Chapter 29

On her first day of work in the 1970s, Lin Xiang woke up early.

She didn’t own a watch, so when she went downstairs in her linen pajamas to collect her dress, she glanced at the wall clock in the living room—it was only 6:20.

There weren’t many entertainment activities in the 1970s, and with the scarcity of kerosene and electricity, people had long been accustomed to going to bed early and rising early.

Having been here for a month, Lin Xiang had already adjusted her schedule, getting rid of her past habit of staying up late for work, which used to leave her exhausted the next day, reliant on coffee to function.

Sounds were already coming from the kitchen—Feng Li was at the stove, cooking porridge and preparing pickled vegetables. Seeing Lin Xiang awake, she smiled and said, “Why not sleep a little longer? The food factory isn’t far; you have plenty of time.”

“Aunt Feng, I think I’m just a little excited. I’m well-rested, so I got up early.”

Lin Xiang went upstairs to change, washed up, and then went to the kitchen to help. Before long, Zhou Yuezhu came down, yawning.

Zhou Lu had arranged an accounting job for his daughter at the military logistics department. She wouldn’t start work until next week, so she was still enjoying a few leisurely days and usually slept in.

Today, she had woken up early just to see Lin Xiang off on her first day.

Feng Li had prepared a hearty breakfast: corn porridge, mixed flour steamed buns, and pickled vegetables. She even opened a can of shrimp paste.

“This is made in your factory,” Feng Li said, introducing it to Lin Xiang. “Since it’s a military-run factory, they sometimes provide benefits to soldiers’ families. It tastes really good.”

The deep red can was labeled with bold black characters reading “119 Food Factory,” with “Shrimp Paste” printed prominently in bright red. It had a simple, rustic look.

Lin Xiang took a bite of the shrimp paste—it was salty and rich, a perfect complement to the porridge and steamed buns. It was indeed a great product, worthy of being the factory’s best-seller.

“Aunt Feng, Yuezhu, I’m heading out now!” After breakfast, Lin Xiang dressed neatly and prepared to leave.

Feng Li gave her a motherly reminder, “Alright, take your time on the road. When you get to the factory, be polite and ask questions if you don’t understand anything. The supervisor of the shrimp paste production workshop at Factory No.1 is a friend of mine. If you have any issues at Factory No.2, you can go to her for help. Her name is Xie Limei—you can call her Aunt Mei. I’ve already spoken to her.”

“Got it. Thank you, Aunt Feng.” Lin Xiang appreciated how well Feng Li had arranged everything. After saying goodbye, she left the house.

The military family compound wasn’t far from the food factory—about a twenty-minute walk.

As she walked alone, she took in the scenery of the early morning at 7:30. The moist sea breeze carried a sense of relaxation.

Many military wives were also walking to the food factory for work, and occasionally, a few people on bicycles zipped past, their bells ringing. The crisp sound of “ring ring” never failed to draw envious glances.

Bicycles were expensive—at least a hundred yuan each. But more importantly, even if you had the money, you couldn’t buy one without a bicycle ration ticket. Those tickets were even harder to come by than ration coupons for meat, cloth, or sugar.

Lin Xiang felt a bit envious too. Who would’ve thought that one day she’d be longing for a bicycle?

By Monday morning, the entrance of the food factory was bustling with people. The workers in Factory No.1 all wore matching dark gray uniforms—button-up shirts on top, long pants below. Since they worked in food production, they also had to wear white sanitary caps once inside.

The scene outside Factory No.1 was lively, a sea of workers entering in waves.

In contrast, just across the wall, Factory No.2’s entrance was nearly deserted.

As Lin Xiang stepped through Factory No.2’s gate, she immediately sensed the stark difference. Compared to the bustling energy next door, Factory No.2 felt almost abandoned.

Factory No.1 was vast, featuring blue-stone workshop buildings, a three-story red-brick office building, a cafeteria, and dormitories. It housed the famed shrimp paste production line as well as other seafood canning and candy production lines.

Factory No.2, however, was much smaller. It had been reduced to just two workshops, producing only outdated soft drinks on the verge of being phased out. The workers moved slowly, chatting idly as they worked. There was only one small office, a single-story building with two rooms. There was no cafeteria or dormitory—everyone had to go to Factory No.1 for meals and lodging.

Lin Xiang had expected some decline, but seeing it firsthand was still surprising. Factory No.2 had clearly been left to wither.

Still, she wasn’t in a rush—she only needed to stay here for two or three months before transferring back to Factory No.1.

The Factory No.2 office had been downsized to just three people: an office director and two staff members.

When Director Zhao Jianjun saw a new hire being placed in his office, he was a little surprised.

Zhao Jianjun had been a military cook, a man with a sharp tongue who had once carried a cooking pot onto the battlefield. Later, he was discharged due to an injury and returned to farming in his hometown, struggling to make ends meet.

When the 119th Division established the food factory, an old superior called him back to work as a laborer. Eventually, he became the director of Factory No.2’s office.

But life here was slow and uneventful. Factory No.2 had been struggling for years, repeatedly failing to turn things around. With no real responsibilities, Zhao Jianjun spent his days reading newspapers and listening to the radio in his office, enjoying the leisure.

At fifty years old, his hair was already thinning. He glanced at Lin Xiang, then looked down at her file—her academic background was solid, and she had performed well on the entrance exam.

It was a shame she had to start in Factory No.2.

Yesterday, Director Tian had informed him about Lin Xiang’s situation—she wouldn’t be staying in Factory No.2 for long and would transfer back to Factory No.1 in a few months. He was asked to look after her in the meantime.

Zhao Jianjun didn’t really understand the reasoning behind it, but he agreed without question.

“We welcome our new colleague!” Zhao Jianjun called out to the two clerks, leading the applause.

The not-so-spacious office was instantly filled with clapping, nearly startling Lin Xiang. Were workplace welcoming ceremonies in the 1970s always this enthusiastic?

Well, on closer listening, the applause was rather sparse.

Some enthusiasm, but not too much.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Xiang. I joined the factory through this round of recruitment,” Lin Xiang introduced herself sincerely, looking at Director Zhao and then the two clerks—a man and a woman—offering them a friendly glance. “I look forward to working with you all. Let’s work hard together and enjoy our time here.”

Director Zhao, with his thinning hair, clapped again and grinned cheerfully. “Oh wow, as expected of a high school graduate—such a well-spoken young woman! Xiao Kong, Xiao Ma, listen to that, what a nice introduction!”

Aside from fifty-year-old Director Zhao, the office had two other employees. One was Ma Defa, a thirty-three-year-old man who was tall and thin, with a tired demeanor, resembling a lanky utility pole. The other was Kong Zhenzhen, a twenty-six-year-old woman with two short braids, knitting yarn placed on her desk.

“Welcome, welcome,” Ma Defa responded weakly, offering a halfhearted greeting.

Kong Zhenzhen, with a clearer voice, turned to the director and asked, “Director Zhao, are you implying that we’re undereducated?”

Zhao Jianjun quickly raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say that! Don’t put words in my mouth.”

Settling back into his seat, Zhao pointed to the only vacant desk. “Comrade Lin, that will be your desk. Xiao Ma and Xiao Kong are good people—if you need help, just ask them.”

“Understood, Director Zhao.”

Lin Xiang’s desk was in the corner of the office, near the door and against the wall by a window. A quick glance outside revealed tall, lush cyathea trees with dense, vibrant green leaves, making for a rather pleasant view.

The office itself was long and narrow. Director Zhao’s desk was positioned at the farthest end, with a bookshelf behind him, taking up the most space. To his right were Ma Defa and Kong Zhenzhen’s desks, arranged in a row. To the left was a long table holding various items like thermoses, enamel mugs, and tea canisters. Lin Xiang’s desk was positioned further down.

When she looked up, the first thing she saw was an iron thermos adorned with the slogan “Learn from Comrade Lei Feng” and a few tea cups. The table partially blocked her view of Director Zhao, but she could still see him across the office.

Sitting face-to-face with a superior on her first day—this would be a nightmare in modern times. Fortunately, the distance between them was enough, and the cluttered table served as a buffer.

In her past life, Lin Xiang had worked for two large corporations after graduating from university. Both were well-managed and highly regulated. While they didn’t strictly follow the infamous 996 work schedule, they were still incredibly busy, with overtime being the norm.

She had saved up some money, but the exhaustion was real.

Her colleagues used to say, “Just endure being a workhorse for a few more years—retirement will be worth it.”

Yet now, on her very first day, Lin Xiang already felt like she was experiencing early retirement.

The entire morning, no one assigned her any tasks. Director Zhao drank tea and read the newspaper for hours. Ma Defa scribbled furiously with a pen, occasionally pausing to chew on it or stare into space. As for Kong Zhenzhen, she spent the morning knitting.

Lin Xiang observed quietly. As a newcomer, she couldn’t just slack off openly, so she took the initiative to ask Director Zhao if there was any work for her. Lowering his newspaper to reveal his shiny bald head, Zhao responded, “Work? You want to work? Then go check on the production in the workshops.”

Lin Xiang finally got a task. However, after touring the two workshops, she was completely stunned.

The old soda production line ran sluggishly, frequently jamming. Many workers were knitting, chatting, or snacking on sunflower seeds.

By the time Lin Xiang returned, she had been generously gifted a handful of sunflower seeds by the workers.

Director Zhao grinned at her. “The workers seem pretty enthusiastic about their work, don’t they?”

Lin Xiang suddenly found it hard to answer. How was she supposed to respond to that?

Before she could say anything, Director Zhao continued, noticing the sunflower seeds in her hand. “Oh, they even shared snacks with you? See, I told you! Our factory may be struggling, but we’re united—especially welcoming to new employees! Lin, give me a few.”

Lin Xiang: “……”

The morning passed in a blur. About thirty minutes before the end of the shift, a lively commotion erupted outside the office. The three senior employees immediately perked up, putting down their activities and standing up simultaneously.

Before Lin Xiang could react, the three were already heading out. Ma Defa lazily turned back to call her, “Come on, if we’re late, we won’t get ahead of the workers from Factory No.1.”

After spending the morning barely working, Lin Xiang found herself finishing early, following her colleagues to Factory No.1’s cafeteria before their shift ended, leisurely picking out food before the rush.

“Sister Liu, give our office a little extra meat,” Kong Zhenzhen called out to the cafeteria worker in a loud, friendly voice. “Especially for our new colleague—look how skinny she is! She needs to eat more.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Director Zhao and Ma Defa pushed their lunchboxes forward, waiting for an extra serving of meat.

Finally, Kong Zhenzhen didn’t forget to remind Lin Xiang, “Come on, Lin Xiang, call Sister Liu. From now on, whenever you eat at the cafeteria, just look for Sister Liu. She’s the most enthusiastic and hardworking worker here—no one can compare!”

Lin Xiang was stunned by her colleagues’ tactics but obediently called out the name. Behind the food counter, Sister Liu laughed and scolded, “You people from Factory No.2 are like leeches—I really admire you!”

Despite her words, she still scooped a generous portion of stir-fried green peppers with pork onto Lin Xiang’s plate, her hand steady as ever. Lin Xiang counted at least four slices of meat.

Sitting at the table, Lin Xiang was surprised by how good the cafeteria food tasted. By the time they finished eating and leisurely cleaned their lunch boxes, Factory No.1’s workers finally arrived in a massive wave, rushing toward the food counter at a near sprint. Almost instantly, the cafeteria was packed wall to wall.

Lin Xiang suddenly felt grateful—getting off work early and eating early was amazing!

Not to mention, with so many people coming in, there was less meat to go around. The cafeteria worker’s hands started shaking under the pressure, and many workers ended up with only two slices of meat in their meals, leading to sighs and complaints.

After lunch, Lin Xiang had a two-hour break. She had never experienced such a long and leisurely lunch break before. She chatted with her colleagues for a bit to build rapport, then everyone simply rested at their desks. The afternoon passed in a similar fashion—two and a half hours of relaxed work before they got off half an hour early again.

By the end of her first workday, Lin Xiang felt like she was in a daze. Was this real?

Did she just start a new job, or was she about to retire?

---

When Lin Xiang returned to the Zhou family’s home, she was greeted by the aroma of food.

While it wasn’t possible to eat lavish meals every day, a neighbor and former comrade of Zhou Lu had sent over four coconuts today. In the afternoon, Feng Li and her daughter drank coconut water from one, then scooped out the flesh to stir-fry with pickled vegetables. The dish was surprisingly refreshing in the summer heat.

Lin Xiang had eaten this dish in her past life and found it quite unique.

The pickled vegetables were salty and fragrant, the coconut slices remained crisp after stir-frying, and the addition of a few finely chopped yellow lantern peppers gave it an extra kick of flavor.

After dinner, everyone took a coconut shell, poured the remaining coconut water into enamel cups, and enjoyed the refreshing sweetness. As Lin Xiang sipped, she shared her experience of her first day at work.

She had never seen such a laid-back work environment before. Everything felt fresh and strangely captivating. “I was a little shocked. Does Factory No.1 not care about Factory No.2 at all?”

Since she was new, she didn’t want to ask around too much, so she hoped Aunt Feng could shed some light.

Feng Li wasn’t surprised. “I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard things. When Factory No.2 was first built, it was quite energetic, bustling with activity. But after several failed attempts to get things going, it gradually became what it is now. Your supervisor, Director Tian, and even the factory manager know about this. People outside the factory are already saying that Factory No.2 will eventually merge with Factory No.1.”

If that happened, Factory No.2 would go from being an independent factory to a minor workshop—a steep drop in status. And the workers wouldn’t integrate easily.

Feng Li reassured Lin Xiang, “Just stay put for now. In a few months, you’ll be transferred to Factory No.1 anyway. Factory No.1 is much better—their products sell well, and their workers earn higher wages and bonuses.”

Lin Xiang thought the same. She just had to get through two or three months.

In the days that followed, she continued going to work at Factory No.2 and gradually picked up on its quirks. Factory No.1 required workers to check in, but Factory No.2 had no such rule, so Lin Xiang was always the first to arrive at the office.

There were four people in the office, and the other three always found something to do while still managing to slack off with ease. Lin Xiang, on the other hand, had nothing to do.

She suddenly realized—wasn’t this the dream job she had always wished for when she was working herself to exhaustion in the corporate world?

It was strangely amusing.

And so, Lin Xiang muddled through her early days in the new job. A few days later, after work, she unexpectedly ran into someone she hadn’t seen in a while—someone she had almost forgotten about.

“Comrade Lin Xiang!”

The voice belonged to Song Wei, the man whom He Hongyuan had once described as a “peacocking show-off.” He jogged up to her with a bright smile.

Lin Xiang had nearly forgotten about him. It had been almost half a month since their “blind date,” though it wasn’t much of one since He Hongyuan had crashed their meal.

Instead of a date, it had turned into a casual dinner for three. Now that she thought about it, she suspected He Hongyuan had done it on purpose.

After that day, Song Wei hadn’t contacted her, which made his intentions clear. That was fine—no awkwardness for either of them.

“Comrade Lin Xiang, I—I’m sorry. After our meal last time, I was deployed for a mission at sea and didn’t get a chance to let you know.”

Song Wei had just returned from his assignment yesterday. His recent naval patrol mission had been sudden.

Langhua Island was responsible for safeguarding the southern seas of China. Foreign vessels occasionally tested the waters, so Chinese naval forces conducted daily patrols to monitor and deter any incursions. These routine patrols typically rotated every two weeks.

However, half a month ago, unusual activity was detected in the southeastern waters. The patrol team reported their findings, and reinforcements were called in—Song Wei was among those deployed.

With the situation resolved, Song Wei had returned yesterday, slept in his dormitory, and now, he had come looking for Lin Xiang.

After all, the last time he had a blind date, he was immediately sent on a mission. The date didn’t work out, and he never got the chance to say what was on his mind.

Now, after nearly half a month, he saw Comrade Lin Xiang again. She was still just as beautiful—elegant and well-mannered, completely different from his own brash nature. And on top of that, she was related to Captain He.

Song Wei pondered for a moment—if he really ended up with Lin Xiang, wouldn’t that mean he’d have to call Captain He “brother”?

That was actually kind of terrifying.

Lin Xiang, however, didn’t mind. “It’s fine, duty calls. You do what you have to do.”

She had plans to go coconut-picking with Yuezhu and was just exchanging a few pleasantries with Song Wei before leaving.

“Hey, Comrade Lin Xiang, about… about tomorrow, would you like to… watch…” Song Wei called out to her, but when she turned her bright, clear eyes toward him, his face instantly flushed, and he started stammering. “Watch… a d-dianying…”

The word “movie” came out garbled and rushed. He was so nervous that he mentally scolded himself for being so useless.

Lin Xiang more or less understood what he meant but was a bit surprised. Could it be that he still wanted to pursue their blind date?

But…

Lin Xiang suddenly recalled someone else who had appeared a few days ago, saying, “I was worried that while I was gone for half a month, someone else might snatch you away.”

That man—was he being devious? Had he already predicted this would happen?

Now, as she listened to Song Wei’s invitation, all she could think about was He Hongyuan.

Looking at Song Wei again, Lin Xiang realized she had never considered continuing their blind date. It had already been a while, and she didn’t want to waste his time.

“Comrade Song Wei, I’m sorry, but I have plans,” she declined politely.

“Oh?” Song Wei hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage to ask, “Then… when would you be free?”

Hearing the persistence in his voice, Lin Xiang carefully hinted, “Comrade Song Wei, I really enjoyed chatting with you last time. I’m happy we became friends. If we ever get the chance, we can watch an open-air movie with the unit together.”

Song Wei’s face, already darkened from spending half a month at sea, visibly fell. The young soldier couldn’t hide his disappointment—he understood now. Comrade Lin Xiang simply wasn’t interested in him.

“Alright, then. If there’s ever a chance, we’ll watch an open-air movie together,” he said. He knew he couldn’t keep pestering her, so he saluted and jogged off.

Lin Xiang rarely saw such an earnest young man. Watching his retreating figure, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. What a shame.

It was all He Hongyuan’s fault. If he hadn’t said those things before he left, she wouldn’t have been feeling so conflicted.

Even on her second day at Factory No. 2, when a workshop senior tried to introduce her to someone, she had politely refused.

So annoying. He Hongyuan was truly annoying!

—

Lin Xiang was charming, had a high school education, and even worked in an office at Factory No. 2. Since word got out that she was still single, many people wanted to introduce her to potential suitors.

Thus, she spent the past two weeks leisurely working and politely turning down blind dates.

By Saturday, the workday ended half an hour earlier than usual. With Sunday being a day off, everyone was eager to head home.

As Director Zhao was leaving, he reminded Lin Xiang, “Since you’re not busy anyway, going home early saves the factory electricity and water—it’s a contribution, really.”

Lin Xiang muttered, “…That actually makes sense?”

It was only 3:30 in the afternoon when she left the factory, and she wasn’t used to it. Since it was still early and tomorrow was a day off, she decided to visit the nearby seafood station.

She was staying at the Zhou family’s house, eating and drinking their food most of the time, so to avoid owing too many favors, she often bought groceries, seafood, and snacks for them.

She was in luck today—a fishing boat had just returned, and the seafood station had a fresh batch of crabs, all large, plump, and meaty male crabs, each weighing around 150 grams.

In the future, crabs would become expensive, and even though Lin Xiang’s salary was decent, eating crabs would still feel like a luxury. But right now, it was a different story. They were sold by weight—only eight cents per jin (500 grams). She was completely shocked.

She bought two jin, which was enough for three people at home. Since crabs were cooling for the body, it wasn’t good to eat too many. Captain Zhou and He Hongyuan were still out on a mission at sea.

Thinking of He Hongyuan, Lin Xiang paused while holding the net bag. Last night, Aunt Feng had mentioned that, based on their usual mission duration, they would probably return around Wednesday or Thursday next week.

Aunt Feng and Yuezhu missed Captain Zhou. As for herself…

She really didn’t want to think about that man who had said all those unnecessary things before he left.

After buying the crabs, she picked up some small shrimp to make porridge and a bunch of tender Chinese cabbage. With her hands full, she headed home.

By 4 p.m., the sun was starting to set. After walking for a while, Lin Xiang’s forehead was slightly damp with sweat. Since it wasn’t quite the usual time for people to get off work, there weren’t many soldiers around the residential area.

So when she suddenly saw a tall soldier striding toward her, she froze.

That tall, upright figure… looked oddly familiar.

As the man got closer, his handsome and well-defined face became clear. Lin Xiang’s mind replayed Aunt Feng’s words—They’ll probably be back around Wednesday or Thursday.

She had thought she had a few more days to prepare herself, to mentally relax a little.

After all, ten days ago, He Hongyuan had said those things to her, and she wasn’t ready to face him again.

But now, the man who should still be out at sea was walking straight toward her. He stopped just half a meter away, leaned down, and took the net bag of seafood from her hands, as well as the cabbage she was holding. Then, looking up at her, the corners of his lips curved into a rare smile—like an iceberg melting.

“These crabs are quite big. When I got off the boat, I ran into some fishermen, and they gave me a few. I brought them back,” he said casually.

Are they really at the level of familiarity where they can talk like this?

Especially the way he so naturally took the seafood and vegetables from her hands—just like the other soldiers picking up groceries with their wives before heading home.

Lin Xiang withdrew her gaze, cutting off her wandering thoughts. She sneaked a glance at him, only to meet his smiling eyes. Startled, she quickly looked away. “You’re back from your mission?”

“Yeah.” He Hongyuan, usually a man of few words, uncharacteristically offered an explanation. “We wrapped up a few days early this time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been back until later.”

“Oh.” Lin Xiang, usually articulate, found herself struggling to say anything else. She focused on walking naturally beside He Hongyuan toward the Zhou family home.

Just as she finally calmed her nerves and told herself to treat things as usual, she suddenly heard him say—

“The moment I got off the ship, I went straight to the guesthouse, thinking I’d check in with you and let you know I was back. But you were nowhere to be found.” He stood tall in his crisp military uniform, looking just as sharp as ever despite spending half a month at sea. At that moment, though, his left hand held a mesh bag filled with crabs and shrimp—an odd contrast to his usual commanding presence—while his right hand cradled a bundle of fresh greens. A faint smile played at his lips as he added, “For a second, I thought maybe you got scared off by what I said last time and took the chance to disappear—bag and all—while I was away.”

Lin Xiang: “……”

She had never expected to be teased by such a serious military man. She shot him a glare, completely unaware that under the warm afternoon sun, her cheeks were flushed pink, like a ripe April peach. That glare, far from being intimidating, only made her look even more endearing.

Her soft lips parted as she huffed, “Why would I run?”

But after being teased, her voice carried a trace of petulance rather than actual anger.

He Hongyuan’s lips tugged slightly, his usual stoic expression nowhere to be seen. It was as if all the smiles he had held back over the years were now spilling out in front of her.

“Good. As long as you didn’t run.”

Lin Xiang could no longer be bothered with him. She simply walked ahead, letting him carry the groceries if he wanted to—fine by her, less effort for her.

As she walked, her two braided pigtails swayed gently behind her.

He Hongyuan didn’t tease her again. He simply followed along, carrying the seafood and vegetables, his eyes brimming with amusement.

He recalled the way she had looked just moments ago—half annoyed, half shy—so unexpectedly cute.

That usually rigid heart of his felt as if it had been brushed by a feather, light and ticklish, sending a pleasant, numbing warmth through his chest.