Widow Remarries in Sixties

The yard had no gate, so Jin Xiuzhu led her daughter straight in, looking at the people inside with a puzzled expression. “Is this the home of Captain Yang? I’m here to give a gift. Something came up yesterday, so I came especially today to make up for it.”

The three women looked at each other, and another woman with a long face was the first to react. “You’ve got the wrong place. Captain Yang’s house is the one behind.”

“Oh, I see. My apologies. I haven’t been here before, sorry for the disturbance.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled apologetically. Then, with a complaining tone, she continued, “It’s all because of my husband. He could have brought it himself, but he insisted someone might gossip and asked me to bring it over. Captain Yang wouldn’t care about such things. I’m getting dizzy navigating this huge military compound.”

Then, not entirely sure, she pointed and asked, “Is it that one?”

The woman who spoke first nodded. “Yes, are you a relative of Captain Yang? He had his banquet yesterday.”

Upon hearing this, Jin Xiuzhu smiled helplessly. “Relative? Not at all. My husband and his wife had been on a blind date before, but it didn’t work out. We happened to meet them on the way back from a performance during the Dragon Boat Festival. He’s very generous and invited us to the banquet.

We almost forgot about it, but they came to our house the day before yesterday. We had plans over the weekend, so we didn’t go, but since they came to our door, we couldn’t just ignore them. We thought it would be appropriate to give a gift. My husband thought it wouldn’t look good if he went himself, so he sent me.”

“I’m not sure if it’s appropriate. My elderly neighbor said it’s a new era now, and we don’t have to follow those old customs. As long as the intention is there, it’s fine. So, I came here, hoping they won’t mind.”

The three women exchanged glances, their eyes showing a hint of strangeness. Finally, the eldest woman nodded, “That’s the way it is. It’s the thought that counts.”

“Alright then, thank you all. I’ll go and deliver these things now.”

The woman stood up to escort her, “Hey, don’t get lost again. The one at the back is it. The young couple might not be home, but the elders should be.”

“Okay.”

Jin Xiuzhu held her daughter’s hand and went to the house at the back. Just as they stepped out, they overheard the woman saying, “I saw she took quite a lot of good stuff…”

Fu Yanyan, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up at her mother. “Will people say the same thing when they see us later, Mom?”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “Of course not.”

Fu Yanyan nodded as if she understood but suddenly realized she couldn’t quite read her mother’s mind.

However, as the woman said, both Captain Yang and his wife weren’t home. When the mother and daughter arrived at the door, only an old lady was outside, drying clothes.

The old lady seemed older than Aunt Wu, with almost all white hair and many wrinkles around her eyes. Seeing Jin Xiuzhu and her daughter, she frowned and gave them a scrutinizing look.

Jin Xiuzhu politely asked, “Ma’am, is this Captain Yang’s house?”

The old lady hesitated, looking at her, “Yes, and who are you?”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “My husband is a friend of Captain Yang’s. Our surname is Jiang. We couldn’t attend the banquet yesterday due to some family matters, so today he specially sent me to make up for it.”

Saying this, she took out the things from the basket.

The old lady’s eyes lit up when she saw Jin Xiuzhu taking out pastries and red envelopes from the basket, and immediately put on a smile, “Come in, come in. Why are you so polite?”

“We’re all friends here,” Jin Xiuzhu said with a smile. “There’s still a lot to do at home. Auntie, please take these. I’ll leave now. Don’t be polite with me.”

“Oh dear!”

The old lady, upon hearing Jin Xiuzhu’s words, pretended to be polite, “How can we accept this?”

Yet, her hands rubbed together in anticipation as she eagerly accepted the pastries and red envelopes from Jin Xiuzhu.

After exchanging a few warm words with her, Jin Xiuzhu left. Passing by the house where she had mistakenly gone earlier, she deliberately greeted the three women outside, “Three sisters-in-law, I’m leaving now. Thank you for earlier.”

Seeing this, the three women asked, “Did you deliver the things?”

“Is anyone at home?”

“Yes, the old lady is at home. I delivered them to her, and she was quite enthusiastic.”

The three women chuckled but didn’t say anything, observing Jin Xiuzhu’s youthful appearance. They knew she was still a young bride and had only recently arrived here, knowing nothing about the place.

Regarding the Yang family’s matter, living so close, they had heard quite a bit. When Jin Xiuzhu hadn’t arrived earlier, they were discussing yesterday’s banquet.

They didn’t understand why the old lady insisted on making her grandson call her “mom” at the banquet. If he didn’t, she would hit him, which made the scene very unpleasant.

When Jin Xiuzhu returned with her daughter, Qian Yufeng seemed to be waiting at the door early. Seeing her return, she pulled her into her own courtyard and asked, “How did it go? Did you deliver the things?”

She seemed even more anxious than Jin Xiuzhu.

Jin Xiuzhu chuckled, “Yes, but no one was home, only an old lady.”

Qian Yufeng looked disappointed upon hearing this. “That must be her mother-in-law.”

She wanted to hear about Jin Xiuzhu’s encounter with the people. However, based on her understanding of Jin Xiuzhu and Zhao Yun, the two wouldn’t quarrel and might even chat happily.

Actually, Jin Xiuzhu also wanted to see the people. Fortunately, when she took her daughter to the literacy class in the evening, she unexpectedly saw them.

Zhao Yun was wearing a well-fitting blue dress, her hair braided into a twist and hanging down behind her head. Her fair skin and delicate features gave her a clean and gentle appearance when she smiled.

These days, most people wore loose pants and long-sleeved shirts, with yellowish skin and their hair either long or short, often braided into twists. They rarely bothered with grooming, looking fluffy and messy. Her outfit made her stand out in the crowd.

When she entered, she attracted the attention of many military wives present.

In the woman’s arms was a very pretty little girl with two pigtails and dressed in a blue dress. They looked like mother and daughter.

The little girl seemed somewhat afraid, burying her head in her mother’s embrace and not daring to lift it.

Jin Xiuzhu had been studying diligently and noticed the sudden stiffness in the little girl’s body. Following her gaze, she looked up and saw the unfamiliar mother and daughter. Thinking the little girl was simply stunned, Jin Xiuzhu pinched her chubby cheeks and chuckled, “You’re so easily startled.”

Upon hearing Jin Xiuzhu’s voice, Fu Yanyan snapped out of her daze. She struggled to suppress her complex emotions, afraid Jin Xiuzhu might notice something, and lowered her head without saying a word.

Seeing this, Jin Xiuzhu thought she might be feeling unwell and reached out to pat her head, asking with concern, “What’s wrong?”

The little girl twisted her chubby body, burying her face in Jin Xiuzhu’s embrace and shaking her head without speaking.

Although Jin Xiuzhu was good at reading people’s expressions, she was also puzzled by her daughter’s behavior. Subconsciously, she looked up again and met the woman’s gaze directly.

The woman was looking at her, her eyes subtly assessing.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu suddenly looking over, the muscles on her face twitched slightly, then quickly blossomed into a smile as she politely nodded to her.

All of this happened in an instant, and if Jin Xiuzhu hadn’t been so perceptive, she might not have noticed.

Jin Xiuzhu seemed to realize something, and her lips curled into a smile. She lowered her head again to comfort her daughter.

Zhao Yun found a seat uneasily, her mind restless.

From her position, just a slight turn of her head allowed her to see the woman sitting in the middle of the first row. The woman appeared very young, with fair and tender skin.

Her long black hair, soft and flowing, was casually twisted at the back of her head, secured with a thin stick, revealing a smooth and full forehead. Her eyes were deep black, and her lips were red and her teeth white.

She was dressed and groomed without much fuss, wearing the same grey long-sleeved shirt and trousers as others, loose and baggy, seemingly unremarkable at first glance. However, when she raised her head, the whole person seemed to be illuminated by light, making it impossible for people to look away.

Moreover, she exuded a special kind of aura—lazy and casual yet indifferent. When looking at people, she seemed to have a condescending feeling, looking down on others.

Others told her that Captain Jiang’s wife was very ugly, old, and thin, like a beggar.

The excitement from earlier seemed to be doused with a bucket of cold water at this moment.

Suddenly, she felt that the fuss she had made seemed ridiculous.

She absentmindedly attended two classes, not absorbing a word either teacher said. After everyone left, she finally got up.

As soon as she stepped out of the classroom, she saw a family of four not far away. Although the tall figure had his back to her, she still recognized him.

The man carried the child from the woman’s arms, hoisting the child onto his shoulders, while the shy boy named He Yan took the woman’s bag initiative.

The man seemed to want to say something to her, but he didn’t notice when he turned around. The girl on his shoulder got scared and quickly grabbed onto his head, which angered the woman, who then slapped him in annoyance…

Zhao Yun remained silent, watching, when suddenly Yang Yao appeared in front of her with a smile on his face. “Let’s go back home.”

Zhao Yun paused. “How did you come here?”

Yang Yao smiled and didn’t say anything. He heard that Jiang Mingchuan picked up his wife every day after class, so he didn’t want to be outdone and came too. He reached out to hug Zhao Yun’s child, but Zhao Yun instinctively avoided him. Seeing Yang Yao’s hand pause, she explained, “The child is still a bit shy.”

Yang Yao nodded in understanding.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Zhao Yun said, “Let’s go.”

On the way, Zhao Yun couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t you say Jiang Mingchuan’s wife wasn’t good-looking? I saw her tonight, and she’s very beautiful.”

Yang Yao didn’t know if he was overthinking, so he turned his head and glanced at her. Seeing no particular emotion on her face, he tried to please her, “In my heart, she’s not half as good-looking as you.”

Zhao Yun lowered her head. Hearing this, she pulled the corners of her mouth into a silent smile, but she couldn’t really feel happy.

Liu Hongyue had told her that Jiang Mingchuan’s wife wasn’t good-looking, and Yang Yao had said the same, so she had believed it.

She shouldn’t have come tonight.

***

On Saturday morning, Jin Xiuzhu took He Yan and her daughter to draw lots.

The drawing was held on the playground, and almost all the military wives were there. In addition to the families needing to draw lots, there were also those who had already moved into the building, coming to watch the excitement.

Qian Yufeng had been rubbing her hands since she left in the morning, muttering about the third floor non-stop, making Jin Xiuzhu nervous.

The time was set at 9 a.m., and to ensure fairness, the order of drawing lots was based on the results of a running race for the military wives.

That’s right, before the drawing, the military wives had to compete in an 800-meter race.

It’s unclear who came up with the idea, but when everyone heard the news, their expressions varied—some were joyful, others worried.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t understand at first and quickly asked Qian Yufeng. After Qian Yufeng explained, Jin Xiuzhu became even more nervous. She could handle reciting books, writing, or composing poetry, but running was indeed challenging for her.

But regardless, she had to run.

Standing at the starting line with other military spouses, when the referee shouted “Start!” Jin Xiuzhu, along with everyone else, quickly bolted out. Perhaps it was due to recent good eating or daily walks, but she surprisingly ran quite fast.

Her son, He Yan, and daughter, Fu Yanyan, cheered excitedly from the sidelines.

Ignoring them, Jin Xiuzhu focused on running ahead and achieved an impressive eighth place.

After finishing, panting heavily, her two children happily supported her on either side. He Yan praised her as if his life depended on it, “Mom, you’re so amazing! You ran so fast…”

Jin Xiuzhu patted his head while appreciating her daughter’s understanding, but still said, “Shut up, you’re annoying.”

He Yan pouted.

When it was time to draw lots, Fu Yanyan forcefully took the sequence card from her mother’s hand and went ahead to draw.

He Yan wasn’t angry, just eagerly watching his sister’s back. When he saw her waving the newly drawn room number excitedly, he ran up to her and loudly informed Jin Xiuzhu, “Mom, it’s on the third floor.”

Then, he started praising his sister without reservation, “My sister is awesome.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled too.

Zhao Yun heard the voices from a distance and turned her head to look.

Her daughter, standing beside her, also heard it and looked at He Yan, then said in surprise, “Mom, it’s that brother.”

Zhao Yun lightly acknowledged.

Aunt Yang also came back with the new room number. It was on the fourth floor, but she was still somewhat dissatisfied. She heard that the best rooms were on the third floor. She didn’t think it was because of her luck, but blamed Zhao Yun for running too slowly. “If you had run faster, it would have been better.”

Zhao Yun replied indifferently, “You could also choose not to live here.”

She then walked away with her child.

Aunt Yang was stunned for a moment. When she wanted to curse, the mother and daughter had already walked far away. She looked around at the many people and suppressed her anger before following them.

At noon, when Jiang Mingchuan returned and learned that his daughter had drawn a room on the third floor, he praised her skillfully.

Fu Yanyan felt a bit embarrassed and turned her back to him.

Seeing this, He Yan couldn’t help but complain, “Dad praised you, and you didn’t say anything. I praise you, and you say I’m a flatterer.”

Fu Yanyan snorted, feeling that she had done nothing wrong.

Jiang Mingchuan went to the kitchen to help.

Seeing him approaching, Jin Xiuzhu turned her back on him and spoke sarcastically, “During the competition this morning, that admirer of yours kept chasing after me. With those thin arms and legs, she must have been exhausted after running.”

As soon as Jiang Mingchuan heard this, he felt a tightness in his scalp. “What admirer? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Jin Xiuzhu snorted.

The mother and daughter’s expressions and actions were exactly the same.

Jiang Mingchuan couldn’t help but laugh.

Jin Xiuzhu threw the cloth in her hand onto the stove and turned to face him, raising her eyebrows. “Where did I go wrong? Didn’t you say she’s a good person and I’m a bad one?”

“Why can’t we get past this?”

Jin Xiuzhu pointed a finger at his chest and poked him forcefully. “Get past what? Don’t even think about it. I can remember this forever.”

Jiang Mingchuan got goosebumps from her words. He glanced at the door, didn’t see the two children, then took a step closer and tried to appease her in a soft voice. “How can I make you not angry?”

Jin Xiuzhu crossed her arms and gave him a sidelong glance without saying a word.

Jiang Mingchuan, feeling awkward, continued to try to appease her.  “Please don’t be angry, okay?”

This was all he could come up with. He wasn’t good at coaxing people, and Jin Xiuzhu was the only one he had ever tried to coax in his life.

Jin Xiuzhu roughly knew his intentions and didn’t want to make things difficult for him. She reached out and waved her hand in front of him, asking, “Is it pretty?”

Jiang Mingchuan didn’t understand why she suddenly asked this, but without thinking, he nodded. “Yes, it’s pretty.”

Indeed, it was pretty, fair and delicate.

Jin Xiuzhu also nodded. “Hmm, I think it’s pretty too. And it would look even better if I have a watch.”

After saying this, she turned her head to look at him expectantly.

“…”

Jin Xiuzhu, seeing him silent for a while, thought he was reluctant, so her face immediately fell. “Fine, I don’t deserve nice things anyway.”

Jiang Mingchuan chuckled helplessly. “Where did I say I wouldn’t buy it for you? I’m just thinking whether to lend you money to buy it now or wait until next month’s salary to buy it for you.”

Without hesitation, Jin Xiuzhu said, “Lend me money.”

The sooner she bought it, the sooner she could use it. A man’s money was only earned when spent on himself.