The next morning.
Meng Jixue woke up early.
She was going to the Zhou family house today. Since she wasn’t sure whether Zhou Hanzhang would return today, she planned to go to the Zhou residence every day from now on.
Meng Jixue decided to dress up carefully. At the very least, she wanted to make Zhou Hanzhang’s eyes light up when he saw her!
But dressing well required a little thought.
Meng Jixue was, after all, a successor to a master of traditional Chinese painting, so she was naturally skilled at putting outfits together.
In 1976, blue, gray, and green were still the dominant colors in clothing. Styles were relatively plain. In winter, people mostly wore military coats, padded jackets, or cotton padded coats. Wool coats and similar clothing were considered high end items, and generally only intellectuals from relatively well off families could afford them. Meng Jixue, however, had always had a strong appreciation for beauty, so her wardrobe was almost entirely filled with wool coats.
She took out a light colored turtleneck sweater with a hidden mock collar trimmed with delicate lace. Over it, she wore a navy wool coat that fell below her knees to mid calf. Its straight cut design was slightly fitted at the waist, making her look taller, slimmer, and more refined.
For the bottom, she wore dark straight leg trousers and a pair of black ankle boots.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Meng Jixue still felt that something was missing.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a long scarlet scarf and casually wrapped it once around her neck, letting the two ends hang down in front and behind her.
Against her snow white skin and the dark colored coat, that touch of red looked just like the red plum blossoms blooming in the snow outside the courtyard.
She loosely pinned up her long hair with a wooden hairpin, revealing a small, delicate face that was simple and natural yet strikingly beautiful.
Her whole appearance looked gentle and elegant.
This time, Meng Jixue was satisfied.
She walked out of her room.
Meng Qingsong had already prepared breakfast. When he turned around and saw his daughter, his eyes lit up, and his old habit kicked in.
He immediately began commenting on her outfit.
“Every color is paired together so harmoniously. The combination of light and dark colors would have looked a little dull at first, but once you added that red scarf, the whole outfit came alive. It seems Ah Xue is taking today quite seriously.”
Both father and daughter had been immersed in art, so naturally, they could immediately appreciate the thought behind Meng Jixue’s styling.
In front of her father, Meng Jixue felt somewhat embarrassed. She cleared her throat and said, “After all, I’m going to Grandpa Zhou’s house. I can’t exactly make myself look shabby. Besides, today is practically a blind date, so dressing up a little better is also a sign of respect for the other person.”
Given the circumstances, she could only do her best to present herself in the best possible way.
She just didn’t know whether Zhou Hanzhang would return today.
Meng Qingsong nodded with a smile. “You’re right to think that way. I was worried that you might resist getting married, but now that you’ve managed to pull yourself together, your father can finally relax. Let’s eat first. Once we’re done, I imagine your Brother Zhishu will have come to pick you up.”
At the mention of Zhou Zhishu’s name, Meng Jixue’s eyes immediately turned cold.
“Dad, I plan to go there myself.”
Seeing her reaction, Meng Qingsong immediately understood. He couldn’t help but nod.
“After seeing Zhishu’s behavior yesterday, I admit he was rather rash. It’s normal that you don’t like him. Marriage is one of the most important decisions in a woman’s life. You must never settle.”
Meng Qingsong had always supported whatever Meng Jixue wanted.
He never asked why.
In his eyes, his daughter naturally had her own reasons. There was no need for him to question her.
With such a good father, how could Meng Jixue bear to watch him die young? Thinking of this, she became even more determined about her plans for what lay ahead.
After breakfast, Meng Jixue left the house.
Her home was in Shichahai, while the Zhou family lived in the Xishan area of the western suburbs. The two places were more than ten kilometers apart, nearly twenty kilometers at the farthest, making it quite a long journey.
Meng Jixue boarded a bus and made her way toward Xishan, swaying along with the bus ride. After several transfers and nearly two hours of travel, she finally arrived.
Old Master Zhou lived in one of the military residential compounds.
The residents here were all retired senior officials. Armed guards stood at the entrance, while inside the walls were rows of identical Soviet style red brick buildings. The surroundings were quiet, and security was extremely strict.
Meng Jixue was already a familiar face, and Old Master Zhou had probably given the guards advance notice, so she was allowed through the gate without any trouble.
After entering, she still had to walk some distance.
When she finally reached the Zhou residence, Meng Jixue stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Someone immediately came to open it.
The moment the person saw Meng Jixue, she froze.
“Jixue, why did you get here so quickly? Where’s Zhishu?”
When Meng Jixue saw who was standing in front of her, a trace of coldness flashed across her eyes.
It was Zhou Zhishu’s mother, her former mother-in-law, Lin Qilan.
She wore a dark gray Lenin style suit that was well tailored without being overly fitted, making her look capable and sharp. However, there was a calculating and shrewd look in her eyes.
She had been the one who came up with the idea for Zhou Zhishu to seek out Old Master Zhou.
Seeing Lin Qilan again in this life, Meng Jixue showed very little emotion. She simply greeted her coldly. “Third Aunt, I came here by myself. I didn’t see Brother Zhishu.”
Perhaps it was just Lin Qilan’s imagination, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Meng Jixue seemed particularly cold today.
This left Lin Qilan somewhat puzzled.
She had watched Meng Jixue grow up. Meng Jixue had always been gentle and dignified, while also being generous and well mannered. Honestly, who wouldn’t want a daughter-in-law like that?
Although Meng Jixue had fallen on hard times now, Lin Qilan actually thought this was even better. In the past, she had worried that Meng Jixue might look down on her son. Now she no longer had to worry about that. After all, if their family was willing to marry her, that meant they were doing her a favor. Surely she couldn’t still put on airs.
Yet now that she saw Meng Jixue, Lin Qilan discovered that she seemed even colder than before.
Feeling displeased, Lin Qilan’s tone also became somewhat indifferent. “Your Brother Zhishu said he was going to pick you up. It’s the middle of winter, and he was worried that the journey would be too far for you and that you might get cold, so he deliberately got up early and went over. I didn’t expect you to come here on your own.”
The last part of Lin Qilan’s sentence was clearly meant to be sarcastic.
Meng Jixue thought to herself that Lin Qilan, in her younger years, was indeed not as composed as she had been in her previous life.
She looked at Lin Qilan with a faint, meaningful smile.
“Third Aunt, Brother Zhishu said he would come pick me up, but he never said what time. I waited at home for a while, but he never showed up. I thought I was coming here today to see Grandpa, and it wouldn’t look right to keep waiting around, so I came over first. I didn’t realize that was my fault. Don’t worry, Third Aunt. Once I go inside, I’ll tell Grandpa to give me a good scolding.”