"Comrade Shu? Hello, I'm Xu Si Qi." The man stared for a moment, seemingly surprised that his blind date turned out to be such a petite "half-grown child." He hesitated even when greeting her, unsure.
Jin Yue responded generously, "Hello, Comrade Xu, I'm Shu Jin Yue."
Coincidentally, a bench under the phoenix tree became available. They sat at the farthest ends—one on the east, the other on the west—and began their conversation methodically.
Blind dates between men and women also depend on first impressions. Clearly, Jin Yue didn't align with his aesthetic preferences. His gaze toward her was as pure as plain water, and his words lacked the shyness typical of blind dates in this era. When discussing their studies and life experiences, it felt like they were introducing themselves to new classmates.
Moreover, she always sensed a faint, well-concealed reluctance in Xu Si Qi's eyes—probably because her reputation as a "good-for-nothing" had spread far and wide.
Shu Jin Yue sighed. Although she wasn't determined to "win him over," it was obvious that marrying him to stay in the city was out of the question. She wasn't sure how much weight "Su Li Min's orphan" held in the Xu family's eyes—whether it would be enough to pressure Xu Si Qi into marrying her. Even if it were possible, she wouldn't want that.
Though she didn't yearn for love, she also had no intention of settling for someone who looked down on her.
It seemed her backup plan was the only option left—
"Comrade Xu, do you know the reason for this blind date?"
Her voice was crisp, unlike the soft, delicate tones of most young girls, resembling a clear stream flowing smoothly over smooth pebbles. Xu Si Qi paused before replying, "Yes. Our family is very grateful to your father… We've been struggling ourselves these past years and only recently improved our situation enough to finally find you and your mother… Don't worry, we will take good care of both of you."
Jin Yue didn't dwell on how much of this was sincere. As long as there was even a sliver of truth, her backup plan might work.
She fell silent, lifted her head at a 45-degree angle, and mentally revisited the hardships, hunger, cold, humiliation, and tragic death she had endured in her previous life in the countryside.
What the man saw were her glistening tears, swirling in her reddened eyes. As if to hide them from him, she turned slightly away, holding back for a long time until she could no longer suppress them. Tears traced paths down her fair cheeks.
At that moment, the man's guilt intensified. He silently cursed himself for being heartless—how could he judge her based on mere rumors?
"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up."
Jin Yue shook her head, biting her lip as if trying to swallow her sobs. "It's fine. It's been a long time since I last thought of him."
This was true. She had been too young when her mother remarried Shu Li Nong and could hardly remember her earlier life. Since Shu Li Nong treated her very well, she only recalled her biological father on certain special occasions.
But to Xu Si Qi's ears, it sounded like she was covering up her grief—clearly heartbroken yet forcing back tears. What child wouldn't miss their father? Especially one as young as her.
Impulsively, he blurted out, "Don't worry, my dad said privately that if you don't like me, it's okay. He'll introduce you to better comrades and make sure to vet them thoroughly for you."
He expected the girl to be pleased, but instead, her shoulders trembled even more violently. Already slender, she now appeared even more fragile. Jin Yue knew she was performing what could be called a "sense of brokenness."
Sure enough, Xu Si Qi's guilt deepened by another two degrees, and those words were on the verge of spilling out.
But was this enough?
Shu Jin Yue didn't give him the chance. Covering her mouth, she stood up and took two steps, as if searching for a secluded corner to cry her heart out, yet restrained herself because he was still there. "I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just… just… sob…"
Xu Si Qi hung his head like a child who had done wrong, waiting until she finished crying and calmed down before going to the park entrance to buy a bottle of warm milk. "Drink some milk, don't be sad anymore."
Jin Yue carefully took it, half curious and half envious, seemingly unsure how to open the cap. After opening it, she took a small sip first, then slowly, sip by sip, drank it.
The warm milk flowed into her stomach, warming her whole body down to her toes.
"Drink it quickly, it won't taste good once it cools."
His intention was good, but Jin Yue blushed and whispered, "I… I can't bear to finish it all at once. I've never had milk before. I only saw it once in the production team during my first year in the countryside, but that was meant to be delivered to the dairy. Once, I wanted to sneak a taste—just a tiny sip, really not much—but then…"
Xu Si Qi's curiosity was instantly piqued. "What happened? Freshly milked milk is very gamey, it probably didn't taste good, right?"
As if recalling something, Jin Yue's face turned pale, and her fingers gripping the milk bottle tightened one by one, turning white.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"No… nothing. I didn't want my family to worry. Even if I was reported and criticized… I could endure it. I just had to bear it and it would pass. But they actually forced me to marry the team leader's son. He's… almost thirty, and someone saw him beat a donkey to death with his fists. I heard his first wife was beaten to death by him…"
Though she didn't elaborate, Xu Si Qi wasn't foolish. His father's experiences during those years in the cowshed had left an indelible mark on his heart.
His father was a mentally mature, physically healthy adult, yet he was nearly driven mad. And Shu Jin Yue was only sixteen that year, still a frail child… forced to marry an old widower who had beaten someone to death.
It was simply too much!
He let out a long sigh, as if making a firm decision. "Comrade Xiao Shu, I must confess something to you. I can no longer deceive you."
Jin Yue smiled inwardly. Sure enough, she hadn't misjudged him—he was upright and kind.
"This blind date was arranged by my family. I actually already have a woman I like, but I haven't had the chance to tell my family. Today, I wanted to make it clear to you… But don't worry, I will help you. You can't go back to the countryside anymore."
Jin Yue pretended to be deeply disappointed, widening her round eyes. "But… but…"
"That place is too harsh. You're too young to go back."
"But the city can't take my household registration. What else can I do?"
"As long as you have a job, the work unit will take it."
"But our family has no job openings left. My second brother is still a temporary worker at the vegetable store." The Xu family already knew this, yet they were still willing to come for the blind date, which showed they had some genuine feelings for Su Li Min.
"I'll help you figure something out." The words slipped out, and Xu Si Qi realized he had acted impulsively.
He was just a student, and with his background, what options did he have? In the end, he would have to turn to his father. But his father had just returned to work and was still under observation. His old connections were gone, and many were watching closely. At the factory, the secretary was keeping pressure from above, while three deputy directors were eyeing opportunities from below. To rashly arrange for an educated youth without specialized skills to join would be handing others a weapon against him.
In this era, he understood better than anyone what it meant to have such a mistake held against you.
The experiences of the past few years were still vivid in his mind. Even if he couldn’t help his family, how could he drag them down? It really shouldn’t be this way.
Shu Jin Yue appeared to be lost in sorrow, but she was secretly observing his expression. She quickly said, "If a matchmaking arrangement isn’t possible, then can I call you ‘Brother Xu’?"
Calling him "brother" was something she couldn’t bring herself to do.
"Of course, I’ll call you Little Shu then."
"Brother Xu, we’re already so grateful that you and your family managed to find my mother and me after all these years. I can’t impose further by asking you to arrange a job for me, but I really do need to stay here. Could you help me ask around if there are any jobs nearby where someone needs a successor? I’m willing to pay for it. My mother and I won’t cause you any trouble."
Xu Si Qi breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, things would be much easier. After all, such arrangements weren’t uncommon these days, and the authorities often turned a blind eye. As long as he found a workplace with no connection to his father, it would be fine.
As for the money, he felt guilty about going against his parents’ original intention of repaying a kindness. "Don’t worry about the money, I’ll cover it for you."
"No, no, Brother Xu, just helping me find this opportunity is enough. We’ll figure out the money ourselves."
This was clearly taking advantage of his gratitude and exploiting Xu Si Qi’s integrity and kindness. She silently apologized in her heart, promising that if she survived, she would find a way to repay him and his family.
After chatting for a few more moments, Jin Yue suddenly changed the topic. "Brother Xu, you’re a good person. You and your wife will surely have a happy and fulfilling life together."
Xu Si Qi blushed. "Thank you, Little Shu. She’s actually a very outstanding comrade, but I haven’t formally pursued her yet. I believe we can learn from each other and progress together."
Shu Jin Yue smiled and was about to change the subject when Xu Si Qi suddenly stood up, happily waving toward the road. A military jeep had parked there at some point.
"That’s my uncle. I’ll go say hello. Little Shu, wait for me a moment."
Xu Si Qi’s uncle? Jin Yue was taken aback. Xu Si Qi’s future success was undoubtedly tied to his own talent and hard work, but it also relied heavily on the support of his uncle, Xu Duan. Whether it was staying at the university after graduation to focus on research, taking unpaid leave to accumulate capital, or eventually embarking on the path of independent research and development, all of it benefited from Xu Duan’s guidance at critical junctures.
The original book didn’t dwell much on this character, but when her parents visited her grave, they had mentioned him more than once. He was undoubtedly a bigger figure than Xu Si Qi!
This godfather-level figure was no naive fool. Who knew how long he had been here or how much of her performance he had witnessed… Jin Yue’s toes curled in discomfort.
Sure enough, she couldn’t tell what the uncle and nephew had discussed, but she felt a gaze settle on her, carrying a faint sense of scrutiny.
But at this stage of the plan, there was no room for retreat. Jin Yue raised her head, feigning the shyness of a young woman meeting her blind date's family for the first time. She cast a nervous yet expectant glance toward that direction, then another.
In the driver's seat sat a tall man with close-cropped black hair. His complexion wasn't as fair as Xu Si Qi's, but his features were resolute, his gaze calm. He even seemed slightly taller than Xu Si Qi.
Just how tall was this uncle? She instinctively glanced down at her own bean sprout-like figure. Standing beside him, she'd probably only reach his chest level.
Ah!