Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 47

Chapter 47

After Old Master Li received his suit, he wore it around the house constantly. County Chief Li also noticed how unique the clothes were. "Dad, you look really sharp in this outfit. Where did you buy it?"

Other than the clothes his sons and daughter in the capital sent him, all of his father's clothes had always been taken care of by his wife. He'd never seen her buy him anything like this before.

Old Master Li looked at his son's eager expression and snorted. "Xiao Yuan and Shenggu made this for me out of filial respect. It's not for you."

County Chief Li had gotten quite familiar with Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu over the past few years. When he heard they had given it as a gift, he wasn't too surprised. "Where did they buy it?"

"Buy it? They made it themselves!"

"What!" County Chief Li’s thoughts ran even further. 

Yuangu Braised Meat had been a household name in Yun County for years. Thanks to that braised meat, Yun County’s reputation had climbed quite a bit. 

His brothers and sister were in the capital, so he kept up with policy trends. People like Zhao Shenggu were exactly the kind the country wanted to support and promote. 

If these clothes sold well, maybe this could become another engine for Yun County’s economy...

With that thought, County Chief Li didn't hold back in front of Old Master Li. "Dad, these clothes look great. Have Shenggu and the others thought about making and selling them?" It wasn't strange for County Chief Li to ask this. In his mind, Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu were still just two kids. How could they have such broad vision?

Old Master Li shot him a look. "You think you're the only smart one? Those two already thought of it long ago. The workshop is already built, and the first batch of clothes is already made."

County Chief Li was first surprised, then laughed out loud. "Good boys! Dad, can you get me a set of those clothes?"

This time Old Master Li didn’t glare at him. 

If the county chief showed up wearing such sharp clothes, the people under him would definitely notice. And that would help get the word out about Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu's clothing too.

When Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu heard from Old Master Li that County Chief Li also wanted a set, they naturally didn't refuse. They made some changes to the design based on Old Master Li’s clothes. If Old Master Li's outfit made him look spirited, then County Chief Li's outfit gave him an indescribable air.

It's not just women who love beauty—men love it too.

After County Chief Li wore that outfit, for a while the whole government building was buzzing. People were asking about it openly and secretly. 

With County Chief Li basically acting as a walking advertisement, Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu's clothes became popular in the government building even before they went on sale.

With County Chief Li's support, after Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu produced their first batch of clothes, they set up a stall right next to the government compound. At first not many people came up to look, but after the first person tried one on, the crowd rushing over to buy clothes grew instantly. By the time people from the government compound came to buy, all they saw was a scene of people packed shoulder to shoulder.

Yuangu Clothing became an instant hit in Yun County. Because the workshop wasn't large in scale, pre-orders became necessary, and orders were booked all the way to the end of the year.

Because of the precedent set by Yuangu Braised Meat, many people saw the potential of Yuangu Clothing and wanted to join as franchisees just like with Yuangu Braised Meat, but Zhao Shenggu didn't agree.

Guan Yuan understood Zhao Shenggu's thinking. Franchising the braised meat was a necessity—after all, it was impossible for them to make all the braised meat themselves and then sell it. It would spoil on the road.

But clothes were different. They could slowly build up their team now, and in the future they could open branch companies in various places.

To keep up with the growing number of orders, Zhao Shenggu added more than fifty more people to the clothing workshop. Just buying sewing machines cost a large sum.

The autumn winds faded, the cold snows arrived, and once again it was time for the annual Laba Festival.

The Laba Festival in Guanjia Village was even livelier. Every household's Laba porridge was filled with plenty of good ingredients, and the rich, thick aroma drifted through the whole village.

[Laba Festival: a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, marking the start of preparations for Lunar New Year.]

[Laba porridge: a sweet or savory porridge made from mixed grains, beans, dates, lotus seeds, and nuts, eaten on the Laba Festival.]

From the moment they opened their door that morning, Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu were greeted with Laba porridge sent by the villagers of Guan Family Village. This honor naturally belonged only to them. Apart from the lazy troublemakers, almost everyone in Guanjia Village had earned money working for Zhao Shenggu. These people partly wanted to show their gratitude and partly wanted to build goodwill in their eyes.

Later, not only did the villagers of Guanjia Village send Laba porridge, but even people from other villages sent their men early in the morning to deliver Laba porridge. By noon, Guan Yuan looked at all the Laba porridge filling every container in the house and smiled bitterly.

"How long will it take us to eat all this?"

"If you don't want to eat it, then don't. I'll just take a bite of each—after all, it's their goodwill." Zhao Shenggu was worried Guan Yuan wouldn't be used to other people's cooking, so he quickly took over the task of eating the porridge.

Even if he only had one bite from each family's offering, Zhao Shenggu still ended up with a full belly of porridge — and every bowl tasted different. One spoonful was sweet, the next was salty. 

Seeing Zhao Shenggu frowning, Guan Yuan couldn't help but find it amusing.

Life in Guanjia Village had grown more prosperous over the years, and leisure activities had increased accordingly. On Laba Day, the villagers pooled their money together and invited the only remaining opera troupe in Yun County to perform.

This was a very face-giving event. People from other villages came to watch too, and the people of Guanjia Village held their heads high in front of outsiders, as if they had won a great battle.

But all this liveliness had nothing to do with the Guan family.

While the whole village was bustling with excitement, the main room of the Guan family's house was dead silent.

Guan He forced down his trembling body and asked Guan Manku in a low voice, "How did you find out?"

Guan Manku lowered his voice. "I saw everything. Dad, you’re cruel — you could even do that to your own daughter."

Panic flickered in Guan He's eyes. "You're saying I strangled Manyue. What evidence do you have? Without evidence, who's going to believe I'd kill my own daughter?"

Guan Manku chuckled lowly. "I know you didn't mean to, Dad. It's just that Manyue was too annoying. But whether you meant to or not, you're the one who did it. If I spread the word, even if it can't nail you down completely, some people in the village will probably take it to heart."

"What do you want?!" Guan He’s eyes locked on Guan Manku like a vulture’s, as if the person in front of him wasn’t his son, but an enemy.

Guan Manku dramatically patted his chest. "Dad, don't look at me like that. It's scary. My request is simple: split me off from the family right now, and I want a thousand yuan. Other than that, I'll just take my own share."

Guan He trembled with rage. "Where would the family get that much money?"

Guan Manku left with a parting remark—"That's not my problem"—and walked away. So on Laba Day, while everyone else was immersed in the festive bustle, the Guan family was dividing up the household.

Guan He couldn't bear to part with a thousand yuan. In the end, he and Guan Manku privately negotiated it down to five hundred.

But Guan Mancang and Guan Mandi weren’t pushovers either. 

They both knew money had been demanded from Guan Manyue's in-laws. Even after the village squeezed the family, there was still some left. And if they were splitting up, that money had to be split too.

Guan He insisted stubbornly that there was no money, but Guan Mancang and Guan Mandi wouldn't let it go. In the end, the argument turned into a fight, and Guan He was accidentally knocked unconscious by Guan Manku.

That was no small matter. Guan Mancang and Guan Mandi seized the opportunity and, wailing and shouting, took Guan He to the clinic. In no time, everyone in Guanjia Village knew that Guan Manku had beaten Guan He.

In the end, Guan He used this incident to cut the money given to Guan Manku down to two hundred yuan. Then he gave Guan Mancang and Guan Mandi one hundred each. It wasn't until the thirtieth of the twelfth month that the family was finally and completely divided.

On New Year's Eve, although it was only Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan, the atmosphere was anything but quiet. Guan Yuan loved hot pot, so Zhao Shenggu made a steaming hot pot. The two of them ate and watched the Spring Festival Gala on TV, the atmosphere warm and cozy.

After dinner, they turned off the TV and sat by the floor heater, talking softly and warmly.

"Brother, read to me."

Guan Yuan loved listening to Zhao Shenggu's voice. Although Zhao Shenggu still spoke with a Guanjia Village accent in daily life, his Mandarin was very standard. When he read, his voice rose and fell beautifully, and Guan Yuan often found himself blushing as he listened.

"Okay, what do you want to hear?"

"Anything."

Zhao Shenggu pulled a collection of Tagore's poems from the books he had. He placed a pillow under Guan Yuan's head as it rested on his thigh, then began reading softly: "Let me sit beside you and be idle for a while. The work in my hands can wait. Away from your presence, my heart does not know what ease and rest mean; my work becomes endless labor in a boundless sea of labor..."

[Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941): a Bengali poet, writer, and philosopher from India — the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1913). His poetry is known for its lyrical beauty, spiritual depth, and themes of love, nature, God, and human connection.]

Whether it was Zhao Shenggu's voice that was too intoxicating, or the pillow too soft, Guan Yuan felt as if he had stepped into the clouds. Even his breathing in dreams was sweet.