Chapter 22

You’re the Best!

“Who—who fell into the river?” someone ran over and asked Xu Xiaoyao.

“The widow Liu from the edge of the village.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a figure darted past and jumped into the river.

When Matchmaker Li saw who it was, she panicked. “Changsheng can’t swim! What should we do? What should we do?”

Grandma Xu frowned. “If he can’t swim, why would he jump in? Is he stupid?”

Guagua popped up at the mention of the name.
[I know about this. That widow Liu is Wang Changsheng’s lover. They were at it last night! Matchmaker Li is so unlucky to have married such a man—terrible judgment.]

Grandma Xu: “…”
Changsheng, such an honest man, into this sort of thing?

Xu Jiajia was confused. Weren’t people in this era supposed to have simple and pure thoughts? Why did so many of them enjoy sneaking around?
[Aren’t they afraid of being publicly criticized?]
[They’re just sneaky about it.]
[At the end of the day, it’s the old story—wildflowers are more tempting than homegrown ones. If my man ever dared to cheat, I’d break his third leg. Without those two ounces of flesh, let’s see how bold he’d be.]
[Host, you’re the best!]
[Of course.]

Grandma Xu: “…”

On the other side, Matchmaker Li pushed through the crowd and saw Wang Changsheng being pulled out of the water. She rushed to him, hitting and scolding him. “Are you trying to die? You knew you couldn’t swim, so why try to show off? What would I do if you drowned?”

Wang Changsheng, worried about Widow Liu, irritably pushed Matchmaker Li away. “Can you shut up?”

Matchmaker Li stumbled backward, landing near the riverbank. With that push, she fell into the river.

For a moment, Matchmaker Li was in a daze, realizing she had been shoved only after hitting the water. Thankfully, the river wasn’t deep; otherwise, she would’ve choked.

Wang Changsheng didn’t even glance at her. His eyes were fixed on the water, only relaxing when Widow Liu was pulled to safety.

Seeing the man who saved Widow Liu dragging her out by her hair, Wang Changsheng stormed over and yelled, “Are you even human? How could you pull her up by her hair? Do you want to kill her from the pain?”

The man looked bewildered. “What does it matter to you? Who are you to her? Besides, I’m a married man. If I didn’t grab her by the hair, should I have carried her up? What if she accused me of taking advantage of her?”

Only then did Wang Changsheng notice everyone staring at him, and he realized he’d been too impulsive. “I…”

Before he could finish, Matchmaker Li, now onshore, stormed over and started berating him. “You heartless bastard! I was worried about you, and you pushed me into the river! Did a dog eat your conscience?”

After taking several hits from her, Wang Changsheng felt humiliated and slapped her across the face. “You nagging old hag, can you shut up for once?”

Matchmaker Li was stunned. This slap hurt far more than being pushed into the water. “You… you hit me?”

“I already did, so why ask? Is there a point?” Wang Changsheng’s tone was cold and dismissive, as if he didn’t even want to talk to her.

Matchmaker Li was genuinely hurt this time. She cried in anguish.

Grandma Xu walked over to comfort her. “Still don’t see it?”

Matchmaker Li looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

Grandma Xu’s gaze fell on Widow Liu. Because of the water, her clothes clung to her body, and her hair, pulled in the rescue, made her look pitiable.

“Now do you understand?”

Matchmaker Li wasn’t stupid, just momentarily slow. Connecting Wang Changsheng’s strange behavior, she finally pieced it together.

So that’s how it was!

Matchmaker Li couldn’t understand why Wang Changsheng would do such a thing. She collapsed onto Grandma Xu’s shoulder, sobbing. “Sister-in-law, tell me, what did I do to deserve this? We’re not young anymore, and yet he’s entangled with another woman. How will our children face this?”

Grandma Xu sighed softly. Every family had its troubles. “Keep your voice down. Everyone can hear you.”

Matchmaker Li was heartbroken, bottled up but unable to speak freely. “Sister-in-law, if it were you, what would you do?”

Grandma Xu’s response was cold. “Of course, I’d cut off those two ounces of flesh so he wouldn’t act up again.”

Only after speaking did Grandma Xu realize she’d been influenced by her mischievous granddaughter.

Grandma Xu had only meant it rhetorically, but Matchmaker Li took it seriously. “At my age, divorcing would be shameful, and I can’t report him either. But if I don’t do something, I won’t feel at peace. I’ll do it!”

Grandma Xu was stunned. “You’re serious?”

Matchmaker Li dried her tears. “Of course. I’m not just talking.”

…

The record keeper, seeing the crowd lingering, scolded them, “Get back to work! Why are you all standing around?”

The crowd quickly dispersed.

Once the crowd cleared, Grandma Xu urged Xu Jiajia, “Hurry home.”

Xu Jiajia nodded. “Grandma, I’ll be going to town later and won’t be back tonight.”

Grandma Xu, unaware that Xu Jiajia had an exam the next day, asked, “Why aren’t you coming back?”

Xu Jiajia leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

Grandma Xu beamed with joy, her smile spreading. “Good, good. Don’t forget to get a recommendation letter.”

May the gods bless her to pass the exam.

…

Xu Jiajia had important matters to attend to in town.

Xu Xiaoyao decided not to tag along. “Jiajia, I’ll stay home and wait for your good news.”

Knowing how much she had to do in town, Xu Jiajia agreed. She hadn’t fully thought it through before suggesting Xiaoyao come along. “Alright. Watch out for your mother. Don’t let her sell you off.”

Wang Daniu said she wouldn’t force Xiaoyao to marry, but who knew what she was really thinking? The more Xu Jiajia thought about it, the less at ease she felt. “How about this? Just stay at my house. With my grandma around, your mother won’t dare come over.”

Xu Xiaoyao immediately agreed, not wanting to return home anyway. “Alright, let’s do that. Later, I’ll help Granny Xu in the fields.”

Xu Jiajia worried Wang Daniu might be infuriated to death. “There’s no need for that.”

…

Xu Jiajia and Shen Yuebai went to town, but instead of heading straight to the guesthouse, they first visited the photo studio.

The photo studio was located next to the post office.

Above its entrance hung a sign reading, “Starlight State-Owned Photo Studio.”

The photographer noticed their arrival and stood up immediately. “Are you here for wedding photos?”

Xu Jiajia nodded. “Yes, both solo and couple shots.”

Both were dressed in military uniforms. Shen Yuebai looked ruggedly handsome, while Xu Jiajia appeared spirited and heroic. The two stood side by side, leaning slightly into each other to form a triangular shape, making for a strikingly attractive couple.

“Comrade, lift your chin just a little.”

“Yes, perfect.”

“Alright, next pose.”

They took four couple photos and one solo photo each. Xu Jiajia ordered two copies of each photo laminated, which cost them about 10 yuan in total.

The photographer handed them a receipt. “Come back in three days to pick up the photos.”

Xu Jiajia sighed. “That’s expensive! It’s enough for two meals at the state-owned restaurant.”

The photographer disagreed. “It’s not the same. A meal is digested and turned into… well, waste. But laminated photos can last for decades. When you’re old, these will be precious memories.”

Xu Jiajia: “…”

Well, that was persuasive.

After leaving the photo studio, they went to the guesthouse.

“We’d like a room,” Xu Jiajia said.

“Do you have an introduction letter?” the staff asked.

Xu Jiajia handed it over. It listed both her and Shen Yuebai’s names, so the staff made no further inquiries and quickly assigned them a room.

In the room, Xu Jiajia studied her materials while Shen Yuebai, feeling restless, decided to visit some comrades.

…

In the afternoon, Xu Jiajia finally pulled herself away from her studies. “Oh my gosh, I’m exhausted!” she exclaimed before taking a short break and diving back in.

When Shen Yuebai returned from the state-owned restaurant, she was still studying. “Honey, eat first. You can continue later.”

“Just a second, I’m almost done,” Xu Jiajia replied, circling key points on her materials, convinced they might appear on the exam. After marking everything, she finally set the papers aside and joined Shen Yuebai for dinner.

He had brought three dishes: fish, braised pork, and egg soup. As disposable containers weren’t available, he had borrowed some aluminum lunchboxes.

Seeing the braised pork, Xu Jiajia was surprised. “You still have meat coupons?”

She distinctly remembered they’d run out. Or had she miscalculated?

Shen Yuebai put a few pieces of lean braised pork into her bowl. “I borrowed some from a comrade.”

Xu Jiajia nodded knowingly. “So, how many coupons are we in debt after the wedding?”

Shen Yuebai didn’t seem concerned. “Not many. The army provides good benefits, and we get coupons every month. It won’t take long to pay them back. Don’t worry.”

After dinner, Xu Jiajia, noticing there was still time, dragged Shen Yuebai to the supply and marketing cooperative. She wanted to use the money they had received during the wedding banquet to buy him a shirt and a pair of shoes, but the selection wasn’t appealing.

“Ayue, how about I go to the city next time and pick something better for you?”

Shen Yuebai was touched by her thoughtfulness but declined. “There’s no need. The army provides uniforms, and even if we buy clothes, I won’t have much use for them.”

Xu Jiajia grinned. “Who says you won’t? You could wear them when we visit your comrades’ homes.”

Just as they were about to leave, Liao’s mother happened to emerge from the warehouse. Xu Jiajia stepped forward to greet her and took some study materials from her military bag. “Auntie, could you pass these on to Liao Mei?”

Xu Jiajia had visited the Liao family several times in high school, so Liao’s mother recognized her. Accepting the materials, she asked, “Why not come over to our house since you’re in town?”

Xu Jiajia beamed. “No need, Auntie. I’m here with my husband, and we’re staying at the guesthouse. Please tell Liao Mei to meet me there tomorrow morning.”

“Alright.” Liao’s mother glanced at Shen Yuebai and silently admired Xu Jiajia’s good taste. “Not bad, not bad. Auntie wishes you both happiness and longevity!”

Xu Jiajia and Shen Yuebai replied in unison, “Thank you, Auntie!”

…

On the way back to the guesthouse, Xu Jiajia suddenly remembered the public bathhouses of this era. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Shen Yuebai. “Do you have any bath tickets?”

Shen Yuebai didn’t, but he wasn’t about to disappoint her. “Wait for me at the guesthouse. I’ll ask Liu Kui to get us a couple.”

Xu Jiajia hesitated. “Isn’t that a bother?”

Shen Yuebai reassured her, “It’s fine. He often asks me for favors too.”

This eased Xu Jiajia’s mind. “Alright, then. I’ll wait for you.”

…

On the way back to the guesthouse, they passed through an alley.

As they walked, Xu Jiajia suddenly heard a familiar voice shouting, “What are you doing? Stop! Don’t come any closer! My brother is a soldier!”