Chapter 17, Third Watch

“Regarding my family, there’s no need for me to explain; they will find out in due time.” When Lin Xuexia mentioned her family and Zheng Yukang, her expression softened considerably. Reflecting on the past decade her parents and sisters had endured, she found it hard to put it into words.

Her parents were another story altogether. Her father was obsessed with having a son; unable to father a boy, he lavished his attention on a nephew instead. Her mother, burdened by guilt for not bearing a son, felt she had failed her husband and the Lin family legacy.

Her youngest sister, after being deceived by a man, became constantly complaining. Since childhood, she had indulged in self-pity, resenting that she wasn’t as beautiful as the eldest sister, nor as intelligent or academically gifted as the second sister. Whether this or that, nothing ever seemed to satisfy her. The sisters would always try to comfort her, but once she returned home, her complaints only grew worse. Every day, she lamented her misfortunes in the house, pouring out her bitterness like a tragic heroine. To intellectuals, she was a living embodiment of Xianglin Sao.

No matter how strong the bonds, hearing such constant grumbling became unbearable. She and their mother would sit together, perpetually whining and playing the victim, always declaring their lives to be full of hardship and misery.

The second sister was strong-willed. She managed to get into university and later secured a respectable job. From a young age, she despised the prevailing patriarchal mindset around her. As she studied further, she began to denounce their father’s archaic views, condemning the preference for sons as a feudal relic. She was determined to prove that girls were no less capable than boys.

Though her intentions were noble, her obsession grew into a kind of fanaticism, even madness.

The second sister wanted to prove she could carry on the Lin family line as a woman, just like a man. So she brought home a live-in son-in-law and even insisted that any children born take her surname.

At first, this seemed fine. Their grandparents were fooled into thinking they would finally have grandchildren and were delighted.

But then the second sister gave birth to a daughter—one who bore her surname.

Their grandmother and eldest uncle mocked her gleefully, and rumors began to spread in the village that their family could only produce daughters.

Her father’s affections began to wane again.

From there, things took a ridiculous turn. The second sister kept trying for a son, had a second child, lost her job—all just to prove she could pass on the Lin family legacy.

In the end, this college-educated woman bizarrely became an ardent supporter of the very patriarchal values she once opposed.

After witnessing so many farces, Lin Xuexia now had only one thought: to free her second sister from those toxic beliefs and mental traps. The more she obsessed over lineage and son preference, the deeper into those poisonous mindsets she sank, thinking along the same twisted lines, hurting herself just to prove something to these rotten people.

In Lin Xuexia’s view, lineage was nothing but a joke. It would be better if the old Lin family’s roots simply withered away.

In rural areas, many families had only daughters. After the turn of the millennium, many such families actually prospered, because families with only girls tended to be the first to leave the countryside. They studied hard, got into universities, or ventured into the cities to establish themselves, benefiting from economic growth and living enviable lives.

Indeed, as long as one did well financially, envy naturally followed.

Living a good life and staying away from toxic environments meant those broken people and their problems could not affect them.

Her second and youngest sisters needed to change their mindsets, as did their mother. If they could change, fine; if not, so be it. As for her father, Lin Xuexia had no expectations—she let him be, indifferent and unconcerned.

“I’ll go to Zheng Yukang’s school tomorrow and make things clear,” Lin Xuexia said, the name already feeling distant to her, her mind barely recalling his face.

Taking the initiative to contact him and wasting time on him was simply a hindrance to her earning money!

But now that her housing was settled, it was time to deal with Zheng Yukang.

At this moment, he was probably still eagerly waiting for her to write down the recipe for the marinated dishes and send it to him.

In her previous life, Lin Xuexia endured all this, while Zheng Yukang never sensed a thing wrong with her. Instead, he kept urging her, curious about how she made the braised dishes and chili sauce she’d casually given him.

He claimed a classmate wanted to learn the recipe to cook for herself.

Lin Xuexia didn’t keep secrets; when he asked, she gave it to him, but because she couldn’t read many characters, she fumbled through several misspellings, which his female classmate mocked.

This girl was his new girlfriend at school, and they were very close at the time. She tricked the recipe out of Lin Xuexia and her family’s business flourished because of it.

Seeing this, Zheng Yukang fully regretted the broken engagement and got involved with this girl, even turning the tables and accusing Lin Xuexia of being unchaste.

At first, Lin Xuexia didn’t know all this; she only realized the whole story when selling her marinated dishes at a stall and people remarked her products were similar to another store’s.

Looking back, she was furious. This time, she would never let that scoundrel and his shameless girlfriend take advantage of her again.

When she went to Zheng Yukang’s school, it wouldn’t be just to “talk.” She intended to ruin his reputation.

“I’ll go with you!” Fu Wei originally had other plans for tomorrow, but since it concerned his wife, he would never miss it.

Lin Xuexia clasped his hand, smiling brightly. “Of course, you have to come.”

“But,” she paused, “you don’t need to stand up for me. This is something I want to handle myself.”

“You just cheer me on from the sidelines.”

Fu Wei was stunned. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Not even in the military did anyone dare ask him just to “cheer from the sidelines.”

After spending the past two days with Lin Xuexia—she brought him sweet soup and eggs yesterday, and today showcased her skills with a gentle smile—Fu Wei began to see her as a tender woman, almost forgetting the slap she once gave him.

She was gentle yet strong-willed at her core.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” Fu Wei smiled, looking forward to their next meeting.

She always managed to surprise him.

And of course, he wouldn’t merely cheer her on; he would protect her so she wouldn’t suffer a scratch.

Lin Xuexia nodded and agreed to meet Fu Wei at Zheng Yukang’s school around three or four in the afternoon the next day.

Outside, Xue Xiaoshan and another person were huddled in the living room watching TV. After some affectionate moments in the room, it was time for Fu Wei to leave.

Lin Xuexia nudged him with her elbow, hinting repeatedly.

He had brought two others along; he couldn’t just linger here all night.

But Fu Wei was the type to linger, feigning ignorance just to spend a little more time with Lin Xuexia.

Grasping her hand tightly, he wondered when the woman before him would take the initiative to cling to him instead of always sending him away.

Leaning close to her ear, Fu Wei tried to make conversation: “The food today wasn’t too spicy. Did I mess up? Are you not fond of me anymore?”

Lin Xuexia pushed his handsome face away. “Don’t play dumb.”

“I made it too spicy for you—can you even handle it?” she chuckled.

Fu Wei laughed too, kissing her cheek. Remembering Zhong Xiangdong’s saying that women love to hear compliments, he added, “Wife, you look really beautiful today. I’ve never seen such pretty clothes before. You have great taste—it’s just like the dresses worn by actresses in the movies.”

Lin Xuexia’s heart softened at his crude praise. Modestly, she replied, “This is all from night market stalls. The quality and details can’t compare to what actresses wear.”

Fu Wei’s house designs were excellent, but when it came to women’s aesthetics, his taste left much to be desired—the lipstick shade he chose for her, and all those other things were hardly worth remembering.

“Everything looks good on you,” Fu Wei said earnestly, his deep eyes fixed on her. “When I earn more money, I’ll buy you the most beautiful dresses.”

“Great,” Lin Xuexia smiled brightly. “Then I’ll pick them out myself.”

She definitely wouldn’t let him choose her clothes, shoes, and bags.

When Lin Xuexia first went south to work, her speech and mannerisms were rustic, and people mocked her as unsophisticated. She herself felt that way. But in truth, her aesthetic sense was quite good; she just couldn’t afford nice clothes. Once she had money and could freely buy clothes, everyone complimented her style.

They chatted a while longer, but as it grew late, Fu Wei had to leave, departing with Xue Xiaoshan and a few others.

Lin Xuexia showered and changed into pajamas, lying on her newly made bed. Her hand still held a faint warmth from Fu Wei’s touch as she drifted quickly into sleep.

Separated by a wall were the rooms of Gao Chunyan and her husband Liu Xigui. Gao Chunyan was too excited to sleep.

Lin Xuexia had brought her a bowl of meat and vegetables, which delighted Gao Chunyan. She joked with her husband, “Xuexia’s doing well now. She’s got skills and a pretty good boyfriend. I haven’t asked how much he earns, but the two of them together should be able to settle down in this city.”

“She’s still young, not like us,” Gao Chunyan said. The couple earned a decent income, more than their landlord who collected rent, but their business was exhausting—working early to late, always worried about tomorrow.

Their greatest grievance was the “uncertainty.”

Who wanted to toil so hard and suffer?

This year, they had brought their two children from their hometown and enrolled them in local schools, which added to their expenses. Just transferring schools cost a lot.

But there was no alternative. The teachers here were university graduates, spoke standard Mandarin, were knowledgeable, and many local students went on to university. They hoped to raise a child who would attend a prestigious university.

Having children here wasn’t just about feeding more mouths. It meant deciding whether to visit the zoo, go to exhibitions, or learn a musical instrument.

Thinking about all this, Gao Chunyan felt worn out and regretted agonizing over whether to return to their hometown.

With children here, saving money was slower.

But Lin Xuexia was different. She wasn’t married yet, and even after marriage, she wouldn’t rush her children into school. She could save money for several more years.

Liu Xigui lit a cigarette. “Why worry about her? As long as she holds on to her boyfriend, she’s fine.”

Gao Chunyan was puzzled. “Why?”

“You don’t know?” Liu Xigui continued, “He owns a house.”