Chapter 61 The Most Romantic Confession
The weather was hot and humid. Jiang Suining had just taken a shower and was drying her hair when she heard light footsteps and a cheerful greeting from outside the door.
"Xiao Jiang! Is Xiao Jiang there?"
Jiang Suining looked up and saw Sister Lian standing at the door with a smile on her face, carrying a net bag of red-skinned eggs and a package wrapped in oil paper.
"Sister-in-law Lian? Come in and sit down!" She quickly wrapped her hair with a towel, got up to greet her, and poured her a cup of cold tea.
"Oh, I've come to tell you some good news! These are from our own chickens, they're still fresh! And this bag of dried squid, you can keep it to make soup." Sister-in-law Lian put the things on the table, her face beaming with excitement and gratitude. "Xiao Jiang, thank you so much! Thanks to you, Haisheng's middle school entrance exam results are in!"
"Oh? How did the exam go?" Jiang Suining thought her daughter had given birth, but it turned out that Haisheng had taken the high school entrance exam, so she asked with a smile.
Previously, her sister-in-law had asked her to tutor Zhang Haisheng in English and Chinese composition. With the high school entrance exam approaching, she was also curious to see how much the boy could improve his score through her tutoring.
"Great! Excellent!" Sister-in-law Lian slapped her thigh, her voice rising eight octaves. "He scored more than thirty points higher than his usual mock exams! He almost got a perfect score in English! I heard from his Chinese teacher that he also scored ten points more on his composition than usual! This child... is truly remarkable, he's gotten into a top high school!"
She held Jiang Suining's hand, her eyes reddening slightly. "Thanks to you, Xiao Jiang! If it weren't for you helping him out, how could this child have gotten into such a good school! I'll remember your kindness!"
"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Haisheng is smart and hardworking." Jiang Suining was genuinely happy for them. "Getting into a top high school will give him a much better chance of getting into university in the future. This is great news!"
Now that the college entrance examination has been reinstated, not only children, but also many adults whose studies were delayed for various reasons are actively taking the exam. Everyone knows that knowledge changes destiny, and parents especially regard their children's academic performance as the most important thing.
"Yes, yes, that's a relief," Sister-in-law Lian said with a sigh, and then she started talking, "Now it's just his sister Haiyun who I have to worry about."
"Haiyun? I remember she works in a machinery factory, right? It's a secure job, isn't it?" Jiang Suining asked, following up on the conversation.
She knew a fair bit about Sister Lian's family situation. She knew that her daughter, Zhang Haiyun, was an adopted orphan of a martyr. Sister Lian and her husband had always treated her as their own daughter and raised her with great care. The girl was also very promising. She passed the exam and got a job as an accountant at a machinery factory. She had been working there for five or six years. The job was respectable and stable.
“Stability is good,” Sister Lian sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness, “but this girl is so ambitious. These days when she comes home, she keeps talking about how several of her colleagues at the factory have quit. Those with connections have taken unpaid leave and gone south to do business; those without connections have gone to work in other places together. They say that now that the policy allows it, these people are going out to make a living and earning more in a month than she does in six months. Her heart is starting to wander too. She keeps grumbling to me, saying that if she just sticks to that meager salary, when will it ever end?”
What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.
Her Haifeng business is growing rapidly, and the cold storage project is nearing completion. With her clothing business and ready-made garment stores, financial transactions are becoming increasingly complex, requiring her to manage both operations and accounts single-handedly. Now, her sister-in-law, Liu Hong, is pregnant and can no longer handle everything as before, leaving the burden on her shoulders once again. She feels overwhelmed and urgently needs a professional and reliable accountant to help her streamline finances and standardize management.
Lian's sister-in-law is an upright person, so her daughter, whom she raised, should also be of good character. Moreover, she works as an accountant in a machinery factory and has five or six years of work experience, which is quite substantial.
Jiang Suining's heart stirred. She put down her teacup and became serious: "Sister-in-law, if Haiyun really has ideas and wants to try her luck, I have an opportunity for her. I don't know if she would be willing to consider it."
Sister-in-law Lian was taken aback: "Here?"
“Yes,” Jiang Suining nodded. “As you can see, my business is expanding, and the accounts are becoming increasingly complex. I can’t manage it all by myself, so I need a trustworthy and capable accountant. Haiyun is a qualified accountant with experience. If she’s willing to come and help me, I’ll definitely treat her well. Her salary and benefits will be much better than what she gets at the supply and marketing cooperative. Besides, this is our own business, so if we do well, there’ll be a lot of room for growth in the future.”
Even Sister-in-law Lian's eyes widened, clearly not expecting Jiang Suining to directly propose poaching someone. She hesitated, "Will this work? After all, it's a private matter..."
“Sister-in-law, the country is now encouraging the development of the private economy, and our ‘Haifeng’ is a legally registered company.” Jiang Suining said sincerely, “Haiyun is not coming here to do odd jobs, but to be a proper company employee, in charge of the accounts. If the company does well in the future, she will be a veteran. It’s better than her watching others go into business while she’s stuck in the supply and marketing cooperative, feeling anxious and helpless. You should go back and discuss it with Haiyun, and let her find out how I, Jiang Suining, am doing things before making a decision.”
Even her sister-in-law's mind started to wander after Jiang Suining's words. She knew that Jiang Suining was capable and not someone who would just mess around. Although the cold storage was not yet built, it was already a household name on Nan'ao Island, and the government was paying attention to it. Her clothing business had even expanded nationwide. Now, she had contracted all three clothing production lines of their labor protection factory, working overtime to produce clothing for Haifeng Trading Company. Otherwise, the factory wouldn't be able to pay its employees' wages.
She nodded: "Okay! I'll definitely pass on that message to you. If that girl is interested, I'll have her come find you!"
After returning home, Sister-in-law Lian told her daughter Zhang Haiyun everything Jiang Suining had said.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Haiyun didn't immediately express her opinion. Instead, she privately inquired about Jiang Suining's character and career. When she learned that Jiang Suining was not only capable and decisive but also generous to her employees, and that Haifeng Trading indeed had a promising future, her already restless heart immediately leaned towards Jiang Suining's side.
A few days later, a girl with two braids, wearing a faded polyester shirt, and with bright but cautious eyes appeared at the door of Haifeng Trading's office. It was Zhang Haiyun.
"Hello, Mr. Jiang, I'm Zhang Haiyun." She introduced herself with a natural and confident demeanor. "My mother told me about your business here. I... I'd like to work for you."
When Jiang Suining came to the island with Lu Ye, Zhang Haiyun had already gotten married, and the two had never met before. Looking at her clear and firm eyes, she already had a good impression of her. She asked a few simple accounting questions, and Zhang Haiyun answered them fluently and clearly, which made her even more satisfied.
"Haiyun, I'm just starting out here, so the conditions might not be as comfortable as at the machine factory, and things will be quite complicated. Can you handle the hardship?" Jiang Suining asked finally.
Zhang Haiyun nodded vigorously, his tone filled with a desire and determination to break free from constraints: "Director Jiang, I'm young and not afraid of hardship! The machinery factory is stable, but it's like a stagnant pool; you can see the end from there. I want to follow you and do something real and promising!"
"Great!" Jiang Suining admired this kind of spirit. "Then welcome to 'Haifeng'! From now on, the company's accounting will be handled by you!"
Zhang Haiyun's arrival was like equipping Haifeng Trade with a precise and reliable compass as it rapidly progressed. Her professionalism and meticulousness quickly put the company's financial management on track, greatly reducing Jiang Suining's burden and allowing her to focus more on business expansion and strategic planning.
***
Jiang Suining's birthday is quietly approaching in the sweltering heat of July.
In the stillness of the night, Lu Ye looked at his sleeping wife's profile beside him, his gaze tenderly falling on the pearl bracelet on her slender wrist. It was a gift from him during their first year of marriage. Since starting the Haifeng Trading Company, his Sui Sui had taken out the bracelet and wore it every day. Now, the pearls on the bracelet had been rubbed until they were smooth and lustrous.
This idea wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing; he had been planning it for a long time. When he gave away the bracelet, he used up all the pearls he had saved up over seven or eight years. Now that he wanted to give away a pearl necklace, he had to collect them. Fortunately, he acted early and managed to collect some pearls of good quality, which he carefully stored in a wooden box.
Unable to sleep, he tiptoed out of bed, found the box, opened it, and spread the pearls out under the lamp. As he measured the length of the necklace he imagined, his brow furrowed slightly.
Not enough, there's still a lot to go, especially since the middle few pearls need to be slightly larger and have better luster as the main pearls. The pearls in the box are of different sizes and colors, making it difficult to string them into a perfect necklace.
To give his wife a satisfactory birthday gift, Lu Ye rode his old bicycle, spending several weekends and free afternoons traveling between various fishing villages on the island, specifically looking for old fishermen who had been fishing for generations and whose families might have some old goods or occasionally found good pearls.
Persistence pays off. He ran from the reef to Jinsha Village in the south and Wangfu Cliff in the west... He patiently asked each house, raising the price again and again.
Seeing their sincere attitude and fair prices, the villagers were willing to bring out their stock, and indeed, they received some beads. White, pink, and even a rare pale gold pearl, of varying sizes, but no matter how many were gathered, they were always missing a few crucial beads to make a full, round necklace, and those of excellent quality were extremely rare.
The number of pearls in the wooden box gradually increased, but Lu Ye's perfect necklace could not be completed. It seemed that relying on visits and collections would make it difficult to gather them before his birthday. So he decided to collect them while also doing it himself. Over the years, he had accumulated some experience in finding pearl oysters.
It is a bay located in the northeast corner of the island. The water conditions are complex and there are many undercurrents. Fishermen rarely go there. But because of this, there may still be rare shellfish that have not been frequently fished.
Under the blazing sun, the sea shimmered.
Lu Ye selected a spot with deep, dark water, dropped anchor, put on his diving gear, took a deep breath, and nimbly dived into the water.
The seawater instantly enveloped him, and all he could hear was his own powerful heartbeat and the sound of the flowing water. Sunlight shone through the sea, forming swaying beams of light that illuminated the world below. The colorful coral reefs resembled an underwater forest, with various small fish swimming among them.
He searched patiently, carefully identifying traces of pearl oysters in the crevices of the reefs and on the sandy seabed.
There are indeed more shellfish here than in the nearshore areas, but it is not easy to find varieties that can produce high-quality pearls. He dived again and again, trying to prolong his time underwater each time. His lungs ached from lack of oxygen, and his eyes were sore from searching in the salty seawater for so long.
Gradually, he began to make a harvest in the net, carefully placing several large pearl oysters with thick shells inside.
Before we knew it, the sky darkened. Thick clouds had gathered over the once clear sky, and the sea breeze began to pick up, whipping up white waves that lapped against the small sampan.
A storm is coming.
Lu Ye surfaced, wiped the seawater off his face, and frowned as he looked at the rapidly deteriorating weather.
Reason told him he should return immediately, but looking at the few uninspected, largest pearl oysters in the net, and thinking about his wife's upcoming birthday and the fact that he wouldn't have time to dive and search for them in the next few days, and then thinking about the necklace that was still missing a few key pearls, a stubbornness surged into his heart. He wanted to try one more time. Perhaps, the most crucial pearl was in the next dive.
The storm came very quickly, and large raindrops pelted down, instantly forming a curtain of rain. The sea became turbulent, and the small sampan was violently tossed about in the waves.
The sky was as dark as ink, and thunder rumbled through the clouds.
Lu Ye gritted his teeth and dived into the water again. Unlike the tranquil and beautiful underwater world before, the underwater world had become dark and turbulent, with chaotic and rapid currents that stirred up the mud and sand on the seabed, and visibility was rapidly decreasing.
He clung tightly to the rocks, resisting the pull of the current, struggling to open his eyes wide, searching in the dim light. The sound of rain hitting the sea surface came through the water, dull and rapid.
The danger was obvious, but he had only one thought in his mind: keep searching, keep searching!
Just then, a wave crashed in, and the sampan's anchor rope seemed to be pulled. A huge force dragged him deeper into the water. He choked on a mouthful of salty seawater, and his lungs burned. But he clung tightly to the shell and the net full of hope, and struggled to surface.
Back on the violently rocking sampan, he was almost completely exhausted.
The torrential rain stung his face, but he paid no heed. He eagerly drew his dagger and carefully pried open the pearl shell he had obtained in the storm.
The clam meat was pried open, revealing a warm and dazzling luster that instantly captured his attention, even under the gloomy sky.
It was a nearly perfectly round white pearl, larger than any he had collected before, with a lustrous sheen, as if it contained the essence of the moon and the sea, quietly radiating a noble and gentle glow in the dim light.
This is it!
Lu Ye held the pearl tightly in his palm. The cool touch made his heart burn. All the fatigue and adventure were rewarded a hundredfold at this moment.
He tilted his head back, letting the cold rain wash over his face, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
He carefully put away the pearl and all the catch in his net, then rowed hard, heading home through the wind and rain.
The last time I delivered the bracelets and earrings, it was to a covert agent posing as a silversmith. He has already been arrested, and now I need to find a craftsman who can make jewelry.
He asked his comrades-in-arms, the fishermen he knew, and almost everyone he could ask, but the island was isolated and professional jewelry craftsmen were few and far between.
That day, he came to the old street on the island with a try-it-out mentality and went into a general store that also repaired pots and pans and made keys.
The old craftsman was polishing a copper lock. After hearing Lu Ye's purpose, he pushed up his reading glasses and said slowly, "If you're looking for someone to make fine jewelry, it's probably hard to find one on this island. However," he paused and pointed to an inconspicuous corner at the end of the street, "there's an old man named Su over there who came from the south. I heard he used to be an apprentice in a gold and silver shop in a big city, but later, due to his bad class background, he was sent down here. He secretly takes on small jobs at home, and his skills are top-notch. He's just a quiet person who doesn't like to talk or show off."
Lu Ye's heart skipped a beat. He thanked the old man and followed his directions to the low, tiled house. After knocking for a while, an old man with gray hair, a thin build, and shrewd eyes opened the door and looked at him warily.
"Hello, Master Su," Lu Ye said humbly, explaining his purpose, "I would like to ask you to help me string a pearl necklace. I have prepared the pearls myself." He took out the carefully wrapped wooden box and opened it.
Master Su's gaze fell on the pearls, especially the large and round one in the middle. His eyes lit up for a moment, but he remained cautious: "I'm just an old man, how would I know how to make a necklace?"
Lu Ye noticed his concerns and said sincerely, "Master Su, I've inquired and know you have this skill. I just want to make a birthday gift for my family, nothing else. The labor fee is whatever it is, I won't make things difficult for you." He specifically emphasized "family" and "birthday gift".
Master Su sized up Lu Ye for a moment, seemingly moved by his sincerity, or perhaps itching to show off his skills, and finally stepped aside to let him into the house.
The room was simply furnished, but on the table by the window were some exquisite tools that Lu Ye couldn't name. Master Su picked up the pearls and examined them carefully one by one against the light, feeling their roundness and luster with his fingers, his expression focused and serious.
“The material is good, especially this one,” he pointed to the main bead, “It’s rare. How would you like it strung? A simple single strand? Or with some decorative spacers in the middle?”
Lu Ye knew nothing about jewelry, so he honestly said, "Master Su, you decide. Make it as beautiful as possible. I trust your craftsmanship. Just make sure it's sturdy, since she does a lot of work and I'm worried about it getting bumped or damaged."
Master Su nodded, asked no further questions, picked up his tools and gestured, seemingly already having an idea in mind. "Come back in five days to pick it up," he said, quoting a fair labor fee.
Having solved the necklace problem, Lu Ye remembered something else. He recalled that Jiang Suining had mentioned to him that she had read about it in a book before. She said that city people would eat something called a "birthday cake" on their birthdays. It was made with eggs and flour, and it was fragrant and soft, with decorations and words written on it.
At that time, her eyes revealed pure curiosity and longing, which Lu Ye always remembered.
He knew that a new cake shop had opened on the new street near the pier on the island! Several novel and beautifully shaped pastries were displayed in the glass counter; he heard they were cream cakes.
As Lu Ye entered the store, the rich aroma of eggs and milk wafted towards him. He stood in front of the counter and carefully examined the cakes. They looked simple, but their shapes were exactly as Jiang Suining had described.
After confirming that the maker of the cream cake was indeed the middle-aged chef in front of him, he smiled and asked, "Master, can you teach me how to make this cake?"
The shop owner was stunned, looking the tall, muscular man up and down: "Comrade, you want to make it yourself? That's quite a hassle. Kneading the dough, beating the eggs, decorating—we have all of that ready-made. Whichever one you like, I'll wrap it up for you."
Lu Ye shook his head, his tone firm: "No, Master, I want to do it myself. Teach me, I can pay the tuition, and I can also pay for the materials separately."
He displayed the tenacity of a soldier who wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal, using all his persuasive skills: "I just want my wife to eat a piece of cake that I made myself on her birthday."
The shop owner, exasperated by his persistence and seeing his sincere attitude, finally sighed and said, "Alright, alright, I appreciate your enthusiasm. But let's make it clear, I can't guarantee you'll be able to learn it! And you'll have to come during our less busy afternoon."
Lu Ye thanked him profusely, and in the following days, he would go into the greasy kitchen of the cake shop whenever he had free time.
His large hands, accustomed to wielding steel guns and skilled in hand-to-hand combat, appeared particularly clumsy when faced with soft batter and sticky cream.
He beat egg whites until his arm ached before he could barely whip up stiff foam; the piping bag was like a disobedient eel in his hands, squeezing out crooked and distorted patterns; controlling the oven temperature made him even more flustered, and the first batch of cake base almost turned into charcoal.
Despite his talent for cooking, he finally revealed his weakness in culinary skills.
The shop owner and chef watched from the side, shaking their heads, yet unable to resist offering pointers:
"Use your wrist, yes, but gently!"
"The temperature is too high, turn it down quickly!"
"Oops, I've squeezed out too much cream again!"
...
Lu Ye studied with exceptional seriousness, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead. If one attempt wasn't enough, he would repeat it twice. He poured all his energy into studying the tactical map into this small cake.
After a few days, although the cakes he made still weren't exactly exquisite, they were at least presentable, and the taste had been approved by his chef.
Jiang Suining noticed that Lu Ye seemed to be hiding something from her these days. He always said he was busy with work and had to work overtime, so he would either come home very late or not be home on weekends. If she didn't trust his character, she would have thought he was having an affair. Even so, she was still worried and tried to probe him indirectly, but he always changed the subject.
She expressed her doubts, but she was too busy with work to investigate further.
That evening, after finishing her work at the company, she returned home and the moment she opened the door, she smelled a sweet fragrance she had never experienced before.
The main lights weren't on in the room, and a few candles were lit on the dining table. In the flickering candlelight, she saw Lu Ye wearing an apron, looking at her somewhat nervously.
"This is...?" Jiang Suining's eyes widened in surprise, her heart racing for no apparent reason.
Lu Ye touched his nose a little embarrassedly: "Didn't you always want to eat birthday cake on your birthday? So, I... I learned how to make it. It doesn't look very good, so please don't mind it. Just eat it as is."
Jiang Suining looked at the cake, which was rough but full of clumsy love, and then at the flour smeared on her husband's nose and forehead, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She stepped forward, gently hugged him, her voice slightly choked with emotion: "It's beautiful, I love it, thank you."
At this moment, Lu Ye took out a flat, square wooden box from his pocket, opened it, and inside lay the pearl necklace. Each pearl was round and full, with a lustrous sheen, shimmering gently in the candlelight. The pearl in the middle was especially flawless. The silver clasp was small and sturdy, and the overall design was simple and elegant, perfectly highlighting the beauty of the pearl itself.
“This is…” Jiang Suining’s breath hitched.
"A necklace. I collected the pearls one by one and had them strung together by a reliable craftsman," Lu Ye said softly, picking up the necklace and carefully putting it on her.
The cool pearls rested on her warm skin, their weight not only representing the weight of the pearls, but also the weight of her husband's months of hard work and deep affection.
Jiang Suining looked down at the necklace on her chest, her fingers gently stroking the largest pearl, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, but her smile was incredibly happy and radiant: "Lu Ye, thank you. This is the best birthday gift I've ever received."
Seeing her touched expression, Lu Ye felt that all the running around, the adventures, and the chaos in the cake shop were worth it.
He cut a piece of cake and held it to her lips.
Jiang Suining took a bite. The cake base was soft and fluffy, with a rich egg aroma. The cream was sweet but not greasy. Although the piping technique needed improvement, the taste was surprisingly good, and it sweetened her heart.
"Is it good?" Lu Ye asked nervously.
"Mmm!" Jiang Suining nodded vigorously, then scooped out another spoonful and held it to his lips. "You eat too."
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the couple's figures nestled together, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of cake and the taste of happiness.
This birthday celebration lacked a grand banquet and the blessings of family and friends, yet it was filled with unique sentiments and readily available warmth. For Jiang Suining, this pearl necklace, a testament to her dedication and craftsmanship, and this simple yet sincere birthday cake, were the most romantic and precious declaration of love in this era.
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