Chapter 3: Orchid Courtyard

The personnel clerk, Ms. Liang, casually glanced at the badge on Li Xiangbei’s chest and smiled.
“Oh, young comrade, you’re from the supply and marketing cooperative, huh?”

Li Xiangbei nodded.
“Yes, Sister Liang, I’m Su Yue’s fiancé. I work at the county’s supply and marketing cooperative.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a handful of milk candies from his satchel and placed them on the desk.
“Sister Liang, have some sweets. Our Su Yue is shy, so we’ll be counting on your care and support.”

Seeing the candies on the desk, the clerk’s professional smile warmed noticeably, and even her eyes lit up.
“Well then, thank you, young man. Comrade Su is lucky to have found such a considerate partner. I’m sure her future will be bright.”

Li Xiangbei’s face was beaming with barely hidden joy.
“No, it’s my blessing to have found someone as good as Su Yue.”

After leaving the HR office, the two headed toward the logistics department.

Su Yue smiled faintly.
“You’re acting like we’re getting married today. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at us?”

Li Xiangbei rubbed his nose and muttered,
“I wish we were getting married today.”

He couldn’t help but grin foolishly after saying that.

Su Yue gave him a sidelong glance and lightly slapped his arm.
“Smooth talker.”

At the logistics department, they smoothly collected her newcomer’s welfare package—which turned out to be quite a lot: four sets of blue cotton work clothes (two thick, two thin), two pairs of leather shoes, two pairs of cotton shoes, four pairs of gloves, two enamel basins, two bars of soap, two towels, two aluminum lunch boxes, two factory-logo mugs, two padlocks, and one hot water kettle.

Li Xiangbei sincerely praised,
“This steel factory’s benefits are really great!”

The clerk puffed up proudly.
“Of course! Our factory’s welfare is top-notch in the whole county. All thanks to our leaders fighting for it.”

Li Xiangbei was quick to flatter them in return.

He handed the kettle to Su Yue and organized the rest into the basin, holding it in both arms before saying goodbye to the clerk.

Walking side by side toward the dormitory building, the sun warmed their backs.

Su Yue turned her head slightly and said,
“Luckily you were here to help today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to carry all this.”

Li Xiangbei looked at her earnestly and said with deep emotion,
“Yueyue, as long as you need me, I’ll always be by your side.”

Su Yue’s cheeks flushed. She gave him a playful glare and mumbled,
“Where’d you learn to be so slick?”
But the curve of her smiling lips gave her away.

With the key in hand, they headed to Room 306 on the third floor. Su Yue knocked, waited, but heard no response. She then took out the key and unlocked the door.

Li Xiangbei respectfully turned his back.

Su Yue smiled and stepped inside. The room was empty.

It was a standard two-person dorm. Two single beds, each with a locker at the head. One bed was already neatly made, belongings well-organized.

The room was clean, and the sunlight streaming in from the window cast gentle patterns on the floor.

Clearly, her roommate liked cleanliness, which made Su Yue quite pleased.

She stepped back outside and said to Li Xiangbei,
“Someone’s already living inside. It’s not convenient for you to come in. Just hand me the stuff—I’ll handle the rest.”

Li Xiangbei frowned slightly.
“Maybe we should move it in two trips. I’m worried it’s too heavy for you alone.”

Su Yue pretended to be annoyed.
“What? You think I’m some delicate little girl who can’t manage on her own?”

That reminded Li Xiangbei of the day he confessed to her, a year ago:

His face red, his hands awkwardly at his sides,
“Su Yue, I… I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Su Yue’s gaze was clear as she replied bluntly,
“Li Xiangbei, you don’t really know me. I’m not some delicate girl who needs constant protection.”

Li Xiangbei stepped closer, eyes locked on hers, vowing,
“I don’t care what kind of person you are—I like you. I’ve liked you for three whole years, and that hasn’t changed.”

Su Yue beamed.

At the time, the school was building a wall. Bricks were stacked on the ground.

She picked one up and, with a clean chop, split it in two. Not a shred of hesitation.

Li Xiangbei was stunned. After a couple of seconds, he snapped back and grabbed her hand, panicked,
“Yueyue, does it hurt?”
He anxiously turned her hand over and over.

Realizing his overreaction, his face turned crimson all the way to his ears.
“Yueyue, I… I didn’t mean to offend you.”

When Su Yue didn’t respond, he steadied his gaze again.
“Su Yue, it’s been three years. I’m sure of it. I love you, deeply and completely.”

Su Yue’s eyes sparkled with laughter.
“Alright. But on one condition.”

“Really? Anything!” he exclaimed, thrilled.

When she sobered her expression, so did he.

Looking into his eyes, she said firmly,
“You must never lie to me. Not even if it’s supposedly for my own good.”

From that day forward, they officially became a couple.

…

“Yueyue, it’s summer and the mosquitoes are bad. I’ll go to the co-op and get you a mosquito net. And a quilt too.”

Su Yue shook her head.
“I already have both at school. Let me put these things away first, and then we’ll head back.”

“It’s hot outside. You stay here and rest—I’ll go get them.”
With that, he handed her the basin and quickly left.

Su Yue smiled and let him go.

She stored the items under the bedside cabinet, then took out a used face towel from Orchid Courtyard and placed it in the basin.

She had noticed a public washbasin near the stairs, so she fetched water to wipe down the bed and cabinet.

In just ten minutes, she was done. She locked the door from the inside and, with a flash of her body, entered the Orchid Courtyard.

This Orchid Courtyard held many of her past-life memories. After her mother died, her stepmother banished her to this remote corner of the general’s estate. The courtyard was fenced in, with only one small door for access. All the maids and servants were driven out—only she and her nanny were left.

Her stepmother cut off their food. The nanny, heartbroken, turned the front yard into a vegetable garden and traded her jewelry with a young servant to build a chicken coop behind the house. When the stepmother found out, she deliberately had a pigsty built next to it, trying to humiliate them.

Thus, Su Yue spent ten long years in Orchid Courtyard. Who would’ve guessed that, after reincarnation, the courtyard would follow her into this life?

Su Yue was secretly grateful that, after gaining power in her past life, she had torn down the western wall of the courtyard and merged it with the vacant yard next door, turning it into a two-mu (⅓ acre) compound. She even built four large storage houses.

Anything stored in these warehouses never spoiled—food stayed fresh, water kept its temperature.

Over the years, she had stockpiled plenty of vegetables, fruits, chicken meat, and eggs.

Su Yue changed her shoes, grabbed two bamboo baskets, and walked confidently to the vegetable plot. She harvested the ripe produce and filled a basket with cabbage leaves. She chopped them up to feed the chickens.

When she figured enough time had passed, she fetched a bucket of well water, washed her face and hands, changed back into her regular cloth shoes, and quietly exited the Orchid Courtyard.