Chapter 16: Moving

Chapter 16: Moving

Lin Zhijin thought Lin Shishu was just being polite, but she actually came to visit her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that deputy commander would be like that. I made it very clear to him that day, and he didn't refuse. Who would have thought he had other intentions?" Lin Zhijin held Lin Shishu's hand and said apologetically.

"You can never truly know what's in someone's heart. What does this have to do with you? It's better this way—at least better than those two-faced phonies. Oh, look at the bracelet I just bought." Lin Shishu waved her hand to show Lin Zhijin the jade bracelet on her wrist.

"It's beautiful. Was it expensive?" Lin Zhijin didn't know much about jade, but judging by the clarity and color, it couldn't have been cheap.

"It sure was—eighty silver dollars." Seeing Lin Zhijin frown, Lin Shishu knew what she was worried about and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I have money. On the day the city was liberated, I took all my valuables with me. Later, I went to my husband and raised a fuss. After all the years I spent with him, he wasn't completely heartless—he gave me another chunk of money, a thousand silver dollars. Plus what I'd saved before, buying a bracelet... that's not a big deal, right?"

A jade bracelet for eighty silver dollars—nearly a tenth of that thousand. She really shouldn't have splurged like that.

Seeing her grimace, Lin Zhijin recalled her earlier assessment of her and decided to revise it: she had a few tricks up her sleeve, but not a full bag.

"Zhijin, what did Master Chen leave you?" Lin Shishu's moods came and went quickly, and she turned curious about what Lin Zhijin had received.

"Our first wife was kind-hearted and gave me a house. I got to take all my old things with me, and Master Chen left me a little something from his estate. I'm better off than some, worse off than others. And I have a job now, so I'm doing fine." Seeing Lin Shishu still fiddling with her bracelet, Lin Zhijin couldn't help but remind her, "You're not in the same position as before. You have no one to rely on and a large sum of money in hand—you're a sitting duck. You should stash those gold and silver trinkets away."

Lin Shishu sighed. She wasn't stupid—she'd just wandered into the jewelry shop, and before she knew it, the clerk had sweet-talked her into buying the bracelet. She'd regretted it the moment she bought it but couldn't bring herself to return it without feeling embarrassed.

"I know. Thank you, Zhijin. Ever since I left the Wu family, the friends I used to be close with have stopped talking to me. The rare one or two who still come around only want to borrow money. I..." Lin Shishu's eyes reddened, her voice trembling with tears. "Zhijin, you're the only friend I have left. At the next singles event, find me a good man. I'm afraid of being alone."

"Alright, I'll definitely keep an eye out for you." Lin Zhijin nodded.

"Come on, let me take you out for something delicious." Lin Shishu said with a bright smile, pulling Lin Zhijin along.

Lin Zhijin seriously suspected she had a split personality—how could her mood change so fast?

It was her day off today, and since she had time to kill and the weather was nice, she figured she'd go out for a stroll, enjoy the breeze, and clear her head.

They had lunch at a small restaurant—the food was quite good. It was Lin Shishu's pick.

"Zhijin, can I come find you again next time?" Lin Shishu held her hand, not wanting to let go.

"Sure, but only after work or on my days off." Lin Zhijin waved goodbye and hailed a rickshaw home.

After wandering around for most of the day, she was drenched in sweat. Lin Zhijin heated up some water for a bath, washed the dirty clothes she'd piled up, and tidied up. By the time she was done, it was already seven in the evening. Too lazy to go out for dinner, she snacked on some crackers and called it a meal. Just as she was about to close the door and go to sleep, she heard a knock at the door.

After a moment's hesitation, she crept to the front gate and overheard voices outside.

"Brother Yang, this is the place. The girl inside is gorgeous—that waist so thin you could wrap one hand around it, perky little chest, nice ass, skin as smooth as silk. And when she gives you that little glance—damn, it makes you weak in the knees."

"Single?"

"Not just single—she lives in that house all alone."

"Tsk, why isn't she opening the door? Knock again."

"Brother Yang, why bother knocking? Let's just climb over the wall."

*Smack!* The sound of a slap.

"Are you trying to get me killed? There are soldiers outside. Climb the wall? You got a death wish?"

"Brother Yang, she's not opening the door."

"Someone's coming. Let's go. We'll be back."

Only after confirming the footsteps had faded did Lin Zhijin let out a long breath, her heart pounding.

Lin Zhijin pursed her lips. She couldn't stay in this place. Moving to the courtyard with the jujube tree wasn't a long-term solution either—once people found out she lived alone, they'd still come after her. Should she move into the dorms?

Actually, she wasn't suited for living alone—she was afraid of both thieves and ghosts. But she also didn't like shared dormitories. She'd ask Li Yue tomorrow if there was any chance of getting a private room.

"A private room? No way. Housing is so tight right now. Don't you already have a place to live? Why do you want to move into the dorms?" Li Yue's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, there are two-person rooms! Xiao Lin, do you want to live in the dormitory? We could share a room!"

Lin Zhijin looked at Li Yue in surprise. "Aren't you married?"

"Him? He's barely home a few days a year. Xiao Lin, move in! We can commute together." Li Yue said happily.

"I'll think it over." Lin Zhijin planned to ask Director Zhang about getting a single room. It didn't matter if it was small—it would feel safer, honestly.

Unfortunately, Director Zhang wasn't around today, so Lin Zhijin would have to wait until tomorrow.

That evening, she heard knocking again. This time she didn't go out. She locked the doors and windows, grabbed a cleaver, and waited. After confirming the men were gone, she let out a long breath.

Tomorrow she had to talk to Director Zhang about the dormitory, no matter what. If that didn't work, she'd stay at a hotel for a few days and then rent a place near the military administration office. She wasn't about to risk her life.

"Xiao Lin, didn't you sleep well again last night? Still adjusting to the bed? If you move to the dormitory, won't it take you forever to get used to it again?" Li Yue noticed the dark circles under Lin Zhijin's eyes and asked with concern.

"No." Lin Zhijin rubbed her temples. "Some thugs knocked on my door last night. I was so scared I couldn't sleep."

"What?" Li Yue jumped up from her seat. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. They knocked for a bit and then left." Lin Zhijin's voice was heavy with exhaustion.

"No wonder you mentioned moving to the dormitory. Move—move right away! Come on, let's go ask the director for time off, and I'll help you move." Li Yue grabbed Lin Zhijin to go see Director Zhang.

"No rush. I need to talk to the director about something else." Lin Zhijin pulled Li Yue back.

When Director Zhang had a free moment, Lin Zhijin hurried to the office.

"Director, the place I'm living now isn't very safe. I'd like to move into the dormitory, but... I have quite a lot of things. Is there any way I could get a single room?" Lin Zhijin asked cautiously.

"A single room? You don't have the rank for that. Not safe? What happened?" Director Zhang asked.

Lin Zhijin told him about the thugs knocking on her door, then looked at Director Zhang with pleading eyes.

"The rules don't allow that." Director Zhang looked at Lin Zhijin's weary expression and paused. "Housing is tight right now. Let us see what we can do. Xiao Lin, I'd suggest you move into the dormitory for now. It's really dangerous for you to be living alone out there."

Li Yue had been waiting for Lin Zhijin to come out. Seeing her dejected face, she figured she didn't get the room. "Didn't you tell the director about the thugs?"

"I did. Sorry, Li Yue, but I really want a single room." Lin Zhijin smiled bitterly. "I've got a poor person's fate but a rich person's habits—I can't sleep if I have to share a room with someone."

"Then what are you going to do when you get married?" Li Yue asked curiously.

"I don't know. That worries me too!" Lin Zhijin sighed softly.

Just then, Division Chief Yang led two newlywed couples in to hand out wedding candy.

"Thank you, thank you. If you hadn't set up that mixer, we never would have gotten married." A pretty young woman in her early twenties gave Lin Zhijin a handful of fruit-flavored candies.

"Congratulations, congratulations! Wishing you a long and happy marriage and a baby soon!" Lin Zhijin accepted the candy with a beaming smile.

"The last mixer was very successful. Old Zhao is asking when you'll hold the second one." Division Chief Yang said with a chuckle.

If there's one thing the military has plenty of, it's bachelors—many of them hopeless cases. If they could find suitable wives and have a few kids, even if they fell in battle, at least they'd have left someone behind.

“No time like the present—let's do it tonight, same assembly hall as last time. Li Yue, you go notify the young women, and the military side is on Division Chief Yang.” Director Zhang said decisively.

These were all men who'd seen combat, used to following orders. Within moments, everyone sprang into action, including Lin Zhijin.

When the morning shift ended, she asked Li Yue to bring her lunch while she went to find Lin Shishu, since she'd promised to let her know about the next mixer.

By three in the afternoon, singles looking for a match began to arrive and register. Unlike last time, this time there was a questionnaire about what they wanted in a partner.

Sure enough, there was a good match for Lin Shishu—Regiment Commander Liu, a rank above Li Guangliang. Tall, with sharp, striking features, he was twenty-nine and had never been married. He had once been engaged, but his fiancée's family had emigrated overseas, and she had publicly annulled the engagement in the newspaper before leaving. He didn't care about a woman's past, as long as they hit it off.

Two couples had already paired up by the start of the mixer, and a few women had their eye on Regiment Commander Liu. Lin Zhijin was getting anxious—where was Lin Shishu?

“Zhi Jin.” Lin Shishu jogged over, all dressed up for the mixer.

“See that man standing by the window? Yes, that one. What do you think of him? If you like how he looks, I'll go talk to him, and then you two can chat.” Lin Zhijin said in a hushed voice.

Lin Shishu looked him up and down, a flicker of approval in her eyes. She nodded, a little shy. “Ask him if he likes me.”

“Okay, you wait here.” Lin Zhijin went to find Regiment Commander Liu, pointed to Lin Shishu, and asked straight out if he liked how she looked. If he did, they could take it from there.

“She's called Lin Shishu? I'll go talk to her.” Regiment Commander Liu nodded to Lin Zhijin and strode over.

Watching them hit it off from a distance, Lin Zhijin relaxed a little and went to help other people pair up.

The mixer wrapped up a little after eight. Lin Zhijin had originally planned to go home after work to pack some clothes and check into a hotel, but she'd been so busy she'd lost track of time.

“Xiao Lin, let Old Li take you home.” Director Zhang brought Old Li over.

After a long day, she felt all sticky and gross. She could skip changing her outer clothes, but there was no way she could go without changing her underwear. So she had to swallow her pride and ask Old Li to go home with her to grab her stuff.

“Sorry to put you out again, Brother Li.” Lin Zhijin said apologetically.

“You're too polite, Comrade Lin. Last time you gave me pastries just for driving you home, and I felt bad about it.” Old Li rubbed his hands awkwardly.

“The Political Commissar said it was fine for you to take them, so no problem. Anyway, they weren't for you—they were for Huzi. Is he feeling better?” Last time Lin Zhijin delivered the pastries, Old Li refused them, and it was only when Political Commissar Wang ordered him to accept that he did. That was also when she found out Old Li's son had been really sick.

At the mention of his son, Old Li's face lit up a little. “Much better.”

As they entered Maple Leaf Lane, Old Li suddenly yanked Lin Zhijin into a corner. Before she could let out a yelp, he covered her mouth.

“Shh, something's not right. Let's check it out.” Old Li only let go after Lin Zhijin nodded. “Sorry, I panicked and...”

“It's fine, I understand.” Lin Zhijin leaned against the wall. She was curious but didn't peek. She knew she couldn't help, so she wasn't about to make things worse.

After a moment, Old Li asked Lin Zhijin who lived at No. 7 Maple Leaf Lane.

Lin Zhijin lived at No. 6—No. 7 was her neighbor.

“That's my neighbor.” Lin Zhijin's heart jumped. “What's wrong?”

“Stay here and keep out of sight. I'll go check it out.” Old Li drew his pistol.

Lin Zhijin grabbed Old Li's arm. “How many of them are there? There's a garrison nearby. Let's get them to help.”

“No time. Stay put.” Old Li crept carefully toward No. 7.

Lin Zhijin gritted her teeth and ran toward the garrison, hoping it was nothing.

“Who's there?” The sentry eyed Lin Zhijin sharply. “Why aren't you home in bed at this hour? What are you doing here?”

Out of breath, Lin Zhijin said, “I'm Lin Zhijin, from the Women's Federation. Quick, send a squad with me. I'll explain on the way.”

The sentry checked Lin Zhijin's credentials, immediately reported to his superior, and quickly assembled a team to follow her.

Along the way, Lin Zhijin quickly explained the situation. The company commander, his face grave, immediately led reinforcements while leaving a young soldier to accompany Lin Zhijin back.

“He should be fine, right?” Lin Zhijin asked worriedly.

“Don't worry. The officer you mentioned is a battle veteran with a gun. He'll be fine.” The young soldier reassured her.

By the time they arrived, the fight was over. It turned out to be a gang of thieves who had been eyeing the house at No. 7. Taking advantage of the unrest in the southern part of the city, they'd planned to make a big score—but they hadn't counted on soldiers being there tonight.

“Comrade Lin, thanks to you bringing reinforcements, or I might not have made it out tonight.” Old Li clutched his bleeding arm.

“You're hurt? I have a bicycle at home. Let's get you to the clinic right away.” Lin Zhijin said urgently.

The family from No. 6 stood in the yard, shaken. One young woman, two years younger than Lin Zhijin, was crying uncontrollably. The mistress of the house tried to comfort her while the master first thanked Old Li and the soldiers who arrived later. Upon hearing what Old Li said, he came over and bowed deeply to Lin Zhijin.

“Thank you, thank you. Without you, our family would have been in grave danger tonight. I have a bicycle too—use mine. All medical expenses are on us.”

“You're too kind. Protecting the people is our duty. My wound isn't serious. It's late—you should rest. We'll handle the rest tomorrow.” Old Li declined the man's offer of reimbursement but agreed to borrow Lin Zhijin's bicycle. His wound wasn't severe, but he needed to report the night's events to his superior promptly.

The commotion had roused the neighbors, though no one came out. Compared to watching a spectacle, their lives were more important.

After this incident, Lin Zhijin was even more reluctant to stay there. She quickly packed a change of clothes and toiletries and asked the young soldier to take her to a nearby hotel for the night.

The next morning at work, Wang Chunhua rushed over. “Xiao Lin, I heard your neighbor's house was robbed? You live alone, right? That's really unsafe. I think you should just move into the dormitory.”

Lin Zhijin nodded. Even a shared dormitory would do—at least it was safe.

“Xiao Lin, are you alright? I was shocked when I heard the news this morning. Thank goodness Old Li escorted you home. No, wait—thank goodness we had the mixer yesterday, or you wouldn't have worked late, and then Old Li wouldn't have escorted you, and without Old Li...” Li Yue's words grew more frightening. “You were really lucky this time. Don't think twice—move into the dormitory now. This is terrifying.”

“Yeah, I'll ask Director Zhang for leave to move later.” Lin Zhijin said, still shaken.

Just then, Division Chief Yang sent for Lin Zhijin. When she entered, she saw Director Zhao, Director Zhang, and the others all present.

“Xiao Lin, have a seat.” Division Chief Yang gestured to the seat beside Director Zhang. “Do you know why we called you here?”

“Xiao Lin, that group last night wasn't ordinary thieves. The two ringleaders were former bandits with blood on their hands. They initially targeted your neighbor, but their scout noticed you'd moved in—young, pretty, living alone, and well-off. So last night, you were also one of their targets.” Director Zhang tapped the confession, speaking gravely.

Hearing this, Lin Zhijin broke out in a cold sweat. The consequences of being targeted by such a group were easy to imagine.

“I also heard some loafer was knocking on your door late at night?” Division Chief Yang asked casually.

“That did happen, so I plan to apply for dormitory housing.” Lin Zhijin looked visibly shaken.

“Here's the thing—didn't you donate a courtyard house? The higher-ups plan to use it as dormitory, prioritizing those with meritorious service. You've donated so much to the country; you're a contributor too. We'll reserve a room for you.” Director Zhao said with a smile.

Lin Zhijin's eyes lit up immediately. Living among a group of battle heroes—no petty thief, let alone a ghost, would dare come near. That was true security.

Author's note:

Revised. Thanks for your support, mwah (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～