Chapter 41.1

Jiang Nian looked up and saw a man standing at the door. His eyebrows were dark, his face handsome, and he wore the military green trench coat she had made for him. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Nian, and it took her a while to react.

“Lu Yu.”

Jiang Nian stood up with a smile. “Why are you here?”

Her eyes and tone were full of joy, which made Lu Yu smile as well. He walked over to help Jiang Nian organize the threads.

The man carried the chill of the night with him. His hand brushed against Jiang Nian’s fingers, causing her to shiver slightly. “Your hands are so cold.”

Lu Yu replied, “The weather changed today. It’s a bit cold.”

Jiang Nian draped the thread over the embroidery frame and turned her head to ask again, “Why are you here?”

Lu Yu straightened up. The embroidery shop, possibly due to the need for fine work, had brighter lights than the family quarters. The light gently fell on Jiang Nian, casting shadows from her curled eyelashes. He glanced outside the window, feeling a bit unnatural. “I came to handle some things and will head back early tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Nian put on a scarf. “Have you had dinner?”

Lu Yu asked her back without answering her question, “Have you eaten?”

Jiang Nian shook her head. “No, but Zhang Xiao went to get food for me, so she should be back soon.”

Lu Yu said, “Then let’s wait.”

The two sat in the room, looking at each other in silence. Lu Yu asked, “Did you finish the snacks I bought for you last time?”

Jiang Nian shook her head. “There’s still a bit left.”

“I’ll buy some fruit for you to take back later.”

“No need. If I want to eat, I’ll buy it myself. The fruit stand is not far from here.”

They didn’t speak anymore after that. After about half an hour, Zhang Xiao still hadn’t returned, and Jiang Nian’s stomach growled in protest. She bit her lip in embarrassment. “I’ll go check if Zhang Xiao is back.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Lu Yu stood up and walked out of the state-run embroidery shop with Jiang Nian. The night was dark and cold. Jiang Nian looked around for a while but didn’t see Zhang Xiao. Lu Yu turned and locked the door. “Let’s not wait anymore. I’ll take you to the state-run restaurant for a meal.”

Jiang Nian nodded. “Okay.”

The city was livelier than the county. At eight o’clock, the state-run restaurant was still open.

Lu Yu hadn’t had dinner either, and Jiang Nian didn’t know what was still available at the restaurant. The waitress pointed to a square blackboard on the wall and said, “These are the only dishes left for today.”

They both chose dumplings.

Lu Yu ordered three plates of dumplings. The portions were quite large, and Jiang Nian was full after eating half a plate. Lu Yu frowned slightly and looked at the remaining dumplings on her plate. “Won’t you eat a bit more?”

Jiang Nian shook her head. “I’m full. I can’t eat anymore.”

Lu Yu didn’t say anything further. After finishing his two plates of dumplings, he ate the remaining dumplings on Jiang Nian’s plate. Jiang Nian was stunned. She wanted to stop him but hesitated. Besides her family, Lu Yu was the first person to eat her leftover food.

After dinner, they walked to digest their food. The night wind was cold, and Jiang Nian pulled up her scarf to block the wind. Lu Yu then walked in front of her, facing her and walking backward. His tall figure instantly shielded her from the cold wind.

“Is this better?” Lu Yu asked her.

Jiang Nian felt a warmth in her eyes. She didn’t expect Lu Yu to be so considerate and

nodded gently. “Much better.”

Lu Yu then turned around and walked in front of her, effectively shielding the petite Jiang Nian from the wind. Jiang Nian kept her head down, walking in the shadow of his tall figure. “Where are you staying tonight?” she asked.

“The same guesthouse as last time,” Lu Yu replied.

Mentioning the guesthouse reminded Jiang Nian of the unexpected events of that night. She pursed her lips and fell silent. Lu Yu, seemingly recalling the same memory, smiled faintly as he looked ahead.

They walked through three streets, and when they reached the entrance of the state-run embroidery shop, Lu Yu stopped. Jiang Nian, not noticing, bumped into his solid back. She covered her head and took two steps back, looking up at Lu Yu with a bit of embarrassment. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Are you okay?” Lu Yu moved her hand away and examined her smooth forehead for a moment.

“I’m fine,” Jiang Nian said, coughing lightly and retracting her hand. “It’s late. You should go back to the guesthouse.”

Lu Yu’s hand slid into his coat pocket, his fingers rubbing together thoughtfully. “I’ll walk you back to your dormitory. I’ll leave once I know you’re safe.”

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and walked back to her dormitory. At the entrance, she waved to Lu Yu. “I’m here. You can go now.”

Lu Yu nodded but showed no sign of leaving.

Jiang Nian, feeling awkward, smiled and pulled down her scarf before turning and running into the dormitory.

As soon as I entered the dormitory, I saw Zhang Xiao sitting on the bed, looking anxious. Lu Xiaoqing, who had come back early that day, saw Jiang Nian and said to Zhang Xiao, “See? She’s back safe and sound.”

Even Zhai Peipei gave Jiang Nian a few more glances.

Zhang Xiao sighed in relief. “Where did you go? When I went to the shop, the door was locked. I came back to the dorm, and you weren’t there. I was worried sick and almost called the police.”

Jiang Nian felt a bit guilty. “My family came to see me. We went out for dinner, so I came back late.”

Lu Xiaoqing asked, “Was it that man in the military uniform from last time?”

Jiang Nian bit her lip and nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Xiaoqing thought that the man must have feelings for Jiang Nian. Otherwise, why would he come late at night to take her out for dinner? Who would do that without a reason?

“There’s no hot water in the hot water room, so I got some for you.”

Zhang Xiao took the thermos from under the bed and handed it to Jiang Nian, saying, “Jiang Nian, I’m sorry. I ran into something when I went to get food earlier, so I’m late. The food is in the aluminum lunch box, but it’s already cold.”

After saying this, she pursed her lips guiltily.

Jiang Nian smiled and said, “It’s okay. I’ll just soak it in hot water tomorrow, and it will be edible.”

There were no stoves here, so they couldn’t cook; they could only use hot water to heat up their food and make do with breakfast.

When Zhang Xiao accompanied Jiang Nian to the bathroom to wash up, Jiang Nian asked, “What happened to you?”

Earlier, when Zhang Xiao was talking, Jiang Nian had noticed something was off in her expression.

She wondered if Zhang Xiao had encountered some trouble.

Sure enough, what Zhang Xiao said next confirmed Jiang Nian’s suspicion. Zhang Xiao had run into Hu Zhongming and others while getting food. Hu Zhongming was a team leader at the cotton mill and often had a few sycophants around him, including a man named Yang Jun. 

Ever since Lu Xiaoqing started dating Hu Zhongming, Yang Jun had been tagging along with Hu Zhongming to the state-run embroidery shop every now and then.

Every time Yang Jun saw Zhang Xiao, he would pester her relentlessly. Zhang Xiao had reported this to Ge Mei, who had reprimanded Yang Jun a few times, which made him stop for a while. But last night, when Zhang Xiao went to get food alone, she ran into Hu Zhongming and Yang Jun again, and Yang Jun pestered her for over an hour. If it hadn’t been for the people coming and going from the cafeteria, Zhang Xiao would have been scared of being harassed by Yang Jun.

Jiang Nian’s face turned cold. “If he bothers you again, you should call the police.”

This behavior already constituted sexual harassment.

Zhang Xiao, being from the countryside, was used to reporting any problems to the team leader. It was the first time she realized that she could report being pestered to the police, so she nodded, “I understand.”

After washing up, on the way back to the dormitory, Jiang Nian added, “Next time, let’s go get food together.”

Back in the dormitory, Jiang Nian saw Lu Xiaoqing sitting on the bed, holding an old-fashioned round mirror and constantly sighing while touching the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, likely still worried about her marriage with Hu Zhongming.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Hu Zhongming was not a good match.

But Lu Xiaoqing, headstrong and passionate, just wanted to marry Hu Zhongming and become a city dweller everyone would envy.

At night, as expected, Jiang Nian used Zhang Xiao as a pillow again. After ten days of this “torment,” Zhang Xiao had gotten used to it and even turned over to hug Jiang Nian back. They both slept deeply. When Zhai Peipei got up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, she saw that Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian’s blankets were only covering their waists, leaving their backs exposed.

It was still very cold, and if they continued like this, they would catch a cold.

Zhai Peipei went over to cover them with blankets and then returned to her bed to sleep.

The next morning, Jiang Nian planned to soak last night’s cold food in hot water for breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Zhang Xiao went to open it and saw the elderly woman from the front gate, holding a paper package. She handed it to Zhang Xiao and said, “A young man outside asked me to bring this to you.”

The elderly woman smiled and said, “I took a look, there are many meat buns inside. The aroma of the meat couldn’t be contained even by the paper. This must have cost quite a bit. That young man is very generous.”

Zhang Xiao was stunned for a moment, then looked at Jiang Nian, thinking the meat buns were probably sent by Jiang Nian’s brother-in-law. Last night, Jiang Nian had also gone out for dinner with him. Lu Xiaoqing, smelling the meat buns, excitedly grabbed two and started eating them even before brushing her teeth.

Jiang Nian came to her senses and ran out of the dormitory, seeing Lu Yu at the front gate. He stood there with one hand in his coat pocket and a bag of apples in the other, the apples looking large and red, quite expensive. Seeing Jiang Nian come out, he smiled and said, “Why did you come out?”

Jiang Nian smiled back, “I guessed it was you.”

Lu Yu smiled and handed her the fruits, “Take these back. Eat them and I’ll buy more.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Nian, not wearing a scarf, shivered a little from the cold, her breath visible in the air. She took the apples and, feeling a bit bad for Lu Yu, hesitated before saying, “You don’t have to buy so many apples next time. They cost quite a bit.”

She was already living and eating at Lu Yu’s expense, and now with him spending money like this, she felt even more guilty.

And the meat buns just now also cost quite a bit.

To be honest, she felt a bit distressed about it.

Lu Yu looked at Jiang Nian’s slightly reddened face from the cold with deep and unreadable emotion in his dark eyes, “They’re all for you to eat.”

So, no matter how expensive, he didn’t mind.

After chatting with Lu Yu for a while, he had to catch the morning train, so he left.

Jiang Nian watched his back as he walked away before turning back to the dormitory. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into Zhai Peipei. Jiang Nian took an apple from the bag and handed it to her. “Sister Zhai, have an apple.”

Zhai Peipei looked a bit surprised but declined, saying, “I won’t eat it.”

And then she walked away.

Jiang Nian: …

Alright then, if you don’t want it, that’s fine.

She carried the apples back to the dormitory. Seeing the apples, Lu Xiaoqing was astonished. “So many apples! Your friend is really generous, giving us both meat buns and apples.”

Lu Xiaoqing was genuinely envious. Although she was nearly thirty, she was still unmarried. When she was dating Hu Zhongming, he was never this generous. Sometimes he would take her to eat at the cafeteria instead of a state-run restaurant, and he certainly wouldn’t buy her meat buns and apples.

With her meager earnings from embroidery, she could barely afford to taste meat once in a while, let alone frequently. Seeing Jiang Nian’s late husband’s comrade treat her so well, Lu Xiaoqing couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. She wished Hu Zhongming could be swapped with Jiang Nian’s late husband’s comrade.

While feeling jealous, she also admired Jiang Nian’s luck. Despite being widowed, she had found a man who was genuinely good to her.

Lu Yu bought sixteen meat buns. Zhai Peipei didn’t eat any, while Lu Xiaoqing seemed to have calculated it perfectly, eating four in one go. After finishing, she drank a thermos cup full of hot water, and then went to the water room to brush her teeth. As she left, she said to Jiang Nian, “I’m heading out first.”

Zhang Xiao scoffed, “When it comes to eating, she’s more proactive than anyone.”

Jiang Nian didn’t respond to her comment and instead discussed some matters about the embroidery shop with Zhang Xiao. After finishing their meal, they headed to the shop. Around lunchtime, Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao went to the cafeteria together. On the way, they ran into Hu Zhongming and Yang Jun, along with a few others.

“Xiaoxiao, why don’t we eat together?” 

Yang Jun reached out to block Zhang Xiao, who tightened her grip on the aluminum lunch box, her lips pressed together in anger. Seeing Jiang Nian, a few others also approached, saying, “Isn’t this the new woman from the embroidery shop? I heard she’s a widow, but she’s quite pretty. Comrade Jiang, do you want to remarry? How about choosing one of us?”

The person who was speaking was Feng Ren. There were three most notorious troublemakers in the second group of the textile factory, along with Hu Zhongming and Yang Jun. Zhang Xiao had told Jiang Nian about this last night, as the embroidery shop and the textile factory were close to each other, and Lu Xiaoqing was dating Hu Zhongming, so Zhang Xiao was familiar with them.

Zhang Xiao panicked and couldn’t speak, her mouth failing her at a critical moment. It was Jiang Nian who coldly and firmly said, “If you harass us again, I will report you to the police for harassment!”

At the mention of calling the police, Yang Jun and Feng Ren immediately fell silent.

Hu Zhongming was also startled. He hadn’t forgotten that this widow’s close friend was a soldier, and he hadn’t expected her to think of reporting them to the police. If this matter reached the police station, it would be troublesome, potentially leading to a public reprimand from the factory or even dismissal in serious cases.

So, Hu Zhongming hurriedly left with his group, saying, “Stay away from that widow in the future; let’s not cause ourselves trouble.”

Despite his words, Hu Zhongming secretly harbored ill will towards Jiang Nian. If he couldn’t act openly, he would do so covertly. If something happened, without evidence, the police wouldn’t be able to trouble them.

Once they left, Zhang Xiao sighed in relief, “Sister Jiang, you’re amazing.”

“It’s not me, it’s the sense of security the police give us.” Jiang Nian smiled slightly but felt a sense of unease. When Hu Zhongming left, he had given her a dark look filled with malice. In this unfamiliar place and without surveillance cameras, she felt a bit scared.

After lunch, they went back to the embroidery shop. Today, Jiang Nian was using a more complex stitching technique to embellish her embroidery. While focused on her work, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Zhai Peipei kept glancing at her curiously, trying to see what technique she was using.

Jiang Nian didn’t hide her skills, subtly adjusting her position so Zhai Peipei could see more clearly. This technique was taught by her grandmother, and she wasn’t afraid of others learning it.

Firstly, even if they learned it, their ability to use it effectively depended on their understanding.

Secondly, with rapid advancements in technology, machines would eventually replace many hand embroidery skills. In this era, few people knew how to embroider well, and having this skill would allow her to thrive anywhere.

However, this depended on being in a state-run unit with accommodation, so she wouldn’t be sent back to the countryside as a vagrant. This was also why Lu Xiaoqing was desperate to marry Hu Zhongming. If she lost her job at the embroidery shop and had no stable employment, she would be sent back to the countryside.

Zhai Peipei was surprised by Jiang Nian’s openness. She hadn’t expected Jiang Nian to let her see so openly.

After Jiang Nian finished her embroidery, Zhai Peipei finally withdrew her gaze. Though her face showed no expression, she couldn’t help but feel amazed. She had seen the two pieces of embroidery Jiang Nian had completed last time, and they included several techniques she didn’t know. Initially, she had felt resentful that Ge Mei didn’t trust her embroidery skills. But after seeing Jiang Nian’s work, she silently acknowledged that she couldn’t have done it as well.

A month quickly passed, during which Lu Yu called several times. Jiang Nian noticed that after she openly demonstrated her embroidery technique to Zhai Peipei, Zhai Peipei would occasionally talk to her. When they met in the dormitory, Jiang Nian would greet her, and Zhai Peipei would respond, though her expression remained cold.

Jiang Nian felt that Zhai Peipei might be warm-hearted despite her cold exterior, but it was just a guess after only a month of interaction. During this month, Hu Zhongming came by several times, and Feng Ren also visited. Whenever they saw Jiang Nian, they would make crude remarks.

Jiang Nian would retort sharply, leaving Hu Zhongming and Feng Ren embarrassed several times.

Because of this, Lu Xiaoqing harbored some resentment towards Jiang Nian, feeling that she was disrespecting her by criticizing her boyfriend in front of others.

Halfway through her embroidery, Jiang Nian met Ge Mei the next morning on her way to the shop. Ge Mei said, “I reviewed your embroidery last night. It’s excellent. The buyer from Hongcheng will come to collect it on the tenth of next month. I’m confident you’ll have no problems.”

Zhang Xiao chimed in, “Sister Jiang will definitely do well and earn a lot of money in the future.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but laugh at the praise. Lu Xiaoqing, who had just arrived, overheard and couldn’t help but pout but still greeted Ge Mei before entering the shop.

However, throughout the day, Lu Xiaoqing’s attention remained on Jiang Nian’s embroidery.

She had to admit, Jiang Nian’s work was indeed excellent. Compared to her, even Zhai Peipei was lacking. Lu Xiaoqing felt both envious and jealous. As the day was ending, she asked Jiang Nian, “Who taught you to embroider? You’re so young, yet your skills are so good. Did you have a great teacher?”

She was considering asking to learn from Jiang Nian’s teacher. If she could achieve Jiang Nian’s level of skill, she could also earn a lot of money.

Lu Xiaoqing’s question piqued the interest of Zhai Peipei, Zhang Xiao, and even Ge Mei, who had just entered the room. They were all curious about who had taught Jiang Nian such excellent embroidery skills at such a young age, indicating that her teacher must be even more skilled.

Jiang Nian had already prepared her explanation. She said, “I learned from an elderly woman in our village. She was a seamstress who could both make clothes and embroider. She never married and had no children, so I often visited her, and over time, I became her apprentice.”

Ge Mei was genuinely interested in meeting this teacher. To produce such a skilled student, the master’s embroidery skills must be extraordinary.

Lu Xiaoqing’s thoughts were evident on her face. She quickly asked, “Where is she now? Can I become her apprentice?”

Jiang Nian lowered her head to look at her embroidery. “The elderly woman passed away a couple of years ago.”

Lu Xiaoqing was deflated. She slumped onto a stool, staring at the embroidery frame. Her work couldn’t compare to Jiang Nian’s.