RTAMEIN70s Chapter 8

Love

Shanghai’s Hundred Department Store.

Even in the cold wind, the area in front of the department store was bustling with people, and the streets were filled with the sound of car horns. Despite the few cars on the road, the honking horns seemed exceptionally loud because of the mix of pedestrians and vehicles.

Aiping had just bought two pairs of shoes, picked out several pieces of fabric, and found an old tailor to make a few dresses. The old tailor sighed as she worked on spring and summer dresses in the dead of winter. She couldn’t help but say, “Comrade, you have a great figure. If it were a few years ago, a few qipaos would have looked stunning on you.”

In the 1950s and 1960s, qipaos were still in fashion. No matter how old the women in the city were, there were always a few in their closets. However, in recent years, qipaos had fallen out of favour.

“Are you going to the countryside to be a sent-down youth next year? Many of us sent-down youths from here are going to southern Yunnan. There’s no winter there, and even thick cotton coats are useless…”

In these past few days, Aiping had bought quite a few things: large suitcases, some Chinese medicinal herbs, books from Xinhua Bookstore for her younger brother, and even some wedding candies and pastries. Later, she thought it might be a good idea to make a few dresses for herself.

It’s important to dress up; who says strength and beauty can’t coexist?

Besides, Gu Sheng hadn’t seen her in a dress yet.

Aiping had always maintained a good figure, and in her youth, she had a particularly graceful and slender body. Her skin was smooth and elastic, with slender lines on her arms, legs, and waist, yet she concealed a sense of strength.

The elderly tailor took her measurements and couldn’t stop complimenting her. After confirming the delivery date, Aiping put on her coat and left the tailor’s shop. On the way, many young men couldn’t help but look at her.

As she passed by narrow alleys and lanes, some even whistled at her.

Although it was a time of political tension, the more oppressive it became, the stronger the backlash. There were always small-time hooligans lurking in dark corners. Without real-time surveillance and without catching them on the spot, with no witnesses or evidence, there was little that could be done.

Aiping provocatively glanced at one of the men, catching him off guard with her fierce gaze. He stumbled back a few steps and hastily fled.

These small-time hooligans were always bullies who feared strong resistance. The more frightened and helpless a woman appeared, the more excited they became.

Aiping withdrew some money from her bankbook and bought two wristwatches—one larger, one smaller. They had silver chains, round dials, and light gold hands. She didn’t pick anything overly flashy, just simple and clear watch faces.

During this era, wristwatch styles were quite limited, and there wasn’t much room for extravagance. The fanciest thing you might find on a watch face was the image of a famous personality and a slogan like “Serve the People” in red letters.

One watch was for Gu Sheng, and the other was for herself. Aiping immediately put the watch on her wrist. She had already grown accustomed to checking the time on her phone whenever she needed to. Now, without a phone, she had to rely on her wristwatch.

Wristwatches were one of the “Four Big Items” popular for weddings during this era. The other three were radios, bicycles, and sewing machines.

Out of these four items, Aiping didn’t see the need to buy a sewing machine. She exchanged her bike coupon with someone, planning to buy one when she settled down. As for the radio and bicycle, she would get them when the department store restocked with new items.

The radio, just like a cellphone, was better to buy new rather than old. It made sense to choose the latest models.

Traditionally, the “Four Big Items” for a wedding were mostly purchased by the groom’s family and presented to the bride’s family, or the groom’s family would buy one or two items, and the bride’s family would contribute a sewing machine. However, in the case of Aiping and Gusheng…

Aiping decided to buy them herself. How many times in a lifetime would she get married? There had to be a sense of ceremony, so she’d consider it as “she” marrying “him.”

No matter the era, the one who pays is the boss.

“Aiping, you’re back…” Aijia was feeling anxious when she saw Aiping. She didn’t know what had happened to Aiping in these past few days. How did she suddenly become so… radiant?

Aiping returned home, took off her coat, and was wearing a dark blue turtleneck sweater. Though the color was heavy, it complemented her porcelain-white skin. When she tilted her head, her neck was long and beautiful, reminiscent of a swan.

After arriving in Shanghai, Aijia had considered the braided hairstyle to be outdated. However, Aiping’s single braid draped over her shoulder seemed unexpectedly graceful. Her hair was glossy black, and her entire appearance seemed as if she had been washed clean, without a speck of dust.

When she raised her hand, she revealed the silver watch on her wrist. She had bought a wristwatch!

“Mom called the He family and talked to them. What are you thinking about the wedding…?” Even though the wedding date was approaching, Aiping had quarrelled with the He family again, and yet she seemed unperturbed, even buying more things for herself. She took extra care with her appearance every day, making herself look radiant and beautiful.

“Mom asked He Mingzhang, and he said that you went too far last time. His mother is an elder, after all, and you should show her some respect… They just want to see your attitude, sister. Why don’t you give their family some face?”

Aijia eagerly tried to persuade Aiping. She had initially envied Aiping for finding a man in Shanghai, especially an intellectual who owned a big house. But she didn’t want Aiping’s wedding to fall through.

If Aiping’s wedding were cancelled, what would she and her mother do?

The two sisters had come to Shanghai to help prepare for Aiping’s wedding. If Aiping’s wedding didn’t work out, they would have to return home. It had to succeed!

In Shanghai, Aijia had her elder sister and brother-in-law, both teachers, and with their support, she could find a good partner in the city. Now, both Zhu Jiaorong and Aijia were trying to persuade Aiping to compromise with the He family. They hoped she would take the first step to contact the He family and make them lower their heads.

“My affairs don’t need you to manage. Aijia, take care of yourself. If you want to find a partner in Shanghai, you should do it quickly. It’s already late.” Shanghai was a city everyone wanted to stay in, but Aiping had grown tired of it after staying for so long. She had agreed to go to Yunnan with the military. For Aijia and her mother, it meant they had no excuse to stay in Shanghai, and Aijia would not have met the man from Shanghai later on.

Although that man wasn’t a good person, at least he was a local Shanghainese, which allowed Aijia to stay in the city.

Leaving aside the countryside, compared to the conditions in other major cities across the country, Shanghai was treated as a priority. While the overall situation was dire, Shanghai had a well-developed basic industrial and commercial infrastructure. It was well-supplied with grains and meat from around the country, ensuring an adequate food supply. Sometimes, with good timing, one could even buy discounted, not-so-fresh meat.

The small Western-style houses from the past still displayed their previous splendor.

Aiping understood why Aijia wanted to stay here.

Aijia anxiously said, “Sister, aren’t you worried at all? You’ve booked the restaurant yourself and paid for it. The wedding date is approaching. Are you planning to get married all by yourself?”

In today’s times, getting married involved more than just the marriage certificate. In many people’s minds, receiving the marriage certificate didn’t mean they were officially married; it was the wedding banquet that counted. To many, the day of the banquet marked the real beginning of a marriage.

In rural areas, many couples didn’t have a marriage certificate, but they held a wedding banquet, and from then on, they were considered officially married.

Zhan Aiping was still quite stubborn. She disliked the idea of being described as marrying into the He family and insisted on having two separate wedding banquets. She was determined to marry Gu Sheng. When her sister asked who that was, Aiping couldn’t believe her ears.

“Gu Sheng, you have his photo, how could you not know?” she replied.

Aijia was taken aback and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t tease me, sis.”

Although Aijia had some teenage crush on Gu Sheng, she knew deep down that it was impossible for her to marry him. However, her sister and Gu Sheng being together and even planning to get married? That was beyond belief. They had been arch-enemies since childhood. If Gu Sheng became her brother-in-law, pigs would fly.

Aijia couldn’t believe it, and she jokingly said, “You must be joking. If you really marry Gu Sheng… I dare say I’ll eat s**t!”

Aiping replied, “Well, then go ahead and eat it.”

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the hospital’s family quarters, a man in a military coat rushed up the stairs, opened the door, and put down a lunchbox. He was panting and said, “Old Gu, I brought you some food. Hehe, today I went to watch a movie with Little Shen…”

“Being accustomed to that place, I really can’t adapt to this winter; it’s too cold.”

“Did you know what we wrote in the letter when we went to see the snow before?…”

This man who is speaking is named Wang Youli. He is an old comrade-in-arms of Gu Sheng, and both of them came to Shanghai on a business trip. Gu Sheng came to receive an award and also get his hand injury checked at the large hospital. On the other hand, Wang Youli came on official duty and took the opportunity to visit his hometown and meet a pen pal in Shanghai.

He and his pen pal fell in love at first sight, and within a few days, they had decided to get married. It was truly a heaven-sent marriage.

“I and Xiao Shen are planning to have our wedding reception at the military base. When the time comes, you have to prepare and congratulate me.”

“Didn’t you say that you have an old friend you’ve known since childhood who is getting married in Shanghai soon? You should attend their banquet and tell me how they organize it. Is the new bride pretty?”

Gu Sheng was at a loss for words, “…”

When Wang Youli saw his expression, he couldn’t help but laugh, “Haha, why do you have that look on your face? Are you jealous? Haha… You know, this trip to Shanghai has been like a gift from heaven. I found myself a wife out of nowhere. To tell you the truth, are you jealous? Who would have thought that a pen pal could become my wife!”

Gu Sheng said with a straight face, “…”

“Who’s jealous of you? And what’s with that written promise you made, agreeing to hand over your salary after marriage, taking all the blame after a fight, and doing all the household chores as long as you come home… Living like a man, what’s the point?” Gu Sheng took a cigarette from his mouth and tossed the cigarette pack to Wang Youli.

Wang Youli took out a cigarette, tossed it back, and said, “This is good tobacco, thanks, comrade. I promise Xiao Shen that I’ll quit smoking after this last one.”

Gu Sheng chuckled, “Are you getting married, or did you bring back a matriarch?”

“I’m happy with it.” Wang Youli grinned, “You don’t understand, this is the power of love. The power of love is too great. I’m quitting smoking for her, and she promises to learn how to cook for me. So, when you come to my house for a meal in the future…”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Don’t be so skeptical. Look at you, Gu Sheng. Your standards are even higher than mine. You can’t find any of the girls I’ve introduced to you appealing. You look so good, and you have such good family conditions. Be careful not to marry an even more formidable matriarch in the future.”

Gu Sheng flicked off some ash from his cigarette and thought to himself that he would indeed marry a formidable matriarch. However, he remembered all the conditions he had laid out, including no dowry, no handing over of his salary, and her doing all the housework. His “brothers” were all so foolish, agreeing to everything due to love.

As a smart man, he would never believe in love, and he would never fall for someone like Zhan Aiping.

It’s said that a gentleman’s revenge is ten years in the making. After getting married, he would slowly deal with her. Gu Sheng extinguished his cigarette and said, “Brother, can I borrow your wedding announcement to copy it?”