That was exactly what Ji Shuyu wanted to hear.
She smiled and nodded. “Director Wang, you’re too kind. Mutual benefit, of course. Please tend to your work first; I’ll look around a bit more.”
After she said this, Director Wang anxiously asked when the large shipment would arrive.
If the goods didn’t come soon, the stock he had on hand wouldn’t be enough to meet demand.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be here soon—probably in the next few days.”
Director Wang was eager and couldn’t wait to see the results.
Fortunately, the results did not disappoint him.
Hearing Ji Shuyu’s reply, Director Wang nodded repeatedly.
She walked into the supply and marketing cooperative, pretending to casually browse the goods on the shelves while actually observing the sales and customer reactions.
The new salesclerk was busy, but her skills weren’t yet fully polished. She occasionally fumbled a bit when giving change or fetching items.
Ji Shuyu took mental notes, thinking she could later suggest to Director Wang that some simple training on service phrases and procedures might improve efficiency.
Still, she felt this young woman was quite promising overall.
After she had looked around and gotten a general sense of things, she quietly left without disturbing anyone.
Not long after walking away from the cooperative, she saw Zhao Chunhua hurrying back, a look of urgency on her face.
“Oh, Shuyu, you’re still here! Thank goodness!”
Zhao Chunhua grabbed her arm, visibly relieved.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Did you forget something?” Ji Shuyu asked curiously.
“No, no.” Zhao Chunhua waved her hand, pulling Ji Shuyu aside to a less crowded spot and lowering her voice. “I was so excited about buying the fabric earlier that I almost forgot to tell you something important!”
Seeing her expression, Ji Shuyu felt a slight stir in her heart but maintained her composure. “Sister-in-law, what is it? Take your time.”
Zhao Chunhua leaned in closer, her voice dropping even further. “It’s about your husband, Commander He.”
Ji Shuyu’s earlier premonition grew stronger. She nodded, signaling for her to continue.
“I only heard about it from my Old Li the other day. He mentioned that there’s a new star performer in the cultural troupe, Lin Feifei. She’s quite pretty and sings beautifully. Rumor has it she might have some interest in your Commander He.”
As she spoke, Zhao Chunhua carefully watched Ji Shuyu’s reaction.
It wasn’t entirely surprising, given how handsome He Yuan was.
Ji Shuyu’s smile remained unchanged, but her mind was racing.
The cultural troupe? Lin Feifei? She had no recollection of this person.
There didn’t seem to be any memory of such a person in the original host’s mind either.
And He Yuan had never mentioned her.
“Oh? Is that so?” Ji Shuyu’s tone sounded calm, even slightly curious, as if she were listening to gossip about someone else. “He Yuan never told me.”
Seeing how composed Ji Shuyu was, Zhao Chunhua was somewhat surprised and even more convinced that the commander’s wife was no ordinary person.
She quickly added, “Well, we all know Commander He is an upright man! He’s been nothing but good to you! In the past, no matter how many women flocked around him, Commander He never paid them any mind. It’s just this Lin Feifei… she seems a bit different.”
“How so?”
“I heard she’s quite forward. She’s visited Commander He’s office several times, using rehearsals or delivering materials as excuses. She even had someone pass along performance tickets to him, but it seems Commander He never went.”
Zhao Chunhua spilled everything she knew.
“My Old Li said Commander He is completely unmoved, but that girl is just so persistent! And there’s already some gossip starting in the cultural troupe. When I heard, I thought you should know. We women need to be aware of these things, don’t you think?”
Ji Shuyu understood Zhao Chunhua’s good intentions.
She was worried that Ji Shuyu might be kept in the dark, and if the rumors reached her someday or if Lin Feifei did something even more inappropriate, she would be caught off guard.
“Sister-in-law, thank you so much for coming back to tell me this.” Ji Shuyu expressed her gratitude sincerely. Regardless of whether the information was useful, Zhao Chunhua’s kindness was rare.
“Ah, no need to thank me! We’re all military families—we should look out for each other. I can see you’re a sensible person, not like before…” Zhao Chunhua stopped mid-sentence, suddenly looking awkward.
She had been about to say “not like before, when I heard you were difficult and caused scenes,” but she quickly remembered those were things of the past. The Ji Shuyu standing before her now was completely different from the one she’d heard about.
Ji Shuyu smiled understandingly, saving her the embarrassment. “I was immature before and gave everyone quite a show. But life has to move forward. Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’m aware of the situation now.”
She paused, her tone still calm.
“I believe He Yuan can handle it. If he can’t, then I’ll have a talk with him.”
She trusted He Yuan’s character. As for that female comrade…
If she made a big deal out of it now, she would only be looked down upon.
No need to move unless the enemy moves.
She said the last two words lightly, but it gave Zhao Chunhua a vague feeling that if Commander He really did need “a talk,” the consequences might be quite serious.
At the same time, she admired Ji Shuyu’s composure and magnanimity. City folk were indeed different—even their words carried a hint of casual sharpness.
“Right, right! That’s the way to handle it! Commander He surely knows what he’s doing!” Zhao Chunhua quickly agreed. “Well, I’ve passed on the message. Don’t take it too much to heart—it might just be a young girl’s momentary infatuation. I need to hurry home now to cook for the little ones!”
“Alright, Sister-in-law, take care on your way back.” Ji Shuyu smiled as she saw Zhao Chunhua off.
Only after Zhao Chunhua had walked away did Ji Shuyu’s smile gradually fade, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.
After spending these days together, she had seen He Yuan’s sense of responsibility and character firsthand.
He wasn’t the type to engage in ambiguity or be easily tempted.
But trust didn’t mean being completely passive.
Especially in situations where the other party was actively pursuing him, if not handled properly, it could easily lead to trouble, damaging He Yuan’s reputation and causing her unnecessary stress.
“Lin Feifei…” Ji Shuyu murmured the name softly, a slight curve forming at the corner of her mouth.
It seemed she needed to find an opportunity to learn a bit more about this enthusiastic female comrade.
Not to make a scene, but to be fully informed.
Along the way, she could also see just what Comrade He Yuan’s attitude and approach to this matter were.
The man belonging to Ji Shuyu wasn’t someone just anyone could casually set their sights on.
Of course, the prerequisite was to use clever methods—making her stance clear without losing her grace.
And most importantly, without affecting the trust and tacit understanding they had only recently begun to build.
Thinking this, she already had a preliminary plan in mind.
When she returned to her second sister-in-law Su Wenjuan’s home, she happened to run into He Yuan, who had come to deliver some things to her.
The tall man was squatting by the staircase, looking rather pitiful.
“Wife, where did you go?” Seeing Ji Shuyu, He Yuan quickly stood up.
“Do I need to report to you about where I go?” Ji Shuyu glanced at him.
He Yuan quickly shook his head. “No, I was just worried you might get hurt outside…”
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