In her dream, Shi Man had no memory of anyone named Dong Qingguo, as if he was someone who shouldn’t have existed in the first place.
She couldn’t tell if this change was caused by her breaking free from the dream, or if dreams simply became less reliable as they went on.
Finally, urged on by her roommates, she agreed to meet him at Sister Mei’s suggestion.
Dong Qingguo was indeed a good man—respectful, polite, and punctual.
For days he’d come to read documents on time, leave right after, and never bother Shi Man with small talk or interfere with her life in the art troupe, despite his obvious interest in her. Instead, he properly arranged a formal introduction through a matchmaker.
Many female soldiers liked him, but he always politely declined, maintaining a respectful distance without being unkind.
Shi Man had noticed all this, which is why she decided to give Dong Qingguo a chance.
Part of her decision was also because she had promised her roommates to lower her standards.
While Dong Qingguo’s qualities fell slightly short of Ling Zhen’s, he was still better than the men listed in the Blue Notebook.
They arranged to meet at a teahouse near the barracks on Shi Man’s day off.
Shi Man didn’t dress up specially; she simply changed out of her military uniform into a knee-length, solid-colored dress with delicate ruffles at the hem, making her waist look incredibly slender. Her bare arms, exposed like pale milk, gleamed in the light.
It was the first time Dong Qingguo had seen Shi Man in a dress. He stared from afar, his gaze fixed in stunned admiration.
Quickly realizing his lapse in composure, he lowered his head to take a sip of tea.
A small splash of tea spilled from his cup, landing on the table just as Shi Man sat down.
Despite the awkwardness, Shi Man settled into her seat, placing her handbag beside her. Dong Qingguo suddenly pushed up his glasses and asked, “Comrade Shi Man, do you have a handkerchief?”
“No,” Shi Man replied, shaking her head. Sensing he wanted to wipe up the spill, she countered, “Don’t you have one?”
How could he ask to use a woman’s handkerchief to wipe the table?Shi Man’s impression of Dong Qingguo immediately soured.
To her dismay, Dong Qingguo also replied, “No,” cementing her growing disapproval.
He seems so meticulous, yet he’s actually quite sloppy! Coming to a date without even a handkerchief—what if something gets dirty? How inconsiderate!
Meanwhile, Dong Qingguo seemed equally surprised that Shi Man, being a woman, would go out without a handkerchief.
The seeds of their incompatibility were sown the moment they sat down.
Shi Man quickly regretted coming here.
Dong Qingguo seemed like a decent guy on the surface, someone you could have a pleasant chat with. But it turned out he couldn’t handle direct questions at all.
Shi Man came to this blind date with the intention of getting married, so her questions were direct and to the point.
She started by asking Dong Qingguo what his first impression of her was. After facing so many trials in her nightmares, she had no shyness left and cut straight to the chase.
But Dong Qingguo seemed taken aback by her directness. After a long pause, he actually started criticizing her appearance.
Though his tone and wording were polite, his true nature couldn’t be hidden.
He praised Shi Man’s beauty, but then abruptly changed his tune, saying she was too thin, which would make it hard to have children after marriage. He suggested she needed to take better care of her health.
He also commented that her skirt was too short, making it unattractive. In his opinion, skirts should reach the ankles to look good.
Shi Man couldn’t sit still any longer and wanted to leave.
Dong Qingguo then mentioned that he had been secretly observing her every day while reading documents.
He pointed out that Shi Man always seemed impatient and restless, even when studying documents. He earnestly advised her that such behavior was unacceptable, calling it a sign of intellectual laziness and moral decay.
“It’s best to be proactive and take the initiative,” Dong Qingguo continued, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. “Strive for ideological progress, work hard, and be patient. That’s how you’ll get promoted sooner.”
Perhaps he spent too much time reading official documents; his words always carried a lecturing tone.
She hadn’t spoken to him much before, so she hadn’t noticed this habit. Now, all Shi Man wanted to do was roll her eyes.
Never one to care about saving face, Shi Man turned to leave without another word, unwilling to waste time arguing with Dong Qingguo.
Unexpectedly, Dong Qingguo paid for their tea and then followed her, completely oblivious to her sour expression. He walked beside her, still talking—
“If you don’t like working at the art troupe, that’s okay too. Once we’re married, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. You could retire early and stay home to take care of the children.”
Shi Man laughed coldly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And what if I’m too thin to have children?”
Dong Qingguo finally seemed to realize her displeasure. He straightened his posture and said seriously, “Shi Man, don’t be angry. I’m not criticizing your weight—I’m just worried about you. If we get married, I promise I’ll treat you well.”
“Oh really? How well?” Shi Man asked coldly.
“I’ll work hard to provide for the family,” Dong Qingguo promised earnestly, his face serious. “You won’t need to work; you can just enjoy life at home every day. But since I’m an only child, my parents will definitely live with us. I hope you can understand.”
“…But I’m sure with your gentle nature and beauty, you’ll be able to take good care of my parents and get along with them harmoniously,” Dong Qingguo added, praising Shi Man again. He was panting from hurrying to catch up with her.
Shi Man had reached the gate of the dance team’s courtyard. She turned back, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
“If I’m just supposed to enjoy life,” she retorted, “why would I need to serve my in-laws?”
Dong Qingguo looked momentarily bewildered by her question, perhaps not understanding the contradiction.
But Shi Man had already lost patience with him. She turned and strode into the courtyard without another glance.
Thankfully, Dong Qingguo didn’t follow her in. He lingered at the gate for a while before finally leaving.
Inside the courtyard, many of the women knew about Shi Man’s matchmaking meeting with Dong Qingguo. When she returned, they immediately cornered her, peppering her with questions.
Shi Man felt exasperated. The mere mention of Dong Qingguo made her nauseous. She dismissed him with a simple, “No way.”
Meanwhile, over at the Squad Five, everyone was green with envy.
Yao Wenjing was especially smitten. She fell for Dong Qingguo the moment she laid eyes on him, and her feelings only deepened when she learned about his good family and connections.
Every day after reading the files, she would rush to the entrance to watch him leave, finding any excuse to exchange a few words with him.
She finally managed to get him to remember her name, only to hear that he liked Shi Man and had even arranged a blind date with her through a matchmaker.
Yao Wenjing was so furious she couldn’t sleep all night. Today, she had been watching Shi Man leave the compound and had been waiting anxiously in the courtyard for her return, her eyes fixed on the entrance like a lovesick maiden.
But when Shi Man returned, she went straight to the First Squad’s quarters. Yao Wenjing couldn’t get any information. Chasing after Dong Qingguo’s departing figure would have seemed too obvious.
Why is it that someone I can’t even get close to is Shi Man’s devoted admirer?
Yao Wenjing spent another sleepless night, her teeth grinding until they ached.
***
The next day, everyone in the art troupe noticed something unusual.
After reading the documents, Dong Qingguo didn’t leave right away. Instead, he walked over to Shi Man, bent down, and handed her a thermos. “It’s brown sugar ginger tea,” he said. “It’ll warm you up.”
Shi Man was furious. Does he think I’m hard to take care of, so he’s preparing things for me in advance? What kind of person is he?
Meanwhile, the other female soldiers were all “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing.”
“Comrade Qingguo is so thoughtful, preparing this for Manman!”
“A thermos and brown sugar—both so valuable! Only someone with Dong Qingguo’s family background could just casually give them away.”
“Manman, I’m so jealous! You’re so lucky! Are you two dating?”
“……”
Shi Man, utterly annoyed, tossed the thermos to whoever wanted it. “It’s the middle of summer—I don’t want to drink this. Whoever wants it can have it.”
The others froze, and then Shi Man clarified, “Also, Dong Qingguo and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”
This made everyone even more incredulous.
You don’t want Commander Ling, who’s so wonderful, and you don’t want Dong Qingguo, who’s also so wonderful? Just how high are your standards?
Yao Wenjing’s resentment deepened. Why does Shi Man, who doesn’t appreciate him at all, get to be loved and cared for by Dong Qingguo?
***
In the days that followed, rumors flew thick and fast that Shi Man and Dong Qingguo were seeing each other.
This was mainly because Dong Qingguo kept looking after Shi Man. Every day when he came to read documents, he’d bring her either brown sugar water or a small box of ginger candy, along with little snacks like candied ginger slices or shredded ginger, or he’d deliberately stand next to her while reading.
Everyone was convinced they were dating.
Even though Shi Man kept giving Dong Qingguo the cold shoulder, denying any relationship between them, and refusing his gifts every time, people just figured she was being stubborn, maybe still mad at him or something.
Dong Qingguo, on the other hand, seemed to have an endlessly patient temper. No matter how coldly Shi Man treated him, he never lost his temper. He’d just shake his head with a helpless smile, his gold-rimmed glasses making him look even more gentle and doting.
Besides, whenever they asked Dong Qingguo about it, he’d purse his lips slightly, as if tacitly confirming their suspicions.
Truth be told, Dong Qingguo thought dating Shi Man would make him look good, and he believed it was only a matter of time. So, he saw no need to deny the rumors.
Shi Man didn’t care what people gossiped about her love life—truth would always prevail. But she was annoyed by Dong Qingguo buzzing around her like a fly.
Finally, she’d had enough. That afternoon, as Dong Qingguo finished reviewing documents and was about to get into his car, she rushed to the door and called out, “Dong Qingguo! I’ll be waiting for you by the small lake tonight during the free time before the class meeting.”
She didn’t try to hide her words, speaking loudly enough for several people to hear.
Some exchanged knowing glances—See? They’re definitely dating! Secret rendezvous!
Yao Wenjing, however, watched Shi Man’s retreating figure thoughtfully, jealousy burning in her eyes, and made a momentous decision.
***
On Saturday nights, each squad held a class meeting.
These meetings started promptly at 9 p.m., leaving members with an hour of free time beforehand.
Shi Man used this break to go to the lakeside after rehearsal. She wanted to have a serious talk with Dong Qingguo and make it clear he should stop bothering her with his fantasies.
Early autumn nights remained dark quite late. Even after 8 p.m., a faint glow still lingered in the sky.
Shi Man deliberately arrived late, figuring Dong Qingguo could pass the time feeding mosquitoes and cooling off.
But as fate would have it, her tardiness allowed someone else to get there first. A figure stood by the lake, talking to Dong Qingguo.
“Comrade Qingguo, what a coincidence running into you here!”
Dong Qingguo replied politely, “Hello.”
“Ah, perfect! My pen suddenly ran out of ink. Could you take a look?”
Despite the deliberately thin, high-pitched tone, Shi Man easily recognized the voice.
Who else could it be but Yao Wenjing?
Coming to the lakeside to read and write at this hour? And her pen is out of ink?
Shi Man decided to stay put, crossing her arms and watching from a distance with a faint, amused smile, as if witnessing some absurd joke.