Chapter 9

At mealtime, it wasn’t just Lou Luhui and Zhou Jianshe; even Tang Dahai, the commander of the Third Regiment, came over with his lunchbox in hand.

When they arrived, Tian Yu had just placed the last dish—stewed pork with vermicelli—on the heated table.

Today’s main dish was a lamb hotpot. Thin slices of lamb, simmering in the fragrant lamb broth, filled the room with a mouthwatering aroma.

Vegetables were scarce here, but lamb was common. Most families with decent living conditions would stock up on beef and lamb for the winter. Storing it was easy—just bury it in the snow.

The group of men didn’t stand on ceremony. As soon as they entered, they took off their thick coats, inhaled the savory scent of the meat, and headed to the kitchen to grab bowls and chopsticks as if they were at home.

“Want to have a couple of drinks?” Tian Yu asked the men.

“No.” It would’ve been perfect to have a sip of strong liquor in the cold weather, but they had to head to the village later, and drinking in freezing conditions was risky.

Perhaps with the thought of finding a good match for her sister, Tian Yu was particularly enthusiastic today.

As she served the food, her eyes kept drifting towards the two bachelors at the table.

Naturally, she preferred someone like Commander Lou. After all, her second sister was beautiful and had a good personality. If she could match her with Commander Lou, they would be a perfect pair, like a golden couple.

However, Tian Yu had her reservations. She had once heard her husband mention that Commander Lou’s family was quite well-off.

If she introduced her sister to him, even though she and Lao Chen had no intention of social climbing, people would still gossip.

Of course, that wasn’t the main issue. The most important concern was whether her sister could fit into such a family. Would she be valued by her in-laws? Would she live a happy life?

Or… perhaps Deputy Commander Zhou would be a better match?

With this thought, Tian Yu shifted her gaze to Zhou Jianshe.

Everyone at the table was sharp, and what Tian Yu thought were discreet glances were actually quite obvious.

Lou Luhui’s gaze lingered on her eyes several times, feeling that there was something oddly familiar about them.

Zhou Jianshe, after dipping a few pieces of lamb into the hotpot, couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Sister-in-law, why do you keep staring at me?”

Tian Yu had planned to observe for a little longer but didn’t expect to be noticed so quickly.

Still, being caught didn’t embarrass her. She picked up the soup ladle and served Zhou Jianshe a bowl of lamb broth. After that, she glanced at Commander Lou’s handsome face, deciding to take a chance. Smiling, she ladled a bowl for him as well.

Tang Dahai, the commander of the Third Regiment, assumed he would be next and casually pushed his bowl forward.

But to his surprise, Tian Yu acted as if she didn’t see him and quietly set the ladle down.

Tang Dahai… Why was he being treated differently?

Chen Gang noticed his wife’s eyes practically glued to Lou and Zhou and coughed twice to remind her to tone it down. It was making the men uncomfortable.

Tian Yu ignored her husband and continued smiling warmly, “Lao Chen told me that Commander Wang is pressuring you guys to find partners again? I won’t beat around the bush—your sister-in-law here wants to play matchmaker.”

Finally, Tang Dahai, who was married, understood why he had been overlooked. Always one to enjoy a bit of fun, he chimed in with a grin, “Sounds good to me! Sister-in-law’s reliable. Tell us, where’s the girl from, and how old is she?”

Lou Luhui and Zhou Jianshe exchanged glances but didn’t rush to respond, staying calm and composed.

Chen Gang took over, “It’s her second sister. She graduated high school, is 20 years old, and she’s quite beautiful. When she heard me mention you two, she thought she’d try to make a match.”

Tian Yu nodded in agreement, smiling brightly, “Yes, my Er Mei is beautiful. Out of all my sisters, she’s the one who looks the most like me.”

After hearing that, Zhou Jianshe’s initial interest immediately plummeted to rock bottom. He had no idea that his sister-in-law had her own “filter” and simply assumed that the two sisters genuinely looked alike.

They were real sisters after all—born from the same womb—so it was only natural that they would resemble each other.

His sharp eyes glanced over his sister-in-law’s round face before he grinned and said, “Sister-in-law, I’m not in a rush. Lao Lou is a few months older than me. Let’s introduce him first.”

Zhou Jianshe didn’t find his sister-in-law unattractive, but she wasn’t his type. Since he had no interest, he thought it was best to make that clear from the start to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings.

That was clearly a refusal. While the reason wasn’t entirely clear, once the man turned it down, it wasn’t appropriate for the woman to keep pushing.

However… Commander Lou’s family situation was exceptional.

Tian Yu had already lost hope and thought maybe Chen Gang could find another officer to introduce her sister to, since there were still plenty of single officers around.

Without any real expectations, Tian Yu felt more at ease around Lou Luhui, teasing him like it was just casual conversation: “Commander Lou, your family background is so good. Does that mean your partner has to be from a similarly well-off family?”

Lou Luhui shook his head. “As long as her family background is clean and she has good character, that’s enough.”

This answer surprised Tian Yu a little. She exchanged a glance with her husband, and a glimmer of hope reignited in her heart. She continued pressing, “Really? Even a rural household would be fine?”

“Whose ancestors weren’t farmers?” It wasn’t just a polite comment—Lou Luhui genuinely didn’t think that someone’s birth determined their entire worth. His father, after all, had also been born into a farming family.

Wait… Could this really work?

In Tian Yu’s heart, Lou Luhui was still her ideal brother-in-law. After all, she cherished her second sister dearly and naturally wanted the best for her.

With hope rekindled, Tian Yu became restless. She hastily shoved her daughter into her husband’s arms and stood up eagerly. “Wait a moment, I’ve got a picture of my sister. Take a look first, and if you like her, I’ll write a letter to her.”

Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, she was already heading toward the bedroom…

—

Zhou Jianshe glanced at his comrade with a complicated expression. It was the first time he realized that Lao Lou liked someone on the plump side.

Tang Dahai, on the other hand, didn’t think much of it. He patted Lou Luhui on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. “If this works out, wouldn’t you and Lao Chen be brothers-in-law?”

Lou Luhui, annoyed, swatted the man’s hand away. “It’s just a blind date. What if Miss Tian doesn’t like me? Don’t go ruining her reputation.”

If fate truly brought them together, he wasn’t opposed to meeting someone. Besides, the person doing the introduction mattered a lot, and since Chen Gang and his wife were reliable, he felt obliged to at least take a look. Whether things worked out or not, he had to show some respect.

Of course, another factor was those familiar-looking eyes.

Could… it really be her?

“Here it comes, here it comes!” It didn’t take long before Tian Yu quickly emerged holding a photo.

She ignored Tang Dahai and Zhou Jianshe’s outstretched hands and directly handed the photo to Lou Luhui. Then, standing beside him, she pointed at the girl in the center of the back row. “This is my Er Mei. It was taken last year.”

It was a 7-inch black-and-white photo, clearly a family portrait.

In the photo, there were nine family members, but Lou Luhui’s gaze was fixated on the girl with two long braids.

It really was her!

Perhaps the photo was a bit distorted and didn’t fully capture the girl’s beauty, but he recognized her at a glance. She was that stunning water lily.

…What a coincidence.

“Sister-in-law! Didn’t you say your sister looks a lot like you?” Zhou Jianshe leaned over to take a closer look at the girl in the photo, suddenly feeling indignant.

Lou Luhui, startled back to reality by his comrade’s loud voice, didn’t know why, but when Zhou Jianshe’s large hand reached out to grab the photo, he instinctively dodged.

Zhou Jianshe…

Tian Yu didn’t notice the small exchange between the two and said with a look of certainty, “She really does look similar.”

Zhou Jianshe was puzzled… Where was the resemblance? What language was his sister-in-law speaking? He couldn’t understand.

“Lou Luhui, what do you think? If you like her, I’ll write to my Er Mei and ask.”

That was a perfectly ordinary question, but Lou Luhui, who had never been shy, suddenly felt his ears heat up. He cleared his throat. “What’s her name? Is she over 20?”

Could there be a chance!

Tian Yu felt reassured and smiled even more broadly. “She just turned 20 this year; her name is Tian Mi.”

Tian, Mi?

Lou Luhui silently repeated the name in his mind twice, and the girl’s stunning image flooded back into his thoughts. It was… quite sweet, so he couldn’t help but smile, raising his cup as a gesture of thanks. “Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

It worked out! He never expected that someone as good as Lou Luhui might really become his brother-in-law one day.

Tian Yu beamed with joy. “No need to be polite! After dinner, I’ll write to my family!”

Now, all that was left was to wait for the response from her sister…

—

Completely unaware that her biggest worry had already been resolved by her older sister, Tian Mi swayed on the dilapidated bus for an hour before finally arriving at the county town.

Due to the poor road conditions and the driver’s questionable skills, Tian Mi got off the bus with wobbly legs, feeling nauseous and even retching up bile.

Even with such a miserable experience, Tian Mi couldn’t help but lighten the mood by reciting a couplet: “Life… truly is a mess!”

After mailing her letter, she didn’t head straight to her classmate’s house. Instead, she followed her memory and ventured into the county town’s black market, where she bought a pair of red wedding pillows.

When a good friend is getting married, one cannot show up empty-handed, especially since she planned to stay over for a night.

However… the cost was quite steep. She spent 5 yuan, which was three times more expensive than at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative—she felt like she had been robbed.

But she had to buy them because she didn’t have any fabric tickets.

Worried about being chased away as someone there to take advantage of hospitality, Tian Mi not only bought the red pillows but also grit her teeth and purchased two catties of snacks without tickets from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

After that, her hard-earned “huge savings” of 9 yuan quickly shrank to just 3 yuan, which included a sponsorship of 1 yuan from her father. It was so painful that it almost made her cry.

But despite the heartache, bringing gifts was still useful. At least when she arrived at her classmate’s house, her classmate’s mother greeted her warmly, smiling widely and readily agreeing to her request to stay over.

—

“Where did you get so much money? Why did you bring such heavy gifts? I called you over just to have you attend my wedding and pick up a couple of eggs; where did you buy those pillows? I’ll go with you to return them.” The original character’s friend was Gu Yan, a bold and strong-willed person who always looked out for the timid Tian Mi when they were in school.

What she said now was not a polite refusal but genuine concern.

Tian Mi shook her head. “I already bought them; how can I return them? But what about you? How did you suddenly get married?”

Mentioning this topic shifted Gu Yan’s attention. She pouted slightly. “My brother is getting married, so I have to hurry up and get married too.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been so long since we last met; how come your brain hasn’t improved at all?” Gu Yan poked her friend’s head in frustration.

After poking her, she stood up, locked the door, and then secretly dragged a box out from under the bed, pulling out a few pieces of egg cake to hand to Tian Mi. “Quick, eat this; I saved it just for you.”

“Where did you get this?” Although Gu Yan was from the county town, her family was very poor, with over a dozen people squeezed into a 30-square-meter old house. Even though she worked as a temporary worker in a factory, she hardly had any spare money to buy egg cakes.

At this moment, Tian Mi realized the implication of her classmate’s earlier words. She was getting married to make room for her brother…

Gu Yan sat back on the bed, and seeing Tian Mi not moving, she directly took a piece from the bag and handed it to her. “Quick, eat up. Chun Jun-ge bought it for you. Oh… he’s my fiancé.”

Tian Mi took a bite of the egg cake and asked, “Is your fiancé someone your family introduced?”

“How could it be?” Gu Yan scoffed, her face full of sarcasm. “My mom wishes she could sell me for a good price. Chun Jun-ge is someone I chose for myself; he’s also a temporary worker at our factory, treats me well, and only has a lame father at home. Although they’re a bit poor, there aren’t any troublesome issues. After we get married, I can take charge, so why not just go for it?”

“…That sounds good.” Tian Mi truly felt that those conditions were decent. Being poor wasn’t a problem; what was scary was having too many troublesome issues.

The two hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so they had plenty to talk about.

However, with Tian Mi preoccupied with her own matters, after chatting for over two hours, she casually learned the latest route to the beach and had a simple meal of bland soup before mentioning that she needed to leave for a bit, promising to return later in the evening.

“Where are you going? The county town has been chaotic lately; I should go with you!” Gu Yan, who had always been attractive, had caught eyes even back in school, and now that she had grown up, she looked even better. How could Gu Yan feel at ease letting her go out alone?

Tian Mi naturally wouldn’t let anyone accompany her. “No need, no need! I’m just going to my fourth aunt’s house, not anywhere else. You have a wedding tomorrow and plenty to be busy with.”

Knowing what Gu Yan was worried about, she pulled a triangle scarf from her bag, skillfully tied it around her head, and winked at her. “How about now? Are you at ease?”

“Pfft… you’ve become so cunning.”

“People do change.”

“Fine, if you don’t want me to go, I won’t. Just come back early tonight.”

“Okay! I’m off then.” Tian Mi cheerfully walked out.

The sea… and a little bit of money… she was coming!