The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 3

Once Song Mingnian mentioned the cousin, Song Mingyue remembered.

In the original story, Song Jiajia met Liu Jiabao because his mother frequently shopped at the department store. This place was their secret base for their clandestine affair.

Perfect. I can settle all the accounts at once.

Mingyue looked up at the department store sign, a thin smile playing on her lips. “If Cousin is inside, then we simply must go in and patronize her business.”

Fearing she might do something impulsive again, Mingnian followed closely behind her.

The department store had been undergoing reforms over the last two years, adopting the “Hong Kong model” where service was paramount. After Song Jiajia finished her rehearsed “Welcome,” her face instantly soured when she saw the arrivals were the Song siblings.

However, she remembered that in the original novel, Song Mingyue and Song Mingnian were always soft-tempered. She comforted herself, telling herself not to panic.

Mingyue saw right through her. “Cousin, why do you look so flustered? Unless you’ve done something shameful and are afraid to see us?” she asked with feigned concern.

“Mingnian, Mingyue… are you here to buy something? Tell me what you need, and I’ll help you choose,” Jiajia replied.

Ever since the day Jiajia stole his sister’s beloved, Mingnian had resolved never to speak to her again. Hearing her question, he simply acted as if he were deaf.

Instead, Mingyue spoke up: “Are you offering us special service? Why don’t you tell your manager that your siblings are here, so you can serve us exclusively?”

Jiajia reminded herself to endure. A small lack of restraint will mess up great plans. She was a transmigrator who had lived once before; the most important thing for her now was marrying Liu Jiabao. Mingyue’s sarcasm meant nothing to her.

Mingyue pointed at a red dress and asked her to describe its features.

The store had provided training for this, but Jiajia hadn’t memorized it well. She tried to bluff her way through with a few vague, experienced-sounding sentences.

But Mingyue was not so easily fooled. She touched the fabric and launched a barrage of questions:

“Why was the neckline designed with a V-shape?”

“What kind of clothes should this red be paired with?”

“Can people with sensitive skin wear this material?”

Jiajia stammered, “Red is a very popular color right now. It’s selling well in Hong Kong, and it will be a hit domestically this summer.”

“I asked if someone with allergies can wear it, and you’re rambling about whether the color is popular?” Mingyue countered.

Seeing the stalemate, another salesclerk called the manager over. The other employees couldn’t stand Jiajia either; she hadn’t even married the factory director’s son yet, but she already walked around with her nose in the air. Seeing her humiliated, they added fuel to the fire, telling the manager: “The customer asked questions and she knew absolutely nothing. She’s about to drive the customer away.”

After a quick briefing, the manager demanded that Jiajia apologize immediately.

Mingyue looked down at her with a bright, piercing gaze that felt like thorns. Jiajia felt humiliated beyond belief; her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

“Miss Salesclerk, do you not even know how to apologize? Do I need to teach you?”

Suffocating with resentment, Jiajia bowed her head and whispered, “I’m sorry. My product knowledge was insufficient.”

“Louder. I can’t hear you.”

“Song Mingyue, don’t push people too far!”

Mingyue’s smile was clear, but her eyes held no warmth. She leaned close to Jiajia’s ear and whispered with chilling intensity, “I am pushing you. What are you going to do about it?”

Regaining her normal composure, she turned to her brother. “Brother, let’s go. We’ll come back when the staff actually knows how to describe the clothes.”

Mingnian followed his sister out in a daze, not yet recovered from the shock. He thought his sister would only weep helplessly over her lost love or beg her cousin to let him go. He never imagined she could be so brave and fearless in shaming Song Jiajia.

My sister has changed so much, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Mingnian thought, feeling a twinge of heartache. He almost wished she were still that innocent, soft girl, but he realized this failed romance was forcing her to grow.

In the end, they bought clothes at a different department store. On the way home, they passed a vendor selling popsicles. Mingyue ate three in a row before feeling truly satisfied.

That evening, the atmosphere in the Song household was excellent.

Wang Yufen had prepared four dishes and opened a bottle of wine she usually only saved for the New Year. “I have good news to announce later,” she teased before they even started eating.

“What good news?” Mingnian asked.

“It’s about your sister.”

Once they sat down and clinked glasses, Mingyue asked impatiently, “What’s the good news about me? Tell me first!”

Song Aiguo’s expression relaxed. “Daughter, do you remember the ‘baby marriage’ (betrothal) I mentioned before? The young man is coming back from the army next week. It’s a perfect time for you two to meet.”

A blind date. Mingyue’s interest immediately plummeted. She knew that in this era, marriage was inevitable, but for her, looks were the most important factor—and so far, very few men met her aesthetic standards.

Mingnian was worried. “Dad, is the guy reliable?”

“Of course! He’s a soldier, and his father has a proper job in the provincial capital. If Yueyue can marry into that family, she’ll never have to worry about food or clothes. It’s much better than being stuck in a small place like Songzhuang Street.”

The more Wang Yufen thought about it, the more satisfied she became. If Mingyue moved to the provincial capital, it would be a slap in the face to all the gossips in the neighborhood. “Tomorrow, I’ll take Yueyue to the department store to buy two more sets of clothes. We need to replace her shoes, too—high heels are all the rage now.”

“Right,” Aiguo agreed. “We can’t skimp on this. Even if we can’t compare to people in the city, Yueyue is still our treasure.”

Thinking about her daughter marrying and leaving, Wang Yufen’s nose tickled. Not wanting them to see her get emotional, she put a piece of meat in Mingyue’s bowl. “Just eat. Don’t worry, Mama will handle everything. You just need to show up looking beautiful.”

“Mom, it’s just a blind date, not a done deal. There’s an eighty or ninety percent chance I won’t like him.”

Aiguo also gave her a piece of meat. “Don’t feel pressured. If you don’t like him, we won’t force you. But Yueyue, you aren’t getting any younger. If you can find a good family, we can finally rest easy.”

The fact that Liu Jiabao had dumped her for Song Jiajia hadn’t just hurt Mingyue; it had hurt everyone in the Song family. They were simply shielding her from it. Mingyue felt a sudden warmth in her heart. Even if she was just standing in for the “original” Song Mingyue, she couldn’t let these people down. She had to live a life of prestige.

Late that night, Mingyue heard someone knocking on her window—three times in a rhythmic pattern. At first, she ignored it, but after it continued, she got annoyed. She pushed the window open, ready to give the “little darling” a piece of her mind, only to see Liu Jiabao standing there with a cold face.

“Song Mingyue, come out. We need to talk.”

“What is there to talk about? Are you sick in the head? If you knock on my window again, I’m calling the police for trespassing.”

“If you hate me, then hate me,” Liu Jiabao said coldly. “But why did you go looking for trouble with Jiajia? No matter what, she is your cousin. How did you become so selfish?”

Mingyue: “…” This scumbag really has some nerve.

“Wait out there,” she said calmly. “I’ll be out in a second.”