Chapter 3
Girlfriend

The arrival was quite sudden, causing Old Mr. Ji to pause mid-sentence, his expression subtly darkening.

Lin Qiao also looked towards the door and saw a young woman following Ye Minshu.

The young woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with permed hair, light makeup, and low-heeled leather shoes. She entered with a sweet smile, politely greeting Old Mr. Ji, his wife, and Ji Duo. Permed hair only became popular after the reform and opening up (*). Not to mention, she was already quite attractive, and her outfit completely outshone Lin Qiao, who looked like a country bumpkin.

T/N: This term refers to the series of economic and social reforms initiated by China in 1978, aimed at opening up the economy, attracting foreign investment, promoting market economy development, and improving living standards.

Ye Minshu glanced at Lin Qiao, especially pausing at the patches on her elbows and knees.

Lin Qiao’s expression remained unchanged. For someone who had traveled forty years from the future, facing this very era-specific attire, it was hard to feel admiration or envy. Dressing was primarily for self-pleasure and secondly for politeness. She was already wearing the original body’s most presentable clothes, which was polite enough.

Ye Minshu’s attempt to belittle her fell flat, leaving her feeling frustrated. She decided to ignore Lin Qiao and warmly introduced the young woman, “Dad, Mom, let me introduce you. This is Song Jing, Xiao Ze’s fiancée. You know her father, Song Yongkun, who had a great relationship with Ji Jun and used to work under Dad. She used to visit our house often as a child. I even joked back then that she and Xiao Ze got along so well that they might as well become my daughter-in-law. Who knew they would really end up together? They were classmates in middle and high school, even in the same class in high school.”

Ji Jun is Mr. Ji’s eldest son, Ji Duo’s older brother, and Ye Minshu’s husband. He should have visited since Mr. Ji was ill, but he was busy with work and had a business trip scheduled for today, making it impossible for him to come.

Song Jing, being pulled by Ye Minshu, showed a perfectly timed shyness. Seeing this, Ye Minshu was even more satisfied. “I remember after Xiao Ze was admitted to the military academy, you also took the college entrance exam and got into that teacher’s college…”

“Yandu Normal University.”

“Yes, Yandu Normal University. Mom, didn’t you say a few days ago that the country is in great need of teachers? Xiao Jing’s major is a perfect match for you.”

Xu Li smiled, “I’ve been retired for a long time. How would I know so much?”

“Even in retirement, you were once an excellent teacher in Yandu.” Ye Minshu didn’t mind and continued to ask Song Jing, “You should be graduating next year, right?”

“Yes, I’ll graduate next year. This fall, I’ll start my internship at a school.”

“Then you should find a good place. I think Xiao Ze’s high school in the military unit is quite good, and it’s close by.” As Ye Minshu spoke, she glanced at Lin Qiao again.

After several such glances, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but notice and finally looked at Ye Minshu. She had felt this person’s inexplicable disdain at the Ji family’s door, thinking it was just simple snobbery, fearing she was there to seek connections and take advantage. But why did she keep subtly targeting her while introducing Xiao Ze’s fiancée?

Could it be that by presenting someone with a better background and education, who was more liked by the Ji family, she hoped Lin Qiao would feel unworthy of associating with them? Or was it because of her marriage agreement with the Ji family?

This person’s reaction as a sister-in-law was a bit too intense, unless she wasn’t a sister-in-law but the actual mother. Lin Qiao’s target wasn’t the man in the hospital room but the “Xiao Ze” she mentioned. She brought someone over not to show off but to assert her authority. This wasn’t impossible, considering the other party and Song Jing were classmates and clearly at a suitable age for marriage, making it more appropriate in terms of seniority. However, when her friend mentioned this book and warned her about transmigrating, they never said the male lead had a fiancée beforehand. If the male lead had a fiancée, would he need to compromise? He could just get married quickly. Even if Old Mr. Ji wanted to fulfill his promise to his old comrade, he wouldn’t break up his grandson’s good marriage and force him to marry Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao was puzzled, and Old Mr. Ji’s expression had changed from shock and confusion to displeasure. He was ill, not stupid or blind. How could he not see through his eldest daughter-in-law’s little schemes?

When his second son came earlier, he only mentioned meeting Lin Qiao at the door and didn’t bring up his eldest daughter-in-law. But if she hadn’t seen Lin Qiao and didn’t know she was here, why did she keep glancing at Lin Qiao while talking?

This made Old Mr. Ji very angry and embarrassed, and he only stared at Ye Minshu without saying a word. As he remained silent, Ye Minshu gradually found it harder to continue, leaving a heavy and stagnant atmosphere in the air.

Finally, Xu Li broke the tension by looking up at the IV bottle, “Is it almost finished?”

In fact, there was still some medicine left in the bottle, enough for about ten more minutes. She mainly wanted to remind Old Mr. Ji that he was still ill and needed to control his emotions to avoid fainting again.

Moreover, the previous topic was indeed awkward. After all, Lin Qiao came for the marriage agreement. Ye Minshu not only likely gave her a cold shoulder but also caused a scene in front of her.

Xu Li felt both embarrassed and apologetic. Unexpectedly, Lin Qiao stood up and said, “I’ll go find a nurse to remove the needle.”

Was she being practical or just too angry to stay in the room?

Xu Li didn’t know what to say, and Old Mr. Ji, remembering she was still in the room, calmed down a bit. However, since the matter involved his eldest daughter-in-law and the Ji family’s reputation, some things were hard to say in front of her. The words to keep her around circled in his mind but ultimately remained unsaid.

“I’ll go ask if there’s anything else to be aware of,” Ji Duo, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

This matter had nothing to do with him, and having him go along wouldn’t be too neglectful of Lin Qiao.

Old Mr. Ji didn’t object, and once the two left, his face darkened completely, “When did Xiao Ze start dating? Why doesn’t the family know?”

“It just started. I only heard about it from Xiao Ze recently.” Ye Minshu’s eyes flickered, directly seating Song Jing where Lin Qiao had been sitting, “The two kids were too young before, so we didn’t think about it. Now that they’re older, we realized they are quite compatible.”

This apparent move to take Lin Qiao’s place made Old Mr. Ji’s face even darker.

Outside the hospital room, Lin Qiao didn’t seem in a hurry to return. She walked to the nurse’s station and said, “Comrade, could you please remove the needle from the patient in bed 33 in ten minutes?” Then she went to the stairwell.

This reaction clearly showed she was deliberately finding an excuse to leave.

Ji Duo followed her, watching as she opened the stairwell window and looked out at the budding trees, lost in thought. Her expression remained as calm as ever, not showing any signs of being upset about Xiao Ze’s relationship. Was she too good at hiding her emotions, or did she not care as long as the Ji family was willing to honor the marriage agreement?

Ji Duo’s eyes deepened as he walked to the other side of the window and asked, “What’s the situation at your home?”

Lin Qiao didn’t expect him to suddenly ask about her family, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She had deliberately left because she was an outsider, and with her there, the Ji family wouldn’t speak freely. But she had come for a reason, and this man hadn’t asked her anything on the way…

Seeing Lin Qiao not responding, Ji Duo glanced sideways, “Is it difficult to talk about?”

He wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, but since the matter involved his nephew Ji Ze, he asked a few more questions. If Ji Ze really had a fiancée, as an uncle, he naturally hoped his nephew could marry someone he liked, rather than being forced apart.

“It’s not difficult to talk about.” Lin Qiao shook her head and smiled frankly, “Actually, my uncle and aunt found me a match with good conditions. His father is the director of the county’s water conservancy plant, and the family has good connections.”

With such connections, finding a job in the city wouldn’t be difficult. After all, after the return of the educated youth (*), there weren’t many positions available in the city. Besides the best public jobs, many were still struggling to find work even with city household registrations, let alone those from rural areas. For rural people wanting to work in the city, the first step was to change their household registration to urban. Since the family conditions weren’t bad, there must be other issues. Ji Duo’s eyes were sharp, and he didn’t believe that a girl with such independence and sense would run away from home only to marry someone with better conditions.

T/N: 知青 (zhīqīng) refers to the “educated youth” in China who were sent to rural areas during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). This movement, known as the “Down to the Countryside Movement,” aimed to re-educate urban youth by having them work alongside rural farmers. The experience was meant to bridge the gap between urban and rural life and instill revolutionary values in the youth.

Sure enough, Lin Qiao continued, “But the man is divorced.”

A young girl marrying a divorced man…

Ji Duo’s brows furrowed, and Lin Qiao’s eyes showed no anger, only displeasure, “If it were just a second marriage, it would be fine. But he was an educated youth in our village, married a girl from our village, and had two children. When he returned to the city, he divorced her, saying it was a divorce without leaving the family. Once he settled in the city and got a job, he would bring his ex-wife and children over. But as soon as he returned, he turned his back on them, disliking the city’s family planning policies. That girl only had two daughters and didn’t receive a penny for their support.”

When the educated youth went to the countryside, they stayed for seven or eight years. Many got married locally. When they returned to the city, it was uncertain when they would come back, so many got married there. Unexpectedly, the policy changed again, allowing people to return, but those who married locally couldn’t. Educated youths who married each other had to divorce first. As a result, there were many divorces during those years, and indeed, some divorced but didn’t leave their families, later bringing their wives and children to the city.

However, the man Lin Shouyi and his wife found for her was clearly not one of those.

“The girl from our village went to the city to find him many times, but his family didn’t acknowledge her. It caused quite a stir. Eventually, she couldn’t wait any longer and married a man over ten years older than her. Just two months after she left, the village secretary’s wife came to introduce a match for me.”

“He returned to the city, so why didn’t he search there?”

“Probably because it was difficult. Zhao Jiaren caused a scene at his home and workplace many times, so many people knew he had abandoned his wife and daughter.”

At this point, Lin Qiao’s lips finally showed a hint of sarcasm. “I didn’t even know, and the two families had already arranged the marriage.”

The original body had no parents and was raised by her grandmother. Even if she knew, she didn’t dare to confront her uncle and aunt. But she was truly unwilling, crying under the covers all night until she had a heart attack. The next day, Lin Qiao transmigrated over.

Lin Qiao didn’t know how the original character in the book married the male lead, but she wasn’t one to sit and wait. She found those letters among Grandma Lin’s belongings at night, spent two days recovering, and then ran away under the cover of night.

If a man could abandon his wife and daughter once, he could do it a second time. She had no illusions about a scumbag turning over a new leaf.

Moreover, the man was interested in the original body because of her looks, unlike the male lead, who could remain chaste for years.

Lin Qiao didn’t want to marry such a rotten person and couldn’t understand why Lin Shouyi and his wife didn’t pursue the high-status Ji family but instead chose the son of a water pump factory director. Did they not know about the betrothal, or was there another reason?

As she pondered, Lin Qiao glanced at the silent man. He didn’t ask when he knew she had come for something, but after he learned about the marriage agreement. This man clearly didn’t want to acknowledge the agreement. In this regard, he was very much like the male lead. Lin Qiao was considering whether to confirm it when footsteps approached, and a young man in a military uniform walked up quickly. She instinctively stopped talking, planning to continue after he left. The man glanced around and suddenly stopped, “Uncle?”

Ji Duo responded calmly, “Hmm,” his gaze swept over the man’s open collar, “Why are you back?”

Noticing his gaze, the man hurriedly buttoned up, “I had some business to take care of and heard Grandpa was ill, so I came to check on him. How is he now?”

Old Mr. Ji was staying in a military hospital, and the doctors wore military uniforms under their white coats. But no one wore their uniform as casually as he did, with the discipline button undone and the bottom two buttons open, exposing a small part of his chest.

If this was the “Xiao Ze” they mentioned earlier, Lin Qiao thought he probably wasn’t the male lead in the book. He already had a fiancée, and his demeanor was too different. The frowning boy in the photo and this man were like two different people. As she observed him, he also noticed her, his gaze shifting between her and Ji Duo, becoming curious and ambiguous. “Uncle, you’re not in the ward with Grandpa but talking to someone here. Is this your girlfriend?”