March, 1976
A fine drizzle hung like silk, wrapping the entire city of Suzhou in a thin veil of mist. The narrow alleys were quiet, leaving only the gentle, tranquil scenery of Jiangnan in the rain.
“Dad, you and Auntie can go see my sister. I don’t want to go.”
Lu Zhao looked into his youngest daughter’s watery, doe-like eyes, and his heart nearly softened. But remembering what his eldest daughter had written in her letter, he steeled himself.
“Xiao Huan, your sister just gave birth. Don’t you want to visit her? Have you forgotten how she took care of you when you were little?”
Of course Lu Jinhuan hadn’t forgotten.
Her biological mother suffered severe hemorrhaging while giving birth to her and passed away shortly after.
Back then, her father had to play both father and mother. Whenever a neighbor, coworker, relative, or friend had a woman recovering from childbirth, he shamelessly carried little Jinhuan to their home, swallowing his pride and saying every kind word he could think of, just so she could nurse from them.
At night, he fed her rice soup and raised her single-handedly until she was two years old.
Later, through a matchmaker, he met Aunt Li. The “older sister” he always talked about was actually Aunt Li’s daughter.
Her original name was He Xiaoyun. After moving into the Lu family, she volunteered to change her surname to Lu and even renamed herself Lu Jinyun to match Lu Jinhuan’s name.
Her father was deeply touched. From then on, anything he bought for Jinhuan, he would also prepare a share for Lu Jinyun.
But Lu Jinyun was an expert at pretending.
Whenever their parents were at work, she ordered Jinhuan around like a servant, secretly pinching and beating her.
Every time Jinhuan complained, Lu Jinyun would turn the tables, accusing her of being naughty and unreasonable.
For the first couple of years, her father still believed Jinhuan. After all, she was his biological daughter.
But thirteen years ago, after Aunt Li gave birth to a son for him, her father’s attitude gradually changed…
“Xiao Huan, just come with us,” Li Haili said with a gentle smile.
“You know how difficult it is to find a job these days. You’ve been out of high school for two months already. If you don’t find work soon, you’ll have to go to the countryside.
You’ll have to do farm work there. Can you really endure that? Why not come to Beijing with us? Let your sister help you find a good husband. No matter what, that’s better than being sent down to the countryside.”
Lu Zhao nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. Two years ago, Old Wang’s daughter from our factory was sent to Beidahuang. She went out to the toilet in the middle of the night and disappeared without a trace. Terrifying, isn’t it?”
He didn’t want to frighten his daughter, but those were the government’s policies. He had no choice.
If his youngest daughter wanted to avoid being sent to the countryside, there were only two options.
One was to find a job.
The other was to get married.
Jobs were scarce every position was already occupied. Even if he was willing to spend money, there simply weren’t any openings.
That left marriage.
Rather than marrying an ordinary factory worker, he felt it would be better to follow his eldest daughter’s suggestion…
Li Haili kept smiling, though the smile never reached her eyes.
If this wretched girl hadn’t been blessed with such a seductive face, and if the eldest son of the He family weren’t infertile, would a prestigious military family like the Hes ever have considered someone like her?
Lu Jinhuan resembled her late mother by nearly eighty percent.
Her features were delicate and graceful, with gentle brows, a refined nose, and a face so pure it seemed untouched by the dust of the world.
Her large, clear eyes shimmered with moisture. A simple glance from beneath her lashes naturally carried a hint of irresistible charm.
Her skin was flawlessly fair, her lips a soft pink without a trace of makeup.
Her figure had developed beautifully as well a full chest, a slender, supple waist. She possessed the innocence of a newly blossomed flower and a captivating beauty that made it impossible to look away.
Purity and allure, two seemingly contradictory qualities, coexisted perfectly within her.
Pure without being timid.
Enchanting without being vulgar.
Lu Zhao glanced at Li Haili.
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she reluctantly got up and left the room.
“Xiao Huan, I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Your sister wants to introduce you to her husband’s older brother. You know how difficult it was for Jinyun to marry into the He family.
A family like theirs is far above ours. Without your sister acting as a matchmaker, we’d never have a chance to become connected to them.”
Lu Jinhuan bit her lip.
Her naturally soft, sweet voice was especially pleasant.
“Is he disabled… or does he have some kind of illness?”
She refused to believe Lu Jinyun would suddenly introduce her to such a good marriage out of kindness.
Lu Zhao’s eyes flickered.
“Not exactly disabled. He’s a military officer. It’s just that years ago he was diagnosed with… low sperm count. The doctors said he’ll never have children. Aside from that one flaw, he’s outstanding in every other way.
Xiao Huan, you’re my biological daughter. Would I ever harm you?
Yes, Jinyun has her own selfish motives, but if he weren’t truly a good man, I would never agree to this marriage.”
Two years earlier, Lu Jinyun had gone to Beijing to perform with her dance troupe.
Determined to marry into a wealthy family, she met He Xiangbei, the youngest son of the influential He family.
No one knew what methods she used, but before long she successfully married into the family.
Immediately after the wedding, she resigned from the dance troupe.
The reason was simple the He family valued descendants above all else.
After trying for an entire year, she finally became pregnant.
But one month earlier, something had happened that caused complications.
She went into premature labor and gave birth to an unhealthy baby girl while seriously damaging her own health.
The doctor said she would need at least three to five years of careful recovery before attempting another pregnancy.
Otherwise, even if she conceived again, she would likely miscarry.
The He family was extremely dissatisfied.
Afraid that her strict in-laws would force her husband to divorce and remarry, Lu Jinyun proposed introducing her younger sister to the family’s eldest son, He Congnan.
That way, she could please her in-laws while strengthening her own position within the family.
Lu Jinhuan quietly let out a sigh of relief.
The man was a soldier.
He simply couldn’t father children.
That… she could accept.
In fact, perhaps this wasn’t so bad.
If she didn’t marry into the He family, she would end up marrying into someone else’s family anyway.
Aunt Li had long regarded her as a thorn in her side.
If she delayed another couple of years, she’d probably be forced to marry whichever family offered the highest bride price.
As for her father…
Years of listening to his wife’s whispers had changed him far too much.
She could also guess why he was encouraging this marriage.
He wanted to use her to build connections in Beijing.
Lu Jinyun always put herself first.
If he ever needed her help in the future, it certainly wouldn’t come easily.
Unlike Jinhuan, who had always been obedient and well-behaved…
“Dad, I understand.”
“But I have two conditions.”
Seeing his daughter finally agree, Lu Zhao smiled kindly.
“Go ahead. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll grant it.”
With a determined expression, Lu Jinhuan spoke softly,
“First, I want five hundred yuan as my dowry.
Second, I want my mother’s belongings returned to me.”
Lu Zhao nodded.
“Agreed. That’s only right.”
After their conversation, Lu Jinhuan returned to her room.
Looking around the place where she had lived for eighteen years, a trace of reluctance flashed through her eyes.
She had said she could accept it…
But she was still afraid.
Lu Jinyun was five years older than her and twenty-three this year.
She had heard her husband was another three years older, making him twenty-six.
His older brother…
Even if he was only one year older than him, he’d already be twenty-seven—nine years older than she was.
Perhaps even older.
And an infertile military officer at that.
What if something unexpected happened?
If she became a widow with no children, she would have no standing in her husband’s family.
What would become of her then?
Author’s Note
Dear readers,
My previous novel didn’t perform very well, so I took a two-week break before coming back with this new story. I sincerely hope you’ll continue to support me!
If this story isn’t to your taste, please feel free to check out books by other authors on the platform. I only ask that you don’t leave a negative review it would make me sad for a long time. 🙏
Lastly, I wish everyone great wealth, amazing beauty, good health, success in your studies, a happy family, and a joyful life!