Chapter 15

Since the beginning of November, the weather had grown colder by the day.

Taking her elder sister’s advice, Tian Mi carried the snacks she bought from the county supply and marketing cooperative, walking over an hour along a path of fallen, withered leaves and branches. Following the directions her brother-in-law had described, and after asking several people along the way, she finally found the Chen family home, which she had visited a few times eight years ago.

She had to admit, after speaking with her elder sister on the phone, she felt much more relaxed. At least her nerves weren’t as tense as they had been yesterday.

It wasn’t just because her sister had warmly welcomed her, but also because she had found her an excellent marriage prospect.

Thinking about the misunderstanding between them, Tian Mi couldn’t help but feel embarrassed once again…

Let’s rewind two hours earlier.

While listening to her elder sister sing praises about this person on the phone—praising him as if there were none like him in the world—Tian Mi couldn’t help but feel skeptical.

Was there really such a perfect person?

In reality, no!

Oh… maybe that wasn’t quite right. At least in her elder Tian Saozi Yu’s heart, this soldier named Lou Luhui wasn’t perfect.

“…So how old is Comrade Lou, exactly?” Tian Mi asked. Could it be that he’s at that mature, handsome uncle age?

When it came to personal preferences, Tian Mi still hoped for a partner whose age wasn’t too far from her own. Seven or eight years older would be the most she could handle. Any older than that… would they even have things in common?

As her mind ran through various possibilities, Tian Yu’s cheerful voice came through the phone. “He’s already 29. In just over a month, he’ll turn 30. He’s exactly nine years older than you! If he weren’t such a great catch, I wouldn’t have even brought him up.”

Tian Mi…

Tian Mi covered her face in disbelief. “Why is 29 considered old?” Just a moment ago, she’d been guessing he was over 40!

“29 is no spring chicken! He’s practically an old man. When your Jie fu was his age, our eldest was already 10. And Lou is still single, not to mention he’s nine years older than you.”

Wait… actually, he wasn’t nine years older. In her previous life, she was already 25, so strictly speaking, they were only four years apart.

But that wasn’t something she could say now. Tian Mi, feeling guilty, pinched her earlobe that was starting to heat up, sneaking a glance at the clerk knitting a sweater nearby. She then turned slightly and, suppressing her discomfort, began asking more detailed questions.

After that, she pieced together an image of a quiet, resolute, courageous, and handsome soldier from her elder sister’s glowing descriptions.

“So, what do you think? I asked around, and Regiment Commander Lou has a good impression of you. Do you want to talk to him on the phone?”

Tian Mi instinctively declined, shaking her head vigorously even though she knew her sister couldn’t see her. She shook her head like a rattle drum. “No, no, I wouldn’t know what to say. It’d be so awkward!”

Tian Yu’s voice carried a tone of exasperation. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Isn’t this how matchmaking works?”

“But… I don’t even know what he looks like.” Tian Mi squirmed in her seat, unconsciously picking at a small hole in the table in front of her, not realizing that the poor hole was getting bigger as she mumbled to herself.

She had never dated anyone. As a child, she was a bit clueless, and after starting university, she got caught up in extreme sports and various certifications, leaving no time for romance.

Now, she was being thrown straight into a relationship, and with a man whose appearance was a complete mystery to her. Was this supposed to be like chatting with an online friend?

Hmm?

Maybe treating it like chatting with an online friend wouldn’t be so bad?

“Don’t worry about what he looks like. Later, when you go to your Jie fu’s house, I’ll have my mother-in-law show you some photos from a couple of years ago. I remember there’s one with Regiment Commander Lou in it. The names are written on the back, so you’ll know who’s who. Do you want to talk to him on the phone or not? If not, I’ll hang up for now.” Even if it was a call from the army, they couldn’t keep chatting indefinitely. Besides, she still had to worry about her younger brother Chang Qing

Tian Mi thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, let’s talk for a bit.”

Special circumstances require special treatment!

Being someone who understood how to adapt to the times, and as someone exceptionally good at it, she knew that since she had decided to find a partner in this era, she had to learn to adapt to the environment.

In this day and age, some people even got married without ever having met their partner. On the bright side, at least this was a proper form of online dating.

Besides, it wasn’t like they were getting married immediately. This was just an opportunity to get to know each other. If they weren’t compatible, then so be it.

Also, by looking at things from a different perspective, she might discover new things.

For example, not knowing what he looked like meant she could objectively assess his personality through their conversation…

=

“Comrade Tian, hello, I’m Lou Luhui!” Before Tian Mi could daydream for too long, a deep, resonant voice came through the receiver.

It was a very old-fashioned introduction, but due to the rich, bass-like quality of his voice, Tian Mi found herself momentarily stunned. She pressed her lips together. “Comrade Lou, hello!”

The girl’s voice matched her appearance—it was sweet and soft, making anyone who heard it feel their heart soften instinctively.

Lou Luhui was about to smile, but then he caught sight of Chen Gang and his wife’s gossiping expressions, which made him feel slightly uneasy.

If it were just Lao Chen, he would’ve already walked away.

But with his wife there, he eventually cleared his throat, stretched his long legs, and turned his back to the pair who clearly lacked tact. Only then did he refocus on the phone call.

In truth, Lou Luhui didn’t really know what to say either. He had never dated before, but as the man in the situation, he felt he should take the initiative.

After a dozen seconds of silence between them, he spoke again. “Comrade Tian, let me introduce myself first.”

“…Alright.”

“I’ve met you before.” He didn’t want to mention his instant attraction to her, fearing it might scare her off, but he also didn’t want to hide the fact that he had seen her, so he added the sentence on a whim.

What? Shouldn’t an introduction include things like height, weight, hobbies…? No, wait. Tian Mi snapped out of her confusion and asked curiously, “You’ve seen me? When?”

How could that be possible? She hadn’t been in this world for long. Could it have been the original body?

It wasn’t just Tian Mi who was shocked—Chen Gang and Tian Yu were equally surprised.

Especially Chen Gang, who, after his initial shock, walked over to Lou, giving him a look of disdain as if he had seen right through him.

Tsk tsk tsk… This beast probably had his eye on his sister-in-law for a while now!

Lou Luhui calmly turned his back once more. “Yes, about half a month ago, when I passed by the Chaoyang River, I saw you.” He deliberately left out the details to avoid causing any unnecessary tension.

On the other end of the line, Tian Mi’s mind flashed back to the day of the market, when she had caught a glimpse of a slim figure in a green military uniform with long legs at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. For some reason, her mind connected this memory with her sister’s endless praise of Comrade Lou.

So you’re… “Male Bodhisattva^[1]The internet term ‘male bodhisattva’ refers to men who enjoy sharing their sexy bodies, fitness photos, etc. on social media platforms. This kind of man has been referred to as a male … Continue reading?”

Lou Luhui’s expression cracked. “…?”

=

Even though her brother-in-law’s house was in the county town, it was still on the outskirts.

In modern terms, it would be considered the suburbs. Of course, the good thing about the suburbs was that at least the house was quite spacious.

By the time Tian Mi finished her wandering thoughts, she was already standing at the intersection, about ten meters away from the Chen family home.

She looked around and realized that the Chen house was quite close to the seaside, only about a ten-minute walk away.

“Are you… Mi Yatou?” Just as Tian Mi was excited by the idea of having another opportunity to make money by the sea, a gentle voice sounded in her ear.

Tian Mi snapped back to reality and found a familiar-looking woman standing next to her. She smiled and hesitantly called out, “Is it Aunt Cuilan?”

“Yes! It’s me. Looks like I didn’t get it wrong. You’ve changed so much, girl, you’ve become so pretty that I almost didn’t recognize you. The last time I saw you, you were just a little girl… Come on, come in! Your Jie fu already called the village, and I’ve been out looking for you several times. Finally, you’re here…” Aunt Cuilan greeted her warmly, not giving Tian Mi a chance to speak, and directly pulled her into the house.

“Sit down, you’ve walked quite a distance, haven’t you? Rest your feet. The kids are all working at the factory, the younger ones are at school, and your uncle has gone out to deliver coal. It’s just me here. Treat this place like your own home, no need to feel reserved… it’s rare for you to visit, so keep me company, don’t be shy…” Aunt Cuilan was slender and short, with a few silver strands at her temples, but her smiling, chatty demeanor was filled with warmth and kindness, even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to radiate affection.

Moved by her attitude, Tian Mi couldn’t help but return a sweet, grateful smile. “Sorry to trouble you, Aunt.”

“Heh… what trouble? We’re family. I’m just happy you’re here!” Aunt Cuilan said as she insisted on brewing a cup of malted milk for Tian Mi, despite her protests.

Tian Mi felt embarrassed. Malted milk was a rare treat in this era, something usually reserved for the children of the family.

But since Aunt Cuilan had already made it, she couldn’t refuse any further. So she thanked her, took a few sips from the cup, and then pushed a few packages of snacks towards her. “Aunt, these are little treats I brought for the children.”

“Why spend money on this? We don’t lack anything here. Next time, don’t do that,” Aunt Cuilan said, noticing the sizable packages on the table, aware that such items were not cheap.

She had wanted to say more, but when her eyes met the girl’s delicate and pretty face, she couldn’t hold back a smile.

This girl… how did she grow up to be so beautiful, so lovable?

If there had been some formality in her initial welcome out of duty to family, now she was genuinely pleased.

She didn’t ask why the girl had come to stay at her house. Her son had told her not to inquire, so she didn’t. Whatever difficulty she was facing, family should help when they can, especially when the girl was so sweet and considerate.

They chatted for a while about Tian Yu, whom they both knew, before Tian Mi mentioned she had some things to take care of and would come back in the evening.

Aunt Cuilan didn’t ask what she needed to do, only said, “Have you had lunch? Is the place far? Do you need to take a bike?”

Tian Mi had already eaten. “I had lunch, and the place isn’t far, I can walk.”

“Alright, come back early tonight, it gets dark quickly these days.”

“Okay, I’ll remember.”

“…”

=

The weather was beautiful today, which greatly facilitated Tian Mi’s money-making plan.

Since she had already traded twice before, this time, before heading out to sea, she borrowed a fishing net from Aunt Wang Li.

It was her third time going out to sea, so Tian Mi was already quite familiar with the process. With the help of the right tools, she had quite a fruitful haul today.

Her goal was clear—she wasn’t after small fish, only large yellow croakers or crabs, the bigger the better.

Of course, to avoid suspicion, she also took the miscellaneous fish that came up in the net and brought them back to sell.

Even the smallest profits added up. Earning money was no easy task.

By the time Tian Mi hauled up her last net of fish, it was already past 4 PM.

“Here’s today’s money. Will you come back tomorrow?” Uncle San handed the girl the money he had calculated, his smile honest and simple as he asked.

In the past two days, thanks to this girl, he and his wife had made an extra thirty yuan—about as much as they’d earn in ten days before. He couldn’t figure out how she managed to catch such good fish, and each time, the haul was better than the last. His wife liked to say that some people are just born for this kind of work, and it’s something others can only envy.

Tian Mi counted the 52.4 yuan she earned today, feeling quite pleased with herself. It had been well worth the four hours she spent soaking in the sea.

Now, after subtracting expenses, she had saved up 120 yuan. She had to keep pushing forward. Nodding her head, she smiled and replied, “I’ll be back tomorrow. As long as it doesn’t rain, I’ll come.”

“There won’t be any rain tomorrow,” said Wang Li, who had been fishing for decades and could predict the next day’s weather from experience.

After organizing the fish, Wang Li pointed at the large crabs by the girl’s feet. “Aren’t you selling those?”

Tian Mi shook her head, bent down, and picked up the crabs, putting them into a burlap sack. “I’m taking these back for my family to try. Can’t just eat and drink from them for free.”

“They should try them. This is the season when the crabs are the most plump. Even if you just steam them, the taste is so good it’ll melt in your mouth.” Thinking about the flavor, Wang Li, despite her age, couldn’t help but swallow. She decided she’d steam a batch at home tonight too—though she’d sell the largest ones for some profit.

=

Wang Li’s prediction was spot on.

That evening, when Aunt Cuilan brought out a large platter of steamed crabs, everyone at the table was so engrossed in eating that they barely lifted their heads.

The Chen family had four rooms, and Aunt Cuilan had arranged a separate room for Tian Mi. After she finished setting up the bed and took off her coat, preparing to climb in, Aunt Cuilan came over with a few photos in hand.

“I almost forgot! Gangzi asked me to show you these photos he sent back a couple of years ago.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi’s hand on the doorframe instinctively tightened. She took the photos with her other hand, smiling calmly. “Thank you, Aunt. Is it okay if I return these to you tomorrow?”

“Of course, no rush. Is your quilt warm enough? Do you need an extra army coat?”

“It’s not cold. The quilt is warm enough.”

“Alright then. If you need anything, just let me know… You should get some rest.”

“I will, I’m going to sleep now.”

“…”

=

The room was lit by a kerosene lamp. Tian Mi, holding the photos, sat back on the bed, leaning slightly against the bedpost. She flipped through the pictures in the faint light.

It was easy to tell. By the third picture, she saw a man standing in the back row—tall and striking, standing out from everyone else in both height and looks. Tian Mi was suddenly certain: this man must be the “old man” her older sister had mentioned…

And as expected, on the back of the photo were three flamboyant characters:

Lou Luhui.

The man was tall, and even though he stood in the back, with most of his body blocked by those in front of him, it was clear that he had a long, straight frame and a proud posture.

Paired with his handsome face, he was indeed a living… male bodhisattva.

Tian Mi’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. She hadn’t been wrong after all.

Thinking back to the phone call she had abruptly hung up on after blurting out the wrong words, she smiled even more, placing the photo under her pillow before blowing out the lamp and lying down straight on her bed.

In the darkness, Tian Mi wasn’t the least bit sleepy…