Volume One, Chapter 14: Visiting My Eldest Uncle

Upon hearing Old Man Qi’s words, Gao Yueran immediately let go of her grip.

Gao Yuan rubbed his reddened ears and grumbled indignantly, "Aunt, you’re too harsh. I brought you fish out of the kindness of my heart, and instead of a word of praise, I get my ears pulled and a scolding. What am I even doing this for? Is something wrong with my head?"

Gao Yueran’s face flushed like a sunset glow. She rubbed her nephew’s ears, feeling a pang of guilt, and said, "Yuanzi, I was wrong, okay? I misunderstood you... It’s all Old Man Qi’s fault for throwing his weight around."

Old Man Qi didn't mind, letting out a chuckle. "Girl, come by my place later. I’ll roast some sweet potatoes for you as an apology."

Gao Yueran replied with a blushing face, "Old Man Qi, no need to be so polite. Actually, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, our workshop director would never have let me leave. You know how it is—the production quotas at the factory are incredibly heavy right now. Without special circumstances, the director doesn't allow us to take leave."

Old Man Qi waved his hand, saying no more. He had always disliked the workshop director’s habit of acting as if he were the most important person in the world.

Gao Yuan held up the net bag and said to his aunt, "I really did catch fish, quite a lot of them. I brought you a snakehead and seven crucian carp. You should eat well and build up your strength."

Gao Yueran said apologetically, "Yuanzi, thank you, Auntie really appreciates it. But I forgot to tell you—I live in a collective dormitory. Even if you bring the fish here, I have nowhere to cook them. Why don’t you take them back and stew them? I’ll come home for dinner at noon."

*Damn,* he had forgotten about that. It was a wasted trip.

Gao Yuan replied readily, "Sure thing. I was planning to stew a pot to take to Uncle anyway, so I’ll just cook it all together. You can just come home and eat when it's ready."

Gao Yueran nodded. She carefully adjusted her nephew’s military coat collar, turning it up to cover his ears and keep him warm, and urged, "Walk slowly on the way back and keep an eye on your bicycle."

Gao Yuan chuckled, "Don’t worry, I’m not a child anymore. I can’t walk very fast with this net bag anyway. I’ll see you at home for dinner."

He spent twenty minutes walking back to his home on Xinkailu Alley. He then set to work cleaning the fish efficiently. He made soup with the eight crucian carp and braised the snakehead. He steamed a pot of rice and stir-fried some cabbage stalks, making them sweet and sour.

By the time the meal was ready, it was just past eleven-thirty. He filled a bowl of rice and packed the fish soup, the braised snakehead, and the stir-fried cabbage into three aluminum lunch boxes. Just as he stepped out the door, his aunt arrived home.

"Aunt, the fish and vegetables are in the pot. I'm going to take the food to Uncle; you go ahead and eat, don't wait for me."

"Xiaoyuan, I’ll go with you."

Gao Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's go together. But Aunt, I have to give you a warning: when you see Uncle, please don't get emotional, and don't say anything you shouldn't. You have to realize that Uncle is at a critical juncture; a wrong word from family could be dangerous for him. You must control your emotions. Smile more when you see him, say comforting things, and don't add to his mental burden. Don't let him worry about us."

Gao Yueran looked at him and nodded. "Don't worry, Xiaoyuan. I know what can be said and what cannot."

The two of them left with the net bag, heading straight for the Municipal Party Committee School.

Gao Yuehua’s situation, while referred to as living in a "cow shed," wasn't actually that dire. In this peculiar era, the Municipal Party Committee School had been converted into a May 7th Cadre School. It was located on Chegongzhuang Street in the Xicheng District.

Gao Yuan and his aunt took a bus there. At the heavily guarded entrance, they underwent a strict inspection, stating the purpose of their visit and having all their belongings searched to ensure no contraband was being smuggled in. Only after registering their names were they allowed to enter. In these times, whether they were "Black Five Category" elements or old revolutionaries labeled as rightists, they were all under isolated review, but they were still allowed to see their families once a week.

The staff led Gao Yuan and his aunt to a small room. Two guards stood at the door, standing straight on either side. Inside, there was another soldier stationed to prevent the detainee from doing anything rash or attempting suicide.

Gao Yuan, accustomed to this, ignored the guards and pushed the door open. Gao Yuehua was sitting upright behind a desk, writing a statement. Hearing the door open, he showed no reaction, burying his head and continuing to write fervently.

The room was quite warm, with a honeycomb coal stove crackling. Looking at his uncle from behind, Gao Yuan noticed that his back wasn't bent; he wore a black wool coat, his spine held straight. His uncle was still maintaining his stubborn self-respect.

Gao Yuan felt a lump in his throat. Seeing his aunt’s eyes redden, he tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "No crying. We’ve endured everything up to this point; we can't fall apart now."

Gao Yueran nodded and wiped away her tears.

Gao Yuan strolled slowly behind Gao Yuehua and shouted, "Uncle!"

The fountain pen in Gao Yuehua’s hand clattered onto the manuscript. He turned around, saw it was the boy, and noticed his younger sister standing five steps away. He pushed up his reading glasses and said with a stern face, "You little rascal, you nearly scared me into a heart attack. You're a grown man, act like it. Little Sister, come here, let me get a good look at you."

Gao Yueran walked over quickly and held Gao Yuehua’s hand tightly, saying with deep emotion, "Brother, are you alright?"

Gao Yuehua smiled and said, "Fine, I’m doing just fine! You look like you're in good spirits, too. Is work tiring? Sit down, let’s chat. Don't just stand there."

The young soldier, showing some tact, stepped out from the front of the desk and offered the small bench by the wall for the two to sit.

Gao Yuan scanned the room. The furnishings were simple: a desk, a chair, and a bed; nothing else. Slogans were plastered on the stark white walls: "Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist," "Dig deep into the roots of reactionary ideology," and "Confess everything to the organization with a positive and serious attitude." There were also sheets of Gao Yuehua’s own progress reports covering an entire wall.

Gao Yuan didn't sit immediately. He walked to the bed, looked at his gaunt uncle, placed the net bag on the table, took out the aluminum boxes, and said softly, "Uncle, I stewed the fish and stir-fried the vegetables myself. They’re still warm, please eat."

Gao Yueran rinsed a pair of chopsticks with hot water and handed them to her brother. Gao Yuehua took them, looked at Gao Yuan, sat down, and smiled. "You’ve made progress, kid. You’ve even learned how to cook."

He leaned in to smell the food and popped a piece of fish into his mouth, praising, "Mmm, the taste is quite excellent."

Gao Yuan pushed the lunch box toward him. "If you like it, eat more. I brought it all for you. If you finish it all, that’s the greatest recognition of my cooking skills."

Gao Yuehua smiled again. He picked up his bowl of rice, poured some fish soup over it, and added a crucian carp to his box. As he ate, he asked, "Ranran, are you busy at work?"

Gao Yueran sat on the edge of the bed and reported, "Production quotas have been heavy lately, but it’s not too tiring. Oh, and Brother, Xiaoyuan and I, as well as Xiaoya who is far away in the Great Northern Wilderness, have all signed up for this year’s college entrance exam."

Gao Yuehua put down his chopsticks. "Oh? That’s good news. So, does that mean our Gao family might have two college students this year?"

Gao Yuan caught the implication and immediately grumbled, "Uncle, who are you looking down on? Are you not counting me in?"

Gao Yuehua was in high spirits. He pursed his lips and said, "With your lousy grades, taking the college entrance exam is just making up the numbers. I’d sooner believe an owl won't hoot at night than believe you could get into college."

Gao Yueran laughed so hard she doubled over.

Gao Yuan rolled his eyes and said, "Uncle, want to make a bet?"

"Heh! Challenging me, are you? I don't believe it. What’s the bet?"

"If I get into college, you give me that military officer’s wool overcoat of yours."

"Hahahaha... You’ve been eyeing that for a long time, haven't you? Fine. If you get into college, I’ll give you the coat. But if you don’t? What then?"

"When you’re exonerated, I’ll cook whatever you want for a whole month. Deal?"

Gao Yuehua laughed, "It’s a deal." He knew his nephew was just trying to cheer him up. Exonerated? That would take forever.

Gao Yuan leaned in closer and whispered, "Uncle, don't lose heart. You’re a veteran revolutionary from ’38; you’ve never left the ranks since you joined. To say you have problems is pure nonsense; to call you a traitor is just absurd. I believe your issues will be cleared up soon. You must trust the organization..."

Before he could finish, the young soldier standing nearby coughed to remind him, "Little Gao, watch your words."

Gao Yuan nodded at him, offered a polite smile, and wisely fell silent.

Gao Yuehua was surprised. He hadn't expected his nephew, who usually acted like a troublemaker, to have such insight. "Xiaoyuan, I almost don't recognize you. We haven't seen each other in a month, right? You’ve changed quite a bit."

Gao Yuan thought to himself, *If I told you I came from forty years in the future, would you believe me?*

Gao Yueran saw Gao Yuan’s embarrassment and smiled, "Brother, Xiaoyuan has been doing really well lately. He seems like a different person. My second brother and sister-in-law said the same thing—the kid seems to have grown up overnight."

"Growing up is good! The men of the Gao family should stand tall and shoulder the responsibilities that men should." Gao Yuehua’s mood turned slightly somber.

Gao Yuan knew his uncle was thinking of his disappointing cousin. As for his cousin, Gao Yuan really couldn't say much. Even though he considered that guy a scumbag, he was still his uncle’s only son. No matter how much he disliked him, he couldn't badmouth him in front of his uncle.

He changed the subject. "Uncle, one more piece of good news: my dad has received notice from the college; he’s about to be reinstated."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuehua said with relief, "That is wonderful news. Our family will eventually see the light of day. Xiaoyuan, tell your father that once he’s back to work, he should pour his heart into his career. He should work diligently and conscientiously to cultivate more outstanding talent for the country."

Gao Yuan nodded. "I’ll remember that, Uncle. Don't worry, I’ll deliver your message."

At this moment, the young soldier reminded them, "The time is up. Please leave."

Gao Yuan and his aunt stood up. He told his uncle, "Leave the lunch boxes here; I'll pick them up next time. Eat plenty—you need the strength to write your reports."

Gao Yuehua stood up as well, patted his nephew’s arm, and smiled, "Don't you worry about your uncle. I’m as strong as an ox; a little turbulence like this won't knock me down."

Gao Yueran and her nephew said their reluctant goodbyes to Gao Yuehua.