Shen Xuyue contacted his older brother, informing him of their mother's stance and asking who he had told about his relationship. Unexpectedly yet predictably, it was Wu Jie. This woman kept writing to Shen Qixue, who finally had to tell her he already had a girlfriend. Wu Jie, however, persisted, insisting on knowing more. Neither Shen Xuyue nor Shen Fuyu had told him about Wu Jie's outrageous behavior, so he was caught off guard and confided in her, leading to the subsequent events.
Zhao Mingyue thought Wu Jie was utterly shameless, the best gossipmonger in the world, and yet she lived a remarkably comfortable life. Was it truly a case of "the more shameless, the more invincible"? There was no other way but to take things one step at a time.
Since the incident at the Shen family's house, Shen Xuyue has never mentioned inviting Zhao Mingyue to his home. He couldn't bear to let her suffer his mother's coldness and harassment.
Shen Xuyue started visiting Zhao Mingyue even more frequently. Whenever he had free time, he would come over to study with her. However, it was obvious that he didn't have as much free time as before. His translation work took up a lot of his spare time, and this required a lot of professional materials, so when he got busy, he simply couldn't leave his post.
Zhao Mingyue knew he was busy with important matters and didn't mind. On weekends, when she had free time, she would even go to Tsinghua University to keep Shen Xuyue company while he worked. Shen Xuyue would be in his dorm room, engrossed in a thick dictionary, researching information, while she would read her own book beside him. Occasionally, they would glance at each other during breaks in their busy work, then return to their own tasks. This way of spending time together was a rare and fulfilling experience.
Shen Xuyue's roommates were incredibly envious. Having such a beautiful woman by his side gave them boundless energy for everything they did, but these were things they could only envy.
Shen Xuyue's hard work paid off. On Zhao Mingyue's birthday, he gave her a quartz watch, made in Japan. Upon receiving the gift, Zhao Mingyue exclaimed in surprise, "This must be so expensive!" Quartz watches were definitely a luxury item these days, costing at least a hundred yuan. Anyone who could afford a watch was absolutely wealthy.
Shen Xuyue smiled and said, "It's alright. This is what I earned from translation work; I bought it with my own money. Do you like it?"
Zhao Mingyue nodded vigorously: "Yes, I like it, I like it very much." She had owned many exquisite mechanical watches, but none of them were as meaningful as this one.
Shen Xuyue slipped the watch onto Zhao Mingyue's left wrist, touched the face, and said, "From now on, you won't have to ask others for the time." Being able to afford a watch as a gift is a very fulfilling thing for a man.
Zhao Mingyue said, "But I don't have anything to give you."
“No need to send it, I have a watch.” Shen Xuyue showed Zhao Mingyue the watch on his wrist. It was a rather old mechanical watch that needed to be wound to run. “This watch needs to be adjusted frequently. I heard that quartz watches are very accurate and don’t need to be adjusted or wound, which is very convenient.”
Zhao Mingyue laughed: "From now on, you'll be keeping track of the time with me."
"Okay, from now on we'll follow the Party organization's orders and fight wherever they tell us to," Shen Xuyue said with a smile.
These days, there's a popular saying about flaunting wealth: "Wearing leather shoes on the main road, gold teeth and a wide smile, wearing a watch and holding three armbands." Leather shoes, gold teeth, and watches are all symbols of wealth. Zhao Mingyue's watch caused a sensation among her classmates. She was the first girl in the class to wear a watch. The small and exquisite watch was passed around among everyone, who praised it and were also astonished by its price. A quartz watch cost 150 yuan, which was far too extravagant for a group of college students with no income. With a monthly stipend of 16 yuan, they would have to save almost a year's worth of food and drink to afford such a watch, so you can imagine how luxurious Zhao Mingyue's watch was.
Zhao Mingyue also felt it was a bit extravagant, but it was Shen Xuyue's intention and his determination, so of course she wouldn't blame him; she was overjoyed. Everyone has vanity, and for one's partner to be willing to spend such a large sum of money on a watch is something to be very proud of.
Everyone said with envy, "Xiao Zhao, Shen Xuyue really treats you well, he's so willing to spend money on you."
Zhao Mingyue laughed happily: "Yes, I didn't expect it either. The first thing he did after earning his royalties was to buy me a watch. I thought it was so expensive."
“What’s so expensive about it? Nothing is more valuable than the sentiment behind it. Besides, it’s his own money, so I think it’s great and very meaningful,” Gao Dongfang said.
"that is."
Li Chunmei said, "If someone worked as hard as me to earn money and bought me a watch, I would be so moved that I would repay them with my life."
Everyone laughed. Qian Sisheng said, "I'll pass this on to Wang Xingkai." Li Chunmei and Wang Xingkai had been openly dating for a long time. After their initial surprise, the girls in the dormitory were a little worried that she would be deceived by Wang Xingkai, that playboy. However, it seemed that half a year had passed, and Wang Xingkai and Li Chunmei were still dating. Everyone was secretly amazed. Could it be that the playboy had settled down and been tamed by Li Chunmei?
Li Chunmei said, "No way, he's a coward, he can't earn a single penny."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "You mustn't say that to his face. Men need to be praised; they care about their image. If he doesn't know how to make money, he can save it. He spends quite a bit on you all the time; if he saved that, he could buy a watch."
"I don't think he's as thoughtful as your old Shen. He probably doesn't care about spending a few dollars normally, but if you ask him to spend a hundred or two, he'll probably be heartbroken," Li Chunmei said with a smile.
But soon after, everyone noticed that Li Chunmei also had a small and exquisite quartz watch on her wrist. The girls in the dormitory passed it around for a look, and Tang Weihua asked, "Did Wang Xingkai buy it for you?"
Li Chunmei smiled but didn't answer. Qian Sisheng said, "Could it be that she really offered herself to him?"
Li Chunmei snorted: "It's not that easy. Even if you offer yourself to me, it can only be after we're married. You can't just take advantage of someone like that."
Tang Weihua gave a thumbs up: "That's how it should be. Men should be kept in suspense. Don't feed them all at once and then they'll run away. Make them put in more effort so they'll learn to cherish what they have."
Her words made all the girls in the dormitory blush. Gao Dongfang chuckled and said, "We have benefited a lot from having you, Big Sister."
In the entire dormitory, Mao Jianlan was the quietest. As always, she sat and did her own thing, not participating in the conversation. Zhao Mingyue noticed that Mao Jianlan had become unusually quiet lately, and didn't confide in her like before. She knew it was probably because of Shen Qixue, and she had never urged her. As long as Mao Jianlan wanted to talk, she was happy to be a quiet listener. If Mao Jianlan didn't want to talk, she wouldn't be a gossipy old woman.
Final exams were approaching, and everyone was starting to study. Shen Xuyue was very busy, preparing for his final exams and translating articles. He could only visit Zhao Mingyue on Wednesday evenings, while Zhao Mingyue would go to Shen Xuyue's place to study on Sundays. The two met twice a week, spending the rest of their time exchanging letters. Their correspondence was frequent, and the letters had accumulated into a thick stack. Zhao Mingyue kept them in a wooden box, and whenever she missed Shen Xuyue, she would take out the letters and read them.
That evening, after everyone had eaten dinner and gone to the library to study, Zhao Mingyue finished getting hot water and prepared to head to the library with her backpack. Mao Jianlan called out to her, "Little Zhao, are you free? Can you chat with me for a bit?"
Zhao Mingyue looked at her and said, "Okay."
Mao Jianlan said, "Let's go outside."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."
It's already freezing cold, and we can't stay outside at night anymore. Mao Jianlan was very thoughtful. She led Zhao Mingyue to the school cafeteria, where a small window was still open at night, lit by a warm yellow light, waiting for students who wanted to eat late-night snacks to come and buy things like steamed buns and fried dough sticks.
Mao Jianlan bought two bowls of hot rice noodle soup and steamed buns, and sat with Zhao Mingyue in a corner of the cafeteria. With hot food and sheltered from the wind, they wouldn't be cold.
Zhao Mingyue said, "You don't need to spend any money, I've already eaten. I'm not hungry."
Mao Jianlan smiled and said, "It's been a long time since we've talked. I'm sorry to have taken up your time today."
"Say whatever you want. You can talk to me anytime, don't be shy."
Mao Jianlan smoothed her temples, then took something out of her pocket and handed it to Zhao Mingyue. Zhao Mingyue saw that it was a silver women's quartz watch. She looked at Mao Jianlan, who smiled somewhat awkwardly: "This watch was sent to me by Shen Xuyue's older brother."
Zhao Mingyue realized that such a valuable item must be a token of their love: "Big brother, you're dating, right?"
Mao Jianlan lowered her head and gave a barely audible "hmm." After a long while, she raised her head and said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Zhao, I haven't told you about this. I really didn't know how to bring it up."
"What does it matter? Just say what you want to say," Zhao Mingyue said with a smile. No one needs to report their relationship to others.
Mao Jianlan lowered her head again, holding the steaming bowl of soup in her hands: "We've been in contact for a long time, you should know that. We started contacting each other after we came back from the Great Wall. We get along quite well. He knows a lot, and he's witty and humorous. It's very interesting to correspond with him. Actually, I like him too. At the end of last semester, he wrote in a letter that he hoped to start a romantic relationship with me. I said I needed to think about it, and then during the summer vacation, I replied to him and said I agreed to his request."
Zhao Mingyue nodded, understanding. Since they had talked for so long, it must be based on mutual understanding. "I haven't had much contact with my brother, but I know he's a reliable person. The fact that you get along well with him means you two are compatible. I wish you all the best."
Mao Jianlan said, “I trust Qi Xue’s character. But I know there’s still a big gap between us. My family’s circumstances are very bad. I have two older brothers, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. I was able to go to university purely by luck. I didn’t even finish junior high school because my family was so poor. But I love reading and I wasn’t willing to accept my fate, so I persisted in self-study. Luckily, the policy changed, and I took advantage of that to get into university. My family couldn’t even afford enough to eat. It was something I never even dared to dream of.” As she spoke, she covered her face with her hand and sighed deeply.
Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, no wonder he worked so hard to make money, almost risking his life. Mao Jianlan continued, "I never thought I would fall in love in college. My only thought was to be able to finish my studies smoothly and not go hungry. That would be the greatest fortune. I owe you so much for meeting Qixue. Thank you. But I'm worried that things won't last between us."
"Why do you say that?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
Mao Jianlan said bitterly, "The gap between us is too big. It's like the difference between heaven and earth. If I stay with him, I'm afraid I'll only hold him back. I'm afraid I'll delay him. So please give this watch to his family or to him. I want to end things before our feelings for each other become too deep, so that I won't suffer more in the future."
Zhao Mingyue looked at Mao Jianlan in shock: "Jianlan, how could you think like that? How could you possibly hold him back? After you graduate, you'll also be a teacher. There's nothing about you that's unworthy of him. Since you love him, you should love him bravely. Why do you care about these conditions?" In her previous life, she felt that she wasn't good enough for Shen Xuyue, but later, she found that she could be completely on par with him. Who can predict the future?
Mao Jianlan lowered her eyes and shook her head. Zhao Mingyue couldn't see the emotions in her eyes, but she could guess how upset she was: "I may not be a burden, but I absolutely cannot help him. He will have a better future and will be able to find a more suitable woman."
Zhao Mingyue said seriously, "You've already written to him and told him you want to break up with him?"
Mao Jianlan nodded and reached out to grab her schoolbag.
Zhao Mingyue noticed this detail and asked, "Has the letter been mailed?"
Mao Jianlan hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "Not yet."
Zhao Mingyue asked, "Tell me honestly, has someone contacted you?"
Mao Jianlan looked up at Zhao Mingyue, somewhat surprised, and said, "How did you know?"
"No one is looking for you. Why are you suddenly having this thought? Didn't you already know the gap between you and him before you agreed to establish a relationship with him? Who is looking for you, Shen Xuyue's mother?"
Mao Jianlan lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Jianlan, say something! His mother's words are really harsh. But you can't just unilaterally end your relationship like this. Your brother doesn't even know about this. He's full of enthusiasm, and you've poured cold water on him because his mother opposes your relationship. He's far away in the south and can't come back, leaving you to face his difficult mother alone. How do you expect him to feel? How much of a blow to his pride as a man must be."
Mao Jianlan suddenly sobbed, "I didn't know things would turn out like this. His mother's words were so awful. The thought of having to deal with an elder like that in the future gives me the creeps. I met her once, and I couldn't stand it. How could you stand it?"
Zhao Mingyue also fell silent. How could she bear it? She had only lived a few decades longer, seen more difficult people, and endured more painful torment. But Mao Jianlan was just a 20-year-old girl. Even if she had suffered so much, she certainly had never seen such evil in human nature.
Zhao Mingyue reached out and touched Mao Jianlan's shoulder: "I'm sorry, Jianlan. I think it's definitely because of me that she's taking her anger out on you. Xu Yue's mother looks down on rural people, and she doesn't like me to begin with. You're my classmate, so she thinks I'm up to something and that I'm deliberately conspiring with you to get back at her. This old lady is completely unreasonable. I haven't been to her house for the past few months because I really don't want to see her hysterical state."
Mao Jianlan's eyes filled with tears. She sobbed, and then two tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping into the soup in front of her. She was grateful that she had met a good man. Shen Qixue was so outstanding, yet his life ended so sadly.
Zhao Mingyue took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears: "Jianlan, don't cry, don't be sad. I'm really sorry."
Mao Jianlan shook her head, took the handkerchief, covered her mouth and nose, and cried even harder. Zhao Mingyue could only put her arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
After a long while, Mao Jianlan finally calmed down a bit, and Zhao Mingyue said, "Do you want to hear how I deal with his mother?"
Mao Jianlan remained silent. Zhao Mingyue continued, "Actually, most of his family members are very good. His father and eldest sister are both very reasonable. Only his mother is unreasonable. She's very concerned about her image, vain, and hopes her children will marry well. But because of fate, his eldest sister married into a rural family. Shen Xuyue and I met in the countryside. These things are beyond her control; by the time she saw them, it was already a done deal. In fact, she even wanted to break me up with Xuyue, but Xuyue's attitude was very firm. He's already argued with his mother several times because of me. He told me not to pay attention to his mother, to let her words go in one ear and out the other. I'm a thick-skinned person, so I just endured it. If you want to be with Brother Shen, the only way to deal with his mother is to endure it; there's no other way."
Mao Jianlan sniffed, but still didn't say anything.
Zhao Mingyue continued, "Brother Shen is the only one in the family who hasn't settled down yet. He's already over thirty, and he stayed back for quite a while last time, mainly to go on blind dates. His mother, in order to find a daughter-in-law of equal social standing, doesn't care about a girl's looks, personality, education, character, intelligence, etc. As long as the family background is similar, she'll bring them all to introduce to Brother Shen. I heard from Xuyue that Brother Shen has met at least a row of girls, but he hasn't found one he likes. I came back from his house during the Lantern Festival and happened to run into you. Brother Shen seemed to have a good impression of you, and Xuyue didn't think too much about it, so he found an opportunity for his brother to meet you. Later, his mother found out from others that you two were dating. It was during Xuyue's father's birthday party that she scolded Xuyue and me, saying that we were conspiring to get back at her. I've been worried ever since, but I didn't expect her to still come looking for you. I'm sorry, Jianlan, if it weren't for me, she wouldn't have made things so difficult for you."
Mao Jianlan shook her head: "If it weren't for you, how could I have met Shen Qixue? It's not your fault, Xiao Zhao, really, his mother hates me, it's definitely not because of you."
Zhao Mingyue sighed: "What did his mother say to you?"
“She said she didn’t want me to be with Qixue. I come from a humble background and won’t be able to help him in the future. I’ll only hinder his future. He should find a girl from a similar social class so that his future in-laws can also help him out,” Mao Jianlan said calmly.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Why don't you ask Shen Qixue about his attitude? Does he want a bright future or a like-minded wife? Besides, if he were with you, he might still have a promising future."
Mao Jianlan shook her head: "I don't want to force him to make a choice. His mother also said that if I don't break up with him, when I graduate, she will write to the school and ask them to assign me back to my hometown or the border region. I still won't be able to be with him."
Zhao Mingyue chuckled: "She said the same thing to me before. She had no other choice but to break up the couple."
Mao Jianlan looked at Zhao Mingyue: "What if we really can't get them together? What will you do then?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "Let me ask you, will you be able to be assigned to the same unit as Brother Shen in the future? He's in the army, so even if you're assigned to Beijing, you'll still be separated by distance."
Mao Jianlan said, "My original plan was that after I graduated, it would be best if I could stay in Beijing, since his home is also in Beijing, and he would come back to Beijing whenever he had a holiday. If I couldn't stay in Beijing, I would apply to go to Zhanjiang to be closer to him."
Zhao Mingyue laughed: "This is actually quite similar to going back to your hometown."
Mao Jianlan rubbed her forehead: "I'm afraid I'll be assigned to the border region. It's such a remote place, I won't be home, and I'll be far away from him. The chances of us being together will be almost zero. Judging from his mother's appearance, she really is capable of doing something like that. My family has been hoping for me to succeed. If I'm assigned to the border region, I won't be able to take care of either of us. What am I supposed to do?"
Zhao Mingyue sighed. This worry was not unfounded. These college students in education programs who received government subsidies were indeed required to obey government assignments. The real fear was that Shen's mother would be unreasonable and resort to underhanded tactics behind their backs. Mao Jianlan was not herself; she absolutely did not have the courage to resign and start her own business. The family had finally managed to have someone who held a government job—they were the pride and hope of the whole family, and how could they bear to give that up so easily?
Zhao Mingyue said, "I think you shouldn't tell him about the breakup in the letter. He'll go crazy if he gets it. Has he said when he'll be back?"
Mao Jianlan looked at the now-cold rice noodle soup: "He said he can only come back next spring, and he can only visit relatives once a year."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Then you can discuss it in person when he comes back next spring. It won't be long. Keep this watch." She put the watch back in Mao Jianlan's hand.
Mao Jianlan held the watch, slowly stroking it with her fingers. She had only had this valuable item for a few days and couldn't bear to wear it yet. Before she could even fully process her joy, it was shattered by Shen's mother. "What if his mother comes looking for me again?"
“Tell her that you should talk to Brother Shen in person about this. Exaggerate a bit about how you care about Brother Shen’s feelings and thoughts, and say that you’re worried about damaging his confidence and self-esteem if you bring up breaking up in the letter. No matter how much his mother dislikes us, she still loves her son and shouldn’t pressure you,” Zhao Mingyue said.
Mao Jianlan looked at Zhao Mingyue and nodded: "Thank you, Xiao Zhao."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Actually, I really hope we can be sisters-in-law, then there won't be so many conflicts between us. But...sigh!"
Mao Jianlan sighed and remained silent.
Zhao Mingyue guessed that Mao Jianlan wouldn't bring up breaking up with Shen Qixue again for the time being, but her worries couldn't be dispelled. She didn't know what the future held for the two of them, and she truly didn't want anyone to get hurt. Actually, Shen's mother was also a very sad and pitiful old lady, but she really didn't mean to target her. She had never even considered introducing any of her classmates to Shen Qixue, but fate had still brought them together, and she didn't know where it would lead.
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