It took quite a while for Brother Jianping to even process what had just happened. When he finally came to his senses, he felt utterly humiliated. All his polished, upper-class dignity had been tainted—overwhelmed by toilet paper and the public latrine!
He stared blankly at Gu Shunhua. After a long pause, he finally gritted his teeth and said, “No, I don’t need it.”
Gu Shunhua asked, “Oh? Then where are you going? Running an errand?”
Brother Jianping grew uneasy and shoved his hands into his pockets in agitation. “I… I’m just out for a walk. Nothing special.”
“Out for a stroll, are you?” she asked, amused.
He nodded quickly. “That’s right.”
Gu Shunhua smiled.
Back in the day, when they all lived in the same courtyard, it was hard to tell who would amount to what. At most, Brother Jianping had newer clothes and drank milk every day.
But now, things had changed. He worked at the Power Bureau, a position full of perks. His future looked bright. He was one of the few who had really made something of himself from their shared courtyard.
Yet in her eyes, all of that felt distant—she already held him at arm’s length.
Her smile made Brother Jianping even more uncomfortable. Just then, footsteps echoed from not far away. He quickly turned his head.
It was an old man, hunched over, hands behind his back, carrying a small folding stool. He was clearly out to join a group playing chess somewhere. He wheezed as he shuffled down the alley, his steps forming a lazy figure-eight. He looked familiar, but not from their alley—probably from another hutong nearby.
Gu Shunhua could tell instantly—when Brother Jianping heard the approaching footsteps, his whole body tensed. But as soon as he saw the old man, he relaxed completely.
She understood.
So he didn’t want anyone to see him talking to her in private?
He’d been watching her, and as soon as she came out to use the latrine, he blocked her way to speak with her quietly—deliberately trying to avoid being seen?
Had it been the old Gu Shunhua, perhaps she wouldn’t have seen through this. But the Gu Shunhua who had read through an entire book now saw it all crystal clear.
Brother Jianping was a man full of contradictions. On one hand, he clung to the bittersweet beauty of their youth, to the regret of paths that never crossed. He couldn’t let go. But on the other hand, he was deeply pragmatic.
Now that she had two children, uncertain even of securing household registration—and even if she managed it, raising them would be a massive burden—Brother Jianping wasn’t the type to make a move without seeing the rabbit first. On top of that, his mother, Qiao Xiuya, had always disliked her and wanted to match him with some superior from the supply and marketing cooperative. She’d never wanted Shunhua to marry her son.
So he remained hesitant, tangled in his own thoughts.
And Gu Shunhua had only one reaction to all this:
To hell with him.
Her heart turned cold, but her face held its smile. “Well then, Brother Jianping, take your time with your stroll. I’ll be heading back.”
But Brother Jianping had finally managed to catch her alone—no way he was letting her go that easily. In a compound full of prying eyes, getting a moment like this was rare.
He quickly said, “Shunhua, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
She replied, “What is it? Go ahead, Brother Jianping.”
“What are your plans moving forward?”
“Plans? Naturally, to get household registration,” she answered.
“And after that?”
“After that, I’ll hound the Educated Youth Office until they help me find work.”
“You applied for medical retirement, right?”
“Of course I did.”
Brother Jianping sighed regretfully. “Then that’s it.”
She didn’t bother asking why—just waited for him to continue.
After a moment, he explained, “You know, once you go through medical retirement, it’s considered an irregular reassignment. That means your job benefits will be reduced.”
She had heard something along those lines before. But what could she do? Everyone who returned from the Corps did so through medical retirement—there was no other way.
So she answered casually, “If the benefits are lower, so be it. As long as there’s food on the table.”
But Brother Jianping shook his head. “Shunhua, you don’t understand. Job assignments for returning educated youth are a serious issue. Once your registration is set and your file returns, you’ll be in the queue for job distribution. There are so many unemployed youths ahead of you. If you have connections, you might land a proper job. If not, you’ll just be waiting forever. A lot of people can’t even get regular positions—they end up as temporary workers. Men go into construction, women end up at produce stalls or sanitation teams, all for twenty yuan a month, with no benefits whatsoever.”
Hearing that, Gu Shunhua knew exactly where he was going with this. So she played along, asking, “Is that so? What should I do then?”
Brother Jianping looked at her sincerely. “Shunhua, we grew up together. If I can help, I will. These past few days, I’ve been asking around. If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”
She said, “Then I’ll thank you in advance.”
Seeing her so agreeable, he thought she was really trusting him. He finally relaxed and smiled. “It’s nothing, really. But there’s one thing I need to ask you first.”
“Oh?”
“Your two kids—what are you planning to do with them?”
Gu Shunhua replied, “What can I do…? It is what it is.”
Brother Jianping saw the helpless, blank look on her face and sighed. “Shunhua, I heard your older brother and sister-in-law are returning from the countryside soon. Once they’re back, they’ll have children of their own too. There’s no way your family home will fit everyone. Even if it could, you’re a divorced woman with two kids—how long do you think you can stay at your mother’s place? And once you start working, who’s going to watch the children?”
Gu Shunhua blinked. “I’ll send them to kindergarten, of course.”
Brother Jianping groaned inwardly. Eight years in that godforsaken place, and she’s still so stubborn. No wonder she got divorced.
But still feeling sorry for her, he softened his tone and explained, “Without a work unit providing benefits, private kindergartens cost more than ten yuan a month. For two kids, the fees alone would eat up your entire salary. How are you supposed to live?”
Gu Shunhua said, “Good point.”
He continued, in a patient, fatherly tone, “You’re still young. You’ve got to think about the future.”
“The future?” she echoed.
“You’re divorced now. Haven’t you thought about remarrying? But with two little burdens dragging along behind you, who’s going to want that?”
That made Gu Shunhua laugh. She tilted her head and glanced sideways at him. “Little burdens?”
“Kids cost money,” he said. “Food, clothes, everything.”
“Well then,” she said flatly, “they’re already born. What do you suggest I do—throw them away?”
“They’ve got a father, don’t they? Two kids—split them up, one each. You’re just a single woman. Raising two on your own—what kind of life is that?”
Gu Shunhua narrowed her eyes. “So what are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying… it’s hard to register two kids. Let their father take them for now. You go ahead and register yourself first. Later, after you remarry, you can bring one of them back—”
He didn’t even get to finish.
“Well, thank you so much,” she snapped.
Brother Jianping froze, startled by her sharp tone.
Gu Shunhua gave a cold chuckle. “Brother Jianping, you went through all that roundabout talk just to get to this? I should abandon my kids? They’re a burden now? I may be struggling with two children, but I’m not eating your food or living in your house. So what gives you the right to encourage me to do something so heartless? What is this—are you taking after your mother now? Trying to marry me off to some big shot at the supply and marketing co-op? Are you two acting like a pair of madams from the old days, desperate to sell me off? I really didn’t expect this from you!”
He was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to turn around and hit him with such a ferocious attack. “Shunhua, you misunderstood me! That’s not what I meant! I just found out our Power Bureau is getting new housing—I can get a 50-square-meter unit. An apartment! A real one! Life’s going to be good for me soon, and I was thinking of you—”
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s wonderful, Brother Jianping. You’ll be living in an apartment. But what does that have to do with my kids? You just told me to dump them on their father, didn’t you?”
He was speechless.
Wasn’t it obvious what he meant? Just don’t bring both kids—one is already a lot. That way, if they got married, they could still have one of their own!
If he got that apartment, they could build a life together—wasn’t that better than her continuing to suffer in the crowded courtyard?
Why couldn’t she just understand?
He sighed in frustration. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried about you. I care about you, that’s all.”
“Oh, so your way of caring is to have me throw away my kids?”
He opened his mouth but couldn’t get a single word out.
He’d made this long-winded effort, and now it had all gone to waste. Not only did she not take the hint, but she had turned it all around on him.
Gu Shunhua gave a faint smile. “Brother Jianping, I know you mean well. But even good intentions can cause harm. We grew up together in the same courtyard, and I respect you enough to call you ‘Brother’. But I won’t listen to talk of tossing my kids aside. I’m not about to do something that wicked. If I did that, I’d be afraid Heaven wouldn’t let me have children again.”
Brother Jianping was drenched in cold sweat. He hadn’t expected her to be this fierce. She used to be such a sweet little girl, always smiling. When had she become like this?
But he couldn’t bear to upset her. He hurriedly said, “Shunhua, I spoke wrong. You misunderstood me.”
“Oh no,” she said lightly. “I know you didn’t mean it that way. You were just thinking of me. Just don’t bring this up again.”
Brother Jianping’s mind was still spinning, but he could only nod over and over.
Gu Shunhua thought to herself, After this little show, let’s see if he still dares to pine after me.
So this was the so-called “White Moonlight in the Bureau Director’s Heart,” huh? Well, she never wanted to be that, not even once.
She turned and headed home, leaving Brother Jianping standing dumbfounded in the alley, staring at her back.
It was still the same familiar silhouette—but now she didn’t hesitate to bite back.
Truly impressive.
And just as he turned, he saw Chen Lu.
Chen Lu lived next door in the big courtyard and often came over to their compound—everyone knew each other well.
She walked over with a bright smile, first greeting Brother Jianping, then casually asked, “Did my sister just get mad?”
Author’s Note:
As for Su Jianping: don’t worry, he doesn’t count, not even as a supporting character…
By the way, I forgot to mention: this novel will follow a foodie heroine path. My last book, Marrying Old Wang from Next Door in the ’80s, didn’t lean enough into the food storyline toward the end. This one will make up for it, with a strong focus on the female lead’s career development!