The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 28

It wasn’t difficult to find out who had intentionally smeared wax on the stage during Zhang Jingjing’s performance.

When Zhao Xing performed, she had stepped on that same spot and was perfectly fine, which meant the wax was applied after Zhao Xing but before Jingjing. There had been a few minutes of rest after Zhao Xing’s set. Since the wooden floor had become a bit dirty, a staff member went up to sweep it while the curtains were closed.

Of course, there was another possibility: the stagehands pulling the curtains could have done it in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, Song Mingyue asked Zhang Jingjing to go find Yin Xiumei. Mingyue was still unfamiliar with the compound’s residents, and Jingjing didn’t know many people either; only Yin Xiumei knew every household.

The reporting hall had been packed the previous night. There wasn’t a dedicated cleaning crew; whoever was free simply went up to sweep. Yin Xiumei couldn’t specifically remember who had swept the stage after Zhao Xing.

Hearing this, Song Mingyue became even more certain that the culprit was the person who swept the floor. The window of time for the curtain pullers was too short for a thorough sabotage. Besides, if Jingjing really wanted to investigate, the curtain pullers would be the first suspects. The “cleaner” was a much cleverer cover.

Mingyue asked again, “Auntie Xiumei, think carefully. This is about why Jingjing fell on stage. It’s very important.”

Yin Xiumei was a bit dazed. “What do you mean? You mean someone designed for Jingjing to fall? We all thought she was just careless. It’s common to slip while dancing.”

“No!” Zhang Jingjing interjected, feeling aggrieved. “Auntie Xiumei, that part of the floor was too slippery. That’s why I lost control and slid out.”

Yin Xiumei finally understood. She had genuinely thought it was a mistake on Jingjing’s part and felt sorry for her. Jingjing had danced so well at the start; it was such a shame to have such a huge blunder at the end. Otherwise, even if she didn’t make it to the city-level competition, the dance would have left a lasting impression.

It turned out she had been framed.

Yin Xiumei couldn’t stomach this. In this era, integrity was highly valued. While people in the compound might look out for their own interests, they generally acted above board. How could there be someone so sinister as to play dirty tricks behind someone’s back?

She rushed to the door and told Mingyue and Jingjing, “Come on, let’s go ask Committee Member Wang. He’ll definitely know.”

The reporting hall was divided into three sections: the audience, the waiting room, and the workspace. Since the curtains were closed at the time, the audience wouldn’t have seen who swept the stage, and the waiting room was too far. Only those in the workspace would know.

When asked, Committee Member Wang didn’t hold back: “How could I forget? It was Auntie Tian, Xiao Yinhua’s mother, who went up to sweep. But why are you asking?”

In the 1980s, the social atmosphere was quite simple. Very few people would immediately think of intentional sabotage.

Since they hadn’t reached a final conclusion yet, Song Mingyue didn’t mention the wax to Wang. She simply said they wanted to ask Auntie Tian something. Yin Xiumei usually couldn’t keep a secret, but Mingyue spoke first, making her realize that if they accused someone without proof, they might be the ones blamed for slander.

After leaving Wang’s house, Yin Xiumei was worried. “Mingyue, this will be hard to handle. Auntie Tian is cousins with Shen Yulan; she has ‘backing’ in the compound. If we ask her, she won’t tell the truth. She might even turn it around and say we’re framing her.”

Zhang Jingjing didn’t want her friends to get dragged into her mess, but she couldn’t let it go. “Mingyue, Auntie Xiumei, you guys go home. This is my business. I’ll go ask her myself so you two aren’t involved.”

Yin Xiumei immediately objected. “No way. That Auntie Tian looks down her nose at everyone and has a sharp tongue. You’ll be bullied if you go alone.”

Jingjing stood firm. “I’m not afraid of her.”

Song Mingyue calmed them down and asked Yin Xiumei, “Auntie Xiumei, do you know who the two comrades pulling the curtains were?”

“They are Old Yu’s sons from the 13th Company, Yu Cheng and Yu Jun. Are they involved too?”

“It’s fine,” Mingyue said. “I’m just asking.”

She explained her plan to Yin Xiumei and Jingjing, then whispered instructions to Yin Xiumei on what to say when they saw Auntie Tian. After hearing the plan, Yin Xiumei couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. “Mingyue, you really make people see you in a new light.”

Relying on her connection to Shen Yulan, Auntie Tian worked at the compound’s Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Unlike the department stores starting to pop up outside that were developing a “service mindset,” this place still mostly operated on ration coupons. The clerks were arrogant and the service was terrible, yet people still crowded in to buy things, which only fueled their ego.

Auntie Tian had lost herself in this “status,” becoming incredibly haughty. When the three of them arrived at the cooperative, she was sitting by a shelf cracking sunflower seeds, looking utterly indifferent.

“What are you here to buy? Got coupons?”

Yin Xiumei wanted to snap back, but Mingyue stopped her and said calmly, “We aren’t here to buy anything. We’re here to talk to you.”

Besides Auntie Tian, there was a younger girl working there. She had been reading a picture book, but she looked up immediately—this sounded like trouble.

Auntie Tian didn’t even lift her head. “Talk about what? We only sell goods here. We don’t host idle chats.”

“Auntie Tian, do you really not recognize me? Or perhaps you don’t know me, but you must be familiar with Comrade Zhang Jingjing.” Mingyue pointed at Jingjing and said firmly, “Yesterday at the reporting hall, you intentionally smeared wax on the stage before her performance, causing her to fall. It’s only been one night; surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Auntie Tian exploded instantly. “What is this young wife talking about? I don’t know any Zhang Jingjing! This is slander! I can go to the Security Section and report you for defamation!”

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have proof.” Mingyue grew calmer as she spoke. “There were so many people yesterday. Did you think your ‘sneaking around’ went unseen? Yu Cheng and Yu Jun saw everything. Come on, they’re waiting at the Security Section right now. We’ll go there and settle this. Let’s see if we’re slandering you or if you maliciously framed Zhang Jingjing.”

Auntie Tian’s expression wavered. Mingyue quickly signaled Yin Xiumei.

As the “helpful neighborhood auntie,” Yin Xiumei stepped in to play the “good cop.” “Oh, Mingyue, we’re all family in this compound. Don’t take this to the Security Section. If she gets sent to the police station, it’ll ruin the harmony. Listen to me, let’s settle this privately.”

She then turned to “comfort” Auntie Tian. “Sister Tian, once you go into the Security Section, you might not come out easily. Hurry up and apologize to Jingjing to get her forgiveness. Then we can let this go.”

Mingyue doubled down. “No! Yu Cheng and Yu Jun are already there. We need an explanation at the Security Section today!”

Seeing Mingyue “unyielding,” Yin Xiumei tugged at Jingjing. “Jingjing, say something! If Auntie Tian apologizes, will you accept it?”

Jingjing acted flustered. “I… I don’t know. Let her apologize first.”

“Auntie Tian, hurry up and say it!”

The three of them coordinated perfectly. Auntie Tian’s arrogance vanished. She had calculated everything, but she never expected those two brothers to have seen her. If she really went to the Security Section, she’d lose her job, and her husband might be affected too.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding utterly reluctant.

Song Mingyue shot her a cold look. “Is that an apology? One would think Zhang Jingjing was the one who smeared wax on you.”

Auntie Tian snapped back, “Song Mingyue, what does this have to do with you?”

Hearing her insult her friend, Zhang Jingjing finally found her pride. She linked arms with Mingyue. “Mingyue is my best friend. Auntie Tian, we have no grudge, yet you sabotaged my performance and made me fall. I can’t let this go. Fine, let’s go to the Security Section.”

“I already apologized! What more do you want?”

Song Mingyue called out to the other young clerk. “Little sister, you heard Auntie Tian just now, right? Please come and be a witness for us later. Auntie Tian used her position to intentionally harm Comrade Zhang Jingjing.”

Mingyue specifically used the word “harm” (mouhai), which made the crime sound much more severe.

The young clerk nodded. she had always thought Auntie Tian was petty; she didn’t realize she was dangerous. Since she worked with her every day, she might be the next victim. She stood up and said loudly, “I heard everything! I’ll testify for you!”

Auntie Tian completely panicked. She began to plead, “Auntie Xiumei, I didn’t mean it. It’s just that my husband had a conflict with Yu Jun’s father, so I wanted to give Zhang Jingjing a hard time to get back at them.”

Yin Xiumei scolded her, “You’re truly muddled! Why meddle in the men’s work business? I can’t help you with this.”

Yin Xiumei had no intention of helping her anyway. She had wanted Jingjing to win more than anyone, and finding out Auntie Tian had sabotaged her made her furious.

Eventually, the commotion drew a crowd from the street. Everyone soon knew that Zhang Jingjing’s fall the night before was a frame-up. In this era, malicious intent was a very serious matter.

A day later, Auntie Tian was fired. A public criticism poster was put up, and her reputation in the compound was utterly destroyed. Her future would not be easy. But it was all her own doing. Song Mingyue found it baffling that she would go to such lengths over a man’s workplace drama.

Regrettably, Zhang Jingjing’s score wouldn’t be recalculated. What was done was done. Aside from Jingjing, who had worked hard for days, no one else took the mistake too seriously.

Song Mingyue could tell she was sad, even though Jingjing acted optimistic. “Seeing Auntie Tian get what she deserves is enough for me. Mingyue, I have to thank you again. By the way, about that thing you mentioned before… do you really want to do it?”

Jingjing had grown up in the staff dormitories; she had a bit of status. Like most people of this era, she looked down on “individual traders” (getihu). But if Song Mingyue wanted to do it, Jingjing wanted to accompany her. Because Mingyue was her best friend, she wanted to have her back.

Since arriving here, Song Mingyue had been spending money freely. Nearly half of the money she brought from Pingcheng was gone. That money had been saved up by Wang Yufen and her husband over a long time. It was time to put her money-making plan on the schedule.

If she wanted to set up a stall, the first step was deciding what to sell. Selling popsicles or sunflower seeds was the safest bet—low capital, low risk. However, the profit was also very low. To make real money, she needed to sell physical goods like clothes. If they sold well, they’d be very profitable, but the cost of fabric and tailoring was high. If they didn’t sell, the loss would be significant.

Song Mingyue was confident in her taste. Based on how people in the compound looked at her, she knew her fashion sense was on point. However, the compound was a small sample size; their preference might not represent the mainstream, and even if they liked her clothes, they might not buy them.

Therefore, she didn’t want to take that risk yet. Even if she sold clothes later, it would be after careful market research.

For now, she would earn some “small” money by selling her favorite: watermelon.

Song Mingyue had planned it out—if they didn’t sell, she’d just bring them home and eat them herself. At this time, watermelon was about 15 cents per catty. She wouldn’t sell whole watermelons; she couldn’t compete with the established vendors. She planned to sell them in slices. The people going to the city to watch the competition were generally city folk who weren’t short on cash; they’d be willing to pay a little extra for a convenient slice of cold fruit.

However, this plan was mostly for Jingjing to follow up on. They could adjust the specifics right before the competition.

Mingyue had something more important on her hands: representing the compound in the competition alongside Zhao Xing. As a modern person, her sense of “collective honor” wasn’t as strong as people in this era, but since she had been chosen, she would give it her all.

Zhao Xing worked at the Art Troupe, which had a large stage and good equipment. She asked Mingyue if she wanted to practice there. She had applied to her unit to borrow a dedicated practice room for two hours every night.

Since Zhao Xing had already made the request, Mingyue couldn’t refuse. The Art Troupe was much better than the compound’s reporting hall, which was often busy with other events.

The problem was that Song Mingyue didn’t have a bicycle. The Art Troupe was in the city district, which meant a walk of over an hour each way. Zhao Xing had a bike and could give her a ride back, but getting there was the issue.

In this era, a one-hour walk wasn’t considered far, but for a girl like Mingyue who had never liked walking, the thought of doing it daily made her scalp tingle. She was too embarrassed to keep borrowing bikes from others. It was a real struggle.

Fortunately, hope arrived soon.

That evening, when Chen Che came home, he said he had a gift for her.

Mingyue was still thinking about her performance and didn’t even look up. “What gift?”

It wasn’t that she was cold; ever since the performance, she didn’t know how she had offended him. Chen Che had been ignoring her for days, almost as if he were avoiding her. She had asked if something was wrong, but he wouldn’t say anything and just kept sulking.

Song Mingyue didn’t want to deal with him anymore. Men are unreliable; I’m better off focusing on my career.

Seeing her indifference, Chen Che repeated, “The gift is in the yard.”

“What on earth is it? So mysterious.” Mingyue followed him out. When she saw a brand new Phoenix brand bicycle parked in the yard, her mood instantly soared.

She stepped forward. “Did you just buy this?”

“Yeah. It’s for you,” Chen Che said, still appearing somewhat reserved.

Mingyue teased, “You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder the last few days just to give me a surprise?”

Chen Che crossed his arms, his tone a bit nervous and proud. “I wasn’t giving you the cold shoulder.”

“As if! Last night when the power went out and I asked you to bring me a candle, you were so reluctant and took forever.”

Chen Che’s expression became unnatural. “Because you were taking a bath.”

“Duh! If I wasn’t in the bath and it wasn’t pitch black, why would I need you to bring a candle?” She looked at the bike, becoming happier by the second. She tried it out; it rode very smoothly. Having a bike would make going to rehearsals and selling goods much easier.

She hopped off the bike, her eyes overflowing with smiles. “This bike came at the perfect time. For the sake of this bike, I won’t hold the last few days against you. Comrade Chen Che, you’re a good person!”

Receiving the “Good Person Card,” Chen Che felt quite happy. He hadn’t expected her to love the bike this much; he should have bought it sooner. Seeing her happy made the corners of his mouth lift. “In the future, if you want to buy something, just tell me.”

“I don’t need anything for now.” Mingyue rode the bike in front of him. “It just so happens we’re out of salt. Hop on, I’ll take you to the cooperative to buy some.”

“No, the bike is heavy. I’ll ride and carry you.”

Chen Che suddenly stood in front of her, one hand gripping the handlebar. They were so close that Song Mingyue could feel his warm breath. When she looked up, she saw the Adam’s apple above his white shirt collar bobbing unconsciously. His warm breathing began to grow heavy.

Wait… something’s not right.

A realization suddenly struck Song Mingyue.