“Mom, I want some candy!”
Cheng Xuejun saw nothing else—only those two packages of food. He was clever enough to know that malted milk and canned goods wouldn’t be given to him so easily, so he made a relatively simple request instead.
Ding Ximei had still been immersed in the grand gesture of Zhou Yinghuai, but Cheng Xuejun’s words completely shattered her composure. She couldn’t help but hold her forehead and say, “Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating. Do you think your father and I don’t crave good food? How did we end up having a child like you?”
Cheng Fangqiu laughed along as well. “Give him a piece.”
“Fine, eat.” Ding Ximei, seeing that Cheng Fangqiu had spoken up, shot Cheng Xuejun a glare and handed him a small piece of malt candy before also passing one to Cheng Fangqiu.
The moment Cheng Xuejun put the malt candy into his mouth, the sweet flavor spread through his taste buds, filling him with so much happiness that he was nearly moved to tears. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Comrade Zhou, can you come over for dinner every day?”
In his eyes, Zhou Yinghuai was practically a bringer of fortune.
Whenever he came over, there was not only meat and eggs but also all sorts of rare treats he normally never got to eat.
Oh right, he still remembered that last time, Comrade Zhou had given his sister a lot of chocolate, and he had benefited quite a bit from it.
He was practically in love with Comrade Zhou at this point.
“You sure have some nerve to dream so big, kid.” Cheng Fangqiu chuckled, poking his forehead with her index finger.
Cheng Xuejun clutched his head, grinning from ear to ear. After finishing his candy, his attention finally landed on the delicate little box. “Is this food too?”
Ding Ximei was completely exasperated by him. It seemed that in his eyes, there was no other possibility besides food. But what could she do? He was her child, after all—she could only spoil him.
“It probably isn’t,” Ding Ximei answered his question before turning to Cheng Fangqiu. “This should be what Comrade Zhou bought for you, right?”
Cheng Fangqiu nodded while opening the box under the dim glow of the kerosene lamp. Inside, there weren’t many items—just some scattered little trinkets, all things girls could use, such as hair clips and hair ties…
There was even a jar of Snowflake Cream and a tin of clam oil.
At the very bottom lay a book—it was the one Zhou Yinghuai had bought at the bookstore today. She had wondered why he would buy another copy of a book he had already read. It turned out he had bought it for her.
Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile, genuine joy spreading across her face.
“Why did Comrade Zhou buy something just for my sister?” Cheng Xuejun might be a foodie, but he was certainly not slow-witted. He immediately grasped the key point.
His words broke Cheng Fangqiu out of her thoughts. She slightly restrained her smile and lifted her chin. “He’s my partner. What’s wrong with him buying me something?”
“Partner?” Cheng Xuejun’s mouth dropped open in shock. He hadn’t misheard, right? That outstanding Comrade Zhou was actually his sister’s partner?
It wasn’t that he thought his sister was unworthy, but one was someone he admired deeply, while the other was his sister, whom he spent every day with.
How had two people who seemed to have no connection whatsoever suddenly become a couple?
As someone still too young to understand the intricacies of love and romance, Cheng Xuejun merely found this world to be utterly fantastical.
At the same time, he suddenly realized that the wish he had made earlier might actually come true—Comrade Zhou might really start coming over for dinner every day.
“Mm.” Cheng Fangqiu eyed Cheng Xuejun suspiciously. What was with that expression of his?
“Stop dawdling here. Go wash up and get to bed. Xuejun, you have school tomorrow, and exams are coming up. Aren’t you worried at all?” Ding Ximei shooed the two siblings off to wash up, while she carefully moved those precious items back to her bedroom, tucking them away in the usual hidden spot where they kept money.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Except for the drunk Cheng Baokuan, everyone else woke up the next morning with dark circles under their eyes, yawning repeatedly.
“Mom, Dad, I’m off to school.”
“Dad, Mom, I’m off to the educated youth point to cook.”
The siblings quickly finished their breakfast, one after the other, leaving only Cheng Baokuan and Ding Ximei at the table.
Cheng Baokuan’s gaze occasionally swept toward Ding Ximei, a wave of guilt rising in his heart. Did he get drunk and cause a scene last night? Otherwise, why did everyone look like they hadn’t slept well?
But this morning, his wife hadn’t scolded him.
Just as he was feeling anxious, Ding Ximei, after taking two sips of corn porridge, suddenly seemed to recall something and looked up at him. The moment their eyes met, he jolted in his seat. Before he could even think about how to coax her, she dropped a bombshell.
“I almost forgot to tell you—Qiuqiu and Comrade Zhou are in a relationship.”
“Mm.” No scolding—what a relief.
But a second later, Cheng Baokuan suddenly processed her words and shot up from his chair. “Mm?!”
After a brief moment of chaos, he gradually accepted the reality and objectively commented, “Comrade Zhou is young and promising, a fair and upright man who takes his work seriously. After these past few days of interaction, I feel he’s quite a reliable young man.”
Then, his tone shifted. “But when it comes to our family’s conditions…”
“Comrade Zhou doesn’t mind, so why should we?” Ding Ximei had thought it over the whole night and come to terms with it. She had experienced both wealth and poverty, but what mattered most was a relationship built on mutual respect and affection.
“The children are grown now. As parents, we can’t control them forever. The choices, whether right or wrong, are theirs to make.”
Cheng Baokuan was momentarily stunned, then slowly smiled. “I’ll listen to my wife.”
—
The morning air was exceptionally fresh. Since she had woken up earlier than usual, Cheng Fangqiu strolled leisurely toward the educated youth point.
As she passed a particular intersection, her footsteps faltered, and her gaze instinctively shifted to the side.
Even from a distance, she could see a stretch of lush greenery.
The grove. The grove. The grove…
A faint blush crept up her ears. She quickly retracted her gaze and quickened her pace, only to be stopped a few steps later by a voice calling out to her.
“Comrade Cheng.”
She turned her head and met a pair of bright apricot eyes—it was Shen Xilian.
“Comrade Shen.”
One does not slap a smiling face, so Cheng Fangqiu returned the greeting with a polite smile and remained where she was, waiting for Shen Xilian to catch up so they could walk side by side.
Usually, Shen Xilian arrived at the educated youth point just in time for meals. Why was she up so early today?
And considering the many small paths in the village, this particular route wasn’t the most convenient for someone coming from the brigade leader’s house to the educated youth point.
Their unexpected encounter was rather intriguing.
With a faint, composed smile on her lips, Cheng Fangqiu calmly responded to Shen Xilian’s small talk—questions like “Have you eaten?” and remarks like “The weather is nice today.”
It wasn’t until they were nearly at the educated youth point that Shen Xilian could no longer hold back and finally got to the point.
“I heard you went to the county town yesterday?”
Shen Xilian wore a white blouse and black trousers, her hair braided into two neat plaits. The sunlight bathed her, making her appear fair-skinned and delicate. Her voice was as gentle and even as if she were just casually asking.
But the way she clutched the hem of her shirt betrayed her real emotions—she was far from as calm as she appeared.
Cheng Fangqiu withdrew her gaze from the scenery, her eyes landing directly on Shen Xilian’s face. Then, she smiled slightly and nodded. “I went with my cousin to buy a few things. Why?”
“Nothing.” Shen Xilian bit her lip.
Seeing that Cheng Fangqiu was about to continue walking, she hesitated for two seconds before raising her voice.
“Did you run into Brother Huai on the way back? Why did you invite him to your house for dinner?”
The young girl was still young, unable to hide things in her heart.
As soon as she asked, Shen Xilian’s little face turned red, as if she felt embarrassed and flustered. Her gaze wavered slightly, yet she still stared intently at Cheng Fangqiu, unwilling to miss a single expression on her face.
In reality, she shouldn’t have asked these questions. After all, she and Zhou Yinghuai were neither relatives nor close friends, and she wasn’t familiar with Cheng Fangqiu either. Asking such things was clearly overstepping boundaries.
And no matter how much she didn’t want to admit it, in her heart, Cheng Fangqiu was a love rival. Questioning her like this was somewhat degrading, and there was even a risk that the other party would laugh at her and look down on her.
But the more one cares about something, the easier it is to lose composure. Shen Xilian had been holding these words in her heart all night, and if she didn’t ask today, she would suffocate herself.
She had always been straightforward—rather than torturing herself over it, it was better to just ask outright and get a clear answer.
“You’re asking about Zhou Yinghuai?” Cheng Fangqiu tilted her head slightly, pretending not to understand.
“If not him, then who else?” Shen Xilian was somewhat dissatisfied with how Cheng Fangqiu directly called Zhou Yinghuai by his full name. She had known Brother Huai for so long and still only dared to address him like everyone else. How did she dare?!
“Comrade Cheng, isn’t it inappropriate for you to call Brother Huai by his name? Didn’t you always call him Comrade Zhou before?”
The smile on Cheng Fangqiu’s lips deepened. She clasped her hands behind her back and took two steps forward, closing the distance between them. Though her eyes were filled with mirth and she appeared harmless, Shen Xilian felt an inexplicable sense of fear welling up inside her and instinctively took a step back.
The moment she stepped back, she regretted it. Wouldn’t that be a sign of backing down? So, she straightened her back and stepped forward again.
Cheng Fangqiu was amused by her series of actions, her peach blossom eyes narrowing into crescent moons. Her red lips parted slightly as she casually uttered, “The past is the past, and the present is the present. No matter how I call him, he likes it.”
What did she mean by ‘the past is the past, and the present is the present’?! And wasn’t she being far too arrogant—claiming that however she called him, Brother Huai would like it?! Shameless!
Shen Xilian was so furious that she stomped her foot. For a long while, she couldn’t find the words to respond. Just as she was about to demand, what right do you have?! she saw Cheng Fangqiu’s expression cool as she cast her an indifferent glance, shrugged, and spoke leisurely.
“If you want to know why, go ask him. Don’t come questioning me early in the morning.”
At first, when Shen Xilian was still being polite, Cheng Fangqiu had been willing to entertain the conversation. But the moment she brought up Zhou Yinghuai, she took on an air of superiority, as if she were the legitimate one questioning a mistress.
That imperious attitude—did she really think she was some noble lady, expecting everyone to cater to her whims?
If she had grievances, she should go ask Zhou Yinghuai. Why come to her instead? Wasn’t it just because she usually had a good temper and was seen as an easy target? Yet now, she had hit a wall.
Serves her right.
With a cold scoff, Cheng Fangqiu ignored Shen Xilian, whose face had turned livid with anger, and turned on her heels to leave.
“Cheng Fangqiu!” Shen Xilian clenched her fists in fury at her nonchalant attitude, wanting to chase after her. But then she hesitated—this was near the educated youth point. If Zhou Yinghuai happened to see them pulling at each other, wouldn’t that ruin her image?
So, Shen Xilian stopped in her tracks.
Yesterday had been a rest day, and she had originally planned to wake up and use work as an excuse to invite Zhou Yinghuai for a stroll around the village. But when she opened her eyes, it was nearly noon. By the time she went looking for him at the educated youth point, he had already gone to the county town, so she had no choice but to return to the brigade leader’s house and wait until the afternoon to try again.
But the children at the brigade leader’s house were utterly insufferable, insisting that she play with them. Since she was staying under their roof, she couldn’t refuse outright. One thing led to another, and the entire afternoon slipped away. She had missed the perfect opportunity again.
By the time she went back to the educated youth point, he had already gone to the Cheng family’s house for dinner. She even heard from the brigade leader about what had happened at the village entrance.
The brigade leader said that Brother Huai had acted bravely for a just cause, but Shen Xilian didn’t see it that way. She had a strong feeling that he had taken action for Cheng Fangqiu’s sake.
That woman, who never showed off or drew attention, had somehow managed to captivate Brother Huai to the point where he would fight for her and go to her house for dinner.
Shen Xilian felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. Even back at the factory, none of those pretty little birds had ever made her feel threatened—but Cheng Fangqiu had.
Tossing and turning all night without getting a wink of sleep, she had been stewing in frustration. Even this morning, she still hadn’t calmed down, so she got up early and waited here just to block Cheng Fangqiu and demand some answers.
But she hadn’t expected that Cheng Fangqiu wouldn’t give her any face at all.
“She’s just some country woman—what’s so special about her? In a few days, we’ll be going back to the factory. Let’s see how she clings to Brother Huai then.”
Thinking this, Shen Xilian felt much better. A smile returned to her face as she strode toward the educated youth point.