Chapter 5

The Youth Palace in the city is a white building with a blend of Eastern and Western European architectural styles.

During the initial phase of construction, due to tight finances, Ye Manzhi and her classmates responded to the call from the Youth League Committee, “hard work and self-reliance,” and volunteered to work on the construction site for over a month.

Today was her first time visiting the results of their labor.

After passing the ticket check at the entrance, she went upstairs to see the ballroom, the game room, and the exhibition hall, and lingered for a long time in front of several large promotional posters of Soviet dancers.

Only when it was nearly time for their scheduled meeting did she finally stop wandering, let out a sigh, and queued up to enter the theater.

The seats were nearly all filled. Ye Manzhi looked around but didn’t spot the familiar green figure in military uniform, so she followed the ticket stub to find her seat.

First floor, row 8, seat 16.

The light illuminating the audience area wasn’t very bright, but she held the ticket stub, one step at a time, counting the rows until she reached row 8.

Just as she was about to find seat 16 according to the number on the backrest, she unexpectedly locked eyes with a man standing near the aisle.

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then he stood up to confirm, “Comrade Ye Manzhi?”

His voice was deep, with a unique gentleness.

Ye Manzhi felt a shadow fall over her from above. When she looked up and saw the man’s face clearly, she clenched her palms and smiled to greet him, “Captain Wu, hello. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“I just arrived too,” Wu Zhengrong stepped aside to make room. “Please, have a seat.”

Today, he had exchanged his formal military uniform for a shirt and trousers, his gaze restrained and polite. He looked handsome and cultured, and anyone who didn’t know him might mistake him for a young professor at a university.

However, the unloaded gun was still dangerous, and the sword sheathed in its scabbard was still sharp.

Perhaps because of the deep impression he had made previously, Ye Manzhi felt her nerves tighten when facing the seemingly gentle Captain Wu.

The awkwardness spread between them like ink dropped into clear water, slowly bleeding out.

The atmosphere grew somewhat stiff.

Noticing her hands anxiously intertwined in her lap, Wu Zhengrong paused for a moment in silence before handing her a card that resembled an invitation.

“This is tonight’s program. You can take a look and see if there’s anything you’d like to watch.”

Ye Manzhi quickly scanned the other audience members but didn’t see anyone else holding a program, so she asked, “Captain Wu, where did you get this program from?”

She also wanted one as a keepsake.

“I got it from the staff. For large performances like this, they usually prepare programs,” Wu Zhengrong said casually. “You can keep it.”

Ye Manzhi quickly thanked him, her eyes naturally forming a beautiful smile.

She had inherited her grandmother’s looks from Jiangnan, soft and rounded, beautiful without being sharp, with a hint of clear mountains and clean waters.

When she wasn’t speaking, she resembled a quiet young lady with a calm demeanor.

Therefore, when matchmakers praised her as “knowledgeable and well-mannered” and “gentle and obedient,” Wu Zhengrong had no doubts upon meeting her in person.

In fact, since he was transferred back to work in Binjiang, his grandfather had already found more than ten suitable young women for him.

These women, like Comrade Ye, had similar temperaments—gentle and obedient, with traits inherited from the Wu family’s tradition of good wives.

There was nothing wrong with a gentle and virtuous girl, but Wu Zhengrong wasn’t planning to add another one to the Wu family just yet.

…a wife who acts according to signals.

Therefore, after meeting with the daughter of a family friend, Wu Zhengrong no longer participated in such standardized blind dates.

He never expected that his father would secretly arrange for the Party organization to step in and help him solve his personal matters.

The social events arranged by the organization were, to some extent, akin to political assignments, making it difficult for him to decline without reason…

Wu Zhengrong glanced sideways at the woman beside him. She was looking down at the single-page program, her ponytail held up in a wave, revealing a long, graceful neck and delicate jawline.

In her attempts to appear relaxed, there was a subtle unease that he could see through at a glance.

It perfectly mirrored the nervous, uncertain young woman holding a bundle outside the workshop door.

Thinking that she had just graduated from high school, a year younger than his youngest sister, Wu Zhengrong waved at a staff member carrying a thermal box ahead of them and bought a bottle of chilled soda, handing it to her.

He then spoke in the gentlest tone he could muster: “Chairwoman Yao from the factory’s Women’s Federation mentioned to me yesterday that we were meeting today. The time was a bit rushed. I’m not sure if you’ve been briefed on my situation?”

Ye Manzhi thought to herself, Old Ye and Big Sister probably already know everything about your ancestors, so of course I know!

But she also understood that introducing each other’s background was part of the process.

So, she nodded and said, “I heard you’re from Binjiang as well. You’ve been working outside for the revolution these past years, and only last year were you reassigned as the military representative at Factory 656…”

Wu Zhengrong smiled slightly and corrected her, “To be exact, I’m temporarily serving as the military representative. The original representative, Commander Wang, is an old revolutionary, but due to health reasons, he was reassigned. Given my age and experience, I’m not yet qualified to take over as the permanent military representative at 656, so for now, I’m just temporarily filling the role.”

“Ah…”

Ye Manzhi, still holding the soda bottle, was momentarily stunned, unsure why he felt the need to explain this to her.

From his words and actions, she wanted to observe his expression while he spoke, but for some reason, she found herself distracted and only briefly glanced at his overly handsome profile before subtly sitting up straighter.

She heard Wu Zhengrong continue, “If the central government finds a more suitable candidate, someone will replace me in half a year, maybe two years at most.”

Ye Manzhi, with a sudden realization, asked, “Will you return to the General Logistics Department then?”

“Maybe,” he replied.

Ye Manzhi nodded thoughtfully.

Old Ye had mentioned it before, but everyone had assumed that Captain Wu would smoothly transition into the permanent role and settle in Binjiang.

Had they known he might leave, Old Ye probably wouldn’t have arranged this blind date.

She glanced at the calm and composed Wu Zhengrong next to her, feeling a bit uneasy.

Could it be that all his past blind dates ended without progress because his straightforwardness scared the women away?

After chatting about their personal situations for a while, they soon heard the bell signaling the start of the performance.

The opening act was a polka dance performed by Soviet laureate actress A. Sitenikova, who was leading a group of young dancers. The music was lively, and the choreography was innovative.

Wu Zhengrong seemed to enjoy such song and dance performances, sitting back comfortably, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest to the rhythm of the music.

Ye Manzhi gradually became immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the performance.

…

Before the program was even halfway through, someone waved their hand in front of her eyes.

She turned her head and saw, standing in the aisle next to her seat, a middle-aged woman who had been observing her with a scrutinizing gaze.

Thinking the woman was a latecomer, Ye Manzhi was about to stand and let her pass.

However, the woman stood still, pointed her chin toward the seat on Ye Manzhi’s left, and asked, “Are you with him?”

Ye Manzhi instinctively glanced at the male spectator on her left, who was wearing a top hat, and shook her head, replying, “No.”

Seeing the change in the woman’s expression, Ye Manzhi, sensing something was off, leaned her shoulder slightly toward Captain Wu on her right and added, “I’m with this comrade.”

The woman nodded, understanding.

Then, in an instant, a drastic change occurred.

Without warning, the woman lunged at the audience with the ferocity of a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey!

Her upper body landed on both Wu Zhengrong’s and Ye Manzhi’s laps. With a quick swipe of her left hand, she slapped the man in the top hat across the face, and with her right arm, she landed a precise blow to the woman sitting next to him.

“Ah—!”

The young woman, suddenly attacked, screamed out, and the surrounding audience began to stir.

Ye Manzhi was stunned, her mouth agape in shock. When she unconsciously turned her head, she saw the expression on Captain Wu’s handsome face change from calm to astonishment, then to speechlessness.

His expressive face was so rich in emotion that Ye Manzhi almost wanted to laugh, though it was utterly inappropriate.

Not sure where her courage came from, she instinctively reached out to grab the female attacker, who was now sprawled across her lap, and frantically said, “Big Sister, let’s talk this through, you can’t hit people!”

The woman, however, ignored her and swung her hand again toward the man in the top hat.

“You, Chen Jinwang, don’t think I can’t recognize you just because you’re wearing a hat! Didn’t you say you were going to a meeting at the factory? How come you ended up in the theater instead?”

“Ah, it’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Stop it, please!”

The woman refused to listen, continuing to slap and scratch, quickly causing the man in the top hat to end up looking worse for wear.

Wearing only a faded short-sleeved jacket in the summer heat, her legs kicked and flailed with each swing, almost as if she were swimming on dry land.

Anyone who tried to intervene found themselves helpless.

When the woman’s actions became more and more excessive, Wu Zhengrong grabbed her by the collar with one hand, using his strength to lift her off the two of them and into the aisle.

His broad shoulders and long legs formed a strong barrier between the two sides.

“Comrade, this is a public place! No matter what personal issues you have, take it outside!”

The man called Chen Jinwang cried out, “Yes, can’t you tell the difference between a public occasion and a private one? This is really a misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding my ass!” The female attacker glared viciously at the young woman sitting next to him. “Sister Liu saw with her own eyes that you brought this fox spirit into the Youth Palace!”

The girl she pointed at was not having it. “Who are you calling a fox spirit?”

“I’m talking about you! Your painted eyebrows, your curled hair—anyone who strays from the masses is no good!”

Ye Manzhi touched her newly permed hair, feeling slightly guilty, and subtly moved behind Captain Wu.

She hadn’t strayed from the masses—this was her first time perming her hair!

The dispute between the two had attracted a lot of attention.

Amidst the noisy discussions, there were also some incomprehensible questions in Russian.

Feeling deeply embarrassed, Chen Jinwang, now the center of attention, yelled angrily as the woman once again jumped up to hit him.

He said, “Liu Guihua, are you done yet? We’re already divorced. What I do outside is my business. What does it have to do with you?”

Liu Guihua spat and sneered, “Who got divorced from you? When did we get divorced? I knew something was off, but I didn’t expect you to bring up divorce yesterday because there’s someone else!”

“Our marriage was an arranged, feudal one! The Marriage Law abolished arranged and forced marriages a long time ago. Our marriage isn’t even legal!”

“Who forced you back then? Was someone holding a knife to your throat, making you have children with me?”

Laughter from the onlookers made Chen Jinwang’s face turn purple with anger. He said furiously, “Don’t try to confuse the issue. We now advocate for marital freedom. As long as one party in an arranged marriage wants a divorce, the marriage can be dissolved! I already have the divorce certificate!”

Upon hearing this, the audience, which had been laughing moments before, suddenly went silent. Sympathetic looks turned toward Liu Guihua.

Liu Guihua came from a rural background, and because her husband had become successful, she was able to live in the city with her in-laws and children. She had never even heard of the so-called Marriage Law.

But then, she suddenly remembered that last month, Old Chen came home, took the household registration book and residence permit, and asked for the introduction letter from the village, saying it was for the factory’s registration information.

At the time, she didn’t think much of it and handed the items to him.

Little did she know, that bastard had secretly gone behind her back and gotten the divorce certificate!

Liu Guihua’s face turned purple with rage as she yelled, “I’ve been married to your Chen family for 20 years, taking care of the elders and the children. What gives you the right to say we’re getting a divorce just like that?”

Her voice quivered by the end, sounding close to tears, which made people feel an unexplainable sense of pity.

Chen Jinwang turned his face away and remained silent.

The staff at the Youth Palace rushed over upon hearing the commotion, trying to remove the uninvited guest from the theater.

Both heartbroken and angry, Liu Guihua clung to the back of her chair, refusing to let go, demanding an explanation from the man.

The two were at a standstill, and the performance on stage was affected.

Seeing this, Ye Manzhi leaned over Captain Wu’s shoulder and, feeling sorry, asked, “Big Sister, have you told both of your workplaces and the street office about your divorce?”

“No, I don’t want a divorce!”

“Well, then you’re still legally married,” Ye Manzhi glanced at Chen Jinwang, “He hasn’t gotten a divorce but is involved with someone else. That’s an issue of personal conduct!”

Seeing her youthful face, which made her appear inexperienced, Chen Jinwang raised his voice and asked, “What do you think you’re doing? I have the divorce certificate! You can’t just label me like that!”

“When did you get the divorce certificate if Big Sister didn’t agree to it?” Ye Manzhi didn’t believe his lies for a second.

“Do you even understand the Marriage Law? In an arranged marriage, I can divorce whenever I want!”

Ye Manzhi snorted disdainfully. “The one who doesn’t understand the Marriage Law is you! An arranged marriage can indeed be dissolved, but both parties need to come forward and confirm it. If one party disagrees, the street office and district government need to mediate!”

“If no mediation was done, then it doesn’t count! You got the divorce certificate without Big Sister knowing and without her being present? That’s a mistake on the district’s part. She can file a complaint in the city to have the divorce annulled!”

Chen Jinwang: “…”

Where did this troublemaker come from? Why is she causing such a stir?

Ye Manzhi, observing his expression, spoke with confidence.

She then asked, “You actually don’t have a divorce certificate, do you?”

The onlookers noticed the unnatural expression on his face and suddenly realized that the so-called divorce might have just been an attempt at bluster after being caught in an affair.

As whispers spread among the crowd, Ye Manzhi turned to the female attacker and said, “Big Sister, if you don’t want a divorce, you can ask the street office to help mediate. If that fails, it will be reported to the district’s human resources office. If the district can’t mediate, it will be transferred to the court. The court will also mediate before making a ruling. The whole divorce process could take at least half a year.”

“During this time, you’re still legally married. If he dares to have any involvement with other women, that’s a personal conduct issue. You can report him to his workplace! Look at his appearance; he seems like someone in the leadership. With such personal conduct issues, he’ll have a hard time advancing in his career!”

Hearing this, both the husband and wife were left speechless, their mouths half open, and the scene suddenly fell quiet.

The onlookers, who hadn’t expected much from the young woman, were now impressed by her sharp and effective tactics!

Ye Manzhi, unaware of the thoughts in others’ minds, held Liu Guihua’s hand and advised, “Big Sister, it’s better to solve matters between husband and wife behind closed doors. Family matters shouldn’t be aired in public. Besides, there are many foreigners here today. We can’t let this affect our international image!”

Liu Guihua felt both angry and sad, her eyes shifting between her husband and the stylish, curly-haired woman. She couldn’t make up her mind.

“Big Sister,” Ye Manzhi leaned closer and whispered, “Today, you caught him red-handed, and his lie about the divorce was publicly exposed. For the sake of work, he probably won’t bring up divorce again for a while. But you should go home and think it over. If you decide you want to divorce him, I’m willing to testify to what happened today. My name is Ye, and I live at 656 Factory Residential Area. You can come find me when you’re ready.”

Liu Guihua remained silent, gripping her hand. After quietly thanking her, she turned to her husband and said bitterly, “Aren’t you embarrassed enough yet? Get out of here!”

Chen Jinwang, fearing she might listen to others and cause trouble at his workplace, shot a glare at Ye Manzhi, then hurriedly chased after Liu Guihua.

Ye Manzhi watched them leave, and as she returned to her seat, she collided with Captain Wu’s ambiguous gaze.

Being so close, he must have heard everything she said to Sister Liu.

She didn’t think there was anything wrong with her words, but to avoid being seen as a troublemaker with hidden intentions, she forced a smile, trying to make herself look more favorable.

“I just can’t stand seeing someone being bullied. Helping Big Sister vent her frustration is just me doing a good deed.”

Wu Zhengrong thought to himself, You really have a chivalrous heart.

He nodded with interest and asked, “I see you’re quite familiar with the Marriage Law. Have you studied it?”

Ye Manzhi, of course, hadn’t studied it in depth. If it weren’t for the months of divorce drama between her third brother and his wife, she would never have had the chance to learn about divorce procedures.

But since this was a family matter, there was no need to share it with outsiders.

She hesitated before answering, “We covered it in political class before…”

As if believing her explanation, Wu Zhengrong gave a slight nod. “That’s good. Your explanation was clear, simple, and easy to understand. The female comrade was willing to accept your advice and didn’t delay the performance, which means your mediation worked. You did as good a job as the district or street office staff.”

Ye Manzhi thought to herself, Captain Wu is truly a leader. He even managed to elevate meddling into something so commendable.

To such a high degree of vulgarity!

If it weren’t for the situation and the person involved, she would have really liked to take his hand and warmly call him “Bole” (a reference to a famous figure known for recognizing talent).

But all she could do now was say something polite: “I’m just a recent graduate with no work experience, nowhere near as good as the cadres.”

Wu Zhengrong seemed to suddenly take an interest and followed her lead with a question: “Chairman Yao mentioned that after you graduated from high school, you didn’t immediately start working. Was there something difficult you encountered?”

Ye Manzhi wasn’t sure if Captain Wu knew about her engagement arrangement.

However, this wasn’t something worth hiding, so she quickly explained the entanglements with Vice Factory Director Zhou’s family in just a few words.

“When I tried to find work again, most organizations had already filled their positions. Now I can only slowly look for a suitable place.”

Wu Zhengrong nodded, twirling his cufflink with his fingers, but didn’t speak.

Ye Manzhi couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, so she stopped trying to guess. As his thoughts wandered, she boldly started observing this potential match.

She had always felt that Captain Wu had an unsettling air of authority, which largely diminished the impact of his good looks.

In fact, Wu Zhengrong had a face that matched the public’s aesthetic standards—handsome, with striking brows and eyes, a straight nose, and a particularly sharp side profile. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered like the petals of a golden peach flower, making it hard for anyone to focus.

Even when he occasionally wore an indifferent expression, it was still a good-looking kind of indifference.

Wu Zhengrong pretended not to notice her observing him, and when the intermission arrived, he tilted his head and asked, “You’ve heard of the Guangming Street Office, right?”

“Ah, yes, I’ve heard of it.”

Feeling her heart race a little too fast, Ye Manzhi quickly straightened her back, leaning slightly backward against the chair to put some distance between herself and his suddenly approaching profile.

Wu Zhengrong’s clear, calm voice sounded again: “Not long ago, they started a public-private partnership, and many cadres from the district and the street office were transferred to work as public sector managers in enterprises. The Guangming Street Office is in charge of our 656 area, and they’re looking to add more staff. Would you be interested in working there?”

The street office was close to home, with fewer staff and more activity—it seemed like a great place for Ye Manzhi. After searching for a job for so long, she was surprised she had never heard that the street office near her home was hiring.

She leaned back a little more, ready to ask for some details about the job openings, but suddenly felt a rush of heat in her nostrils.

Before long, a stream of nosebleed appeared in a dramatic fashion, dripping down in a way that left her stunned…!