Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Elder Jiang typically received the younger generation not in his bedroom, but in the anteroom.

The aroma of tea and the scent of newsprint brought a sense of calm, yet Jiang Yue felt a tumultuous unease.

The old man lifted the kettle, pouring hot water into the teapot, slowly rotating it to warm it before refreshing the water.

He remained silent, until Jiang Yue, unable to bear it any longer, whispered, "Grandfather…"

"Do you know why I asked you to stay today?"

Finally, he finished warming the teacups and poured the first steep of tea.

Jiang Yue stared at the steam rising from the cup, gritted his teeth, and lowered his head. "I don’t know."

This time, he had miscalculated—he never expected Jiang Wang to return before the New Year.

Not only that, but he had actually obtained a marriage certificate!

Su Linjin wouldn’t even turn 20 until after the New Year—how could the military have issued it for Jiang Wang?!

At their Electronic Factory, female workers weren’t granted marriage certificates until they turned 23, and couples weren’t given childbearing quotas unless their combined age was under 50.

So he had always believed marriage between the two was still a distant dream.

Once Jiang Wang returned to the military, as long as he came to Grandfather’s house for meals every day and grew closer to Su Linjin, feelings would naturally develop.

Given how much Grandfather doted on her, what was wrong with switching the engaged grandson later?

They were both Jiangs—Grandfather would still be honoring his old comrade.

Elder Jiang fell silent again.

The silence weighed heavily on Jiang Yue, and he couldn’t help but glance at the old man.

He saw Elder Jiang’s lips pressed downward, his expression unreadable, but the calm in his eyes seemed to hint at a brewing storm.

This was the look of Grandfather in a rage, and Jiang Yue knew full well that talking back now would lead to a terrible outcome.

His nerves were stretched to the limit, breaking under the silence before an avalanche. Before he could speak, he lowered his head. "Grandfather, I was mistaken."

After a long pause, Elder Jiang asked, "How were you mistaken?"

This phrase—"I was mistaken"—was Jiang Yue’s go-to response in awkward or challenging situations, a catch-all excuse when he couldn’t think of a proper answer or wanted to brush things off.

"…" Jiang Yue had no choice but to brace himself. "I thought Jinjin might reconsider me."

Elder Jiang suddenly roared, "You disgraceful brat! Since when do you call her Jinjin? She’s your younger sister-in-law! Reconsider? Reconsider my foot!"

The storm had arrived—the avalanche moment.

Strangely, Jiang Yue no longer felt afraid. "Should she just spend every day alone, then?"

Elder Jiang snapped, "That's none of your goddamn business! Remember your place—from now on, you’re her older brother-in-law! It’s about time you got engaged too. Get it done this year. Whatever Little Wang gets for his marriage, you’ll get yours!"

Jiang Yue looked up at the old man and wisely agreed.

The wall clock's pendulum swung rhythmically, its ticking marking the passage of time, each second traceable in the sound.

"Get out!"

Jiang Yue was finally dismissed, slinking out of his grandfather’s room in disgrace.

Outside in the courtyard, the cold moonlight washed over the flagstones. He glanced once more at the east wing.

Su Linjin’s silhouette was outlined in the window—she seemed to be writing something by the desk.

Under the lamplight, even through the window sheers, he could see her curled lashes and the elegant curve of her profile.

She was beautiful no matter how he looked at her.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Yue turned toward the courtyard gate, but Zhou Juan and Jiang Yongyao emerged from the west wing, calling out, "Hey—Xiao Yue, wait!"

The couple hurried after him, catching up just outside the courtyard, asking in unison, "What did he say?"

It was too humiliating. Even with his own parents, Jiang Yue took several breaths before repeating Grandfather’s words verbatim.

Jiang Yongyao frowned, but Zhou Juan immediately perked up. "Isn’t this good news? He said whatever Jiang Wang gets for his marriage, you’ll get too. What does that mean? It means the family compound won’t go to the second son's family. He won’t let go until he’s too weak to move and needs someone to take care of him. That’s called not letting go until he sees results—the old fox is shrewd."

"Your mother’s right. Then we’ll just have to wait," Jiang Yongyao mused after a long silence. "Look how this has dragged on, delaying you all these years. Let’s get things moving—it’s time you settled down."

Zhou Juan grew excited. "That’s wonderful! This weekend, just you wait—I’ll arrange for you to meet a nice girl."

Only Jiang Yue himself knew that he truly wanted to try again with Su Linjin.

He had held onto that hope—if only she gave him a chance, she might realize he was the better choice.

The next day, Jiang Wang arrived at Bailian Hutong.

Now that they had their marriage certificate, they could speak openly in the east wing.

Jiang Wang glanced at the books spread across her desk. "Is studying hard?"

Su Linjin nodded. "I’m weak in math, and I’m not sure how the other subjects will be divided between humanities and sciences, so I have to study everything. The biggest challenge is the politics exam—I’m completely in the dark. I’m not familiar with current policies."

Jiang Wang thought for a moment before meeting her gaze. "I’ve put in for reassignment."

"After New Year's, I’ll check in at the military academy. Once I’m there, I can gather some classified briefings for you—they should help with the politics exam."

The classified briefings from military schools combined interpretations of major policies, essentially serving as one of the source materials for the subject’s examiners.

In her past life, Su Linjin’s high school politics teacher—a graduate from the Class of '77—had once remarked how lucky he was to have lived near an army base after returning to the city. He had nailed the exam almost entirely by studying the classified briefings posted on the base’s bulletin boards.

"You’re going to military school? Did you tell Grandfather?"

According to the book, this was never part of Jiang Wang’s career path.

She clearly remembered that in the novel, he had only mustered out to civilian work after the original protagonist’s death, moving up quickly in rank afterward.

Seeing her surprise, Jiang Wang explained, "I haven’t told Grandfather yet. I might transfer again later." He looked at her and added, "So I’ll be staying in Northern Yan permanently."

Staying in Northern Yan permanently?

Did that mean they’d be seeing each other all the time?

Before she could digest this, he produced two tickets. "How about a break today? Let's catch a movie."

The blue tickets from Xiangyang Theater bore their seat numbers and the title: *The Flower Girl*.

Most of Su Linjin's knowledge of Northern Yan came from Zhang Ma.

Zhang Ma said that Xiangyang Grand Theater was not only the largest theater in Northern Yan but also the most famous in the country. Every model opera that spread from Northern Yan to the rest of the nation debuted and was filmed here.

These days, Xiangyang Grand Theater was the trendsetter, the birthplace of fashion.

She couldn't help feeling tempted.

Since arriving in this era, she hadn’t engaged in any entertainment activities. Her biggest pastime was sitting with the old man in front of the black-and-white TV, watching the nightly news.

But what was this? This feels like a date.

Yet soon, she justified it to herself—they were now in a client-contractor relationship. This was team bonding!

"Are the tickets for today?"

"Yes, today’s."

It would be a waste not to go, Su Linjin thought again.

"Alright, let me change first."

Zhang Ma had said that Xiangyang Grand Theater was not your average venue—one had to dress carefully.

She changed into a blue high-neck sweater paired with beige straight-cut wool pants.

These clothes weren't originally hers but were among the few left behind by her mother.

After the incident back then, Old Man Su, heartbroken, burned most of his son and daughter-in-law’s belongings. The only remaining pieces were those that young Su Linjin needed—she could only fall asleep smelling her mother’s clothes.

Before coming to Northern Yan, when Lin Peishu was packing her luggage, she found these two pieces and remarked that the pants had been handcrafted by the most famous tailor in Hujiang City.

"Your mother’s clothes all had their histories—the finest fabrics, the latest styles. The tailor came every two months to take measurements and make custom pieces. Look, they’re still fashionable now."

More than just fashionable—to Su Linjin’s eyes decades later, they were utterly timeless.

After changing, she applied some Vaseline on her lips and fingertips before putting on the coat Lin Peishu had bought for her.

Jiang Wang waited outside the eastern wing. When the old man saw him, he called out stiffly, "Xiao Wang, come here."

"When are you returning to the army after your leave?"

He knew military regulations well—this leave time couldn’t have much time left.

Jiang Wang pursed his lips, thinking for a moment before answering, "After New Year's."

"What’s going on? What kind of discipline is your unit running?!"

Just then, Su Linjin opened the door. Jiang Wang said, "Grandpa, we’ll be going now." He met Su Linjin, and the two stepped out.

Xiangyang Grand Theater wasn’t far—just a short bike ride away.

Though the temperature was low today, the sun was bright. Su Linjin sat behind him, sheltered from the wind yet with plenty of fresh air, far more comfortable than taking the bus.

"What did Grandpa say to you just now?"

"Nothing much. He asked why my leave wasn’t over yet."

Su Linjin chuckled. "Will he be furious when he finds out?"

"Yes, so let’s keep it quiet until after New Year's."

As he said this, a boyish glint flickered in Jiang Wang’s eyes.

"So you’re scared of Grandpa too?"

"Petrified. Since I was little." Jiang Wang glanced down at Su Linjin’s slightly swaying feet and smiled. "I'm going to pick up speed—hold onto my coat."

He wasn’t in uniform today but wore a black wool-lined overcoat.

Su Linjin remembered the taut, muscular frame she’d felt when she last held his waist. Familiarity made it easier—she gripped the hem of his coat. Since the coat was short, her hands landed right at his thighs, grazing the outside with each sway.

Completely unaware that Jiang Wang had tensed up because of it.

The bicycle sped up, and soon they arrived at the theater.

Just as Zhang Ma had said, a row of ticket scalpers stood along the wall by the entrance, hands tucked in their sleeves for warmth.

Those holding tickets at the ticket gate indeed looked refined, standing in sharp contrast against the sea of military-style jackets on the streets.

Stepping through the theater doors felt like entering another world.

The stage was enormous, its solid wood flooring polished to a rich sheen. Deep purple velvet curtains hung on either side, virtually identical to the grand stages Su Linjin had seen in her past life.

The auditorium was spacious, with three levels of seating. The upper two levels had balcony boxes on either side, along with private boxes.

Jiang Wang’s tickets were centrally located on the first level—excellent seats.

After handing the tickets to Su Linjin, he said, "They sell snacks and drinks here. Wait here—I’ll go get some."

The movie wouldn’t start for another ten minutes. With nothing else to do, Su Linjin pulled out her notebook from her bag, using the remaining light to go over some Chinese literature basics.

She had barely started when a surprised voice came from behind her: "Jinjin? Who did you come with?"