FIMA Ch114: Student Gu

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

Xie Yiyang jumped down from the bus carrying a small backpack. Looking at the concrete buildings around the station and the brightly dressed crowds, he looked around excitedly.

Gu Siyuan, carrying a large bag in each hand, swept his gaze over the surroundings. “Walk carefully.”

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

Gu Siyuan was already accustomed to his little partner’s outward obedience and inward defiance.

The two followed the crowded flow of people out of the station’s main gates.

The city bus station was much livelier than the county’s. At the entrance were parked three-wheeled auto-rickshaws for hire, along with various stalls selling food and snacks.

However, what attracted everyone’s eyes the most was the black sedan parked on the concrete road in front of the station. Even in the city, sedans were extremely rare.

Beside the car stood a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved dress shirt, staring intently at the exit. Obviously, he was there to pick someone up.

Just then, his gaze swept over a certain spot and suddenly lit up. He immediately hurried over to greet them.

“Researcher Gu…”

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. “You are?”

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

Gu Siyuan nodded. “Mhm, thank you for your hard work, Comrade Zhao.”

“It’s no hardship. It’s my honor to pick up Researcher Gu. Everyone at the machinery plant is waiting for you to come and help as soon as possible,” the middle-aged man smiled and shook his head. He reached out to take one of the large bags from Gu Siyuan’s hands and led the way. “The car is just over there. Let me take you to the dormitory to settle in first.”

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

The pedestrians on the side stretched their necks, looking at Gu Siyuan curiously.

So young, yet someone actually drove a sedan to pick him up, and with such a polite attitude? It sounded like he was some sort of researcher. He must be researching something amazing. Truly admirable!

“Darling, what’s wrong? What are you looking at?”

Father and Mother Xie had been holding Xie Jinyu’s hand, weeping and wailing. Seeing him staring blankly at a spot in the station, they followed his gaze.

Xie Jinyu abruptly turned his head back, saying irritably, “Nothing.”

Mrs. Chen, who was standing to the side, sneered at this sight. “Oh, that’s your adopted brother and his husband, isn’t it? I heard your brother-in-law is a great researcher highly valued by the city’s machinery plant. That sedan must be here to take them to the plant. Hmph, what a pity—same people, different fates.”

The expressions of the Xie family instantly turned exceedingly ugly.

There is nothing more painful than seeing someone you once hated succeeding all the way while you are down and out.

Chen Feipeng urged, “Alright, stop spacing out. Let’s hurry to the train station, or we’ll miss the train to the Great Northern Wilderness.”

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang, who had already arrived at their new home, were naturally completely unaware of this.

The dormitory at the city machinery plant was much better than the one at the agricultural repair plant. Although it was still a one-bedroom, one-living room layout, it had a large balcony and even came with a black-and-white television, manufactured right there in their own factory.

Xie Yiyang was overjoyed by this, wishing he could glue himself to the TV all day and night, even though there were only a few channels in total.

Meanwhile, Gu Siyuan’s work at the machinery plant unfolded smoothly. With him, the original designer of the engine, joining, the project team’s progress could almost be described as advancing a thousand miles a day.

However, his work was not limited to just engines. Afterward, from various automatic lathes to recorders and more, Gu Siyuan left his mark on various project teams. The impact he brought to the city machinery plant, and even the nation’s advanced manufacturing industry, was immense.

Days passed one by one.

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

When Xie Yiyang saw the news in the newspaper, he was so excited he nearly jumped to the ceiling. In the end, it was Gu Siyuan who pinned him to the bed and used his old methods to soothe his jumping heart.

In deep winter, in December, the college entrance examination started on schedule.

Gu Siyuan also asked for leave from the machinery plant to participate. Naturally, the factory had no objections. Over the past year, the surprises Gu Siyuan brought them were simply too great; now, their city machinery plant was quite famous nationwide.

But thinking about it carefully, Gu Siyuan was still just a young man in his early twenties.

The number of participants in this Gaokao was massive, ranging from workers and farmers to ordinary students, with no limits on age or status. And about half a month later, the exam results were released.

In this era, there was no electronic score-checking system, so results were distributed layer by layer from the province down to the city, and finally sent to respective work units or production brigades. Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang’s grain ration relations had now been transferred to the machinery plant.

This time, many people in the city machinery plant had also participated in the Gaokao.

The next day, when Gu Siyuan went to work, he unsurprisingly saw the Gaokao results honor roll on the factory notice board. The top two names belonged to him and Xie Yiyang.

The crowd gathered around, congratulating him one after another.

“Researcher Gu, you scored so well!”

“And it’s not just him; both husbands did great!”

“I heard from the factory that these scores are among the best in our whole city. Researcher Gu and his partner will probably both be able to go to university in the capital!”

“Ah… really?!”

Xie Yiyang knew the results were coming out today, so he had accompanied Gu Siyuan to the machinery plant in the morning. At this moment, he was so excited he couldn’t care about anything else.

Just like at home, whenever he was happy, he threw himself directly onto Gu Siyuan. Gu Siyuan quickly caught him with both arms.

Xie Yiyang hugged his neck, kissing his face haphazardly, and shouted excitedly, “Hubby, this is great! We got in, we both got in…”

Everything he had now was brought to him by Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan, with his face covered in sloppy kisses, could only smile helplessly. The onlookers watched and laughed good-naturedly. Scoring so well, it was perfectly normal to lose composure a bit.

Only then did Xie Yiyang realize his loss of composure and remember they were in public. He slowly slid down from Gu Siyuan’s arms, then pressed his flushed face against Gu Siyuan’s chest, refusing to come out.

Wuwu, he had completely lost face…

Meanwhile, on a suburban farm in the neighboring county to Qingshui County, someone was experiencing the exact opposite mood.

Since the beginning of this year, Feng Keng had watched as the bigshots who had been sent down to the farm were picked up one by one, leaving to return to where they belonged.

And last month, the Gaokao was reinstated.

The educated youths working here got the opportunity to participate. As long as they could test into any school, they could leave the countryside and return to the city for good. Everyone had a chance to leave, except him. Because he was here for reform-through-labor; he was here to serve time.

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

If he hadn’t gotten involved in their family’s affairs, he definitely wouldn’t have ended up like this. Perhaps at the beginning of the year, his maternal grandparents’ family would have sent someone to pick him up too. Even if he couldn’t be picked up, he should be registering for the college entrance exam to return to Beijing himself right now. When he was studying, his grades were always the best, among the top few.

Feng Keng clenched his fists, his eyes turning extremely dark…

Before heading to the capital for university, Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang returned to Yunxi Village, which they had been away from for a long time.

It was both to transfer their household registrations and to give Father and Mother Gu their pension money for the next few years, as well as to satisfy classmate Xie Yiyang’s desire to show off.

Team Leader Zhou Jiandang, and Eldest Brother Gu’s entire family, were all very happy about their return. Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang also brought them some things, such as radios manufactured by the city machinery plant.

Of course, Xie Yiyang wanted more than anything to show off in front of the Gu family members who had always looked down on him. Unfortunately, on the day they returned, neither Father Gu nor Mother Gu was home.

Hearing from Eldest Brother Gu, they learned that while Gu Lili was undergoing labor reform at the farm in the neighboring county, he had a conflict with Feng Keng. The two beat each other up, busting their heads open, and there might even be disfigurement. After receiving the news, Father and Mother Gu had gone to visit him.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang were both stunned. The name “Gu Lili” had vanished from their memories for a long time.

The two only stayed in the village for two days this time, but fortunately, Father and Mother Gu returned on the afternoon of the second day.

Seeing Gu Siyuan and his spouse, Mother Gu’s first reaction was to curse them for being heartless, running off to the city to enjoy life alone while ignoring the rest of them.

Naturally, Gu Siyuan wouldn’t be intimidated by her nonsense.

He directly pulled out the family division agreement they had signed back then. The annual pension he provided was more than what Eldest Brother Gu gave, and more than what anyone else in the village gave. If Mother Gu wanted him to come home often to visit, fine, but she would have to refund the extra pension money from the past two years, and from now on, his pension payments would be reduced to standard levels.

Mother and Father Gu were naturally unwilling. The matter was subsequently dropped.

On the morning of the third day, Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang left. This time, it was a true departure.

Even years later, when Gu Lili finished his labor reform and returned to Yunxi Village, and Xie Jinyu returned to Qingshui County after Chen Feipeng was arrested by the police for colluding with underworld forces… Both of them thought about instigating their respective parents to go make trouble for Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang, hoping to reap some benefits.

However, what a pity, they couldn’t find a single trace of Gu Siyuan. And as his other half, Xie Yiyang was heavily protected by the relevant departments.

Actually, Xie Yiyang was also quite helpless regarding Gu Siyuan’s occasional disappearances. He only knew that he was probably requisitioned by the state to go to some desert or research institute to conduct secret experiments. Those all involved confidentiality agreements signed with the state; even after returning home, Gu Siyuan wouldn’t mention the specifics to him.

However, watching the country get better and stronger day by day, and knowing that his own husband’s efforts were a part of that, an infinite sense of pride welled up in Xie Yiyang.

Of course, when Gu Siyuan came back, the pouting, whining, and acting spoiled would still be served up as usual; he had to make sure the man kept him on his mind.

After graduating from university, Xie Yiyang continued on to grad school, later staying on at Beijing University as a teacher.

And Gu Siyuan didn’t disappear as frequently anymore, spending most of his time working at the Academy of Sciences in the capital. Occasionally, he would even come to Beijing University to pick him up after work.

This couple of exceptionally talented and handsome husbands was considered a wonderfully beautiful sight on the Beijing University campus.

Days passed by.

The two had walked hand in hand through decades of time, and the country had also been slowly growing.

In the bright kitchen, Gu Siyuan passed over the prepared filling and said mildly, “What are you spacing out for? Or are you too old and weak to knead the dough now?”

Xie Yiyang snapped back to reality and fiercely glared at this stinky old man who, even after all these years, still didn’t know how to speak nicely. “You’re two years older than me. Even if one of us is getting old, it would be you getting too old and weak first!”

Gu Siyuan placed the basin on the table and took a few steps closer.

Watching his movements, Xie Yiyang asked fearfully, “What… what do you want to do?”

Do you!

If he were ten or twenty years younger, Gu Siyuan probably would have said exactly that. But now, he could only stretch out both arms and sweep Xie Yiyang up into a bridal carry.

“Ah…” Xie Yiyang gasped, clutching his shoulders.

“Teacher Xie. Who’s old? Who has no strength?” Gu Siyuan looked down at him and asked coolly.

“…” Xie Yiyang was speechless.

A seventy-year-old man, and he still has to show off like this?

Using his hand, now marked with wrinkles and age spots, he patted Gu Siyuan’s face and said helplessly, “Quick, put me down. The water in the pot is about to boil, we need to hurry and steam the buns. Don’t you love the buns stuffed with cured meat and green beans the most?”

Back when they were young, it was basically him acting spoiled and shamelessly relying on Gu Siyuan. Now that they were older, Gu Siyuan had instead become the childish one.

Only then did Gu Siyuan set him down.

Xie Yiyang shook his head in exasperation and placed the steamer baskets onto the pot.

“Not…” Gu Siyuan suddenly said.

Xie Yiyang turned back to look at him. “Not what?”

Gu Siyuan looked at him and said word by word, “Not the cured meat and green bean stuffed buns the most. I like you the most. The very first buns you ever made for me were stuffed with cured meat and green beans.”

Xie Yiyang froze for a moment, and then a flush slowly crept up to his ears.

He hurriedly turned his head away, staring blankly at the steamer.

This damn old man. When they were young, he was always bullying him, holding him completely in the palm of his hand. Now that he’s old, he actually knows how to say sweet nothings. Honestly…

More years passed.

Xie Yiyang grew so old he could hardly move, barely even able to open his eyes.

Gu Siyuan sat by his hospital bed, holding his hand, and said slowly, “See? As expected, you aged first. When have my conclusions ever been wrong?”

With his cloudy eyes, Xie Yiyang wanted to roll them. The damn old man is just so competitive. Even at a time like this, he doesn’t know how to yield to me even a little bit…

He thought huffily.

Xie Yiyang slowly closed his eyes.

Gu Siyuan silently looked at him for a long time, then got up and slowly lay down on the other side of the hospital bed.

That night, the Star of Hua Country, the most outstanding scientist of the era, passed away.

The entire nation was immersed in profound sorrow. The places Gu Siyuan had worked and lived in during his life were surrounded day and night by all kinds of people coming to mourn.

Various TV stations and newspapers also took the opportunity to host memorial events or programs. Among them, a certain national broadcasting station even obtained some of Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang’s posthumous manuscripts and diaries, which made the life of Gu Siyuan—a figure as dazzling as a star—even more vivid to the public.

“Elder Gu rarely participated in any events during his lifetime and did not accept interviews. So everyone’s understanding of him—aside from the various awards and those major inventions and contributions that changed the course of society—was limited to that cold, stern black-and-white photo in the textbooks. However, today, a diary from his other half, Mr. Xie Yiyang, will surely give everyone a deeper understanding of this great scientist,” the dignified host said with a smile, looking at the audience.

“Classmate Gu went on a business trip again. This time he’s been gone for a long time, about three months. The begonia flowers in the courtyard had bloomed and were almost falling by the time Classmate Gu finally returned. I complained that if he had come back a day later, there wouldn’t even be any flowers left to admire. Classmate Gu looks cold on the outside, but inside he’s a mischievous devil. He immediately went and bought two thick, tall red candles, lit them in the courtyard, and said with a laugh, ‘For fear that the flower falls asleep deep in the night, I burn high candles to illuminate her red makeup’…”

“Classmate Gu loves to bully people. Recently, his business trips have been frequent. After returning in the winter, even his iron-forged body fell ill. While stewing snow pear soup for him, I couldn’t help but complain a few times. As a result, he had the nerve to push all the blame onto me, saying it was because he missed me so much that he worked day and night to speed up the project. Hmph, what an annoying guy.”

…

“Classmate Gu really is still that petty miser. A tall and handsome transfer student joined our class and always loved to pester me with questions after class. After I got home, I casually mentioned it. Classmate Gu insisted on nitpicking my words, pressing me to answer: between him and that transfer student, who was taller? Who was more handsome? Tsk, an old man in his forties or fifties, and still so particular…”

“In the plaza not far from our house, there was a square-dancing troupe. They started early and finished late, so loud that it always made Classmate Gu frown. Upholding the idea of ‘if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em’, Classmate Gu, at the advanced age of seventy, secured another important historical award in his career—courageously winning the championship in this year’s square dancing competition!”

“Classmate Gu’s temper is becoming more and more like a child’s, but I feel like I’m probably really going to age before he does. I hope that after I’m gone, he can continue to be willful so happily…”

…

Volume 7: The Cannon Fodder in a Harem Upgrade Novel

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