FIMA Ch106: Teacher Xie

When Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang arrived home, Eldest Sister-in-law Guo Yu happened to be walking out of the kitchen carrying dishes. Seeing them, she said: “Just in time, there’s still a bit of a spark in the stove’s fire, you can just use it directly.”

“Okay, thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law.” Xie Yiyang jumped down from the bicycle.

Shaking her head, Guo Yu smiled: “What’s to thank?”

Ever since they separated the family, her spirit was quite a bit better than before.

Although during the family separation, aside from the quota of grain according to the number of heads, and this temporarily inhabited room, Father and Mother Gu hadn’t given a single cent to their two families.

However, from now on, the work points and wages they earned would all be their own, always able to be slowly saved up.

Anyway, it was always better than when squeezed together, eating chaff and swallowing vegetables themselves, while still having to continuously subsidize Gu Lao Si and Gu Lili.

After the two entered the kitchen, Gu Siyuan went to the back stove and re-stoked the fire, while Xie Yiyang took a ladle to add water to the pot, stretching his head and asking excitedly: “Husband, what are we eating tonight?”

Thinking for a moment, Gu Siyuan looked up and said: “Eating dough drop soup.”

Xie Yiyang’s eyes lit up: “Dough drop soup is good. It just so happens the brigade had us pick spinach today, oily green and super fresh! Later we’ll put it down into the soup.”

Looking at his happy appearance, Gu Siyuan stood up and walked to the cupboard in the corner of the kitchen, using a key to open the cabinet door.

Due to the shared kitchen, in order to avoid any unnecessary disputes and conflicts from occurring, the three families’ grain was locked in their respective layers of the cupboard. Only when cooking each meal would an appropriate amount be taken out.

Untying the string of the bag holding the flour, Gu Siyuan poured a tiny bit out into a bowl.

At this time, flour wasn’t white, but brown, because the bran was ground in together. The mouthfeel was relatively coarse, but it was already precious enough; each person in the production brigade could only be distributed one or two bags a year.

Only, when Gu Siyuan was putting the flour bag back, his peripheral vision also caught sight of the small bag holding the rice and grain on the side.

Instantly, his brows frowned slightly.

“Xie Yiyang, come here!”

An ice-cold male voice transmitted over.

Xie Yiyang, who was boiling water by the stove, unconsciously trembled his body, slowly turned around and raised his eyes, looking over somewhat cowardly.

What’s wrong with his husband? Why suddenly so fierce?

However, when he saw the thing Gu Siyuan was holding in his hand, a guilty and flattering smile immediately appeared on his face, and his two legs slowly paced over.

His whole person acting like sticky nougat, he stuck to Gu Siyuan’s body and rubbed around, while feigning stupidity on his face, asking innocently: “Husband, what’s wrong with this…”

Pinching his chin with his large hand, Gu Siyuan’s gaze was cold and sharp: “Not allowed to act spoiled. Why didn’t you eat lunch? This knot is still the way I tied it in the morning.”

“…” Xie Yiyang was speechless.

Why do you have to remember the shape of a knot?

However, at this moment, he could only smile awkwardly with eyes full of repentance.

Gu Siyuan, however, clearly wasn’t buying it. He slightly increased the force on his hand and said coldly: “Speak.”

Hmph.

Xie Yiyang couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed, and unconsciously felt a bit wronged.

Puffing his cheeks, he hummed and grumbled: “I’m alone at home, always thinking about you. How can I have the mood to eat things? What I eat doesn’t matter anyway. Besides… I actually boiled a potato and ate it.”

Saying this, he slowly became a bit self-righteous.

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Looking at it this way, it became his own fault instead.

If it were in the 21st century, he could go post on a forum, “What to do if the wife loves me too much? As soon as I go to work, he doesn’t think about tea or food, wasting away and looking haggard.”

However, this was the 1970s.

Most people didn’t have enough nutrition, and Xie Yiyang was even extremely thin himself. Therefore, meals had to be eaten on time.

Gu Siyuan lowered his eyes and stared at the person in front of him, his complexion still incomparably cold and stern.

Xie Yiyang was also looking at him fixedly. Then, he slowly stretched out two slender white index fingers, separately pressing them on the corners of Gu Siyuan’s mouth on both sides, gently lifting them up, and said flatteringly: “Husband, I know I was wrong, give me a smile!”

Saying so, he deliberately stood on his tiptoes and kissed Gu Siyuan on the face and lips several times.

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Treacherous human.

How could he continue to be angry like this?

His wife… truly knows how to coax people, ah.

Thinking like this, Gu Siyuan simply lowered his head, lightly licking and biting a few times on those dark red lips that could speak sweet words, his voice deep: “Not to be repeated.”

“Mm-hm, okay… I know.” Sporting a brilliant smile, Xie Yiyang drew out his voice and responded sweetly.

The two’s brief argument ended, returning to being sticky and lovey-dovey as before.

Gu Siyuan scooped a bit of hot water out of the pot, added it to the bowl holding the flour, and used chopsticks to slowly stir it into small, flocculent fragments of dough drops.

After the water boiled, he poured the small dough drops into the pot, letting them slide and scatter open.

Very quickly, the dough drops floated up one by one, cooking extremely fast. Gu Siyuan then added a bit of salt and oil droplets for seasoning, and threw in the spinach Xie Yiyang had just washed.

“Alright, we can eat.” Stretching his head to look in the pot, Xie Yiyang said extremely excitedly.

Glancing at him, Gu Siyuan said faintly: “Hungry?”

“No.” Thinking of the matter just now, Xie Yiyang resolutely denied it.

Then, a clear ‘gurgle’ sound transmitted from his belly.

“Cough, cough… ah, ah…” Xie Yiyang immediately started coughing deliberately, wanting to cover up that embarrassing commotion.

Reaching out to pinch his warm and soft cheek flesh, Gu Siyuan said coldly: “As expected, still a baby, even eating requires someone to watch over.”

“Wu…” Xie Yiyang felt both sweet and slightly shy.

How could his husband even say this kind of address so naturally?

Gu Siyuan scooped up the dough drop soup, dividing it into two bowls.

Xie Yiyang prepared to continue adding some water to the pot to keep it warm, so they could wash dishes later.

Gu Siyuan felt and stopped him: “Wait a moment, warm something up.”

Saying so, he opened the lunchbox he brought back.

Looking at the things in the lunchbox, Xie Yiyang directly widened his eyes: “These are scallion oil cakes! You brought them back from the cafeteria?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “I told you I brought back delicious food for you.”

Looking up at the person, Xie Yiyang frowned his pretty eyebrows slightly: “Why are there still so many left? Didn’t you eat at noon?”

Pinching his nose, Gu Siyuan deliberately put on a cold face and said: “Of course I ate, these are the leftovers. Did you think I would be as dumb as you?”

Hearing that he was mocking him, Xie Yiyang also deliberately puffed his cheeks and said huffily: “Hmph, as expected! It’s only me unilaterally and pitifully thinking of you, so much so that I can’t eat. You don’t think of me at all.”

“…”

Gu Siyuan’s fingers immediately changed from pinching his nose to pinching his face.

The little wife truly was a good hand at pointing at a deer and calling it a horse (confounding right and wrong).

Although the scallion oil cakes were already cold, since they had sufficient oil themselves, just casually sticking them onto the iron pot a few times made the unique scorched aroma of flour and chopped scallions waft out.

Sniffing happily, and regardless of it being scalding hot, Xie Yiyang quickly picked up a piece and first handed it to Gu Siyuan’s mouth.

Looking at his little wife’s appearance of offering up a treasure, Gu Siyuan’s heart softened slightly. Casually taking a bite, he said: “You eat, I ate enough at noon. There’s too much oil, it’s a bit cloying.”

“Really?” Tilting his little head, his eyes widened perfectly round, Xie Yiyang stared at him, half-believing and half-doubting.

Reaching out to straighten his head, Gu Siyuan said coldly: “Go eat yours.”

After speaking, he picked up the two large bowls of dough drop soup and walked out.

Looking at Gu Siyuan’s back, Xie Yiyang let out a ‘hehe’ laugh, for the first time seeing some meaning of fleeing in panic on his husband’s body.

However, this was because he loved him.

In his heart, Xie Yiyang felt as if he had drunk honey, and it was so full it was about to overflow.

The Gu home wasn’t very big to begin with, and the aroma of the scallion oil cakes was so domineering that almost at the exact same time it came out of the pot, all the people in the courtyard smelled the aroma and couldn’t help but sniff.

And at this time, Father Gu, Mother Gu, and Gu Lili were also currently eating dinner. Looking down again at the clear soup and watery food in their own bowls, they instantly felt they had no appetite at all.

Mother Gu even directly said coldly: “It’s only the first day of work, and he already dares to toss about like this.”

Father Gu also reprimanded: “Laosan didn’t have this kind of temper before either.”

Gu Lili didn’t speak, but his eyes were completely filled with resentment and hatred.

Ever since his speculation and profiteering affairs were exposed by Gu Siyuan in front of the Gu family previously, although Father and Mother Gu, under his brainwashing, had gradually no longer held any views on this matter…

Feng Keng, however, stubbornly refused to take risks anymore.

Feng Keng always felt Gu Siyuan wasn’t a kind stubble, and was afraid this matter would be used as leverage to threaten him in the future.

Because he had indeed recently received a letter from the capital saying that the higher-ups were intentionally rehabilitating people, and might even let a batch of people sent down to the countryside return to the capital. His maternal grandfather’s family still had some power and was currently helping him fight for an opportunity.

The more it was so, the better his recent performance had to be, and he couldn’t leave behind any moral flaws or stains.

Wanting to return to the capital, aside from exerting great effort over there, he also needed the local production brigade and government to issue proofs. Therefore, he absolutely must not take risks.

Moreover, later, when he returned to the capital, this would also avoid the affairs here from becoming a stumbling block hindering his rapid advancement in his career.

Feng Keng also promised that when returning to the capital in the future, he would definitely bring Gu Lili along together.

As a result, Gu Lili had temporarily put away his thoughts regarding speculation and profiteering.

But now, seeing Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang, these two chief culprits, living their days so happily, a hundred times more comfortable than himself, he felt extremely unbalanced in his heart.

Biting his lip slightly, Gu Lili thought: Later, I should still go find Feng Keng to talk about it, things can’t continue like this.

…

After finishing the meal, Gu Siyuan and Xie Yiyang lit a candle and leaned together chatting.

Actually, Yunxi Village wasn’t considered remote, and had been connected to electricity a few years ago. But electricity fees were very expensive, so at night, generally, unless necessary, everyone still primarily used candles.

Gu Siyuan didn’t care about that bit of electricity fee, but right now, although the family had separated, the electricity meter hadn’t been separated yet. When the time came, arguing over the electricity fee would be very troublesome.

Thinking of this, Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes. It seems I still need to find an opportunity to move out and live elsewhere.

It would be best to bring Xie Yiyang into the city together, so I can also watch over him at all times, to prevent him from doing heaven knows what alone at home, not even eating meals properly.

Rubbing against his own husband’s hard chest, Xie Yiyang looked up at his expressionless face, asking curiously: “Husband, what are you thinking about?”

“Factory affairs.” Gu Siyuan casually replied with a sentence, and then lowered his head to ask Xie Yiyang: “At home today, what did you do? Did you study obediently?”

“…” Xie Yiyang.

Why is there an inexplicable feeling of being targeted by a school teacher?

“Of course I studied.” Smiling brilliantly, Xie Yiyang stood up, went to the table by the window, and brought over the two books placed on it.

“Hehe, this is what I specially brought when I was driven to the countryside back then. I’ve been reading this all day today.”

Borrowing the candlelight, Gu Siyuan clearly saw those were respectively the third-year junior high math and language books, and nodded approvingly: “Very wise.”

The smile on Xie Yiyang’s face grew deeper.

However, very quickly, he propped his chin on his hand again, and said somewhat distressedly: “I haven’t read books for several years. Looking at it like this today, I found I’ve forgotten many math formulas, and also some poems and articles.”

Stroking his cheek with his hand, Gu Siyuan casually comforted: “It’s fine, anyway you know more than I do. I am currently only holding a primary school graduation education.”

Big Boss Gu spouting ghost talk nonsense, that came as soon as he opened his mouth.

“…” Xie Yiyang gave his own husband a look.

Just with this self-righteous and confident momentum of yours, one truly couldn’t tell at all that you only graduated primary school.

Even the university professors in the capital probably couldn’t compare to you.

Mm, regarding this, it could only be said: Xie Yiyang, you’ve hit upon the truth.

Pinching his cheek, Gu Siyuan asked: “What are you looking at?”

Shaking his head, Xie Yiyang intimately hugged his arm, fully motivated: “It doesn’t matter. Husband, it doesn’t matter if you are a primary school student. I will definitely study hard, and then teach you.”

Hehe…

Thinking of being a teacher giving lessons to his own husband, such an icy and serious person, he unwarrantedly felt a special sense of stimulation.

“Mm, let’s start right now!”

Student Xie Yiyang instantly transformed into a conscientious and dedicated little teacher.

However, very quickly.

Student Xie Yiyang began to doubt life.

Raising his eyes, he asked with difficulty: “Husband, you… do you have a photographic memory?”

Narrowing his eyes, Gu Siyuan resolutely shook his head, and asked very innocently: “What is a photographic memory? However, my memory has indeed been relatively good since childhood. Generally, no matter what it is, basically as long as I read it once and look at it once, I can remember it.”

Staring fixedly at the person in front of him, Xie Yiyang couldn’t help but be completely filled with regret.

After a long while, he asked with doubt and confusion: “Then why didn’t you go study in junior high and high school back then?”

With this IQ of his husband’s, if he had continued to study step by step, even if he couldn’t become some great scientist now, at least being a great engineer was a certainty, right…

Seeing through his thoughts, Gu Siyuan casually explained: “Junior high tuition fees were more than four yuan a semester, and there were also food expenses. For Eldest Brother and me added together, it would cost at least forty to fifty yuan a year. But if we went home to go down to the fields and work, the two of us would each earn more than forty to fifty yuan, and the money earned could also let Gu Lili and Lao Si continue going to school.”

Xie Yiyang understood everything, and immediately trembled with anger.

People like Gu Lao Si, who tested for three years only to get into the worst technical secondary school, and Gu Lili, who did absolutely nothing at home, actually stole the study opportunities of his husband, this kind of peerless genius.

His parents were truly too biased.

Seeing the person getting too agitated emotionally, Gu Siyuan hurriedly hugged the person into his embrace again to comfort him: “It’s fine. Hearing these things you just said, actually it seems they are quite simple. I probably will be able to directly test into university later on. Whether I study junior high and high school or not doesn’t matter.”

“…” Xie Yiyang.

His husband truly is so confident, oh.

Although it seems, he indeed also has this strength.

Lowering his head to kiss the top of his wife’s cute hair, Gu Siyuan continued to say faintly: “Moreover, if I had been studying all along before, wouldn’t I not have met you?”

Xie Yiyang immediately nodded fiercely.

This is indeed a crucial point.

He stretched out both hands, his slender wrists tightly hugging his own husband’s neck, the kind that hung on the body and couldn’t even be torn off. While gently rubbing against the person’s body, his mouth spoke stickily: “Husband, we have to be together always, and in the future, we also have to go to university together.”

The wife truly knows how to act spoiled.

Picking the person up in one go, Gu Siyuan walked toward the bed. Lowering his head slightly, he leaned close to Xie Yiyang’s ear, his voice deep and magnetic: “Of course I will listen to Teacher Xie.”

“…” Xie Yiyang’s earlobes flushed completely red.

For no apparent reason, his husband actually called him Teacher, it’s a bit shameful.

However, facts proved that Xie Yiyang was still too young; what kind of shame was calling him Teacher at this moment?

Later, when on the bed, during moments of passion, suddenly calling out a few times and saying a few things—that was what truly made one flush red all over with shame.

…

In the following days, Gu Siyuan still went to work on time at the county town agricultural repair factory.

And Fang Jie, who originally boasted of being an old employee, felt it was truly too difficult for himself after guiding Gu Siyuan and Ling Zhi for a few days.

Of course, it wasn’t that the two were difficult to guide, but rather he was deeply struck by a blow.

This blow naturally came from Gu Siyuan.

Previously, feeling grateful that Gu Siyuan had helped him solve a big problem, when going to work the next day, Fang Jie tried letting Gu Siyuan personally get hands-on and maintain an engine once.

This was actually a very rare occurrence. In the agricultural repair factory, generally when a new employee arrived at their post, they had to do odd jobs for at least a few months to start. Even if they got hands-on, it started from maintenance and wiping/washing these things.

But Gu Siyuan naturally wasn’t an ordinary person.

And exactly because of this attempt, it allowed Fang Jie to thoroughly witness his strength. Those skills, that brain, that steadiness of hand—it truly was no worse than old employees of many years.

Therefore, in the next less than a week’s time, Fang Jie also felt he was completely hollowed out—on the mental level, of course.

Not only were all the things he had learned and known in his two years at the agricultural repair factory inherited by Gu Siyuan, but Gu Siyuan even did it better and more meticulously than him, and his vision was more comprehensive and further-looking than his.

The work originally arranged for Fang Jie to do alone was now being done by two people, and Gu Siyuan’s efficiency was even higher than his.

Thus, a bizarre situation occurred just like this.

For a period of time after, Fang Jie spent more of his time teaching Ling Zhi, while most of the repair jobs for their group were instead done by Gu Siyuan alone, especially those that consumed more physical and mental effort.

And the work efficiency of his group also became the highest among the several groups in the Engine Section.

Fang Jie’s deadly rival Ma Jun, because of this, had come to sneer and mock him more than once, thinking Fang Jie was fooling around with his tasks, otherwise how could he possibly be faster than him?

However, after such a period of time, the factory also gradually became less busy.

Their Qingshui County had over a dozen communes, with more than two hundred tractors in total.

But in most situations, what the tractors had were minor problems, which the communes’ own technical personnel below could solve. Situations where they had to be sent to their county town agricultural repair factory, or where they had to go down to the countryside, weren’t considered many.

Therefore, once the busy spring farming season passed, the repair jobs naturally lessened.

Only, Gu Siyuan was still busy.

He was either reeking of oil spinning around in those abandoned tractors and piles of parts, or sitting at the desk reading various mechanics-related books. Occasionally, he would also hold a pen and write something in a notebook.

At the very beginning, seeing him working so hard, Fang Jie and Ling Zhi also wanted to follow and learn.

However, mechanics-related books were truly too dry and dull. Before two days passed, those two couldn’t hold on anymore and returned back to their own pace.

On this day, Gu Siyuan finally welcomed his very first wage issuance.

Aside from the originally set 27 yuan wage, as well as the grain and oil ticket subsidies, there were also two jin of meat tickets.

Furthermore, there was another piece of good news. That was, their three-person small group, due to their excellent performance in the previous month, was evaluated as an advanced group.

Not only were certificates of merit issued, but there were also material rewards, which were five yuan and one zhang five of cloth tickets. The cloth tickets were enough for an adult to make two pieces of clothing.

This day at noon, probably knowing wages were issued and everyone’s hands were relatively looser, the cafeteria’s meals were also extremely good. Not only was there twice-cooked pork, but there were also meat buns.

Gu Siyuan bought quite a bit of both; of course, this was preparing to bring it back home.

Thus, when opening the lunchbox in the evening, even though Xie Yiyang was already accustomed to Gu Siyuan bringing back some good dishes every day, he was still shocked by today’s abundant food.

“The dishes at your cafeteria are this good today?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “Wages were issued today.” Saying so, he took out all the money and tickets on him, handing them over to Xie Yiyang.

Xie Yiyang grabbed them in one go, hugged the person, and said smilingly, currying favor and acting cute: “Husband, I will issue it to you in quotas every day.”

Raising an eyebrow to give him a look, Gu Siyuan said faintly: “Teacher Xie’s arrangements naturally have reason.”

“…” Xie Yiyang’s face turned slightly red.

How come, in broad daylight, he was calling him Teacher.

Something like twice-cooked pork, the more it was re-cooked, the more fragrant it became, especially the flavor of the soybean paste and garlic inside was the most powerful. Not only the Gu family, but the several neighboring families could also smell it.

Xie Yiyang also steamed those few meat buns over the coarse grain porridge; the flavor was equally incomparably sweet and fragrant.

Although ever since Gu Siyuan went to the agricultural repair factory, almost every day around this time in the evening, various food aromas would waft out from the Gu family, today this scent was truly too domineering, permeating the courtyard for a long time without dispersing, piercing straight to the soul.

Regarding this, the first to blow up was actually not Mother Gu, who loved scolding people, but Gu Lili, who maintained the posture of someone superior to others.

Facing Gu Siyuan, who was carrying dishes, he exploded: “Third Brother, you are going too far. Knowing perfectly well that everyone doesn’t get to eat good things a few times a year, you still make delicious food at home every day. Aren’t you treating us as non-existent like this?”

Looking at him, Gu Siyuan’s gaze was sharp and cold: “Don’t get to eat good things a few times a year? Are you talking about yourself? Talking about before separating the family, when you always secretly ate eggs and drank sugar water behind people’s backs? Back then, did you treat the rest of the family as people?”

“Third Brother!… Why do you always dig up old accounts?” Gu Lili was at a loss for words for a moment, becoming even more furious.

“Daring to do it yet afraid of people talking about it. What kind of thing do you think you are, coming to meddle in my business!” Gu Siyuan’s voice was extremely cold.

Gritting his teeth, Gu Lili said: “Even if you don’t care about me, you can’t just ignore Father and Mother. With you eating well and drinking well every day, do you just let Father and Mother only smell the scent like that?”

This time, without waiting for Gu Siyuan to speak again, Xie Yiyang gave several cold laughs of ‘hehe’: “Gu Lili, based on what do you deserve to say these words? I’m at home every day now; whatever you do, I see it clearly. This morning, you and Feng Keng went to the mountain and roasted a bird, right? Did you think to bring it back for Father and Mother to eat? This isn’t some old account, right!”

“You…” Gu Lili’s face instantly turned pale.

Then, he hurriedly turned around and ran out.

He didn’t expect that Xie Yiyang was actually staring at him all day long, even seeing him just making a trip up the mountain.

This time, he and Feng Keng had found an extremely precious good thing.

No, I have to go immediately and discuss a solution with Feng Keng.

Actually, he truly wronged Xie Yiyang on this, and also thought too much.

Xie Yiyang just saw Gu Lili come back in the morning with a mouth full of oil, and there were even a few bird feathers stuck to his clothes, so he just casually guessed.

Looking at Gu Lili’s unusual reaction, Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes.

It seems a dog can’t stop eating shit, he’s starting again.

Tilting his head, Xie Yiyang reached out his hand and waved it in front of him: “The person already left, what are you still looking at?”

Grabbing his slender white fingers in one go, Gu Siyuan said faintly: “What are you being mischievous about.”

“Not being mischievous.” Xie Yiyang puffed his cheeks.

Reaching out to pinch his cheek flesh that looked like a little squirrel’s, Gu Siyuan said seriously: “Not being mischievous. After all, you are already acting as an exemplary teacher, Teacher Xie.”

Xie Yiyang: “…”

Tsk, I wonder who is more mischievous.

After the two sat down face to face.

Handing the chopsticks to Gu Siyuan, Xie Yiyang urged: “Eat quickly, eat quickly.”

Gu Siyuan: “Teacher Xie, please move your chopsticks first.”

“…” Xie Yiyang.

He raised his head to take a deep look at his own husband, unable to resist suspecting if this person had some kind of special fetish.

Support me on Ko-fi