Before leaving for Jiangcheng, Xu Xia worried that sending a letter wouldn’t be fast enough, so she specifically spent extra money to send a telegram to the Zhao family, informing them which day she bought the train ticket and what time she would arrive at Jiangcheng Railway Station.
The two cities weren’t close—it required a full day’s train ride. Xu Xia had originally wanted to spend more money on a sleeper berth, but upon arriving at the station, she learned that having money didn’t guarantee one; ordinary citizens could only purchase hard seats or standing tickets.
Xu Xia could only sigh inwardly, thinking how truly austere and simple these times were.
On the platform, Xu Xia looked at her grandmother and younger brother, suddenly feeling reluctant to leave.
“Write a letter as soon as you arrive. Don’t only share good news and hide the bad. Don’t worry about things at home—I’ll take good care of Fengshou,” Wang Xiufang said, holding her granddaughter’s hand. “When you get to the Zhao family, be quick-witted. Don’t be as pampered as you are at home, understand?”
“I know, Grandma. You’ve said this several times already,” Xu Xia replied, hugging her grandmother before turning to embrace her brother. “Be good and listen to Grandma. Study hard, and don’t be reluctant to spend the money I gave you. Wait for me to come get you.”
Then, leaning close to her brother’s ear, she whispered, “After I leave, no matter what Aunt says, absolutely do not give up the house. It’s what Mom and Dad left for us.”
Their aunt had had her eye on their house for a long time. If she had treated them better, Xu Xia might have been more accommodating. But her aunt’s sharp tongue had often made life difficult for the siblings—dream on if she thought she could take their house for free!
Xu Fengshou gave a soft “Mm” and quietly slipped the money back into his sister’s pocket.
Xu Xia didn’t notice her brother’s action. Hearing the station staff urging passengers, she bid them farewell and boarded the train.
The train wasn’t direct to Jiangcheng; she had to transfer midway, making this journey quite challenging.
Remembering the novel’s description of trains being unsafe, Xu Xia didn’t even dare doze off along the way. By the time she reached the transfer station, it was already 8 p.m.
She still had two hours to wait before boarding the train to Jiangcheng. After finding a noodle shop and eating a steaming bowl of noodles, she returned to the station to find no seats left, so she sat on the floor against a corner wall.
As drowsiness set in, Xu Xia rubbed her temples and noticed a group of soldiers in uniform entering the station. They neatly sat on the empty floor space opposite her.
Xu Xia glanced at them, and they looked back at the people across from them. Xu Xia stood out the most in the crowd for no other reason than her fair skin—a rarity among the masses—and her delicate, pretty features. With her large, blinking eyes looking over, the young soldiers, who had never seen such a beautiful girl, felt somewhat embarrassed but couldn’t help stealing more glances.
Xu Xia had only scanned the opposite side out of curiosity, thinking that with so many soldiers around, she could relax a little—no thief would be bold enough to act up.
At that moment, Zhao Zhiyuan was among these soldiers. He and his comrades had immediately spotted Xu Xia sitting on the ground.
“Zhiyuan, that girl across from us is so pretty!” a comrade whispered, tilting his head over. “I’ve never seen such a pretty girl. Don’t you think so, Zhiyuan?”
“Zhiyuan, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Zhao Zhiyuan hurriedly averted his gaze. “Stop staring at her. It’s impolite!”
“It’s not just me looking, everyone else is looking too.” The speaker was Wu Pingan, who grew up in the same Compound as Zhao Zhiyuan and was his closest friend. Upon hearing Zhao Zhiyuan was going to garrison the border, he insisted on joining him. “Tsk tsk, if your Childhood Sweetheart looked like that, you wouldn’t have needed to run away from the marriage. But I have to say, you’ve got some nerve daring to trick your second uncle. Better watch out—he might come after you!”
Zhao Zhiyuan’s second uncle was only five years older than them, but everyone in their group feared Zhao Hui. Not only was Zhao Hui fierce, but he was also an exceptional fighter. Whenever Wu Pingan saw Zhao Hui, he would make a wide detour.
Mention of his second uncle sent a chill down Zhao Zhiyuan’s spine. His grandmother had described Uncle Xu as dark, burly, strong as an ox, and with a face like the King of Hell. Without even thinking, Zhao Zhiyuan could imagine what Uncle Xu’s daughter must look like.
What era was this, still forcing arranged marriages?
If his grandfather weren’t the second-in-command in the military region, he’d have considered reporting it—how could anyone still practice childhood betrothals?
After weighing his options, Zhao Zhiyuan knew staying home meant he couldn’t escape the marriage. So he mustered his courage and asked his mother to arrange for him to garrison the border.
Defending the motherland was his honor.
As for his second uncle, well, he’d have to rely on his own abilities. Zhao Zhiyuan knew he’d wronged him this time and would have to make it up to him later.
“Zhiyuan, that girl is leaving,” Wu Pingan said regretfully. “Do you think if I asked for her address, she’d give it to me?”
“What would you do with it? We’ll be gone for at least two years. She doesn’t even know you—why would she wait for you for nothing?” Zhao Zhiyuan told him to give up the idea.
Just then, the company commander informed them the transport was arriving soon and gave them ten minutes for a bathroom break. Zhao Zhiyuan and Wu Pingan went together and coincidentally ran into the same girl again.
Xu Xia was also there to use the restroom. With limited facilities on the train, long queues were common, making it quite inconvenient.
But as soon as she stepped out, two men blocked her path.
“Miss, where are you headed? If it’s on the way, I can see you home?”
“Don’t be scared, we’re not bad people. We just want to be friends.”
Xu Xia declined.
“We really mean no harm. We’re around the same age—give us some face. Who knows, we might even be from the same place. What a coincidence,” one man insisted, stepping in front of her.
Xu Xia retorted impatiently, “Really, no need. I’m already engaged and don’t need new friends. If you don’t move, I’ll call the staff.”
“Engaged? You’re lying, aren’t you?” The taller man clearly didn’t believe her. “Why so unfriendly? My brother is a director at the cotton mill. Don’t look down on me—my family lives much better than most.”
If it weren’t for the girl’s striking beauty, he wouldn’t have dared to approach her. He’d hoped to get her name and address first, but her coldness only fueled his determination.
Xu Xia laughed, sizing up the two men with a look of utter disdain. “So what? What’s it to me? My fiancé is a military officer. Your measly assets aren’t even worth my time. Now move!”
Her commanding presence momentarily stunned them. As she tried to leave, one man suddenly grabbed her wrist. But before she could react, a soldier had already pinned him to the ground.
“Ouch, that hurts! Let go!”
Zhao Zhiyuan, seeing the man get physical, didn’t hesitate to intervene. “Miss, are you alright?”
Wu Pingan promptly restrained the other man.
Xu Xia said it was nothing, “Thank you, they didn’t do anything to me.” This was the train station, with so many people coming and going. Even if those men had ill intentions, they wouldn’t dare to act on them here.
The man on the ground, seeing they were soldiers, instantly lost his nerve and begged for mercy, “Bro, I just wanted to make friends with her. Don’t misunderstand, we’re not bad people.”
“Make friends? Didn’t you hear her say she wasn’t interested?” Zhao Zhiyuan demanded they show their introduction letters and asked Xu Xia if she wanted them escorted to the police office.
Xu Xia’s train had already arrived, and the conductor was urging passengers to check in. “I don’t have time now. Thank you so much for your help today. If fate allows us to meet again, I’ll treat you to a meal!”
She hurried off to check in, nearly missing her train.
Meanwhile, Wu Pingan, hearing the announcement for the train to Jiangcheng, nudged Zhao Zhiyuan’s arm. “Zhiyuan, did you hear what she just said? She mentioned she’s engaged, and her fiancé is a military officer. And she boarded the train to Jiangcheng. Do you think we might know her fiancé?”
An unrealistic thought flashed through Zhao Zhiyuan’s mind, but he shook his head. “There are so many troops stationed in Jiangcheng. How could we possibly know all of them?”
“True, I don’t know as many people as your second uncle does. If it were him, he might know. But do you think the girl might have said that just to scare off the ruffians, and she isn’t actually engaged?” Wu Pingan still held onto a sliver of hope. Such a pretty girl, with such a pleasant voice, and she even said she’d treat him to a meal someday.
“Heh heh.”
The more Wu Pingan thought about it, the more he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Zhao Zhiyuan, however, gazed thoughtfully at the platform. Could it really be like that?
~
After boarding the train, Xu Xia found her seat and stowed her bundle under it. Important items like money and food stamps were kept in her inner clothing.
Fortunately, it was late September, and the weather was no longer hot. Otherwise, with the train so crowded, she would have been drenched in sweat by the end of the journey.
Feeling exhausted, she leaned against the seat, drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep.
As dawn approached, people in the train began talking and moving around. Unable to sleep, Xu Xia went to wash her face and tidy her bangs, carefully braiding her hair into two pigtails.
Her hair was thick, and the two braids were dark and sturdy. Remembering that the Zhao family would send someone to pick her up, she wanted to make a good first impression.
Back in her seat, Xu Xia found even the grass and trees outside the window more interesting.
Meanwhile, at the Zhao residence, Zhao Manfu had just finished scolding his eldest son and was now knocking on his younger son’s door. “Listen to me, Zhao Hui, get up right now!”
“Ah, why are you being so harsh with our son?” He Hongying came over and pushed her husband aside. “He’s already upset about this. You’re forcing him to marry a girl he’s never even met, and you won’t even let him sulk a little?”
He Hongying wasn’t entirely pleased with the marriage arrangement with the Xu family either. Her younger son was born when she was older, and she had always cherished him like a treasure. On top of that, he was exceptionally talented, having achieved numerous accomplishments at a young age and was considered the most promising young man in the Compound.
“Indulgent mothers ruin their sons! If you keep spoiling him like this, he’ll be ruined! What man his age isn’t married yet?” Zhao Manfu grumbled angrily but couldn’t stay firm with his wife. He huffed, “Fine, he has half an hour. Then he’d better go to the train station and bring her back!”
He hadn’t expected the Xu family to act so quickly. Had they set out as soon as they received the letter?
He Hongying shot her husband a glare before knocking on the door again. Seeing her son answer, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t hold a grudge against your father. This marriage arrangement might not even happen.”
“Mom, are you helping me escape too?” Zhao Hui teased.
“You rascal! Do you think your mother is that irresponsible?” He Hongying glanced at her son, entered the room, and closed the door. “You know how your father is—he’s a bit stubborn, but he pities the Xu family girl. She lost both parents so young. If we break off the engagement, he’s afraid she’ll suffer hardships and that we’d fail Xu Erzhong’s spirit in heaven.”
Sighing, she added, “To be honest, I don’t agree with you taking Zhiyuan’s place either.”
“Then why are you…”
“I’m advising you not to confront your father head-on.” As a mother, He Hongying had been worried these past two days. She couldn’t force her unwilling son into marriage, only to create resentful partners and an unhappy family—she’d blame herself forever. “We’re in a new society now, where marriage is about free will. Childhood sweetheart arrangements are outdated.”
“But your father is old-fashioned. Xu Erzhong saved his life—our family truly owes the Xus a debt. Now that both Xu Erzhong and his wife have passed, that young girl has no one to rely on. Shouldn’t we help her settle and build a life?”
Zhao Hui didn’t oppose this point and remained silent.
“What I mean is, we don’t even know what the Xu girl is like. Even if she looks plain like her father, she might have excellent character or a delightful personality?”
He Hongying had never met Xu Xia or her brother, having only seen Xu Erzhong himself. When Xu Erzhong died nine years ago, she was hospitalized and couldn’t attend the funeral—only her husband went to pay respects.
Zhao Hui raised an eyebrow. After all this talk, was the old lady still trying to persuade him to compromise?
“Why not spend some time with her first? If it doesn’t work out, I’ll talk to your father. Forced matches never thrive. Repaying gratitude doesn’t have to mean binding fates—we could help find her a job so she can support herself. Don’t you agree?” Knowing her son had strong opinions, He Hongying understood direct confrontation wouldn’t work.
Seeing her son still silent, she continued, “Besides, she’s our guest. Shouldn’t we go pick her up?”
Zhao Hui couldn’t refute this.
He didn’t remember the incident himself, but his parents had told him: if not for Xu Erzhong’s rescue, his father wouldn’t have survived. This was an inescapable life-saving grace—no matter what, the Zhao family owed the Xus a debt that could never fully be repaid.
“Fine, I’ll go pick her up,” Zhao Hui said, standing up.
“Good, good! Mom knew you’d be reasonable—such a good son you are. Wait!” He Hongying carefully smoothed her son’s collar. “First impressions matter—make sure you leave a good one.”
She beamed at her son, thinking how handsome he was, sure to charm any young woman. Her husband was right about one thing: at twenty-six, if he didn’t marry soon, he’d become the Compound’s laughingstock. As long as the Xu girl had decent character… she wouldn’t fuss over looks.
Seeing his mother’s radiant smile, Zhao Hui felt like he’d been sold out. But having agreed to fetch her, he wouldn’t go back on his word.
Anyway, he would never consent to this marriage.
An arranged blind marriage? And taking his nephew’s place?
Only his old-fashioned father could dream up such a thing.
Zhao Hui only went to pick her up out of gratitude for the Xu family’s kindness, intending to clarify in advance that their arranged marriage would not proceed, but the Zhao family was willing to take care of her.