“Dad, you’re way too efficient!” On the way, Bai Lan looked at the admission documents in her hand and sighed admiringly.
Father Bai shook his head cheerfully. “It wouldn’t have been so easy without Uncle Chu’s help.”
Bai Lan thought to herself, I knew it. She had suspected the Song family wouldn’t simply give her a good job without strings attached.
After asking Song Guoping for a job yesterday, she guessed he might try to sabotage the position. So when she discussed it with her father last night, she mentioned her concerns.
Fortunately, job swaps were possible back then.
So the father and daughter decided: if the Song family’s job offer had issues, Father Bai would find someone to help swap it for something more suitable.
Sure enough, when she heard today that the position was a cook at a textile factory, Bai Lan knew the Song family had indeed pulled something.
“Dad, what position did Factory Director Song originally arrange for me?” Bai Lan guessed it was something very undesirable.
“Steel mill purchasing department clerk.”
Hearing that, Bai Lan couldn’t help but gasp.
Everyone knew that purchasing clerk positions at any factory were prime cushy jobs. At a steel mill especially, the purchasing department dealt directly with iron ore and coal mines. The perks and connections involved were something an outsider like her could never navigate.
In the two days since she’d transmigrated, Bai Lan had learned a lot about the networks within large state-owned factories. Key positions like those at steel mills were basically reserved for children of existing employees.
If she had taken such a desirable role, she’d likely have been torn to pieces the moment she stepped in.
Thinking this, Bai Lan felt relieved she’d been smart. She was also glad her father had connections to help her swap into this different position.
But what was a hot potato to her was a golden opportunity for someone else. So Uncle Chu, the one who helped arrange the swap, handled the onboarding paperwork. He was the head chef at the textile factory’s canteen and ran the whole kitchen. With his help, the process went smoothly. He even secured her a half-month grace period—meaning she wouldn’t have to start working in the canteen for another fifteen days.
After finishing the paperwork, Bai Lan was about to thank him when he waved dismissively. “Don’t stand on ceremony with Uncle Chu. You didn’t want the steel mill job, but the person who got it is over the moon.”
The steel mill employed ten thousand workers—the textile factory couldn’t compare. Plus, a canteen cook was nowhere near as good as a purchasing clerk. The difference wasn’t just salary and benefits, but also the invisible perks. In short, the person who swapped jobs with Bai Lan felt they’d gotten a fantastic deal.
But Bai Lan saw it differently. She didn’t want to enter the steel mill system or get entangled in complicated workplace politics. Having transmigrated to the 1970s, her goal was simple: live comfortably. No need to go to the countryside, no rush to marry, and she had a secure iron rice bowl. What more could she want?
Making money wouldn’t be hard either—once the markets opened in a few years, earning cash would be much easier than thirty years later.
So in the end, both sides were thrilled with the swap.
—
Satisfied, Bai Lan returned to the courtyard just as lunchtime arrived. Her father went straight back to work at the restaurant, so she was alone.
But even alone, there was no peace. The neighbors, curious about how she’d landed her job, had all brought their lunch bowls to the courtyard entrance.
The moment Bai Lan entered the alley, she was surrounded by a crowd of aunties, older women, and young wives.
“Xiao Lan, Xiao Lan. Is it true you’re going to be a cook in our factory canteen?”
“Little Bai girl, how did you get that job?”
“Bai Lan, Bai Lan. How much will you earn each month?”
……
Bai Lan hadn’t expected such a warm reception. Questions flew at her from all directions. She answered each with a polite smile—she simply didn’t want to say. Especially when she spotted the frustrated look on the widow Hu’s face in the corner. Bai Lan felt a secret satisfaction. She didn’t know why that gossipy woman loved stirring up trouble, but watching her get upset made Bai Lan happy.
Just then, Mother Bai came out with a few close auntie friends and shouted, “Make way, make way. Everyone disperse, disperse.”
The others, their curiosity unsatisfied, looked utterly vexed. After all, just half a month ago, this same Bai girl was rumored to be marrying the steel mill director’s son. Now that was said to be false. And before anyone could figure out the truth, she’d landed a great job.
Everyone found the whole thing fascinating—and naturally, fascinating things drew attention.
—
Just as the excitement peaked, the sound of a car horn echoed from the alley entrance.
It was quite loud, and in those days, car horns were still a novelty. Everyone’s attention shifted instantly. Bai Lan looked up too, standing on the high doorstep and peering over the crowd toward the alley.
A military green truck sat idling at the alley entrance, its engine still running, the whole cab vibrating.
Miao Daju, who had come out with Mother Bai, broke into a bright smile when she spotted the familiar truck. Many neighbors recognized it too and flocked toward it.
Seeing everyone rush to the truck, Bai Lan asked, “Mom, that truck…”
Mother Bai beamed. “That’s your Third Brother Xu’s truck. Don’t you recognize it?”
Bai Lan still didn’t quite understand. But when the neighbors reaching the truck started shouting “Jiannan! Jiannan!” a flash of white light seemed to strike her mind. Memories from the short drama came flooding back.
…
If she remembered correctly, the male lead of the short drama was named Xu Jiannan. He lived in a large courtyard house and had a mother surnamed Miao. In the two days since she’d transmigrated, she’d been so busy dealing with the marriage issue that she’d completely forgotten the male lead lived in the same courtyard.
Yes, the man who had just jumped down from the truck was none other than Xu Jiannan, the male lead.
Xu Jiannan was tall and robust. His face wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but he gave off a very pleasant vibe. He flashed a grin of bright white teeth, called out “Mom” to Aunt Miao, then chatted cheerfully with the neighbors. He seemed very good-natured.
After exchanging a few words with the neighbors, he started unloading things from the truck bed.
Seeing this, Mother Bai immediately said, “You go home and eat lunch first. I’ll go see if Jiannan brought anything for me.”
Bai Lan looked toward the truck. Some neighbors were already taking items from Xu Jiannan’s hands—fabrics, food items. Clearly, these were things the neighbors had asked him to buy for them.
As she recalled, the Xu family had four sons, named Xu Jiandong, Xu Jianxi, Xu Jiannan, and Xu Jianbei.
Xu Jiannan, the male lead, was the third son. He worked as a salesman at the textile factory. When traveling for work, he would accompany trucks from the Northern Transport Company, going all over the country. Thanks to this convenience, he often helped neighbors bring back goods.
And from the edited short drama clips she’d seen, the future Xu Jiannan would use this as a foundation to become a logistics company owner. Together with his wife, Liu Meiling, they would become celebrated entrepreneurial success stories.
Yes, the female lead Liu Meiling was also a strong protagonist. After marrying Xu Jiannan, she would embark on her own path of building a business.
Those few minutes of edited clips, with all of Meiling’s standout moments, were still vivid in Bai Lan’s mind.
She couldn’t help but tap her head, chiding herself for not having organized the specific details of the short drama earlier. She’d almost forgotten something this important.
Oh, right. Bai Lan searched her memory and confirmed that the female lead hadn’t married into the family yet.
——
As Bai Lan was trying to recall more details, the commotion outside grew louder.
People were calling out to each other as they made their way toward the back courtyard. Some carried items in their hands, while others worked together to move furniture. It was quite a lively scene.
Bai Lan rarely saw such vibrant, down-to-earth bustle. She couldn’t resist walking to the doorway to watch.
Just then, Mother Bai came over carrying a bundle of beautiful printed fabric. Seeing her daughter’s expression, she smiled. “Isn’t it lively? That Jiannan really has a good heart. He went all the way to Haicheng to buy furniture for the wedding.”
Hearing the word “wedding,” Bai Lan exclaimed in surprise, “Third Brother Xu is getting married? Mom, have you met his fiancée?”
“Of course I have! She’s a lovely girl, very polite when she speaks. She and Jiannan make a perfect match!” Mother Bai had a very good impression of Xu Jiannan’s fiancée, Liu Meiling. The girl had come to the courtyard several times, and from the way she spoke and carried herself, she seemed very reliable.
Hearing this, Bai Lan grew even more curious about the female lead.
But the female lead hadn’t arrived yet—the male lead came calling first.
——
That evening, just as their family finished dinner, Xu Jiannan walked in from outside.
He greeted each member of the Bai family in turn, even congratulating Bai Lan and praising her for quickly finding a job. Only then did he state his purpose.
“Uncle Bai, as you know, I’m getting married next weekend. Meiling and I discussed it—we’d like to set up a few tables in our back courtyard to host guests. We were hoping you could help prepare the banquet.”
In those days, with scarce resources, most people didn’t hold banquet-style weddings. Newlyweds typically just handed out some candy and melon seeds to neighbors to share the joy. Bai Lan hadn’t expected Xu Jiannan to actually hold a formal banquet.
Father Bai didn’t reject the invitation outright. Though he specialized in pastries and noodles, his skills with main dishes were also solid. But to prepare a banquet, even a simple one, he’d need meat, eggs, flour, and other ingredients. With the wedding set for next weekend, many things would need to be prepared quickly.
After hearing Father Bai’s response, Xu Jiannan said happily, “I brought back a lot of ingredients from the south this time. Uncle Bai, do you have some time now?”
Hearing there were southern ingredients involved, Father Bai the cook couldn’t sit still. He happily got up and followed Xu Jiannan out.
Seeing Father Bai leave, Mother Bai went out to chat with the neighbors. Second Sister Bai and Third Sister Bai each retreated to their rooms. With nothing else to do, Bai Lan gathered the day’s dirty laundry and headed to the courtyard sink to wash.
——
But before she reached the sink, she noticed a few married women huddled together, whispering. Without even straining her ears, Bai Lan could hear they were talking about her.
“Honestly, Bai Lan really lost out. I’ve seen that Song factory director’s son—he’s a real catch. I heard they live in a small Western-style house with a flush toilet, big sofas, chandeliers…”
“Really, Su Xiaomei? If that’s true, Bai Lan missed out big time!”
When Liu Zhaodi responded, Su Xiaomei stopped washing her clothes altogether. She gestured wildly in the air, flinging water droplets everywhere. At the most exciting parts, she even sprayed spittle. She acted as if Bai Lan had missed out on a fortune.
Standing nearby, Bai Lan wanted to roll her eyes more with each word. She thought, Su Xiaomei has such a loose tongue—no wonder she’ll get thoroughly humiliated by Liu Meiling in the future.
Right then, she interrupted directly.
“Sister-in-law Xu, you seem to know the Song family so well. Are you thinking of remarrying into the Song family yourself?”
The other women listening in were startled by Bai Lan’s voice. When they registered the meaning of her words, they couldn’t help but laugh.
Su Xiaomei, humiliated by Bai Lan’s remark, turned red with anger and opened her mouth to lash back.
But Bai Lan didn’t give her the chance. She turned and carried her washbasin toward the front courtyard. The back courtyard sinks were all taken—she’d do her laundry at the front instead.
Truth be told, she didn’t care at all about these women’s pity. As she always said: three-legged men are hard to find, but two-legged ones are everywhere. She refused to believe she couldn’t find one she liked. And if she couldn’t? No problem. Living alone could be perfectly delightful.
Just as she stepped through the decorative gate into the front courtyard, she saw a tall figure walking in through the main entrance.
Under the dim yellow light, the man’s face was somewhat blurry. But even just his silhouette, Bai Lan could tell he was good-looking. When he came closer, she felt a burst of delight.
A handsome face—anyone would feel happier seeing one.
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