Chapter 45: Gu Yan

Chapter 45 Gu Yan

"Captain Zhao, busy?" Lin Zhijin greeted him with a smile.

Captain Zhao turned around and saw Lin Zhijin and Zhao Haihua, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Cadre Lin, and this is?"

Lin Zhijin pulled Zhao Haihua forward and introduced her. "Let me introduce you—this is Comrade Zhao Haihua from the Machinery Factory. She's twenty-two this year. So, what do you think? How about getting to know each other?"

Captain Zhao was briefly taken aback, then a shy smile crept onto his face. He looked at Zhao Haihua and politely extended his hand. "Hello, Comrade Zhao Haihua. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zhao Haihua shook his hand warmly and cheerfully. "Hello, Captain Zhao. I just heard about you from Cadre Lin, and you seem like a really nice person, so I thought I'd come over and chat."

Captain Zhao scratched his head awkwardly. "Th...that works."

Seeing they were both interested, Lin Zhijin felt she could take her leave. She smiled and said, "I'll leave you two to it. Haihua, feel free to call me if you need anything."

Zhao Haihua gave Lin Zhijin a grateful look. "Alright, Cadre Lin, go ahead and get back to work."

Lin Zhijin turned and walked away, hoping things would work out between Zhao Haihua and Captain Zhao. At least she thought they made a good match.

As she wove through the crowd, she unexpectedly spotted Chen Waner chatting and laughing with a handsome officer. But something about the scene felt off.

"What are you looking at?" Wang Xiaoyao came over and followed Lin Zhijin's gaze, her eyes widening in shock. "Chen Waner? She actually came to a mixer? Shouldn't she be going after some rich guy from a good family?"

Lin Zhijin thought about what Secretary Zhang had revealed and frowned. Could Chen Waner be approaching officers with some ulterior motive?

She scanned the room and finally spotted Sister Li. She told Wang Xiaoyao she'd be back in a sec, then hurried over and shared her suspicions about Chen Waner. The rest would have to be handled by Secretary Zhang and the others—that was above her pay grade.

To her surprise, Sister Li wasn't the least bit worried. She looked Lin Zhijin up and down and chuckled. "Not bad. Sharp eyes. Don't worry about it—just act like you didn't see anything."

Hearing this, Lin Zhijin realized that officer was no simple guy either. He might be the bait. And his acting was top-notch—no, both Chen Waner's and his.

What a performance!

"Forget about them—what about you? Seen anyone you like?" Sister Li asked Lin Zhijin.

Lin Zhijin was caught off guard for a moment, then answered directly. "No."

"If you meet someone you like, make a move. Don't let the chance slip away," Sister Li couldn't help adding.

"I know." Lin Zhijin couldn't help thinking of Yang Su and Gu Yan, whom she'd run into a couple of days ago. Comparing them to the men present, her bar had been raised considerably.

After cleaning up the place, Lin Zhijin dragged her tired body home. She had to rest the next day, no question. People in this era had so much energy—the busier they were, the more energetic they got. She admired and envied them.

Two weeks after the mixer, Lin Zhijin was the first to receive Zhao Haihua's wedding sweets. The groom was none other than Captain Zhao from that day.

Looking at the candy in her hand, she was amazed at how fast people got married back then. Either way, she genuinely wished them the best.

"Cadre Lin, if you hadn't set us up, Old Zhao and I would never have gotten together." Zhao Haihua held Lin Zhijin's hand, her face radiant with happiness.

Lin Zhijin teased her with a smile. "That wasn't me—you two were just meant to be. When's the wedding dinner?"

Captain Zhao nodded with a sheepish grin. "Cadre Lin, if you hadn't brought Haihua over that day, I might have missed out on such a great girl. As for the dinner... Haihua doesn't want to have one."

"My parents passed away, and I don't really talk to relatives, so we're skipping it." Zhao Haihua looked at Captain Zhao. "His parents live too far away to come here, so at the end of the year, I'll go back to his hometown with him and we'll throw a small banquet there."

After chatting for a bit, Zhao Haihua and Captain Zhao went off to pass out wedding sweets to others. Lin Zhijin unwrapped a piece and popped it into her mouth. Man, that's sweet.

"They don't waste time." Wang Xiaoyao remarked as she ate her candy.

Lin Zhijin turned to look at her. "You're always urging me, but you're two years older than me. So? When are you gonna find someone?"

"Did I never mention it? I'm engaged." Wang Xiaoyao looked at Lin Zhijin with confusion.

"You never said a word." Lin Zhijin was floored. She'd known Wang Xiaoyao forever and had no clue she was engaged.

"A relative on my grandma's side set us up. Good family background, decent-looking, treats me well. Anyway, marriage is just that way." Wang Xiaoyao was pretty chill about it.

The second round of wedding sweets came from Wang Xiaofen. That was also when Lin Zhijin finally saw what her guy looked like. He wasn't tall, but he was stocky. Plain-looking, seemed honest and simple. To be frank, he seemed a bit out of her league.

But hey, different strokes for different folks. She liked him, so nobody else had the right to judge.

It was also at this time that Wang Xiaoyao learned Wang Xiaofen had found a guy and even already gotten married. She almost passed out from shock.

"She didn't tell Mom about dating, fine—but she didn't even tell her about something as huge as getting married!" Wang Xiaoyao asked Su Jianhong for leave and rushed home in a hurry. She must have been going to break the news to her mother.

Lin Zhijin kept her mouth shut. It was family business—saying too much wouldn't be right.

The next day, Lin Zhijin noticed Wang Xiaoyao looking a bit haggard and casually asked about it. To her surprise, she spilled everything, nonstop.

"My mom went to see my sister. No use—she wouldn't listen. She even said that because Mom didn't stick around, she wanted to find someone dependable, so they could stay together forever." Wang Xiaoyao grew angrier as she spoke.

Lin Zhijin could kind of understand where Wang Xiaofen was coming from. She might say she didn't care, but her mother leaving had left a deep scar on her childhood. That's why she didn't dare find someone with more going for him—she searched and searched, and ended up with a simple, honest man.

"My mom is heartbroken. They already got the marriage license, so there's nothing she can do. She can't talk her out of it. But she won't even accept the dowry—what's her deal..." Wang Xiaoyao couldn't find the right word to describe Wang Xiaofen.

Lin Zhijin paused, then couldn't help speaking up. "Since your sister won't take the dowry, why not have your mom hang onto it for now? Once she has a kid, your mom can give it to the grandkid then—same difference."

Wang Xiaoyao's eyes lit up. "That's right! I'll tell my mom when I get home."

One day, on her way home from work, Lin Zhijin passed a bookstore and decided to pop in. The nights were long—no phone, no TV—and she was bored out of her mind.

"Cadre Lin, what a coincidence."

Lin Zhijin turned around and saw Gu Yan. He wore a simple shirt and black slacks, with a watch on his wrist—clean-cut.

"Comrade Gu, what a coincidence." Lin Zhijin smiled in greeting.

"Looking for something to read?" Gu Yan walked over.

"Yeah, just browsing." Lin Zhijin's gaze unconsciously fell on the book in Gu Yan's hand. "The one you've got—is that about mechanical engineering?"

Gu Yan nodded. "I'm into that stuff and want to learn more. What about you? What kind of books do you usually like to read?"

"I'm pretty lowbrow—I like random notes and travel writing." Lin Zhijin laughed.

"Since when is reading highbrow or lowbrow?" Gu Yan asked with amusement.

Before they knew it, it was getting dark. Lin Zhijin checked her watch. "It's getting late. I should get going."

Gu Yan quickly said, "Let me walk you home."

Lin Zhijin hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Then I'll take you up on that."

Gu Yan was good-looking, well-built, and had a great vibe. Talking with him was easy. He was also single—worth getting to know him better.

"So you like prose and fiction?" Gu Yan noticed the books Lin Zhijin had chosen. "I've got a few at home the bookstore doesn't have. If you want, I can lend them to you."

Lin Zhijin hugged her books. "I didn't go to school—I only started reading last year. Anything too deep, I can't follow. But if you don't mind..."

Gu Yan thought about Lin Zhijin's background—she'd only started studying last year. She already knew most common characters and wrote them neatly, clearly putting in serious effort. She was a hardworking, determined young woman.

Soon, they reached the entrance of Anhe Street. Gu Yan stopped and said, "Let's stop here. If people see us together, it won't look good for you."

Lin Zhijin liked how he kept things proper. She took the books he'd been holding for her and said, "Thank you. I'll be going now. Goodbye."

"Cadre Lin, you keep saying thank you to me," Gu Yan said, looking directly at her. "If you really want to thank me, how about buying me a meal?"

Lin Zhijin was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I was just about to say that. How about this weekend? You choose the place."

"How about Rongji? I've heard it's good, but I've never been," Gu Yan said seriously.

Rongji? Lin Zhijin couldn't help remembering the time she'd eaten there with Yang Su. She glanced at Gu Yan, wondering if he knew something.

She studied him for a moment, confirmed he didn't know, then smiled and nodded. "Alright, Rongji it is."

From the corner, Sheng Huaimin watched Lin Zhijin and Gu Yan part, his face gloomy. He'd thought losing Yang Su meant one less tough rival, but before long, another equally impressive man showed up.

Sure enough, great women never lack great suitors.

He needed to clear the obstacles fast, or he wouldn't even get a chance to pursue her.

That weekend, Lin Zhijin dressed up with extra care. When she arrived at the street corner, Gu Yan was already waiting there.

"Sorry I'm late," Lin Zhijin said, sounding apologetic.

"I got here early," Gu Yan said, handing her a bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts. "Have a snack to hold you over."

"Thank you." Lin Zhijin took the chestnuts and turned to look at Gu Yan. "I still don't know what you do."

She'd meant to ask the Women's Federation director at the machinery factory last time, but got busy and forgot.

"I haven't really introduced myself, have I? My name is Gu Yan—Yan like the inkstone. I'm twenty-three, a college graduate, originally from the capital. My father's passed away, and my mother remarried and has her own family, so she doesn't bother with me. So... it's basically just me. I'm currently the Deputy Factory Director of the machinery factory," Gu Yan said candidly.

Others might see that family situation as a problem, but for Lin Zhijin, it was a plus. A dead father and a remarried mother—how was that any different from having no parents at all?

It was just that... "You're a college graduate? Becoming deputy factory director at such a young age—that's really impressive."

Lin Zhijin wasn't feeling inferior, but with his qualifications, it felt like they didn't quite match.

"I was lucky to be born into a good family that could afford to send me to school. If Cadre Lin had the same opportunities as me, you'd definitely be a college graduate too," Gu Yan said sincerely.

"Cadre Lin, can I call you Zhi Jin?" Seeing her nod, the smile in Gu Yan's eyes deepened. "Zhi Jin, I heard you're preparing for the elementary school exam?"

"Yes, I've been studying for almost a year. I want to give it a try. If I fail, I'll retake it." Even as she said that, Lin Zhijin was quite confident about passing the elementary school exam.

"That's impressive. I'm serious." They arrived at the restaurant. Gu Yan pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Lin Zhijin enter first.

They sat at the same window seat as before, and he ordered the same braised pork and lion's head meatballs, and even a squab, which Gu Yan had reserved the day before.

"You're really thoughtful. Last time I wanted to order that, but I couldn't because I hadn't reserved it in advance," Lin Zhijin said, looking at Gu Yan with delight.

"Last time?" Gu Yan asked.

"Nothing. Let's eat quickly before it gets cold," Lin Zhijin said with a smile. She couldn't exactly say she'd been there with another man before.

Author's note:

None