The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 93

Wang Yufen was genuinely worried. She couldn’t help but fret over how much money her daughter was spending. Everything was so extravagant—the hotel they were eating at clearly wasn’t cheap. As the dishes—mutton, beef, shrimp—were placed on the table, Wang Yufen couldn’t hide her disapproval. “We’re family; a simple meal would have been fine. There was no need to order all this.”

Song Mingyue quickly defended herself. “Mom, you can’t blame me! Chen Che ordered all of these.”

Chen Che stepped in naturally. “Dad, Mom, Mingnian—this is your first time visiting. It’s only right that we host you properly. These are the local specialties; please, have a taste.”

Seeing the genuine effort her son-in-law had made, Wang Yufen’s heart softened. She tried a piece of the tender beef—it was delicious. More importantly, it proved how much Chen Che valued her daughter.

During the meal, Song Mingyue mentioned that she had arranged a guest house nearby, just in case they weren’t comfortable in the apartment. Wang Yufen waved her hand dismissively. “What guest house? No matter how small the place is, we can squeeze in. If we stayed in a guest house, we might as well have stayed home.”

Song Mingyue smiled and took her mother’s arm. “Mom, I was just asking. It’s only polite to offer, right?”

“Look at you, little girl,” Wang Yufen said affectionately. “You’ve learned to be so polite.”

The family finished their meal in high spirits. When it came time to pay, Wang Yufen felt a pang in her heart as she watched the “Big Unity” (ten-yuan) bills being handed over. She decided that during her stay, she would strictly forbid them from eating out again. Song Mingyue feigned a pout and promised to cook at home, but she whispered excitedly, “Don’t try to save money for me, Mom. I’ve earned a lot of money these past few months. Do you want to come see my shop?”

Wang Yufen’s eyes lit up. “Can we go now?”

“I don’t have the keys, but we can look from the outside.”

“Perfect, let’s go!”

Song Jianguo and Song Mingnian were also curious. While they didn’t need to compete with anyone, Mingnian was secretly hoping his sister’s shop was better than their cousin Song Jiajia’s. They took a detour to the corner of the street. From afar, Song Mingyue’s shop sign was the only one illuminated, making it incredibly eye-catching—a design she had invested heavily in.

“That’s it,” she pointed, “the women’s clothing store on the corner.”

Even from the outside, the shop looked neat and clean. While others used traditional brick facades, hers featured large glass windows. Wang Yufen nodded in satisfaction. “Is business good during the day?”

“It was packed a few days ago. With the New Year right around the corner, most people have already finished their shopping, and we were planning to close for a few days anyway.”

Wang Yufen didn’t say it out loud, but she felt this shop was far superior to Song Jiajia’s. She was proud of her daughter for becoming so capable.

When they arrived at the military residential compound, the family was impressed to see sentries at the gate. As they passed, the soldiers saluted and greeted Chen Che. Chen Che introduced them: “These are my wife’s parents and brother; they have permission to come and go freely.”

Wang Yufen and the others were stiff with nervousness until they were well inside the compound. The house was small, but everything else was perfect. Once they put their bags down, they finally sat down to rest.

With only two bedrooms and one large bed, Song Jianguo suggested, “Mingyue is pregnant, so Yufen, you sleep in the big bed with her. Chen Che can sleep in the study, and Mingnian and I will sleep on the floor.”

Song Mingyue immediately disagreed. “Mom and I will take the small bed. You all have more people, you take the big bed.” They eventually settled on Song Mingyue and Wang Yufen in the large bed, with Jianguo in the small bed and Mingnian on the floor.

Exhausted from the train ride, everyone washed up and retreated to their rooms. As Wang Yufen lay on the soft, cushioned mattress, she felt an immense sense of satisfaction. “This compound really is a nice place,” she whispered. “Even the mattresses are different from ordinary homes.”

Song Mingyue closed her eyes. “Mom, this is a Simmons mattress Chen Che bought. If you like it, I’ll have one sent home for you.”

“No need, you young people enjoy it. We’re old; anything is fine.” Song Mingyue couldn’t change her mind, but she had already decided to have one delivered to their home anyway.

Despite being exhausted, Wang Yufen couldn’t fall asleep. She kept replaying the events of the day in her head—the delicious hotel meal and her son-in-law’s thoughtful gestures. She looked over at her daughter, who had already drifted off to sleep, exhausted from her days at the shop. Wang Yufen gently stroked her daughter’s hair, a happy smile on her face. Chen Che is a good boy, she thought. Ming, you really married the right man.

The next morning, Chen Che had to report for duty. When he woke up, he was surprised to find breakfast almost ready—he had planned to go buy something. Wang Yufen had cooked porridge, heated up the buns they brought from home, and stir-fried three dishes. It was barely 5:00 AM, and the sky was still dark.

“Mom, you haven’t slept well these past few days. Go back to bed, I’ll finish this,” Chen Che said.

“How can I let you do that? Besides, I’m not tired.”

Chen Che didn’t argue and walked into the kitchen to help. The kitchen was warm, a sharp contrast to the cold outside. Wang Yufen chatted with him as she worked. “Mingyue is lazy—I spoiled her too much at home. It must be hard for you.”

“Mom, don’t say that. Mingyue is wonderful.”

Wang Yufen’s eyes crinkled with laughter. She reminded Chen Che not to work too hard and to take care of his health. “Once the baby is born, you’ll be the pillar of their lives—you can’t collapse.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I promised to love Mingyue, and I will.”

Wang Yufen felt reassured. In most families, a new daughter-in-law would be expected to cook immediately, even while pregnant, and would be under the strict thumb of a mother-in-law. But Song Mingyue didn’t have to deal with any of that—Chen Che spoiled her even more than they did at home.

At 6:00 AM, the compound’s patriotic music began to play. Chen Che left for morning drills. Wang Yufen prepared a portion for him and kept the rest warm. Jianguo and Mingnian were roused by the music; they weren’t people who liked to sleep in. Only Song Mingyue remained fast asleep, well-accustomed to the daily routine by now.

She didn’t wake up until after 8:00 AM. Outside, the family had already eaten. Wang Yufen was drying beans in the sun. “Wash your face, breakfast is in the pot.”

Song Mingyue loved her mother’s handmade buns. She realized halfway through her third one just how much her pregnancy appetite had grown—usually, she couldn’t even finish two.

“Your father and brother went to the market,” Wang Yufen said. “I told them to buy some black fish; I’ll make you fish soup for lunch.”

There really was no blessing quite like having one’s mother around. Wang Yufen brought a stool to the doorway and told her to soak up the sun while she finished drying the beans.

“Mom,” Song Mingyue asked, “you’re at ease with me living here now, right?”

Wang Yufen nodded. Chen Che had truly won them over.

By noon, the fish soup was ready. Song Mingyue usually disliked fish soup, but her mother’s cooking was so skilled that it had no fishy smell at all. Wang Yufen kept the remaining dishes aside, explaining, “These are for dinner, so we can eat with Chen Che when he gets back.”

The shop remained closed, and Song Mingyue spent the day at home with her parents—she couldn’t have been happier.

Yin Xiumei, the neighborhood committee director, heard her parents had arrived and dropped by to chat. She remembered when Song Mingyue first arrived, mocked by others as a “country bumpkin” in gray, dusty clothes. Seeing her parents, Yin Xiumei realized how wrong those rumors had been—Mingyue’s parents were articulate, fair-skinned, and clearly not people who did manual labor.

Song Mingyue introduced them warmly. Yin Xiumei and Wang Yufen hit it off immediately, and by evening, Yin Xiumei was sitting at their doorstep, deep in conversation with her mother. Song Mingyue couldn’t help but admire her mother’s social skills.