Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 38 - 038 Live a Good Life

Chapter 38: 038 Live a Good Life

Old Man raised his head, downed the wine in his glass, then flipped the empty glass to show everyone before sitting down and letting everyone drink and eat. Those present were somewhat flattered and amazed. After all, the Old Man was a legendary figure in Yuequan Village, an idol for every young person in the village. His fervent worship was nothing less than the modern adoration for Liu Dehua. Thus, hearing such down-to-earth words from the legendary Old Man excited everyone.

The sumptuous feast left the oil-and-water-deprived villagers extremely satisfied. Initially, they were somewhat embarrassed, but gradually, they didn’t mind their shyness, devouring the meat and sipping wine in big and small gulps, like a whirlwind sweeping through the dishes on the table, successfully implementing Jiang Jieshi’s "Three Alls" policy—food all gone, dishes all clean, bowls all empty. Everyone’s faces glowed red with satisfaction, patting their bulging bellies, and a few even secretly loosened their belts.

"Okay, we’ve finished all the food at Uncle Liu Jin’s house, we should go work now." Zhong Fugao, whose father was the village head and also a capable man, stood up and called everyone to leave the table, similar to Tian Manjin and Tian Mantu in the village, making himself the spokesperson for these young and middle-aged people. Since the Tian Family, as hosts, couldn’t speak up, he naturally became the mouthpiece for this group of about ten.

"Right, let’s get to work. Uncle Liu Jin, Uncle Bajin, if there’s anything in the future, just give us a shout. We farmers may not have other skills, but we sure do have strength," another person about thirty years old also said with a laugh as he stood up.

"Right, just give a shout if there’s anything." Others chimed in as well.

The Old Man and Tian Bajin smiled and thanked everyone, seeing them off from the yard. Such is life in the countryside; though you may not interact with others, it’s essential to maintain good relations with clan members. Otherwise, it’s difficult to get by in the village and no one will come to your aid if needed.

After sending off the villagers, Old Man walked back to the yard with his hands behind his back, while Tian Bajin laughed behind him. His older brother had always been too proud to lower his face. Despite claiming indifference about Man Lan’s wellbeing, he was still bustling about, organizing meals and hunting game to entertain guests when needed. His big brother felt embarrassed to ask, so he would do it.

"Man Tu, how are things today?"

"Pretty smooth, the village chief named Shou Yaowu probably thought about sending his son to join the army, and after hearing from Xinhua and Ah Nan about the uncle and third brother’s status, he seemed keen, especially courteous when we headed to Man Lan’s place. He sided more with us in conversations," Tian Mantu said with a grin.

"Yes, when we got there, we first gave Shou Sizu and Shou Chengzu a good beating, made them cry for their parents. The village chief didn’t say much, and in the end, the Shou Family had to beg us for mercy, promising never to bully Man Lan again," Tian Manjin was somewhat indignant.

Before, he had his moments of sending hidden supplies to his sister, always in a rush and hardly meeting the Old Lady Shou. Although he knew his younger sister’s life was tough, he did not realize it was so dire, nor did he expect the Shou Family would bully her. Sigh, he was too careless. Fortunately, Ah Nan and Xinhua had discovered it; otherwise, his sister might have been tormented to death by the Shou Family. Tian Manjin, who had suppressed his anger since last night, finally let it out today.

"That’s good, we should go to Man Lan’s place from time to time, see if there’s anything she needs help with, and help her out," Tian Bajin said while glancing at the Old Man’s face. Seeing him just hum in response and not object, he smiled proudly.

Seeing the smile on his brother’s face, the Old Man felt a tad embarrassed. Annoyed, he turned and entered the room to tinker with the radio. He truly detested Man Lan. But despite his hate, she was still his own daughter. Seeing others bully his daughter like this, how could his heart not burn with anger? That’s why he had made an effort today, though he couldn’t bring himself to say the words to forgive his daughter. He, a stalwart man, once declared he would disown her, and he would stick to his words. Let others help if they want; he would just pretend not to know, thought the Old Man stubbornly.

Granny Zhao watched her husband’s back and softly muttered, "Putting on airs." Tian Liu Jin took a puff of his cigarette, smiled at her, and said, "No need for you to worry about Man Lan, big sister. It’s just that big brother can’t let go of his pride for now. Give him some time, and he’ll sort it out. Don’t worry, Man Lan has so many brothers and sisters, someone will always lend her a hand, she won’t have a hard life."

"That Man Lan, such a foolish girl, ah, she’s tasting her own medicine now! It breaks my heart to think about it, both angry and pained," Granny Zhao had led a smooth life, but her youngest daughter had always been a source of great worry, and mentioning her always brought tears.

"Granny, don’t be sad, your niece will have a good life," Tian Sisi reached out to wipe the tears from Granny Zhao’s eyes, feeling an urge to tell the loving old lady that her three grandchildren would be very successful and her daughter would have a very comfortable life in her later years.

"Ah Nan is indeed a good girl, then your niece will borrow the good luck from Ah Nan’s words," Li Yuedi said smiling, livening up the atmosphere.

"It will definitely happen, we will all have good days ahead," Tian Sisi earnestly said. She was not lying; after the economic reform and opening up, Sui City developed rapidly, the Tian Family were smart and capable, and everyone did quite well. Among them, Tian Xinhua was the most successful. According to Zhong Juying, it seemed that Tian Xinhua started by establishing a garment factory and later ventured into real estate; in any case, his business was very large, and thus the other members of the Tian family lived good lives under Tian Xinhua’s care.

The earnestness of the niece made everyone in the room laugh; they were all delighted, saying that a child’s words carry the most spirit, especially the always fortunate Ah Nan. The people in the room inexplicably believed Tian Sisi’s words, suddenly feeling that their future lives would be bright. Ah Nan was right, they would definitely have good days ahead.

In this era of scarce resources, political turmoil, and monochromatic life, no one could see the future, nor know when they could eat a full meal without worries, or speak and laugh whenever they wanted. Even the Old Man didn’t know; as early as the early 1960s, the Old Man keenly perceived the looming crisis in Beijing, and by then he had contemplated resigning, but what really made him determined was a phrase from the old doctor.

That old doctor was the one who treated Tian Sisi; in the ’60s, the Old Man went back to his hometown for the New Year and had a meal with the old doctor. They enjoyed a good conversation, and after the meal, the old doctor gave him a phrase, "Advance when it’s time to advance, retreat when it’s time to retreat. The time has come."

The Old Man was so affected by these words that he didn’t sleep all night. He thought about some incidents that had occurred in the military recently; reconsidering the old doctor’s words, he made the decision to resign after a sleepless night. When he returned to Beijing, he discussed resigning with a few brothers-in-arms. The brothers were reluctant, feeling that they had just established their territory; it was time to accomplish great things. How could they resign?

Helplessly, the Old Man decided to desert. He was not afraid of death, but if something happened to him, what would become of the old lady and the children back home? Indeed, just a few years after he stepped back, several people from his faction got into trouble. The Old Man later inquired about it, but never found out where his brothers were sent. His children were scattered; all contact was lost. Although Granny Zhao felt pity for those families, she mostly felt relieved, thankful that the old man had gotten out in time.

Hidden in Yuequan Village, the Old Man listened to the radio every day, hoping to hear any information about his former colleagues, but the news every day disappointed him. Gradually, he lost hope for the future. Well, after battling his whole life, being able to die peacefully in his hometown, lying beside his parents and siblings, was a great fortune indeed.

However, today, hearing his granddaughter’s childish words, the Old Man suddenly felt a stir in his heart and stepped out to ask, "Ah Nan, do you know how long it will take before we can have good days?"

The Old Man asked very seriously, and Tian Sisi answered very seriously, "Soon, probably about five or six years."

The conversation between the old and the young made everyone laugh. The grandfather and granddaughter really took it seriously! In their view, even if fifteen or sixteen years passed, life wouldn’t get better. They wondered if they would still be alive to see that day!

After hearing Tian Sisi’s answer, the Old Man happily returned to listening to the radio, seeming much younger, and even began humming "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," looking extremely pleased.

PS: Thank you to my own beloved XX, Fat Girl 0915, and mimoca, three young ladies, thank you! Also, I would like to thank many readers who have supported Old Yang all along, thank you! You are the source of energy for Old Yang!

PS again: I wonder who among the folks helped Old Yang change the cover? It’s beautiful! Really grateful! Love you!

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