Xu Xia screened movies for the military unit for three days, and Zhao Hui accompanied her all three evenings.
When Zhao Hui submitted his marriage application, the Political Commissar wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“Someone already told me you’ve been circling around that young projectionist. You’re something else – such a beautiful girl, and you managed to win her over. Go back and wait for news. As long as everything checks out during the review, you’ll soon have a wife, children, and a warm home.”
“Thank you, Political Commissar.” Zhao Hui was anxious. “If you have time, could you help expedite this? My father is pushing hard.”
He didn’t say it was for himself, only mentioning his father. Xu Xia had already returned home. He had considered going with her, but thinking it would be a waste of time going back and forth, he decided to submit the marriage application first instead.
Meanwhile, after getting off the bus, Xu Xia went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy some oranges that Aunt He liked, where she happened to run into Lin Su who was reporting for work.
Usually, Xu Xia sent her younger brother on errands, so this was her first time encountering Lin Su.
“You want to buy oranges? Come with me behind the counter.” Lin Su pointed to the bamboo basket under the counter. “The ones here are fresher – they just arrived today.”
The oranges on display had been there for two days. While they weren’t spoiled, they had to keep selling them, and they couldn’t put out the fresh ones first, otherwise the wilted ones would never sell.
Xu Xia thanked Lin Su and picked out a bag of oranges, thinking how convenient it was to know someone at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. “Sister Lin, I’d also like to buy some Chicken Cake. Do you have any?”
“None left. If you come at this time, it’s always sold out. You could look at the Taosu or other pastries instead. Why, are you visiting someone? Buying so many things?” Lin Su asked casually out of curiosity.
Xu Xia told her the truth. “I’ll be away on business for a few days and left my younger brother with another family. I need to buy some things to show my appreciation.”
“I see. How old is your brother? Does he live with you?” Lin Su was quite talkative and helpfully got Xu Xia the Taosu. “I live on nearby Wutong Street. If there’s anything you can’t find next time, come find me. I’ll help you get it.”
Xu Xia thanked her. If she were to get married, she would indeed need to buy many things. Making friends with someone from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative would definitely be beneficial for her future life.
After leaving the cooperative, Xu Xia went to the Zhao residence.
It happened to be dinner time. He Hongying, knowing Xu Xia would come, had specially prepared two extra dishes. “You didn’t need to bring anything – just coming yourself is enough. Go wash your hands quickly and let’s eat.”
“I wanted some oranges too, and since I remembered you like them, I brought some for you.” Xu Xia put down the oranges and went to check on her brother. Seeing he looked well, she patted his head.
There were other people at the Zhao home at that time – Zhao Yunzhu and two others Xu Xia didn’t recognize. She discreetly glanced at everyone.
“This is Zhizhi, and this is Political Commissar Hao.” He Hongying introduced them to Xu Xia. “You know, when I first saw you, I thought you looked familiar but couldn’t place who you resembled. Today, seeing you and Political Commissar Hao together, I realized your eyes are somewhat similar.”
Xu Xia looked again at the middle-aged man sitting on the wooden chair. Elegant and refined, at first glance, his eyes did somewhat resemble hers.
But with so many people in the world, there were bound to be many with similarities. She politely greeted them.
Hearing He Hongying’s words, Political Commissar Hao couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Xu Xia.
Meanwhile, Meng Zhizhi beside Zhao Yunzhu couldn’t conceal her scrutiny of Xu Xia, her hostility so palpable that Xu Xia immediately noticed.
Though this was their first meeting with no prior acquaintance, the animosity was unmistakable. Xu Xia reasoned this hostility couldn’t be personal – it must stem from someone close to her. Could it be because of Zhao Hui?
That seemed plausible. The man she had set her sights on was exceptional, so having romantic rivals was only natural.
As Xu Xia pondered this, Zhao Yunzhu deliberately raised her voice, “Sister Zhizhi, weren’t you looking for my second uncle? Let me call him for you…”
“Yun Zhu, if you have nothing better to do, go upstairs and do your homework.” He Hongying interrupted her granddaughter, worried Xu Xia might misunderstand.
Nothing had ever happened between Meng Zhizhi and her son. Although the Meng family had previously hinted that both children were of marriageable age, since her son hadn’t agreed to the match, she hadn’t entertained the Mengs’ suggestion, and they had tactfully dropped the matter.
During her stay at her grandparents’ house, Zhao Yunzhu had to maintain a strict schedule – early bedtimes and, when her grandfather was home, morning exercises.
Having been scolded by her grandfather because of Xu Xia, she harbored dislike for her. In contrast, she preferred Sister Zhizhi, believing her superior to Xu Xia in every way. Yet when Xu Xia appeared, both grandparents favored her, leaving Yun Zhu baffled. Now silenced by her grandmother, she dared not talk back, merely pursing her lips in displeasure with a discontented “hmph.”
Xu Xia sensed there was more to the story but didn’t dwell on it. From her observations, Aunt He treated Meng Zhizhi kindly without any apparent dislike. If Zhao Hui and Meng Zhizhi had mutual feelings, they wouldn’t have waited for her appearance.
Moreover, Xu Xia’s marriage to Zhao Hui wasn’t based on love. She treated marriage as another form of work – she wanted a better life, and Zhao Hui happened to be her best option.
Xu Xia greeted Meng Zhizhi and the others with unaffected grace.
Witnessing this, He Hongying’s impression of Xu Xia improved further, and she hurriedly invited everyone to dinner.
“I’ll take my leave now. Since Old Zhao isn’t home, I’ll visit another day.” Political Commissar Hao had matters to attend to. As Meng Zhizhi had come with him, she reluctantly rose to leave as well.
Seeing Political Commissar Hao’s insistence on departing, He Hongying could only see them to the door.
Returning inside, she sighed before speaking about the Political Commissar, “He’s so stubborn. Ever since being separated from his sister before liberation, he’s always blamed himself. All these years he’s been searching for her, never marrying, saying he doesn’t want to burden anyone else.”
Zhao Yunzhu curled her lip, “It’s been decades – how could he possibly find her? Why torment himself without any guarantee of success?”
“He carries that guilt, so he can’t let go.” Finding her granddaughter unreceptive, He Hongying only remembered it was mealtime when someone’s stomach rumbled, promptly urging Xu Xia and the others to eat.
Seated at the table, He Hongying inquired about her younger son, “Zhao Hui won’t let me visit him in the army. I worry about him constantly, but can only keep him in my thoughts.”
“Zhao Er Ge is doing quite well. He seems very capable and is respected by everyone in the army.” Xu Xia didn’t mention the marriage – such matters should come from Zhao Hui himself, not from her arriving unannounced.
He Hongying looked at Xu Xia, wanting to ask more but fearing she’d be too obvious, swallowed her questions.
After the meal, He Hongying gave Xu Xia a package of brown sugar. “Someone gave this to me. Keep it for yourself – it’s good for women’s health.” Knowing the girl had grown up without a mother, she worried Xu Xia might lack guidance in certain matters, genuinely feeling protective toward her.
Xu Xia was deeply moved. “Thank you, Aunt He.”
“No need for formalities with me. Be careful on your way, take your time.” He Hongying saw Xu Xia to the door before returning to supervise her granddaughter’s homework.
Although high schools nowadays frequently went on strike or had holidays, she knew that learning more textbook knowledge was beneficial.
When Xu Xia and her siblings returned home, the two adjacent rooms had already been painted and were left open for ventilation.
The next day at work, Xu Xia saw Wang Qinghua applying for a dormitory.
After Wang Qinghua came out of Director Zhang’s office, Xu Xia approached her and asked quietly, “Did the director agree?”
“He said yes, I can move in next week.” Wang Qinghua didn’t seem particularly happy about it.
Noticing something was bothering Wang Qinghua, Xu Xia whispered, “Are you moving out because of family issues?”
Wang Qinghua sighed. Feeling wronged and having grown close to Xu Xia after eating and living together these past few days, she confessed truthfully, “You know I inherited my job from my mother. Initially, my family had no objections, but then my younger brother found a girlfriend who demanded a room be cleared for her. With my grandparents living with us and the house crowded, we couldn’t free up an entire room—only half. Somehow, the girlfriend found out that my job was given by my mother and suggested that if there’s no room, I should get married and give up my job for her.”
The fact that the Wang family gave the job to Wang Qinghua showed they cherished her and didn’t want her to suffer by going “Down to the countryside.” They refused the girlfriend’s demand, leading to a stalemate, and the girlfriend broke up with Wang Qinghua’s brother. Upset, her brother complained about her yesterday, which prompted her to apply for the dormitory today.
“Don’t you dare give it up. If your brother can demand a room, you have every right to keep your job. Never sacrifice your job for someone else.” Xu Xia understood clearly that in these times, having a job was the most important thing for ordinary people.
Wang Qinghua said she knew, “I’m just heartbroken. My brother and I have always had a good relationship, and when he called me selfish yesterday, I was completely stunned.”
At this point, she couldn’t hold back her tears, but afraid of being seen by other colleagues, she turned away and wiped them discreetly.
Xu Xia patted Wang Qinghua’s back to comfort her, “Sometimes words spoken in the heat of the moment aren’t necessarily heartfelt. But moving to the dormitory might be for the best—you’ll have your own room and it’ll surely be more comfortable than home. As for your brother, wait and see how he behaves. If he continues like this, don’t be sad; just consider him no longer your brother.”
“If my brother dared to act like that, I’d definitely slap him twice.”
Wang Qinghua expressed disbelief, “You’re such a gentle person, how could you hit someone?”
“Even a rabbit will bite when cornered; I have many sides to me,” Xu Xia laughed.
Xu Xia comforted Wang Qinghua for a while longer. There was a movie screening tonight, originally Wang Qinghua’s shift, but Xu Xia swapped with her. Since Xu Xia lived at the cinema, she didn’t need to walk home in the dark.
On duty with her were Wu Xiaofeng and Sister Yu.
Xu Xia was in charge of checking tickets. After no one else entered, she closed the door and went to have tea with Sister Yu. “So many people today.”
“The weather’s nice now, not too hot or cold, so more people come to watch movies. In another two months, there’ll be hardly anyone in the evenings.” Sister Yu, responsible for ticket sales, added, “If you’re free, you can find an empty seat to watch. I’ve seen it already and it doesn’t interest me much.”
Xu Xia had seen it too. “I’ll keep you company and chat.”
“You’re such a good person. In this entire cinema, I’d say you’re the most socially adept one, sis.” Sister Yu leaned close to Xu Xia’s ear, “I want to tell you something, but don’t share it with anyone else. Since the weather’s turning cold, I plan to have someone buy some fabric to make cotton-padded clothes for my two children. Would you like some too?”
Xu Xia was socially skilled and had connections with army personnel, so Sister Yu was very willing to deepen their friendship. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have mentioned such a good opportunity.
All of Xu Xia’s clothes were old, with patches on her trouser cuffs. Xu Fengshou was the same—neither of them had any new clothes in their entire wardrobe.
She had long wanted to make new clothes but couldn’t due to the lack of cloth ration coupons. In these times, having money wasn’t enough—you also needed coupons. Even with both, good fabric wasn’t guaranteed.
Hearing Sister Yu’s words, Xu Xia immediately understood she had connections. Tactfully, she didn’t probe for details. “That’d be great, sis! I’ve been worrying about this. It’d be even better if you know someone who can make clothes—I really don’t know how to do it myself.”
Her sewing skills were practically nonexistent. At best, she could patch things up, and even that was only mediocre.
“That’s simple! I have a sewing machine at home—I’ll help you make them!” Sister Yu said.
“Sis, you’re truly kind. I can’t let you do it for free—I’ll pay you for the labor.” Xu Xia understood social reciprocity well. Making new clothes required considerable time and effort—how could she let someone do it without compensation?
Sister Yu initially declined payment, saying, “It’s not much—just a small favor.”
“That won’t do. I can’t take advantage of you. Let’s settle on a proper rate.” Xu Xia insisted on paying, and Sister Yu finally relented.
“After work tomorrow, I’ll come to your place to take measurements for you and your brother. Later, I’ll bring the finished clothes and leftover fabric to you.” Sister Yu had originally intended to do Xu Xia a favor, but since Xu Xia was so principled about repayment, she could earn some extra money from the sewing work. This pleased her greatly, though it also deepened her regret that things hadn’t worked out between Xu Xia and her cousin.
The next day, Sister Yu took measurements for Xu Xia and her brother, saying the clothes would be ready in about ten days.
After seeing Sister Yu out, Xu Xia turned back to find her brother frowning deeply. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Sis, how much did you spend on the fabric and cotton for the new clothes?” Xu Fengshou was particularly distressed about the expense. “I told you I don’t need new clothes—the ones I’m wearing are still fine.”
“Stretch out your arms. Yes, just like that. Look—your wrists are showing, and your ankles are exposed too. Your clothes and pants are clearly too short. Plus, the seat of your pants has been patched over and over. Do you want your classmates to see your underwear?”
Every time she saw her brother’s reluctance to spend money, Xu Xia would mentally blame Zhao Hui. If not for his remark about her low salary that day, her brother wouldn’t be so anxious about money. “I’m making new clothes for you, so just wear them. Don’t worry about how much I spent.”
“But…”
“No buts. You’re too young to worry so much—you’ll go gray early and become a little old man.”
Xu Xia pinched her brother’s cheek. He’d recently gained some weight, making his face pleasantly plump. “Let me tell you again—we’re not short of money. We got a large sum from selling the house, and in two months, I’ll become a regular employee. We won’t lack for money.” Besides, Zhao Hui earned 126 yuan per month—more than enough for her expenses.
Xu Fengshou remained worried. He felt his sister was being overly optimistic, but since he couldn’t persuade her otherwise, he dropped the matter.
Before the new clothes were ready, Zhao Hui arrived with their marriage application. When he came to the cinema, Xu Xia was still working. Though eager to take her home immediately, Xu Xia told him not to rush and to wait until she got off work.
Xu Xia couldn’t sit still at home, standing made him anxious too. He kept pacing around in circles. When Xu Xia returned from work and pushed the door open, she saw Zhao Hui spinning in place, then grabbing his hair while taking deep breaths.
She couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
Hearing her, Zhao Hui turned around and tried to pull Xu Xia away.
“Let’s wait for Fengshou to come back before going together. We can’t just leave him alone at home. Zhao Er Ge, I never expected you’d be this impatient.” Xu Xia smiled brightly as she looked at Zhao Hui. Since they were about to get married, she didn’t need to deliberately maintain distance from him anymore.
At that moment, only a palm’s width separated the two. Gazing at Zhao Hui’s handsome face, Xu Xia thought of Meng Zhizhi. She rose on her toes and mischievously planted a fleeting kiss on Zhao Hui’s cheek before darting out of the room.
Zhao Hui was stunned. The kiss had been too sudden, too brief—it felt like an illusion.
By the time he chased after her, Xu Fengshou had returned, forcing him to swallow his words. He kept watching Xu Xia, trying to find a private moment to ask if she had really kissed his cheek.
But Xu Xia gave him no opportunity. With men, she thought, you need to give them a little sweetness to make them more eager to advance the relationship.
Especially someone like Zhao Hui, who usually appeared proud and exceptionally restrained. Once you stirred the restlessness in his heart, it could easily spiral out of control.
On the way to the Zhao family home, Zhao Hui kept glancing at Xu Xia, leaving Xu Fengshou utterly confused.
After getting out of the car, Xu Fengshou finally whispered to ask what they were there for today.
“To discuss my marriage with Zhao Er Ge,” Xu Xia said.
Xu Fengshou’s eyes widened. He looked at his sister, then at Zhao Er Ge, but before he could ask what was going on, they had already entered the Zhao family’s living room.
He Hongying, seeing her son arrive with the Xu siblings, also showed a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. “Xia Xia, what brings you all here together today?”
Zhao Manfu only had eyes for the Xu siblings. “Have you eaten? If not, I’ll call the canteen to fry a couple of dishes.”
Xu Xia indeed hadn’t eaten, but she said it wasn’t necessary to trouble anyone. “I’ll go to the kitchen and cook some noodles. We can just eat simply—no need to specially have food delivered.”
But Zhao Hui grabbed Xu Xia’s wrist. “Mom, Dad, there’s something I need to tell you.”