The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 34

Honghe School was located on the west side of the Honghe Commune in Mocheng. The school consisted of several single-story buildings with a large, mottled wooden sign hanging at the entrance. It looked like it had been there for many years.

Rural schools in this era were often dilapidated; in poorer areas, students even had to borrow rooms for classes. This school, by comparison, looked quite formal.

A rusted iron gate blocked the entrance, next to a simple guardhouse where an elderly man with graying hair sat. Hearing that they were looking for someone, he waved them off. “Students aren’t allowed visitors during class. It’s the last period; wait here.”

“Alright. We’re looking for someone in the second grade…” Mingyue turned to Zhang Jingjing. “What was her name again?”

“Pei Xiaoyu. We’re looking for Pei Xiaoyu in the second grade.”

“You’re here for Xiaoyu? Who are you to her?” The old man suddenly looked suspicious. It was clear he knew the girl well.

“We’re her friends. We have some business with her; she’ll know when she sees us.”

The old man didn’t say more but warned them not to bully her. “This child has suffered enough already.”

Jingjing asked curiously, “What happened to her?”

“If you’re her friends, how do you not know? If you’re here to cause trouble, I’ll call the principal. Don’t think Xiaoyu has no one to look out for her.”

Mingyue stepped forward, her tone polite and respectful. “Grandpa, don’t worry. You can tell by our appearance we aren’t bad people. We just have some business to discuss. You can ask her yourself when she comes out.”

Seeing Mingyue’s sincere attitude and their two brand-new bicycles, the old man softened and sighed. “Xiaoyu has a hard life. Her father abandoned them just to go have a son elsewhere. Now her mother is in poor health, and this young student is the one supporting the whole house.”

So that was it. No wonder she was selling watermelons while still in school.

Soon, the bell rang, and students began pouring out. Before Jingjing could spot her, the guard called out to a small girl, “Xiaoyu! There are two people here for you.”

Jingjing waved enthusiastically. “Over here!”

Xiaoyu was shocked to see them. She had mentioned the melons in passing, never daring to hope Jingjing would actually come.

Mingyue watched as a thin girl in a blue jacket ran toward them. She had a simple shoulder-length haircut with two black clips pinning back her bangs. She looked a bit old-fashioned, but her face was youthful despite the tan from long days in the sun. She was so thin her cheekbones protruded, but her eyes were clear, bright, and full of life.

“Are you here for the watermelons?” Xiaoyu asked, her joy uncontrollable. “We have them at home right now.”

By business logic, Mingyue could have bargained—a young girl like her wouldn’t find many bulk buyers. But seeing this girl’s optimism in the face of such hardship, Mingyue couldn’t bring herself to haggle.

“We do plan to buy. Can we see your home first?” Mingyue asked.

Pei Xiaoyu lived in the third group of the Hongqi Commune. Her home was the most dilapidated in the area—a shack made of straw and mud while others had brick and tile.

Inside, there were only two rooms. To make space for her studies, Xiaoyu had partitioned the side bedroom with a curtain. Her mother lived by the window, while Xiaoyu’s “room” was tiny, containing only a rickety desk and a bed made of wooden planks topped with straw and a mat.

Mingyue was stunned. Even in this era of poverty, this was the first time she had seen a home this destitute.

“Please wait a moment,” Xiaoyu said calmly, putting down her canvas bag. “I need to change my mother’s medicine, then I’ll take you to the field.”

Her mother suffered from severe rheumatism caused by overwork and complications from past miscarriages. Mingyue heard their conversation from the doorway:

“Xiaoyu, who is outside?” “A classmate, Mom. Here to study with me.” “Good. Study hard. Once I’m better, I’ll work the fields. You shouldn’t have to do the housework.” “I know, Mom. I’ll study hard.”

Jingjing’s eyes welled with tears. Unlike her emotional friend, young Xiaoyu was composed. After treating her mother, she led them to the field.

“Jingjing told you, right? we need about ten for now,” Mingyue said. “If they sell well, we’ll come back for more.”

“That’s fine. But they’re seasonal; they’ll be gone by autumn.”

“Do you plant anything else in autumn? We can wholesale other things.”

“No,” Xiaoyu replied. “My mother’s health is poor; she can’t handle heavy farm work.”

Jingjing burst out, “Where is that father of yours? Xiaoyu, why don’t you go settle the score with him?”

Xiaoyu went quiet. “I don’t have a father. It’s just me and my mother.” She had once begged him not to leave, but he had abandoned them without even leaving them a proper roof over their heads. Now, she was the one who had to protect her mother.

Mingyue signaled Jingjing to stop. Pitying her out loud was just a secondary injury.

In the field, Xiaoyu picked a small melon for them to taste. “I grew these myself. They’ll be even sweeter in a few days.”

“The taste is good,” Mingyue decided. “We’ll pay half as a deposit now, and the rest when we collect them. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Jingjing handed over two dollars. Mingyue added, “Counting each melon at five pounds, this covers the first ten.”

Two dollars wasn’t much in the military compound, but for Xiaoyu, it was a fortune. As she took the money, her “strong” facade finally cracked, and her eyes shimmered with tears. “Thank you… thank you so much.”

As they left, a man called out to them. “Ladies, did you buy from Shen Luohua’s house? They don’t know how to grow melons. Mine are much bigger and thinner-skinned!”

Jingjing refused him immediately, but Mingyue froze. “Did you say her mother’s name is Shen Luohua?”

In the original novel, the mother of the wealthiest tycoon of the Pei Group was named Shen Luohua. Mingyue remembered because one of her “cheap father’s” wives shared the name, and she had felt it was a bad omen at the time.

If that was the case, then Pei Xiaoyu was the future female billionaire! In the book, she eventually changed her name to Lu Runxin (taking her mother’s maiden name), but the backstory matched perfectly. No wonder this girl had such a powerful aura at such a young age.

“Mingyue, what are you thinking about?” Jingjing asked.

“Jingjing,” Mingyue whispered, “you’ve really stumbled upon a treasure this time.”

Over the next few days, Mingyue was in high spirits. Her romantic life was clarifying, and her business prospects were looking bright.

But fate has a way of playing jokes. While Mingyue was preparing for her competition and waiting for Chen Che to return so she could finally speak her heart, three days passed with no word from him.

On the fourth day, Zhang Jingjing ran into her house, her face ashen.

“Mingyue, don’t panic, but I have to tell you something. I heard… I heard there was a massive landslide in S County two days ago. Right where Commander Chen and his team were working.”

Hearing this, Mingyue’s head spun. Her world turned ice-cold.

She had forgotten one crucial thing: since she had transmigrated and changed Chen Che’s fate of never marrying, everything else could change too.

Perhaps because of her presence, Chen Che’s “accident” was happening a year early.

Thinking of this possibility, Mingyue felt her soul turn to ash.