Chapter 5: First Meeting

Su Qiao sympathized with Liu Xiuhua’s plight, but a night had passed, and there had been no news from the train police, leaving her helpless to do anything further.

“We really are fated to meet. I boarded the train at North County; what about you?”

“We boarded at Yang City.”

“Oh my, we really do have a connection. North County isn’t far from Yang City.” Thinking of the food Su Qiao had given her son, Gua Gua, Liu Xiuhua felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Even if they were just strangers, she knew that even her own mother wouldn’t dare to give Gua Gua such expensive snacks so openly in front of her sister-in-law.

“If I hadn’t met you, my little Gua Gua would have had to go hungry until we got home,” Liu Xiuhua said, affectionately stroking her son’s sparse hair.

Truth be told, Liu Xiuhua felt reluctant to call the woman opposite her “Auntie.” She looked far too young. If it weren’t for the fact that she had mentioned her daughter was an educated youth in her home brigade and that the young man beside her called her “Mom,” Liu Xiuhua would have insisted on calling her “Big Sister.”

Unaware of Liu Xiuhua’s inner musings, Su Qiao took another piece of sponge cake from her paper bag and handed it over.

“How can I accept this? These snacks are so precious.” Liu Xiuhua had heard her mother-in-law say that these cakes were made with pure white flour and soybean oil. It was said that even after a week, they remained fragrant and sweet.

“Take it. It’s fate that we met.”

…

Seeing his sister give such expensive treats to a stranger, Su Mu felt a pang of regret. Fang Xiaofeng felt the same way as his uncle; he hated to see them go, but since his mother had already given them away, he kept his peace and turned his gaze toward the train window, choosing to look away rather than dwell on it.

Su Qiao didn’t realize that Su Mu and Fang Xiaofeng were lamenting the loss of the cake. Su Mu clenching his teeth to stop himself from snatching them back was the greatest show of respect he could muster for his sister.

This wasn’t entirely Su Qiao’s fault. Having just arrived in this era, her mindset hadn’t yet adapted, and it was difficult for her to empathize with the locals regarding the value of money and food. What she saw as the most mundane of snacks was, in this era, a rare luxury—much like this sponge cake, which in her previous life was a common item that even those who weren’t particularly wealthy would overlook, existing now only in the memories of those who were nostalgic.

Liu Xiuhua was truly hungry; in the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation of the cake and reached out to take it. Su Qiao took the opportunity to inquire about the situation at the Xiangyang Brigade and the character of the Chen family.

By the time she learned from Liu Xiuhua that Chen’s mother was no pushover—a notorious local gossip—and that the eldest and second daughters-in-law were equally difficult, she grew even more worried for Fang Xiaoying. Fang Xiaoying wasn’t a weakling, but facing such troublesome people, she would be like a lone tiger outnumbered by a pack of wolves.

Su Qiao realized it, and so did Su Mu. “Sister, Xiaoying might be suffering.”

“Yes.”

Seeing Su Qiao suddenly fall silent, Liu Xiuhua looked at her in confusion. Since the other woman had been so open, Su Qiao decided to share a bit about herself.

“My surname is Su. I work in the main canteen of the Yang City Machinery Factory.”

Hearing this, Liu Xiuhua understood why they had such good food. In this era, being a permanent worker in the canteen of a state-owned factory meant a high salary and plenty of perks—a position many would go to great lengths to secure. If someone in her in-laws’ family worked in a canteen, she wouldn’t have had to take her son back to her maiden home during the lean season.

Liu Xiuhua wished they lived in Yang City; she would have clung to “Auntie Su” for dear life. Even the scraps falling from her fingers would be enough to keep her son half-fed. “What a pity,” she thought.

…

The morning seemed to slip away in an instant. Su Qiao checked the Shanghai-brand watch on her wrist.

“It’s almost eight. Let’s pack up!” Su Qiao said, pulling a one-yuan note from her pocket and handing it to Liu Xiuhua. “We’re in a hurry to get to the Hongqi Commune Health Center, so we can’t wait for you. You two should go ahead and take the transport back to the Xiangyang Brigade.”

Liu Xiuhua was confused—why were they going to the health center? Su Qiao was anxious to get off the train; she called out to Su Mu and Xiaofeng, and led the way toward the carriage door with her bag in hand.

Liu Xiuhua didn’t have a watch, but her experience told her, “Auntie Su, no need to rush. This train is always late.”

“Well, it’s better to be prepared.”

Sure enough, the train was delayed. By the time Su Qiao squeezed out of the station exit, gasping for air, she saw a tall figure standing beside a military-green jeep.

The man was backlit, making it impossible to see his features clearly, but his aura of decisive, cold authority made passersby instinctively keep their distance. Ye Ting was well-acquainted with the speed of trains in this era; delays were common. Just as he glanced toward the exit again, he saw a young woman with a large satchel walking toward him with long strides, followed by two men carrying bags.

The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, with hair cut to her ears, an oval face, and large almond eyes beneath dark, defined brows. She was tall and slender, with a healthy complexion; even in her plain blue clothes, her striking appearance was undeniable.

Ye Ting hadn’t expected that he would ever find his gaze lingering on a woman’s beauty. To mask his embarrassment, he cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth.

He watched as the woman arrived in a hurry and stopped before him, asking politely, “Excuse me, are you Regiment Commander Ye Ting? I am Chen Weimin’s mother-in-law, Su Qiao.”

Up close, Su Qiao could see the man’s sharp, cold features and the imposing, stern air of a soldier who had seen battle. When Ye Ting heard her identify herself, he found it hard to connect the beautiful woman before him with the title of Chen Weimin’s mother-in-law. However, he had seen enough of the world not to let such trifles bother him.

“Hello, Comrade Su Qiao. Where are we heading first?”

“To the Hongqi Commune Health Center.”

“Very well. Get in.”

Ye Ting spoke and took the front passenger seat, while Su Qiao sat in the back.