Chapter 13: Going to the City for a Blind Date

“Sister, your cousin is here. Won’t you go out and see her?”

“No, and you’re not allowed to go either.”

“Oh!”

Ruan Xiaohai looked at his sister’s cold face, momentarily at a loss.

Usually, the two sisters got along very well. What happened? Did they have a fight?

Girls’ minds are so hard to understand. He squatted by the stove, adding more firewood.

Ruan Xiaotang had just lain down on the kang (heated bed).

Their mother, Liu Guifang, cheerfully came in, holding a dress in her hands like a treasure. With a joyful tone, she said, “Mom borrowed this for you. Wear it for tomorrow’s blind date. With your face and figure, my daughter, you’ll definitely succeed.”

Ruan Xiaotang didn’t even lift her eyelids. She considered it dirty, let alone wearing it; it was an insult to her dignity.

She completely ignored her mother’s words.

Noticing her daughter’s inattentiveness,

Liu Guifang sat on the edge of the kang and poked her thigh with her elbow.

She reminded her, “Did you hear what I said?”

Ruan Xiaotang was clearly impatient, but out of respect for her mother’s well-intentioned kindness, she couldn’t directly refuse. She forced down her disgust and perfunctorily replied, “I know, put it there.”

Liu Guifang carefully folded the dress and placed it neatly on the edge of the kang.

Satisfied, she went out.

If tomorrow’s blind date was successful, her daughter would be the first girl in the village to marry into the city. A life of luxury would await.

Their family would finally be able to hold their heads high in the village.

The door had just creaked shut.

Ruan Xiaotang kicked the dress to the floor.

Don’t act superior in front of her.

She, Ruan Xiaotang, had plenty of dresses.

If she remembered correctly, this dress was Ruan Xiaomei’s most cherished possession, yet she readily lent it to her.

This didn’t mean she was kind-hearted or virtuous.

She was here to see her make a fool of herself.

To see Ruan Xiaotang publicly rejected in a blind date.

If tomorrow’s blind date failed, it would be exactly what she wanted.

If tomorrow’s blind date succeeded, she would undoubtedly resort to any means necessary, spreading more unpleasant rumors to slander her.

A woman’s reputation was very important in this era. No man could tolerate his wife having such a bad reputation, constantly being gossiped about.

No matter how things turned out, it seemed Ruan Xiaomei would always be the winner.

But, things are unpredictable.

Whose head the joke would land on in the future was still uncertain!

A confident smile played on Ruan Xiaotang’s lips.

“Sister, it’s time to eat.”

Ruan Xiaohai’s loud call came from outside.

His voice was full of impatience.

“Coming.”

………………………

The family of three sat on the kang.

A rectangular wooden kang table was placed horizontally in the middle of the kang.

Mother Liu Guifang sat in the middle.

Ruan Xiaotang and Ruan Xiaohai sat on either side of her.

Ruan Xiaohai’s eager eyes were fixed on his mother, Liu Guifang.

The sound of him swallowing saliva grew louder and louder.

He was incredibly anticipating the signal to eat.

His hands under the table were practically tangled into knots.

“Let’s eat.”

Before the words had even left her mouth,

Ruan Xiaohai, like a starving ghost, picked up a rabbit leg with his bare hands and devoured it voraciously.

Ruan Xiaotang watched this scene, feeling a dull ache in her heart.

An indescribable discomfort.

Look how hungry the child is.

She picked up another rabbit leg with her chopsticks and put it in her mother’s bowl.

“Mom, try your daughter’s cooking.”

“I don’t like rabbit legs. You young people consume a lot of energy; you’re growing. You eat it. This piece is fine for me.”

“That piece has no meat. Eat this one, listen to me. This meat will be a regular on our dinner table in the future.”

Ruan Xiaotang forcefully stopped her mother’s chopsticks from reaching for it.

She picked up another piece, a meaty part, and dropped it into Ruan Xiaohai’s white porcelain bowl.

Seeing that she couldn’t win, Liu Guifang picked up her bowl and chopsticks and ate with relish.

Ruan Xiaotang smiled contentedly.

But a wave of sadness still washed over her.

Her peripheral vision swept over the mother and son. One piece of rabbit meat was enough to satisfy them, like winning 5 million yuan in a lottery.

Their family was struggling.

“Sister, eat quickly. Rabbit meat tastes best when it’s hot. It won’t taste good once it’s cold.”

“You’re always talking with your mouth full.”

Ruan Xiaotang raised her arm and gave him a friendly pat on the head.

The simpleton opposite her covered his head, smiling blankly at her, then continued stuffing meat into his mouth.

“Eat, you two, just be quiet.”

…………………………………

“Third Uncle, I entrust Xiaotang to you. You must get her to her destination safely, watch her go in, and then come back.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve watched Xiaotang grow up since she was little, and I’ve always treated her like my own granddaughter. I want her to be happy more than anyone.”

“Thank you, Third Uncle. I won’t forget this kindness.”

Liu Guifang, facing the rising sun, watched her daughter get on the ox cart to the city for her blind date.

She watched until she could no longer see even a blurry figure, then anxiously lowered her raised feet.

“Mom, my sister is so beautiful and capable. She’ll definitely find a great husband for me. If he’s a soldier, even better. Our family will have a protector then. See who dares to bully us.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Liu Guifang glanced cautiously around, lowered her voice, took his hand, and pulled him towards home.

It’s not even certain yet, and he’s already boasting.

This son of hers, always showing off.

A spendthrift who never learns.

Why doesn’t he ever learn his lesson!

……………………………

As soon as Ruan Xiaotang arrived in the city, she found a suitable excuse to persuade her Third Grandfather, who had accompanied her,

to let her go on her own.

She chose a quiet alley.

Entered her space.

Selected a dress that fit the time period.

Standing in front of the mirror, she fiddled with her thick, dark braids. The light blue dress made her skin appear even more white and flawless.

Her 165cm tall and slender figure, oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a pair of bright, intelligent eyes under her high nose, and a bright red cherry mouth.

Every smile and frown was endearing.

This young woman, pure and lovely, possessed the clean and transparent beauty unique to this era of low materialism.

Ruan Xiaotang stepped out of her space.

Following the address left by the matchmaker, she found the final blind date location.

As she walked, she muttered the contents of the note.

“Zhou Xingze, male, Han nationality, 28 years old, works as a regiment leader at XXXXX.”

…………………………

“Comrade, would you like something to drink?”