“So… are you guys here to return the sugarcane?” Su Chang’e pressed a finger against the corner of her lips, which were still bleeding. She glanced at Su Rui—this troublemaker! That scared her to death!

Earlier, Su Rui had stubbornly refused to turn around. In the end, Su Chang’e had to forcibly spin her by her shoulders. Ha! Useless.

Su Rui’s face burned with embarrassment as she sat across from Fang Chiye, on edge as if she could be struck by lightning at any moment.

Qin Shan put down the sugarcane he had been carrying and said, “Yes. Yesterday, a soldier on duty mistakenly ate a sugarcane he found. We never take a single needle or thread from the common people, so we’re returning it in double.”

Fang Chiye studied the girl in front of him. Good. Her features were even more delicate and expressive than in the photo.

Last time he received a letter, he had been too busy handling things to reply. He hadn’t expected to meet her so soon.

The little girl obviously had no idea who he was. She looked so lost—it was amusing. Knowing what she was worrying about, Fang Chiye chose not to say anything.

The military had only just arrived and had agreed with the local authorities to take over the military district’s security next month. Was this kind of minor scuffle even worth mentioning?

He had already heard from the soldiers about why Wang Luxing had been beaten. Unexpectedly, this little girl had quite the sense of justice and courage.

Fang Chiye fell into thought, and for a moment, the room was silent.

Su Rui lowered her head, staring at her cloth shoes—dirty, covered in cement spots. In contrast, the polished military boots not far away gleamed brightly.

She suddenly felt ashamed.

Making this man put on duvet covers seemed like a waste of his talent.

Catching her sneaky glances, Fang Chiye averted his gaze, letting her look all she wanted.

Su Rui became bolder, staring more openly. The more she looked, the more she thought Fang Chiye was stunning. Such strikingly handsome features! Such powerful and well-built arms! Without a doubt, this was a male lead!

She hadn’t fully grasped the situation before, but when she heard the soldiers address him as “Captain Fang,” she suddenly realized—this was Fang Chiye!

The Xiaoba Village storyline in this period novel was unfolding!

According to the original plot, by now, she should have been locked up at home, preparing to marry a violent widower from the mountains. Did this mean she had bypassed that part of the storyline?

Fang Chiye silently observed the girl’s ever-changing expressions. Her little face was quite animated.

Tapping a long, strong finger against the table, he pulled Su Rui’s attention back. Her gaze swept from his hand, up his forearm, to his sharp phoenix eyes.

Realizing she was being rude, she quickly looked down, her eyes landing on the top button of his uniform, snug against his Adam’s apple.

As it bobbed up and down, it looked both sexy and restrained.

Su Rui felt herself slipping.

This wasn’t just a male lead. This was practically a divine figure.

She glanced at Su Chang’e—ha! That little fool was even worse off, her eyes completely glazed over, and when she spoke, her voice was soft and coy.

If she weren’t already clinging to some “Deputy Company Commander,” she would probably be flirting by now.

Seeing that Su Rui sat obediently yet had a devious side, Fang Chiye pressed his lips together and said, “Alright. If there’s nothing else, I’ll have someone escort you both home.”

Su Rui shot up and was about to leave when Fang Chiye stopped her. “Wait. You forgot the sugarcane.”

Su Rui turned around, hoisted the sugarcane onto her shoulder, and marched out aggressively.

Fang Chiye, ever the gentleman, walked to the door and held it open for the wild beast. Smiling, he added, “Oh, one more thing.”

Su Rui, head held high, sugarcane on her shoulder, asked, “What?”

She finally felt relieved. She was just a minor side character—no way he’d fall for her.

Fang Chiye had a clear voice, a clean scent, and an elegant aura, but his words were anything but decent. “I forgot to tell you. Fighting in the security office warrants a verbal warning.”

Su Rui clenched her teeth.

Holding back the curse that almost slipped out, she stormed off with the sugarcane, refusing to acknowledge him.

Serves him right to stay single until he’s sixty!

Never! See! Him! Again!

Su Chang’e sidled up to Fang Chiye, twirling her hair, just about to speak—

Su Rui, without even looking back, called out, “Second Sister! Time to go home and feed the baby!”

That damn troublemaker!

Su Chang’e bolted out the door!

***

And just like that, the Wang Luxing incident came to a close.

He later came looking for Su Hongpei a few more times, but Su Rui chased him away each time.

A week later, Su Rui was at home sewing quilts.

This year, they had money, so she mixed new and old cotton together to re-fluff them.

Last time, after returning home from the security office, she vented endlessly to her big brother. So what if the male lead is impressive? Does he control the heavens, the earth, and even the side characters now?

In her anger, she described Fang Chiye as a beast with a fierce, blue face and fangs, with horns growing from his head. On the surface, he seemed dignified and respectable, but deep down, he was far from a good person.

After returning home and reflecting on the situation, Su Rui figured he must have guessed that she was behind that incident.

Since the police station had no evidence, and the proof was in the army’s hands, they called her over under the pretense of returning the sugarcane. In reality, it was a warning. They wanted to show her that everything was under his control, intimidating her into giving up early and stopping her tricks. That must be it.

Su Rui knew she had to keep her distance from the male lead. First, she was afraid of the butterfly effect messing up the main storyline. Second, she feared the protagonist’s halo was too strong; if she got too close, she might accidentally get wiped out like cannon fodder.

Thinking it over, she still felt her big brother was the better choice. But even if he turned over a new leaf and reformed himself… that still wouldn’t do.

Giving a criminal a second chance, then who would give the people he hurt a second chance?

Su Rui went on a rant about Captain Fang for five whole pages. Was this really the male lead? He was a certified lifelong bachelor. Just because he was good-looking didn’t mean he could do whatever he wanted. She despised men like that the most. He wasn’t some ideal candidate for a husband; judging by the water in his brain and his attitude of playing tricks on people, he was definitely mentally unwell. Even if he got treated, he’d probably still drool.

After sending out the letter, she felt completely refreshed and at peace.

She focused on sewing a quilt when she suddenly heard a commotion outside.

Tossing her needle and thread into the bamboo basket, she hurried out. Wherever there was excitement, there was Su Rui.

A group of more than ten women was gathered around a young soldier, passing right in front of her house. Su Rui, leaning against the low wall, was stunned—wasn’t this the classic “don’t look down on a poor young man” scenario?

“Brother Chen Haiyan!” Su Rui called out.

Chen Haiyan had been reassigned to his hometown for a construction project. His superiors had given him a day off to visit his parents.

As he passed by the Su house, he was wondering if he might catch a glimpse of Su Hongpei. Seeing the empty courtyard had left him a little disappointed. But as soon as Su Rui called out to him, he immediately perked up. “It’s me! Xiao Rui!”

Su Rui quickly said, “Wait a second!” Then, like a gust of wind, she dashed inside, yanked her eldest sister—who was still lying in bed, recovering from a failed romance—off the bed, and urged, “Big Sister, get up! Chen Haiyan is back!”

Su Hongpei sluggishly replied, “Chen Haiyan? I’m not that close to him.”

Su Rui thought to herself, You may not be familiar with him, but I am! Back then, just to figure out your feelings, I tricked him out of all his little treats and ate them!

Unfortunately, before anything could happen, Su Yuqin had put an end to it before it even started, and Chen Haiyan left for the army.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re close or not, just go say hello.” Su Rui threw a coat over Su Hongpei’s shoulders and peeked outside. She happened to meet Chen Haiyan’s nervous gaze.

Having Chen Haiyan standing at the Su family’s doorstep was no small matter.

Now that he had returned as a soldier, it was like he was coming home in glory. From an unknown recruit, he had been promoted to deputy platoon leader due to his outstanding service. He was now an officer with four pockets^[1]“Four pockets” refers to the number of pockets on a military uniform, specifically on the front of an officer’s jacket. In many military systems, lower-ranking soldiers often have … Continue reading on his uniform.

On top of that, he was young, full of potential, and everyone in the village knew his background. The moment he stepped into Xiaoba Village, he was swarmed by women trying to strike up a conversation, their thoughts running wild.

The sought-after Chen Haiyan stood nervously outside, finally seeing the woman he had longed for day and night. Though she looked a little worn out, she was still unmarried—that alone was great news.

Su Rui stood beside Su Hongpei and shot Chen Haiyan a knowing look. Chen Haiyan clenched his fists at his sides and stammered, “Comrade Su Hongpei, l-long time no see.”

Su Hongpei tugged at the hem of her clothes and softly replied, “Long time no see.”

Several children were gathered around, chattering and asking for candy. Chen Haiyan pulled out a handful from his pocket and distributed it among them. Then, out of habit, he reached into his pocket again to give some to Su Rui.

However, noticing all the sharp gazes watching him closely, he hesitated, just about to withdraw his hand when Su Rui quickly grabbed the candy from his palm and said sweetly, “I’ll thank you on behalf of my big sister. My dad said you should come over for a meal later.”

Since an unmarried woman couldn’t casually invite a man, she had to push her father into it. She figured her dad wouldn’t say no.

Su Rui stuffed the candy into Su Hongpei’s hand just as Chen Haiyan blurted out, “I don’t have time this time, but next time… next time, I’ll definitely bring wine over.”

Su Rui beamed. “Alright.”

There was hope. Hehe.

As Su Rui and Su Hongpei watched Chen Haiyan leave, Su Hongpei opened her palm and stared at the colorful fruit candies. “What do we do now? By tomorrow, the whole village will be talking about this.”

Su Rui was hoping for that. She wanted her sister’s name tied to Chen Haiyan first. If anyone else had their eyes on him, they’d have to think twice about whether they could compete with her sister.

Besides, Chen Haiyan was obviously still deeply in love with her sister. Better days were coming for Su Hongpei. Su Rui, feeling pleased, pulled her sister down to sit beside her.

Su Hongpei frowned. “He just got back, and you’re already inviting him over for dinner. What if people start gossiping? What about my reputation?”

Su Rui held her sister’s hand. “Don’t worry about the future. Focus on seizing happiness right now, got it?”

After breaking up with Wang Luxing, Su Hongpei had lost faith in men and no longer saw them in a positive light. She wasn’t even thinking about relationships anymore.

But Chen Haiyan… he had made something of himself in the army with no family to back him up. The women in Xiaoba Village all saw him as a true man. He was also three years younger than her. Though his family was poor, his parents were kind. Many marriage-age girls in the village saw him as the top choice.

And her? She was an old maid. The whole village knew she had been involved with Wang Luxing for six years… deep down, she looked down on herself.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the village loudspeakers.

“Attention, everyone. Attention, everyone. This is a public announcement.”

“Next Saturday at 3 PM, a Military Support Gala will be held. Any villagers who wish to attend should go to the local defense office, formerly Qingfeng Middle School, to take part in the event. At that time, military leaders and officers will meet with everyone.”

“……”

The announcement repeated three times. Su Rui listened carefully, then turned to see Su Chang’e’s square-shaped face appear in front of her.

Drawn by the announcement, Su Chang’e murmured, “Military leaders? Officers? My goodness… is this an arranged matchmaking event?”

Su Rui shot her a side glance. “Keep dreaming.”

Actually, Su Chang’e wasn’t the only one thinking that. After the broadcast ended, many villagers stepped out of their homes, discussing and speculating. To them, having an entertainment event like this was as exciting as thunder striking on a clear day.

“A Military Support Gala?” Su Rui sat on the heated kang, scratching her head. “Could it be that I’ll see Fang Chiye there?”