Chapter 10

Before five o’clock, He Wenyan and Yan Weiguo were already up. The table was set with fragrant sesame pancakes, porridge, and a few fresh red, white, and green side dishes, accompanied by perfectly halved soft-boiled eggs with glowing red yolks.

He Wenyan was very pleased.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so Wen Xin did not disturb them. As the two ate, He Wenyan’s gaze lingered on Yan Weiguo, her eyebrows tinged with joy. Yan Weiguo, ever disciplined in his eating habits, couldn’t help but repeatedly praise the sesame pancakes. Even He Wenyan, who was usually reserved, complimented Wen Xin twice.

Wen Xin hadn’t intentionally used premium ingredients from the system just for them—it was simply her habit. She used the system’s resources for herself as well, and she had grown reluctant to drink unfiltered water from the real world. The purified water from the system was far sweeter and cleaner, and since a single extraction lasted a long time, she wasn’t stingy about using it.

In the kitchen, Wen Xin stood on tiptoe, a sesame pancake between her lips, peeking out of the window into the yard. The military compound didn’t just house the Yan family—when she arrived, she had seen several similar standalone houses and a number of single-story homes, likely belonging to other military officers and their families.

As she ate, she absentmindedly pulled out a cup of fresh vegetable juice from the system and brewed a cup of essential oil-infused tea. The fragrance wafted through the air as she leaned against the window.

A military driver arrived early to pick up Yan Weiguo. When he left, He Wenyan personally walked him to the door, watching until the car disappeared from sight. Then, she glanced at her Oda-brand wristwatch—it was time for her to head to work as well.

Grabbing her purse, she gave Wen Xin a few instructions. “Take Miaomiao to school after six. The house and front gate keys are on the coffee table. She’ll eat lunch at school, so pack her a lunchbox.”

Seeing He Wenyan about to leave, Wen Xin quickly followed. It was only her first day here, and she wasn’t familiar with anything. Yet, He Wenyan was already acting like a hands-off boss. “Aunt He, which school does Miaomiao go to?”

“It’s not far from the compound—Cangnan Elementary. You have a mouth, don’t you? If you can’t find it, ask someone,” He Wenyan replied impatiently, adjusting her outfit.

She always took care of her appearance. Even in this conservative era, her elegance stood out—a crisp white blouse, neatly pressed trousers, spotless black leather shoes, and a well-polished wristwatch. Her handbag was also a fashionable, high-end item, likely an imported foreign brand. With her neatly styled hair and the glasses perched on her nose, she embodied the refined, intellectual working woman of the time.

“Director He, heading to work?”

Not far from the Yan family’s two-story house was a row of single-story homes. A woman hanging laundry greeted her with an elongated neck.

Unlike her strict and commanding demeanor toward Wen Xin at home, He Wenyan maintained an air of intellectual aloofness with her neighbors. She simply nodded reservedly and walked away.

People bustled about in the single-story homes, washing clothes or airing them out to dry. As soon as He Wenyan left, whispers filled the air—it was clear they were talking about her.

“Hmph, what’s so great about her? She’s just a doctor in a white coat. Look at the way she carries herself, acting all high and mighty. She’s nothing compared to Yan Weiguo’s first wife!”

“Exactly!”

Since the houses were close together and the women weren’t bothering to lower their voices, Wen Xin heard every word loud and clear.

It seemed that He Wenyan wasn’t well-liked in the compound. After all, she was a second wife. She looked down on these housewives who spent their days cooking, cleaning, and gossiping. Meanwhile, the other women constantly compared her to the first wife, which, given her pride, she refused to tolerate. It was no wonder her social standing among the military wives had completely collapsed.

“Shh, quiet down! The Yan family’s nanny is right there.”

“What, you think I’m scared of her? I’d say the same thing right to Yan Weiguo’s face!”

“Oh, please. What, you think you’re going to become the lady of the Yan family?”

…

“Hey, but I have to say, He Wenyan’s new maid is quite the beauty. What was she thinking, bringing a little vixen into the house?”

“What does she have to be afraid of? Yan Weiguo would never get caught up in a personal conduct scandal, and the boy isn’t even her biological son…”

“It’s been over a year since He Wenyan married into the family. Why hasn’t she gotten pregnant yet?”

“She’s forty already—can she even still have kids?”

“Isn’t she a doctor herself?”

…

The military wives huddled together, gossiping about anything and everything with wild speculation.

Wen Xin was terrified. She had barely stood at the door for a few minutes and already felt the need to flee.

Yan Miaomiao was still asleep since she was young and tended to wake up later. Wen Xin wandered around the house for a while before finally locating her lunchbox.

There was still plenty of time, so she carefully prepared a bento meal with love. She shaped rice balls into panda faces, sliced hard-boiled eggs in half and added little eyes, making them look like smiling faces revealing their golden yolks. She rolled up vegetable and egg wraps for easy grabbing, placed a few bright red shrimp neatly on the side, and cut a piece of corn into a little sun with eyes and a mouth.

After carefully arranging everything, she admired her handiwork. The lunchbox looked like a scene straight out of a children’s storybook. With a satisfied smile, she closed the lid, eager to surprise Miaomiao.

As the clock neared six, she went to the room to wake Yan Miaomiao. The little girl was well-behaved—perhaps because of the upheaval in her childhood, having been sent away for two years, and the loss of her mother. Though a child might not fully understand such events, they had undoubtedly left an impact. Now that her living conditions had improved, she was neither spoiled nor troublesome. Whatever Wen Xin gave her, she would obediently sit at the dining table and eat without complaint.

Normally, He Wenyan was the one who took her to school. Wen Xin wasn’t sure how Miaomiao behaved in front of He Wenyan, but she was certainly different today. The moment she realized it was Wen Xin taking her, she was like a little bird freed from its cage—grabbing Wen Xin’s hand, hopping and skipping along the way, giggling from time to time.

At the compound’s gate, He Wenyan had already informed the guards, so no one stopped Wen Xin from coming and going.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to ask around for directions to the school—Yan Miaomiao knew the way.

In fact, it wasn’t just Miaomiao who felt like she had been let out of a cage—Wen Xin did too!

She had arrived here in a hurry, barely had time to catch her breath before being sent out again, and to this moment, she hadn’t even figured out her surroundings.

Now that she was outside, it was the perfect opportunity to explore. She wasn’t sure how much the world of this novel differed from reality, but judging by what she saw, the strictest period had already passed. Occasionally, she could spot colors other than black, white, blue, and gray on the streets. Though there were no bright reds or greens, it was clear that changes had begun.

Along the way, she saw a vegetable market, a department store, and a state-owned restaurant. To her surprise, she even spotted a privately-owned shop. A sign at its entrance stated that grain ration tickets were not required, though the prices were extremely high. Yet, despite that, there were still plenty of customers.

As expected, there were plenty of wealthy people in the capital.

The supply and marketing cooperatives were crowded with people, and the shop assistants would occasionally scold the customers. Such terrible service, yet no one dared to complain—only in this era could such a thing exist.

She even saw a foreign goods store, but it surely required foreign exchange certificates. At the moment, she didn’t have a single cent to her name—no money, no ration tickets, no vouchers—she lacked everything.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration, she dropped Yan Miaomiao off at school and pondered her next move on the way back. How could she get her hands on these essentials? If she truly intended to head south, she would definitely need money and tickets. Setting off empty-handed was simply unrealistic.

As she passed the foreign goods store, her gaze lingered longingly. Though the clothes inside were decades out of fashion and had limited designs, there were still classic styles worth wearing.

They even had undergarments, pajamas, and sleepwear. The patterns were a bit outdated, but they were still far better than the traditional bellybands people here were still wearing. Thankfully, she had packed two sets of intimate clothing in her suitcase—just enough to alternate between washes. But for a woman, two sets were hardly enough. Even ten would feel insufficient!

—

She hadn’t even made it back home yet when news of her being a nanny in the Yan family had already spread like wildfire among the compound’s residents.

She had to admire the gossip-spreading abilities of this era—truly impressive.

As soon as she stepped inside, someone approached her. It was a girl about the same age as the supporting female character in the original book. She had two simple braids, wore a floral-patterned blouse and black trousers. If one ignored the outdated clothes and tanned skin, she was actually quite fresh-faced and lively.

The girl eagerly struck up a conversation. “Are you from the Yan family? I’m the nanny for the Feng Jianjun household. His wife just had a baby, so I came from my hometown to help.”

Wen Xin had been wondering how to integrate herself into the compound’s inner circle, and now she had the perfect opportunity—firsthand information from someone on the inside. She couldn’t have asked for a better start.

“How much do you make a month?” she asked.

“…Thirty yuan.”

“That high? I only get fifteen.”

Wen Xin: “…”

To her, there was no real difference between thirty and fifteen yuan—they were both pitifully low!

But from the girl’s tone, this was a serious issue. To avoid causing trouble, Wen Xin quickly explained, “I have some family ties with Director He’s household. They’re just looking after me.”

“No wonder! I’m so jealous. If I could work for Commander Yan’s family, I’d do it even without pay!”

—

In this impoverished era, even a man’s looks could count as a form of salary…

The girl suddenly lowered her voice and asked, “Have you heard about what’s happening with the performing arts troupe?”

“What’s happening?” Wen Xin was intrigued.

“There’s a woman in the troupe pursuing Commander Yan. They say she’s incredibly beautiful!”