Chapter 22: Selected

Chapter 22: Selected

"Oh, pretty lady, what are you doing in a place like this? Could it be you're here looking for me?" Brother Yang said with a sleazy grin.

Yang Su's expression turned cold. "You know them?"

"No, I don't. They came knocking on my door late one night, and I got so scared that I've been staying at a hotel ever since. Yesterday I went back to grab some clothes and they trapped me at the mouth of the alley. Luckily a patrol happened to come by." Lin Zhijin pursed her lips and shot an angry glare at Brother Yang and his gang.

It was only then that Brother Yang and his men noticed Yang Su in his military uniform. The smiles on their faces vanished instantly. Was this chick here to settle the score with them?

Hold on, that didn't make sense—how did she know they were here? Was there a rat among them?

"Knocking on a girl's door at night, and then you dare to corner her?" Yang Su stared at them with sharp eyes. Seeing Brother Yang about to run, he lunged forward in a single stride, kicking each one to the ground. The whole group hit the ground, clutching their stomachs and groaning.

Lin Zhijin watched Yang Su, her eyes sparkling. Oh my god, that was so cool!

Tall, handsome, an officer, clearly a good guy, and great in a fight—he had to make the shortlist. He absolutely had to make the shortlist.

"Stop hitting them." Lin Zhijin tugged at Yang Su. "A lesson's enough. If you hurt them bad, it'll cause trouble for you."

"Name, age, address—spill it all, and don't even think about lying." Yang Su pulled out paper and a pen. Under his intimidating stare, Brother Yang and his men answered obediently. Yang Su tucked the paper and pen away. "I'll have this put in your records. Next time someone reports you for harassing women, you'll get it for both offenses and rot in jail."

"We know we messed up. We'll change, we swear!" Brother Yang said hastily.

The group helped each other up and hobbled off. Yang Su straightened his uniform, which had gotten messed up in the fight, and turned to Lin Zhijin. "You live by yourself?"

Lin Zhijin walked slowly with him, answering, "Mm. My parents sold me to a dying old man as a chongxi bride. Luckily the PLA came and liberated the city, and I got my freedom. I don't dare go back home—my parents... they'd just sell me again."

Her past wasn't exactly a secret. She'd brought it up on purpose to see how Yang Su would react to her having been a concubine. If he showed any prejudice, she could cross him off her list.

"Living alone isn't safe, especially for a young woman like you." Yang Su glanced at Lin Zhijin, not daring to look too long.

No wonder those lowlifes had been after her. She was truly beautiful—delicate as a peach blossom—with big, clear black-and-white eyes, an honest gaze, and a vibe that was both pure and alluring.

Then Yang Su remembered something. His parents had once talked about a "chongxi" bride—a seventeen-year-old country girl who couldn't read but was deeply patriotic. She'd donated all the inheritance she got to the country, specifically asking that it go to the soldiers fighting in the war. Was it her?

"How old are you?" Yang Su asked directly.

"Seventeen. Why do you ask?" Lin Zhijin tilted her head to look at him.

It really was her.

"Nothing, just heard about you donating your inheritance to the country. You work at the Women's Federation now?" Yang Su's opinion of Lin Zhijin shot way up.

Looks are just a shell—they'll fade with age. But good character lasts and shines.

"Mm, Director Zhang has been very good to me. He not only gave me a job to support myself, but he's also taught me a lot. I'm studying now, hoping to get a primary school diploma." Lin Zhijin revealed a little more about herself.

"Having a goal is a good thing. How's it going? Any trouble with your studies? I graduated from high school—teaching elementary school stuff should be no problem. Feel free to come to me if you get stuck on anything." Yang Su was eager to get closer to Lin Zhijin.

"You're so impressive. I don't even know all my characters yet. I've just started math, and I'm at the level of adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. I can manage for now. I'll come to you when I get stuck." Lin Zhijin didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either.

Soon they reached their destination—a shabby but clean courtyard with everything neatly organized. Just from that, Lin Zhijin figured the man living here couldn't be a bad guy.

"Who you looking for?" A one-legged man came out leaning on a crutch.

Lin Zhijin was startled for a moment, then quickly checked the file to confirm the man in question had all four limbs and was healthy.

"Excuse me, are you Wu Bo?" Lin Zhijin asked.

"Wu Bo is my younger brother—he's out doing odd jobs. I'm Wu Jiang. What do you want with Xiao Bo?" Wu Jiang looked at Yang Su in his military uniform with some concern.

"I'm from the Women's Federation. Wu Bo doesn't have a wife yet, and we think he's a good candidate in many ways, so we're inviting him to a social mixer. If it works out, the government will provide land for a house and farmland." Lin Zhijin carefully explained the policy, and only after confirming Wu Jiang understood did she and Yang Su head to the next household.

Most of those invited were orphans, or people with just one sibling—like Sun Fengxian's situation. They weren't suited for families with many members.

She'd deliberately picked lunchtime, but still few people were home. Most were out hustling for a living, so they had to ask neighbors to pass along the message.

Back at the office, Lin Zhijin hopped off the bicycle and said gratefully, "Comrade Yang, thank you so much today. Not only did you accompany me door to door, but you also dealt with those thugs for me."

"These are all things I should do. Those... lowlifes probably won't dare bother you anymore. Are you planning to move back? Would that be safe? Staying at a hotel isn't a long-term solution. How about moving into the dormitory? There's safety in numbers." Yang Su said with concern.

"I've already applied for a dormitory on Anhe Street. The house has been empty too long, so I plan to renovate it. That's why I'm staying at the hotel for now." Lin Zhijin noticed that aside from worry, he showed no sign of thinking she was wasting money on a hotel, which pleased her even more.

"That's good then." Yang Su nodded and turned to leave.

Lin Zhijin felt uncertain again. She'd just thought Yang Su might be interested in her, but now he left so decisively. Maybe she'd imagined it—perhaps he was just a good person who cared about others?

Back in the office, Sister Li and Li Yue hadn't returned yet. Sister Qian was handling Zhang Simei's matter, and Wang Chunhua was busy with something—until she spotted Lin Zhijin and her eyes lit up.

"Xiao Lin's back!" Wang Chunhua glanced at Sister Qian, then sidled over to Lin Zhijin with some excitement. "That pale-faced scholar who came before—the one surnamed Sheng—he came again. He seemed pretty disappointed not to see you. Xiao Lin, tell me honestly, you really don't fancy him? He's fair-skinned, a college student, from a good family, and clearly very attentive to you. You could give it a try—doesn't have to be marriage, just date a little!"

Lin Zhijin was speechless for a moment. "I really don't like him."

"Then do you prefer someone more manly? What about Li Guangliang? Tall and big, with a waist that looks strong. He's interested in you too, and he's an officer. Sure, he's a bit older, but older men know how to care for a woman. Why not consider him?" Wang Chunhua grew more enthusiastic with each word.

"Not suitable. The age gap between us is too big. Sister Chunhua, I heard Sister Li mention something about bringing her kids over last time—are your children not here?" Lin Zhijin brought this up deliberately to change the subject.

Sure enough, Wang Chunhua's smile vanished instantly. But this time she didn't shut up—instead she grabbed Lin Zhijin and poured out her troubles.

She'd been a reckless fool. She'd heard the Eighth Route Army provided meals, so she and a girl from her village joined up. During one mission, she'd been paired with then-Commander Hong, who was a company commander at the time, to pose as a married couple. The mission turned real, and she had two children.

When the mission ended, worried about the children's safety, Commander Hong sent them back to his hometown. In the early years, they had no fixed home, so they never brought the children to live with them. Now they wanted to bring them back, but the grandparents refused.

"Old Hong doesn't want to either. He says we've already been unfilial by not being by his parents' side, so the children should fulfill our filial duties for us." Wang Chunhua's eyes welled with tears.

"There are many ways to show filial piety. Have you asked the children what they want? Do they want to stay in their hometown or come to the city?" Lin Zhijin knew how hard life was without parents. Even with loving grandparents, they could never replace a mother and father.

"What are you two talking about?" Li Yue dragged her exhausted body back and collapsed into a chair. "Out of twenty people, I only saw seven. The rest I never got to meet in person."

"I only saw eight too. I asked their neighbors to pass along the message—not sure if it'll work." Lin Zhijin looked worried.

In just one afternoon, Lin Zhijin witnessed what male jealousy looked like.

Some men flat-out said they had no time to relay the message. Some grabbed Lin Zhijin and kept pressing her for details about the mixer while constantly promoting themselves and subtly disparaging the invitees. Some badmouthed the invitees directly, telling her not to be fooled. And some took the invitation with a smile, but whether they'd actually pass it along was anyone's guess.

Clearly, Director Zhang and the others had anticipated this problem, so they told them to make another round in the evening.

Lin Zhijin desperately missed having a phone. If she had one, a single group text would do the trick—at most a phone call. No need for all this running around.

Going alone definitely wouldn't work. Lin Zhijin went to the Military Control Office but didn't see Yang Su. Instead, she spotted Old Li, who she hadn't found during the day.

"Brother Li—"

"Comrade Lin, what brings you here?" Yang Su came out of the office.

"Comrade Yang, the director asked us to make another round and try to notify as many people as possible about the mixer. I don't feel safe going alone, so I came to ask for backup." Lin Zhijin smiled.

"Perfect timing—I've just finished my work. I'll go with you." Yang Su glanced at Old Li, who seemed to want to say something, then headed out with Lin Zhijin to notify the invitees again.

Most people were home that evening, and as Lin Zhijin had guessed, several of them hadn't received the invitations—their neighbors hadn't even brought it up.

Most had been notified, and for the few who hadn't, it could only mean it wasn't meant to be.

"Have you had dinner yet? Let me treat you?" Yang Su asked in a low voice.

"No need, it's too late. I'll just grab something simple at the hotel. Sorry for keeping you out so late—after the mixer, I'll treat you to a meal instead," Lin Zhijin turned the tables and invited him instead.

"That works. The mixer is tomorrow evening, right? Then are you free the day after?" Yang Su locked in the date right away.

Lin Zhijin was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Sure, I have the day after off anyway."

The two rooms she'd been assigned were already renovated, and she planned to have the furniture moved in the day after—something she'd have to supervise herself to make sure it was set up right.

"Great, is it this hotel?" Yang Su pointed at the one not far away.

"Yes, I'll head in now. You should get going—see you later." Lin Zhijin waved, turned, and jogged off.

This mixer was different from the last two. In the past, the men had been soldiers, disciplined, so they could be left to mingle on their own. This time, the men were bachelors and the women had been in the sex trade, so they had to be watched the entire time to prevent any trouble.

Author's note:

None