It seemed the dried pickled vegetables lost by the household across the way were indeed related to the Lu family, only the old woman had accused the wrong person.
Wen Hanyin didn’t know what to say and could only sigh helplessly.
Jiang Juhua wasn’t crazy, and she was healthy—in this era of scarcity, she was even somewhat robust. But she was greedy, usually cheerful, and a bit simple-minded.
This “simple-mindedness” wasn’t meant to belittle her; she was genuinely slow, having been born with a defect.
It was precisely because of this that she had been married into the Lu family, whose social standing was poor, becoming the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lu family.
With someone like her, scolding or reprimanding her wouldn’t make much difference. The only thing they could do was try to ensure her quality of life so she wouldn’t covet others’ belongings.
But in the current Lu family, under everyone’s watchful eyes, even if they had meat, they didn’t dare eat it openly. It was impossible to properly achieve this.
Wen Hanyin gave Jiang Juhua a little money and sent her off to the market to buy some leafy greens. After that, she turned her attention back to Lu Ling.
Lu Ling said, “I plan to find a place and move out.”
Wen Hanyin asked, “Why? Are you unhappy living at the factory? Have you been bullied?”
As she spoke the last sentence, a hint of anger crept into Wen Hanyin’s voice.
If anyone dared bully her little grandson, she would go and make a scene with that person.
Lu Ling replied, “No, it’s because I’m preparing to get married.”
Given the family’s current situation, it was entirely unsuitable to add another person. Lu Ling also didn’t like living at home. If he were to get married, he would definitely need to find a new place.
“What?”
Wen Hanyin thought she had misheard, but she quickly broke into a smile and asked her grandson excitedly, “Which family’s girl?”
Thinking of Bai Xiaotong, Lu Ling’s lips unconsciously curled upward. “The Bai family in the Third Residential Compound.”
The Bai family in the Third Residential Compound!
Anyone with a young man in their family knew that Bai Xiaotong, the second daughter of the Bai family, was the factory belle, the dream girl of all the young men.
The older folks in the compound heard this name constantly from the younger generation—it was hard not to know about her.
And Bai Xiaotong was indeed beautiful; once you saw her, it was hard to forget her.
Wen Hanyin’s smile grew wider and wider until she burst into laughter.
“Good, this is truly wonderful. I’ve always thought that only that girl from the Bai family was a match for you. I’m especially happy that the two of you have come together. How long have you been dating? When can we visit her family?”
Wen Hanyin couldn’t wait to welcome her grandson’s bride into the family.
Lu Ling said, “Wait for my notice.”
Bai Xiaotong had also said to wait for notice.
Wen Hanyin nodded and asked Lu Ling again, “Is there any issue with the Bai family?”
With the Lu family’s social standing, it wasn’t easy to find a wife. Otherwise, the old lady wouldn’t have arranged for her eldest son to marry someone simple-minded back then.
Come to think of it, in the current Lu family, only this somewhat simple-minded daughter-in-law had stayed.
Lu Ling’s mother had been in a love marriage with his father, defying her family to marry into the Lu family. But in the end, she couldn’t bear the ostracism and strange looks from those around her. She left behind the three-year-old Lu Ling and divorced his father.
Wen Hanyin also had an older grandson, the son of the eldest branch. He had responded to the call to go to the countryside during the early days of the Down to the Countryside Movement and was now twenty-four, still single.
If Lu Ling got married, he would be the first among the grandchildren.
Lu Ling said, “I’ll handle things on her family’s side.”
Her little grandson had always been strong-willed since childhood.
Wen Hanyin didn’t say much more, only adding, “If anything happens, tell your grandmother. I’ll help you. And your grandfather, your aunt—we’ll all help you. My grandson is so handsome, and with our family’s status, you could even marry the eldest daughter of a noble or aristocratic family.”
After being lucid for just a short while, Wen Hanyin began speaking nonsense again.
Old Master Lu had been dead for over a decade, and Lu Ling’s eldest aunt had gone abroad before the family’s troubles began. Due to the turmoil, she had long lost contact with them, and no one knew whether she was alive or dead. Yet the old lady never stopped thinking about her.
Lu Ling nodded. “I understand.”
…
The next morning, Bai Xiaotong had just stepped out carrying a mesh bag with a lunchbox and a porcelain jar when Lu Ling silently followed her on his bicycle, reaching out to take the things from her hands and hanging them on the handlebars.
Lu Ling had changed his clothes today. He had taken off his heavy cotton coat and was wearing a brown jacket over a white shirt.
He looked good in white—youthful and energetic, complementing his temperament.
Bai Xiaotong had also changed out of her heavy cotton coat today, wearing a slightly worn green military uniform with a light yellow sweater underneath. Her two long braids hung over her shoulders, and paired with her lovely face, she looked absolutely beautiful.
“Have you had breakfast?” Lu Ling asked her.
There were still two large meat buns in his lunchbox.
Bai Xiaotong replied, “Yes.”
She usually ate breakfast at home.
Lu Ling took out the buns. “They’re meat-filled. Want one?”
The plump, white buns had thin wrappers and generous fillings, still steaming slightly. Red oil seeped from the edges, making them look incredibly delicious just by sight.
Bai Xiaotong swallowed secretly. “No, you eat them.”
She was very mindful of her figure. No matter what it was, she stopped eating once she was about seventy percent full.
Lu Ling closed the lunchbox. “I’ll ask someone at the cafeteria to heat them up for you at noon.”
By the end of the month, everyone’s ration coupons were nearly used up. Two large meat buns weren’t easy to come by, so he didn’t dare eat them casually.
This meant he intended to have lunch with her.
With the meat buns as an incentive, Bai Xiaotong didn’t refuse. She was pregnant and really needed to eat well.
Bai Xiaotong asked, “Don’t you have to stand guard this morning?”
Lu Ling replied, “I swapped shifts with someone. Not for now. From now on, I’ll come pick you up for work.”
Bai Xiaotong’s lips curled slightly. She felt his initial efforts were passable.
The two chatted occasionally and soon arrived at the factory.
Lu Ling had to check in at the security department, so he parted ways with Bai Xiaotong after entering.
Before leaving, he asked, “Should I meet you at the workshop or at the cafeteria entrance at noon?”
Bai Xiaotong said, “The cafeteria.”
Meeting at the workshop would be too conspicuous. Bai Xiaotong hadn’t yet figured out how to tell her family about her relationship with Lu Ling and didn’t want to cause any trouble for now.
Lu Ling nodded and went to park his bicycle. His tall, straight back was a pleasing sight.
Bai Xiaotong was in a good mood and was about to head to the workshop with her things when she turned and saw Hu Xiulan, who called out to her.
“Xiaotong.”
Half of Bai Xiaotong’s good mood vanished instantly.
She pursed her lips and remained silent, intending to walk past, but Hu Xiulan followed her instead.
“Xiaotong, I need to talk to you.”
Hu Xiulan blocked her path.
Bai Xiaotong was speechless.
After waking from her dream, she only wanted to stay away from the so-called male and female protagonists, each going their own way without interfering with the other. So why was this person insisting on approaching her?
Bai Xiaotong took a deep breath, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m very busy.”
In the past, Bai Xiaotong would look at Hu Xiulan as if she were an enemy, believing she had taken Chen Xiangjun away from her.
This time, she was much calmer, only showing particular impatience between her brows.
Hu Xiulan observed her expression, thought for a moment, and said, “That night, you slept in the warehouse, right? Lu Ling was there too. The next morning when we came looking for you, why didn’t you come out?
Xiaotong, do you know that was your only chance to prove your innocence to the world, and you just missed it…”