The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 56

Song Mingyue was incredibly sensitive to scents. Having grown up using high-end perfumes, she could identify a brand and its notes with just one sniff. Consequently, as soon as she got close to Chen Che, she knew exactly what she was smelling.

However, she didn’t interrogate him immediately. She trusted Chen Che; she knew he wasn’t the type to do something like this on purpose.

“What did you do today?” she asked casually.

Chen Che, unaware of her hidden meaning, answered honestly. “I was in the lab. We have some critical data we’ve been working on for days.” He didn’t mention that he would have to go away on a mission in a few days—the details weren’t finalized yet, and he didn’t want to trigger an early goodbye.

“Aside from work, did you interact with anyone else?”

“No.”

“What about Jiang Manman? Have you seen her lately?”

Chen Che assumed she was just offering a passing concern for his “cousin.” He walked beside her, tall and upright in his uniform. “I’ve had contact with her team for work. We often collaborate on data sets.”

“Were you together today?”

“Yes. Her group came over this afternoon to review a set of figures.”

There it is, Mingyue thought. The perfume scent on Chen Che was clearly Jiang Manman’s. The girl likely wore it specifically to leave a “mark,” hoping Mingyue would smell it, get angry, and start a fight with Chen Che. It was a low-level tactic, but effective—most women wouldn’t tolerate the scent of another woman on their husband.

But Jiang Manman had underestimated her. The more Manman wanted a specific reaction, the less Mingyue would give it to her. From their brief conversation, Mingyue could tell Chen Che didn’t have Jiang Manman on his mind at all. If he didn’t care, why should she grant the girl the importance of a confrontation?

“Mingyue, is something wrong?” Chen Che asked, sensing her focus.

“Nothing. Just curious. Let’s go.”

After a moment, she changed the subject. “Chen Che, I’ve agreed to open a clothing store with Jingjing and the others. I’ll likely be very busy for a while.”

He was quiet for a few seconds. If it were before, Mingyue might have thought he was just slow to react, but she caught the flicker of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

“Will it be like this from now on?” he asked. “I see you leaving early and coming home late. I’m worried you’ll be too tired.”

“It’ll be a bit tiring, but I love doing it. And I have my friends with me; it makes me happy.” She looked up at him playfully. “Why? Do you not support me?”

“How could I not?” Chen Che quickly recovered, rubbing her hair affectionately. “If you want to do it, do it. I support you.”

Neither mentioned the job at the state-owned factory. Chen Che didn’t bring it up, and Mingyue acted like she didn’t know. Her heart felt warm; she knew he was keeping silent to ensure she didn’t feel burdened by his efforts. This man always did more than he said.

The next morning, the moon was still hanging in the sky when Zhang Jingjing and Pei Xiaoyu came knocking.

“Mingyue, get up! We need to head back to the village with Jingjing and collect those melons while it’s still early.”

Mingyue yawned as she opened the door to find them full of energy. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can relax,” Jingjing chirped.

By 5:00 AM, the trio—plus Zhao Xing—were on the road. This was a rare occasion where Mingyue woke up before Chen Che. Before leaving, she made sure Jingjing and Xiaoyu were looking away before giving her husband a quick kiss. “I’m going to work!”

Chen Che watched her go, a smile playing on his lips. He remembered how she used to complain about walking just a few steps; now she was working from dawn till dusk without a single word of complaint. She’s quite the changeling, he thought.

The “Four-Woman Alliance” met up with Zhao Xing, who brought steamed buns for everyone. Despite the heartbreak over Wang Mo, Zhao Xing was determined. The physical labor was a welcome distraction from her hollow feelings.

However, halfway to the village, the reality of their situation set in. The cart they had borrowed was large and heavy. Even empty, it required significant effort to push. They couldn’t imagine how they would move it once it was loaded with hundreds of catties of watermelon.

“Wait… let me catch my breath,” Zhao Xing panted, sitting on a stone bench as the sun began to rise.

Seeing everyone so exhausted, Mingyue finally voiced the idea she’d been harboring since the previous night. “What did you think of that delivery guy from the state-owned restaurant yesterday?”

“He seemed nice,” Xiaoyu answered.

“Why don’t we hire him and his vehicle to transport the melons? It would be so much easier than pushing this cart ourselves.”

It was a revelation. “Yes!” Jingjing cried, slapping her leg. “Why didn’t we think of that? I’m about to collapse here!”

“But,” Xiaoyu hesitated, “he works for a restaurant. Would he help us?”

Mingyue pulled out a slip of paper. “I already asked for his address yesterday, just in case.”

“What? Mingyue, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Jingjing groaned.

“I was trying to save us money. He charges two yuan for a restaurant delivery. Hiring him for a trip to the village will likely cost even more.”

But compared to the sheer physical impossibility of their task, spending a few yuan felt like a bargain. They detoured to the city outskirts to find the delivery man, Xiao Yong.

Since the restaurant didn’t open until lunch, Xiao Yong was still asleep. He rubbed his eyes as he looked at the four women. “You’re the customers from yesterday… what’s going on?”

“We want to hire you and your vehicle to transport some goods. We’ll pay you three yuan for the trip.”

Three yuan was a significant sum—it was more than he usually made in a day of restaurant tips. Xiao Yong’s eyes lit up. His vehicle was a high-tech marvel for the era: a motorized tricycle.

He followed them to the Honghe Commune, though he remained skeptical as they bumped along the country roads. “Are you really going to pay me three yuan?” he asked repeatedly, unable to fathom why these city women were dragging him into the middle of nowhere to pick up watermelons.