The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 92

The next morning, Song Mingyue and Chen Che returned to Moshi. Qin Shuang ultimately decided not to come with them. Song Mingyue wasn’t sure if her warning had truly sunk in, but she had exhausted all other options. She could only hope that in this timeline, Qin Shuang would not repeat her past mistakes.

Life for Song Mingyue moved forward smoothly. This era was the perfect “windy” climate for starting a business—as the saying went, even a pig could fly if it caught the wind. With her wealth of experience, once she had pushed past the initial hardships, everything became much simpler. Days passed, full and meaningful, and before long, deep winter was upon them.

Months had passed, and Song Mingyue’s belly was now visibly rounded. At home and at the shop, she only needed to give directions; everyone else handled the heavy lifting. While sales slowed down in the cold winter, the shop was buoyed by the approach of the Lunar New Year. It was a custom that almost everyone bought new clothes for the festival, regardless of how tight their finances were. As such, business remained steady.

Half a year later, Song Mingyue had transformed. With every sale, her standing grew, and the days of struggling to make ends meet were officially over. However, this income was only enough to maintain their current standard of living; if she wanted to expand, she would need even more effort. Her plan was to open a second store next year, which seemed quite achievable.

Back home, her older brother, Song Mingnian, had asked early on if she would be coming home for the New Year. For Song Mingyue, this was the first time she had been away from home for the festival. Two months prior, her mother, Wang Yufen, had started sighing, feeling the house was empty without her daughter. Through their letters, Mingnian had clearly expressed their hope that she would return, but Chen Che had limited leave—only three days. Furthermore, the New Year season was the peak time for her business. She couldn’t afford to be away, but she thought of a solution: if she couldn’t go home, why not have them come to her?

The family back home didn’t know the shop was booming. In her letters, Song Mingyue had mentioned it, but Wang Yufen had been skeptical: “You’re pregnant—why are you opening a shop? It’s not a steady job. Look at what happened to Song Jiajia.” (Song Jiajia, relying on her own “rebirth” experience, had made a fortune in Pingcheng, but the wealth had only made her more petty and mean, leaving her disliked by everyone in the neighborhood.) Wang Yufen worried about her daughter constantly, hoping to lecture her once she returned home.

One day during his winter break, while passing a phone booth, Mingnian was flagged down by the operator: “Mingnian, you’re here! Your sister just called.”

Twenty minutes later, the phone rang again. “Ming, are you coming home for the New Year?”

In the drafty booth, Song Mingyue shivered as she spoke. “Brother, I can’t leave. The shop needs me. Why don’t you all come here for the New Year instead? You should still be able to buy tickets.”

Mingnian missed his sister, and after consulting their parents, he found they were open to it. Song Mingyue didn’t give him a chance to refuse. “Brother, consider it a plan. Just call me when you have your tickets and I’ll come pick you up.”

When Mingnian told Wang Yufen, she immediately worried about etiquette. “What about Chen Che’s parents? It’s not proper for the bride’s family to visit without seeing the groom’s parents.”

To her surprise, the hurdle was cleared the next morning. Chen Che’s father, Chen Daoyuan, had specially arranged for three train tickets to be sent to them. Knowing his wife, Zhou Fang, would stay behind in the provincial capital to keep him company, he wanted to ensure his in-laws didn’t feel hesitant about visiting the military compound.

With the parents’ approval settled, a massive weight was lifted from Wang Yufen’s heart. She spent the entire month preparing—steamed buns, pork sausages, and everything in between. They brought everything with them, leaving nothing behind in their own home.

When neighbors saw her packing, Wang Yufen beamed. “Mingyue called and said her husband doesn’t have much leave, so she insisted we go celebrate with them. These children, they never worry about how far we have to travel!” Despite her complaining, she was secretly overjoyed. A military residential compound! She never imagined she’d live in one, and she was eager to see where her daughter lived.

The neighbors were envious. “Mingyue is so filial, taking you out for the holiday.”

“It’s not just her; her father-in-law even secured the tickets for us!”

They traveled slowly from Pingcheng to Moshi, the family of three laden with bags of food, looking much like refugees to those who didn’t know any better.

Since she was staying, Song Mingyue insisted that Zhang Jingjing go home for the holiday. Over the past six months, Zhang Jingjing’s relationship with her husband, Old Yu, had grown icy. She was making money now and dressed with newfound elegance; she was a transformed woman. In the past, she would have panicked if her husband ignored her, but now, she found his absence peaceful.

However, the New Year was unavoidable. Old Yu’s grandfather was turning 70, and as a grandson, he had to return home.

Before leaving, Zhang Jingjing had a showdown with Old Yu. Winter was here, and while most military wives wore thick cotton coats, Zhang Jingjing wore a wool sweater and a tailored overcoat, highlighting her slim, elegant figure. Old Yu looked at her and realized, for the first time, how beautiful she had become. While he might have admired such beauty on another woman, seeing it on his own wife only angered him. “What respectable woman dresses like this?”

When he didn’t answer her previous questions, Zhang Jingjing snapped, “Old Yu, are you listening?”

“Speak.”

“When we get home, let’s act like a normal married couple. We are adults; let’s not cause concern for others.”

“Zhang Jingjing, you’re the one who has changed. Why should I be the one to accommodate you?”

“What did you say? What have I changed? Don’t think I don’t know about the dirty things you’ve been doing behind my back. I just chose not to say anything.”

Old Yu looked up in disbelief. “So you heard the rumors and didn’t even ask me about them?”

The rumors involved Old Yu’s infidelity with a married woman—a serious offense in that era that could lead to severe consequences, especially for a soldier. Zhang Jingjing didn’t care if they were true or false; she was simply too busy to bother.

“Whatever,” Zhang Jingjing said, not wanting to waste more breath. “We’ll just act the part for the holiday. If we can’t, then let’s file for divorce after the New Year.” She turned and locked herself in her room, refusing to listen to his response. She was planning to open a second store next year and move out once business was steady.

On the day Zhang Jingjing and Old Yu left, Wang Yufen and her family arrived at the train station. Song Mingyue had intended to prepare a feast, but the shop had been slammed with holiday shoppers. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep until evening, waking up only when Chen Che returned to pick her up.

As they cycled to the station, Song Mingyue sighed. “Oh no, I forgot to cook. They must be starving.”

“It’s fine,” Chen Che said steadily. “I’ve booked a table at a restaurant.”

Dining out was better than cooking at home, and Song Mingyue certainly wasn’t short on money. However, she worried the restaurants would be closed this late. Chen Che reassured her, “I booked it until 10:30 PM; we have plenty of time.”

“I never imagined our Battalion Commander Chen would be so busy yet still remember to take care of his mother-in-law,” she teased, making him blush.

At the station, when the announcer called the train number, Song Mingyue stared eagerly at the crowd. Chen Che let her lean on his shoulder. Twenty minutes later, the passengers surged out. Song Mingyue stood on her tiptoes and spotted her brother. “Brother! Brother, over here!”

Mingnian saw them, and the family reunion was tearful. Wang Yufen rushed over to hug her daughter. “You look healthy! A bit fairer, too—and look at that belly!”

Song Mingyue looked at the massive amount of luggage they had brought. Her father, Song Jianguo, laughed. “Your mother was terrified you wouldn’t have enough to eat, so she packed everything.”

“It’s all marinated, it won’t go bad!” Wang Yufen insisted.

Chen Che stepped forward to help carry the bags. “Thank you, Father, Mother, Brother.” Wang Yufen looked at her son-in-law and loved him from the bottom of her heart.

On the way, when they mentioned the restaurant, Wang Yufen refused. “What restaurant? Let’s just eat at home. Restaurant food is expensive and not as good.”

Song Mingyue didn’t argue, simply linking her arm with her mother’s. “Mom, Chen Che just got off work—there’s no one to cook at home.”

“Moonlight, you don’t cook?”

Song Mingyue pointed to her belly—she was a pregnant woman, after all! Besides, she earned more than enough to eat out. Her mother grumbled about her being lazy, but she was secretly delighted. I didn’t cook much at home either, she thought. Why should she have to just because she’s married?

Eventually, they arrived at the restaurant. Song Mingyue had also arranged for them to stay in a guest house, as their home only had two bedrooms and would be too cramped. With money in hand, she had plenty of options.