The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 64

Chen Che had not been home for over half a month. As the weather grew increasingly hot, Song Mingyue decided she could no longer wait—she had to travel to a major city to source inventory.

There were garment wholesalers around Mo City, including a small street market on the west side where vendors sold clothing sourced from surrounding areas. While those items were affordable, the fabrics were mediocre and the quality poor, though they still attracted many customers. However, that was not what Song Mingyue wanted. From the moment she decided to enter the garment industry, she resolved that every piece of clothing she sold would be carefully selected and meet her own standards of quality. Since she couldn’t find what she wanted in the local market, she would go to a larger city to source it herself.

She had earned some money from the watermelon business; by living frugally, she had just enough for the costs. She also hoped to visit her parents in Pingcheng, though she planned to cover those expenses herself. The team consisted of four people, but since the watermelon business was still running, they split into two groups: two would stay behind to sell watermelons, and two would head out to source goods.

Zhao Xing was the first to volunteer, but as soon as she heard they were going to Shanghai instead of Beijing, she lost interest. “Xiao Yu still has school and knows the village well. Why don’t Xiao Yu and I stay behind to sell watermelons, and you and Jingjing go?”

“That works,” Song Mingyue agreed. “If we go to Beijing next time, I’ll take you.” Pei Xiaoyu nodded; Beijing was the place she dreamed of visiting. Zhang Jingjing was incredibly excited to go to Shanghai with Mingyue. She had only ever seen the city in broadcasts and on posters, and she knew it was far more developed than both Pingcheng and her hometown. She was eager to see the world.

However, things did not go as smoothly as Song Mingyue expected. That evening, Zhang Jingjing’s husband, Old Yu, marched into her house, looking furious. Song Mingyue, who was packing, invited him in.

Old Yu stepped over the threshold, standing stiffly but with a clear look of displeasure. “Mingyue, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. We are neighbors, and harmony is important. But my Jingjing is different from you; she isn’t as capable. Since she started this business with you, she hasn’t even looked after our home. When I return in the evening, there isn’t even a hot meal waiting for me. And now she wants to go to Shanghai? She’s an ordinary housewife; she wouldn’t even know where Shanghai is on a map. How can she go so far away?”

Old Yu continued to vent, but his complaints centered on belittling Zhang Jingjing—he despised that she was “neglecting” her duties as a wife. Song Mingyue set down what she was holding and asked, “Brother Yu, what is Jingjing to you?”

“She… she is my wife, of course.”

“Beyond being a wife, what kind of person do you think she should be? What kind of life do you think she should lead?”

Old Yu’s face turned red, but he answered honestly, “She came here from our hometown to take care of me. I provide for her food and clothing; her job is to take care of me and then give birth to two children. Isn’t that how it should be?”

“So you married her just to have someone to look after you and bear your children? Have you ever thought about what she wants?”

“What could a housewife possibly want? We are living a happy life, and she isn’t lacking in food or clothing. Every woman in this compound lives the same way; she’s already much luckier than most.”

Many women chose that path, but that didn’t mean Zhang Jingjing had to. She had her own mind. Before Song Mingyue could retort, Zhang Jingjing appeared at the door, her eyes filled with disappointment. “As a woman, do I not deserve my own thoughts?”

Seeing his wife, Old Yu felt a flicker of fear, but he persisted, “Jingjing, you know that’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you showing your face out there. That kind of work isn’t for women.”

“What’s wrong with us women? Can women not do business? It’s no use coming to Mingyue—I’m the one who begged her to take me.”

“Why are you so stubborn! Why can’t we just live a normal life? Have you forgotten why you came here in the first place? We want children!”

He felt he had already compromised by tolerating her selling watermelons, but going to Shanghai was something Old Yu absolutely would not allow. Zhang Jingjing, however, did not back down. She was naturally headstrong, and under Song Mingyue’s influence, she was no longer willing to be a woman who sat at home waiting for her husband.

Zhang Jingjing issued an ultimatum: “Old Yu, I don’t want to argue in Mingyue’s house. If you want a woman to serve you and bear your children, go find someone else. I, Zhang Jingjing, am not willing to do that. If you are ashamed of me working, let’s get a divorce.”

Good for her! Song Mingyue thought, admiring her friend. Old Yu’s archaic views were entirely incompatible with Zhang Jingjing’s personality.

On the surface, Song Mingyue tried to mediate, telling Old Yu, “I don’t want to interfere in your personal affairs, but Jingjing is a good woman. If you don’t cherish her, you will regret it later.”

Old Yu, possessing a traditional mindset, had never considered divorce. Frightened that Zhang Jingjing might actually go through with it, he retreated, muttering, “I don’t agree to you going to Shanghai! I absolutely do not agree!” He didn’t dare say anything else, his attitude having softened significantly.

Zhang Jingjing sighed with envy, “Mingyue, if only I could be like you and marry a man like Battalion Commander Chen. He is the only one who supports you unconditionally.”

Song Mingyue had previously told Chen Che about the Shanghai trip. His response had been: “If you want to do it, then do it. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Yueyue, my only request is that you take care of yourself, and if anything happens, tell me.”

If not for that last sentence, Song Mingyue would have been truly touched. But his promise felt like a blank check—she rarely saw him, so how could she rely on him?

“Jingjing,” Song Mingyue sighed, “every family has its own troubles. If you still want to be with Old Yu, just scaring him a little will be enough.”

“Mingyue, whether I can stay with Old Yu or not isn’t important. We agreed to do this business, didn’t we? I’ve packed my bags; we are leaving tomorrow evening.”

They had already bought their tickets for the direct train from Pingcheng to Shanghai for 13 yuan each. “Alright. We leave on time.”

The next day, Zhang Jingjing arrived early, looking in good spirits. They had handled all their responsibilities, and with Zhao Xing and Pei Xiaoyu now familiar with the routine, things should be fine.

Song Mingyue and Zhang Jingjing walked to the train station. Along the way, Zhang Jingjing chattered excitedly, full of fantasies about Shanghai. “By the way, Mingyue, I haven’t asked—have you been to Shanghai?”

“I suppose you could say that,” Song Mingyue replied, clutching her suitcase.

“What do you mean ‘suppose’?” Zhang Jingjing asked, confused.

Song Mingyue didn’t explain that in her memory, she had seen Shanghai decades into the future. It was very different from the way it was now; she had “been there,” but she wasn’t familiar with the present-day city.

They arrived at the station two hours early. At this time, the station was primitive—just one large hall, and not many passengers.

An hour and a half later, Zhang Jingjing returned from buying some flatbreads. “I heard food on the train is very expensive, so I bought some to take with us.”

“Good idea. We’ll be boarding soon, so let’s stay close.”

Zhang Jingjing’s eyes were full of longing. “Mingyue, I love going out with you. When you’re around, I feel at ease. When I first took the train to Pingcheng alone, I was so scared I didn’t even dare use the toilet. But this time, I feel surprisingly relaxed.”

“There’s no need to be nervous. There are people everywhere.”

When the staff called for boarding, they joined the queue. As they stood there, they heard people behind them whispering: “Look, look, there’s a line of soldiers in uniform. They look so impressive.”

Song Mingyue kept her eyes on the boarding gate, but Zhang Jingjing tugged at her sleeve, trembling with excitement: “Mingyue! Mingyue! Is that Battalion Commander Chen over there?”

At the sound of his name, Song Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat. She looked in the direction Zhang Jingjing pointed. A group of men was heading toward the entrance, but she spotted Chen Che immediately. It was him.

As they were about to leave, Song Mingyue could only think of one thing: she had to see him. Her voice echoed through the hall: “Chen Che!”

The group stopped. The most striking man among them turned and began scanning the crowd. When he saw her waving, his expression lit up. The bustle of the station, the trains, and the noise of the crowd seemed to vanish. All Song Mingyue could see was the man running toward her.

She ran to meet him. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly a month. Chen Che pulled her into a tight embrace. “Yueyue, I’ve missed you so much.”

Song Mingyue leaned into him, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent. People around them stopped and cheered, but she just closed her eyes, stood on her tiptoes, and held him tightly.

“Uh, Mingyue,” Zhang Jingjing said awkwardly, “the train is going to leave.”

Song Mingyue reluctantly let go. “I’m going to Shanghai to source goods. You should go home.” She wanted to say that if he had come back a day earlier, they could have spent some time together, but she couldn’t be too greedy—seeing him before leaving was already a surprise.

Ignoring the onlookers, she gave his cheek a quick kiss. “Wait for me to come back.”

As she and Zhang Jingjing rushed through the boarding gate, she turned back. Chen Che was still standing there, waving. She tried to read his lips as he mouthed his final words: “Take good care of yourself. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Wait, or was it ‘I love you’?

Song Mingyue was still trying to decide which one it was long after the train had departed.

Beside her, Zhang Jingjing sighed in envy: “Mingyue, your relationship with Battalion Commander Chen is truly wonderful.”