Chapter 6

Zheng Xiaorou withdrew her hand and raised her eyes to look at him. “I can’t keep taking advantage of you. I already owe you a lot.”

“That’s not owing; it’s just to make it more realistic,” Lu Yongzhang said, cherishing the fleeting sensation of their hands clasped together.

He then gentlemanly released her hand and took a step back. “Besides, I don’t need it, and my mother doesn’t need it either; they have more than I do.”

He took his gaze away from her hands.

The last time he held them was when he assisted the Empress—lifting her hand perfectly properly, not crossing any boundaries.

Zheng Xiaorou pinched the stack of tickets, feeling like she was holding a hot potato—she didn’t know whether to keep it or return it.

But he did make sense. If she accepted the tickets he offered… wouldn’t that make their relationship feel more authentic?

Yet, at the same time, it would complicate things.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to accept them. She said earnestly: “Then I’ll keep them for now and return them to you after a while.”

Lu Yongzhang did not press the issue of this trivial matter further. Instead, he said, “You don’t need to worry about work. I can help you find something, or do you want to take the college entrance examination?”

Since the news about the reinstatement of the college entrance examination had been officially announced, the Lu Family had discussed his future several times.

He quickly realized that the college entrance examination was equivalent to the imperial examinations he was familiar with.

This era offered a chance to take such an exam every year, which was much luckier than the students of the Da’an Dynasty.

Moreover, those who passed could continue their studies and choose subjects according to their interests.

In his eyes, this was the best pathway for advancement in this era.

But Zheng Xiaorou shook her head. “I want to take the exam, but I’m too far behind; I didn’t finish high school before being sent to the countryside.”

In reality, it wouldn’t have made much difference even if she had completed her studies. The quality of education now was incomparable to the past.

Her family had never discussed the topic of the college entrance examination.

Her parents only assumed that Zheng Tianlei would continue studying—if he wanted to take the exam, he could.

However, if it was her, they would never support her in doing so.

“It’s alright. You can work first and learn gradually,” Lu Yongzhang said. “I will help you.”

From her expression, he could tell that she hadn’t shared this idea with her family.

It had been the same in her past life; she appeared gentle and obedient in front of everyone, but inside, she had always been strong-willed and had her own thoughts.

Although not attending school for those years had a significant impact, Lu Yongzhang’s original academic foundation was quite solid.

Particularly, his early English education allowed him to secure a position in translation, even without formal university experience.

Zheng Xiaorou remained silent.

Of course, she had thought about the college entrance examination, but when the news broke, Father Zheng had made it clear: she was a girl, and marrying was the most important thing. Furthermore, their family couldn’t afford to support two college students.

The news had mentioned that there would be subsidies for college students, but since Father Zheng had stated he wouldn’t fund her further education, he truly wouldn’t give her any money.

So, she felt that finding a job was very important now.

She looked at Lu Yongzhang.

He was tall, and standing beside him gave a sense of pressure and a feeling of reassurance.

At that moment, the door across from them opened, revealing Zheng Tianlei, who was sneaking behind some clutter in the next room. He was tiptoeing as he peered into the alley.

It was clear he was looking for her.

Zheng Xiaorou looked up. “Then I’ll head back.”

Upon hearing the commotion, Zheng Tianlei bounced over, grinning widely, showing off his teeth.

“Brother Lu! Hehe…” His eyes sparkled remarkably in the dim light. “Are you really dating my sister?”

“Mm.” Lu Yongzhang nodded.

Hearing him respond directly, Zheng Tianlei became particularly excited. “Brother Lu, can I tell others you’re my sister’s partner? Can I say I’m really close to you?”

When Zheng Xiaorou saw her brother act like a madman, she expected Lu Yongzhang would coldly refuse him and look at him with a fierce gaze to reprimand the little brat.

However, she was wrong. Instead, she heard his calm voice saying: “Of course you can.”

Zheng Tianlei froze for a moment—his eyes sparkling with excitement. He was about to launch into a long-winded expression of joy, but Lu Yongzhang continued, “But you have to listen to your sister. If I see you disrespect her, I’ll ensure you understand what obedience means.”

Unable to hold back her amusement, Zheng Xiaorou laughed as she watched her foolish brother’s face turn pale.

“And also, you need to study hard and come home every day to teach your sister what you learned in school.”

Zheng Tianlei wailed softly, “Brother Lu! Isn’t that a bit too much for me?”

For a fifteen-year-old boy, listening to his sister and then having to teach her everything he learned that day was humiliating!

Lu Yongzhang’s demeanor changed in an instant, his face growing cold. “Then you should keep your distance from me and don’t come to my house.”

As he spoke, his emotionless gaze flicked toward the foot that had stepped into his doorway. “Step back.”

Zheng Tianlei’s head drooped. “Alright… I got it.”

After all, it was just talking about what he learned in class. It wasn’t like he would lose a chunk of flesh over it. It just meant he couldn’t slack off during class; otherwise, he wouldn’tcouldn’t explain everything properly.

Zheng Xiaorou fiddled with the seam of her pants, watching Lu Yongzhang lecture her unruly brother and finding herself wanting to laugh.

Once the amusement faded, she couldn’t help but remind herself to be mindful of the situation and not take it too seriously.

“I’ll walk you back.” After he finished lecturing Zheng Tianlei, Lu Yongzhang naturally stepped aside to escort Zheng Xiaorou back across the street.

Just before she turned to enter her home, he added, “The rumors will die down soon, and about finding a job, you don’t need to rush. Wait for my news tomorrow.”

She only caught the second half of his statement and replied, “Okay.”

As soon as the door closed, Zheng Tianlei stared wide-eyed, like his eyes were a pair of copper bells.

“Sister, how can you treat Brother Lu like that?!”

“What do you mean?”

“Cold… icy!”

Father Zheng and Mother Zheng were sitting on the edge of the bed, both looking toward the door, clearly waiting for her.

“Tianlei, go back to your room,” Father Zheng then said to Xiaorou. “Xiaorou, come here; we need to talk.”

Zheng Xiaorou took a deep breath—steeling herself.

Father Zheng pointed at the mesh bag. “Lu Yongzhang’s family is doing quite well. Those things are worth quite a bit.”

He was in a good mood, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. “Since you’re dating him, make sure to act properly. Your reputation isn’t great right now, and it’smeeting someone good like him is not easy. Don’t let it slip away easily, understand?”

“…Okay.” Zheng Xiaorou felt a tightness in her chest.

She had been harmed by others, yet her closest family members brushed it off lightly with a “bad reputation.” She couldn’t help but compare: why did others care for her pride more than her family did?

Then she watched him open the net bag—his face glowing with joy as her father pulled out the items one by one.

Her heart felt even heavier.

Mother Zheng pulled her daughter into the kitchen.

She spoke very softly, “You need to tell me the truth. What’s going on with those two matchmakers today? That Comrade Xu was clearly talking about someone else.”

Sure enough, Mother Zheng had noticed.

Zheng Xiaorou lowered her eyes. “She… she might have just done matchmaking for another family and got it mixed up.”

“I don’t think so,” Mother Zheng said with certainty. “Everything else matches up, but what’s with the letter?”

“It’s just a mistake!” Zheng Xiaorou stubbornly denied it. “Come on, Mom, even his own mother came to our door, and you still don’t believe it?”

She pulled out the stack of tickets that Lu Yongzhang had just given her. “Look, this is what he secretly gave me.”

When Mother Zheng saw the large stack of tickets for scarce supplies, she gasped and then shifted her tone. “Their family seems well-off. Do you think they might look down on us?”

Although the Lu family, with their security guards, was indeed impressive, it was hard for ordinary people to imagine the specifics of that lifestyle.

Only when Qin Yijun appeared at their house, exhibiting such extraordinary poise and demeanor, they had a tangible reference.

In short, Mother Zheng felt a bit ashamed.

Now that this mix-up was finally cleared up, Zheng Xiaorou felt an invisible sigh of relief. “It’s not like we’re discussing marriage…”

Unexpectedly, her mother shot back, “I think the man seems quite eager; it might very well happen next year!”

The matchmaker had made it very clear: Lu Yongzhang was 23 years old, had a stable job, and even had an independent marital home. If they were to get married, the conditions were more than adequate.

At that moment, in Mother Zheng’s eyes, there was no young man more respectable than him on the entire street.

She immediately felt her back straighten up significantly. Upon coming out of the kitchen, she shouted to her husband, “Our Xiaorou is really lucky! Look at you. You wanted to match her to those old bachelors at your workplace and even the second marriage candidates! Oh, and that scoundrel surnamed Li!”

Father Zheng dismissed her words with indifference. “What does an old woman like you know? I’ve put in so much effort for the face I’ve given her. That kid Lu Yongzhang was attracted to her precisely because of her face!”

—o—o—o—

The next morning at breakfast, Mother Zheng placed the rice cakes she had received the night before onto the pot to steam slightly.

Once they softened, she brought them to the dining table.

Mother Zheng pointed at the double-filled rice cakes. “I’ll take a piece over to the neighbors.”

That old busybody was always gossiping around; today, she would stuff her mouth with cake!

Unexpectedly, she knocked for a long time before the door opened, and leaving only a small opening.

The elderly woman next door was hiding behind the door. Her face was pale, with deep, dark circles under her eyes, and her pupils were constricted. Her lips trembled, making her look as if she had just awoken from a nightmare.

Mother Zheng was startled. “Auntie, what happened to you?”

Seeing that it was her, the old woman relaxed a bit and opened the door wider. After thinking for a moment, she still dared not mention that an invisible spirit had forced her to bow to the Zheng family. However, the look in her eyes inevitably revealed some of her fear.

Mother Zheng had endured much from that old woman and really wanted to say something sarcastic. But seeing the woman’s trembling lips, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she placed the pastries down and said before leaving: “These are from my son-in-law. I came here for you to try.”

Before leaving, along the way, she was greeted by many envious glances from the neighbors.

Lu Yongzhang, who was dressed in a plain shirt, saw Mother Zheng from a distance and stopped in his tracks. He bowed respectfully and greeted her, “Good morning, Auntie Lu.”

Mother Zheng, who had just been proudly showing off her son-in-law, now felt a bit embarrassed. “Off to work so early, Xiao Lu?”

Lu Yongzhang: “Yes, I’m heading to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism today to ask about a job for Xiaorou.”

After taking a step back, he walked out of the alley.

Mother Zheng, who was holding the plate of pastries, hurried home.

“Xiaorou, I just ran into Xiao Lu. He said he’s going to inquire about a job for you today!”

Mother Zheng couldn’t hide her excitement and nudged her husband. “Look at you, absolutely useless! In the end, we still have to rely on your daughter’s man to find a job for our daughter!”

Normally, she wouldn’t dare to embarrass her husband like that, but today was different. That boy had bowed respectfully to her and told her he was helping Xiaorou find a job.

Suddenly, she felt like she had something to rely on, something to be proud of.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yongzhang was very efficient. By the time he returned from work that day, he had already arranged the job and informed her about it.

The job was at a publishing house affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The job was proofreading manuscripts.

The work was light, and there would be opportunities to read many books that were hard to find elsewhere.

Although the position wasn’t permanent yet, there were annual openings for full-time positions, and if she performed well, she’d have the chance to secure a permanent job next year.

“Thank you so much!” Zheng Xiaorou’s gratitude was even more sincere this time.

Lu Yongzhang replied with a smile—his eyes as bright as stars: I told you, you don’t have to thank me. I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

This was a relaxed and respectable position compared to the jobs other returning educated youth had found.

.

How could Zheng Xiaorou not be happy?

—o—o—o—

The next day, she put on her best Dacron shirt, usually reserved for special occasions. She was escorted by Lu Yongzhang to the publishing house to start her new job.

—o—o—o—

A few days later.

On this particular day, Cheng Qian, who worked in the projection room at the neighboring cinema, was sitting by the rear window, sorting through the film reels for the day’s screenings.

Suddenly, he spotted a graceful and slender figure below.

His pupils widened in shock. Isn’t that Zheng Xiaorou?