Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Bai Jingzhi talked about things at her school as she ate. After the meal, Commissioner Zhu took Zhu Ying and Fang Min with him when he left.

Even after they had left, the voices of the family of five could still be heard. It seemed that Bai Jingzhi had noticed Jiang Mingchuan's injury and asked him if he was alright with concern in her voice.

Unable to hold back her words, Zhu Ying grabbed her sister-in-law's arm as soon as they entered their home and asked again, "That girl is truly charming. I wonder if she's married?"

Earlier, she had asked the young girl from the Jiang family, but a child is a child, and she didn't understand what Zhu Ying meant. She just stared blankly at her.

However, Fang Min wasn't one to read too much into things and replied with a smile, "She's still in school; she's just a kid."

This response blocked all of Zhu Ying's thoughts, and she paused before hesitantly saying, "But she doesn't seem that young, does she?"

Her own daughter got married at eighteen, and she herself was even younger, marrying at sixteen and bringing her brother along. Her first child didn't survive, so Ji Ling could be considered her second child.

Fang Min didn't quite understand and blinked, replying, "I guess so."

Sometimes, she still felt like a child herself, so how could Bai Jingzhi, who was much younger than her, not be considered a child?

But she didn't feel comfortable saying this to her sister-in-law, who was a good person but loved to nag.

Knowing that she wouldn't get through to her, Zhu Ying urged her to go rest in her room.

Fang Min left.

After she was gone, Zhu Ying turned around and saw her brother smiling nearby. Annoyed, she pinched him.

Commissioner Zhu cleared his throat, "Alright, alright. I know what you're thinking. Your eyes lit up when you saw her; you weren't afraid of being caught and laughed at."

Zhu Ying glared at him and scolded him for being heartless, "How old is your nephew? You don't worry, but I have to. That stubborn boy will be nearly thirty by next year. How is he supposed to find a partner? People his age already have a line of children. Look at An'an, who's younger than him and already has two kids."

"That stubborn boy is so stubborn..."

Seeing his sister about to start nagging again, Commissioner Zhu stopped her, "Alright, alright. In a few days, I'll sound out Captain Jiang."

He wondered how she came up with the idea that his nephew would be nearly thirty next year.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying's eyes immediately brightened.

However, Commissioner Zhu quickly added, "Our families are close, and we can't let this cause a rift between us if it doesn't work out."

After all, Fang Min and Jin Xiuzhu were close, and he didn't want them to fall out over this matter.

Zhu Ying didn't understand, "What kind of rift? Your nephew isn't bad. I think he's much more handsome than Captain Jiang."

Commissioner Zhu remained silent. His nephew used to be very handsome, but to say he was better-looking than Jiang Mingchuan was debatable. A few months ago, when he went on an inspection tour, he saw Jiang Mingchuan, who was as dark as charcoal from the sun. If the boy hadn't run over to greet him, he might not have recognized him.

Still, he said, "Captain Jiang's family conditions are good, and both he and his wife dote on their little sister."

Zhu Ying hurriedly responded, "I have money. I've saved every penny my nephew earned these years for when he marries."

Commissioner Zhu didn't know how to explain it to her and could only say helplessly, "Alright, I understand."

He then quickly added, "I'm going to read for a while. You carry on."

Zhu Ying nodded happily, feeling that this trip wasn't in vain. Not only did she take care of her brother and sister-in-law, but she might also gain a daughter-in-law.

Thinking about this, she quickly reminded him, "You need to put some effort into this. Whether your nephew can marry or not depends entirely on you."

Commissioner Zhu: "…"

The pressure was too great.

Unlike Commissioner Zhu's headache, the Jiang household became lively due to Bai Jingzhi's return.

After dinner, everyone gathered around Bai Jingzhi as she pulled out the gifts she had brought back.

The first items she took out were for the two children. For He Yan, it was a scarf, and for Fu Yanyan, it was a hat. Then she took out a bottle of Snow Cream for Jin Xiuzhu and a razor for Jiang Mingchuan. In addition to these, she had bought many snacks.

Jin Xiuzhu immediately started using the Snow Cream. She had heard of it before and knew it was quite expensive. Although she believed the ointment she made was the best, she was still delighted.

Still, she asked, "Did you buy so much? Did you have enough money?"

She was worried that Bai Jingzhi had saved money to buy them gifts instead of spending it on herself.

Bai Jingzhi smiled even wider. "Enough, enough. You gave me so much pocket money; I couldn't even use it all. I bought these with the allowance I received for helping my teacher translate. I still have half of the pocket money you gave me."

This semester, she earned twenty dollars by helping her teacher translate a book, which she spent entirely on gifts for them.

She didn't use the remaining pocket money, feeling that using it to buy gifts for them would be like using her brother and sister-in-law's money to curry favor.

On her way back to school this semester, she kept thinking about the advice her sister-in-law had given her. She had mentally prepared herself, but once she returned to her dormitory, she found it impossible to follow through. Eventually, she decided to focus on living her life.

The only difference now was that she had her family supporting her. When others bullied her, she dared to confront them and express her dissatisfaction.

As for the new clothes her brother and sister-in-law had sent her earlier, along with the thick blankets later on, people in the dorm initially made snide remarks. However, as they got used to seeing her eat in the cafeteria and wear better clothes, those who bullied her decreased significantly.

Two of her roommates even secretly asked where she bought her clothes. She told them it was from the department store and then asked where she got the money. Bai Jingzhi explained that her brother and sister-in-law had visited her during the New Year. After that, her roommates fell silent.

Although her roommates still didn't interact much with her, they no longer locked her out of the dormitory like before.

Later, she approached her teacher and expressed her desire to try translating.

When Jin Xiuzhu heard this, she nodded in approval. "Impressive. You actually learned to earn money. But don't worry about making money; focus on your studies. Don't tire yourself out."

Bai Jingzhi felt warmth in her heart. If her foster parents had known she could earn money, they would have surely made her work harder to support the family. They wouldn't have praised her and encouraged her to study hard without tiring herself, like her sister-in-law did.

Even though helping her teacher translate this semester was exhausting, she said, "It wasn't tiring. Helping my teacher translate helped consolidate my knowledge, and I learned a lot."

Jin Xiuzhu wasn't quite sure, but these words reassured her. "That's good then."

Unlike Jin Xiuzhu's straightforwardness, Jiang Mingchuan held the razor in his hand for a long time, looking at it, and then at his now lively and cheerful sister. He felt deeply moved.

He wasn't one to say sweet words, so he decided to give his sister a bit more pocket money next semester.

That night, Bai Jingzhi slept with Fu Yanyan again. The aunt and niece lay in bed, and Bai Jingzhi couldn't resist holding her soft and cuddly niece in her arms. Fu Yanyan struggled a few times but couldn't break free. In the end, she could only let her aunt hold and kiss her.

Bai Jingzhi didn't know what beautiful thought had crossed her mind, but she chuckled and said happily, "It feels great to be home."

Fu Yanyan wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't. She just hummed.

Bai Jingzhi then thought of her brother and sister-in-law's situation and asked her niece, "Is your dad seriously injured?"

When she asked earlier, her brother had said he was almost recovered. She saw him using a cane to wash dishes, which made her think that he must be fine.

Fu Yanyan calmly replied, "He's not seriously injured anymore."

Bai Jingzhi nodded. "There has indeed been a lot of rain recently. Our school flooded."

The next morning, Bai Jingzhi got up early to cook. Usually, breakfast was prepared by Zhu Ying next door, but Bai Jingzhi didn't know this. At school, she liked to get up early to find a good spot in the library, so she woke up promptly at five in the morning. After lying in bed for a while and hearing no movement outside, she quietly got up.

She then went to the kitchen to fetch a basket and headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy ingredients for cooking.

To her surprise, someone beat her there.

At the supply and marketing cooperative, Bai Jingzhi saw Auntie Zhu, who had come over for dinner the previous night. She greeted her with a smile. "Auntie, you're also buying groceries? You're here early."

Zhu Ying turned around when she heard Bai Jingzhi and her eyes lit up. She had just been wondering what the girl liked to eat, and here she was. It felt like fate.

She quickly said, "What a coincidence! Why did you get up so early?"

"In school, I'm used to getting up early, so I couldn't sleep anymore."

Zhu Ying nodded. "That's just like my son. Xiao Ling is the same; every time he comes back from the military, he gets up very early."

Bai Jingzhi didn't think much of it and complimented, "You have a son in the military? That's great."

Zhu Ying's eyes shone even brighter. "Right? Xiao Ling is my eldest son. He joined the military at eighteen and is already a company commander. But he's usually stationed at the base and can't come home often. His sister already has two children, but he's still unmarried."

Bai Jingzhi found it odd that Zhu Ying would share such detailed information, but she assumed it was because the aunt was just very warm-hearted. She smiled and agreed, "Don't worry too much, Auntie. Your son is successful and will definitely marry an excellent wife someday."

Zhu Ying was even happier upon hearing this. She covered her mouth and chuckled. "How can I not worry? My son is perfect in every way, except he doesn't have many opportunities to interact with girls. He's never talked to any other girls except his sister."

Bai Jingzhi smiled and picked up some vegetables at the entrance of the cooperative, preparing to buy some.

Zhu Ying noticed and hurriedly told her to put them down. She personally chose fresh vegetables for her and taught her where to buy good meat and how to prepare it.

They walked home together, with Bai Jingzhi listening to Zhu Ying praise her son's excellence the whole way.

Bai Jingzhi didn't mind. She could clearly sense that this aunt was a kind person. Her behavior of praising her son was understandable, as Bai Jingzhi herself did the same after recognizing her brother and sister-in-law. It seemed that Auntie really loved her son.

Bai Jingzhi parted ways with her at the door and entered the house, finding her brother and sister-in-law already awake.

Jiang Mingchuan sat in the living room, exercising his good hand by lifting a bucket of water up and down. From the kitchen came Jin Xiuzhu's voice, "Did Jingzhi go out? I heard something this morning."

Jiang Mingchuan looked up. "She's back?"

Jin Xiuzhu immediately came out of the kitchen. Bai Jingzhi greeted her with a smile and explained, "I'm used to getting up early at school, so I couldn't sleep anymore. I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some vegetables and ran into the aunt next door."

Jin Xiuzhu walked over. "Sister Zhu is a good person. She's been cooking for us these days. She was also the one who brought your brother back from the hospital."

Bai Jingzhi placed the basket on the table and took out the vegetables she bought. Hearing this, she nodded seriously. "Yes, she's very kind-hearted. She helped me pick these vegetables and chatted with me a lot. She mentioned that she has a son in the military. It seems like their whole family is impressive."

There was a political commissar, a writer, a company commander, and a platoon leader. She said her son-in-law was a platoon leader and her daughter managed the village finances.

Jin Xiuzhu paused as she sorted through the vegetables and looked up at her younger sister.

Her sister was very pretty. In the six months they hadn't seen each other, her hair had grown to her shoulders. To keep cool, she tied it up in a small ponytail at the nape of her neck, revealing her slender, snow-white neck. Her large eyes were dark and bright, she had a high nose bridge, and her lips were red. Even in the Great Jing Dynasty, she was considered a remarkable beauty, and here, she was even rarer.

When Jin Xiuzhu spent time with Zhu Ying before, she occasionally heard her mention her son. Although Zhu Ying had casually mentioned it, Jin Xiuzhu sensed another meaning—she regretted marrying off her niece too early, or else she would have introduced her to her eldest son.

This made Jin Xiuzhu laugh and cry at the same time.

However, she hadn't heard Zhu Ying mention it since, so it must have been a fleeting thought.

Now, hearing Zhu Ying chat with her younger sister, it seemed she had taken a fancy to her again.

Jin Xiuzhu raised an eyebrow, curious about how outstanding her eldest son must be.

But before Zhu Ying could make her intentions clear, Wang Ling arrived with Jin Xiuzhu's salary. They first discussed matters related to the factory, then Wang Ling pulled Jin Xiuzhu aside and whispered, "I have another reason for coming over. Do you know Wenjun? She told me she saw your younger sister yesterday and thinks she's great. Her family has an unmarried younger brother who is twenty-nine and works as the director of the state-owned hotel. She wants to ask if we can introduce your younger sister to him."

Jin Xiuzhu looked at Wang Ling in surprise.

She knew Wenjun. After Qi Min left, Wenjun's husband was transferred here. Rumor had it that their family was quite well-off, and many military wives liked to visit her, making her home feel like a constant tea party.

Before, this was the case with Wang Ling's home, but things had changed. Now, Wang Ling focused all her attention on the factory and was usually too busy to be seen. Qian Yufeng was also different; previously, she was always aware of the minor and major affairs among the military wives, but now, she was busy with the canteen and only came home to sleep or chat with Jin Xiuzhu. She learned about the military wives' affairs from Jin Xiuzhu.

Although Jin Xiuzhu had heard of Wenjun, they rarely interacted. Even if they bumped into each other face-to-face, they wouldn't greet each other.

"Twenty-nine? Isn't that a bit old? My younger sister is so young and still in college. Sister, isn't this insulting?"

Jin Xiuzhu disapproved.

Wang Ling didn't expect Jin Xiuzhu to care about the age difference. She was taken aback. "Isn't a bit of an age gap okay? Old Yan is several years older than me. The important thing is that he's capable. He's already the director of the state-owned hotel at such a young age and earns seventy to eighty yuan per month."

"So many people want to set him up because of his great job. Plus, he looks good. After his previous wife passed away, he hasn't remarried and doesn't have any children. Wenjun showed me a photo of her brother, and he does look good, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looks educated. I really think he's a good match, which is why I'm willing to come and talk to you about it. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother."

"You have no idea how many young girls these days are willing to marry into the city, even if it means ending up with a good-for-nothing drunk."

Jin Xiuzhu couldn't help but laugh at her words.

However, Jin Xiuzhu's perspective still differed from Wang Ling's. The director of the state-owned hotel was considered a prestigious position by the locals, but in Jin Xiuzhu's eyes, it was merely the manager of an inn. She had owned numerous shops back in the day, and those people were all servants; they could never be worthy of her sister-in-law.

Her sister-in-law was akin to a female scholar, beautiful, with a decent family background. Her brother-in-law held a government position, and his wife was an artist. Why settle for the manager of an inn when there were better matches?

Fearing Wang Ling might be upset, she explained awkwardly, "It's not that I look down on him, but my sister-in-law is still in college. Even if she were to get married after graduation, it would be two or three years later. My brother and I have only recently reunited with her, and we wish to keep her close for another year or two. We've decided to keep her by our side and perhaps find her a match among my brother's comrades or someone he served with, someone whose background we know well, so we can be sure she won't be mistreated."

Wang Ling understood Jin Xiuzhu's reluctance. Hearing her words, she knew Jin Xiuzhu wasn't interested. Despite her polite words, it was clear she didn't consider the match suitable.

Annoyed, she retorted, "If you don't value such a good opportunity, I'd jump at the chance if I had a daughter."

Jin Xiuzhu disagreed, "Marriage isn't solely about conditions. Wenjun's younger brother isn't in the military. It's normal for soldiers to remain unmarried until they're older due to their service, but if he's so well-off and still single, there must be something off about his personality. Couples inevitably face conflicts, and my sister-in-law is gentle. We wouldn't want her to be taken advantage of."

Wang Ling fell silent, nodding in agreement. "Alright then, I'll find an excuse to turn him down."

"That would be troubling you, Sister-in-Law."

"No trouble at all. If you feel bad about it, just paint me a couple more pictures."

"Of course."

Wang Ling waved and left with a smile. As she descended the stairs, she began to see the validity in Jin Xiuzhu's reasoning.

She had been swayed by the impressive conditions mentioned by Wenjun, unlike Jin Xiuzhu, who could think critically right away. This level of discernment was truly uncommon.

Upon returning home, Wang Ling first informed Colonel Yan about the situation, then enviously remarked, "I wonder what kind of mind Jin Xiuzhu has. She thinks so quickly. If it were me, I'd have jumped at the chance."

Colonel Yan shook his head. "Focus on your factory work and stay out of this. You might end up being resented. Just as Xiao Jiang's wife said, if his younger brother were really that great, he wouldn't still be single. He's not a soldier with no time for courtship."

Jiang Mingchuan's sister had only been back for a few days, yet someone already had their eye on her. There must be some ulterior motive at play, and only his own wife would foolishly meddle in such thankless tasks.

Impatiently, Wang Ling replied, "I get it, I get it."

She didn't want to hear any more lecturing.

Turning, she headed to the study to review the recent accounts from the factory.

Colonel Yan grumbled under his breath, then addressed his son, who was engrossed in eating at the table nearby. "Look at your mother. When she needs something from me, she's all smiles, but now that she doesn't need anything, this is her attitude."

Yan Xing rolled his eyes. "Be grateful. You're quite annoying."

He grabbed a pastry from the table and ran off. These were brought back from Auntie Jin's house, his favorite.

"Stop right there, boy!"

---

Upon returning home, Jin Xiuzhu shared the incident with Jiang Mingchuan.

Bai Jingzhi and the children were also in the living room and overheard the conversation, causing Bai Jingzhi's face to flush.

Jiang Mingchuan furrowed his brow.

Jin Xiuzhu turned to Bai Jingzhi. "What do you think? Are you upset that I refused the proposal?"

Bai Jingzhi hastily shook her head. "No, no. I'm still young and haven't thought much about it."

Satisfied, Jin Xiuzhu nodded and explained, "You've only been back for a short while, and we don't know much about this Wenjun person. We should be cautious when someone suddenly comes forward with a marriage proposal."

"Even if there's nothing wrong with him, it's not a good match. He's so much older and has been married before. You're not desperate to marry, so why settle for a picky old man? Your circumstances aren't inferior to his. Even if you don't find someone better, you'll certainly find an equal. We need to consider not just wealth, but also character and the temperament of his family."

Bai Jingzhi nodded obediently. "I'll follow your advice, Sister-in-Law."

In her heart, her brother and sister-in-law always had her best interests at heart.

Jiang Mingchuan added, "Your sister-in-law is right. We need to vet anyone you might marry."

Bai Jingzhi agreed, feeling no resentment towards her brother and sister-in-law's concern, but rather, happiness at their care.

As they discussed Bai Jingzhi's future, next door at the Zhu residence, Fang Min recounted the conversation she had overheard during dinner with a smile. "Jingzhi is truly outstanding. Someone already came forward to propose a match shortly after her return."

She spoke proudly, considering Bai Jingzhi as her own student.

To her surprise, her husband and sister-in-law both looked perplexed, especially her sister-in-law, who cautiously asked, "Do you think Jin Xiuzhu's words were genuine or just pretense? How could they refuse such a good offer?"

In her view, earning eighty to ninety a month was extraordinary. Her own son made forty a month, and she felt quite proud of it.

Unaware of her sister-in-law's thoughts, Fang Min stated plainly, "It must be true. The Jin couple doesn't care about money. Given Jingzhi's past hardships, they probably want to keep her close."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying felt a sudden emptiness. Her son served in the north, far from here.

After dinner, the siblings argued in the kitchen again.

Zhu Ying, fearing Fang Min might overhear, whispered scolding her brother for his lack of initiative, allowing others to make the proposal first. Now, everything was ruined, and there was no point in discussing it further.

Commissioner Zhu hung his head, accepting his sister's scolding. He had been so busy lately that he forgot about the matter entirely.

Feeling aggrieved, he listened to her words, as if mentioning it would guarantee success.

In the end, Zhu Ying still urged him to bring up the matter to the Jin couple, hoping for a chance at success.

Commissioner Zhu agreed.

However, before Commissioner Zhu could find an opportunity to discuss the matter, his niece called, saying there was an emergency at home. Liu Zaimin was injured during flood relief efforts, and the children fell ill one after another. Overwhelmed, she called, requesting her mother's assistance.

Upon receiving the call, Zhu Ying informed her brother and sister-in-law, hurriedly packed, and prepared to leave.

As she was halfway through packing her things, someone knocked on the door of her home. Fang Min went to open it, and looking up, she recognized after a moment the tall figure standing there. "Ji Ling, how did you come here?"