FIMA Ch114: Student Gu

“This is my first time coming to the city.”

Xie Yiyang jumped off the bus with a small backpack, looking around excitedly at the concrete buildings and well-dressed crowd around the station.

Gu Siyuan, carrying a large bag in each hand, glanced around and said, “Be careful when you walk.”

“Got it,” Xie Yiyang replied, deliberately dragging out his words.

Gu Siyuan was already used to his little wife’s superficial compliance and hidden defiance.

They followed the crowd out of the station gate.

The city’s bus station was much livelier than the county’s, with tricycles parked outside to pick up passengers and various food stalls selling snacks.

However, what attracted the most attention was the black car parked on the concrete road in front of the bus station.

Even in the city, cars were very rare.

Next to the car stood a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt, staring intently at the exit.

It was clear he was there to pick someone up.

Just then, his eyes lit up when he saw someone, and he quickly walked over.

“Researcher Gu…”

Gu Siyuan raised his eyebrows and looked at the man, “And you are?”

The middle-aged man hurriedly said, “My surname is Zhao, and Minister Feng arranged for me to pick you up and take you to the machinery factory.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “Thank you for your trouble, Comrade Zhao.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s my honor to pick you up, Researcher Gu. Everyone at the factory is looking forward to your help,” the middle-aged man smiled, shaking his head and taking one of the large bags from Gu Siyuan, “The car is over there. I’ll take you to your dormitory first.”

“Alright, thank you.” Gu Siyuan reached out and took the hand of the bright-eyed Xie Yiyang, following him toward the car.

The passersby around them craned their necks curiously to look at Gu Siyuan.

So young, yet someone came to pick him up in a car, and so politely?

They seemed to hear he was some kind of researcher, which must mean he was working on something impressive. Truly admirable!

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter? What are you looking at?”

Mother and Father Xie, who had been holding Xie Jinyu’s hand and crying, saw him staring at the station and looked over.

Xie Jinyu quickly turned his head back, irritated, and said, “Nothing.”

Mrs. Chen, standing nearby, sneered, “Oh, that’s your adopted brother and his husband, right? I heard his husband was recruited by the city’s machinery factory as a top researcher. That car must be here to pick them up. Hmph, some people just have all the luck.”

The Xie family’s faces turned ugly.

Nothing is more painful than seeing someone you dislike succeed while you are down.

Chen Feipeng urged, “Alright, stop dawdling. Let’s hurry to the train station, or we’ll miss the train to Beidahuang.”

…

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang, now in their new home, knew nothing of this.

The machinery factory’s dormitory was much better than the one at the agricultural repair factory. Although it was still a one-bedroom apartment, it had a large balcony and came with a black-and-white TV, produced by their own factory.

Xie Yiyang was overjoyed, spending as much time as possible watching TV, even though there were only a few channels.

Meanwhile, Gu Siyuan’s work at the machinery factory was progressing smoothly.

With the addition of the original engine designer, the project team’s progress was almost unbelievable.

It wasn’t just limited to engines.

Gu Siyuan’s work also left a mark on various projects like automated lathes and recorders, significantly impacting the machinery factory and the country’s advanced manufacturing industry.

Time passed day by day.

Finally, in September of the following year, the national college entrance examination, which had been suspended for nearly ten years, was reinstated.

Xie Yiyang was so excited when he read the news in the newspaper that he almost jumped through the roof.

Gu Siyuan had to calm him down in the usual way by holding him down on the bed.

In December, during the deep winter, the college entrance examination was held as scheduled.

Gu Siyuan also took leave from the factory to participate, and the factory readily agreed. The surprises he had brought them over the past year were too many, and now their machinery factory was famous nationwide.

However, thinking about it, Gu Siyuan was still just in his early twenties.

This time, many people took the exam, including workers, farmers, and regular students, with no age or identity restrictions.

About half a month later, the exam results came out.

There was no electronic score-checking system in those days, so results were distributed from the provinces to the cities, and finally to workplaces or villages.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang’s grain accounts had been transferred to the machinery factory by now.

Many people from the machinery factory had also taken this exam.

The next day, when Gu Siyuan went to work, he wasn’t surprised to see the red notice board with the college entrance exam results in the machinery factory, with his and Xie Yiyang’s names at the top.

People gathered around, congratulating him.

“Researcher Gu, you did great!”

“Not only did he do well, but his partner also did well!”

“I heard that their scores are among the highest in the city. They both might go to the capital to study!”

“Wow… really!”

Xie Yiyang knew the results were coming out today, so he came to the machinery factory with Gu Siyuan in the morning.

At this moment, he was too excited to care about anything.

As he would at home, when he was happy, he jumped directly onto Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan quickly wrapped his arms around him.

Xie Yiyang clung to his neck, kissing his face messily and shouting excitedly, “Husband, it’s great, we both got in…”

Everything he had now was brought by Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan, with a face full of slobber, could only smile helplessly.

The people around them also let out good-natured laughs.

Scoring so well, it’s normal to lose control a bit.

Xie Yiyang then realized his loss of composure, aware of the public setting. He slowly slid down from Gu Siyuan’s arms, his face turning crimson as he buried it in Gu Siyuan’s chest, unwilling to come out.

Ugh, he had lost face…

Meanwhile, at a farm in the outskirts of a neighboring county to Qingshui County, someone felt the exact opposite of them.

Since the beginning of this year, Feng Keng had watched as the big figures originally sent to the farm were taken away one by one, returning to their original places.

Last month, the college entrance exam was reinstated.

The educated youths working here were given the opportunity to take the exam. As long as they could get into any school, they could leave the countryside and return to the city.

Everyone had a chance to leave, except him.

Because he was here for reform through labor, essentially imprisoned.

At this moment, Feng Keng’s hatred for Gu Lili reached its peak.

If he hadn’t gotten involved with their family, he wouldn’t have ended up like this. Perhaps at the beginning of the year, his maternal family would have sent someone to take him away.

Even if he couldn’t be taken away, he should be taking the college entrance exam and returning to the capital. When he was in school before, his grades were always among the best, one of the top.

Feng Keng clenched his fists, his eyes darkening to the extreme…

Before going to school in the capital, Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang first returned to Yunxi Village, which they hadn’t visited for a long time.

They came back to transfer their household registrations and give the pension funds for the next few years to Gu’s parents, and also to satisfy Xie Yiyang’s desire to show off.

Captain Zhou Jiandang and the Gu family were all very happy about their return.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang brought some gifts for them, like radios made by the city’s machinery factory.

Of course, Xie Yiyang was more eager to show off in front of the Gu family, who had always looked down on him, but unfortunately, both Gu’s parents were not at home when they returned.

From Gu Lao Da they learned that Gu Lili had a conflict with Feng Keng at the neighboring county farm, and they both ended up with head injuries, possibly disfigured. Gu’s parents had gone to see him after getting the news.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang were stunned. The name Gu Lili had long faded from their memories.

They only stayed in the village for two days, but fortunately, Gu’s parents returned on the afternoon of the second day.

Upon seeing the couple, Gu’s mother’s first reaction was to scold them for being heartless, enjoying themselves in the city and neglecting them.

Gu Siyuan naturally wouldn’t be frightened by such nonsense.

He directly took out the signed proof of the division of the family property. The pension he provided each year was much more than Gu Lao Da and anyone else in the village.

If Gu’s mother wanted him to visit often, fine, return the pension money from the past two years, and from now on, his pension would be reduced to a normal level.

Gu’s parents were naturally unwilling.

So, the matter was left unresolved.

On the morning of the third day, Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang left.

This time, they left for good.

Even years later, when Gu Lili finished his reform through labor and returned to Yunxi Village, and Xie Jinyu returned to Qingshui County after Chen Feipeng was arrested by the police for colluding with black forces.

Both thought about instigating their parents to go find Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang to make trouble, hoping to get some benefits.

But unfortunately, they couldn’t find any trace of Gu Siyuan.

And Xie Yiyang, as his other half, was heavily protected by the relevant departments.

Actually, Xie Yiyang was quite helpless about Gu Siyuan’s occasional disappearances.

He only knew it was probably national requisition, going to some desert or secret lab for experiments.

Those were all classified under confidentiality agreements, so Gu Siyuan wouldn’t talk about the specifics after returning home.

However, seeing the country getting better and stronger day by day, and knowing his husband contributed to it, Xie Yiyang felt immense pride.

Of course, when Gu Siyuan returned, there would still be plenty of affection and cooing to make sure he thought of him.

After graduating from university, Xie Yiyang continued to pursue a master’s degree and later became a teacher at Beijing University.

Gu Siyuan no longer disappeared as frequently, spending most of his time working at the Academy of Sciences in the capital.

Occasionally, he would come to Beijing University to pick him up after work.

This pair of talented and handsome husbands became a beautiful sight on the campus of Beijing University.

Day by day, the years went by.

The two had walked through decades together, and the country was also slowly growing.

In the bright kitchen, Gu Siyuan handed over the prepared filling, saying in a calm voice, “What are you daydreaming about? Or are you too old and weak to knead the dough?”

Xie Yiyang came back to his senses and glared at the old man, who still didn’t know how to talk after so many years, “You’re two years older than me. If anyone’s going to get old and weak first, it would be you!”

Gu Siyuan put the bowl on the table and walked closer.

Xie Yiyang looked at his actions and asked fearfully, “What do you… want to do?”

Do you!

If he were ten or twenty years younger, Gu Siyuan might have said that, but now, he could only reach out and pick Xie Yiyang up horizontally.

“Ah…” Xie Yiyang grabbed his shoulders and screamed.

“Teacher Xie, who’s old and weak now?” Gu Siyuan looked down at him, asking coldly.

“…” Xie Yiyang was speechless.

Seventy years old and still insisting on showing off?

He patted Gu Siyuan’s face with his wrinkled, age-spotted hand and said helplessly, “Put me down quickly. The water in the pot is about to boil. Hurry up and put the buns in to steam. Don’t you love bacon and green bean buns the most?”

In the past, when they were young, it was always him who acted spoiled and playful with Gu Siyuan.

Now that they were older, Gu Siyuan had become the childish one.

Gu Siyuan finally put him down.

Xie Yiyang shook his head helplessly and placed the steamer on the pot.

“No…” Gu Siyuan suddenly said.

Xie Yiyang turned to look at him. “No what?”

Gu Siyuan looked at him and said slowly, “It’s not that I love bacon and green bean buns the most, it’s that I love you the most. The first buns you ever made for me were bacon and green bean buns.”

Xie Yiyang froze, and then a blush slowly crept up to his ears.

He hurriedly turned around, staring at the steamer in a daze.

This old man, who used to bully him and had him completely under control when they were young.

Now that they were old, he actually knew how to say sweet words. Really…

Several years passed.

Xie Yiyang grew too old to move and could barely open his eyes.

Gu Siyuan sat by his hospital bed, holding his hand, and said softly, “See, it turns out you grew old first. When have my conclusions ever been wrong?”

Xie Yiyang’s cloudy eyes wanted to roll, this old man just loved to compete. Even at this time, he didn’t know how to give in…

Thinking angrily.

Xie Yiyang slowly closed his eyes.

Gu Siyuan silently watched him for a long time, then slowly lay down on the other side of the hospital bed.

That night, the star of China, the most outstanding scientist of the contemporary era, passed away.

The entire country was immersed in immense grief.

The places where Gu Siyuan had worked and lived were crowded day and night with people coming to pay their respects.

Various TV stations and newspapers also took the opportunity to hold various commemorative activities or programs.

Among them, a national TV station had obtained some of Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang’s personal manuscripts, which brought the life of this brilliant figure to life.

“Mr. Gu rarely participated in any activities or accepted interviews, so everyone’s understanding of him, besides the various awards and major contributions that changed the course of society, is his stern black-and-white photo in textbooks. However, today, with Mr. Xie Yiyang’s diary, we will get a deeper understanding of this great scientist,” the elegant host said with a smile.

“Mr. Gu went on a business trip again, and this time for a long period, about three months. The crabapple flowers in the courtyard were almost gone by the time he returned. I complained, saying if he came back any later, there would be no flowers to appreciate. Although Mr. Gu seemed indifferent on the outside, he was a mischievous person inside. He immediately bought two tall, thick red candles and lit them in the courtyard, joking, ‘Lest the flowers sleep too deeply at night, I burn high candles to illuminate their red makeup.’…”

“Mr. Gu loved to bully people. He has been on frequent business trips recently. After returning in winter, even his iron body fell ill. While simmering pear soup for him, I couldn’t help but complain a bit. He, on the other hand, put all the blame on me, saying it was because he missed me too much that he worked day and night to speed up the progress. Hmph, this annoying guy.”

…

“Mr. Gu is indeed still that petty person. A tall, handsome transfer student joined our class, always pestering me with questions during breaks. When I mentioned it at home, Mr. Gu wouldn’t let it go, forcing me to answer whether he or the transfer student was taller or more handsome. Tsk, a fifty-year-old man still being so serious about this…”

“In the square not far from our home, there’s a group of people doing square dancing, making noise early in the morning and late at night, causing Mr. Gu to always frown. Adhering to the idea of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them,’ Mr. Gu, at the age of seventy, won another important historical award in his career, taking the championship in this year’s square dance competition!”

“Mr. Gu’s temper is increasingly like that of a child, but I feel I might really be the one to grow old first. I hope that after I’m gone, he can continue to be this carefree and willful…”