Gu Xinguo ran in the direction of the young tailor, Li Tao.
Li Tao had originally gone out that day to look for wood so he could make two stools, but he happened to see Wang Xiangxiu heading towards the reservoir east of the village.
He followed her.
He watched as she lingered near the village entrance. Then, the moment she spotted Gu Xinguo approaching, she ran to the reservoir and jumped in.
A cold sneer appeared on Li Tao’s lips.
To think he had believed Wang Xiangxiu was a decent woman. He had even been willing to pay a bride price of five hundred yuan to marry her.
It turned out she was nothing but a slut.
She was trying to seduce Gu Xinguo, wasn’t she?
What a shameless little bitch.
All his sincere feelings had been wasted on her.
She looked down on him, did she?
Well, now he was even more determined to marry her. If she did not want his sincerity, then she could not blame him for how he treated her in the future.
“Comrade Li Tao, Comrade Wang Xiangxiu has fallen into the reservoir. Can you give me that wooden board you’re carrying? I’ll throw it to her so she can hold on to it, then I’ll run back to the village and find people to rescue her.”
Gu Xinguo had already decided what to do.
He could not simply stand by and allow someone to die, but he absolutely could not enter the water and rescue her personally.
He could not give Wang Xiangxiu any opportunity to cling to him.
His wife had warned him very clearly about this woman.
“Gu Xinguo, your hypocrisy is disgusting. Don’t tell me you don’t know why Wang Xiangxiu jumped into the reservoir. Since you know, why are you still trying to save her?
“I can’t stand people like you. You’re clearly irritated beyond belief inside, yet you insist on pretending to be some kind-hearted good man.”
“Li Tao, Wang Xiangxiu’s life is in danger. This isn’t the time to talk nonsense. Give me the wood. Saving her is more important!”
“Hahaha! Everyone says you, Gu Xinguo, are such a capable man, but you can’t even tell that Wang Xiangxiu knows how to swim. That’s hilarious.”
“Wang Xiangxiu can swim? Who told you that?”
“I saw it with my own eyes. Does that count?”
There was a reason Li Tao wanted to marry Wang Xiangxiu.
One hot night the previous summer, he had been unable to sleep, so he decided to cool off beside the river.
Unexpectedly, he encountered Wang Xiangxiu swimming there.
Under the light of the full moon, she had looked like a mermaid, gliding freely through the water.
He had stared until his eyes nearly popped out.
From that night onward, Wang Xiangxiu had taken root in his heart.
However, because of his inferiority complex, he had never possessed the courage to approach the Wang family and propose marriage.
When he learned that Wang Xiangxiu had visited his home to ask his father to teach her sewing, he could no longer suppress his feelings. That was why he finally asked his father to propose to her.
But today, Wang Xiangxiu had destroyed the mermaid in his heart.
She had shattered every beautiful fantasy he had held about her.
How could he not hate her?
“She really knows how to swim?”
“She’s my future wife. Do you know how difficult it is for someone like me to marry? Why would I joke about my future wife’s life?”
Li Tao’s words caused Gu Xinguo’s opinion of Wang Xiangxiu to collapse even further.
That woman was a lunatic.
However, he did not completely believe Li Tao.
Instead, he hid nearby and observed Wang Xiangxiu.
If she truly did not know how to swim, he would rescue her at the final moment.
A human life was at stake. He could not afford the slightest carelessness.
Li Tao had been telling the truth.
Wang Xiangxiu really could swim.
After splashing around for a while and realising that no one was coming to save her, she stopped struggling and swam back to shore.
From that moment onward, Gu Xinguo added another label to his opinion of her.
In addition to being shameless, she was now someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Wang Xiangxiu had probably never imagined that her scheme would produce such a result.
Gu Xinguo returned home with a gloomy expression.
However, the cheerful laughter of his family and the woman he loved soon dispersed the darkness in his heart.
Home would always be the warmest place.
“Brother Gu, what’s wrong? You look as though you’re in a bad mood.”
“It’s nothing. Something happened at work, but it’s already been resolved.”
Gu Xinguo did not mention Wang Xiangxiu.
First, he did not know how to bring it up.
Second, he truly did not want to pollute his wife’s ears with such a disgusting matter.
Shen Jiao then told him what Xiaodong had done.
After hearing the story, Gu Xinguo’s expression darkened again.
Why was the child trying to imitate him?
Gu Xinguo had never torn up his textbooks!
If schools had been able to conduct classes normally back then and universities had been admitting students properly, would he have joined the army?
He would have studied hard and taken the university entrance examination long ago.
No one knew exactly what Gu Xinguo said to Xiaodong, but when the troublesome child returned, he apologised to his mother and even promised to study properly.
His behaviour was completely different from how he had acted at noon.
Whatever Gu Xinguo had said, the result was good enough.
Shen Jiao secretly gave him a thumbs-up.
The corners of Gu Xinguo’s mouth lifted slightly, and he felt immensely pleased.
That evening, Shen Jiao held her sewing class as usual.
In addition to explaining the essentials of cutting fabric, she tested the six women’s sewing skills again.
Their results were far better than the previous night.
It appeared that they had privately practised after returning home.
Students who were obedient and eager to improve could not have been easier to teach.
After Wang Xiangxiu staged her own drowning and failed, she apparently fell ill from the shock.
Her condition was said to be serious enough that she had even been taken to the hospital.
When Shen Jiao heard about it, she merely frowned.
As long as Wang Xiangxiu did not come and bother her, Shen Jiao had no interest in paying attention to her affairs.
Soon afterward, news spread that Wang Naozi’s family and the old tailor’s family were becoming relatives by marriage.
Wang Xiangxiu had become engaged to the young tailor, Li Tao.
Shen Jiao paused for a moment upon hearing it.
It was probably better that Wang Xiangxiu was getting married. At least she would stop coveting Gu Xinguo.
However, Shen Jiao had no idea what sort of agreement had been reached between the Wang family and the old tailor’s family.
Wang Xiangxiu’s marriage proceeded step by step.
Only a few days after the engagement, the families held the wedding banquet.
Neither family invited the Gu household.
Shen Jiao did not go outside to watch the excitement either. She only vaguely heard that Wang Xiangxiu had worn a dark expression throughout the entire wedding.
Shen Jiao merely smiled after hearing about it.
Having experienced all the warmth and coldness of human relationships, she possessed a certain indifference.
As long as something had nothing to do with her, she was unwilling to waste her energy on it.
Therefore, Shen Jiao did not pay any particular attention to how Wang Xiangxiu lived after marrying.
The sewing class continued every evening without fail.
Shen Jiao explained things clearly and simply, while all six apprentices studied seriously.
In less than half a month, they were able to make clothes independently.
Their families were extremely grateful to Shen Jiao.
The women who headed their households came almost every day to sit with Grandma, chat with her, and relieve her boredom.
Grandma’s mood improved because of their company, and even her complexion appeared slightly better.
However, everyone in the family knew that Grandma’s body had already reached the end of its strength.
She probably only had a few days left.
Gu Xinguo, Gu Xinmin, and their spouses—four adults in total—began taking turns in pairs to accompany Grandma through the night.
They no longer dared to leave her alone.
Because of Grandma’s condition, Shen Jiao secretly declined almost every clothing order brought to her from the county town.
She simply could not concentrate on making clothes while Grandma was in such a state.
No matter how carefully they looked after her, Grandma still passed away.
She died peacefully in her sleep without leaving behind any final words.
Gu Xinguo and Gu Xinmin were naturally devastated.
Even Shen Jiao, who had only spent a few days with the old woman, was overwhelmed with grief.
After they finished arranging Grandma’s funeral, Gu Xinguo remained deeply depressed for some time.
Shen Jiao understood him perfectly.
She knew that any words of comfort would sound hollow at such a time.
Therefore, she simply remained quietly by his side and did her best to care for his health.
“Jiaojiao, you’ve worked hard during this period. Thank you for coming into my life. Even after losing Grandma, I still have a home.”
“Brother Gu, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for shielding me from the wind and rain and allowing me to do what I love without fear.”
Although Gu Xinguo had never said anything, Li Mingxia, Shen Chunshan, and Du Lingxiang had not come to Shuanma Village to cause trouble for a long time.
Shen Jiao did not believe for a moment that they had suddenly reformed.
Their peaceful behaviour had to be Gu Xinguo’s doing.
This man always acted silently.
Not only did his actions warm her heart, but they also caused her love for him to deepen.
The husband and wife quietly held one another and enjoyed the warmth of the moment until Gu Xinmin arrived.
After Grandma passed away, Gu Xinmin’s family had returned to cooking and eating in their own home.
However, because of the sewing lessons, she still visited every evening.
Today, she had arrived in a hurry, so something must have happened.
“Jiaojiao, the old tailor’s family has gone into town to open a tailoring shop. Didn’t you say you wanted to open one there too? Will their shop affect your business?”
When Gu Xinguo and Shen Jiao heard what she was worried about, they relaxed.
As long as nothing had happened to a member of the family, everything was fine.
The old tailor’s family had every right to open a shop in town.
Besides, a tailoring shop depended on skill and reputation.
Shen Jiao was not afraid of competition.
Only competition could sharpen her abilities and prevent her from becoming complacent.
“The county town is so large and has so many people. How could I possibly handle every customer myself? If the old tailor’s family wants to open a shop in town, let them.
“When we open a business, we rely on genuine ability. I’m not afraid of anyone competing for customers.”
Seeing how confident she was, Gu Xinmin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it would not cause any problems, that was fine.
However, Shen Jiao’s next sentence nearly frightened her off her stool.
“Sister, once your skills improve a little more, you should open a shop in town too.”
“No, no! I couldn’t possibly do that. My skills are far worse than yours.”
Gu Xinmin rapidly shook her head and waved both hands.
She truly did not possess the confidence to run a tailoring shop.
Jiaojiao thought far too highly of her.
Seeing how frightened she looked, Shen Jiao did not continue persuading her.
Once Shen Jiao opened her own shop and everything began operating smoothly, she could bring Gu Xinmin along to help complete several orders.
Perhaps then Gu Xinmin would change her mind.
The same applied to Shen Jiao’s other five apprentices.
If any of them wished to open tailoring shops in the county town, Shen Jiao would certainly support and assist them.
The county town was enormous.
She could not handle every customer herself.
Rather than allowing strangers to take the remaining business, she preferred to support her own apprentices.
That would also win their loyalty.
During the early period of reform and opening up, public security would become rather worrying for some time.
Shen Jiao and Gu Xinguo did not possess much strength or influence.
It would be safer to gather several allies around them.
Wang Xiangxiu had contributed greatly to the old tailor’s family moving into town to open a shop.
Since she had already married Li Tao and could no longer change anything, she was determined to make something of herself.
She wanted Gu Xinguo and everyone who had laughed at her to see that even after marrying a cripple, she could still live better than all of them.
She truly was capable.
Li Tao had originally planned to torment her after they married.
Yet within only a few days, she managed to coax him back onto her side.
He even listened to her suggestion and agreed to open a tailoring shop in town.
That woman was certainly no easy person to deal with.
This made Shen Jiao even more wary of her.
After Grandma’s seventh-day memorial passed and Gu Xinguo’s emotions gradually stabilised, he rented a street-facing property near the transport team.
They cleaned the place, moved in the sewing machine and other tailoring tools, and quietly opened for business.
There were no firecrackers, no publicity, and not even a proper signboard.
They merely placed a wooden door panel outside with the words:
**Xinjiao Tailoring Shop**
Although the opening was extremely low-key, it did not affect their business.
Their first customers were classmates brought over by Lin Juan.
Recently, Lin Juan had been wearing a pair of dark-blue work trousers with a white shirt.
The outfit looked exceptionally stylish.
Her classmates wanted clothes just like hers, so Lin Juan brought them directly to Xinjiao Tailoring Shop, giving Shen Jiao her first business.
As Shen Jiao busied herself taking their measurements, she thought that the outfit she had gifted Lin Juan had certainly not been wasted.
Shen Jiao had given it to Lin Juan only two days earlier.
Director Jiang had wanted to pay for it, but Shen Jiao firmly refused.
What she wanted was for Lin Juan to attract customers.
Sure enough, Lin Juan brought her five orders at once, giving the shop an excellent start.
After that first group of customers, the name Xinjiao Tailoring Shop gradually entered the awareness of people throughout the county town.
Business slowly began pouring in.
Sometimes Shen Jiao was so busy that she could hardly keep up.
Naturally, her income was also considerable.
She earned two hundred yuan in her first month alone.
Gu Xinguo was both delighted and excited, but he also began feeling pressure.
His wife was far too outstanding.
As her husband, he could not remain standing in the same place.
Otherwise, he would no longer be worthy of her.
As for Gu Xinmin, she was so excited that her lips trembled.
Shen Jiao had earned nearly ten months of an ordinary worker’s wages in a single month.
Jiaojiao had even said that the shop had only just opened and had not yet established its reputation.
Once it became better known, the income would increase further.
She once again encouraged Gu Xinmin to open a shop in town.
“Jiaojiao, I know you’re doing this for my own good, but my skills truly aren’t good enough yet. How about this? I’ll work in your shop for a while first. Once my skills improve, I’ll open my own.”
“All right. I genuinely need help in the shop. If you come and work for me, I’ll pay you a wage. But let me warn you in advance—the pay won’t be very high.”
“I don’t need wages. I’m going there to improve my skills. How could I take money as well?”
“If you work for me and I pay you nothing, wouldn’t that make me a bloodsucking landlord?”
After a great deal of persuasion, Gu Xinmin finally accepted a monthly wage of twenty yuan.
Shen Jiao also spoke to her other five apprentices.
With their current skills, they were already capable of opening shops in town.
If any of them wished to do so, she would help them establish themselves in the county.
Unfortunately, almost all five women had husbands and children.
Their large extended families had not yet divided their households either.
The other members of their families already had many complaints about them learning sewing.
At present, it would be impossible for them to open tailoring shops.
After learning about their circumstances, Shen Jiao did not continue persuading them.
Every family had its own difficult problems.
She could not and would not support them in the same comprehensive manner that she supported Gu Xinmin.
Helping occasionally was fine, but taking responsibility for everything as she did with Gu Xinmin was absolutely impossible.
There would always be differences between close and distant relationships.
Xinjiao Tailoring Shop’s craftsmanship was excellent.
The clothes Shen Jiao made were structured, flattering, and beautifully finished.
She could even reproduce garments worn by actresses in films.
As a result, Shen Jiao soon experienced another surge of business.
This was all because she had recently watched a film with Gu Xinguo.
After noticing that the heroine’s clothes looked attractive, she returned home and made a similar outfit for herself.
A customer visiting the tailoring shop saw her wearing it.
Word spread from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred.
The reputation of Xinjiao Tailoring Shop quickly grew.
Fortunately, Gu Xinmin was now helping her.
Otherwise, Shen Jiao truly would not have been able to manage all the work.
However, being busy had its advantages.
That month, their income exceeded three hundred yuan.
In her excitement, Shen Jiao invited Gu Xinmin’s entire family out for a meal at a restaurant, and the two families celebrated together.
However, while eating fish, Shen Jiao suddenly found the smell unbearably fishy.
Then, unsurprisingly, she vomited.
Gu Xinguo was terrified and immediately insisted that they go to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Gu Xinmin stared at Shen Jiao, her heart giving a sudden leap.
A particular possibility entered her mind and refused to leave.
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