In April, Zhao Mingyue received three letters—one from her family, one from her third brother Zhao Minglang, and one from Yu Youqing—bringing two major pieces of news. After reading the letters, Zhao Mingyue was stunned for a long time.

The first piece of good news was from my father's letter: Zhao Minggang had found a wife, and they would be getting married in the fall. She was a girl from the village, slightly unwell, having had polio as a child and walking with a limp. She was fairly good-looking and not unintelligent, and most importantly, she was asking for a small dowry of only two hundred yuan.

There was another girl from a poor family with many siblings. She was very beautiful, but she demanded a dowry of 1,000 yuan so she could find wives for her two older brothers – it was practically selling her daughter. 1,000 yuan was an astronomical sum in the countryside, and Wang Zhaodi absolutely refused to pay it, nor could she afford it. The girl with a slight case of polio was able to take care of herself and do housework, including gardening and tea picking, but she couldn't do heavy labor. Since Wang Zhaodi couldn't afford the 1,000 yuan dowry, she chose the girl with polio.

Upon seeing the news, Zhao Mingyue wasn't sure whether it was good or bad. But regardless, it resolved a major concern for Wang Zhaodi; her son had finally found a wife. Zhao Mingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Mingxiu wouldn't be forced into a marriage exchange anymore.

Another piece of news, brought by Yu Youqing, struck Zhao Mingyue as particularly ironic: Yu Youfen was getting married, and her fiancé was none other than Cheng Yonggang's younger brother, Cheng Yongqiang. After rejecting Cheng Yonggang, Zhao Mingyue felt she could finally get rid of that bastard. As for the grudge from her past life, she vowed to settle it someday. But she never expected that someone close to her would be involved with the Cheng family. How could this be?

Cheng Yongqiang was a quiet, unassuming person. He was very short, no more than 1.65 meters tall, about the same height as himself and Yu Youfen. Moreover, he looked much older than his age. When Zhao Mingyue first met him, she thought he was Cheng Yonggang's older brother. She was surprised to find that he looked like he was thirty, even though he was the same age as her. He was also very quiet and rarely spoke more than five sentences in a whole day. When he looked at people, his eyes were fixed on them, but if you met his gaze, he would immediately look away and avoid eye contact, so you had no idea what he was thinking.

How could Yu Youfen be interested in Cheng Yongqiang? The obsession with class background is gradually being phased out, as evidenced by the college entrance examination policies of the past two years. Could Yu Youfen still see that as a constraint? Besides, Cheng Yongqiang is three years younger than Yu Youfen; they seem mismatched. Could it be that her brother broke up with her, which is why she chose Cheng Yongqiang?

However, Zhao Minglang's letter didn't seem to mention this matter. Was it because he didn't know, or because he didn't want to talk about it? Yu Youqing didn't explain what was going on either, only telling her about it. Zhao Mingyue was completely confused.

She quickly wrote a letter to Zhao Minglang and sent it by registered mail, pressing him for the reason behind the incident.

Shen Xuyue came to find her for evening self-study and also invited her roommates to climb the Great Wall together on the weekend. He noticed Zhao Mingyue was in a bad mood and asked what was wrong. Zhao Mingyue told him the truth. Shen Xuyue was silent for a moment before saying, "You think Yu Youfen shouldn't have married that person, don't you?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "It would be better to marry anyone than that person."

Shen Xuyue looked at her: "Why? Do you know that person?"

Zhao Mingyue hesitated for a moment: "I know him. We went to the same school, he was in the next class. He's a really gloomy person, like a mute, he doesn't talk, and he's short, about the same height as me. Besides, he's three years younger than Sister Youfen, do you think he knows how to take care of people?"

"Putting personality aside, judging from family background, that man is the village secretary's son, and his family should be better off than Yu Youfen's. So Yu Youfen wouldn't suffer any loss by marrying him," Shen Xuyue said, focusing on the facts.

"But Sister Youfen can't marry that man!" Zhao Mingyue was very anxious. Even if she objected, she couldn't get through to Yu Youfen.

Shen Xuyue said, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Zhao Mingyue turned to look at Shen Xuyue: "She's my brother's girlfriend, how could she suddenly marry that guy? It's just incomprehensible. Isn't my brother a hundred times, a thousand times better than that guy! What was Yu Youfen thinking?"

Shen Xuyue said, "There must be reasons you don't know about this. This is between her and your brother. Besides, it's her own choice who she marries. No one forced her. You're no one to her, so you can't make decisions for her."

Zhao Mingyue said irritably, "Maybe they were forced into it."

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue and felt that she was being a little too agitated: "Mingyue, calm down. This is Yu Youfen's matter. I know you like her and want her to be your sister-in-law. But many things are beyond our control."

Zhao Mingyue sighed and buried her face in her hands: "Actually, I don't necessarily need her to be my sister-in-law, but I feel that she can't marry into the Cheng family. The Cheng family is disgusting. I hate the Cheng family!"

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue, never having seen her show such intense hatred towards anyone before: "Mingyue, is it because Cheng Yonggang harassed you that you hate them?"

Zhao Mingyue was speechless for a moment. Looking at Shen Xuyue, she didn't know what to say. How could she explain it? In her past life, she had been so badly tricked by the Cheng family. In this life, how could she watch her close sister fall into that same trap? She helplessly cupped her face, looking distressed: "I can't explain why I hate them so much. I just feel that their aura is off as soon as I see them. I feel particularly disgusted by them."

Shen Xuyue paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Cheng Yonggang didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mingyue realized she was in trouble. He suspected her. In her haste, she had forgotten that Cheng Yonggang had some history with her, and to Shen Xuyue, he was practically a rival in love. Her strong reaction must have aroused his suspicions. Zhao Mingyue shook her head repeatedly: "No, no. It's just that this guy is incredibly persistent. I've clearly rejected him, but he still comes to my house repeatedly. He has no shame at all and is extremely annoying. Of course, I've never let him in."

Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue with a blank expression, his thoughts a mystery. Zhao Mingyue's heart pounded with anxiety, filled with regret. Why had she been so conflicted, creating a rift between them for the sake of people who were no longer relevant?

After a while, Shen Xuyue said, "Yes, it was right not to let him in. You're a young lady, you need to learn to protect yourself." He changed the subject, "Regarding Yu Youfen, you need to calm down first, ask your brother, and find out what really happened between them. I think something must have happened, otherwise Yu Youfen shouldn't have gotten married so quickly. In Yu Youqing's letter, did he not mention your brother at all?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Yes, he didn't mention my brother. I'm wondering if it's because my brother broke up with me, and he's embarrassed to criticize him, which is why he didn't talk about it?"

Shen Xuyue shook his head dismissively: "I don't think this has anything to do with your brother. Knowing him as I do, he's not that heartless. And even if he broke up with Yu Youfen, she wouldn't have gotten married so quickly, especially to a man three years younger than her, as you said. He's the same age as you, which means she can't get married yet, but the letter says she's getting married next month. There's really no need to rush. Yes, the more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems. Something must have happened that we don't know about."

Zhao Mingyue nodded and said, "Yes, I just feel that this is not quite reasonable, which is why I'm so anxious. I hope Sister Youfen is alright and that she will be happy."

Shen Xuyue patted the back of her hand: "Don't worry so much. You're thousands of miles away from home, so there's nothing you can do if you're anxious. Write back home quickly and find out what happened."

Zhao Mingyue sighed: "I asked her to take the college entrance exam with us. If we had both passed, that would have been wonderful. But she absolutely refused to take it."

Shen Xuyue said, "Everyone's life path is different. More positive people are never content with the status quo and will strive to change their lives. More pessimistic people are unwilling to strive and thus let others control their lives. From a fatalistic point of view, this is fate. So you see, fate is really in your own hands. No matter what, if you strive for it, that is your own true fate, and only then will you have no regrets."

Zhao Mingyue nodded. Shen Xuyue said, "We can think about it more optimistically. Maybe it's not as bad as we think. Perhaps Yu Youfen herself felt that the gap between her and your brother was getting bigger and bigger, so she chose to marry someone else. Besides, I think Cheng Yonggang is Cheng Yonggang, and his brother is his brother. You don't really know him. Maybe he's a good person."

Based on Zhao Mingyue's understanding of Cheng Yongqiang, he was far from a good person; he was cunning and wicked. However, Wang Qiulan was ruthless and could control him. If it had been Yu Youfen instead, who knows what the outcome would have been.

Zhao Mingyue immediately wrote a letter back to Yu Youfen, expressing her opposition to her marrying Cheng Yongqiang. She sent the letter by express registered mail. Because she was preoccupied with Yu Youfen's situation, Zhao Mingyue was somewhat listless even while climbing the Great Wall with the others.

The two dorms had gone out together twice and were fairly familiar with each other. Among the six single people, two seemed to have hit it off: one was a classmate from Qinhuangdao, Hebei, from the dorm of Gao Dongfang and Shen Xuyue. His surname was Qin, and he was about the same age as Gao Dongfang, wore black-rimmed glasses, was thin, and not very tall, around 1.73 meters. He didn't talk much, but when he did, his words were exceptionally insightful. Gao Dongfang had privately praised him, saying he was a master of subtlety and eloquence. Zhao Mingyue thought there was a chance.

Climbing the Great Wall these days feels different from later years. It's a rare tranquility. This tranquility is relative; there are still people climbing the Great Wall, but it's not as crowded as it used to be. At least you can still see the bricks and crenellations. After all, very few people come to Beijing for tourism these days. Most people don't have a concept of tourism, and they can't afford it, unless they're on a business trip to Beijing or passing through and come specifically to pay homage.

April in Beijing is quite beautiful. The spring breeze is gentle, the sun shines brightly, and from the crenellations of the Great Wall, one can see mountains draped in new green, dotted with vibrant wildflowers that bloom exquisitely, adding a lively and playful touch to the entire spring. Shen Xuyue even went to Uncle Song's house to borrow a camera to take pictures for everyone. There's a Chinese saying, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man," so now that we've reached the Great Wall, we have to prove we've been there, right?

Shen Xuyue naturally took more photos of his girlfriend, and even had two group photos taken of them together. After they were developed, he would send them back to Zhao Mingyue's parents so they could show off that their daughter and future son-in-law had visited the Great Wall.

After taking a photo, Zhao Mingyue said, "Xuyue, let me take one." He was always busy taking photos of others, but rarely had the chance to take solo photos himself.

"Okay, you can see me from here, then just press this button," Shen Xuyue instructed her, holding up the camera.

Zhao Mingyue certainly knew how to film it, and she nodded: "Okay."

After taking the photos, the two slowly walked uphill. Several classmates had already climbed ahead, but they weren't at the back. Gao Dongfang and Lao Qin were at the very back. Zhao Mingyue glanced back at the two who were talking loudly by a battlement and smiled, "Those two get along very well."

Shen Xuyue glanced back and said, "That's right. Old Qin is always a man of few words. It seems he hasn't met anyone he wants to talk to."

"Our second sister has finally found someone who shares the same ideals." Zhao Mingyue smiled, looking down.

Shen Xuyue said, "After coming out so many times and sacrificing so much time alone with them, we've finally brought them together. All my running around wasn't for nothing. Maybe we'll even get to drink their thank-you wine someday, hehe." He suddenly had a mischievous thought, cupped his hands into a megaphone shape, and shouted at the two of them, "Hey, Lao Qin, what scenery is so enchanting that you lingered there, only to be left behind?"

Zhao Mingyue pinched his waist: "Why are you bothering them?"

The two below were indeed blushing with embarrassment and quickly came up.

Shen Xuyue chuckled, stopped, and said to the two men, "Let me take a group photo of you."

Gao Dongfang blushed and said, "Xiao Zhao, come and take a picture with us."

Knowing that they were embarrassed to take a photo together, Zhao Mingyue said, "Okay."

So when taking the photo, Zhao Mingyue stood to Gao Dongfang's right, deliberately keeping a little distance so that the two of them would look like a couple.

After returning from the Great Wall, Shen Xuyue said to Zhao Mingyue, "I won't organize any more group activities for everyone. We're all so familiar with each other now, and those who need to keep in touch should have done so themselves. We can't all come and play with them; they have their own things to do."

Zhao Mingyue knew Shen Xuyue was telling the truth. Everyone was studying hard and not wealthy. Although the trip didn't cost much, it was still an unexpected expense for some. Married people like Tang Weihua even had to save their living expenses to send home to help support their families. Besides, the class usually organized trips to famous tourist spots like this.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, I won't go out to play anymore."

Shen Xuyue said, "Even if we don't ask them to go out and play, we still want to go ourselves. We're here to study in Beijing, so we should visit all the basic tourist attractions. Otherwise, it would be a waste of the opportunity. So many people dream of coming here but never get the chance."

Zhao Mingyue laughed: "Aren't you afraid it will interfere with your studies?"

“This is also a form of learning. Besides reading thousands of books, scholars should also travel thousands of miles. Some knowledge cannot be learned from books; it must be learned through practice. In the future, during winter and summer vacations, let's get together with some like-minded people to travel thousands of miles, to see the seaside, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and the Five Sacred Mountains, such as Mount Huangshan. Mingyue, what do you say?”

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay." This is truly an ideal life. Zhao Mingyue discovered that Shen Xuyue was a person with exceptional ambition and a remarkable ability to enjoy life. To have such a partner in life is an incredible blessing!

That noon, after finishing her class, Zhao Mingyue went to her dormitory to get her lunchbox. Just as she reached the dormitory door, she suddenly heard someone call her name: "Zhao Mingyue!"

Zhao Mingyue looked up and saw Wu Jie walking out of the dormitory manager's room. She was dressed very casually, wearing a white long-sleeved polyester shirt with a floral print, gray pants, and lace-up round-toed leather shoes. It was the most fashionable outfit of the time.

It's mid-April now, and the weather is still a bit chilly, not quite time to wear a light shirt yet. However, the temperature is higher at midday, so some fashion-conscious people dress like this. Wu Jie, with a green woolen coat draped over her arm and her leather shoes clicking, walked up to Zhao Mingyue: "You know me, right?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "You are an acquaintance of Shen Xuyue."

Hearing her describe herself like that, Wu Jie couldn't help but bite her lower lip: "Don't listen to his nonsense, I'm his girlfriend."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Wu Jie in surprise: "I'm clearly his girlfriend."

Wu Jie opened her not-so-big eyes wide and said, "You don't know, I've known him since we were little. Our families are well-matched, and both sets of parents agreed to our relationship. When I was working in the countryside in your area, we started dating. Later, after I returned to the city, he cheated on me and started seeing you. You're an innocent girl, don't be fooled by him."

Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Your skin is really thick enough. You lie without even thinking." She then said, "I've known Shen Xuyue for many years. I don't need you to tell me what kind of person he is. I know very well that he has never had a girlfriend before. I've also met you. You came to our brigade's educated youth settlement to look for him. You know each other, but you don't need to pretend to be his girlfriend to deceive me."

Wu Jie's face flushed red and then turned pale, and her tone was no longer as pleasant as before. She forgot the words she had prepared and blurted out, "Since you've met me, how come you don't know I'm his girlfriend? How dare you be with him? You're stealing his love, a shameful third party."

If Zhao Mingyue were an unsophisticated person, she would have been humiliated and fled in panic after being yelled at like that. However, Zhao Mingyue was not easily intimidated, and she had lived her previous life for a reason. She was not afraid of Wu Jie's little tricks. However, if this matter were to cause a scene at her own school, it would indeed be detrimental to her.

She calmly said, "Who is the third party? Everyone knows best. Just because you like Shen Xuyue doesn't mean that Shen Xuyue is your boyfriend. Shen Xuyue doesn't like you. You want to accuse me, but you haven't considered that you're just throwing mud at yourself."

Wu Jie looked at Zhao Mingyue and said, "You're shameless! Women from the countryside are just shameless and have no sense of decency. You use your foxy face to seduce men everywhere! I'm going to go to your school leaders to settle this."

As they were talking right outside the dormitory, Zhao Mingyue's roommates saw her talking to an arrogant woman and stopped in their tracks. People who arrived later, seeing them watching the commotion, also stood by curiously. Several girls, hearing Wu Jie's words, became indignant. This woman was talking nonsense and even looked down on rural people. Li Chunmei rolled up her sleeves and rushed over: "Where did this woman come from? She came to our school to humiliate our classmates and insulted all the rural women! Sisters, shouldn't we teach her a lesson? Tear her stinking mouth apart!" Sichuan girls are known for their fierceness.

Everyone became agitated and wanted to rush over and teach Wu Jie a lesson. Seeing that the situation was not right, Wu Jie quickly took a few steps back: "Is this the quality of you college students? So many people are bullying me alone."

Mao Jianlan sneered: "You city folks are so high-class, yet you come to our territory to humiliate us and say we're bullying you? There are plenty of people watching, the eyes of the masses are discerning."

Zhao Mingyue said, "Classmates, please don't get agitated. Today I want to make this clear. Since she's come to my door, I have no reason to take the blame. You say you're Shen Xuyue's girlfriend, and he abandoned you after starting something? Then find him and confront me. Don't spout nonsense here, slandering him and insulting me. You may be shameless, but others are. Shen Xuyue has been the village secretary for so many years, and over a thousand people in the village, young and old, have all witnessed it. We all know what kind of person he is. Is it up to you to decide whether he's dating you? You say you are, then produce the evidence!"

“Yes, show me the evidence!” Li Chunmei shouted.

These days, the prevailing attitude is that "any relationship not aimed at marriage is immoral." People are extremely cautious about dating. If two people are dating, there must be witnesses or physical evidence. If not, it's considered a secret relationship, which naturally won't be protected and will be ridiculed. Wu Jie, of course, couldn't produce any evidence, so seeing a group of indignant female classmates, her momentum weakened, and she turned and fled in panic.

Wu Jie's plan was this: she originally thought Zhao Mingyue was a country woman, timid and cowardly, lacking in assertiveness, and would easily be fooled by her words, perhaps even breaking up with Shen Xuyue. Even if they didn't break up, at least she would humiliate her, making her feel better. Unexpectedly, in their first encounter, she lost completely and was publicly humiliated, suffering a double loss.