Chapter 14: Changing People

The first time Lin Qiao met Xu Li, she felt Xu Li was much younger than she had imagined, and she wasn’t wrong.

Xu Li was nearly ten years younger than Old Mr. Ji. She became his second wife after his first wife passed away, thanks to a match made by their leaders.

At that time, Old Mr. Ji had already reached a certain rank and was recuperating from an injury. Xu Li was a local middle school teacher who had helped care for him when there weren’t enough medical staff, and they developed a bond.

Back then, Old Mr. Ji’s wife had been deceased for several years, and with Ji Jun and his elderly mother needing care, he expressed his interest directly. Their leader helped make the connection, and Xu Li didn’t object, so the marriage was arranged.

After Old Mr. Ji recovered from his injuries and returned to the front lines, Xu Li stayed behind to take care of the family. It was during this time that Ji Jun almost had an accident. Due to the dangerous situation, Xu Li couldn’t have children for a long time and only managed to conceive Ji Duo in her thirties.

Ji Jun felt deeply guilty about this and always treated Xu Li with great respect, both in public and private. To those unaware, it was impossible to tell he wasn’t her biological son. He treated his younger brother, Ji Duo, who was over ten years younger, even better than his own son, which often irked Ye Minshu.

Seeing Ji Jun about to hit her for Xu Li’s sake, Ye Minshu covered her face and threw herself into his arms. “Go ahead, hit me! Have you forgotten what you said when you pursued me at the art troupe?”

Ye Minshu, a former dancer, maintained her slender figure even after moving into management. Though her push wasn’t strong, her tears doused Ji Jun’s peak anger like a bucket of cold water, making it impossible for him to strike.

Who hasn’t experienced passionate youth? Ye Minshu was someone he pursued daily at the art troupe, marrying her despite family pressure.

At the time, Old Mr. Ji disapproved, thinking Ye Minshu was too ambitious and wanted Xu Li to find a teacher for him at school.

After over twenty years of marriage, Ye Minshu knew exactly how to handle her husband. She cried, “I know, Dad never liked me, thinking we from the art troupe were like old society actors. I’ve been a burden to you, unable to help all these years. I wanted to find a good match for Xiao Ze to avoid him following our path.”

Her words made it even harder for Ji Jun to hit her. He sighed and sat heavily back on the sofa.

Knowing he needed to be soothed, Ye Minshu sat beside him and admitted her fault. “I was wrong, but I never intended to push her to the second son. I just thought that if rumors spread about her and the second son, she could never marry Xiao Ze. This was all my doing, not yours. When Dad calms down, I’ll apologize to him.”

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“With these rumors, the engagement between Qiao Qiao and Xiao Ze is likely off.” Old Mr. Ji, who had been silent since his son and daughter-in-law left, finally spoke.

If Ji Ze really marries Lin Qiao, will it be said that the nephew stole from the uncle, or the uncle stole from the nephew?

Ye Minshu’s move, though not clever, was effective. Even if Old Mr. Ji was furious, he couldn’t do anything about the marriage.

Old Mr. Ji picked up his teacup, intending to take a sip, but found the tea had long gone cold. He put it back on the table. “I always said she was too scheming, and the eldest couldn’t handle her, but he wouldn’t listen. She’s had him wrapped around her finger all these years.”

Unlike Ji Duo, Ji Jun was gentle by nature, or, to put it bluntly, easily influenced.

Old Mr. Ji didn’t mind his son marrying a strong woman, but she needed to be broad-minded and knowledgeable, aligned with their family’s interests. “I see the eldest daughter-in-law’s ambitions have grown. She knows the eldest can’t control her, and now she’s even scheming against the second son.” His words hung in the air, unanswered.

Old Mr. Ji couldn’t help but look at Xu Li.

Xu Li remained silent, picking up his teacup and brewing a more soothing cup of kuding tea for him. She was clearly angry.

And rightly so. She only had Ji Duo, who had done nothing wrong and had helped clean up many messes for the eldest’s family. Yet, they were ungrateful and pushed the blame onto him. Even the most patient person would be angry.

Old Mr. Ji wanted to soften his words, but his stubborn nature made it harder than taking a knife to his side.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on this. Old Mr. Ji pondered, “Do you think Qiao Qiao knows her engagement is with Xiao Ze?”

After years of marriage, Xu Li could read his intentions. She looked up in surprise. “You mean…”

“Whether she knows or not, she can only be with the second son. Otherwise, with these rumors, if the marriage falls through, Qiao Qiao, living in our house and once engaged to our family, will have to avoid us. She’s unfamiliar with Yandu. Where can she go? This isn’t repaying a favor; it’s revenge.”

Old Mr. Ji sighed, got up, and retrieved the contract Ji Duo had returned. “Their names are similar enough; no need to change anything.” His tone turned sarcastic. “If it weren’t for the fact that there was no such thing as a childhood betrothal back then, I’d suspect the eldest daughter-in-law named Xiao Ze this way, knowing this day would come.”

Typically, the father’s generation had two-character names, and the children’s generation had three-character names. Ji Ze’s name was too similar to Ji Duo’s.

Xu Li was still processing his idea and said nothing.

Old Mr. Ji looked at her, his tone cautious. “You don’t mind that Qiao Qiao is from the countryside, do you?”

“Like you weren’t from the countryside yourself.” Xu Li rolled her eyes, exhaling. “Qiao Qiao is a good person, not poorly educated. I have no complaints. I’m just worried the second son won’t agree, and Qiao Qiao might not know who she’s engaged to. After all, both kids were young then, and we didn’t specify in the letters. But what if she does? There’s also the generational gap between her and the second son.”

“Generational differences aren’t really an issue since our families aren’t truly related. The second son…”

But that was indeed a problem. Ji Duo was notoriously stubborn, never showing interest in any match introduced to him, almost as if he intended to remain single forever.

Old Mr. Ji rubbed his temples in frustration. “I’ll talk to the second son myself when he gets back.”

Just as he mentioned Ji Duo, the courtyard gate opened, and Ji Duo walked in briskly. “Is the discharge all sorted?”

He had some matters to attend to today and couldn’t pick them up. Old Mr. Ji didn’t think this minor illness was a big deal and didn’t bother him, but he still came back.

Old Mr. Ji couldn’t help but take a closer look at his son.

Ye Minshu was a beautiful woman, once a top beauty in the art troupe, which was why Ji Jun was so smitten with her. Ji Ze inherited her good looks, but to Old Mr. Ji, he lacked a bit of masculine vigor.

On the other hand, Ji Duo was exactly what Old Mr. Ji liked—tall, handsome, and exuding the decisive demeanor of a soldier.

Since they didn’t appreciate Qiao Qiao, they didn’t need to marry her.

Old Mr. Ji snorted inwardly and began assigning tasks to his son. “I have something for you to do. Go to the nearby high school and bring Qiao Qiao back.”

“Isn’t Aunt Zhang at home?” This time, Ji Duo didn’t immediately agree.

“I told you to go, and you’re unwilling?” Old Mr. Ji glared at him. “Aunt Zhang has to cook. She doesn’t have that much time.”

It wasn’t that Ji Duo was unwilling to go; he had been avoiding too much contact with Lin Qiao these past few days.

Lin Qiao was, after all, Xiao Ze’s fiancée. Previously, he had no choice but to accompany her back to her hometown, and he hadn’t taken good care of her, resulting in her getting sick. Now, it was different. Although the incident that night was an accident, he needed to be cautious to avoid suspicion. But since Old Mr. Ji had just been discharged, finding someone wasn’t a big deal, so he went.

It wasn’t far, so Ji Duo didn’t call Xiao Fang and walked over himself. After circling around, he couldn’t find her.

The high school hadn’t dismissed yet, and the gate was closed, with only the sound of a transistor radio coming from the guardhouse. He walked over and knocked on the window. “Have you seen a girl about 165 cm tall with an oval face, phoenix eyes, and a mole at the corner of her eye?”

He described her in detail, his expression serious. The guard thought he was on a mission to catch someone and quickly nodded. “Yes, I saw her. She was here earlier, asking if the school was hiring substitute teachers, what qualifications were needed, and if a local household registration was required. After that, she went to the nearby recycling station. Do you need me to take you there?”

“No need, just tell me how to get there.” Ji Duo declined the guard’s offer, who seemed a bit disappointed. “Follow this road, turn north at the second intersection.”

The so-called recycling station was actually a converted residence, with the yard filled with various recyclables. When Ji Duo arrived, Lin Qiao was haggling with the owner. “Can you make it cheaper? You bought it for just a few cents per pound, why are you selling it to me so expensive?”

“You know I bought it, right?” The owner was clearly speechless. “I’ve never seen anyone come to a recycling station to buy books.”

“That’s because I wasn’t here. If I had been, you would have seen me already.” At Lin Qiao’s feet was a pile of books, all high school textbooks she had picked out from a heap of recyclables.

Ji Duo watched as she haggled with the owner, finally securing them for a dime each. He tied them into two tall stacks with string and walked over to help carry one. “If you needed books, why didn’t you tell the family?”

Lin Qiao was surprised to see him there. “I was just out for a walk and happened to find them.” She had been thinking a lot these past few days and decided to find a relatively easy job while studying for another attempt at the college entrance exam.

In the 1980s, education could still change one’s fate. Having a college degree offered more opportunities than just a high school diploma. Although she had the original owner’s memories, the knowledge was fuzzy, and she had forgotten much of her own high school education. She needed to relearn it.

As for why she didn’t mention it…

With Old Mr. Ji in the hospital and Xu Li spending most of her time there, and Ji Duo being out early and back late, Lin Qiao didn’t want to bother them. She didn’t want to trouble them. New textbooks cost several yuan per set, which she couldn’t afford for four semesters. But old textbooks were no problem. In this era, people were frugal and didn’t tear up their books after graduation, so she found them easily.

Lin Qiao smiled and changed the subject. “I was so busy picking books that I lost track of time. Has Grandpa Ji been discharged?”

“Yes, he asked me to find you.”

“Then we should hurry back. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”

They returned to the Ji residence together. Lin Qiao pointed to the back yard. “I’ll put these away and wash my hands, then I’ll come over.”

Ji Duo didn’t say anything, helping her carry the books to her room and leaving them at the door.

Lin Qiao washed her hands and was about to head to the front yard when Xu Li came over and glanced at Ji Duo. “Your father wants to see you.”

Both Lin Qiao and Ji Duo sensed something unusual.

Xu Li didn’t leave but closed the door and sat opposite Lin Qiao. She seemed unsure how to start, staring at Lin Qiao for a while without finding the right words. Lin Qiao didn’t rush her, pouring her a cup of water.

This calmness and composure made Xu Li feel her age had been lived in vain.

Xu Li sighed softly, looking into Lin Qiao’s eyes. “You’ve been here for a few days. What do you think of our second son?”