Chapter 006

Just as Shi Danling finished reading the letter to Zhenzhen, Zhong Minfen and Chen Qingmei returned.

They didn’t come back alone—several village women followed behind.

As soon as Zhong Minfen entered the courtyard, she asked, “Did a letter come from Huaiming?”

Someone had seen the mailman come into the village earlier, and when she heard about it, she guessed it might be from Shi Huaiming and came home.

The others were just tagging along for the gossip.

Zhenzhen and Shi Danling stood up together.

Shi Danling waved the letter. “Yes! It’s from Third Uncle!”

Zhong Minfen was smiling even before she reached them. “Quick, Lingling, read it out loud!”

When so many people suddenly showed up, Shi Danling felt a little shy.

But she was used to standing up and reading in school, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Once everyone had grabbed stools and sat down, she stood in the crowd, holding the letter firmly, and read aloud with clear enunciation.

After the reading, the courtyard immediately burst into cheerful chatter.

An older woman smiled at Zhong Minfen and said, “Sister Shi, looks like you’re heading to the city to enjoy life!”

Zhong Minfen couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “This old body of mine, where could I possibly go?”

Emotions are contagious, and soon everyone in the courtyard was smiling brightly.

Zhenzhen sat nearby, smiling as well, her head lowered as she continued crocheting her sweater.

Xiuzhu nudged her. “Zhenzhen, you’re off to enjoy the good life.”

Zhenzhen smiled. “As long as Mom is happy, that’s enough.”

Hearing this, Zhong Minfen turned to her and said, “What do you mean just me enjoying life? Don’t take what Huaixia said to heart. You heard what was written in Huaiming’s letter—he wants you to go. Once the housing is sorted, pack your things and go to the city. Don’t waste time—try to give us a baby this year.”

The mention of having a baby made Zhenzhen blush.

Xiuzhu, sitting closest, noticed right away and laughed. “Zhenzhen’s blushing!”

The others looked at her face, and the redness deepened even more.

Embarrassed, Zhenzhen raised a hand and gave Xiuzhu a playful slap.

Since Shi Danling, a child, was present, the women didn’t let the teasing go too far.

They laughed and chatted, all saying that Zhenzhen was truly lucky.

To marry a man like Shi Huaiming—what a dream!

Zhenzhen thought to herself:

If they could really be together…

Then yes, it would be a dream come true.

After the New Year holidays, village life returned to its usual pace of work.

With no more bean sprouts or snacks to sell and nothing urgent at home, Zhenzhen began going out to work in the production team with Shi Huaizhong and Chen Qingmei every day.

Although the gossip about her hadn’t completely died down, most people were polite and warm when they saw her.

After all, she was still a member of the Shi family—and still Shi Huaiming’s wife.

Of course, there were exceptions like Hongmei, who occasionally threw in some snide remarks.

But no matter what others thought or what Hongmei said, Zhenzhen didn’t take it to heart.

She wasn’t living her life for others—she just had to stay true to herself.

After the Spring Festival, the family agreed on a date for going to the city.

Since Shi Huaiming had just settled down there, only Zhong Minfen and Zhenzhen would go first.

But as the departure day approached, during dinner one evening, Zhong Minfen said, “Zhenzhen, I won’t go to the city. I haven’t been feeling well lately—can’t handle such a long trip. You go ahead. When Huaiming gets some leave, you two can come back to visit me.”

Zhenzhen had been prepared to go together with her. Hearing that Minfen wasn’t going, she immediately felt uneasy.

She paused, holding her chopsticks, and said, “Mom, if you’re not going, is it really okay for me to go alone?”

Zhong Minfen smiled. “You’re his wife. What’s not okay about that?”

It was true there wasn’t anything inappropriate. But the thought of going alone to the city—such a huge, unfamiliar place—made Zhenzhen a bit nervous.

She pressed her lips together. “I’m just worried that in the city, all by myself…”

There were so many fears, but none of them made it out of her mouth.

Zhong Minfen just smiled again. “Huaiming will be there. Don’t be afraid.”

Once Zhong Minfen made up her mind, no one could change it.

After dinner, while tidying up the kitchen, Chen Qingmei went to her room and asked, “Mom, you’re really letting Zhenzhen go alone?”

Zhong Minfen nodded. “What would I go for? Don’t you think I’d just be in the way? Those two haven’t seen each other in years—they should spend some time alone and get their life started together. Me tagging along wouldn’t help.”

Chen Qingmei thought it over and nodded—she had a point.

Then Minfen’s tone turned serious. “I don’t care what Huaiming thinks. To me, marriage isn’t a joke. Once you’re married, it’s for life. If he turns out like his father, then even if he becomes a general, I won’t acknowledge him as my son.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she called out, “Lingling, come here a moment.”

Shi Danling heard her and quickly came running. “Grandma, what is it?”

Zhong Minfen looked at her and said, “Go get some paper and a pencil. Help Grandma write something down.”

Danling responded with an “okay” and ran out.

When she returned, she had a pencil and notebook in hand.

Zhong Minfen had her stand by the chest and write as she spoke.

She spoke slowly and softly:
“San’er, I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I can’t make the trip with Zhenzhen. I have no other worries—only her. She’s lived in the countryside all her life and has never traveled far, let alone been to such a big city. So once she arrives, you must treat her well. Don’t let her suffer or be wronged.”

That was all Minfen had to say, and Danling carefully wrote it all down.

When she finished, she tore out the page, folded it, and asked, “Grandma, should I mail it tomorrow?”

Minfen chuckled. “Silly girl—have your third aunt take it with her.”

Danling smacked her forehead.

She really had been silly.

Minfen reminded her again, “When you hand it to your third aunt, just tell her I explained to your uncle why I’m not going. Don’t say anything else.”

Danling nodded. “Got it, Grandma.”

Minfen smiled again. “Once your third uncle and aunt are settled in the city, and I’m feeling better and up for the journey, we’ll all go visit.”

Danling lit up at that. Her voice was bright and crisp: “Yay, okay!”

If she got to visit a big city, the kids in the village would be so jealous.

Chen Qingmei also sat nearby, smiling as she repeated, “Huaiming is really something.”

Just as the conversation grew lively, Zhenzhen walked in.

She lifted the fabric curtain at the door and peeked inside, curiously asking, “What are you all talking about?”

Shi Danling waved the paper in her hand. “Grandma wrote a letter to Third Uncle. Third Aunt, you can take it to him.”

Zhenzhen knew how firm Zhong Minfen was—once she made a decision, she wouldn’t change her mind.

So she didn’t try to persuade her to come along. She simply nodded and said, “Alright.”

Even though she felt nervous, she didn’t back down. From the beginning, she had wanted to go find Shi Huaiming.

She came in and sat down. Zhong Minfen took her hand and gently reminded her, “Once you get to Huaiming, whatever you need, just tell him. Don’t be afraid to trouble him or stay silent. Don’t you dare let yourself suffer, do you hear me?”

Whatever might happen later didn’t matter now.

Zhenzhen didn’t want Zhong Minfen to worry. She nodded and said, “Don’t worry, Mom.”

Zhong Minfen fixed her with a look. “Don’t just say that to make me feel better. You listen to what I say.”

Zhenzhen replied, “I always listen to you.”

That much was true.

Zhong Minfen patted the back of Zhenzhen’s hand. “Don’t think too much. Go enjoy your good fortune!”

Zhenzhen laughed and nodded again. “Mm!”

Thinking about Zhenzhen going so far away, Zhong Minfen couldn’t help feeling reluctant to part with her.

She was also worried Zhenzhen might face hardship in the city, so she had a lot to say—endlessly giving advice.

Over the next two days, Zhenzhen didn’t go to the production team but stayed home to keep Zhong Minfen company—doing housework and sewing together, talking, and letting Zhong Minfen say everything she needed to.

The day before departure, Zhong Minfen and Zhenzhen went to the market and bought some nice food.

That night, they made a whole table of delicious dishes, including pork and celery dumplings. The whole family gathered to send Zhenzhen off with a farewell dinner.

Shi Xingguo gobbled down dumplings one after another, stuffing his cheeks full.

Shi Danling, sitting beside him, was also eating with great enthusiasm—pork and celery were her favorites.

After swallowing a mouthful, she said to Zhenzhen, “Third Aunt, if you miss us, find someone to write us a letter.”

All the advice from the family over the past two days, Zhenzhen took to heart and nodded along.

She had mentally prepared herself well. Whatever might happen once she arrived, she was ready to face it calmly.

After dinner, Zhenzhen packed her things in her room, with Zhong Minfen and Chen Qingmei helping her.

Since the journey was long, she didn’t bring much—just a few changes of clothes.

Besides clothing, the rest was food for the trip.

In addition to mantou and sweet potatoes, Zhong Minfen also packed a few pieces of peach crisps and glutinous rice cakes for her.

Once everything was packed, Zhong Minfen stood for a moment, thinking aloud, “Is there anything we forgot?”

Zhenzhen had never traveled far before, never gone anywhere alone, so Zhong Minfen still felt uneasy.

After a pause, she reminded her, “What about your letter of introduction? That’s the most important thing—don’t lose it.”

Zhenzhen put the letter of introduction and the money safely inside a pocket of one of her inner layers of clothing.

Once everything was set, Zhong Minfen felt more at ease. She patiently said again, “Zhenzhen, don’t be nervous. Just rest on the train. Once you get off, Huaiming will be there to meet you, alright?”

Saying she wasn’t nervous would be a lie—she definitely was.

But Zhenzhen held Zhong Minfen’s hand and nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I may not be able to read, but I’ve got a mouth to ask questions and ears to listen. Once I get there, I’ll send a letter home.”

Zhong Minfen nodded in return. “Good, good. That’s good.”

Since she was leaving the next day, Zhong Minfen and Chen Qingmei stayed up with Zhenzhen and talked with her for a long while.

By the time the two finished chatting and returned to their rooms, Shi Danling was already so sleepy she was yawning and tearing up.

As she was leaving, she mumbled something to Zhenzhen, then lay down and immediately fell asleep.

Zhenzhen couldn’t fall asleep. Just thinking about going to the city made her nervous.

She tossed and turned, unable to stop her mind from racing.

Suddenly, she remembered something. Her eyes flew open, and she quietly got out of bed.

She had packed everything—except for one thing.

She got dressed, lit the oil lamp, and retrieved a silver key hidden beneath the bed mat. Then she sat down at the writing desk.

Using the key, she unlocked the center drawer.

Inside were two marriage certificates.

Zhenzhen stared at them under the lamp for a moment, then placed them into her bag.

Once she finished, she blew out the lamp, got back in bed, and lay there with her eyes closed, thoughts swirling until she finally drifted off.

At dawn, the rooster’s crow woke her, and she was instantly alert.

No longer sleepy, she got up to wash, cook, and feed the chickens.

Zhong Minfen came into the kitchen and saw Zhenzhen working the bellows.

She asked, “Couldn’t sleep?”

Zhenzhen sat behind the stove, her face glowing red from the firelight. Smiling, she said, “No, I slept.”

Zhong Minfen scooped up rice bran to mix chicken feed. “I wanted to see Huai Ming too, but this old body of mine just can’t handle the travel anymore. Zhenzhen, when you see Huaiming tomorrow, take a good look at him for me. It’s been so many years—I wonder if he’s changed.”

Yes—tomorrow she would see Shi Huaiming.

Just thinking about it made Zhenzhen’s heart race.

Suppressing the nervous flutter in her chest, she replied, “Alright, Mom. I’ll take a good look for you.”

Zhong Minfen went to the coop to feed the chickens. Chen Qingmei had just come out of the house.

She walked over to take the basin from Zhong Minfen, but the older woman dodged her.

Zhong Minfen divided the feed into the chicken coops and said, “You’re already working hard every day. You should sleep in a bit longer.”

Chen Qingmei yawned deeply. “I’m used to it—I can’t sleep in.”

With that, she turned and headed into the kitchen to help Zhenzhen.

That morning was no different from any other.

But it was the last meal Zhenzhen would cook and eat at home before heading to the city.

After breakfast, she slung her bundle over her shoulder and set off. Her family walked with her to the edge of the village to see her off.

Some villagers saw them along the way—some greeted them, others even joined the send-off.

Even those who only said hello knew Zhenzhen was going to the city to find Shi Huaiming.

As they walked past, people couldn’t help but express admiration:
“How many lives do you think Zhenzhen must have saved in her past life to have such good fortune?”

Someone nearby chimed in,
“Just one life? I’d say she’s accumulated blessings over eight generations.”

Of course, not everyone was so kind.
“Who knows if it’s really good fortune,” someone said sourly.

What if she didn’t last long there and had to come back right away?

At the edge of the village, Zhenzhen said goodbye to Zhong Minfen and the others.

Zhong Minfen held her hand tightly and gave her a long string of reminders before finally letting her get onto the donkey cart.

Zhenzhen climbed onto the cart, waved, and called out,
“Mother, Sister-in-law, you should head back now.”

But Zhong Minfen and the others didn’t leave right away. They stood at the edge of the village and watched the cart slowly disappear into the distance.

Not until it had gone out of sight did Zhong Minfen turn around and say,
“Let’s go.”

The donkey cart belonged to the production team, and Shi Huaizhong was the one driving it.

Shi Huaizhong had always treated Zhenzhen like a younger sister, and along the way he gave her plenty of advice and reminders.

It almost felt like he was sending off his own daughter to be married.

As Zhenzhen sat on the cart watching the village grow smaller and smaller behind her, she felt reluctant to leave.

She took a deep breath of the air filled with the scent of earth, then tugged her gray wool scarf up a little to cover half her face.

By the time Shi Huaizhong brought her to the train station, it was already late in the afternoon.

He tied the donkey cart outside and walked her all the way to the platform. Only after seeing her board the train, wave goodbye, and hearing the train whistle as it pulled away did he turn back and head home.

From the moment she stepped into the train station, Zhenzhen began to feel nervous.

Now sitting on the train watching the scenery outside rush past, her heart pounded even harder.

She sat quietly in her seat, hugging her bundle and half-hiding her face behind it, taking deep breaths as she stared out the window.

Once the deep breathing eased her nerves a bit, she turned her head and glanced around the train car.

As she brought her gaze back, her eyes met those of a man sitting across from her.

Taking the opportunity, the man smiled and asked,
“First time on a train?”

Zhenzhen remembered what Zhong Minfen and the others had told her before she left:

Don’t talk too much to strangers out there—you never know if they’re good people or bad.

So Zhenzhen simply shook her head without replying.

The man tried to strike up a conversation a few more times.

Zhenzhen responded each time with only a shake of her head, never speaking. Eventually, the man got the message and stopped talking.

She sat there, stiff and guarded, ready for anything.

That night, she couldn’t sleep soundly either. She dozed off now and then when she couldn’t keep her eyes open, but woke up at the slightest noise.

When dawn began to break, she sat up straight again, alert, and resumed watching the scenery outside.

Judging by the train schedule, she should be arriving around noon.

As the train got closer to her destination, she became more and more alert, afraid she’d miss her stop.

To make sure she didn’t, she asked the train attendant several times just to be safe.

The attendant recognized her and, when the train was nearing her stop, came over to remind her:
“Comrade, the next stop is Xicheng Station.”

Hearing this, Zhenzhen couldn’t help smiling nervously and gratefully.
“Thank you,” she said.

After the attendant left, Zhenzhen carefully pulled a red chiffon scarf from her bundle and wrapped it around her neck.

Worried that it wasn’t sitting neatly or looking nice, she used the faint reflection in the train window to adjust it several times.

She was about to see him.

Zhenzhen’s fingers, wrapped around the bundle in her lap, fidgeted subconsciously.

When the train finally arrived at Nancheng Station, her heart was pounding in her throat.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stood up and followed the crowd off the train.

But the closer she got to the station exit, the faster her heart raced.

Once off the train, Zhenzhen was both nervous and dazed.

Shi Huaiming had said he would come pick her up at the station, so she didn’t wander around. She just stood on the platform, waiting.

Holding her breath, she scanned the crowd, searching for him.

As she stood on tiptoe to look, her nerves and breath were stretched to their limit.

But she didn’t find Shi Huaiming.

Then, just after the train whistle blew, she suddenly heard someone behind her call out:
“Zhenzhen.”

That voice…

Was it him?

Zhenzhen froze.

After a moment, holding her breath, she slowly turned around.

When she lifted her eyes and saw the person who had called her name, she froze again.

Before this moment, five years had stood between them.

In five years, Shi Huaiming had changed a lot. Now he wore a military uniform. He stood taller, looked more upright and sharp, and was even more handsome and full of spirit.

It was like he had undergone a transformation. His brows were sharply defined, and in his eyes was a calm, mature steadiness—someone who had weathered many storms.

Zhenzhen stared at him for a long moment.

When she finally came back to herself, her face flushed. She softly called out,
“Third Brother.”

The sunlit breeze lifted the edge of her red scarf, brushing it gently across her pink cheeks.