“Thief! Someone’s stealing money!”
This shout was like a thunderclap striking the crowd, instantly jolting awake the passengers who had been exhausted from the long ride. Everyone immediately became alert, instinctively guarding their luggage. After confirming that their belongings were safe, they couldn’t help but curiously turn their attention toward the source of the commotion.
Inside the sleeper car, two beds faced each other, forming a small space. Each bed was divided into lower, middle, and upper sections. The berths were narrow and cramped, making it difficult for anyone of taller stature to even turn over.
Next to the berths was the aisle, and on one side of the aisle, the train wall had foldable seats that could be lowered to serve as temporary resting spots. Many passengers from the middle and upper berths sat there with their luggage, waiting to disembark as soon as the train arrived at the station.
The scream came from a lower berth near the edge of the car. Almost as soon as her voice fell, a masked man cursed in frustration, shook off her hand, and then pushed past the people standing in the aisle, fleeing toward the next car.
Wasn’t this damn woman supposed to be asleep?
He had been watching her for a long time. Noticing that she was well-dressed and traveling alone, he had dared to make his move just before the train arrived at the station. Once the train stopped, he could slip away unnoticed.
Who would have thought that the moment his hand touched the money, she woke up and even had the audacity to grab his collar and shout? She had quite the nerve.
“Don’t you dare run!” Deng Qingwan, caught off guard, was shaken loose by the thief. Furious, she quickly stuffed her luggage into a small suitcase and chased after him.
Not run? Only a fool wouldn’t run!
Just as he thought he had left the woman behind and was about to reach the second car, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
“Get out of the way! A good dog doesn’t block the road!”
No sooner had his arrogant words left his mouth than his arm was seized with lightning speed. Before he could react, he was flipped onto the ground, the pain making him feel as though he had just walked through the gates of hell.
“Please notify the train attendant.”
“Oh, right, of course.” The onlookers snapped out of their daze and finally remembered to call for the attendant.
“Ahhh! Comrade, take it easy! There’s been a misunderstanding!” Whatever technique this man was using, the more he struggled, the more pain he felt. Soon, he was drenched in cold sweat. Seeing no way to escape, he quickly tried to appeal to emotions.
“I’m here to visit family! I have an 80-year-old mother and a one-year-old child at home. I would never steal money!”
When he saw that his pleas were falling on deaf ears, the man gritted his teeth and began crying, snot and tears streaming down his face. “My elderly mother is seriously ill and waiting for me to bring her money at the hospital. Who would’ve thought I’d be falsely accused by some little girl…”
“Bullshit!” Before he could finish, a woman’s voice abruptly cut him off, followed by a heavy kick to his back.
This girl looked delicate, but her strength was no joke. Her strikes were even fiercer than the man restraining him!
“You say I’m falsely accusing you? Then why were you rummaging through my bag? When I shouted ‘thief,’ why did you run while everyone else stayed? Lucky for me it was you today—if it were someone else, you’d have gotten away with it!”
Deng Qingwan’s face flushed red with anger. Unable to hold back, she stomped on him again, cursing, “You’re the scum of society. I’m definitely sending you to jail!”
After venting a bit, Deng Qingwan finally had the composure to look at the person who had subdued the thief. When she raised her eyes, she met a pair of clear, handsome eyes. His hair was cut short, his skin tanned to a wheatish hue. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, a formal and proper outfit, but paired with his sharp movements, it created a striking contrast.
His gaze was bright and clear, carrying a sense of justice unique to someone of his youthful age.
For some reason, Deng Qingwan felt her cheeks grow warm. After a long pause, she finally managed to say, “Kid, not bad moves.”
As Deng Qingwan was sizing him up, Zhou Yingchen was also observing her. This female comrade had a sweet and delicate face, but the moment she opened her mouth…
She was quite “bold.”
She was tall and wore a pink-and-white checkered “bulaji” dress (a type of Soviet-style dress popular in China during the mid-20th century). Her short, ear-length hair was pinned with a hairclip, making her look even more adorable and charming—of course, this was assuming one ignored the words that came out of her mouth next.
“Don’t move! Stay put, you scoundrel!”
Zhou Yingchen couldn’t help but laugh, though he quickly stifled it. Still, she noticed.
“What are you laughing at?” Deng Qingwan self-consciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and instinctively glared at him. Meeting her almost murderous gaze, he quickly shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Comrade, thank you for today,” Deng Qingwan said, not dwelling on it. She quickly composed herself and gave him a formal salute.
Zhou Yingchen reflexively returned the salute.
In the noisy train corridor, the two of them stared at each other, both momentarily confused, before simultaneously lowering their hands.
“I knew you looked a bit like…”
Deng Qingwan’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across her face, revealing two dimples. Paired with her large, sparkling eyes, she looked lively and adorable. But before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the hurried arrival of the train attendant.
“Where’s the thief?”
“Over here!” Deng Qingwan immediately forgot about the man who might be a fellow soldier and quickly waved at the attendant. Then, realizing her words might be misinterpreted, she added, “Not me, him!”
Incidents like this were common on trains, and with so many witnesses this time, the truth of the matter was clear. To avoid causing chaos and congestion, the attendant quickly got to the bottom of the situation, took brief statements from Deng Qingwan and Zhou Yingchen as per protocol, and then led the thief away.
By this time, the train had arrived at the station. The crowd, having enjoyed the spectacle, began pushing toward the exit. Not wanting to get caught in the middle and squeezed like “lamb stew” (a metaphor for being packed tightly), Deng Qingwan decided to find a nearby seat and wait until the crowd thinned before disembarking.
Coincidentally, Zhou Yingchen’s berth was right there, so she followed him over and sat down on the opposite berth. She watched as he quickly packed his belongings. He had quite a few bags, but they were all pre-packed; he only needed to gather the scattered items on the bed into his backpack before he could grab his luggage and leave.
Deng Qingwan had good eyesight and noticed the word “aviation” on the cover of one of the books he was putting into his backpack.
“Are you in the Air Force? Or are you a pilot?”
After asking, Deng Qingwan belatedly realized she might have been too forward. Although they had just caught a thief together, forming a bit of revolutionary camaraderie, they were still essentially strangers meeting for the first time.
So she cleared her throat and added, “Judging by your accent, you sound like you’re from Beijing? I’m from Beijing too. I’m currently a flight student.”
At this, Zhou Yingchen paused in his packing and glanced back at her, his eyebrow raised in a playful, confident smile. “What a coincidence. I should be your senior.”
There was only one school in Beijing that trained female pilots, and this year, the school had admitted a larger-than-usual batch of female students. Their early arrival for training had caused quite a stir, and even he, who was always busy with training, had heard about it from his roommates.
She must be one of them, given how young she looked—and quite pretty too. If she were a senior, his roommates would have definitely talked about her…
“Senior?” Deng Qingwan raised an eyebrow as well. She was currently a junior, about to become a senior next semester. Was this self-proclaimed senior a recent graduate from the senior class?
But with such a striking appearance, he should have been quite famous at school. How had she never heard of him? Then again, as someone who spent most of her time in the cockpit or her instructor’s office, it wasn’t surprising she hadn’t.
So Deng Qingwan didn’t doubt his claim at all and instead extended her hand toward Zhou Yingchen with great enthusiasm. “Hello, Senior.”
Her voice was bright and clear.
Zhou Yingchen smirked, finding himself unusually pleased with the title “senior.” He reached out and shook her hand. “Hello, Junior.”
After shaking hands, Deng Qingwan noticed that the crowd had mostly dispersed and invited Zhou Yingchen to walk out together.
Perhaps due to the unique nature of their profession, neither of them spoke much. Even as they walked out of the train station, they exchanged only a few words.
Zhou Yingchen was about to say “See you at school” to Deng Qingwan when he noticed two women not far away holding a sign with his name, “Zhou Yingchen,” written in bold black characters on red paper. They were both strikingly beautiful and wearing matching red dresses, making it impossible to miss them.
Not just him—almost everyone exiting the station noticed the scene and turned to look.
So he swallowed the words he was about to say.
Deng Qingwan naturally saw it too. She glanced at Zhou Yingchen, then at the women, and exclaimed, “Your family and friends are so enthusiastic! That’s wonderful!”
Unlike her, who had come alone with no one to pick her up. Of course, she hadn’t informed anyone here because she wanted to surprise him. Thinking of this, Deng Qingwan shook off her disappointment and urged him to hurry over.
Zhou Yingchen nodded, bid farewell to Deng Qingwan, and strode toward the two women holding the sign.
“Qiuqiu, why hasn’t he arrived yet?” Xu Qiqi asked anxiously, standing on her tiptoes to look around.
They had already confirmed that this batch of passengers was from the train they were waiting for, but as the crowd thinned, no one had come forward to identify themselves. Instead, they had encountered a few people trying to strike up conversations.
“Let’s wait a bit longer. I don’t believe he could miss us,” Cheng Fangqiu said, glancing at the sign with Zhou Yingchen’s name. It was so eye-catching that she couldn’t believe a pilot with such sharp eyesight would miss it!
Besides, they had specifically worn red dresses to stand out in the crowd and to show their warm welcome.
If they still missed him, then so be it.
“Hey, is that your brother-in-law?” Xu Qiqi excitedly patted Cheng Fangqiu’s arm. “Your husband’s family has such great genes! How come they’re all tall, long-legged handsome men? The two brothers look quite alike.”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu followed Xu Qiqi’s gaze and saw Zhou Yingchen in a white shirt and black trousers. He carried a large backpack and several heavy-looking bags in both hands, yet he appeared completely at ease, without a hint of strain.
As Xu Qiqi had said, Zhou Yingchen bore a resemblance to Zhou Yinghuai—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, a high nose, thin lips, and large eyes. But compared to Zhou Yinghuai, he had a more youthful air.
No wonder he was the male lead in the novel. His looks and demeanor were simply unmatched.
Moreover, he hadn’t yet developed the inscrutable temperament of his later years. Instead, he exuded a sense of innocence and righteousness, his eyes reflecting the unique clarity and naivety of a college student.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Zhou Yingchen.”
Zhou Yingchen walked up to them and greeted them first. However, he wasn’t sure which one was his sister-in-law, so he didn’t address her directly.
Cheng Fangqiu snapped out of her thoughts. Remembering the identity of the man before her, she nervously swallowed but maintained a friendly smile. “Hello, I’m Cheng Fangqiu. This is my friend Xu Qiqi. Yinghuai couldn’t get away from work today, so it’s just the two of us here to pick you up.”
After speaking, she offered, “Let us help you with some of your bags.”
“No need, sister-in-law. I can manage,” Zhou Yingchen replied, having now identified Cheng Fangqiu through her introduction. His gaze lingered on her face.
He had guessed that the woman his brother had chosen to marry wouldn’t be ordinary, but he hadn’t expected her to be so beautiful!
She spoke softly and warmly, with a generous demeanor. This was different from what he had imagined. He had assumed that someone from a rural background might carry a bit of rustic charm, but her appearance and behavior were anything but.
Thinking this, Zhou Yingchen felt a flicker of discomfort. He had been prejudiced, forming preconceived notions. It seemed he needed to attend a few more ideological education classes when he returned.
“Alright, but if it gets too heavy, just let me know,” Cheng Fangqiu said, relieved that he had declined her offer. “The factory is quite far from the train station. We’ll take the bus back.”
“Sure,” Zhou Yingchen replied. Although he mostly traveled by car in Beijing, he was used to taking the bus when commuting to and from school, so he had no issues with it.
His natural, “when in Rome” attitude made Cheng Fangqiu glance at him again. It seemed this young man wasn’t the spoiled rich kid she had imagined.
The first meeting, coupled with the constraints of their uncle-nephew and sister-in-law relationship, made both parties feel somewhat reserved. However, Xu Qiqi, who was naturally lively and outgoing, noticed the awkward silence and took the initiative to engage them in conversation.
“Wow, you’re a pilot? You fly planes? That’s so cool!”
Being praised by a beautiful older sister, Zhou Yingchen coughed lightly in embarrassment and corrected her, “I’m just a trainee for now, not an official pilot yet.”
“But you will be soon. I believe in you,” Xu Qiqi said, grinning even wider when she saw his shy reaction.
Cheng Fangqiu, standing to the side, felt a bit embarrassed by the exchange and chose not to interject. When the bus arrived, she urged the two to board. However, even on the bus, Xu Qiqi didn’t settle down and nearly managed to extract Zhou Yingchen’s entire family history through her questions.
When Xu Qiqi asked Zhou Yingchen if he had a girlfriend, Cheng Fangqiu secretly pricked up her ears.
The book had been vague about the timing of the male and female leads’ first encounter. She only knew it wasn’t long after the original host had latched onto Zhou Yinghuai. After all, as a contrasting pair, their stories had to unfold in parallel.
A hot summer, a senior and a junior meeting at the same military academy, sparking a series of romantic moments, leading to a youthful campus love story, and eventually growing into outstanding pilots who would meet at the pinnacle of their careers…
A double harvest of love and career!
“No,” Zhou Yingchen answered firmly, with no signs of lying.
Cheng Fangqiu nodded in understanding. It seemed the male and female leads hadn’t met yet.
With Xu Qiqi’s talent for livening up the atmosphere, the bus ride wasn’t too tedious. After two transfers, they finally arrived at the familiar gates of the machinery factory.
“I’ll head back now. Let’s get together for a meal sometime with Chang Yan’an,” Xu Qiqi said as she got off the bus, sensing that the family would want some private time to talk. She had the tact to know when to step aside.
Cheng Fangqiu gave her a grateful smile. “Alright, take care on your way back.”
After Xu Qiqi left, Zhou Yingchen finally had a chance to take in his surroundings. As one of the top factories in the southern region, the facilities were impressively comprehensive and grand.
“Let’s go.”
With just the two of them left, Cheng Fangqiu felt a bit nervous, but thanks to Xu Qiqi’s earlier efforts, she managed to stay relatively composed.
“Alright.”
Noticing Zhou Yingchen’s interest in the factory, Cheng Fangqiu briefly explained what she knew about it.
At this time of day, the residential area was quiet, and they only ran into a few aunties with children. Perhaps because the two brothers looked somewhat alike, and since Cheng Fangqiu was with him, a couple of the aunties mistook Zhou Yingchen for Zhou Yinghuai.
Cheng Fangqiu nearly fainted on the spot when she realized the mix-up. She quickly explained, and upon learning that Zhou Yingchen was Zhou Yinghuai’s younger brother, the aunties, impressed by his good looks, eagerly tried to set him up with someone.
“Haha, maybe another day. Today’s not convenient.”
Cheng Fangqiu brushed off the aunties with a few vague words and signaled Zhou Yingchen to hurry upstairs. Seeing her animated expression, Zhou Yingchen couldn’t help but smile slightly and took long strides toward the building.
“That was terrifying. Why do these aunties turn into matchmakers the moment they see a single person?” Cheng Fangqiu followed closely behind Zhou Yingchen and couldn’t help but complain.
“Maybe they grew up eating too much pickled vegetables?”
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu was momentarily stunned before realizing Zhou Yingchen had just made a dry joke. She quickly played along, clutching her stomach and laughing. “Hahaha.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward, so Cheng Fangqiu decided to just take out her keys and unlock the door.
“Sorry, sister-in-law, I’m not very good at… lightening the mood.”
“It’s fine, I understand.”
What’s done is done. Over-explaining would only make things more awkward. It was better to just move on.
Zhou Yingchen pursed his lips just as the door opened. He instinctively glanced around. The small two-bedroom apartment was tastefully decorated, with cream-colored curtains swaying in the breeze, offering glimpses of the scenery outside.
Unlike other households that covered their furniture with lace dust covers, the tables and cabinets here were adorned with matching tablecloths and ornaments that complemented the furniture’s colors.
At first glance, the place exuded warmth and coziness.
It seemed his brother was living quite comfortably.
“Yinghuai won’t be off work for a while. Do you want to rest first?” Cheng Fangqiu took out a pair of slippers and toiletries she had prepared in advance from the cabinet.
“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Zhou Yingchen said sincerely. After such a long and tiring journey in the heat, all he wanted was a refreshing shower. He hadn’t even brought it up, yet she had already anticipated his needs and even prepared everything for him.
In truth, he had brought his own toiletries, but her thoughtfulness left a deep impression on him.
Cheng Fangqiu smiled gently. “The bathroom is over there. You can go ahead and shower. Are you hungry? If you are, I can whip up something for you to snack on. We’ll go to the state-run restaurant for dinner once Yinghuai gets off work.”
“No need, sister-in-law. I already had lunch on the train. I’m not very hungry.”
“Alright then. I’ll read on the balcony for a bit. Your room is this one. You can rest after your shower.” Cheng Fangqiu found Zhou Yingchen to be quite easygoing, and her smile grew more genuine.
“Okay,” Zhou Yingchen nodded, then remembered the bags he had lugged all the way here. He called out to Cheng Fangqiu, “Oh, by the way, sister-in-law, these are gifts and local specialties my parents asked me to bring for you.”
“Ah?” Cheng Fangqiu already knew about this, but she still played along, feigning surprise. “So much? Your parents are so thoughtful.”
As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears, her emotions seemingly overwhelming her.
Zhou Yingchen, unfamiliar with such situations, felt a bit flustered. He stammered a few words of comfort and only relaxed when he saw her emotions stabilize slightly.
His sister-in-law was truly kind-hearted. She didn’t even know what was in the bags, yet she was moved to tears. She was nothing like those materialistic women.
After a moment of reflection, he untied the straps of his backpack and rummaged through it. From an inner pocket, he pulled out a bankbook. “Sister-in-law, this is the dowry money my parents saved for my brother. They asked me to give it to you.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s breath hitched as she looked at the bankbook now in her hands. She desperately wanted to open it and see how much was inside, but she restrained herself, pretending to hesitate. “This… this doesn’t seem right.”
“It’s fine. My mom insisted I hand it to you personally. Don’t let my brother know. This is your private savings,” Zhou Yingchen said nonchalantly, even a little defiantly.
What an incredible mother-in-law!
While Zhou Yingchen was busy searching through his bag again, Cheng Fangqiu quickly peeked inside the bankbook. She didn’t dare look too closely, but she caught sight of several digits.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands…
Cheng Fangqiu felt her heart racing. She needed emergency help! In this day and age, what did this amount mean? It meant financial freedom. She could now strut through the department store without a care!
Her mind flashed back to the day they bought furniture, when she had been worried about the cost, and Zhou Yinghuai had said he’d make it up to her in a couple of days. This wasn’t just making it up—this was an explosion of wealth!
Before she could fully process her emotions, Zhou Yingchen handed her a delicate little box.
At his prompting, Cheng Fangqiu opened it and her eyes immediately lit up. Inside was an elegant ladies’ watch, the most popular brand in the country. Its simple yet sophisticated design seemed tailor-made for her tastes.
It was as if the universe had read her mind. Not long ago, she had discussed with Zhou Yinghuai about wanting to buy a watch, and now her mother-in-law had sent her one—a stylish model that wasn’t even available in Rongzhou!