Chapter 34

Lin Xixi stared at herself in the mirror, feeling as if she were in a dream.

This was the appearance she should have had in her youth, matching the treatment she deserved. She regretted being so blind back then, choosing an educated youth.

She suddenly realized that she had been foolish. She didn’t know how to dress up. In fact, she didn’t have the conditions. When she came from home to her uncle’s place, even such a long journey only earned her three yuan for travel expenses from her mother.

This was because she promised, “If I marry well and have a good family in the future, I’ll take care of you.”

This wasn’t enough to buy such a skirt.

Working at her uncle’s house, she knew there was no money. She understood that from her uncle and aunt’s perspective, they felt they provided her with food, a place to stay, and that there was “no need for money.”

Yes, she completely understood this way of thinking. However, it left her with no conditions to even dress up.

This has to be shown to Yan Lei!

Lin Xixi immediately had this thought.

In the evening, as it was Saturday, many units finished work earlier than usual.

The jeep arrived at the intersection earlier than usual.

Several people got out of the car and saw a beautiful girl at the intersection. A young and beautiful girl with flawless skin—everyone couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Yan Lei also gave her an extra look.

Lin Xixi obviously enjoyed this kind of attention. She walked forward with a smile, calling him, “Captain Yan, where’s my uncle?”

Yan Lei replied, “He’s in the car behind.”

After saying that, he hurried away without giving her another glance. The glance he gave earlier was just to identify the skirt—it was the one Qiao Wei had given to Sister Yang.

Lin Xixi couldn’t fathom what had so captivated him at home. She felt frustrated.

Captain Ma, being older, placed both hands on his belly and praised with a smile, “Xiao Lin, you look beautiful today.”

The others also chuckled.

They all knew that something was arranged at Old Zhao’s house today. They heard that they were going to meet the beautiful niece of Old Zhao, and the single guys in the camp were fighting fiercely for those spots.

Even the leaders strongly supported this, dispatching a car for them.

They told Lin Xixi, “Their car is behind; don’t worry.”

Everyone thought that Lin Xixi had specifically dressed up to show off in front of the single guys.

Lin Xixi actually just wanted to show Yan Lei her dressed-up appearance and didn’t care about others. However, her uncle’s comrades said so, and she could only reply, “Yes, my aunt asked me to come and take a look…”

After several middle-aged men went home, Lin Xixi looked in the direction of Yan Lei’s house, but he had already disappeared.

Lin Xixi stomped her feet in frustration, but she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she turned and looked at the Jeep—she had always wanted a chance to talk to Zhang, the driver, but there had been no opportunity. Fortunately, her uncle wasn’t in the car today, and others had left. This opportunity couldn’t be missed.

Even better, Zhang didn’t drive away; he turned off the engine, opened the door, and came down, actively greeting her, “Comrade Xiao Lin, don’t worry; they have a large group, so they are a bit slow.”

Lin Xixi smiled at him and said, “No hurry, just finished cooking at home; there’s still time.”

Before she could figure out how to start the conversation, Zhang took the initiative and asked, “Shall we go ahead or wait here for everyone?”

“Huh?”

“Well, um,” Zhang chuckled. “I, that, am also participating in today’s study session.”

There was no actual study session; Captain Zhao had selected a group of unmarried, high-quality young men, brought them to his house, and let them meet his niece. Also, he wanted the niece to meet them. To form an impression, and then they could freely date.

Nowadays, matchmaking isn’t common; it’s more about free love. Specifically, someone would introduce you, you’d meet, and you’d exchange information about family background, work, personality, hobbies, living habits, and so on. If both parties felt okay, they could officially start dating.

Prepare for one to three months, and you could get married. If it was a bit longer, it might take six months, but usually not longer.

This was considered free love in this era. It wasn’t an arranged marriage.

Lin Xixi was a bit surprised. “Aren’t you a driver?”

This driver seemed not to be under her uncle, so why was he participating in the study session?

Captain Zhao had told Zhang not to let Comrade Xiao Lin know about the blind date today. Zhang chuckled and said, “Well… even drivers need to learn to progress.”

He also kept this secret: what if Lin Xixi had thoughts later, and what if she fancied someone else during the event?

Without much thought, Lin Xixi felt that this was a great opportunity.

She glanced at the intersection, worried that her uncle and his men would soon arrive, making it inconvenient for her to talk to Zhang. She warmly said, “No need to wait; let’s go ahead.”

Lin Xixi was not only beautiful but had been highly praised by Captain Zhao for her competence and virtuousness. She came from a good family, all of whom were poor farmers.

In this context, she was considered an excellent match in everyone’s eyes.

Unlike Yan Lei’s city wife, who was beautiful but served as a negative example in the entire military district, Even the political commissar privately told the young people, “I failed to dissuade Yan back then, and I regret it. I must tell you, the first thing to consider when choosing a wife is whether she can endure hardship and work hard; she must be capable!”

Lin Xixi, being the female lead in this story, was naturally set up to be a popular and admired character.

As expected, Xiao Zhang was eager to have some private time with her. Upon hearing her words, he immediately followed her with a smiling face.

Lin Xixi, with a mature soul, was not nervous in the face of this young man. She spoke with a warm, aunt-like enthusiasm.

However, Xiao Zhang had no idea about the truth. All he saw and heard was Captain Zhao’s niece, who seemed quite enthusiastic towards him. He felt secretly delighted and was ready to answer any questions.

As they turned at the intersection, Lin Xixi seemingly casually said, “You drive them to the provincial capital every time, right? Was it also you who went to pick up Auntie Qiao last time when Captain Yan went?”

Xiao Zhang immediately straightened his chest and proudly said, “Of course, that was me. I often go to the provincial capital. If you need anything brought back, just let me know.”

His words were full of confidence; the instinct of males courting females was to display their abilities as much as possible.

Indeed, in this era, “knowing how to drive” was considered a remarkable skill, possessed by a few people. Whether in the military or not, being a driver was a respectable position.

In this era, Xiao Zhang was considered a high-quality young man, just like Lin Xixi was considered a high-quality young woman.

However, Lin Xixi didn’t really think much about it. In the 1990s, being a driver was no longer as prestigious but just an ordinary occupation. In her eyes, Xiao Zhang wasn’t anything special. He couldn’t compare to Yan Lei, who was a regimental captain now, and he certainly wouldn’t in the future.

For Lin Xixi, Xiao Zhang was merely an important source of information.

Unfortunately, they didn’t walk far before reaching Captain Zhao’s home. Moreover, Yingzi ran out and shouted, “Sis, my mom is looking for you!”

She wasn’t close enough to Xiao Zhang to ask questions at the moment, so Lin Xixi could only wait to ask later.

Back at Zhao’s home, Sister Yang, holding a spatula, asked, “Where did you go? Oh, Xiao Zhang is here. Come, have a seat. Have a seat.”

“Xixi, quickly pour some water for Xiao Zhang.”

Lin Xixi brought a glass of water for Xiao Zhang, and he sat down with a beaming smile.

Sister Yang immediately understood the situation. Lin Xixi was not only virtuous and beautiful but also came from a good background. A girl like her would undoubtedly be highly popular in the military.

She smiled at Lin Xixi and said, “Don’t go into the kitchen. Stay in the courtyard and make pancakes. Also, serve tea and pour water for everyone.”

The Zhao family’s courtyard had an outdoor stove, specially left for Lin Xixi to showcase her skill of making pancakes in front of everyone.

Lin Xixi, wanting to get closer to Xiao Zhang and engage in more conversation, agreed without suspicion. She stayed in the courtyard, making pancakes and chatting with Xiao Zhang.

Xiao Zhang said, “Your uncle often praises your pancake-making skills in the military.”

He added, “I’ve tasted them; they are really delicious.”

Lin Xixi, puzzled, asked, “You’ve tasted my pancakes?”

“Just the day before yesterday, the ones you made for Captain Yan. Captain Yan shared them with us, and everyone said they were delicious,” Xiao Zhang explained.

Lin Xixi realized that her pancakes from that day were given away. Captain Zhao took an empty lunchbox back, and she thought Yan Lei had eaten the pancakes. Little did she know that the others had enjoyed them.

Feeling slightly annoyed, Lin Xixi turned her head away without saying a word.

Xiao Zhang continued, but Captain Zhao, leading a group of seven or eight young men, entered the courtyard.

“Xixi, pour some water for everyone,” Captain Zhao announced loudly upon entering the courtyard, introducing Lin Xixi to the group. “This is my niece, Xiaolin.”

The group of young men in green military uniforms greeted, “Comrade Lin, hello.”

Lin Xixi, with her slender figure and beautiful appearance and her fair skin resembling city girls, lived up to her reputation. The young men who came for the blind date were all captivated by her beauty.

Captain Zhao took off his hat and greeted Xiao Zhang, “You arrived early.”

Xiao Zhang, holding a tea kettle, smiled. “My car is fast. I’ve been chatting with Comrade Lin for a while already.”

With this statement, seven or eight pairs of eyes shot daggers at Xiao Zhang.

Captain Zhao laughed heartily. He enjoyed the scene where potential suitors were introduced to his niece. Gesturing for everyone to sit in a circle in the courtyard, he addressed them, “I assume you all know the theme of today’s’study session.'”

“Yes, yes,” the young men replied eagerly, their gazes wandering towards Lin Xixi, busy at the stove.

Lin Xixi, slender and beautiful, her skilled and adept homemaking apparent in her kneading technique, attracted the attention of the young men. Rumor had it that she was diligent and capable, making her an excellent candidate for marriage.

The young men, filled with vigor, even though they were sitting on small stools, sat up straighter, one by one.

Captain Zhao looked at Lin Xixi busily working near the stove, beckoning everyone to sit. “Before we start, let’s introduce ourselves.”

He signaled to everyone, and the young men immediately took the cue, with one of them starting the self-introductions.

As Lin Xixi listened to their introductions while making pancakes, she felt increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, she understood what was happening and turned around, facing away from the group.

…

When the so-called “study session” concluded in the evening, Captain Zhao called her into the house, saying, “Today was an opportunity for you to meet these young men. I brought some of the finest young men from the battalion for you. Tell me, have you set your eyes on anyone? How about Xiao Li? Xiao Wang is also good. If you’re interested in anyone, just let me know. They are all interested in you. If you pick someone, you can start dating tomorrow.”

They were dating for two months, preparing a set of red clothes, making two red quilts, and having a large wardrobe as dowry, and then they could get married.

Lin Xixi frowned. “I’m not looking to date anyone.”

Captain Zhao didn’t believe her. “Not even one caught your eye? These are the best young men in our unit, and each of them has a promising future.”

Promising future? Lin Xixi thought differently from him.

She understood that even if they survived the upcoming decade, when the large-scale demobilization would take place, they would still have to transition to civilian life. And what about the wave of layoffs in the 1990s?

When the wave of layoffs arrived, what would happen then?

Lin Xixi felt like she was back at that moment before her death when the family couldn’t make ends meet, overwhelmed by a sense of despair.

In this turbulent flow of history, everyone was small and fragile.

Thinking about the men she met today, Lin Xixi only knew one person who had stood tall and progressed throughout—Yan Lei, the wealth and prosperity she missed in her previous life.