The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 33

In the photo, she was smiling brightly, her expression confident and radiant. Mingyue had taken several photos that day; her personal favorite was the one where she leaned on Chen Che’s shoulder, a look of pure joy on her face.

Whether it was their joint photos or her solo shots, they were all supposed to be kept in the album in the main hall. She had no idea when Chen Che had taken this specific one, nor why he liked this one best.

On the back of the photo, she saw a line of text:

“I wish not to yearn, to avoid the bitterness of longing; but after many careful thoughts, I would rather endure the bitterness of yearning.”

Mingyue was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected Chen Che—a “straight man” who acted cold to everyone—to be capable of writing such melancholy, poetic lines. His handwriting was clean and sharp, each stroke powerful and upright, much like the man himself: reserved, yet possessed of an unyielding pride.

She traced the words with her finger, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips. She could almost picture him sitting at his desk, head bowed in serious concentration as he wrote this sentence.

At this point, his feelings were as clear as day. Mingyue sat by the desk, suddenly feeling a sense of enlightenment. She had been blinded by being “inside the game”; if this were anyone else, she would have seen through them long ago.

Honestly, the only part of him that’s hard is his mouth.

There wasn’t much room left on the back of the photo, so she picked up a pen and wrote a response on the edge of the book page where the photo had been tucked:

“I only wish your heart were like mine, then I would surely not fail this yearning.”

A heavy rainstorm lashed the area that night, and Mingyue only fell into a daze of sleep toward dawn.

Since Chen Che wasn’t home, she slept in until the sun was high the next day. Perhaps because she was in a good mood, her complexion looked much better than it had in previous days. A bright smile graced her face, and even her keyboard playing sounded more cheerful.

When Zhang Jingjing came to find her, she couldn’t help but ask, “Mingyue, did something good happen to you?”

Logically, with the rumors swirling outside, anyone else would be furious and ready to tear people’s mouths apart. But Mingyue was acting abnormally happy.

Mingyue paused, her eyes still sparkling with mirth. “Technically, yes. Something very good happened. Something that makes me very happy.”

“What is it, exactly?”

Mingyue couldn’t say. Even with a best friend, some things were meant to be savored slowly and privately. She deftly changed the subject. “Jingjing, why did you come by?”

Jingjing remembered her errand. “It’s about what you said regarding selling watermelons. I went to the market just now and met a girl selling them. She said she could sell them to us for cheap, but the condition is that we have to pay upfront.”

“Pay upfront?” Mingyue rejected the idea immediately. “That won’t do. What if it’s a scam? They take our money and disappear.”

“I don’t think so, Mingyue. The girl looked very honest. We only want about ten watermelons, and while others won’t drop their prices much, she offered them at eight cents per pound. I checked her melons—they’re big and sweet. It’s a real bargain.”

At this time, watermelons weren’t fully ubiquitous yet and usually cost around fifteen cents per pound. Eight cents was indeed a steal. Selling melons at the art competition was just Mingyue’s first step; if it went well, she planned to sell them at schools or state-owned factory gates. Since summer was peak melon season, she would be buying in bulk. Saving those few cents per pound would add up.

The money she had brought from her home in Pingcheng was running low; she had to be frugal.

“How do we contact her?” Mingyue asked.

“She said she’s in the second grade at Honghe Middle School. Her name is Pei Xiaoyu. She told us to just go find her there, preferably during the lunch break or after school.”

Mingyue: “…” So she’s a schoolgirl? Why is she selling watermelons? It sounded unreliable. “Jingjing, maybe we should find someone else. She’s a student; she should focus on her studies. Let’s not disturb her.”

Jingjing’s face flushed slightly. She looked up to Mingyue more than anyone in the compound, but she wanted to push for this. “Could we just go and ask? I really feel she’s honest. Maybe she needs the money. Buying from her might be a way of helping her out.”

Mingyue saw her friend’s earnestness. “Jingjing, if you really want to try, then let’s go. We’re partners in this; you don’t have to just follow my lead. Your opinion matters too.”

Jingjing brightened. “Then let’s go! I want to.”

The next afternoon, the two of them set off for Honghe School. On the way, Jingjing brought up Chen Che. “Mingyue, when is Commander Chen coming back?”

“I don’t know. Within a few days, I expect.” Before he left, Chen Che said it wouldn’t be long—after all, their wedding hadn’t happened yet.

“That’s good. I heard my husband, Lao Yu, say that the terrain in S County where they went is very steep and quite risky. It’s better if he comes back early so you can rest easy.”

“Don’t worry, he’s experienced. Nothing will happen.”

Mingyue hadn’t heard of S County before and didn’t know what kind of place it was. She felt calm because, in the original story, Chen Che stayed safely in the military camp at this time; his accident didn’t happen until a year later. She figured she had a whole year to find a way to stop him from going out when the time came.

They wore straw hats to block the sun, though Mingyue had modified theirs with red ribbons and small flowers. People along the road couldn’t help but stare at the stylish pair.

This was Mingyue’s first time in the true countryside since she arrived. It was different from what she imagined. Even in the sweltering heat, the fields were filled with busy people. They looked curiously at the two women in their fancy hats but quickly lowered their heads to continue transplanting rice seedlings.

Life was hard, but there were no complaints—only the steady work of people who believed that labor was the path to prosperity.