The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 11

Her words were like a landmine, exploding instantly among the crowd.

“Who are you to come here and talk such nonsense? My Fang-wa is healthy and hardworking; how could she possibly be unable to have children?”

“Uncle Yang, she’s the one who pulled Fangfang from the river! She even breathed life back into her; that’s how Fangfang survived.”

Hearing that she was their daughter’s savior, Yang Fangfang’s father looked embarrassed. He found Mingyue’s words hard to believe—how could a perfectly good girl suddenly be unfit for childbearing? In his mind, a woman who couldn’t reproduce was no different from livestock kept in a pen.

However, the man standing behind him spoke up with a lack of confidence: “Living Bodhisattva, did you just say you would pay for Fangfang’s stay in the hospital?”

“Yes,” Mingyue said with feigned hesitation. “I’ve already paid for her exam. Surely I shouldn’t have to pay for the hospital bed as well? If you really don’t want to pay, you could sneak her home while the doctors are at lunch. But Fangfang is emotionally unstable right now; you’ll have to keep a very close eye on her at home.”

The matchmaker, however, was only concerned with the fertility issue. Mingyue took out the slip of paper, pointed at the writing, and said loudly, “It’s right here in black and white. Can’t you see for yourselves?”

“None of us here can read.”

“If you can’t read, surely you recognize this red stamp? It was issued by the hospital. Go find someone who can read when you get back and ask them.”

Everyone recognized the official red stamp. In those days, people placed absolute trust in anything stamped with red ink. The matchmaker muttered under her breath, “Then this matter has to be discussed clearly with the Wang family.”

Mingyue urged them, “Go pay the fee then! The doctors will be back from lunch soon and they’ll start hounding you for the money.”

Twelve yuan was a significant sum in that era, enough to cover several months of food for a typical family. The Yang family was destitute; there was no way they could produce that kind of money.

Terrified that the hospital would demand payment from them, the group didn’t hesitate. They gathered Yang Fangfang to take her home immediately. Mingyue called out a final emphasis: “Fangfang hasn’t fully recovered yet. You must take good care of her at home!”

“Living Bodhisattva, thank you for saving my sister. I promise I’ll watch over her from now on,” Yang Fangfang’s brother said. He at least seemed to have a conscience.

Mingyue had already given Fangfang her instructions in private. She had done all she could; the rest depended on whether the girl had the strength to endure.

Once the crowd had vanished, Mingyue felt a wave of melancholy. When a speck of dust from an era falls on an individual, it feels like a mountain. Fortunately, the future was steadily improving.

She suddenly felt a gaze fixed intently on her.

“What are you standing there for? Let’s go get the luggage,” she said to Chen Che.

Chen Che felt a strange stir in his heart. Afraid she would notice, he looked away and asked, “Song Mingyue, how are you able to lie so fluently?”

Twice in one day. He had already witnessed her “performance” at home this morning.

Mingyue shot back defensively, “Haven’t you heard of a ‘white lie’? Were you going to stand there and watch a young, innocent girl marry a thirty-six-year-old cripple? I only did what I had to do.”

Chen Che didn’t reply, but a faint, inadvertent smile flickered at the corner of his mouth.

At the hospital entrance, Zhou Yinyin was still waiting. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became. Just a few days ago, her aunt Zhou Fang was talking about setting Chen Che up on blind dates. How could he have a partner already?

Still, seeing that the girl was bright and lively, Yinyin didn’t dislike her. She pulled Chen Che aside. “Does Auntie know about this?”

“She knows.”

Yinyin was shocked. “Then why don’t I know? Even your grandmother doesn’t know.”

Chen Che didn’t want to waste words. “Cousin, don’t you have things to do? We need to go pick up some items.”

“What items?”

Chen Che didn’t bother explaining. Mingyue didn’t know what they were saying, but seeing Chen Che head for the gate, she smiled at Yinyin and hurried to catch up.

By the time they finished and arrived home, it was nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. Zhou Fang had already sent the guard, Xiao Guo, to look for them. She was waiting at the door. “What took you so long just to pick up a few things?”

“Ran into something,” Chen Che said curtly.

“What thing?”

Mingyue quickly interrupted. “Auntie Zhou, I’m so hungry! Is there anything to eat?”

The moment she saw Mingyue, Zhou Fang’s expression turned warm and affectionate. “There is! We’ve all been waiting for you. This Chen Che is truly unreliable.”

Zhou Fang wasn’t actually worried about her son, but she knew Wang Yufen was worried about Mingyue, so she put on a show of scolding Chen Che once they were inside.

Wang Yufen pulled Mingyue into a small room for a private talk. “Yueyue, you’re a girl and you aren’t married yet. It’s not proper to go running around everywhere with a boy.”

“Mom, you’re all so strange. When I didn’t have a partner, you rushed me. Now that I have one, you complain I’m being too forward.”

“It’s not that we don’t want you to find someone, but in a proper marriage, the woman shouldn’t be the one chasing. If you do, his family might look down on you once you marry in.” Thinking of this, Wang Yufen felt a pang of worry. “Tell me the truth—why are you suddenly so devoted to Chen Che? Do you truly want to marry him, or did he do something to you? Our family might not be as powerful as theirs, but your father and I will protect you.”

“I know. But I really think Chen Che is good. Besides, look at him—does he look like the type who would bully me?”

That was true. So far, Wang Yufen’s impression of Chen Che wasn’t great, but she knew he wasn’t the violent type. He was cold and aloof—perhaps a “talent” in the eyes of others, but not necessarily a good husband. However, Mingyue was set on it, and the conditions were decent, so they dropped the subject.

That afternoon, while determining the wedding date, Zhou Fang had someone consult the calendar. The auspicious dates were the 26th of next month or the 8th of the month after that. “Sister Yufen, what do you think? I think the 26th of next month is good. We’ll handle all the wedding preparations on our end.”

Wang Yufen also wanted the wedding to happen sooner to avoid any complications. However, there was a snag: the 26th of next month was also the day Song Jiajia was supposed to get married.

Song Aiguo shared this concern. “Auntie Zhou, to be honest, my brother’s daughter is also getting married on the 26th. It’s quite a coincidence.”

Zhou Fang, unaware of the rivalry, thought it was lovely. “Then the cousins can get married on the same day! It’ll be even more lively.”

Wang Yufen certainly wasn’t going to explain the bad blood. She thought for a moment: ever since Sun Xiangcui found out her daughter was marrying into the Liu family, she had been gloating all over the street and belittling Mingyue. Why should she be afraid? Even if she wasn’t 100% satisfied with this son-in-law, his conditions completely crushed Liu Jiabao’s.

“Sister Zhou Fang is right,” Wang Yufen said. “It’ll be more festive if both families hold their weddings on the same day.”

“Great! The date is set then. I’ll have Chen Che head back to the unit to request leave. It’s hard to get leave there, but they’ll definitely approve it for a wedding.”