Chapter 4

Ye Manzhi quickly found out from her mother that Old Ye was pulling strings to set her up with a potential match.

But she thought he was just saying that casually—there was no way a blind date like that would actually happen.

She wasn’t a factory employee, and she’d left things on a sour note with the Zhou family. For the sake of Deputy Director Zhou’s reputation, it was unlikely any matchmaker would seriously recommend her for a date with the military rep.

She and Captain Wu were like two parallel lines running close together—no matter how within reach he seemed, they would never intersect.

However, Ye Shouxin was surprisingly fast and decisive this time. Just a few days later, he came back with concrete news.

“They think Laiya’s great. The meeting’s set for this weekend!”

Ye Manzhi’s eyes widened in shock. “Dad, did you really go to the factory and recommend me yourself? I don’t even have a proper job yet—how could the Party organization approve a jobless young woman meeting a military rep? You can’t mislead the organization like that!”

She was confident, sure—but she wasn’t delusional.

“Being unemployed is only temporary. You’re a high school graduate—you’ll find a job sooner or later! I explained everything to the matchmaker, and they understood!”

Ye Manzhi murmured, “This is all happening so fast…”

“It is fast,” Ye Shouxin agreed, downing tea from his mug like water, speaking with a calm air of satisfaction. “This whole thing is thanks to Old Chen’s help.”

When the Party organization sets up a match, it’s kind of like selecting model workers in a workshop—self-recommendations are rare. Candidates are usually nominated by others.

Old Chen was a rebar worker in the Infrastructure Office. His wife worked for the factory’s Women’s Federation.

Both of them were rank-and-file workers with no leadership titles, so under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have much say in a matter like this.

But Old Chen’s wife had a unique connection—she was the biological older sister of Wu Zhengrong’s uncle by marriage.

A roundabout connection, sure—but family is still family. A recommendation from her would definitely be taken seriously by the organization.

Of course, the reason they agreed to help was partly due to Ye Shouxin’s shameless persistence—he treated Old Chen to drinks three times in one week. And partly because of the photo he brought along.

His youngest daughter wore a May Fourth-style youth outfit, her hair in two neat braids, smiling with her eyes curved like crescent moons—a lovely and graceful young lady, very pleasing to the eye.

Ye Manzhi was completely thrown off by her dad’s swift success. Flustered, she asked, “You mean… we’re really going to have a blind date?”

She hadn’t mentally prepared at all!

“Of course it’s real!”

Ye Manzhi hesitated, not daring to admit she was a little afraid of Wu Zhengrong.

Truth was, she’d already seen him.

Twice.

And both times had left a deep impression.

The first was at the end of last year.

Several major factories in the city had to report their annual production results to the municipal government.

Representatives of the workers carried huge red banners the size of two doors, marching to the sound of gongs and drums from the factory gates to the city government building.

The procession of celebrants was endless, and all of Binjiang City was filled with the sound of drums, red flags waving in the wind, and citizens crowding the streets in celebration.

Of course, Ye Manzhi and Lin Qingmei wouldn’t miss the excitement. They went early in the morning to claim the best viewing spot outside the factory office building.

But on that day, the factory also had an important delivery of military supplies scheduled. In order not to disrupt the delivery process, the 656 Factory’s celebratory team had to avoid the key transport routes, waiting for all the army transport vehicles to—

…only after they had left could the celebration team move out.

Ye Manzhi stood in the crowd, watching as the army-green trucks drove away from the factory one by one.

Just as the last truck was about to leave and the crowd was on the verge of erupting into cheers, that very truck suddenly screeched to a halt in the open area in front of the factory entrance.

The driver jumped out of the cab and snapped a salute toward the main office building.

Everyone followed his gaze.

A tall man in a military overcoat with a pistol strapped to his waist walked out of the building. He had a straight, imposing posture and a commanding presence. Behind him followed seven or eight armed soldiers.

After shaking hands with Factory Director Shen and bidding farewell, the man briskly descended the steps. His black military boots crushed the white snow beneath him as he stepped into the front passenger seat.

The other soldiers quickly and efficiently climbed into the back of the truck.

In less than a minute, the vehicle roared back to life and disappeared from view.

Aside from the young soldier on duty at the gate, this was Ye Manzhi’s first time seeing real soldiers and weapons up close.

That fierce, oppressive aura of authority made her heart skip a beat. She instinctively held her breath.

Someone in the crowd murmured that the man leading the group was the new military representative recently assigned to the factory—Captain Wu.

Factory 656 was directly overseen by the central government and covered an area as large as a small county. The chances of family members running into factory leadership were about as slim as running into the county mayor.

The second time Ye Manzhi saw Captain Wu was several months later.

At the time, Old Ye had been pulling back-to-back shifts at the factory and hadn’t returned home in a whole week.

Following Comrade Chang Yue’e’s instructions, she was delivering a change of clothes to him.

The security at the military factory was strict—outsiders weren’t allowed into the workshop area. So she went to register at the entrance with the bundle in hand.

But as she rounded a corner near the workshop, she witnessed something that made her blood run cold.

A gunshot rang out ahead. Two factory security officers were escorting a middle-aged man out of the workshop.

The man had a wound on his left calf and was limping. Dots of dark red blood stained the concrete floor.

Walking behind them was Wu Zhengrong, who said to the head of security, “Hand this man over to Section Chief Li. He’s already in possession of key data and schematics. Make sure he’s watched closely.”

“Don’t worry, sir. We’ll start interrogating him tonight. If he tries to run, he’ll lose the other leg too.”

But Wu Zhengrong didn’t look satisfied. The corners of his lips curled slightly, but his words were chilling.

“If he attempts to escape, shoot on sight. I’ll submit a written report to the higher-ups.”

At those words, the man being escorted tensed visibly, a vein bulging at his temple.

Even though Ye Manzhi knew she wasn’t the target of the threat, that casual tone—as if killing a man was no different than squashing a bug—sent a shiver down her spine.

The image of him just having fired his weapon kept looping in her mind, a terrifying scene replaying uncontrollably.

And at that very moment, Wu Zhengrong suddenly looked in her direction.

His gaze was sharp and assessing, and it struck fear into Ye Manzhi as if she were face-to-face with danger itself.

Even with that breathtakingly handsome face, she didn’t dare admire it. She froze for a few seconds, then fled the scene in a panic.

…

“Dad,” she said, “Captain Wu is factory leadership. How could he possibly—”

“…someone we can even dream of!”

Ye Manzhi could be fearless at times, but at others, she was utterly timid.

Just thinking about that day’s scene made her hair stand on end.

How could she possibly go on a blind date with someone like him?

“So what if he’s a factory leader? Factory leaders still have to eat, sleep, marry, and have children, don’t they?”

Ye Shouxin was determined to make this matchmaking happen. On one hand, he thought Wu Zhengrong was a good young man. On the other, he wanted his daughter to move forward and start a new chapter in her life.

But Ye Manzhi didn’t appreciate her father’s well-intended efforts. She was ready to back out, loudly voicing her concerns. “Captain Wu seems pretty old, doesn’t he? If he’s been single for this long, isn’t there something fishy about it?”

“I looked into it. Captain Wu is 26. Years ago, his grandfather, Old Master Wu, arranged a marriage for him, but he kept getting sent to the frontlines. For years, his life was uncertain, so the girl broke off the engagement and married someone else.”

Ye Shouxin was very satisfied with Wu Zhengrong as a candidate, but he didn’t miss the reluctance on his daughter’s face.

This girl, Ye Laiya, had always been the type to bully the weak but fear the strong.

At home, she was spoiled and willful, always getting her way. But now, just hearing Captain Wu’s name had already scared her into submission.

Ye Shouxin, knowing his daughter’s nature all too well, reached into his pocket and pulled out a brand-new ticket.

“Didn’t you want to see the Soviet Youth Art Troupe’s performance? Your old man went through hell and high water to get two tickets. You and Captain Wu can go together. He’s a gentle man, always smiling. If you two hit it off, great! If not, no big deal—just think of it as having company for the show. And since the meeting isn’t happening at home, you won’t have to worry about people gossiping if they see you…”

Ye Manzhi didn’t catch the last part of what her father was saying. She was too fixated on that ticket.

The Soviet Youth Art Troupe was only performing three shows in Binjiang.

The newspapers had heavily promoted it, boasting titles like “Stalin Prize Winner” and “Honored Artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.”

Ever since she read about the performance, she’d been itching to see those decorated artists in person.

But the tickets were expensive and nearly impossible to get. She had resigned herself to just dreaming about it.

Now, with a ticket practically within her grasp, the idea of a mere blind date suddenly seemed insignificant!

—

That night, after obtaining the long-coveted ticket, Ye Manzhi dreamed that she was standing on the stage of the Youth Palace, dancing the Red Silk Dance with the Soviet honored actor, Galyberin.

Scarlet silk ribbons billowed around her like waves, and the audience erupted in applause and cheers.

The crowd’s approval made her feel elated. She twirled her silk ribbons even more passionately, preparing to perform a complex move with Galyberin.

But just then, Wu Zhengrong inexplicably appeared!

Without hesitation, he grabbed the red silk and tied up the male actor like a dumpling. Then he pointed a gun at her leg, his expression a mix of a smile and a sneer.

“Either I cripple you, or you date me. Your choice.”

In the dream, she answered bravely, “Captain Wu, feelings can’t be forced. Just let my leg go! I still have a brand-new dress I haven’t even worn yet!”

Wu Zhengrong seemed touched by her sincerity—so he spared her useful legs.

Instead, he aimed at her chest and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

“Ahhh—!” Ye Manzhi jolted awake, flipping over like a startled carp.

Ye Manzhi sat up on the bed and said, “Talk, talk, I’ll talk!”

Love may be precious, but life is even more valuable!

Who would risk their life just for not going on a date?

Ye Shouxin wiped the sweat off her forehead, puzzled. “What are you talking about so early in the morning?”

Ye Manzhi snapped out of her daze, looked at the person sitting on the bed, and hesitantly asked, “Big sister, what are you doing back here?”

“Our mom said you’re going on a blind date with the military representative, so I swapped shifts with a colleague to come back and help you get ready.” Ye Manjin, dressed in the latest thin Lenin-style outfit with freshly permed hair, stood up to rummage through her younger sister’s wardrobe.

“Get ready for what?”

Ye Manzhi, still shaken by the absurd dream from last night, picked up the pear-shaped cat lying at the foot of the bed and began to rub its belly, causing the little cat to mewl and expose its white belly for more attention.

“It’s your first blind date, and it’s with a military representative, a man like him, of course you have to dress up nicely. Regardless of whether the date works out, you need to show the right attitude!” Ye Manjin gave her younger sister a moment of appraisal, her gaze landing on her messy hair, and suggested, “How about we change your hairstyle? Something more fashionable, like a perm? You know, like mine, with the curly style?”

Ye Manzhi had never permed her hair before, and this rare chance to experience it through the blind date opportunity was not one she would miss!

She quickly released the soft belly of the little cat and got out of bed to change her clothes.

In Binjiang, hair salons were classified into six levels, with a price difference of eight cents between each level.

Ye Manjin took her sister to the only Level 1 salon in the city—the state-owned Violet Hair Salon.

Electric perms were one yuan and eight cents, while hot perms were one yuan and two cents.

“This daughter is really something, when I was your age, our dad didn’t set me up with a commander for a match!” Ye Manjin crossed her arms and waited by the side, sarcastically glancing at her younger sister in the mirror. “I’ll have to keep the receipt so I can have dad reimburse me when I get home!”

Ye Manzhi sat quietly in the salon chair as the stylist clamped her hair with the perming iron, not letting her sister’s acidic remarks bother her.

Since she was a child, Ye Manjin had always made these little snide comments. When she first heard them, Ye Manzhi sympathized with her sister’s situation, even feeling anxious herself.

But after hearing them year after year, month after month, she eventually became immune to them.

“I remember once a military officer wanted to set up a date with you, but you were the one who said you didn’t want to marry a man with a gun. If you had put that picky attitude into your acting, you’d be the head of your drama troupe by now!”

“Dad’s really biased!” Ye Manjin remarked with a half-sarcastic tone, “I heard that Captain Wu’s parents work out of town, and the only relatives in Binjiang are his grandparents and an aunt. His whole family can only get together during the holidays. If they live far away, maybe they won’t even have to meet the in-laws for years, how great would that be!”

She had lived with her in-laws after marriage, and the constant little frictions were endless.

If her younger sister didn’t have to live with her in-laws, it would definitely be a plus!

However, for Ye Manzhi, whether the blind date would be successful was still uncertain, and the idea of married life seemed far away.

She half-heartedly agreed, her eyes glued to the stylist, who was removing the perming clips and combing her hair.

Since it was her first perm, the stylist gave her a soft wave, a gentle curl that wouldn’t go wrong easily.

Ye Manjin sneered at the soft waves; she always preferred big, bold curls. From her forehead to the back of her head, she had tight, dramatic waves, which looked elegant and dignified.

But seeing her younger sister with her ponytail and soft, natural curls at the ends of her hair, Ye Manjin thought it suited her much more—fresh, lively, and charming.

Both sisters were pleased with their new looks, but when Ye Manzhi came home with her freshly permed hair, she was met with an enraged Ye Shouxin.

“Who told you to perm your hair? Go back and fix it!”

“I can’t fix it,” Ye Manzhi said, twirling a lock of her hair with her finger and smiling brightly. “The stylist said it will last for two months!”

“That’s not acceptable! I told the Women’s Federation that my daughter is beautiful and well-behaved, quiet and refined, someone everyone would admire!” Ye Shouxin was frantic. “You go ask around in the courtyard—what kind of quiet girl goes to perm her hair? They’ll think I’m lying about her!”

At this, the whole family turned their attention to him.

Huang Li couldn’t help but mutter under his breath: [Even if she didn’t perm her hair, you’re still lying!]

Ye Manzhi: “…”

Once again, Huang Li was subtly mocking her!