People’s thoughts can change.
Initially, marrying Zhao Hui was Xu Xia’s first choice. After brief contact later, she thought there was no need to force things – having a job would be good too.
It wasn’t until she met Lin Su that she realized having fixed weekends off without shift rotations was considered an excellent job in Lin Su’s eyes.
And indeed, that was the reality.
Did she still want to go to work?
When Xu Xia looked toward Zhao Hui, she already had a clear idea in mind. Biting her lip, she looked directly at Zhao Hui and said frankly, “Comrade Zhao is handsome and kind-hearted. I… I admire you and would naturally be willing to marry you. However…”
She deliberately paused, catching the surprise in Zhao Hui’s eyes before curving her lips into a bright smile. “However, since you’re unwilling, marriage shouldn’t be forced. I’ll tell Zhao Bobo that I don’t want to get married and ask him to arrange a job for me instead. I’m truly sorry for troubling you during this time. Please don’t be angry.”
The young girl’s smile was radiant. She was naturally good-looking, and the evening glow seemed to apply light makeup on her, making her captivating.
Zhao Hui hadn’t expected this response from Xu Xia. He disliked being forced into things – not even by his own parents.
His marriage should be his own decision.
Xu Xia got out of the car first. After dinner was ready and she had eaten, she proactively went to the study to find Zhao Manfu.
“You say you don’t want to get married?” Zhao Manfu frowned deeply. “Did that brat Zhao Hui make you unhappy?”
“No, Zhao Bobo. He’s been very good – he took me to the Department Store, then to the park, and even bought me soda. It’s just that I feel we’re not suitable. We hadn’t met before and have no emotional foundation. After today’s interaction, I feel even more that we’re not compatible.”
Xu Xia spoke with complete seriousness. “I’ve given this careful consideration before coming to tell you this.”
“Impossible. He must have done something. Don’t be afraid – if there’s anything, just say it. I’ll stand up for you.” Veins bulged on Zhao Manfu’s forehead. He knew exactly what his son was like – definitely keeping a straight face and not speaking to the girl the entire time.
“Really, it’s not because of that, Zhao Bobo.” Xu Xia took a deep breath. “Please don’t be angry. Actually, this Childhood Sweetheart arrangement isn’t valid in the new society anymore. When my grandmother wrote to you, it was because our family had no other choice. She couldn’t bear to see me suffer going Down to the countryside, so she just asked about it.”
“To be honest, my family has been shameless – first inquiring about marriage, and now I’m asking you to help arrange a job. After all, my younger brother is still small, and if I go Down to the countryside, with grandmother being old, living under my uncle’s roof would definitely be difficult.”
Zhao Manfu frowned and asked, “Has your uncle been mistreating you?”
“Not exactly mistreatment, but there’s always favoritism. When there’s one fried egg, my cousins share it and can still taste some flavor. But when it’s divided with us, each person only gets a tiny bite. Who would be willing to accept that?” Xu Xia maintained a faint smile. “I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days, but I was too embarrassed to bring it up. Now I’m being shameless. If it’s truly difficult for you, I understand. I’ve troubled you for many days here – thank you for letting me see more of the world. I should probably go back home soon.”
Zhao Hui, standing at the doorway, felt something wasn’t quite right when he heard Xu Xia mention going home.
Zhao Manfu naturally couldn’t let Xu Xia return home. Since she had brought up the matter of work, he would arrange it for her no matter what.
Xu Xia’s words in defense of his son—he didn’t believe a single one of them.
“Don’t worry about the job. I’ll have someone look into suitable positions for you tomorrow.” Zhao Manfu sent Xu Xia away, then rushed to his son’s room, closing the door to demand, “What exactly did you do to make that girl so desperate to leave?”
Zhao Hui offered no explanation. “Do you think your son is some kind of prize catch that everyone would fancy? What can I do if the girl doesn’t like me? You can order me around, but can you do the same to her?”
Of course not.
Zhao Manfu pointed at his son, struggling for words before finally exclaiming, “You… you… you’re something else! Fine, if you’re so capable, stay unmarried for life. Let’s see how far that gets you!”
“Dad, stop worrying. At your age, you should be taking it easy.” With that, Zhao Hui turned and headed into the bathroom.
Fuming, Zhao Manfu returned to his wife and vented, “What kind of fate is this, to have a son like him?”
He Hongying was equally surprised. “Did Xu Xia really say that?”
“Yes.”
In He Hongying’s eyes, her son was exceptionally outstanding. No matter the circumstances, it would be difficult for Xu Xia to find a man better than him. Thus, it had never crossed her mind that Xu Xia might be the one unwilling.
Then again, she considered that Xu Xia was only nineteen—a young girl with little life experience. It was natural for her to want to retreat when faced with setbacks.
He Hongying poured some tea and went to find Xu Xia, intending to have a proper chat. But Xu Xia stuck to the same story, leaving He Hongying at a loss for where to begin.
With their son, she and her husband could speak freely, but with Xu Xia, it was different. Xu Xia was a guest, and the daughter of their benefactor. They had to respect her wishes.
As for Xu Xia, she wasn’t sure if she had made the right move. Since arriving at the Zhao household, she had been carefully observing everyone. He Hongying had mentioned that Zhao Hui responded better to gentleness than force, and her conversation with him today confirmed that he indeed disliked being pressured.
That night, the autumn breeze was soft and gentle. Xu Xia, unable to sleep, paced in the courtyard.
After a while, she sat on a stone stool, rolled up her trousers, and exposed her fair calves.
Xu Xia missed the 21st century.
If given a chance to start over, she would take a proper vacation, binge-watch all the TV series she had saved up, buy the largest tub of ice cream, and spend the whole day lounging in an air-conditioned room.
She disliked the 1970s—intensely. But reality was staring her in the face, and she refused to admit defeat.
Xu Xia buried her head in her knees, listening to the rustling leaves and inhaling the simple scents of earth and grass. Only when faint footsteps approached did she press her lips together, forcing out a couple of tears.
“Are you crying?”
“Huh?” Xu Xia looked up, her smooth hair cascading as she gazed blankly at Zhao Hui. “I’m not crying.”
Her red-rimmed eyes betrayed her lie.
“Then why are you crying?”
“I’m really not crying. The wind is strong at night—maybe some sand blew into my eyes. Why would I cry for no reason?” Xu Xia forced a smile. “By the way, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Zhao Hui replied, “Aren’t you awake too?”
“I’m awake because I’m homesick.” Only then did Xu Xia lower her trousers, brushing the fine dust off her feet as if unaware of Zhao Hui’s lingering gaze. “It’s the first time I’ve been away from home for so long. I wonder how my grandmother and younger brother are doing, and if they miss me. Comrade Zhao, do you think I can find a job?”
“With my dad’s help, definitely.”
“Then I can rest easy.” Xu Xia smiled at Zhao Hui. “What I’m thinking is, once I get my first month’s salary, I’ll bring my brother and grandmother here. My brother is a bit quiet—he doesn’t like talking, and I’m afraid he might get bullied at school. My grandmother treats me so well; she always comforts me and makes me egg flower soup early in the morning. When my aunt wants me to do chores, Grandma stops her, saying I’m her precious darling and as long as she’s around, she won’t let me suffer.”
Xu Xia’s eyes were exceptionally bright. Zhao Hui struggled to find a metaphor until he followed her gaze upward and realized they sparkled like stars.
Before Zhao Hui could speak, Xu Xia said she was returning to her room. “Don’t overthink it—I’m not sad because we can’t get married. I truly miss home. Comrade Zhao, have you ever been away from home for a long time?”
Zhao Hui said yes.
“Then you must understand me, right?” Xu Xia gave Zhao Hui a radiant smile, lightly ascended the steps, and went inside.
Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Hui pondered her final question. Had he ever missed home back then?
When he first joined the military, Zhao Hui feared nothing, always charging ahead. He believed in his abilities to bring glory to the country. As it turned out, his path had been smooth.
As for missing home—yes, during the disaster when Lin Su’s lover sacrificed himself, he nearly didn’t make it back either. In that moment, he yearned to bicker with the old man and missed his mother’s meatballs.
When Zhao Hui went upstairs, he noticed the opposite door was already dark. Well, he’d take her at her word.
The next day, Xu Xia deliberately avoided Zhao Hui, leaving before breakfast and returning in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Zhao Manfu quickly helped inquire about job openings—three positions in total.
“The hospital needs a broadcaster. It’s a temporary position with low pay, but the work is light. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative also needs a temporary worker—you’d have to wait for a vacancy to become permanent. Then there’s the projectionist at the cinema, also temporary, but guaranteed permanent after three months.” Zhao Manfu presented the options for Xu Xia to choose from.
At that time, most people struggled to find any job, let alone have multiple choices like this. All three positions were desirable opportunities.
However, Xu Xia wasn’t very familiar with them, so she turned to He Hongying. “Aunt He, which job do you think I should choose?”
“Your elder brother Zhao Ming is at the hospital, so he could look out for you if anything happens. But the hospital broadcaster doesn’t just do announcements—sometimes you’d have to help with logistics work too,” He Hongying analyzed. “Most importantly, the hospital has few permanent positions now. It’s hard to get regularization—you can’t be temporary forever. Salesclerk is a good option with regularization opportunities. Working at the cooperative would make daily necessities more convenient later. As for projectionist, it’s the easiest job, almost semi-retired.”
Xu Xia wanted something easy. Nowadays, cinemas didn’t show movies daily—sometimes there were no screenings from Monday through Friday. Wasn’t this the perfect slacker job?
“Then… I’ll choose the cinema?” Xu Xia glanced at Zhao Manfu, then at Zhao Hui. “Comrade Zhao, what do you think about the cinema?”
Suddenly addressed, Zhao Hui smiled ambiguously and agreed, “It’s fine.”
After the job was settled, Zhao Manfu personally took Xu Xia to report for work the next day. The cinema director was extremely deferential upon seeing Zhao Manfu.
“Don’t worry, I can see Comrade Xu Xia is clever and capable. She’ll definitely be competent for this job.” Director Zhang personally escorted Zhao Manfu to the entrance.
Xu Xia, standing nearby, thought to herself: This Director Zhang really knows how to flatter. How could he know she was clever and capable when she hadn’t even started working yet?
But she didn’t mind basking in Zhao Bobo’s reflected glory. Letting Director Zhang know she had connections to the Zhao family would make her life at the cinema much easier.
After seeing Zhao Bobo off, Xu Xia took the initiative to approach Director Zhang about work matters.
Because of Zhao Manfu, Director Zhang was particularly warm toward Xu Xia. “Our work at the cinema is quite simple. During screenings, one person stays in the projection room, two handle ticket checking, and afterward we all clean up together. On days without screenings, we sometimes travel to collect film reels or review movies here at the cinema. In short, none of it’s particularly strenuous.”
Then he remembered something else. “However, every month the cinema organizes ‘Down to the countryside’ screening activities. Sometimes we go to remote villages, and the journey might be a bit tiring. But don’t worry – we take turns going for these rural screenings.”
Xu Xia hadn’t known about the countryside trips. She was terrified of traveling by this era’s transportation – no air conditioning, no paved roads. She couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable the journey would be.
But since she was already here, she had to make the best of it. There was no room for regret now.
“Don’t worry, Director. I’ll work hard!” On her first day, Xu Xia encountered a movie screening. Director Zhang arranged for her to learn in the projection room with Sister Yu, giving her special consideration by not making her do any actual work.
When the movie ended, Xu Xia showed good awareness. Despite her connections, she didn’t slack off and proactively helped with the cleaning along with everyone else.
Sister Yu, who had been in the projection room with her, was quite surprised to see Xu Xia cleaning diligently. She had expected an incompetent person who relied on connections, but this girl was serious and conscientious, improving Sister Yu’s impression of her.
She walked over to Xu Xia. “Let’s just bag the trash and let the male colleagues take it out.”
“Ah, is that alright?”
“Don’t worry, that’s how we’ve always done it. The male comrades are strong and healthy – one extra trip won’t tire them out. Don’t feel embarrassed.” Sister Yu chuckled when she saw Xu Xia blush. “You’re such a sweet girl, and so shy too. Our cinema has few staff, and everyone gets along well. There’s no need to be nervous.”
Xu Xia nodded. “Thank you, you’re really kind. Sister, you can’t be much older than me, right?”
“Oh my, how could that be? Do I really look like a girl in my early twenties?” Sister Yu was delighted by the comment, grinning from ear to ear.
Xu Xia studied Sister Yu seriously and nodded. “Yes, you do. Your skin is so good, you look about the same age as my cousin.”
“You’re too sweet! I’m actually much older than you. I’m thirty-one already – you can call me ‘big sister’.” Sister Yu cheerfully filled the trash bags and called a male colleague to take them out, then led Xu Xia for some tea. “Though I do look a bit younger than others my age, just a little bit. It’s not as dramatic as you make it sound.”
“How could that be?” Xu Xia’s eyes widened. “You’re not teasing me, are you? I really can’t tell you’re thirty-one. Sister, tell me, how do you normally take care of your skin?”
“I don’t have time for skincare routines? After work I have to cook dinner. At least I don’t need to do laundry, but with two children at home – you have no idea how exhausting parenting is. Let me tell you…”
Except for Director Zhang, all staff shared one office. After sitting down with Sister Yu, Xu Xia listened to her chat about domestic affairs, chiming in occasionally. Within half a day, she had become quite familiar with Sister Yu.
“Oh! It’s almost time to clock out. I’ll tell you more about my two little rascals another time, or you could visit my home when you’re free!” Sister Yu grabbed her bag and hurried out, “I need to pick up the younger one from kindergarten. See you later!”
After bidding farewell to Sister Yu, Xu Xia was tidying up to catch the bus when she noticed a familiar car parked at the entrance.
The window rolled down, revealing Zhao Hui’s handsome profile.
Hesitating for two seconds, Xu Xia approached. “What a coincidence, are you…”
“Waiting for you. My mother said it’s your first day at work and you might not know the area well, so she asked me to pick you up after work.” Zhao Hui glanced at his watch. He had arrived at 4:50, and it was already 5:30 – this girl had been chatting and laughing with her colleague for quite some time. She certainly could talk.