Widow Remarries in Sixties

“Zhao Yun! How shameless can you be!”

“Please leave!”

After driving Liu Hongyue away, Tang Ying returned to the living room and saw her mother wiping the chair where Aunt Liu had just sat with a cloth. Unable to hold back, she asked, “Mom, will Aunt Liu say bad things about you behind your back?”

Zhao Yun sneered coldly, “Who can she talk to now? Who else is willing to bother with her?”

Then she turned to her daughter and said seriously, “Adult matters are not for children to worry about. You’re still young and don’t understand some things. Just focus on getting ready for school next year.”

Tang Ying pouted in displeasure, feeling defiant inside. How could she not understand? Not only did she know that her mother disliked Aunt Liu, but she also knew that her mother had never forgotten Uncle Jiang downstairs.

Because Uncle Jiang married someone else, that’s why Mom married Uncle Yang.

***

In the evening, Jiang Mingchuan came back and told Jin Xiuzhu that Captain Yan had invited them for dinner.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t think much of it and set aside the vegetables she had prepared for stir-frying, putting them into bowls and covering them with plates, leaving them to be stir-fried the next morning.

She also instructed Jiang Mingchuan to take the salty duck stew with vermicelli off the stove and bring it along, while she went back to her room to change clothes.

The family of four didn’t linger either. Once everything was ready, they went out. Jin Xiuzhu asked Jiang Mingchuan, “How many people are we having dinner with tonight?”

She actually wanted to know if Liu Hongyue’s family was coming.

Jiang Mingchuan knew what she was asking and replied, “I asked, Captain Yan said there’s no one else.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded, “That’s good.”

Upon arriving at Captain Yan’s house, Jin Xiuzhu found not only Captain Yan and his wife but also the Yang family in the living room.

Jin Xiuzhu paused, turning her head to look at Jiang Mingchuan, her eyes filled with hostility.

Is this what he meant by “no one else”?

Jiang Mingchuan was also taken aback, then frowned slightly.

Captain Yan could only awkwardly smile at Jiang Mingchuan, then warmly welcomed them in, and with a hoarse voice, he asked the two children with enthusiasm, “Xiao Yan, Yanyan, do you still recognize Uncle?”

The two children obediently responded.

Fu Yanyan couldn’t help but shift her gaze to the girl sitting beside the table. The little girl was dressed very delicately. When their eyes met, the little girl immediately stuck out her tongue.

Before Fu Yanyan could retract her gaze, her brother He Yan noticed, feeling that his sister was being bullied, he stood in front of her, glaring at the girl.

Tang Ying pouted in grievance, tossing her braid and turning her head away, ignoring them.

That was supposed to be her brother.

Only Fu Yanyan, looking at He Yan blocking her, couldn’t help but feel warm inside.

In the kitchen, Wang Ling came out carrying dishes, her face full of smiles, saying, “You’re here? Just in time, the dishes have just finished cooking, we can eat now.”

Zhao Yun followed behind, also carrying dishes. Seeing Jiang Mingchuan holding dishes in his hands, she smiled and said, “You guys are considerate, our family is so shameless, just showing up empty-handed.”

Wang Ling and her husband laughed upon hearing this.

Only Jin Xiuzhu could discern that Zhao Yun was showing off her close relationship with Wang Ling, implying that they didn’t need to bring anything when visiting.

Jin Xiuzhu chuckled, “I really didn’t expect so many people to come for dinner. We thought it was just us, so I thought it wouldn’t be nice to come empty-handed. I specially made a dish to bring over. I didn’t mean to compare with you. If I had known, I definitely wouldn’t have dared to bring it.”

With one sentence, she mocked both families, mocking Captain Yan for coaxing them over and also mocking Zhao Yun for her lack of manners and tendency to overthink.

As for whether it would make the situation awkward, Jin Xiuzhu wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t a pushover; she wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for herself.

Standing beside Jin Xiuzhu, Jiang Mingchuan glanced at her but said nothing.

Captain Yan, who was bent over coaxing the two children, felt embarrassed once again and hurriedly stood up to usher them in.

There was a momentary awkwardness on Wang Ling’s face, and she quickly said, “Come in and have a seat.”

She also called out to her son inside the house, “Xiao Xing, you can do your homework later. Come out and have dinner.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t go to the kitchen to help. Instead, she sat her daughter on a stool and pretended to be busy pouring her a glass of water to drink.

For dinner, there were six dishes and a soup, and Jin Xiuzhu happened to sit opposite Zhao Yun.

Wang Ling and Captain Yan livened up the atmosphere, urging everyone not to be polite and to help themselves to the dishes.

Wang Ling even personally served Jin Xiuzhu a crab, saying, “Today, some soldiers who served under Old Yan before came to visit us, and he specially brought some of these over. Try it, there’s a lot of roe.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “It’s such a pity. I’ve been feeling unwell lately and can’t eat anything too cold in nature.”

She didn’t touch the crab but instead picked up some greens with her chopsticks.

Wang Ling, seeing the situation, looked somewhat awkwardly towards Zhao Yun on the other side.

She couldn’t quite grasp Jin Xiuzhu’s attitude. She didn’t know if it was really about not being able to eat or something else. If it was something else, some words might not be appropriate. After all, she didn’t want to offend Jin Xiuzhu and her husband.

Zhao Yun understood her meaning and hesitated for a moment before speaking up voluntarily: “Actually, I wanted to invite you all for this meal today. It’s my fault, really. Here’s what happened: this morning, Liu Hongyue came to my house and said she had an argument with Captain Qi.

I didn’t think much of it, so I just comforted her a bit. I didn’t realize from her complaints that she had actually reported my sister-in-law’s job at the cafeteria. She even said if I hadn’t asked about my sister-in-law’s job, she wouldn’t have thought of reporting it.”

“I’ve only just come here, and I don’t know many people. I heard before that my sister-in-law worked at the cafeteria, and considering my own cooking skills were decent, I couldn’t help but ask her a few questions. Later, I heard that my sister-in-law was specifically invited by the head chef, so I dismissed the thought. I never imagined there was this whole issue behind it. I felt guilty thinking about it, so I mustered up the courage to ask Sister Wang to help invite you all for a meal and to apologize to you.”

Having said that, she stood up on her own initiative, picked up the teacup next to her, and said, “Cheers to you all, and I wish sister-in-law a better job in the future.”

Jiang Mingchuan heard this and looked at Jin Xiuzhu. Now, he had also learned Jin Xiuzhu’s way: making decisions for oneself. This was true for their children’s matters, and so he wouldn’t interfere now either.

Zhao Yun noticed this, lowered her eyes, and then drank the tea in her hand.

Wang Ling quickly chimed in, “I’m partly to blame for this. They met because of me. But don’t worry, we won’t associate with Liu Hongyue anymore.”

Yang Yao politely raised his glass to Jiang Mingchuan, “I’ve talked to Xiao Yun about it. She knows she was wrong. From now on, she’ll consult me first. This incident was truly unexpected.”

Wang Ling nodded in agreement, “Yes, if I had known Liu Hongyue’s true colors, I would never have gotten close to her.”

Then she praised Jin Xiuzhu, “You’re really capable. Working at the newspaper now, you make us military wives proud.”

Jin Xiuzhu, hearing this, quickly composed herself and smiled at Wang Ling, “You’re right, Sister-in-law. I’m stubborn, but instead of arguing, I found a job at the cafeteria and even found better work.”

“When I was young, with so many children in the family, I was the least favored. I didn’t even have the opportunity to study. I could only help the elderly in the village and beg them to teach me a few skills. After coming here, thanks to the wise leadership, they opened a literacy class and taught me how to read. Since others can write articles, I’m sure I can too. With determination, I write every day. I’ve almost worn out newspapers, but someone finally noticed me.”

Wang Ling, being soft-hearted, could imagine how much hardship Jin Xiuzhu must have faced in private. However, what she felt most was admiration.

 The praise she had just given wasn’t insincere; she genuinely felt that Jin Xiuzhu was bringing honor to military spouses.

“Now it’s paying off. Oh, do you need paper? I know someone at the paper mill. I can ask them to get some for you.”

Jin Xiuzhu was surprised, “You know people at the paper mill, sister-in-law?”

“Yeah, she’s a classmate of mine. We’re very close…”

The two of them got more and more engrossed in their conversation. By the end, they could only hear the voices of Jin Xiuzhu and Wang Ling. Jin Xiuzhu spoke cleverly and charmingly, effortlessly responding to whatever Wang Ling said and even posing questions to her. By the time the meal was finished, Wang Ling was still somewhat reluctant for the conversation to end.

Zhao Yun didn’t even realize when she had sat down, and she found herself enthusiastically chatting with Jin Xiuzhu about her son’s poor grades, completely forgetting the original purpose of the meal.

It wasn’t until both families were about to leave that Wang Ling remembered the matter they had come for in the first place. She hesitated for a moment before bringing it up.

Jin Xiuzhu, reluctant to part ways, held Wang Ling’s hand affectionately and whispered softly, “I was actually quite concerned at first, but tonight’s conversation with my sister-in-law was so enjoyable. I’ll overlook these things for your sake. Oh, by the way, sister-in-law, remember the paper I asked for? I’ll make some delicious food for you and bring it over tomorrow.”

Wang Ling waved her hand, “No need for the food, you can keep it for yourself. I’ll definitely get you the paper.”

She even put two uneaten crabs from the table into her pockets, “Steam them tomorrow, they’ll still be good to eat.”

The two bid farewell amidst laughter and warmth. Once everyone was out of sight, Wang Ling turned around and saw Zhao Yun still there. There was a momentary discomfort on her face, but recalling Jin Xiuzhu’s words, she regained her confidence and said, “Xiao Jin told me it’s all in the past now. But you, you need to be more careful with your words in the future. Luckily, it’s Xiao Jin we ran into, who’s magnanimous. If it were someone else, they might hold a grudge.”

Zhao Yun forced a smile, feeling somewhat regretful about letting Wang Ling intervene. She had originally planned to apologize in person, fearing that Jin Xiuzhu wouldn’t be pleased, but with Wang Ling and her husband present, the other side would at least have some reservations.

But she never expected Jin Xiuzhu to be so adept at speaking. During dinner, she had tried to interject several times but was always redirected by Jin Xiuzhu, who smoothly shifted the conversation back to herself. All she could do was watch them chat and laugh.

She forced herself to smile and said, “Sister-in-law is indeed formidable. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Wang Ling patted her hand and said a few words.

Zhao Yun wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she always felt that Wang Ling wasn’t as warm towards her as before.

After chatting for a while, Zhao Yun and Yang Yao left with their child. Before leaving, Tang Ying looked at the crabs on the table with longing eyes. There were still two left in the plate.

Wang Ling noticed and pretended not to see, tilting her head slightly and gesturing for her son to tidy up the table.

Zhao Yun left with the child, but the moment she turned her back, her face darkened.

Wang Ling had just given Jin Xiuzhu two large crabs.

After everyone left, Wang Ling complained to her husband, “Although I’ve only known Jin Xiuzhu for a short time, I have to say, we really hit it off tonight. Maybe I was biased against her before.”

Captain Yan glanced at her and said impatiently, “Who can’t you get along with?”

People are flattering you. It’s just that Jin Xiuzhu is obviously more capable.

Wang Ling shook her head and continued, “Compared to Jin Xiuzhu, Zhao Yun is still lacking. When she asks me for something, she only brings a bag of pears. Look, when we invited Xiao Jiang and his wife for dinner, they specially brought a pot of good dishes. In a few days, I’ll ask for Xiao Jin some paper, and she will definitely send me some delicious pastries again. Actually, sometimes making friends depends on sincerity.”

That’s why she gave crabs to Jin Xiuzhu but not to Zhao Yun.

Captain Yan couldn’t say anything to her. “Next time, don’t get involved in these things. Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.”

If she hadn’t gotten involved, Captain Yan wouldn’t have persuaded Jiang Mingchuan and his wife to come.

He figured it out. Both Jin Xiuzhu and Zhao Yun weren’t simple characters.

Only his own wife was foolish enough to be used by others.

***

As the family of four walked back, when there was no one around, Jin Xiuzhu reached out and twisted Jiang Mingchuan’s ear hard.

This twist was quite forceful, causing Jiang Mingchuan to grimace in pain. He turned his head to look at her, feigning ignorance, “What’s wrong?”

Jin Xiuzhu glared at him, “You still have the nerve to ask me what’s wrong? So, according to you, there’s no one else involved? Oh, I see, in your eyes, Zhao Yun is family too?”

Jiang Mingchuan rubbed his ear, “I really didn’t know about this.”

If he had known, he would have definitely told Jin Xiuzhu, “Tomorrow I’ll go and scold Captain Yan.”

Jin Xiuzhu gave him a disdainful look, “If you didn’t know, how could I know? Scold Captain Yan? If you’re so capable, go scold him now.”

Jiang Mingchuan fell silent.

Seeing him play dumb again, Jin Xiuzhu got angry and reached out to twist him again.

This time, Jiang Mingchuan reacted quickly, dodging to the side.

Seeing this, Jin Xiuzhu angrily hammered him with her fist.

Seeing his mother’s stern demeanor, He Yan couldn’t help but whisper to his younger sister beside him, “Mom is so fierce. I don’t want to marry a wife like her in the future.”

Fu Yanyan curled her lips slightly, casting him a disdainful glance before bluntly retorting, “Forget it. Can you even find a wife? Dream on.”

He Yan looked at her incredulously, “Am I really that bad?”

Fu Yanyan retorted, “You wet the bed last night.”

He Yan fell silent.

He silently vowed in his heart that he would definitely get married before his sister when he grew up.

Back at home, after the two children finished washing up and went to bed, in the master bedroom, Jiang Mingchuan brought a basin of foot-soaking water for Jin Xiuzhu. She leisurely soaked her feet while reclining on the bed and viewing the paintings, then opened her mouth, waiting for Jiang Mingchuan to feed her.

The person who said she couldn’t eat crab at the dinner table was now opening her mouth faster than anyone else, and if the peeling was too slow, they would be scorned.

There was also a piece of paper by the bedside, on which was written—

“Promissory Note:

After receiving the salary at the end of November 1969, Jiang Mingchuan will buy Jin Xiuzhu a sweater.

Signed: Jiang Mingchuan,
October 13, 1969.”

Underneath, there was a clear handprint.