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Commissar Ye’s orderly brought out a bowl of water. Su Ying hugged the bowl and drank it all in one go before slowly standing up on her own.
Before going into the kitchen to cook, Chen Shuyun glanced again at Commissar Ye and Director Du. These two had suddenly shown up saying the betrothal gift was ready and that the wedding date had been set—they wanted to discuss Su Ying’s marriage.
Even someone as mild-tempered as Chen Shuyun was furious. She was ready to throw them out on the spot. But they had soldiers with them and such an intimidating presence that she could barely get a word out, let alone argue.
Seeing Su Ying drenched in cold sweat, Director Du quickly ordered a soldier outside to go buy some peach pastries for her.
“We’re here to discuss marriage matters,” Commissar Ye said calmly. “But the matchmaker didn’t inform us about your health condition. You don’t seem well—can you tell us more about it?”
Commissar Ye was clearly trying hard to control his temper. He could only speak so evenly with Su Ying by suppressing his irritation.
Su Ying glanced toward the kitchen where her mother was cooking and replied in a dry voice:
“My mom doesn’t know about this. About the dowry and everything—did the matchmaker, Su Jian… explain it to you?”
Commissar Ye’s face darkened.
“He did. A dowry of 1,000 yuan, the ‘three turnables and one sound’ (a bicycle, sewing machine, watch, and radio), fabric, clothing, household registration transfer, and housing for your mother—we agreed to all of it. But due to the man’s health condition, the wedding will have to be simple.”
Su Ying felt torn. After the failed attempt to get a job today, she was feeling utterly hopeless. And yet now, these people had come to her doorstep—like they had opened a window when all doors were shut.
She wrestled with herself. Should she trade her marriage for survival? She didn’t love anyone right now and wasn’t sure she ever would. But their current situation was so difficult that maybe making this trade wasn’t such a bad thing.
Besides, that man might not even live long. She wouldn’t be entirely out of options afterward.
After much deliberation, she finally said,
“These terms are fine. But I have one final request.”
Both Commissar Ye and Director Du’s expressions changed. Commissar Ye in particular almost lost his temper. He nearly slammed the table, but fortunately remembered that Su Ying was a young woman and held back so he wouldn’t scare her.
He patted his chest to calm himself and, gritting his teeth, asked,
“What else do you want?”
Su Ying, still pale, could tell they weren’t pleased. But if she was going to sacrifice her marriage, she had to get something out of it.
“I want a job. Preferably something related to medicine.”
Commissar Ye and Director Du exchanged glances, both looking puzzled.
Director Du asked,
“Medicine-related? Those kinds of jobs require formal training. Without the right qualifications, you simply can’t do that kind of work—it’s dangerous. Even if you’re marrying our… comrade, we can’t compromise our principles.”
Su Ying felt helpless. She had suddenly ended up in this body, one that hadn’t even entered college yet. Even if she had the knowledge in her mind, she had no way to prove it or put it to use.
She picked up the tea mug on the table and took a few sips before sincerely replying,
“Comrades, I understand everything you just said. But I genuinely love medicine. I’ve read many books and have a solid foundation. I can promise you—I wouldn’t do anything unsafe.”
Read a lot of books? Has medical knowledge?
Director Du and Commissar Ye finally got a firsthand taste of what the dossier had meant by calling Su Ying arrogant. They both hesitated—was this proud, dishonest, self-important girl really a suitable match for Commander Gu?
Given his temper, she’d likely be driven away within a few days.
More importantly, they felt sorry for the commander. The purpose of this marriage was to find him a gentle, caring partner to look after him—not to bring home someone so self-centered.
“Well, we’ll need to think this over. We can’t give you an answer today. That’s all for now—we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
Su Ying leaned on the table and stood up, nodding.
“Alright. Please discuss it among yourselves. This matter is very important to me.”
What she meant was that the job request wasn’t negotiable. While stating her position clearly, it also gave the impression that she wasn’t eager to marry—almost like she was deliberately making things difficult.
Still, before they left, they asked for a photo of Su Ying.
Chen Shuyun walked them to the door. When she saw Commissar Ye holding Su Ying’s photo, her heart ached. That photo had been taken in the county town when Su Ying got into college—it was supposed to be a keepsake. Now it was gone.
Back inside the house, she saw Su Ying squatting next to the stove, eagerly staring at the steaming pot.
“Mom, when will the steamed buns be ready? I’m starving! I can already smell them.”
Chen Shuyun walked over, lifted the lid, and quickly grabbed a bun with the spatula. She found a bowl and handed it to Su Ying.
“Here, eat. But where exactly did you go job hunting today? You didn’t come home for lunch. And what was with those people just now? Why did they say you’re going to marry their comrade?”
Su Ying stuffed her mouth with the bun and mumbled through the food,
“I tried the pharmaceutical factory, but they didn’t want me. As for those people…”
She took a few more big bites. After she swallowed and started to feel more alive, she looked at Chen Shuyun and quietly said,
“Mom, I need money for treatment. Their comrade is older, but… he has a stable income. He can also help us fix the household registration issue. Anyway, it’s just marriage—who I marry doesn’t matter. If marrying him gets us those things, then why not?”
“What do you mean ‘just marry anyone’? You’re still so young! Su Ying, are you trying to kill me with worry?!”
Chen Shuyun had always been quiet and submissive. No matter how much Su Ying got in trouble back in the village, she never scolded her. Even when she disapproved, she’d only gently advise her. Of course, Su Ying never listened.
But this was the first time Chen Shuyun raised her voice—screaming that Su Ying was going to drive her to her grave.
Su Ying felt guilty. She hadn’t expected the other party to take things so seriously. When Su Jian first mentioned the proposal, she’d made all those demands thinking they’d back off. But who knew they’d actually show up to negotiate?
She put down the bowl, pursed her lips, and held her mother’s hand.
“Mom, my brain isn’t right. I need to stay on medication. If we don’t have money… this illness might get worse. So…”
Before she could finish, Chen Shuyun was already crying, grabbing Su Ying’s arm and hitting her lightly.
“You child… Why didn’t you say something earlier? Why didn’t you tell me? Is that why you insisted on staying in the city? I thought you just wanted to stay close to your dad. I didn’t know your condition was this serious. I didn’t know you were forced into thinking about marrying someone just to pay for medicine…”