Back To The 80s-Chapter 400 - 410: Victory_1

Jiang Jiahua looked at the two gift boxes on the back of Gu Xiaobei’s bicycle and asked, "What is this for?"

Gu Xiaobei answered nonchalantly, "Oh, I’m selling these."

Jiang Jiahua was curious about how much this young woman needed money and how much she was willing to struggle. The translation drafts she wrote could earn more money than most people. Now she is doing business, eating cold biscuits on the road in this cold weather. He couldn’t help but ask, "Are you so hard-pressed for money?"

Gu Xiaobei looked at him oddly, "Is there a time when you don’t need money?"

Jiang Jiahua shook his head and chuckled, "Human desires are endless. Isn’t it nice to be content? At least you don’t have to work this hard."

Gu Xiaobei responded seriously, "People have different pursuits. What you see as comfort, I see as idleness."

Jiang Jiahua finally understood that he and Gu Xiaobei were on two parallel lines that would never intersect. He appreciated her talent and liked her vitality, but he could never understand what she wanted. He couldn’t help asking: "Does your husband agree with you doing these things?"

Gu Xiaobei asked with some surprise, "Why wouldn’t he agree?"

Jiang Jiahua laughed and didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he looked at the gift boxes on Gu Xiaobei’s bike and said, "Your gift boxes look pretty good."

Gu Xiaobei was pleased as if someone had complimented her child. She nodded and smiled, "I think so too."

Jiang Jiahua chatted a bit more, said goodbye to Gu Xiaobei, and left.

Watching Jiang Jiahua’s retreating figure, Gu Xiaobei realized what he meant - women shouldn’t be too aggressive and should focus on protecting their homes. In fact, her current situation differed from her ideal life. She liked to stay at home every day, watch her child grow, and grow old with her husband. But she couldn’t do that right now.

Gu Xiaobei sighed, finished the remaining half of her cold biscuits, drank some cold water, felt a chill in her belly, wrapped her scarf, put on her gloves, and started her journey in the afternoon.

On New Year’s Day, Gu Xiaobei had almost toured all the government offices in the province.

Bai Xiaolan was also an eloquent person. She had talked a lot of business in the shop, but her math was not good. Thankfully Ji Xiangdong was there to collect the money, otherwise, she would have lost a lot. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

On New Year’s Day, Gu Xiaobei saw that the gift boxes were almost finished. Everyone had been working overtime for the past few days, so she decided to let them off early today to celebrate New Year’s Day.

Bai Xiaolan was excited and said to Ji Xiangdong, "I find that I feel great every time I close a deal."

Ji Xiangdong looked at her simple-minded appearance, and fondly said, "Then you might as well stay and work for Xiaobei. Let her pay you a salary."

Bai Xiaolan nodded heartily, "Good, good,"

Gu Xiaobei was on the side sorting out the bills. Hearing this, she laughed and replied, "Remember what you said. You can’t leave with Big Brother on the 5th."

Bai Xiaolan jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh, how could I forget about this. I have to return to Capital City."

After Gu Xiaobei finished sorting the bills and Qin Li returned from the warehouse, Gu Xiaobei gave Chen Zhao, Xiao Hong, and the other three each a five yuan holiday stipend. She asked them to go home and rest early. The next half-month would probably be even busier.

Qin Li asked Gu Xiaobei with a smile, "I’m going to Aunt Jin’s for New Year’s Day in a while. I know you definitely can’t go, so should I bring something for you?"

"Take a box of instant noodles and two packs of good tea over." Gu Xiaobei suggested.

Qin Li nodded, "Okay. I plan to go to the market later to buy a couple of pounds of meat."

Ji Xiangdong helped Qin Li tie the instant noodles on the back seat of her bike. After Qin Li left with her bike, Bai Xiaolan curiously asked, "I really like Qin Li. Does she have a boyfriend?"

Gu Xiaobei shook her head and briefly told Qin Li and Jin Cheng’s story, and even mentioned Jin Jiadong’s name.

Listening to the story, Bai Xiaolan was moved to tears, while Ji Xiangdong refrained from saying, "Did Jin Jiadong pass away at the end of the seventh or eighth year?"

Gu Xiaobei nodded and said, "I heard Zhanguo say it seems to be."

Ji Xiangdong fell silent. He never discussed it with Lu Zhanguo and the others. He had encountered Jin Jiadong on the battlefield. Hearing Gu Xiaobei talk about it today, he realized that it’s a small world. He couldn’t help but ask, "Are Jiadong’s parents also living in this province?"

Gu Xiaobei nodded again: "Yes, Uncle Jin, Auntie Jin, and Jin Jiadong’s daughter, Jiujiu, have all just moved to the province."

Ji Xiangdong was stunned, "I remember he was unmarried. How come he has a daughter?"

While they were talking, Lu Zhanguo came to pick up Gu Xiaobei and take her home. Hearing Ji Xiangdong’s question, he also asked, "Big Brother, I’ve always wanted to ask you. Did you visit Jin Jiadong in Capital City before New Year’s?"

Ji Xiangdong nodded, "I met Jin Jiadong on the battlefield. Our two regiments combined into an advance team, infiltrating behind enemy lines."

After sighing, Gu Xiaobei explained Jiujiu’s background to Ji Xiangdong. Bai Xiaolan, sitting next to the stove, never stopped crying and kept blowing her nose.

Ji Xiangdong took out a handkerchief and gave it to Bai Xiaolan. He said to Lu Zhanguo, "At that time, when we were writing our wills before setting off, Jin Jiadong said that his greatest regret in this life was causing the death of a good woman. If he died, it would be a fulfilment for him, allowing him to go to the underworld to accompany her. But fate is unpredictable."

Gu Xiaobei wiped away her tears and said, "Let’s hurry home. Mom and Dad must be worried waiting for us at home."

Ji Xiangdong nodded, "After we return from Capital City, I will go to visit Uncle and Auntie Jin."

Sure enough, when they got home, Wen Xiuqing had already prepared the meal and placed it on the large table in the middle of the room. Seeing Gu Xiaobei and the others only just arriving, Wen Xiuqing was puzzled, "Didn’t Zhanguo go to pick you up very early? Why did you return so late?"

As Gu Xiaobei took off her cotton-padded jacket, she said, "There was a delay at the shop."

"You’ve been so busy lately. Can you handle the shop after your dad and I leave?" Wen Xiuqing asked with concern.

Gu Xiaobei laughed and replied, "It’s all right. It’ll be a bit more hectic these few days. After you guys leave, it’ll be less busy - I’ll just be at the shop collecting money."

"Let Chen Zhao and the others escort you home at night. You carry money on you. It’s almost New Year, those who can’t earn money might be getting desperate," Lu Songyuan advised. Elderly people are always more cautious.

Gu Xiaobei smiled and agreed, then quickly went to wash her hands to eat.

Wen Xiuqing had spent the whole afternoon cooking, searing, frying, boiling and stewing, and made a large table of dishes. The only thing missing was green leafy vegetables, even the provincial capital did not have out-of-season vegetables.

Gu Xiaobei sighed, "I wish we could have cucumbers and green vegetables in winter."

Wen Xiuqing laughed and said, "In this freezing weather, how can we grow vegetables?"

Gu Xiaobei casually replied, "Actually, we can, by growing vegetables in greenhouses."

Ji Xiangdong, who was originally picking up food, paused and asked Gu Xiaobei, "When you mention greenhouse vegetables, do you mean finding a way to adjust the indoor temperature and grow out-of-season crops?"

Gu Xiaobei nodded, "Yes, that’s roughly what I mean."

Ji Xiangdong appreciated, "That’s a good idea, which also aligns with the current policy of advancing agriculture."