It must be said that Xu Si Qi was quite chivalrous. Although the blind date didn't work out, he still bought her hot milk and treated her to a bowl of beef noodles at a state-owned restaurant. Shu Jin Yue couldn't even pay over his objections. Finally, he safely escorted her to the entrance of the hutong before leaving himself.
This probably had something to do with his uncle being from a military background? After all, Xu Duan's fine conduct was evident there.
Of the original six sons and one daughter in the Xu family, only the eldest, Xu Ping, had survived. But just three years before liberation, Madame Xu unexpectedly became pregnant in her later years and gave birth to another child—the eighth son of the Xu family, Xu Duan.
Xu Duan was only a few years older than his nephew Xu Si Qi. Though nominally uncle and nephew, they were more like brothers. Because Xu Duan had been clever and sensible since childhood—always the "model child" others compared theirs to—Xu Si Qi practically revered him as a spiritual leader. It was natural for his character to be influenced by him.
True to his name, Xu Duan was upright and principled. He joined the military at a young age and excelled, being selected for military academy. If not for limitations due to his family background, his future would have been boundless. Even so, after transferring to civilian work and returning to his hometown, he achieved remarkable success. After the reform and opening-up, he ventured into business, focusing on automotive research and manufacturing.
However, he maintained a low profile, directing operations behind the scenes while Xu Si Qi handled public appearances.
As for why Shu Li Nong knew so much about Xu Duan—it was said that one year, the day after visiting Jin Yue's grave, a once-in-a-century heavy rain triggered a landslide. Trains and buses between the two places were suspended, and plane tickets were sold out. Shu Li Nong couldn't return to Shu City, and it happened to be Xu Duan who invited him to travel back together.
Only after boarding the plane did Shu Li Nong realize that Xu Duan's "flight" was actually his private jet!
Over several years of encountering an old acquaintance in a distant land, and with their familial connection, they gradually struck up conversations. That was how he learned of Xu Duan's hidden depths—how he had greatly helped Xu Ping resume his work back then, even having to give up everything and transfer back to his hometown for it…
And this year should be when he prepares to transfer back home.
Preoccupied with these thoughts, Jin Yue returned home. When her parents asked about the blind date, she couldn't bear to disappoint them and only said it was fine, revealing not a word more. Meanwhile, over at the Xu family, they were also discussing this blind date.
"What did you say?" Xu Ping was angry upon learning his son already had a lady he fancied. "Since when? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"I met her about half a year ago. We haven't spoken much—it's not settled yet."
"What were you thinking? Having feelings for someone else and not speaking up earlier—that's not fair to Xiao Su, nor to that… lady you like." Xu Ping paused, unable to bring himself to say the word "sweetheart.Xu Si Qi knew he was in the wrong and didn't dare to argue back. Xu Duan, who had been silent until then, raised an eyebrow at the mention of "Xiao Su."
Thinking his younger brother didn't know, Xu Ping explained, "The child was originally named Su Jin Yue, taking the Su surname from Limin brother. Her name comes from the great man's poem: 'The strong pass is like a wall of iron, yet with firm strides, we are conquering its summit.'"
"I know." The man lowered his eyes, smiling faintly.
"It's such a well-chosen name. Even Little Uncle thinks so, right?" Otherwise, why would he be smiling? Usually, Little Uncle was the most solemn.
Xu Duan said nothing and continued drinking his tea.
"This matter is indeed our family's lack of propriety. Due to our negligence, Brother Limin's wife and daughter have suffered all these years. Now the child has been sent down to the countryside for re-education, and I thought marriage would be the most secure solution—it could both transfer her household registration back to the city and provide her with lifelong…" Though unspoken, he knew his own son well; Si Qi's character wasn't bad. "With your sister-in-law and me keeping an eye on them in the future, she won't be mistreated."
Xu Si Qi's face grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Xu Duan set down his teacup, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "Si Qi handled this improperly."
The image of the girl's trembling, thin shoulders seemed to linger before his eyes. Such blatant deception would probably leave her crying for days after returning home.
Seeing his uncle's expression grow two degrees colder, Xu Si Qi regretted his actions even more, desperately trying to patch up his impropriety: "Dad, Uncle, when I actually start seeing… her, I'll invite her over for a meal. She's quite outstanding too. Why don't you meet her and see for yourselves?"
Xu Ping was about to speak but noticed his brother's noncommittal expression and remained silent.
The room fell quiet, leaving only the disciplined, uniform tapping sound that seemed to strike directly at Xu Si Qi's heart.
After an indeterminable silence, just as he felt he could barely catch his breath, Xu Duan finally spoke: "We'll discuss it later."
Xu Si Qi's heart climbed even higher into his throat. Though his uncle's attitude appeared mild, this was precisely what made it most frightening. Not only had he made a mistake himself, but he'd also severely damaged his future partner's impression in his uncle's eyes. This blind date had truly been more loss than gain, alas!
"Si Qi, this habit of yours—always hesitating and looking back and forth—if you don't change it soon, it'll lead to major trouble one day." Xu Ping couldn't help sighing. "Fortunately, this situation isn't irreparable. We'll help keep an eye out for other suitable matches for her. With us watching over things, she won't be wronged."
Xu Si Qi immediately forgot his promise to help Jin Yue look for work and began combing through their acquaintances with his father, searching for unmarried young men with excellent character, appearance, education, and family background. They actually managed to list seven or eight candidates. But when he turned around, he discovered Xu Duan had already left unnoticed.
The next afternoon, Jin Yue personally delivered the clothing back to her sister-in-law's home. Though she had only worn it for slightly over two hours, she had washed it clean immediately upon returning home yesterday, dried it, and even ironed it with a heated kettle. Any family would treasure such fine clothing.
Her sister-in-law had selflessly contributed it to support her blind date—she couldn't be ungrateful.
The young couple lived in a communal courtyard allocated by Liu Hui Fang's work unit, not far from Liu Ye Hutong. They had two large rooms just for the two of them, yet it was far less tidy than the Shu Family's small old house. Upon entering, one could see a disorderly pile of coal briquettes haphazardly stacked in the corner.
"When I'm not home, your brother can't bear to light the stove. The kang bed was only heated when I returned the day before yesterday."
"He's really cold-resistant."
Shu Wen Yan was probably the most frugal (stingy) person in the entire Shu Family. To save on firewood costs during the harsh winter, he wouldn't even heat the kang. How did he handle the cold? He'd go mooch off the old Shu residence!
"This mess all over the floor—it's all the damaged goods he picked up from the vegetable store. I've told him repeatedly to buy only what we can eat, but he insists on chasing small advantages. He specifically goes right before closing time and buys everything in bulk. Look, these potatoes have sprouted. He'll break off the sprouts and still make a dish out of them."
Shu Jin Yue couldn't help but chuckle. When her sister-in-law wasn't home, her eldest brother would come back to freeload to save on meal expenses; when he wanted to bathe but couldn't bear to waste firewood or use bath tickets, he'd come back to freeload; when his socks had holes and he didn't want to mend them with his own needle and thread, he'd come back to freeload… Everything could be freeloaded.
"No wonder Dad never gives him a pleasant look. I don't even want to deal with him myself."
Jin Yue smiled faintly. With her eldest brother's personality, if she didn't know the plot development, she'd never believe he would become a bestselling author even if beaten to death.
Liu Hui Fang complained a few more times. Jin Yue just listened—matters between a married couple weren't her place to comment. Instead, she brought up her plan to sell the ginseng she'd been given to raise money, seeking her sister-in-law's opinion.
"Pfft, I thought it was something serious. Since it was given to you, it's yours to handle as you see fit. Why so formal with me?"
Jin Yue breathed a sigh of relief. She was desperately short of money right now. To buy a job placement, besides the actual cost, she needed extra funds for social connections and greasing palms. Her family's situation was worse than she'd imagined—her parents wanted to help but couldn't offer much.
Moreover, in this blended family, she wasn't the only child.
Having genuinely felt Teacher Shu's care for her, she couldn't bear to put Old Shu in a difficult position. She'd try her best to figure out the money situation herself.
Leaving Liu Hui Fang's home, Jin Yue saw it was getting late and didn't dare linger outside. But as she walked, she found herself back under the Construction Bridge, where scattered lights were flickering on—early-arriving profiteers setting up.
Clutching the small ginseng root in her sleeve, Jin Yue circled around but still couldn't find anyone willing to buy it. Not even anyone willing to take a look.
She was utterly desperate. If she couldn't sell it soon, she had no idea where else to get money. She'd read many time-travel novels about making money, but actually reliving this era, the fear of being watched and potentially leaving evidence had seeped into her bones. She truly didn't dare make one wrong step.
With seven days of her home leave already gone and four days reserved for the return trip, the urgency grew stronger when the neighborhood youth office staff came first thing in the morning to ask when she'd return to her rural posting.
No news from Xu Si Qi, no money prepared… Could it be she'd ultimately have to use backup plan B? But unless absolutely necessary, she couldn't be sure how much of the Xu family's affection was genuine versus pretended. If she miscalculated, it could backfire badly.
Lost in thought, she headed back. Just as she stepped out from the bridge's shadow, she suddenly heard two words.
Jin Yue's ears perked up like radar, instantly beeping. "Brother, are you looking for ginseng?"
It was a middle-aged man who looked quite refined, his demeanor somewhat resembling the person she'd encountered last time.
"Yes, I heard from a colleague yesterday that someone here sells wild mountain ginseng. Is that right?"
Though thrilled, Jin Yue didn't dare act rashly—if this was a trap, she'd be finished!
Putting on a northeastern accent, she chatted briefly to confirm there were no ambushes and that this man genuinely wanted to buy wild ginseng. He mentioned it was for an ailing senior leader as a gift, and judging by his dress, he seemed well-off enough to afford it. Only then did she relax and lead him to a nearby ginkgo tree.
"Brother, rest assured, I guarantee with my life this is genuine wild ginseng."
She pulled out the ginseng wrapped in clean gauze. The man examined it left and right. "This is rather small, isn't it?"
"Brother, hear me out. When it comes to wild ginseng, size isn't what matters. You need to examine its fibrous roots, smell its aroma. If we're talking about size, cultivated ginseng can grow enormous, but its medicinal properties are far inferior. My hometown lies at the foot of Changbai Mountain, where even wild ginseng is categorized as truly wild or seed-sown. This very root has weathered storms, endured water erosion, been dropped by birds and nibbled by rodents – it grew naturally in claw-shaped soil, within ant-egg earth…" He rambled on extensively before concluding—
"Only such genuine goods are worthy of your status. Presenting this to your senior leader would surely bring him joy."
Isn't the essence of gift-giving about delivering happiness? The man felt tempted.
"My, you're not even fourteen yet, but you already know about claw-shaped soil and ant-egg earth. Truth be told, I'm from the Medicinal Materials Company. Your ginseng is indeed excellent, however…"