Lu Weidong returned to the unit with their marriage certificate and a stack of documents.
He needed to submit the materials to apply for the military family quarters.
He left in the evening and would be back by tomorrow.
They agreed that Ye Wenxi would stay home, helping the family prepare items for the wedding and buying household necessities for their future life with the military.
The unit had a service shop, but it wasn’t as well-stocked as the city department store.
All the money and ration tickets were now in Ye Wenxi’s hands—anything they lacked could be purchased directly.
By the time they left, they wouldn’t need to squeeze onto a train. Lu Weidong had borrowed a jeep from the unit, so he could move both people and belongings in one trip—much easier.
Once he left, Ye Wenxi got busy.
She made several trips to the department store. Every time she thought she had bought enough, she’d get home and check the list, realizing she’d missed several items.
This afternoon, she planned to buy some fabric.
Back in college, she had studied fashion design.
One of her close friends specialized in it, and Ye Wenxi had learned plenty about cutting, sewing, and mending from her.
Back then, it wasn’t for making clothes for people, but for the BJD dolls they were obsessed with.
A full set of doll clothes—from design to finished stitching—could sell for hundreds, even over a thousand, within the community.
Throughout college, Ye Wenxi never asked her family for living expenses.
She did everything: web design, book covers, event posters, plus custom doll clothes. Life was comfortable.
Her friend had started her own design studio after graduation and invited Ye Wenxi to join, but Ye Wenxi, curious to explore different career paths, politely declined.
Walking through the department store with Lu Weidong that day, she found the gray, blue, black, and green mass-produced clothes uninspiring.
A thought popped up: why not make her own?
Design it herself, cut it herself, make clothes both beautiful and comfortable.
Start with herself and the Lu family. If they liked them, she could sell in the community.
Maybe even attract the attention of a discerning clothing factory for collaboration.
At home, Liu Xiuyun and Aunt Sun were busy preparing, putting up “double happiness” signs, and decorating the bridal room.
When Ye Wenxi returned carrying large bundles of fabric, they peeked over and were surprised—it was a well-organized assortment: fine cotton for underwear, checked cloth for sheets, thick materials for jackets and padded pants.
Liu Xiuyun laughed.
These days, few young brides would buy fabric and make their own clothes; most waited for ready-made outfits.
Ye Wenxi not only knew her stuff, but her choices were practical and durable—clearly someone serious about daily life.
She was increasingly admired by her future mother-in-law.
Most household necessities were ready.
Lu Zhenghua, sitting on the sofa, gave a reminder:
“Wenxi, leave the big stuff like the sewing machine for Weidong. It’s heavy; you can’t carry it alone.”
“Okay, Dad. He should be back soon. I’ll go out one more time to buy materials for review.” Ye Wenxi replied.
“Good. Come back early for dinner.” Liu Xiuyun reminded her.
“I will.”
Ye Wenxi walked out of the family compound, planning to head to the bookstore on foot.
It was only a ten-minute walk.
In a quiet alley outside the compound, a tall, thin thug gestured to four smoking companions, nodding toward Ye Wenxi who was just passing by.
“That’s her.”
“Huazi, she’s from the military family compound.” One hesitated.
“Who cares?” Huazi spat out his cigarette.
“We’re not going to get rough, just scare her a bit, take some money and cigarettes. Twenty yuan and two packs of good smokes—where else will you find a deal like that? Let’s go!”
They stubbed out their cigarettes and staggered after her.
Ye Wenxi stayed in the bookstore a long time.
Besides review materials, she picked out some foreign language and professional skill books.
She had to be prepared—skills aren’t learned out of thin air.
“Why hasn’t she come out yet? Did she leave without us noticing?”
“Number Three, go check inside.”
A thug, wearing an old green military cotton jacket and with his neck hunched, pushed open the bookstore door and wandered through the shelves.
He quickly found her in the corner, holding a thick English Grammar Guide intently.
Number Three leaned against a shelf nearby, pretending to read a book but constantly sneaking glances at her.
Seeing her fair profile and slim figure even under the coat, he squinted, throat moving as dirty thoughts formed.
Meanwhile, Lu Weidong drove the jeep into the compound and went straight home.
Going upstairs, he didn’t see Ye Wenxi.
“Mom, where’s Wenxi?” he asked.
“Looking for his wife as soon as he gets home,” Liu Xiuyun replied, wiping the table. “She went to the bookstore on the corner.”
“Oh.” Lu Weidong nodded, putting his uniform jacket back on as he bent to change shoes.
“Eh? Going out again?”
“I’m going to meet her.”
“Just ten minutes away, and you go to fetch her?”
Liu Xiuyun teased, but her face smiled. Her son might have rushed the marriage, but seeing how careful he was with Ye Wenxi showed his heart was in it.
As long as he liked her and felt comfortable, she, as a mother, would be happy.
Ye Wenxi was at the cashier with her stack of books and materials.
“Comrade, eight yuan forty-seven in total. The English-Chinese dictionary and the two self-study books require special purchase tickets.” The clerk rattled the abacus.
Ye Wenxi handed over the tickets and money, waiting for the clerk to wrap them.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed a sneaky man nearby.
The book he pretended to hold had “Women’s Health Basics” on the cover, and he glanced at her.
He had been lurking around her earlier. Her instincts went off—this man was trouble.
She remained calm, took the book, and prepared for any sudden move.
Outside the bookstore, the man followed, with four rough-looking companions behind him.
Her heart sank, and she quickened her pace.
The street was quiet, with few pedestrians, only distant blurry figures.
Suddenly, two thugs stepped in front of her, blocking her path; the other two flanked her. Five of them surrounded her.
“What do you want?” Ye Wenxi stopped, gripping her book bundle.
“Relax, girl,” one said.
“We just want to talk to you a bit.”
“Move aside,” Ye Wenxi’s voice chilled.
The tall, thin one ignored her warning and continued.
“There’s someone called… uh?” He asked his companion.
“Lu Weidong.” Another replied immediately.
“Right, Lu Weidong. Stay away from him, and we won’t have a problem.” The tall one stared at Ye Wenxi.
“Otherwise, if we see you with him again, it won’t just be a chat. Got it?”
The moment she heard “Lu Weidong,” everything clicked in Ye Wenxi’s mind.
“Xu Miao sent you here, didn’t she?” she said bluntly.
“Doesn’t matter who sent us,” the tall one waved impatiently. “You just answer—yes or no.”
Ye Wenxi smirked inwardly. A clever girl doesn’t take a loss right away. She had to bluff them.
“Fine. I agree.”
The thugs were surprised by her quick compliance, paused, then smiled smugly.
“Good. Remember what you said, or…” They shook their fists threateningly.
“Okay, I’ll obey. I’m leaving now.” Ye Wenxi tried to pass them.
Seeing her back down, the thugs felt the task was easy. The tall one tilted his head; the two in front made a narrow gap.
Ye Wenxi grabbed her books, ready to slip through.
But Number Three—the thug who had been leering at her in the bookstore—suddenly stepped across, completely blocking her path.
His face held a disgusting, slimy grin, eyes roaming shamelessly over her as he told his companions:
“You guys go… she’s mine.”