Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

The next day, the weather was fine. The two girls dressed up specially, went out hand in hand, as if to leave all their troubles behind. At the bus stop, the sun shone warmly on them.

Wang Chun pulled a neatly folded five-yuan note from his pocket, waved it in front of Zhi Xia, and said with a hint of pride and excitement, "Look, my brother gave this to me! When we get to the county, we'll go to the state-run restaurant, and I'll treat you to meat buns! Their buns are so delicious, every bite is bursting with oil!"

Zhi Xia was also infected by her joy and nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling: "Okay! Then I'll treat you to an ice pop!"

"It's settled then!" Wang Chun happily took her arm and started planning. "Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some fabric, khaki or calfskin, it'll do. I want to make a new pair of pants. These are so worn out they're practically showing my butt. Then we'll go buy some steamed buns."

"I want to buy fabric too," Zhixia chimed in, her voice filled with longing. "I want to make a dress, a floral dress, the kind with small, delicate flowers." She gestured with her hands, then looked at Wang Chun, her eyes sparkling. "You have good taste. Can you help me pick out a nice piece of fabric later?"

"Of course!" Wang Chun readily agreed, then asked curiously, "Hey, can you make it yourself? Cutting pants and making a skirt isn't easy."

"Yes," Zhixia nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. "I learned from my mom when I was at home. I can make even simple designs."

"That's great! Now if my clothes get torn, or if I want to make a dress, I can come to you!"

"no problem!"

The bus swayed and lurched as it arrived. Two young girls, like two happy sparrows, chirped and chattered as they squeezed onto the bus, full of anticipation for the day to come. All their worries about the future and the annoyances of the residential compound were left behind. At that moment, they were simply two young women with a few yuan in their pockets, planning to eat meat buns and buy floral fabric to make dresses, enjoying their own simple and pure happiness.

The supply and marketing cooperative was bustling with people. Zhi Xia and Wang Chun squeezed in front of the fabric counter, their eyes scanning the various fabrics.

Suddenly, Zhixia's gaze was drawn to a piece of cloth—a bright red background sprinkled with vibrant yellow daisies. Amidst the prevailing colors of gray, blue, and green, it stood out so boldly and so full of life.

"Xiaochun, look at that piece!" Zhixia pointed to the piece of cloth, her eyes shining.

Wang Chun looked in the direction she was pointing, paused for a moment, tugged at Zhi Xia's sleeve, and whispered, "It's so flashy! Can we wear that out?"

In an era that valued simplicity and monotonous colors, such a pattern was indeed somewhat out of place.

Zhi Xia stared intently at the piece of cloth, as if bewitched by some force, and said firmly, "I like it."

"Do you dare to wear this out?" Wang Chun was still somewhat hesitant.

"I dare," Zhixia answered without the slightest hesitation. It was as if she was not just talking about a piece of cloth, but more like a declaration, a silent rebellion against a dull life, and a yearning to regain her own color.

Seeing the determined light in her eyes, Wang Chun was also moved and nodded vigorously: "Okay! If you like it, then buy it!"

When the saleswoman deftly tore off and rolled up the bright red fabric with yellow flowers and handed it to Zhixia, she hugged the roll of fabric as if she were embracing a small, warm sun, and her face showed the most genuine and relaxed smile she had seen in days.

The two then went to the state-run restaurant with great enthusiasm, each buying two large, oily meat buns, which they ate with relish. On the way back, they walked and chatted, discussing what style of skirt they should have.

As Zhixia passed by a state-run barbershop, she noticed a small white piece of paper pasted on the window that read "Looking for temporary workers".

Her steps slowed abruptly, her gaze fixed on the job posting, something stirring within her. Earning your own money and spending it yourself is the only way to stand tall—the argument between her sister-in-law and Xiaochun echoed in her ears.

"Xiaochun," she tugged at her companion's sleeve, pointing towards the hair salon, "Shall we go ask?"

Wang Chun peeked out and looked around, somewhat troubled: "Isn't it too far? We'll have to take the bus. Besides, temporary work is so tiring, the pay is low, and we're not even guaranteed to be selected."

"Temporary workers are hard to find either," Zhixia insisted, her eyes filled with the tentative and eager look of a newborn calf. "Why don't we just go and ask? It won't hurt us."

Her eyes held expectation, trepidation, and an urgent desire to grasp something. This brightly colored floral fabric seemed to give her a bit of courage to step out.

Zhi Xia, pulling the still hesitant Wang Chun along, pushed open the wooden door of the barbershop. The shop was filled with a unique smell of soapy water and burnt hair. An experienced barber was cutting a customer's hair with clippers, the clippers buzzing loudly.

Upon seeing two unfamiliar young women enter, the old barber, without stopping his work, raised his eyelids slightly and asked, "Young ladies, a haircut?"

"No, Uncle." Zhixia quickly waved her hand and pointed nervously to the door. "We saw a job posting for temporary workers on the door, so we came in to ask."

"Oh?" The experienced mechanic stopped cutting and looked them over carefully. "What's your educational background?"

"High school," Zhixia answered, straightening her back, feeling a little uneasy, wondering if her educational background was sufficient.

The experienced worker nodded, seemingly satisfied, and directly stated the terms: "15 yuan a month, lunch provided, but no food or cloth coupons. Two days off per month, work from 9 am to 6 pm. The job is to help wash customers' hair, clean up hair on the floor, and tidy up things." The terms sounded pretty good, and Zhixia was very tempted.

She quickly calculated in her mind and decided that Wang Chun was capable of doing this job! She immediately grabbed Wang Chun's arm, looked at her with bright eyes, and said in a soft but eager voice, "Sure! It's far from home, but there's a bus, and lunch is provided! Are you coming?"

Wang Chun was clearly tempted, but her face showed her usual hesitation and a hint of timidity. She stammered, "I... Zhixia, you asked, so you should do it..."

Zhi Xia looked at her, her tone sincere and straightforward: "My sister-in-law is still treating me well; she hasn't complained that I'm freeloading. So you should start working! Once you have a job, your sister-in-law won't be able to keep nagging you. I'll look for something else slowly; there's no rush."

These words were like a warm current, instantly touching Wang Chun. She hadn't expected Zhi Xia to give her such a good opportunity first; her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she grasped Zhi Xia's hand, her voice choked with emotion, "Zhi Xia... thank you!"

"Don't thank me, we're friends!" Zhixia smiled and patted her, then turned to the old master craftsman, her tone certain, "Uncle, she's coming! She can start work tomorrow!"

The experienced driver looked at the two girls who seemed to be getting along well, a subtle smile appearing on his face. He nodded and said, "Okay, it's a deal then. Be on time tomorrow, don't be late."

Emerging from the barbershop, Wang Chun was still immersed in the excitement and emotion of finding a job, clinging tightly to Zhi Xia's arm. Zhi Xia, though she had given the job to a friend, also felt a sense of fulfillment and joy.