These days, Su Rui had been busy preparing for the ideological class.

On the eve of its opening, she stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative after work. When she returned home, she was surprised to see Su Chang’e wearing an apron and doing chores.

Ignoring whatever mischief her sister might be up to, Su Rui went straight to find Su Li.

The ice on the bay had melted, which meant Su Li would soon set out to sea again—gone for another few months.

Su Rui had bought five pounds of calcium milk biscuits, some vitamin tablets from the clinic, and two sets of waterproof knee and elbow guards for him.

“Dad, how long will it take you to be there this time?”

In the backyard, Su Li was mending a fishing net—just like every year.

“Three to four months,” he replied. “The sea creatures have fattened up over the winter, so I want to earn as much as I can.”

Su Rui eyed the tattered net he was repairing. She pulled ten yuan from her pocket and said, “Buy a new net. This is from my salary—I want you to use it.”

Su Li waved his hand with a goofy smile. “My daughter is all grown up, making money for her old man! But there’s no need. Everyone’s nets get patched up—new ones feel wasteful. The old ones work just fine.”

Ignoring his protests, Su Rui stuffed the money into his pocket and reminded him, “Keep it for yourself. If you feel unwell, don’t tough it out. And don’t skimp on the medicine that I got for you. Whatever you do, stop taking tetracycline.”

They wouldn’t be at sea the whole time—there were two fishing villages they could stop at. Those villages had black markets, but the goods were expensive, and Su Li never bought anything there.

That’s why Su Rui had exchanged the money into smaller bills—she knew older folks hated breaking large notes.

“Alright, I got it,” Su Li said, setting his work aside. He looked at his daughter, who had grown into a bright and capable young woman, and sighed in relief. “This time, I can leave without worry.”

Su Rui immediately clicked her tongue and scolded, “Don’t say things like that—it sounds like a bad omen. And when you come back, you shouldn’t go out to sea anymore.”

Su Li sighed and glanced toward the main house. “If I stay home, I won’t have any peace.”

Su Rui reassured him, “I’m an adult now. The village committee allocates land to adults, so I’ll ask Sister Zhao about getting my own plot. Once I do, I’ll start building a house, and you can live with me. I’ll take care of you.”

Su Li had never lived an easy life. He sniffed, realizing that his daughter had grown to be just as strong and responsible as her mother had been.

Now that she was part of the village committee, she resembled her mother even more.

“You have to take care of yourself,” he said earnestly. “Don’t force things too much. And find someone who will truly care for you—only then will I have peace of mind.”

Thinking about his late wife, Su Li fell silent, his heart aching.

Su Rui returned to the main house and packed Su Li’s luggage under Su Yuqin’s supervision.

Seeing that all the good stuff, like calcium milk biscuits, was being put into Su Li’s bag, Su Yuqin couldn’t help but say, “Why don’t I ever see you bringing home anything nice?”

Su Rui replied, “That depends on whether it’s worth it.”

Suddenly, Su Yuqin asked, “Who’s been writing to you?”

Su Rui found the question baffling. “Who else could it be? What, even a labor reform prisoner is someone you all want to fight over?”

Su Yuqin carefully studied her expression and saw no signs of deceit.

Su Rui took out the tetracycline Su Yuqin had stuffed into Su Li’s bag, replaced it with the medicine she had bought, and wrote down instructions for use.

Su Yuqin picked up the discarded tetracycline and scoffed, “What a waste of kindness.”

Su Rui said, “Then you take it.”

Su Yuqin wanted to scold her again, but just as she opened her mouth, she felt a headache coming on. Deciding to let Su Rui off, she went to pour herself some water and swallowed two tetracycline pills.

At that moment, Su Chang’e entered with a basin of water, brimming with excitement. “Come help make dumplings! I bought half a jin of pork belly.”

Lying on the kang, Su Yuqin said, “Let the third one help you. I’ve got a headache and need to rest.”

Su Rui was about to curse at her, but before she could, Su Chang’e beat her to it. “Make sure to prepare a big share of gift money for me.”

Su Rui was stunned. “Huh? Gift money? Are you getting married?”

For once, Su Chang’e looked a little shy. “Yeah, I’m engaged to Company Commander Zhan. He said he’ll come to propose officially when he finds the time.”

She knew Su Rui hadn’t been writing to Ye Chifang much lately. While feeling happy for herself, she also urged Su Rui, “Don’t keep ignoring him. What if he decides to come looking for you?”

Su Rui sat on the edge of the kang, pressing down on the risen dough. “Mind your own business.”

Su Chang’e’s good mood wasn’t dampened at all. Though she said that, deep down, she didn’t really care. She was sure Su Rui could never compare to her. Even if that labor reform prisoner came knocking, she had Company Commander Zhan to back her up—there was nothing to fear.

Su Hongpei arrived home a bit later.

March weather was still unpredictable, warm one moment and cold the next. She was wearing a cotton-padded jacket against the evening chill when she returned.

Through the window, Su Rui saw Su Hongpei entering the house carrying something. She didn’t greet anyone and went straight to the west room.

After finishing the last two dumplings, Su Rui left the rest of the work to Su Chang’e.

Su Chang’e called after her, “Lazy girl, at least light the stove!”

Ignoring her, Su Rui headed into the west room, where Su Hongpei mysteriously nudged a heavy package on the table toward her. “Come take a look. This is for you.”

Su Rui’s heart sank. Looking at the weighty package, she shook her head. “I don’t want it.”

Su Hongpei carefully closed the door and took out a registered letter. “Then at least read the letter?”

Su Rui sat on the small kang, tore open the envelope, and saw that Ye Chifang had written a lot. Upon closer inspection, it was just about daily life, but his tone had become much more familiar than before, when all he did was ask about her.

The more casual and familiar he became, the more Su Rui wanted to keep her distance.

“Just leave it here.”

Su Hongpei asked, “Aren’t you going to open it and take a look?”

Su Rui shook her head. “No. I’ll take it to the post office tomorrow and send it back.”

Outside, Su Chang’e’s urging voice could be heard. Su Hongpei lowered her voice and said, “He’s really making an effort…”

Su Rui pulled a long face. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess. The more I take from him, the more I feel like I have to pay him back double.”

“Silly girl.”

Su Hongpei responded to the calls from outside, then got up and said, “I won’t force you anymore. Just ask yourself what you really want.”

After she left, Su Rui kept replaying those words in her mind.

If she truly asked herself, a powerful figure would always appear in her thoughts. That was exactly why she couldn’t have any entanglement with Ye Chifang. It would be disrespectful to both of them.

Even if she knew there was no chance with the male lead, she didn’t want things to continue this way.

She coldly wrote a reply, keeping it brief—just three or four lines—explaining that she couldn’t accept packages and was returning this one. Nothing else.

She figured that after two exchanges like this, he would get the message and stop contacting her.

That evening, the rare treat of meat dumplings lifted her spirits again.

Su Hongpei added two dumplings each to Su Rui and Su Li’s bowls, ignoring Su Yuqin’s displeased expression. Then, with a blank face, she congratulated Su Chang’e.

Su Chang’e couldn’t hide her smugness and took the opportunity to mock Su Hongpei, urging her to hurry up and get married. “Otherwise, I’ll be skipping over you to hold my wedding first. That wouldn’t be right.”

Seeing that Su Hongpei didn’t respond, she turned to Su Rui with a sneer. “I bet once I’m done, it’ll be Su Rui’s turn next. Some things aren’t up to her.”

Su Rui ignored her, puffing her cheeks as she happily stuffed meat dumplings into her mouth. Let her talk—eating came first!

Before Su Chang’e realized it, Su Rui had taken the last two dumplings from the bowl as well. Fuming, she stomped back to her room.

Two days later, Su Rui sent Su Li off to Shanghai.

After that, she rushed to the village committee, grabbed her notebook and pen, and rode a donkey cart to the military camp.

The camp had been completed, and the military zone now extended fifteen miles beyond Xiaoba Village. Within this range, village officials and farmer representatives had to visit the camp once a month for military defense and ideological training.

Simply put, they were learning how to identify enemy spies, handle such situations, relay intelligence, and use basic weapons.

The donkey cart trotted along Aimin Road, its bell jingling all the way.

At the checkpoint, a soldier led the cart aside while Su Rui and Huang Bei, along with others, were taken on a tour of the camp before their lesson.

Inside the gates, the national flag and military flag waved in the wind. Passing by several rows of barracks and office buildings, they arrived at a large training ground.

Soldiers were engaged in various drills—some were marching in formation, others were doing physical training, and there were even squads running in unison. Their steps were synchronized, their chants resounding, and their figures full of strength and vigor. Sweat soaked through their uniforms, yet they persisted in running forward. The sight left a deep impression on Su Rui.

“This is the weapons depot and tactical training area,” the soldier leading them introduced. “Up ahead is the live ammunition range. You’ll have a chance to try it out in the future.”

“From the outside, you wouldn’t guess how huge it is in here.” Huang Bei marveled, “When did they dig out the mountains like this?”

Su Rui reminded her, “Don’t go around talking about this when you get back. It’s classified.”

Huang Bei said, “I wouldn’t dare even if you didn’t warn me.”

The solemn and dignified atmosphere of the military camp left them in awe. The sounds of gunfire and the rhythmic chants of “One, two, three, four” from the soldiers running drills echoed in their ears.

Su Rui followed them to the shooting range. From a distance, she covered her ears and watched for a while. When she saw some soldiers performing well, she couldn’t help but cheer softly.

On the second floor of the office building, Fang Chiye stood by the window. His orderly asked in a low voice, “Do you need me to urge them?”

Su Rui’s excited and cheerful figure caught his eye. He glanced at his watch and said, “No need, there’s still another group.”

At the north gate of the military camp, a donkey cart carrying farmer representatives stopped at the entrance.

The gate through which Su Rui and the others had entered was busy with vehicles coming and going, so the farmers had to take a detour and enter from the back.

Unlike the lively scene at the front, this side was much more solemn and quiet. The reason was simple—the north gate led to the labor reform camp.

A group of prisoners, wearing handcuffs and shackles, was being escorted out for labor. They moved forward in small, shuffling steps, following the person ahead of them.

Su Chang’e, who had come on behalf of Su Hongpei, happened to run into them. Even though these prisoners had undergone government reform and ideological education, appearing tamer and less threatening, they still startled Su Chang’e and the others.

Today, Su Chang’e had deliberately taken off her cotton-padded coat and put on a fresh, colorful spring blouse. Her eyebrows were thinly drawn like matchsticks, and her lips were painted red. Among the rural women, she stood out noticeably.

A woman from Yi Wang Village said, “Hey, look at that prisoner. He keeps staring at you.”

Following her gaze, Su Chang’e looked over and shivered.

The prisoner watching her was built like a mountain, almost as tall as Captain Fang. But unlike Captain Fang’s warm and refreshing presence, this man gave off the aura of a venomous snake—dangerous and cruel.

He had a shaved head with a long scar across his scalp. His square face was rough and rugged, with dark stubble covering his chin and extending behind his ears. If he grew a beard, it would definitely be a full, thick one.

He stared at Su Chang’e without blinking. Terrified, she quickly hid behind someone else, turning her head away to avoid eye contact.

The soldier guarding the prisoners scolded him, but the man simply spat on the ground and grinned at Su Chang’e, waving at her provocatively.

The soldier struck him with the butt of his rifle, warning him to behave. Then he turned to Su Chang’e and the others, saying, “Hurry up and leave.”

Su Chang’e and the others ran away from the north gate as fast as they could. When they finally dared to turn back, the prisoners had already been led away to their labor site.

“That was terrifying. There’s no way he doesn’t have blood on his hands,” another woman from Yi Wang Village said. “Luckily, we have the soldiers here. Honestly, I wasn’t that scared.”

Su Chang’e shivered. She wanted to say something, but suddenly, she had no desire to speak.

Walking among the crowd, she discreetly wiped off her lipstick with the back of her hand, feeling deeply unsettled.

Her mother had been too unwell to get out of bed today, complaining of a headache. Her eldest sister had stayed home to take care of her, which gave Su Chang’e the opportunity to come. She had hoped to broaden her horizons but instead ended up scared out of her wits.

“I feel like that guy knew you,” a man from Qingnan Village teased with a grin. “You must be quite the looker.”

“Who would recognize him?!” Su Chang’e scolded him and said, “Even a fat-headed, big-eared Zhu Bajie can be appealing. Take a look in the mirror and see if you look like him.”