The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 63

At this time, ending up at the police station was a major scandal.

Ordinary families lived quiet, law-abiding lives. That place was reserved for hoodlums and people of questionable character. Although Grandma Pei held high status at the Red River Commune as the elder of the clan, that influence only reached so far. If she were actually dragged to the police station, she would lose all her prestige in the village.

However, with Pei Xiangyang’s family present, Grandma Pei didn’t want to lose face. Her logic remained sharp as she singled out Pei Xiaoyu to berate: “You’ve grown some backbone, haven’t you? Trying to find outsiders to bully me, an old woman? Since when did our family affairs require outsiders to point fingers? Does it hurt anyone else that I’m disciplining my own granddaughter?”

The more she acted this way, the less Song Mingyue hid her disdain. “Yes, it does concern me. I’ll say it clearly right here: if any of you Peis dare to bully Xiaoyu even a little, we’ll see what happens.”

Cui Lü, having witnessed the girls’ formidable resolve, didn’t dare step forward. She only muttered from behind, “See what happens? Do you really think you’re all that?”

Song Mingyue shoved Grandma Pei aside and strode toward Cui Lü. Her expression was sharp, her voice filled with a calm, simmering rage. “What did you say? Say it again, louder.”

When Cui Lü looked up and met those oppressive eyes, she panicked instantly. Her usual silver-tongued wit caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected to be so intimidated by a young girl, but this version of Song Mingyue genuinely terrified her.

“Don’t speak when you shouldn’t, and don’t provoke people you can’t afford to offend.” By now, several people who had come to sell watermelons were watching. Song Mingyue wanted everyone to see that Pei Xiaoyu was not someone to be trifled with.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, she turned back to the crowd, her expression gentle and her tone softening. “Apologies to everyone. I was just helping some acquaintances resolve a private matter. We have almost enough watermelons for today; we will still buy from those of you who have already arrived, but please tell the others not to come today. We will be back in a few days.”

Zhang Jingjing and Zhao Xing echoed her sentiment. Seeing Grandma Pei and Cui Lü still holding their watermelons, Zhao Xing didn’t even spare them a glance. “We only buy watermelons from good people. We don’t take from those who do bad things. Everyone, please line up here; once your melons are weighed, you can collect your money.”

Grandma Pei’s face turned livid, especially as she watched the villagers leave with smiles on their faces while she had to push her own cart of watermelons back home. It was all that wretched girl Pei Xiaoyu’s doing. Less than a year ago, the girl was dressed in rags and starving, but now it was as if she were a completely different person. She wouldn’t let this go easily.

To move the watermelons, they had borrowed two handcarts. With the nylon ropes binding the melons, the carts were too heavy to lift, and there were still extra melons left behind. It was a major problem.

Pei Xiangyang offered to help and went to borrow a third cart. With three carts, they could fit everything, but they were so heavy and the girls were not strong enough to move them for more than a few steps before needing a break.

Zhang Jingjing was the weakest of the group. While Zhao Xing rarely did manual labor, she was a dancer and trained daily, so she possessed surprising strength. Zhang Jingjing, however, was tall but had never done heavy work.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Zhang Jingjing said apologetically. “I’ll join you again after a short rest.”

“Don’t worry, we know you’ve done your best,” Song Mingyue said, a new idea forming. She turned to Pei Xiangyang. “Uncle Pei, would you and your friends be willing to help us transport the watermelons to the city for two yuan per trip?”

An offer like that was hard to ignore. Farming was busy work, but two yuan was a significant amount—more than they would earn trying to sell the watermelons in the city themselves. Furthermore, compared to field work, this was much easier.

Pei Xiaoyu was more cautious. She feared that if they brought the melons directly into the factory, jealous types might stir up trouble. She took care to instruct Pei Xiangyang on exactly who to recruit, relying on her ability to judge a person’s character after years of living in the Red River Commune.

The group set off. With the men leading the way, the girls pushed the carts behind them, chatting as they went. By the time they reached the factory, it was past 3:00 PM. Just as Pei Xiaoyu expected, even these honest men were surprised that the watermelons were being delivered here.

“Mingyue is the factory manager’s daughter and a purchasing agent,” Pei Xiaoyu explained. “That’s how we have this connection. The factory has strict standards for procurement; we can’t just find anyone.”

Upon hearing she was the manager’s daughter, the men’s uneasy thoughts settled. No wonder—judging by their clothing and demeanor, they clearly weren’t ordinary people.

After receiving their payment, the three men left to return to their farm work, promising to help again next time. Clutching the heavy two-yuan notes, they were full of gratitude and kept their word never to reveal the specific location.

Once they were gone, Pei Xiaoyu felt a pang of guilt for the white lie. “I was just worried they might feel unbalanced and report us to the factory.”

“We understand, Xiaoyu,” Zhang Jingjing said. “You were quick-witted—it was a perfect lie.”

“Besides,” Zhang Jingjing added with a smirk, “Mingyue’s husband is a young battalion commander. The factory isn’t losing anything by ‘gaining’ a daughter like her.”

The four of them shared a laugh and found Zhou Chun. He only trusted Song Mingyue, so he quickly had the melons moved to the canteen to be distributed to the workshop staff before they finished their shifts. After weighing the produce, the accountant paid them on the spot. They tried to invite Zhou Chun to a meal, but he had family matters to attend to.

Now that they were earning money, they weren’t as shocked as they had been the first two times. They began detailing their expenses, and after setting aside costs and immediate payments, they entrusted the remaining funds to Song Mingyue to plan for their future clothing business.

As the sun set, they realized they hadn’t eaten a single thing since the morning. Tired and hungry, they decided to head home. Pei Xiaoyu, having left in a rush, had not told her mother her plans, so she headed straight home.

Near the compound, Zhao Xing’s anxiety resurfaced. She couldn’t imagine how her parents would react if they discovered she was selling watermelons instead of working. Zhang Jingjing, sensing her mood, encouraged her to go back to the dance troupe, but after today, Zhao Xing had no desire to return to that environment. She would rather do manual labor than go back there.

She wanted to dance, but only once she had saved enough money to go to a bigger city like Wang Mo did. For now, she had to face her parents.

Song Mingyue offered advice: “Tonight, act very downcast when you get home. Don’t eat much. Let your parents see that you are suffering. They want you in the troupe because they hope for your success—if they see you aren’t doing well, they might stop pushing.”

Though unsure if her parents truly cared for her or just their own reputation, Zhao Xing felt she had no other choice. She stopped by Song Mingyue’s house, snuck a few pastries, and nodded to her friends before heading home to face the music.

After they left, Zhang Jingjing invited Song Mingyue to dinner, but Song Mingyue declined. “Go spend some time with Yu. I’ll manage at home.”

Alone in her quiet house, Song Mingyue felt the familiar emptiness of Chen Che’s absence. She fixed herself a bowl of noodles, ate, and fell asleep, exhausted.

Life continued with a steady, passionate rhythm. As they continued their business, Song Mingyue began planning her first trip to Shanghai. With that goal in mind, she was full of motivation. Even as the summer heat began to fade into autumn, she decided to accelerate her plans.

Meanwhile, Chen Che had yet to return. Every time Song Mingyue asked his superiors, the answer was the same: he was fine, just wait. But if she had to keep waiting, she might be in Shanghai by the time he finally returned.