies on his behalf.

“Thank you, comrade. The children’s father doesn’t want to trouble the government, so we haven’t claimed the pension in the two years since he left the army.

But now there’s no choice—his illness is getting worse, and he’s losing touch with reality. I want to take him to a big hospital, so I came to collect the money on my own.

I won’t apply for extra subsidies—please leave them for those who need them more. Thank you.”

Out in the world, your identity is what you make it. Gu Qinghuan looked every bit the simple rural woman.

Everyone in the office who heard her “story” was filled with respect. People in this era already admired soldiers, and Xu Huaian was clearly a comrade worthy of respect.

“Is it Comrade Xu Huaian? I remember him. When I was sorting files, I wondered why he never came to claim his pension. So that’s what happened.”

“Comrade, is this money enough for his treatment? Here’s two yuan from me.”

“I’ll give one yuan.”

“I didn’t bring cash today, but here are some food coupons…”

…

People all over the office stood up, generously offering what they could—one yuan here, two yuan there.

Gu Qinghuan was startled.

She’d only ever seen this kind of thing on TV—this was her first time experiencing the genuine kindness of people from this era.

To work in government, these people were all from good, upright backgrounds.

She waved her hands awkwardly. “No, no, that’s not necessary. You all have it tough too—I can’t take your money.”

With that, she practically ran out of the office.

The staff member who’d helped her tried to chase her down with the money everyone had collected.

Gu Qinghuan firmly refused, and after much back-and-forth, they finally took the money back, reminding her to reach out if she ever needed help.

Gu Qinghuan felt a swelling in her chest—a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words.

The world may be tattered, but there are always people patching it up.

There are people like Liu Guifang, who don’t even care for their own sons, and there are people like those she’d just met, willing to help a stranger.

In that moment, she suddenly felt the world she lived in was very real—every person was flesh and blood, truly alive.

Xu Huaian had been discharged for two years and three months.

Fifteen yuan a month, for a total of 405 yuan.

It was more than Gu Qinghuan had expected.

With these four hundred yuan, she could finally make up for what she’d spent before.

And from now on, she’d get fifteen yuan a month—what a relief.

After collecting the money, Gu Qinghuan planned to mail the package for her eldest uncle.

At the county post office, she found the address where her uncle’s family had been sent for re-education, copied from the original owner’s notebook.

She quickly wrote a letter to include with the package.

There weren’t many words:

If you can help collect refined grain, please reply to my letter.

Signed: Even Number.

At first glance, the letter seemed odd, but her uncle was an educated man—he’d understand right away.

If you read the letter using only the even-numbered characters, the meaning changed: If you can collect grain, reply.

She was worried that her uncle’s mail might be monitored, so she used this method to find out how he was doing, and whether the grain would actually reach him.

After all, when her mother and grandparents were sent down, their struggle sessions were relatively mild. Her uncle and his wife had it worst—the authorities had singled them out for re-education in the harshest place.

After mailing the letter and package, it was almost noon."

"Chapter 26: Delivering Lunch, Selling Watches

Gu Qinghuan found a secluded spot and slipped herself and her bike into her space.

The porridge in the pot was already soft and thick. She added a bit of salt and chopped scallions for flavor, and it was ready to serve.

But just porridge wouldn’t do. Gu Qinghuan also steamed a basket of frozen buns—nine in total.

She’d been eating these frozen buns for days now, and her stock was running low.

She rummaged through the fridge, took out two cucumbers, and made a smashed cucumber salad. All in all, it was a decent lunch.

She didn’t make too much, though—after all, they still had the hospital meals coming.

As usual, she packed everything into a thermal container and lunch boxes to carry by hand.

Gu Qinghuan rode her bicycle to the inpatient ward of the county hospital.

As luck would have it, just as she arrived at the ward, the cafeteria staff brought up the hospital meals.

Seeing her carrying a thermal container, they praised her for being such a filial daughter.

Gu Qinghuan felt a little embarrassed.

After sending the staff away, she finally put down what she’d brought.

“Mom, Grandma, I made some lean pork porridge, buns, and smashed cucumber. Take whatever you like.”

With the hospital meals included, there was more than enough for the three of them.

“How come you’re here so early? Mmm, this porridge smells amazing—just the scent makes me hungry.” Zhong Zijun smiled as she came over.

Made with spiritual spring water, of course it smelled good.

She hoped that eating food made with spiritual spring water would help her mother’s arm heal faster.

Gu Qinghuan served half a box and placed it in front of Zhong Zijun.

“If you like it, have some more. Grandma, you should try my cooking too.”

The elderly lady in the next bed looked on enviously. “Zijun, you’re so lucky. Your daughter is so filial, and this porridge smells heavenly.”

Zhong Zijun didn’t bother with polite words. She nodded seriously. “Huanhuan is very filial.” Her daughter was the best.

“Not only is she filial, she’s a great cook, and she’s so pretty too. Look at that face—like a flower. I wonder which lucky young man will marry her in the future.”

The old lady’s casual remark made all three generations fall silent.

Gu Qinghuan thought to herself, This old lady really knows how to hit a sore spot. She was already worried—sooner or later, her marriage to Xu Huaian would come out, and her grandfather’s side would find out.

Thinking of the tragic ending in the book sent a chill down her spine.

Since they were just minor characters in the book, their fate was only briefly mentioned, so she didn’t know exactly when the truth would come out.

She absolutely couldn’t let them hear about it from someone else—that would be a devastating blow.

And outsiders always exaggerated things.

Gu Qinghuan decided she would tell them herself—it was safer that way.

She just needed to find the right time.

As for Zhong Zijun and Cheng Shuying’s silence, it was because this was a heavy burden in their hearts as well.

Huanhuan was already twenty, the right age for marriage. She used to have a childhood fiancé, but after the family’s troubles, the boy broke off the engagement for the sake of his own future.

Stuck in this tiny world, what kind of family could she marry into now?

In the past, there were plenty of promising young men to choose from. Now, aside from educated youths, there were only farmers.

And with their current awkward status, they were dragging the child down.

She’d had a good education and seen a bigger, brighter world—how could she just let her life slip away like this?

Zhong Zijun had even considered asking her daughter to beg that heartless man, to find a way to return to the city. That would be better than staying here.

Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs—surely he wouldn’t be so cruel as to ignore his own daughter’s fate.

Seeing her grandma and mom looking down, Gu Qinghuan quickly changed the subject.

“Grandma, you should try my porridge too.” Please, let’s drop this topic.

The old lady also sensed the awkwardness and quickly steered the conversation back to the porridge. “Alright, alright, thank you, little girl.”

What should have been a warm and cozy lunch became unusually silent, each person lost in their own thoughts.

But wasting food was out of the question—they finished every last bite.

After eating, Gu Qinghuan volunteered to wash the lunch boxes.

When she was done, she went to find Zhong Zijun’s attending doctor to get an update.

The elderly doctor was very responsible. He explained Zhong Zijun’s current condition and all the details of her aftercare.

She’d been recovering well these past two days, thanks to careful attention and good rest, plus the boost from spiritual spring chicken soup. Her nutrition was up to par. If she kept it up, she’d be fully recovered in two or three months.

Gu Qinghuan took careful notes of all the important points so she wouldn’t forget.

The old doctor nodded approvingly—what a filial child.

That afternoon, Zhong Zijun still had a few IV drips to finish. Gu Qinghuan couldn’t sit still in the ward, so she excused herself to go buy something and took the chance to get some air.

She’d thought that with her space, she wouldn’t have to worry about making money and could just sail through life.

But in reality, she still had to worry about money. Even though she still had some cash and had just earned another four hundred today…

The expenses were huge. She had so many elderly, sick, and weak to support, plus she had to help out friends and family from time to time. She had to find a way to make more money.

Gu Qinghuan set her sights on that Plum Blossom brand watch she’d seen before.

She could easily be the middleman, buy them for ten yuan and sell for two hundred—a huge profit.

The only thing was, she hadn’t figured out exactly how to sell them yet.

She wandered the streets aimlessly and somehow ended up near the grocery store.

She spotted a middle-aged man inside, directing workers to move things around. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

Wasn’t that the son of the old lady from the hospital ward? She’d seen him once before. Maybe he’d be interested in this kind of business.

She quickly found a spot, entered her space, and ordered a Plum Blossom watch.

With the watch in hand, Gu Qinghuan went to find the old lady’s son, Lu Jianye. Maybe because they shared a hospital room, Lu Jianye received her warmly.

He even invited her to his office for tea.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

“Uncle, sorry to bother you. I have a business proposition. Whether you’re interested or not is entirely up to you.”

Though she was dressed simply, Gu Qinghuan carried herself with poise and spoke with confidence, which made her oddly convincing.

Lu Jianye was sharp enough not to immediately refuse or agree. He just looked interested and waited for her to continue.

Gu Qinghuan took the watch she’d prepared out of her bag and placed it in front of him.

Lu Jianye opened the box and wasn’t surprised—he used this exact same Red Plum watch himself.

“A Red Plum watch? What’s this about?”

“Uncle, how much did you pay for the one you’re wearing?” Gu Qinghuan asked instead of answering.

“A little over three hundred. Why?”

“What if I told you a friend of mine has a batch of these Red Plum watches, only two hundred each, and you don’t even need an industrial coupon? Would you be interested?”

After she finished, Gu Qinghuan watched Lu Jianye nervously. Honestly, she was gambling—gambling that Lu Jianye was a shrewd businessman.

Her words startled Lu Jianye.

As the manager of the grocery store, he had a keen business sense.

Gu Qinghuan’s meaning was clear: she had a batch of Red Plum watches for two hundred each, no coupon required.

If he could get them, he could easily sell them for two hundred fifty—plenty of buyers would jump at the chance.

Fifty yuan profit per watch—that was more than half a month’s salary for him.

Others might not have the connections, but his network was wide—he’d have no trouble selling them. The only question was, how many were there, and could he handle the whole batch?

Lu Jianye gave a businessman’s smile. “Niece, how many watches does your friend have? Are they all in this condition?”

Gu Qinghuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she’d won her bet."

"Chapter 27: The Get-Rich Plan—Watches and Moutai

She silently estimated Lu Jianye’s financial strength. For a family like theirs, coming up with three or five thousand yuan shouldn’t be a problem, right?

“Uncle, my friend’s batch has twenty watches, all in identical condition. You can inspect the goods before paying,” Gu Qinghuan said with a beaming smile.

Lu Jianye frowned. Twenty watches? That’s a four-thousand-yuan investment.

That’s no small sum. He could scrape it together, but if these watches didn’t sell and got stuck in his hands, it’d be a total loss.

But looking at it from another angle, twenty watches, fifty yuan profit on each—that’s a thousand yuan.

You have to know, after years of hard saving, their family’s total savings were less than five thousand yuan. To make a thousand yuan in one deal—opportunities like this didn’t come every day.

Gu Qinghuan could see Lu Jianye’s hesitation but didn’t rush him. Deals like this had to be made willingly.

After a long moment of deliberation, Lu Jianye finally made up his mind. To hell with it—only a fool passes up easy money.

“Niece, when can you bring the goods over? I’ll go home and get the money right now.”

“Uncle Lu, you’re decisive! I’ll go get the goods from my friend right away. Give me an hour at most, and I’ll come find you.”

“Alright!” Lu Jianye, being an impatient sort, hurried home to get the money.

Gu Qinghuan returned to her space, spent two hundred yuan, and ordered twenty watches, packing them up in a cloth bag.

There was still time, so she started thinking about how to openly bring out the things she’d bought for her grandparents.

She’d already given them a hundred yuan before, and now she was buying so many things. They were bound to get suspicious.

She’d have to keep sending them food and supplies in the future, too.

Sooner or later, she’d have to get past this hurdle.

Gu Qinghuan steeled herself. After sending them home today, she’d just come clean and explain everything.

Better than having a ticking time bomb hanging over her head, making her anxious all the time.

They’d find out sooner or later anyway.

Thinking of this, she could already sense the coming storm.

She took out the cotton-padded clothes and other supplies for her grandparents and mother, planning to bring them all home today.

As for the two big quilts, she’d find another chance to deliver them later.

Bringing everything at once would be too much to carry and would attract envy. Last time, her mother was pushed and the culprit still hadn’t been found. It wasn’t good to be too flashy, especially given their sensitive status.

Once everything was packed, it was about time.

Gu Qinghuan returned to Lu Jianye’s office. He was already waiting and had even made her some tea.

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t in a hurry. She sat down and took a careful sip.

“The tea is rich but not bitter, mellow and smooth, fresh and sweet, with a unique aftertaste.”

“Niece, you have good taste! This is Liu’an Guapian. Does it suit you? I’ll give you two boxes to take home later.”

After a bit of polite small talk, they got down to business.

“Uncle Lu, here are the goods. Please check them.”

Gu Qinghuan put the bag in front of Lu Jianye and calmly continued sipping her tea.

Lu Jianye opened every box and checked each watch carefully, confirming that every single one was genuine.

Once he was sure, a genuine smile appeared on his face. “Niece, everything’s good. Here’s four thousand yuan. Please count it.”

Gu Qinghuan stood up, took the money, and counted it twice before putting it in her bag.

“Uncle Lu, you’re a straight shooter.”

“Niece, once you walk out that door, you never gave me any watches, and I never gave you any money,” Lu Jianye reminded her quietly.

“I understand the rules, Uncle Lu. Don’t worry.” Gu Qinghuan was more than happy for both of them to keep this to themselves—she’d never breathe a word.

“Alright, I’ll see you out. Oh, and take these two boxes of Liu’an Guapian with you.”

Lu Jianye really did hand her the tea.

There was no real friendship between them—just mutual benefit—so Gu Qinghuan accepted the gift without hesitation.

As they passed the counter on the way out, something caught Gu Qinghuan’s eye.

Moutai liquor.

During this special historical period, Moutai had changed from the Feitian label to the Sunflower label, using milky-white glass bottles with red ribbons tied at the neck. The ribbons were embroidered with “China Guizhou Moutai.”

It’s worth mentioning that the Sunflower design had two versions. The rare one was called “Big Leaf Sunflower”—as the name suggests, the sunflower petals on the trademark were very broad.

Gu Qinghuan had once seen on Douyin that at a domestic auction, a single bottle of 1976 Big Leaf Sunflower Moutai fetched a staggering 500,000 yuan.

Because the Big Leaf Sunflower trademark was used for only a very short time and very few bottles survived.

It was only 1975 now, so the Big Leaf Sunflower would have to wait, but the regular Moutai was still not to be missed.

A bottle of 1975 Moutai could fetch fifty or sixty thousand yuan in the future, right?

Gu Qinghuan was secretly delighted—she’d found another path to wealth.

Being a middleman was just too profitable.

“Uncle Lu, by the way, my elders at home love Moutai. I’d like to buy some for them. Is there any way you could help?” (Buying Moutai required a special voucher.)

As a manager, Lu Jianye had the authority to help with this.

“No problem. Will four bottles be enough? I can only get four more this month, but if you need more, come back next month and I’ll save them for you.”

Having just made a tidy profit off Gu Qinghuan, Lu Jianye was more than happy to oblige.

Gu Qinghuan, of course, had no objections.

“That’s great. Thank you, Uncle Lu.”

Lu Jianye had the clerk write up a receipt, and they went to pay.

Gu Qinghuan hurried to pay herself—four bottles at seven yuan each, that was twenty-eight yuan. No way she’d let him pay for her.

Lu Jianye saw that she didn’t try to take advantage and knew how to handle things, so he thought even more highly of her.

They said their goodbyes at the entrance of the provisions store.

It was getting late—already four in the afternoon.

Gu Qinghuan quickly got on her bike and headed for the hospital.

On the way, she found a chance to stash the liquor and money in her space, and took out the things she’d prepared for her grandparents, hanging them on the handlebars.

No matter how hard she tried to pack, it was still a huge bundle—there was just too much stuff.

At the hospital, Zhong Zijun and Cheng Shuying had already finished the discharge paperwork and were waiting for Gu Qinghuan with their things packed.

After saying goodbye to their ward-mates, the three of them prepared to head back to the village.

“Mom, you get on first, and put the luggage on too. I’ll take you home first, then come back for Grandma.”

There was no other way. If there was no luggage, she might have tried to take both of them at once, but with so much stuff and a patient, it was better to be safe.

They hadn’t expected Gu Qinghuan to have borrowed a bicycle.

“Huanhuan, when did you learn to ride a bike?” Zhong Zijun remembered that when her daughter was in middle school, she’d fallen the first time she tried to ride and never touched a bike again.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected this to come up and laughed it off, “Well, life forces you to learn. People have to look forward.”

Zhong Zijun suddenly felt her heart clench. Being forced to learn things—this was hardly the only one.

A kind of unspeakable pain tormented this mother deeply.

Not being able to protect her daughter from life’s hardships, letting her face such a tough world—that was a mother’s failure.

Because of this little episode, Zhong Zijun was silent the whole way and didn’t even notice all the bags Gu Qinghuan had bought.

With her only usable right hand, she clung tightly to her daughter’s clothes. Her vision blurred, as damp as her heart.

Time flies. That little girl could now shelter her from the wind and rain."

"Chapter 28: Kind Words Can’t Persuade a Doomed Soul