After a few minutes of chatting with Father Ji, the family sat down to eat.
The meal was exceptionally abundant. Nine dishes and one soup. There was a variety of seafood, plus a roast goose and a white-cut chicken. The soup was a seafood mushroom soup popular on the island.
All in all, Yun Su was thoroughly satisfied with this meal.
While eating, Yun Su discreetly observed the dining habits of the two elders—what they liked to eat, their table manners.
She believed that a person’s behavior at the table said a lot about their character.
From her observations, she once again concluded that Father Ji and Mother Ji were very orderly people.
Of course, perhaps because they were a doctor’s family, every corner of the house was very clean. Since they didn’t have time to clean, she heard the hospital would send people over to help tidy up.
So… the conditions were pretty good. It wasn’t that Yun Su was lazy; she just didn’t want to spend all day cleaning after getting married. She didn’t do that kind of work at her own home, and she didn’t want to do it at her in-laws’.
From what she’d seen so far, Yun Su knew her days here would be quite easy.
That was good.
—
After the meal, they naturally started chatting.
Father Ji and Mother Ji asked about Yun Su’s family situation, and she answered each question. Then, naturally, the conversation turned to the one person they all had in common—Ji Xiangtian.
After sharing some amusing stories from his childhood, Father Ji and Mother Ji’s expressions suddenly turned serious.
Seeing this, Yun Su realized that the next topic was the main event.
“You two first met in the sea, didn’t you?”
Yun Su nodded, immediately recalling that experience in the ocean. That land-loving duck, Ji Xiangtian. She seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.
Ji Xiangtian’s expression grew tense. He reached out and tightly grasped Yun Su’s hand.
This was the first time since she’d arrived that he had shown such intimacy in front of his parents.
But instead of feeling happy, Yun Su sensed that she was about to hear something painful for him.
Sure enough, the next moment Mother Ji sighed deeply and said, “Xiao Tian doesn’t know how to swim. To be precise, after the age of five, Xiao Tian couldn’t swim.”
Yun Su immediately sat up straighter, her eyes widening.
Mother Ji continued, as if she hadn’t noticed: “We struggled with how to tell you this. But after deciding to invite you to our home, we wanted to take this face-to-face opportunity to share this with you. Xiao Tian probably still doesn’t know how to bring it up himself.”
Hearing this, Yun Su felt the hand holding hers become slightly painful.
So this explained why, when she’d spent time with Ji Xiangtian recently, he sometimes showed flashes of pain and struggle.
“During summer break when he was five, his aunt took him to the Summer Palace to go boating with her boyfriend at the time. But when they got there, the boyfriend wanted to break up with her. And then…”
At the mention of the Summer Palace, boating, a breakup, and the fact that Ji Xiangtian had gone from being able to swim to not being able to swim—
A guess was on the tip of Yun Su’s tongue.
Could it be…
Mother Ji, as if reading her thoughts, nodded painfully.
“His aunt refused to accept the breakup and threatened to jump into the lake. The boyfriend thought it was just an empty threat and left. Then… then his aunt jumped in, holding Xiao Tian…”
Yun Su was furious upon hearing this.
Breaking up and threatening suicide? What kind of person does that?
Besides, if you want to kill yourself, at least put the child down first! Why drag a child into it?
At this moment, the hand holding hers was trembling slightly. This showed how deeply the childhood trauma had affected him.
Yun Su no longer cared that Father Ji and Mother Ji were present. She turned around and pulled Ji Xiangtian into her arms. One arm held him tightly while the other patted his back.
In this moment, this man was no longer the strong, capable Ji Xiangtian. He was a little boy who needed to be rescued.
Time seemed to stand still. The spacious living room gradually fell silent, save for the ticking of the wall clock, dutifully marking the seconds.
The man in her arms did not cry. He simply hugged her back tightly. After an unknown amount of time, he seemed to draw enough strength from her. Then he spoke. His voice was a little hoarse, but steady. His emotions seemed to have settled.
Having confirmed this, Yun Su finally looked into his eyes.
Those eyes still held their usual brightness. But there seemed to be something more now, making them especially radiant.
“I’ll tell you the rest. I’ve forgotten many details. But I still remember that suffocating feeling, and the heavy grip of my aunt’s hand pressing down on my shoulder.”
Hearing this, Yun Su grew even angrier.
Jumping into a lake while holding a child—and pressing the child down so they couldn’t get up? Was she trying to drown herself or murder the child?!
“I was rescued by a kind person and taken to the hospital. After I recovered, I found I couldn’t swim anymore. I was also terrified of large bodies of water.”
No wonder that day in the sea—even though Ji Xiangtian hadn’t been submerged for long, he had still lost consciousness.
“After that, my parents heard that there was a psychiatrist in Guangzhou who had studied abroad and could treat such phobias. Around the same time, the Guangzhou Military Region needed personnel. So my parents took me and left Beijing for Guangzhou. By the time I started elementary school, my fear of water was cured. The only thing was that my ability to swim never came back.”
At this point, Ji Xiangtian seemed a little wistful: “Before the accident, I had just learned to swim and absolutely loved it. We had lots of photos from that time. But after the accident, my mother hid them away. All these years, she and my father have regretted it—regretted that they were too busy with work back then and let that woman take me out.”
As she listened to Ji Xiangtian speak, Yun Su kept her eyes on his, making sure these were his true feelings. Once she was certain, some of the tension in her chest eased.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while, but I never found the right moment. I was afraid you might look down on me for it.”
Yun Su lightly tapped the man’s shoulder: “Why would I look down on you for that? So what if you can’t swim? I grew up by the sea, and my swimming skills are very average. It’s not like we’re going out to sea to fish. What’s there to be afraid of?”
As she said this, however, Yun Su suddenly remembered the cause of Ji Xiangtian’s death in the original novel.
She had skipped many chapters of that book, but in the chapters she had read, one had described in detail how Ji Xiangtian died.
He had drowned. But not on the day the two met. He had died during a major typhoon in June of the following year. But now everything was different. Yun Su would not allow his future to end so tragically.
In the book, his death had been a stepping stone for the female lead’s fame.
But that was a matter for later. The immediate priority was to find out exactly what had happened back then.
“What about that woman? Wasn’t she punished at all?”
Ji Xiangtian heard the anger in Yun Su’s voice when she said “that woman”—referring to his aunt.
It felt good to have his partner defend him. It made him more relaxed.
“When the accident happened, she was the first one rescued. Because she was an adult, splashing around loudly in the lake. After a kind person pulled her out, it took her a while to remember that I was still in the water. I heard that by the time they fished me out, my face was already blue. The fact that I could be revived and be alive and kicking today—it was just sheer luck.”
“As for that woman, after such a huge incident, my parents didn’t care that she had a fever from almost drowning. They beat her soundly. Then they cut ties with her completely.”
Of course, because there were other relatives involved, who took a more moderate stance, my parents ended up having conflicts with them as well.
So even without the expert in Guangzhou that brought their family south, their relationship with those relatives could never return to what it once was.
Hearing that she had been beaten and cut off, Yun Su felt slightly relieved. But still—that woman was too evil. Yun Su decided to add her name to her little blacklist.
Someday, if the opportunity presented itself, she would get revenge.
She was just that petty!
There were now four people on her list. The first was Hu Chunhua, the second was Yun Feng, the third was Hu Daqiang, and the fourth was that woman.
The two leaned their foreheads together and talked for a while longer. Then they realized how quiet the living room had become. They looked up and saw that Father Ji and Mother Ji had left the room at some point, giving them space.
Seeing this, Yun Su thought to herself how considerant the two elders were.
With the elders absent, the atmosphere was just right. They had just opened their hearts to each other.
Naturally, they embraced. Their lips, as if drawn by magnetism, met.
—
They lingered in the living room for a long time, their faces flushed, before finally opening the door, hand in hand. Outside, Father Ji and Mother Ji were drinking tea under the eaves. When they saw the two come out and noticed their expressions, they understood that everything had been settled. The two elders smiled with relief.
The guilt that had long weighed on their hearts seemed to lighten a little.
The four returned inside and sat down. Then Mother Ji brought out a gift she had prepared earlier.
“This is from Xiao Tian’s father and me. Open it and see if you like it.”
Before her was a velvet box, about the size of A4 paper. It was clearly something valuable—most likely jewelry.
Yun Su didn’t put on a show of false modesty, saying she didn’t want it. Instead, she took it and opened it. Inside was a beautiful set of gold and ruby jewelry—a necklace, earrings, a ring, and a bracelet.
They had clearly consulted Ji Xiangtian, knowing that she liked that color combination.
“This was bought at the Friendship Store. The craftsmanship is that of an old master craftsman. Even though it’s not convenient to wear these things out nowadays, these are necessary. This set is a welcome gift for you.”
Yun Su nodded, closed the box, and handed it to Ji Xiangtian to hold for her.
Seeing that Yun Su had accepted the gift, Father Ji and Mother Ji exchanged smiles. They both appreciated her straightforwardness.
“Regarding the engagement, we plan to visit your home next week to formally propose and discuss the arrangements for the engagement and the wedding with your parents.”
Yun Su nodded. Her parents felt the same way.
Since she and Ji Xiangtian had both decided to walk through life together, these necessary matters should be set in motion. It was nearly August. They would have to wait until the fishing moratorium at the end of the year before things slowed down. Then her family would have the energy to prepare for the wedding.
—
“I wonder how Su Su is doing?”
After lunch at Second Uncle’s house, Yun Su’s mother called the family home. They didn’t linger there either—they were worried that First Uncle’s family might come over to curry favor.
The family went home, tidied up a bit, and then headed together to the distribution outlet to mind the store.
It was only then that Yun Su’s mother thought about how her daughter was doing.
Yun Su’s father shrugged: “Don’t overthink it. Xiao Ji seems like a good man. His parents can’t be much different. Look at us—we’re pretty good. And all three of our kids are good kids too.”
It was unclear whether he was praising the kids or himself. Yun Su’s mother shot him a dirty look: “But what about the neighbors? I heard those people in the family compound love to gossip. Even Yun Feng, with her thick skin, came back looking pale after one visit.”
“Our Su Su is different from Yun Feng. That girl has gone astray. She didn’t learn anything good from Second Brother—just how to put on a show.”
Yun Huaimin heard his father’s nonchalant tone and snorted: “Dad, if I ever get the chance, I’m definitely going to make Yun Feng pay. Don’t you dare give me that ‘you’re cousins’ talk…”
Thinking back to how he used to think Yun Feng was a good person, Yun Huaimin felt ashamed.
It wasn’t that he had ever enjoyed hanging out with his cousin. She just always came over to help with chores. He hadn’t thought much of it back then. Who would have imagined that someone would go to such lengths just to build a reputation?
And now, Yun Feng’s schemes were becoming more and more obvious. Even if he were a block of wood, he would have caught on by now.
Fu Zai, being more impulsive, blurted out: “Why don’t we just sack her?”
All three adults glared at him.
Fu Zai yelped in response.
“Are you open?”
Hu Chunhua’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. Yun Su’s mother looked over and thought to herself—another one who’d gone astray.
“What do you want?”
Hu Chunhua pulled Li Hong inside: “A box of matches. We’re out at home.”
Yun Su’s mother took out a box, took the money and coupons, and was about to send them on their way. She really couldn’t stand the sight of these people.
But Hu Chunhua took the matches and didn’t leave. Instead, she asked directly: “Auntie Ma, are there any spots left at the drying ground? My sister-in-law wants to go out to work.”
“If you want a job, go ask the brigade captain. Don’t come here yapping.”
Yun Su’s mother was blunt and rude, chasing them out.
Once outside, Hu Chunhua looked a little displeased: “Sister-in-law, I told you. If you want to ask about jobs, go to the brigade captain. Don’t look for Ma Ailan. She might look decent, but she’s fierce.”
Li Hong smiled: “But I heard she’s related to the brigade captain and has some authority at the drying ground.”
They walked and talked, and indeed went off to ask the brigade captain.
—
Yun Su returned to the village around six in the evening.
Ji Xiangtian drove her back.
Before she could even enter her house, she was surrounded by villagers. Many asked her about the processing plant’s recruitment. Yun Su immediately sensed that something had happened.
She didn’t answer. She just smiled and said she was in a hurry to eat, then pulled Ji Xiangtian through the crowd and into the house.
“Welcome back! Xiao Ji, are you staying the night?”
The two returned hand in hand, greeted warmly by Yun Su’s father and mother.
Ji Xiangtian shook his head: “Not staying. I’ll eat dinner and drive back. By the way, these are return gifts from my parents. Also, they plan to come next week to formally propose to you both and discuss the engagement and wedding arrangements.”
“Wonderful, wonderful…”
Yun Su’s mother was overjoyed. Through dinner, she kept urging Ji Xiangtian to eat more.
It was also at this time that Yun Su heard about why First Uncle’s family had returned, and why the villagers had been surrounding her asking about the processing plant.
“Yun Feng is such a troublemaker. Mom, here’s what we’ll do about the processing plant. We’ll tell Auntie Lin the registration dates and some key points for applying. Since Auntie Lin has already taken credit for this information, let her be the one to spread it. Whether anyone gets hired will depend on their own ability.”
Her family was in no position to be the ones sharing this news. Otherwise, people might guess that Ji Xiangtian was involved. Then a bunch of people would come asking him to pull strings, and things would get even messier.
Ji Xiangtian nodded: “The plant does have some spots allocated for rural household registrants. If applicants meet the requirements and pass the exam, getting in isn’t too hard.”
As for landing a good position—that was harder to say.
After dinner, Yun Su walked Ji Xiangtian to his car. Meanwhile, Yun Su’s mother slipped next door to Auntie Lin’s house and told her all about the processing plant.
Soon enough, the next morning, as everyone reported to work, Auntie Lin started talking about the recruitment at the drying ground.
And Yun Su, meanwhile, heard another piece of news.
That Li Hong had gone to work at the drying ground today.
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