Is that jerk trying to show off?

Is he secretly warning her that he can sabotage her and prevent her from getting into college?

Ugh!

Cheng Rushan noticed her expression darkening, clearly angry rather than embarrassed or uncomfortable at being discovered.

He felt relieved.

He took her hand and said, “Don’t be angry.”

Jiang Lin thought for a moment.

It wasn’t appropriate to discuss this in front of elders and children, so she held his hand and said, “Come.”

Cheng Rushan picked up the oil lamp from the wall and followed her to the east room, closing the door and placing the lamp in its holder.

Jiang Lin took out a letter from Bian Haitao that he had sent her some time ago and placed it on the bed. “Take a look.”

Cheng Rushan didn’t look at the letter but focused on her face. “Is there something special about it?”

Jiang Lin thought for a moment. “Is reminiscing considered special?” It was a bit ambiguous, but she could explain.

Cheng Rushan lowered his eyelashes. “Can I… not look at it?”

Jiang Lin actually saw his eyes narrow slightly, a look she hadn’t seen before.

His gaze could be sharp, determined, and gentle, but never this vulnerable.

She couldn’t help but hug him tightly, pressing her cheek to his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Cheng Rushan hugged her back. “You haven’t done anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize.”

He had overestimated himself.

Originally, he didn’t mind her past.

But over time, as he appreciated her more, he couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

She had once been this close to someone else, hugging them tightly and saying affectionate words…

He tried not to think about it because it caused a lingering, uncomfortable feeling mixed with sharp pain.

He knew she was different from people like Bian Haitao, Qian Bo, or Lu Hang.

She had had relationships before, and she really liked those people.

Cheng Rushan always kept his feelings in check, never showing his inner turmoil.

Jiang Lin decided it was time for a deep conversation with him, to clarify everything about Bian Haitao.

She didn’t want him to be left guessing and hurting because of misunderstandings, affecting their relationship.

She couldn’t bear to see him in pain.

Although the original Jiang Lin had shared a deep connection with Bian Haitao, they never took that final step.

But to Jiang Lin, that detail didn’t matter. She wouldn’t bring it up.

What she planned to say was that she had indeed been serious about Bian Haitao, with the intention of marriage.

Unfortunately, when they were sent to the countryside, Bian Haitao chose to marry and join the army.

At that time, she was heartbroken and even considered marrying anyone just to escape the hard labor.

In her distress, she had used Cheng Rushan.

Although these actions were those of the original Jiang Lin, she had lived in her body and felt responsible for them.

She turned her gaze to his jawline, speaking softly, “Cheng Rushan, I’m sorry. I owe you an explanation and an apology.”

Cheng Rushan looked down at her.

Did he need an apology?

He didn’t think so. Back then, knowing she disliked him, he hadn’t invested any feelings in her.

But later, when they met again in the county and he was moved by her waiting for him, he began to understand her more deeply.

Since then, she had become a vivid presence in his heart, her every expression and emotion pulling at his heartstrings.

Cheng Rushan lifted her chin, making her look into his eyes.

Choosing his words carefully, he asked, “Linyin, are you fully committed to us now?”

The room was somewhat dark, the kerosene lamp not bright enough to light up the whole space.

His eyes, nearly hidden in the shadows, were gentle and comforting.

She answered, “Of course.”

Cheng Rushan smiled, lowering his head to kiss her. “That’s all that matters.”

Of course, it’s inevitable for him to feel jealous.

Even though he never understood jealousy before, being with her made him experience it.

Seeing her smile so sweetly at others made him a bit envious.

But what could he do?

He couldn’t bear to restrict her in any way and only wanted her to be happy.

Jiang Lin hugged his slim waist tightly and murmured, “It’s different. I treat you differently from how I treated anyone else in the past…”

She wasn’t intentionally denying her past but was following her heart.

Cheng Rushan was the best she had ever met, and she wanted to cherish him.

Cheng Rushan, with his keen hearing, caught her murmur and looked at her with surprise, lifting her chin to gaze into her clear eyes. “Wife, is what you said true?”

Jiang Lin blushed under his gaze. “What did I say? I didn’t say anything.”

Cheng Rushan felt delighted inside. “So, can I understand that you think I’m the best?”

Although she hadn’t wanted to marry him at first, did she now see his worth and gradually come to like him after their reunion?

Jiang Lin teased, “Hey, don’t be so vain. Don’t get too proud!”

Cheng Rushan picked her up. “I’m not being proud. I’ll work hard to be better than yesterday, so you have a better man every day.”

Jiang Lin felt a warm feeling in her heart and leaned in to kiss him.

After a moment, she said, “I haven’t been in touch with him since we got married. Now he suddenly writes to me, and he must have bad intentions. He even tampered with my acceptance letter. Is this a threat? Is he showing off that he can prevent me from going to college?”

Cheng Rushan was taken aback.

She saw it as a threat?

He had thought she might think Bian Haitao wanted to rekindle their old flame.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this,” Cheng Rushan reassured her, without any hesitation.

Jiang Lin nodded. “Alright, Comrade Cheng Rushan, let the men handle the men’s issues. I fully authorize you to take care of it.”

After discussing Bian Haitao’s issue, Jiang Lin felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

Cheng Rushan understood her feelings and knew she had moved on from her past and was happier with their present life.

He felt a joy he couldn’t fully express and wasn’t sure how to show her how much he cared.

Jiang Lin noticed Cheng Rushan’s calm demeanor but saw the unprecedented joy in his eyes.

She leaned in, wrapping her arms around his neck, and whispered, “Cheng Rushan, I have a secret to tell you.”

Cheng Rushan remained still, focusing intently, “I’m listening.”

Jiang Lin’s soft voice continued, “When we got married, I didn’t like you, and I didn’t even really see you. But as I got to know you, I grew to like you more and more. Now, I want to tell you for sure that you’re the only one in my heart. There’s no one else… mmm…”

Before she could finish, he kissed her, silencing her words.

For this couple, that night was profoundly significant, and their deep connection was evident throughout the night.

As the end of the year approached, the young intellectuals like Sun Qinghui, Wang Xiao, Liang Fang, and Tao Hongxing came to say their goodbyes to Jiang Lin.

Those who had been accepted to universities would return to the city and report to school the following year, while those who hadn’t passed would return home for the New Year and come back in February.

Jiang Lin made plans to reunite with them in the provincial capital.

During the New Year, Cheng Yunzhi recorded Jiang Lin’s university acceptance in the family annals.

The village was thrilled, too.

They invited a local opera troupe to perform from the first day of the New Year until the fifth, drawing crowds from neighboring villages.

Cheng Yulian led a group of elderly women in traditional folk dances, while young men like Shang Zonghui organized stilt-walking performances.

This year’s New Year celebrations were the happiest and most festive they had ever been.

Both the elderly and the children were joyful.

The adults were particularly pleased because the brick kiln and embroidery workshop were profitable, and most families in Yanghong Brigade had members working.

They earned money, which made this year’s supply of meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables more abundant than in previous years.

They also had money to buy cloth tickets, industrial coupons, kerosene tickets, and could save up to renovate their homes. Life was looking up!

These changes were due to Factory Manager Jiang Lin’s efforts, and everyone was happy for her.

So many people came to Jiang Lin’s home to wish her a Happy New Year that day.

If not for Cheng Rushan’s concern that they might tire his wife, he would have let them continue visiting throughout the whole month.

On the fifth day of the New Year, Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi took Wen Sheng, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao out to socialize and enjoy the opera.

Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan found more enjoyment in each other’s company than in watching the opera.

They preferred to sneak away from the crowd, wandering around and whispering to each other, completely absorbed in their own world, feeling as if they were inseparable.

By noon, they returned home to prepare lunch together.

In the first few days of the Lunar New Year, they mostly ate ready-made food.

Before the New Year, they had stocked up on some big buns, bean buns, radish and lentil buns, small date buns, and fish noodles.

Now they just needed to heat them up.

Despite the cold weather, there were several cold dishes—chicken jelly, pig skin jelly, and braised meat—along with a dish of spinach mixed with sesame paste and garlic.

The spinach was blanched in hot water, then mixed with a bit of sesame paste, garlic, and fine salt.

It was refreshing and very tasty.

After the two of them finished preparing the food, the sun was already high, but the people who were supposed to watch the show hadn’t returned yet.

Jiang Lin said, “I’ll go call them.”

They didn’t raise pigs anymore, which saved a lot of work. Now, they only had to cook and do laundry.

Even though they had a day off, people should still come back for meal times.

Jiang Lin found that everyone had scattered, and the opera troupe was having a meal at the team’s place.

They were providing them with food and lodging and paying them five yuan a day, which wasn’t cheap.

In the past, Shuihuai Village never hired such troupes, but now with tractors, brick kilns, and embroidery workshops, the team was making money.

Plus, they had a student going to college this year, so Cheng Fujun and Cheng Falian decided to be generous.

Jiang Lin looked around and saw her old and young family members discussing things excitedly with the actors.

Yan Runzhi and Wen Sheng were discussing singing styles with some of the opera actors, talking about different styles like Peking opera, and learning how to sing them.

Cheng Yunzhi was talking with the troupe leader, pointing out errors in the script and offering to correct them.

Dabao and Xiaobao were begging the actors to paint their faces and dress them in opera costumes.

They were carrying swords and sticks, playfully mimicking their favorite characters.

Jiang Lin called out, “Dabao, Xiaobao.”

The two children immediately turned to her, making Jiang Lin almost step back in surprise.

One child was painted as Guan Gong, and the other had half his face painted as Cao Cao and the other half as Bao Gong.

Oh my goodness!

Now that their family was doing well, Xiaobao had grown as tall as Dabao, making it hard for Jiang Lin to tell them apart.

The kids were excited and jumped over, striking the same pose with their hands on their hips, challenging Jiang Lin to identify who was who.

Jiang Lin looked at them and really couldn’t tell.

If she couldn’t figure it out, neither could anyone else.