The news that Director Ning’s daughter was getting married finally spread throughout the compound.
It started when Old Zhou from the logistics team went to the personnel office to request leave and accidentally caught a glimpse of Ning Zhiping’s leave slip. Everyone worked at the same unit—there was no harm in asking around, and the personnel office had no reason to hide it. After all, marrying off a daughter wasn’t something shameful; there was no need to keep it a secret.
Lately, Old Zhou had been hearing his wife and other family members talk nonstop about Director Ning’s daughter’s situation—going to the countryside, getting married—his ears were practically calloused. Now that he had fresh intel, he wasted no time spreading the news.
His wife, Feng Jingyun, basking in the glow of being the first to know, instantly became the star among the compound’s family members.
“She’s really getting married?”
“Director Ning’s family treasures that daughter like gold—I never thought they’d marry her off just like that.”
“There’s no other choice. Otherwise, she’d really be sent to the borderlands, wouldn’t she? In this batch, all the young people around here are being sent to the frontier. Over at my in-laws’ place, my sister-in-law’s daughter threw a huge fit when she heard she was going—crying, making scenes, even threatening suicide. But my niece is tough—she’s been taking care of her younger siblings since she was little and knows how to handle housework. If she goes to the border, she’ll just need some time to adjust. But Director Ning’s daughter? I can’t even imagine how she’d survive there.”
Everyone in the compound had watched Ning Qiao grow up. The girl had never been strong. If she fell ill in the borderlands and lay sick at the educated youth post, who would take care of her? Forget about her parents making her nourishing food—food was scarce out there; she might not even get a bowl of hot porridge.
“Is she really marrying into the factory director’s family?” someone asked. “I heard Sister Zhao went to both families to play matchmaker.”
“Yesterday I saw Guangmin’s mother and Ning Qiao’s mother walking back from the supply cooperative together, and I thought it was strange—since when did they start socializing? Turns out it was for the two kids!”
This got the family members chatting even more eagerly in the back courtyard. Sister Zhao’s matchmaking visit hadn’t been particularly discreet—everyone’s doors were open, and they’d all seen her go into both Director Ning’s and Director Lin’s houses. Anyone with half a brain knew what that meant.
“That can’t be right? Yesterday when they came back from the supply cooperative, they both looked sour.”
“Guangmin’s mother has always looked down her nose at everyone. This time it’s Director Ning’s family that’s in a hurry to marry off their daughter—of course she’s going to squeeze them!”
“The Nings doted on their daughter for eighteen years. Who knew that when it finally came time to marry her off, they’d trip up like this…”
Old Zhou’s wife, Feng Jingyun, let out a snort: “Do you really think Zhao Hongying is that capable—that every match she makes works out? Even if Guangmin is interested, the girl has to be willing too!”
Everyone crowded around.
Did Old Zhou’s wife know some inside scoop?
Feng Jingyun had never seen eye to eye with Zhao Hongying. A few years back, a solid young man had come to the workshop. Feng Jingyun had wanted to set him up with her daughter, but Zhao Hongying beat her to it. Zhao was so eager she scoured the whole compound for eligible girls—yet somehow never came to the Zhou family. For the sake of saving face, Feng Jingyun had never brought it up, but the grudge was set.
Anyone who praised Zhao Hongying was crossing her.
“Zhao Hongying just throws people together for a little matchmaking gift. Do you really think Director Ning’s daughter and Director Lin’s son are a good match?”
Age-wise, they were fine.
But looks-wise, they didn’t quite go together.
Besides, if those two young people were meant to be, they’d have gotten together years ago.
Everyone knew that Director Lin’s son was crazy about Ning Qiao—but the girl never even glanced his way.
The crowd listened with relish.
So in the end, it wasn’t that the Lin family looked down on Ning Qiao—it was that she never gave them the chance!
“So who did Director Ning marry her off to in the end?”
“A military comrade.” Feng Jingyun lifted her chin and puffed out her chest. “Looks, height, education—all top-notch. Ning Qiao will be following him to the army.”
The crowd was stunned.
In just a few days, the Nings had managed to find their daughter a match that you couldn’t find even with a lantern!
“How do you know?”
Feng Jingyun coughed.
The initial scoop about Ning Qiao’s wedding had come from her husband—everything else she’d made up.
But it was probably about right, wasn’t it?
As long as it put her one up on Zhao Hongying, she was happy!
“Like I said, Zhao Hongying is a lousy matchmaker,” Feng Jingyun declared. “Don’t any of you trust her in the future!”
No one knew about the grudge between Feng Jingyun and Zhao Hongying—and even if they did, they wouldn’t have cared.
Now everyone was only interested in Director Ning’s family affairs.
Looks, height, education—all top-notch. And an officer with enough rank for his family to follow him to the army.
That had to be an exaggeration, right?
But the military had already approved the marriage application between Ning Qiao and Jiang Heng, so the Educated Youth Office naturally had no grounds to keep her.
Once the paperwork was done to have his daughter exempted from going to the countryside, Ning Zhiping felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders.
That evening, Chang Fangze prepared a table full of dishes to celebrate the matter being settled.
Ning Yang wasn’t optimistic: “The countryside issue is temporarily resolved, but over on that island—”
“Don’t say such discouraging things,” Ning Zhiping cut his son off.
Jiao Chunyu added, “This is settled now. Stop scaring little sister.”
Ning Yang glanced at his little sister.
A whole table of good food, and his little sister was carefully picking out her favorites with her chopsticks—did she look even slightly scared?
Ning Qiao took a slow, deliberate bite of rice, her chopsticks still hovering in the air for a moment.
She looked up and caught her brother’s displeased expression. She picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks and placed it in his bowl, looking utterly innocent.
Ning Yang was almost amused despite himself: “The boat ticket is for the day after tomorrow. Our whole family will see little sister off to the western city. If something feels off, we’ll bring her right back.”
Chang Fangze narrowed her eyes.
Bring her back?
“This is the new society now. If he really isn’t a good man, we can always get a divorce.” Seeing the whole family glaring at him, Ning Yang added, “Even in the old society, people got divorced.”
That was far too ahead of its time. The moment the words left his mouth, Chang Fangze smacked him hard on the head.
“Can’t you think of something good for a change?”
Ning Yang curled the corner of his mouth.
No matter what, his little sister wasn’t going to be the one to suffer.
“Why is brother acting like he’s swallowed gunpowder?” Ning Qiao said quietly.
“Swallow too much gunpowder and you won’t have room for dinner,” Jiao Chunyu teased.
Ning Yang’s eyes widened, protecting the braised pork in his bowl: “Who said that!”
The room echoed with the family’s laughter.
Ning Zhiping and Chang Fangze wore smiles they hadn’t shown in a long time, but as they watched the sun set outside the window and the night deepen, their hearts felt empty.
Chang Fangze kept her head down, eating her rice.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Ning Qiao asked softly.
Chang Fangze shook her head. When she looked up, her eyes were slightly red, but her lips held a gentle smile: “Mom just remembered you as a little girl.”
Their daughter was getting married—and far away at that. They knew full well that the chance to have the whole family sitting together at the table like this would be rare. But in these times, no matter how much parents cherished a daughter, they couldn’t keep her by their side forever. That day was bound to come. Chang Fangze only hoped that her future son-in-law would truly cherish Ning Qiao, and that the young couple would build a good life together.
Ning Qiao could feel the atmosphere at the table growing heavy.
She didn’t cry—she even tried not to show any sadness.
If she teared up too, her parents and brother and sister-in-law would surely start crying around her.
Then everyone would feel miserable.
Her family’s words of advice rang in her ears.
Ning Qiao nodded vigorously, assuring them not to worry.
As for herself, her emotions had been all over the place these past few days, but now they finally settled.
She had seen the photo of Jiang Heng at fourteen or fifteen—a boy with determined eyes, handsome and pleasing to look at. And those letters, word by word, weren’t flowery, but they were sincere and powerful.
He was apparently on a mission right now. After she arrived at the island in a few days, she would meet him.
For their first meeting, Ning Qiao felt a mix of uncertainty and confusion, but for now, she didn’t feel helpless.
Still, the thought of leaving home soon filled her with an overwhelming sense of reluctance.
Jiao Chunyu was worried about her little sister-in-law. The next day, she took a half-day off from work, went to her in-laws’ house, and dragged Ning Qiao out for some fresh air and a meal at the tea house.
The pastries at the tea house caught Ning Qiao’s eye. She changed her clothes and followed her sister-in-law out.
This was a long trip, and for the foreseeable future, their daughter wouldn’t be able to visit home. So Chang Fangze and Ning Zhiping packed bags upon bags for her, even buying two extra suitcases—it was practically like moving house.
A few aunties from the compound came over to help. Watching Chang Fangze pack every good thing she had into the suitcases, they couldn’t help but wince on her behalf.
“Once she’s married, she’ll belong to her husband’s family. His side will buy her things.”
Chang Fangze looked up: “In the future, Qiaoqiao will be part of her husband’s family, but she’ll still be part of ours. In our family, we don’t have that saying about married daughters being like spilled water.”
The auntie was taken aback by her sharp tone, thinking to herself, What’s there to be so high and mighty about?
Turning her head, she spotted Lin Guangmin’s mother, Yu Cuiman, passing by and waved loudly: “Guangmin’s mother!”
Yu Cuiman had been trying to pretend she wasn’t looking, but being called out like that, her face darkened.
What a bunch of busybodies.
She forced a smile and walked over: “Oh my, packing already? When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Chang Fangze said.
Yu Cuiman glanced at the family portrait sitting by the sofa.
She had to admit—the Ning girl was a real looker. The whole Ning family was neatly dressed, but it was her fair, jade-like skin and those sparkling eyes that stood out. No wonder her own son had been so lovesick over her.
“What a shame. If your two families had become in-laws, you’d have been neighbors and could have looked out for each other,” one auntie said.
Yu Cuiman waved her hand with a smile: “What are you saying? She’s about to get married. A young woman’s reputation matters.”
She paused, then asked: “By the way, how old is your daughter’s fiancé?”
Chang Fangze was old enough to know that question came with ill intent.
“I heard he’s not so young anymore?” Yu Cuiman said slowly. “Someone with the rank to have his family follow him to the army wouldn’t be some young recruit.”
“But an older man knows how to cherish his wife,” Yu Cuiman added with a sneer. “How old is he? Over thirty?”
The gossipy aunties in the compound had already suspected that the Nings were bragging about the match to save face. Now, reminded by Yu Cuiman, they gasped.
An officer over thirty and still unmarried? There had to be something wrong! Could he be divorced?
Was this just a desperate move? Director Ning and his wife must be out of their minds!
“Who said Qiaoqiao’s match was over thirty?” Chang Fangze said impatiently.
“Isn’t he? New recruits are just green soldiers—it takes years to move up. First squad leader, then platoon leader, company commander, deputy battalion commander, battalion commander, deputy regimental commander, regimental commander—one rank at a time, and it takes years to climb each one.” Yu Cuiman spoke slowly, then suddenly covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Not just over thirty? Over forty?”
Anyone with half a brain could tell that Yu Cuiman wasn’t afraid of burning bridges with Chang Fangze.
She was deliberately humiliating her—after all, her own son had been rejected. How embarrassing! This was her chance to get even.
Before the drama started, the aunties hadn’t taken sides. But after all, Yu Cuiman was the factory director’s wife, so they had to play along.
“Fangze loves her daughter too much—she wouldn’t…”
“Let’s talk calmly. Don’t get upset.”
Yu Cuiman laughed, her tone dripping with sarcasm: “Why would I be upset? My son can find someone better than Ning Qiao. But Ning Qiao—well, that’s another story. Usually, they dote on their daughter like crazy, but now that she’s getting married, there’s no proposal, no formal matchmaking—just shipping her straight to the military region. If the man weren’t somehow lacking, why would they be so secretive? Which family marries off a daughter like this, practically giving her away for free?”
Chang Fangze said, “The young man was called away on a mission at the last minute and couldn’t make it. And the Educated Youth Office has been pressing us—you know that.”
Yu Cuiman raised an eyebrow, her face practically screaming five big words—Do you think I believe you?
“Well, if your daughter is getting married, surely you have a photo of her fiancé?” She lifted her chin again, pressing hard. “Show me the photo, and I’ll apologize on the spot.”
Chang Fangze was so angry she could have slapped her: “The photo hasn’t arrived yet. When the letter gets here in a few days, you can see it then.”
Yu Cuiman gave a knowing smirk and exchanged glances with the people next to her.
What a story.
If he were young and had such good credentials, there’d be no reason to hide him.
The aunties began murmuring among themselves.
“Come to think of it, how can a daughter get married without even meeting her groom?”
“He should at least come to propose… This is like giving her away. It’s really not proper.”
“Director Ning doted on his daughter for eighteen years, but in the end, her in-laws don’t even take her seriously.”
But just then, the old gatekeeper of the staff compound came trotting over.
“Director Ning’s family—”
“There’s a military comrade here! He’s looking for your Ning Qiao!”
Everyone present turned in shock, their gazes passing over the gatekeeper and landing in unison on the man stepping through the gate.
A shadow fell over them.
Jiang Heng stood outside the door in his crisp, straight military uniform, backlit by the afternoon sun, his presence commanding.
Yu Cuiman’s heart skipped a beat—a sense of foreboding washed over her.
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