Chapter 33

Master Feng from Factory No. 1’s maintenance team suddenly launched into a tirade. Zhao Jianjun was momentarily stunned but quickly broke into a grin and chuckled, “Old Feng, listen to yourself! Are you saying Factory No. 2 fixing its own equipment is a mistake? Everything we do is for production and the factory’s success, isn’t it?”

But Master Feng wasn’t buying it. Even Factory No. 1 workers would get scolded if they recklessly tampered with equipment, let alone Factory No. 2—a group of slackers with zero enthusiasm for production.

“Zhao Jianjun, the day your factory actually cares about production will be the day the sun rises from the west! You think I don’t know what you lot are like?” His face darkened, his stern voice carrying the weight of decades of technical expertise. “The equipment here is worth tens, even hundreds of thousands. Where do you get the nerve to take it apart as you please? If you break it, can you afford to pay for it?”

“Come on, it’s not that serious,” Zhao Jianjun continued to smile, though a sharp glint flickered in his eyes. “The equipment is running smoothly now, no issues at all! Besides, if you keep scowling like that, you might scare our new worker half to death.”

Word of the argument between Master Feng and Zhao Jianjun quickly spread to the Factory No. 2 workshop. At that moment, Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen were checking production records, chatting and laughing with the other workers.

Since Lin Xiang had repaired the factory’s equipment, the workers all gave her a thumbs-up whenever she was mentioned. The woman who always carried sunflower seeds even stuffed a handful into her hand while gossiping, “Xiao Lin, you and Captain He are dating now, right? Are you two getting married soon? When the time comes, you better let us share in the joy!”

Everyone said the older workers loved to gossip, and news of Lin Xiang’s relationship had spread far and wide. Since He Hongyuan was a well-known figure in the military, she had gained some fame by association. Faced with their teasing, she struggled to respond—luckily, the commotion outside quickly diverted their attention.

A worker who had gone outside to watch the commotion rushed back, dramatically announcing, “Xiao Lin, you better hide! If not, sneak out the back door—Old He Feng from Factory No. 1 is here looking for trouble! He’s accusing you of messing with the equipment and breaking it!”

Hearing that Master Feng, also known as “Old He,” had arrived, the sunflower seed woman clapped her thigh and tried to push Lin Xiang toward the back door. “You’re young and thin-skinned—you won’t be able to handle his scolding! Go hide!”

Lin Xiang had never heard of this “Old He” before, but judging by the workers’ reactions, he was clearly no ordinary person. However, from what she gathered, the maintenance team thought she had botched the equipment repair and was here to hold her accountable.

She had no intention of hiding—doing so might actually make Factory No. 1’s maintenance team pin the blame on her.

“Brother Liu, Sister Qiu, I’ll go take a look. The masters from Factory No. 1 wouldn’t be unreasonable, right? Our equipment is running perfectly now. If there’s still an issue, it’s a great opportunity for them to fix it—and I can learn something in the process.”

The workers thought Lin Xiang had no idea how formidable Old He was—this was a man who even dared to challenge the factory director!

Master Feng had no patience for further arguments with Zhao Jianjun. Since he couldn’t get a straight answer out of him, he simply marched into the workshop to inspect the equipment himself. If there really was a major issue, he wouldn’t show any mercy!

The workshop instantly grew lively. Master Feng recognized most of the workers, but his gaze quickly locked onto the only unfamiliar face—a young woman who was clearly the new hire from Factory No. 2 and the one who had supposedly taken apart the equipment.

She looked soft and delicate—not at all like someone who could handle machinery. Master Feng narrowed his eyes and bellowed, “Comrades of Factory No. 2! Even if your production tasks are light and your contributions to the factory are minimal, that doesn’t mean you can fool around! And you definitely shouldn’t let a brand-new worker tinker with the equipment!”

His words were almost a direct accusation, and murmurs spread throughout the workshop.

The sunflower seed woman, Qiu Hongxia, ground a shell under her cloth shoe and laughed, “Master Feng, listen to yourself! If your Factory No. 1 maintenance team had answered our calls after three urgent requests, we wouldn’t have had to fix it ourselves.”

Her remark sparked a chorus of agreement.

“Exactly! Factory No. 1 sure is quick with repairs—if we just sat around waiting, how would we get anything done? We can’t afford to waste a whole day’s work!”

Master Feng felt a headache coming on. Did they really expect him to believe they were worried about production? He had never seen them so proactive before!

But amidst the chatter, the young woman at the center of it all remained calm—no anxious explanations, no sign of fear.

His heart sank. This girl didn’t seem to understand the weight of the situation at all.

Lin Xiang could tell from the other workers’ attitudes that Master Feng held considerable status in the food factory—he was probably a real expert. In this era, skills were power. A man with technical expertise had confidence, and even the factory director had to respect him.

But today, Master Feng clearly had a problem with her. Still, Lin Xiang wasn’t in a hurry. She stepped forward and said evenly, “Master Feng, our factory’s equipment had some minor issues yesterday—it simply wouldn’t start. Since we didn’t want to delay production, we tried fixing it ourselves. We were lucky, and now everything is running smoothly. It’s great that you’re here to take a look. You’re the expert, so we’d appreciate it if you could inspect the equipment for any potential issues.”

Her tone was neither arrogant nor timid. She explained the situation without boasting about her repair work, nor did she try to challenge the maintenance team’s authority.

Master Feng didn’t realize it, but his anger had slightly subsided. Of course, he was still proud and stubborn, so instead of arguing further, he simply went straight to inspecting the equipment.

Master Feng and Master Huang worked swiftly, expertly handling the large machinery. What was an untouchable behemoth to most was second nature to them, as they deftly dismantled the equipment, inspecting it from all angles with ease.

The workers watched from the side, while a few older women quietly reassured Lin Xiang. “Don’t worry, Xiao Lin. We can all testify that the equipment was already fixed. If they take it apart and then claim something’s broken to report you, we’ll tell the factory director it was them who broke it!”

Even though they spoke in hushed tones, their words still reached Master Huang’s ears, making him press his lips together to stifle a laugh. What kind of people were these at Factory No. 2? So openly scheming against him and his master—it was honestly kind of amusing.

As for Master Feng, he simply furrowed his brows and scoffed. He wasn’t about to lower himself to argue with this lazy, good-for-nothing lot from Factory No. 2.

Lin Xiang hadn’t expected the workers to come up with such a cunning plan—reporting the maintenance team to help her out. It was oddly endearing. She suppressed a small smile and reassured them, “Sister Qiu, don’t worry. We followed the manual exactly when we fixed the equipment yesterday. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

She was confident in their work.

Sure enough, as they observed Master Feng’s expression, they noticed his face growing more and more perplexed. After thoroughly inspecting the machine, he kept furrowing his brows and occasionally stealing skeptical glances at Lin Xiang.

“Young lady, how exactly did you instruct them to repair this equipment?” Master Feng finally acknowledged Lin Xiang directly.

Well, this was surprising. This machine had always been riddled with issues—constant minor faults requiring frequent maintenance. Yet this time, not only had it been repaired well, but even several components had been replaced just right.

Lin Xiang remained humble and answered honestly, “Master Feng, we studied the manual and followed its instructions.”

Master Feng was taken aback. “You can read the manual? But that’s…”

That’s written in a foreign language!

Master Feng had only received an elementary education, and his knowledge of electrical work came purely from hands-on experience and years of practice. When the factory first introduced foreign machinery, he had to spend two months at another plant learning from others before he could operate it. But even now, he still struggled with the technical manuals—those strange foreign words were simply incomprehensible to him. Over the years, he had managed to figure things out through trial and error, but it had been a long and arduous process.

And now, this new recruit at Factory No. 2 was claiming she could read the manual?

“Comrade Lin, come with me,” Master Feng ordered, pulling Lin Xiang aside.

But to the others at Factory No. 2, this seemed ominous. They all looked at Lin Xiang with concern. Such a young girl—Master Feng was known for making even burly apprentices cry during training!

Immediately, some workers spoke up, “Master Feng, you’re old enough to be her father. Don’t bully a young girl like that.”

“If you’ve got something to say, say it here! Don’t go making Xiao Lin cry!”

Master Feng, just a few steps away, felt a headache coming on. Damn it, were the people at Factory No. 2 completely out of their minds?

---

While Factory No. 2 was abuzz with excitement, gossip was spreading rapidly at Factory No. 1 as well.

He Fen had regained her confidence and returned to the office with renewed vigor, shaking off her earlier humiliation. She eagerly shared the latest gossip with her coworkers: “I just stopped by the maintenance team and saw Master Feng storming off to Factory No. 2 for an inspection. He looked absolutely furious! I bet he’ll be back soon to report this to the factory director.”

Everyone perked up at the promise of drama and quickly asked for details. “What happened? How did Factory No. 2 manage to piss off Master Feng again?”

“Oh, it’s all because Lin Xiang decided to play technician and insisted on dismantling the equipment yesterday. She’s a newbie and has no business messing with machinery. You all know how much Master Feng values these machines—of course he’s furious!” He Fen explained smugly.

Officer Bai gasped. “Lin Xiang has some nerve!”

Secretary Hong was equally shocked. “She’s doomed. Master Feng won’t just scold her—he’ll take this straight to the factory director. These rookies never know their place. Why provoke Master Feng of all people?”

Among them, only Shen Chunli seemed unsure of Master Feng’s reputation. “Is he really that scary?”

He Fen put on an air of kindness, acting as if she was merely looking out for the newcomer. “Chunli, you’re new, so you wouldn’t know. Master Feng has a lot of authority in the factory—he doesn’t even give the factory director much face. And now Lin Xiang has made him angry? She’s in for it.”

She then chuckled lightly. “But hey, this has nothing to do with me. Don’t give me that attitude. Lin Xiang was the one who dismantled the equipment, and Master Feng was the one who got mad.”

Shen Chunli pursed her lips, sensing He Fen’s glee in watching Lin Xiang fail.

While everyone was silently mourning for Lin Xiang’s impending misfortune, Officer Bai, who had been keeping an eye on the entrance, suddenly spotted Master Huang from the maintenance team rushing back alone.

She immediately called out, “Master Huang, you’re back already? Come here!”

A crowd quickly gathered around him, eager for an update. Some wanted to watch the drama unfold, others were just bored, and a few were genuinely hoping to see Lin Xiang fail.

“So? Is Master Feng scolding her right now?”

“Did Lin Xiang cry?”

“I knew it—Factory No. 2 never learns! Messing with the equipment? They were asking for trouble!”

Soon, even passersby stopped to listen, eager to hear the latest on Factory No. 2’s so-called “reckless” new employee, Lin Xiang.

The crowd chattered away, making it nearly impossible for Master Xiao Huang to get a word in.

“No, no!” Master Xiao Huang finally shouted, bringing a momentary silence. Scratching his head in confusion, he asked, “Where did you hear that Master Feng was scolding the Factory No. 2 and Comrade Lin Xiang? That never happened!”

He Fen exclaimed in shock, “How could he not? I saw with my own eyes how furious Master Feng was! Weren’t you all going over there to settle the score?”

Master Xiao Huang sighed, then suddenly grinned. “Ah, this is all blown out of proportion. Master was angry at first, thinking someone had messed with the equipment. But it turns out Comrade Lin Xiang actually knows her stuff—not only did she repair the machine, but she also understands the manual. She even discussed it in depth with Master Feng. He just praised her for being so capable at such a young age.”

The crowd: ???
He Fen: !!!

Master Xiao Huang had only come back to the Factory No. 1 to grab his master’s toolbox, so after dropping that bombshell of an explanation, he quickly ran off, leaving everyone behind in utter confusion.

The workers exchanged stunned looks. “Master Feng actually praised someone?”

It was common knowledge that Master Feng was strict with himself and others, rarely giving out compliments. Even his own apprentices—ten of them over the years—had never received such praise. But today, he had praised the new employee from the Factory No. 2! It was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight!

Once the excitement died down, people returned to work, though they still muttered about it under their breath. However, He Fen remained frozen in place, murmuring, “Impossible…”

When she returned to the office, Officer Bai sitting diagonally across from her, chuckled. “Looks like that Comrade Lin is quite talented. What a shame… If someone hadn’t schemed to send her to the Factory No. 2, her abilities wouldn’t be going to waste.”

He Fen understood the jab immediately. She shot Bai Yun a sharp glance but chose to stay silent.

A colleague chimed in, “Come on now, fixing a machine once by pure luck doesn’t mean much. It’s not like she’s about to steal the repair team’s job.”

“Besides,” another added, “she’ll be back in a few months to take over Sister Sun’s position. We’ll all be working together again soon, so what’s the point of making a fuss?”

He Fen bit her lip and angrily returned to her seat, only to hear a quiet chuckle from the next desk over—Shen Chunli. Her hands trembled with frustration.

“Some people were so eager to see her get scolded, and yet, look who’s the one embarrassed now.”

Shen Chunli spoke coolly. She had seen enough to know that not everyone in this office was trustworthy. He Fen, in particular, was nasty—she had already sabotaged Lin Xiang once and was still trying to make trouble for her. What a schemer!

As the end of the workday approached, Shen Chunli, for the first time since joining the factory, made her way over to the Factory No. 2.

The Factory No. 2 had a bad reputation—said to be rundown, filled with unmotivated workers who shirked responsibility, with no sense of dedication to production. Naturally, Shen Chunli had little fondness for the place.

However, upon stepping into the Factory No. 2, she realized it wasn’t exactly as she had imagined. The workers weren’t completely lifeless; in fact, they were full of energy—but only when it came to clocking out. They ran out faster than rabbits when the shift ended.

Standing outside the Factory No. 2’s office, she spotted several people inside. Director Zhao was chatting happily with his teacup in hand, while a male officer was scribbling away, occasionally reciting lines of poetry. A female officer was knitting, and Lin Xiang was cracking sunflower seeds with a bright smile.

It was downright lazy and shameful!

“Lin Xiang!” Shen Chunli called from the doorway.

Lin Xiang was surprised to see her there. Stepping out of the office, she asked, “Comrade Shen Chunli, what brings you here?”

“Lin Xiang, you mustn’t let yourself be influenced by the laziness here. In a few months, you’ll be returning to the Factory No. 1—you have to keep your ideological consciousness sharp!”

Lin Xiang: “…”

This young woman spoke like an old cadre giving a political lecture.

“Actually, the Factory No. 2 isn’t as bad as you think. It’s quite alright here,” Lin Xiang said. She had come to realize that the Factory No. 2 wasn’t as terrible as the rumors suggested. The workers were optimistic and even looked out for her when they thought she was about to get scolded by Master Feng.

That was more than she could say for some people in the Factory No. 1.

Shen Chunli looked at her in horror—she had already been corrupted! But since they weren’t particularly close, she refrained from pushing the issue too much. Instead, she warned, “Just think carefully about it. You’ll be back in the Factory No. 1 soon enough, so don’t get too entangled with the Factory No. 2. You don’t want your reputation to suffer. Also, be careful of He Fen—she’s been targeting you all along.”

Lin Xiang’s eyes flickered. After asking around, she quickly learned that He Fen had spoken to Master Feng right before he stormed into the Factory No. 2.

She didn’t even need to think too hard—He Fen must have been the one stirring up trouble again.

“I’ll be careful. Thanks,” Lin Xiang said sincerely. She had come to see Shen Chunli as a straightforward person—especially after the last incident, when Shen Chunli had wanted to return the propaganda officer position to her. She was blunt but decent.

Shen Chunli’s face stiffened, remembering how she had been tricked into making a fool of herself on the train. This was the same Lin Xiang who had pretended to be pitiful, pointed at an old lady, and accused her of being a human trafficker!

She huffed, “No need to thank me. I don’t care about you—I just feel uneasy taking the position that should’ve been yours. If you can’t return to the Factory No. 1 later, I won’t feel right about it.”

It was clear that He Fen didn’t want Lin Xiang to come back, which was why she kept causing trouble for her.

Lin Xiang noticed Shen Chunli’s awkwardness and smiled. Before saying goodbye, she ran back into the office, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and stuffed them into Shen Chunli’s hand.

“Well, I still have to thank you for coming all the way here to warn me. Here, take these—I’m just passing along the generosity. I’m heading home now. See you, Chunli!”

Shen Chunli stood there, staring at the sunflower seeds in her hand, speechless.

Shen Chunli angrily clutched the sunflower seeds. Ugh, it wasn’t even the end of the workday yet, and Lin Xiang was already following their bad example and leaving early. And she even called her “Chunli” so casually?

They weren’t even that close! She should at least add “comrade” to it!

====

Lin Xiang didn’t actually go straight home after leaving early. Master Feng, upon discovering that she could read foreign instruction manuals, grabbed her for a long round of questioning. He even pulled out a manual from the “TIME” brand and discussed it with her for a good while, clicking his tongue in amazement.

It was only because the factory’s maintenance work required his presence that he reluctantly let her go. Before leaving, he even told Lin Xiang to come to Factory No. 1 before the end of her shift to look at more equipment manuals.

Walking from Factory No. 2 to Factory No. 1, the difference in scale and infrastructure was immediately noticeable—like stepping from the 1950s into the 1970s. The contrast was stark.

The office building in Factory No. 1 was clean and grand, the workshops spacious and modern. In comparison, Factory No. 2… sigh. As a Factory No. 2 worker, Lin Xiang couldn’t help but sigh internally—it was like one was the favored child, and the other the neglected stepchild.

However, as she walked through Factory No. 1, she noticed something strange—she seemed to have gained some “fame” here. Workers would glance at her, and some even greeted her in passing.

She sensed that something was off but couldn’t quite figure it out.

What she didn’t know was that after He Fen was publicly criticized, she had gradually become the latest gossip topic in Factory No. 1. Adding to that, He Fen’s earlier exaggerations had led everyone to believe that Lin Xiang had been scolded by Master Feng. But then, to everyone’s surprise, Master Huang had outright denied it, saying that Master Feng had actually praised her instead!

This was huge!

One thing after another, and now Lin Xiang was the talk of the factory.

When she finally reached the maintenance team, Master Feng, who had initially been wearing a stern face, brightened up upon seeing her. He waved her over eagerly.

“Come, Xiao Lin! Take a look at this manual. Our shrimp paste fermentation equipment has been having issues for a while. We’ve studied it for ages but still can’t completely fix it. Who knows what’s up with this foreign contraption!”

In the past, Master Feng had always researched things on his own. But now that he had found someone who could read English manuals, how could he not be excited?

Lin Xiang wasn’t well-versed in technical jargon, so she could only translate the common terms and work through the rest with Master Feng. He relied on his understanding of equipment and technology, while she leveraged her knowledge of English. Together, they managed to piece together a rough translation.

…

As a result, Lin Xiang ended up staying twenty minutes past her usual shift time before finally leaving work.

Master Feng beamed as he held onto the annotated translation. “Look at you all! Not a single one of you is as useful as this new girl!”

He glared at his apprentices in disappointment.

But when he turned to Lin Xiang, his expression softened. “Xiao Lin, come by every day to help. Our factory has a lot of equipment!”

Lin Xiang eyed the ever-unpredictable Master Feng with a bit of apprehension. She was worried she’d get scolded if she translated something incorrectly. More importantly, wasn’t this just making her work overtime every day?

She hesitated and said, “Master Feng, Factory No. 2 still has a lot of work to do. I don’t think I can come to Factory No. 1 every day…”

Master Feng’s face darkened instantly. His sharp gaze locked onto her—just as he suspected! A young worker like her, after barely half a month, had already been corrupted by those slackers in Factory No. 2!

“I get it!” He had dealt with Factory No. 2 workers before. Factory No. 1 valued selfless dedication, while Factory No. 2 was all about calculating personal gain. Nobody there would let others take advantage of them. “I’ll report to the factory director and get you overtime pay!”

Lin Xiang’s eyes lit up. Unexpected perks! She was short on money and ration tickets—especially fabric, meat, sugar, and pastry coupons!

“Can I get more coupons?” she asked eagerly. “I haven’t been here long and don’t have much. Without coupons, I can’t buy anything.”

Master Feng narrowed his cloudy old eyes. Look at this girl, getting bold and trying to negotiate with him!

Before he could reprimand her, Lin Xiang quickly added, “Master Feng, if possible, I can translate all the equipment manuals and compile them into a reference book, complete with diagrams. That way, everyone can use it more easily in the future.”

Cough cough. Fine. Let her push her luck a little.

——

With Master Feng’s promise to personally request extra ration tickets from the factory director, Lin Xiang was overjoyed. Normally, such a request wouldn’t go through, but Master Feng had the influence to make it happen.

For translating a single manual into a booklet, she’d get a two-yuan stipend plus a month’s worth of ration coupons. If she translated a few more, she could stock up on a decent amount of coupons! Enough for fabric, clothes, meat, sugar, pastries… life would be much more comfortable.

If she had to rely solely on her regular monthly ration, it would take her a whole year just to save enough fabric coupons for a single outfit. That was far too difficult.

Besides, work at Factory No. 2 was so leisurely that she could just bring the manuals there and translate them during work hours—no need for overtime at all. A perfect win-win!

Feeling pleased with this unexpected windfall, Lin Xiang strode briskly toward the factory gate. By this time, most of the workers from Factory No. 1 had already left, and the path was relatively quiet.

But just as she reached the entrance, she suddenly spotted a tall, straight-backed figure standing there.

Her dear fiancé was waiting at the gate!

Lin Xiang’s twin braids bounced as she eagerly ran up to He Hongyuan, grinning as she called out, “Comrade He Hongyuan, guess what good news I have today!”

In He Hongyuan’s eyes, Lin Xiang was usually relaxed and carefree, but it was rare to see her so openly joyful as she ran toward him, her delight almost tangible, like a swallow in spring soaring into one’s heart.

Watching her stop in front of him, He Hongyuan couldn’t help but curve his lips into a slight smile and played along, “Did the factory give you another paycheck?”

He still remembered how happy Lin Xiang had been the last time she got paid, as if it was the greatest joy in the world.

Lin Xiang’s eyes arched playfully, her cheeks full of mirth. “Half right! But it’s not my regular salary—it’s extra earnings.”

As they walked toward the family quarters, Lin Xiang excitedly recounted how the repair team at Factory No. 1 had sought her out to help translate equipment manuals. She concluded with a grin, “Turns out, our Factory No. 2’s reputation isn’t entirely bad. At least Master Feng was quick to promise me additional ration tickets. If it had been a worker from Factory No. 1, he probably wouldn’t have agreed so easily. He’d think it lacked ideological awareness. But since I’m from Factory No. 2, you should’ve seen Master Feng’s expression—he looked at me like I’d already been corrupted by Factory No. 2’s lazy mindset! Like I was a lost cause!”

Lin Xiang chattered animatedly about the events at the factory. Normally, He Hongyuan had little interest in anything unrelated to warfare or training, but this time, he found himself quietly listening. Her crisp, melodious voice slipped into his ears, and somehow, into his heart.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Lin Xiang turned to him and hesitantly asked, “Do you think I’m being selfish, asking for overtime pay instead of selflessly contributing to the factory?”

Dating was an important life experience, but it also required mutual understanding. Even people from the same era had ideological and value-based differences, let alone those from different times. The gap between past and present could be vast.

Would He Hongyuan think she was being too calculating? That she should be volunteering her translation work without expecting anything in return?

His deep voice cut in, matter-of-factly, “Overtime should be paid, especially since you work at Factory No. 2 but are helping Factory No. 1. If you didn’t ask for compensation, I’d be worried.”

Lin Xiang blinked, amusement twinkling in her bright eyes. “Worried about what?”

“That you’d be too naive, getting taken advantage of and worked like a mule.” He Hongyuan let out a low chuckle. “A person should never allow themselves to be bullied. If it happens once, it’ll happen again.”

Lin Xiang huffed playfully, “That won’t happen to me~”

She had almost forgotten—Comrade He Hongyuan wasn’t just anyone!

---

At Factory No. 2, Lin Xiang had a light workload and plenty of downtime, so she brought several of Master Feng’s troublesome equipment manuals back to the office to translate.

Given the era, foreign languages hadn’t been taught or encouraged in recent years. In fact, knowing a foreign language could sometimes invite trouble. Lin Xiang was cautious, claiming she had only a basic understanding of it. Her family background was clean, so there was nothing suspicious about her skills.

Because of this, she deliberately slowed down her translation, focusing more on marking key points on the illustrated diagrams.

Time passed quickly, and soon the week came to an end. On Sunday, with everyone off work, Lin Xiang wrapped up her tasks and prepared for her first shopping trip into town!

Early in the morning, Feng Li had already prepared food—boiling two eggs and steaming three corncobs. After breakfast, the three women—Lin Xiang, Feng Li, and Zhou Yuezhu—set out, leaving behind Zhou Shenghuai, who had to work overtime at the military base.

At the dock, they met He Hongyuan.

As always, He Hongyuan was dressed in his white military uniform. When Lin Xiang, wearing a blue dress, walked up beside him, the two of them—one in white, one in blue—looked as if they belonged to the vast blue sea and sky, perfectly complementing each other.

The only way to leave Langhua Island for the city was by boat. He Hongyuan had already bought four tickets, and the group boarded along with other military families.

Lin Xiang’s excitement was written all over her face. After spending so long on the island, she had been longing for a change of scenery. She had heard from Aunt Feng and Yuezhu that while the island had decent supplies, it couldn’t compare to the variety available in the city—especially when it came to food and clothing.

The four of them found seats inside the cabin. Lin Xiang sat between Zhou Yuezhu on her left and He Hongyuan on her right. He rested one arm casually on the back of the seat, listening as Lin Xiang chatted with the other two women.

The three of them were busy discussing what they needed to buy in town. Lin Xiang, in particular, lacked many essentials. Fortunately, she had earned a generous amount of ration tickets from translating two equipment manuals the day before.

She turned to He Hongyuan and proudly announced, “Look at this! I’ve saved up three feet of fabric ration tickets! Plus, I have two jin of meat coupons, one jin of pastry coupons, and four liang of sugar coupons…”

Her gentle voice, bubbling with excitement as she bragged, was like a clear mountain spring, trickling pleasantly into He Hongyuan’s ears. He smiled faintly and reminded her, “You used up your last batch of fabric tickets, right? You should make yourself some new clothes.”

Lin Xiang hesitated, biting her lip slightly before giving him a sidelong glance. “Aunt Feng said that Uncle Zhou set aside more than ten feet of fabric tickets for me to make clothes. If you also give me another ten feet, I won’t even need that many.”

Fabric ration tickets were precious. Even though Lin Xiang wanted a wardrobe full of new outfits, she knew it had to be done gradually.

He Hongyuan raised an eyebrow. “Forget Aunt Feng’s—use mine.”

Lin Xiang blinked. “Huh?”

There were many passengers around, creating a noisy atmosphere. To hear each other clearly, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan leaned in close, as if sharing whispered secrets in their own little secluded world. She casually handed back the fabric ration tickets he had given her last time.

“I’ve already made arrangements with Aunt Feng. You should keep your tickets and use them yourself,” she said.

Aunt Feng had insisted on taking her to buy fabric for new clothes, and after some back-and-forth, Lin Xiang had finally agreed. As for He Hongyuan’s tickets, she felt they carried too much weight—after all, they weren’t even married yet, yet he acted as if he wanted to hand everything over to her.

By comparison, accepting Aunt Feng’s fabric tickets didn’t feel as overwhelming.

But He Hongyuan didn’t take the tickets back. Instead, he simply said, “I’m a grown man—I wear my military uniform every day. I don’t need these.”

Lin Xiang nudged the tickets toward him again. “Then give them to Aunt He.”

He Hongyuan chuckled. “My mother would rather save them for her future daughter-in-law.”