The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 2

Songzhuang Street was not a large place. Divided into North and South Streets, it housed a total of about a hundred families. If anything happened to one household, word would spread through the entire neighborhood in the blink of an eye.

Lately, the primary topic of post-dinner gossip remained the drama surrounding the families of Song Aiguo and Song Aimian. Onlookers who didn’t know the full story were spreading increasingly outrageous rumors, claiming that Song Mingyue had been so heartbroken that she was now mentally unstable. After all, what normal young girl would splash wine on someone at a wedding?

Whenever Wang Yufen heard such talk, she would snap back angrily, “My Yueyue is as well-behaved as she is beautiful! Which blind fool is out there making up lies?”

She put up a brave front, but in private, she was worried sick. She had noticed that Mingyue’s behavior lately was indeed… strange.

A person who had been refusing to eat or drink just a short while ago was now acting more normal than normal. She ate her meals on time every day, though she would often mutter to herself before picking up her chopsticks: “I usually don’t like eating these things, but I’ll make do for today.”

Wang Yufen didn’t dare ask too much, fearing that any word might trigger her daughter’s unhappiness again. She spent her days living in a state of constant apprehension.

Song Mingyue, for her part, was quite satisfied with her current life.

Although she had transmigrated into the resource-scarce 1980s and become a “devoted woman” abandoned by a scumbag, she could feel that Song Aiguo and his wife truly doted on this daughter. Several times during the night, she had sensed Wang Yufen quietly entering her room to tuck her in.

In her previous life, Mingyue had been born into a fractured family. Her billionaire father had three or four wives and over a dozen children. The family was a nest of vipers; everyone had their own hidden agenda and “eight hundred schemes.” From childhood to adulthood, she had never experienced genuine familial affection.

As it turned out, being pampered by parents and an older brother felt rather good.

In the evening, after Song Aiguo finished work, he made a special detour to North Street to buy Mingyue’s favorite roast duck. After the duck was plated, Wang Yufen placed the duck leg into Mingyue’s bowl first, saying with a smile, “This is for our Yueyue. You’ve loved this since you were a little girl.”

Mingyue looked at the glistening, oily duck leg and felt no appetite whatsoever. In her past life, she had rarely eaten greasy foods to maintain her figure. She placed the leg into Wang Yufen’s bowl. “I don’t like it anymore. Duck necks are better; I’ll just have the neck.”

The chopsticks nearly slipped from Wang Yufen’s hand. she exchanged a look with Song Aiguo, both of their eyes filled with deep concern.

Back in their room after dinner, Wang Yufen could no longer hold back. She sat on the edge of the bed clutching a handkerchief and sobbed, “You saw it tonight. she won’t even eat her favorite roast duck. If this continues, something terrible will happen. I told you to ask about that matter—how is it going? Do you even care about your daughter?”

Song Aiguo sat on a nearby stool smoking a hand-rolled pipe. His daughter had been the apple of his eye since she was a baby; how could he not care? He had already written a letter to Chen Daoyuan, but he had yet to receive a reply.

Truth be told, Aiguo was uncertain. Chen Daoyuan was now doing very well in the provincial capital with a prestigious job. Would he still remember the “betrothal” (baby marriage) he had agreed to all those years ago?

Moreover, he had no idea what kind of man Chen’s son had grown up to be. If he turned out to be a profligate dandy, wouldn’t marrying his daughter off be pushing her into another abyss?

These were the questions Aiguo had been weighing carefully. But listening to his wife’s weeping and thinking of his daughter’s recent abnormalities, he felt that none of it mattered anymore. No matter the situation, it had to be better than her staying here, where every sight reminded her of her grief. If she stayed, she truly might be driven mad.

He put out his pipe, stood up, and sighed. “Stop crying. I’ll give Daoyuan a call tomorrow morning. There is still an old debt of gratitude between us. At the very least, he can let our daughter go to his house for a change of scenery.”

Next door, Comrade Song Mingyue was entirely unaware of her parents’ conversation. She was sitting comfortably with her legs crossed at her brother’s desk, reading a “little person” book (a palm-sized comic), while Song Mingnian was hunched in a corner, diligently studying.

In this era, conditions were limited. Forget a nightlife; the Song family hadn’t even bought their first television yet. Daily entertainment consisted of reading picture books, comic strips, or martial arts novels.

At first, Mingyue found it difficult to adjust, but after reading with some patience, she found a certain charm in it. It was perfect for passing the time.

Whenever she reached a funny part, she couldn’t help but let out a few laughs. Beside her, whenever Mingnian heard her laugh, he felt a shiver run down his spine. He stopped writing, and—worried that a harsh word might upset her—asked cautiously, “Yueyue, if you have something on your mind that you can’t tell Mom and Dad, you can tell me. Didn’t you love talking to your big brother when you were little?”

Mingyue put down the comic. Her small face looked pure and moving under the dim light, and her voice was sweet. “Really? I want to go wander around the market. Brother, will you take me?”

Ever since she had “jumped into the river,” Wang Yufen had been watching her like a hawk, terrified she would do something foolish again. Aside from the time she sneaked out for Song Jiajia’s wedding, she hadn’t been allowed out at all. She was already itching to leave the house.

“You just want to go to the market? You don’t have… other ideas?” Mingnian suspected she still wanted to go find that jerk, Liu Jiabao.

“Of course not. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine now.”

Mingnian naturally didn’t believe her. He knew how deeply his little sister had been hurt. He blamed Liu Jiabao for being blind—how could he not want a sister as beautiful as his?

Seeing her pitiful, pleading gaze, Mingnian couldn’t find it in him to refuse. “Fine. Tomorrow afternoon, once Mom and Dad have gone to work, I’ll sneak you out to the market. But you must promise me: you stay by my side at all times.”

“I promise, I promise!” Mingyue grabbed Mingnian’s arm and acted spoiled. “Brother, you really are the best!”

That one sentence nearly melted Mingnian’s heart. He and Mingyue had always been close, but she had always been quiet and reserved; she had never acted spoiled like this before. It seems that Liu Jiabao really did a number on her, he thought sadly.

The Song family attributed all of Mingyue’s “abnormalities” to a deep emotional wound, and thus, they could only resolve to treat her even better.

The next morning, Song Aiguo pulled out Chen Daoyuan’s phone number. Their last contact had been ten years ago. In those ten years, the world had changed immensely. After the “special period” ended, Chen Daoyuan had risen steadily through the ranks and was now a very powerful figure.

If it were anything else, Aiguo would never have bothered someone like that, but since it concerned his daughter, he had to take the risk.

The call was picked up by Chen Daoyuan’s secretary. After Aiguo provided his name, the call was returned a moment later—this time, it was Chen Daoyuan himself. After a few brief pleasantries, Aiguo jokingly asked if Chen still remembered the betrothal they had set years ago.

“Brother Song, I won’t hide it from you. My son has been raised with a bit of an eccentric personality. He’s twenty-seven this year and shows no interest in starting a family. If we could truly become in-laws, it’s we who should be thanking you!”

Aiguo felt a bit of hesitation. Years ago, when they were sent down to the countryside, Chen’s wife, Zhou Fang, had brought the boy to the youth point to visit. Aiguo remembered the boy having thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a very handsome look. Could it be that the boy had “grown crooked” over the years?

This time, it was Chen Daoyuan who became enthusiastic. He had seen Song Mingyue twice; she was a quiet, well-behaved girl, and his wife, Zhou Fang, liked her very much.

Chen Daoyuan decided then and there: “We advocate for free love now, so we can’t make the decision for the children. My boy is coming back from the army next week to handle some affairs. We’ll arrange a blind date. If they have the fate for it, then it’s for the best.”

“Is he currently serving in the military?”

Chen Daoyuan’s voice held an unconscious note of pride. “He is. He’s currently a Battalion Commander. All he cares about is his training.”

In the army? That’s good, Aiguo thought. In this life, he didn’t trust anyone more than the People’s Liberation Army. Entrusting his daughter to a soldier was a thousand times better than that Liu family boy. The gloom that had haunted him for days finally began to dissipate with that phone call.

Ever since transmigrating, Song Mingyue had taken a nap every day after lunch. She was still in a dream today when Song Mingnian shook her awake. “Yueyue, are you still going to the market? If we wait much longer, the street will be empty.”

“Yes, yes, I’m going!” Mingyue sat up instantly. “Let’s go right now.”

Song Aiguo had taken the family bicycle to work, so Mingnian borrowed one from a neighbor. When the neighbor heard he was taking Mingyue out, they became very cautious: “Mingnian, don’t do anything reckless. If anything happens to your little sister, your parents will skin you alive when they get back.”

“Auntie Wang, nothing will happen. My sister is just bored staying at home. I want to take her out for some air.”

The neighbor shook her head pityingly. “What a fine pair of siblings. To think such a thing had to happen to them.”

Mingyue waited by the door for her brother. Occasionally, neighbors would pass by; seeing her, they would scurry away as if they hadn’t seen her at all. Rumors of her “mental instability” were everywhere. A few years back, a wife in a nearby village had been driven mad by her mother-in-law and had attacked her whole family with a cleaver. Everyone was terrified of offending her.

Tsk, how boring, Mingyue thought, resting her chin in her hand. In her past life, she had everything she wanted and fought her “trash” brothers for the family inheritance without losing an inch. Now, she was living so pathetically, while Song Jiajia—who had stolen her life—was thriving. That debt hasn’t been settled yet.

Seeing her dazed, Mingnian’s heart sank again. Fortunately, as soon as Mingyue saw him approach, she flashed a joyful smile and hopped onto the bicycle. “Brother, let’s go! I’m going to grow mold if I stay in this house any longer.”

“I brought a lot of money today. When we get to the market, buy whatever you want. Don’t save it for me.”

“Got it!” Is there anyone better at shopping than her? However, a market in the 80s on a non-fair day was hardly exciting.

She stopped in front of a department store, wanting to see what styles were currently in fashion. Just as she was about to enter, Mingnian pulled her back from behind. “Yueyue, let’s not go into this one. Let’s go to the other one.”

Mingyue asked, confused, “Why?”

“Did you forget? Our cousin, Jiajia, works in there.”