The First Letter
And so, an unexpected battle for the photo broke out. In the end, Lin Chuan returned to his dormitory victorious, clutching his prize, while the soldiers who had tried to snatch it away groaned in defeat.
It seemed that marrying a wife hadn’t dulled his combat abilities—in fact, his fighting spirit was as strong as ever.
After reclaiming the photo, Lin Chuan carefully wiped it clean, then sat under the dim light to write a letter to his new bride. But after a long while, he found himself at a loss for words. In the end, he could only manage a short message:
“Arrived safely. Don’t worry. Take care of yourself.”
And that was all.
When Su Su received the letter, she had already moved past the initial sadness and settled into a routine. She taught for two hours each day, then spent the rest of her time helping Mother Lin with small tasks like feeding the chickens and tidying the house. In this era, in a small village like theirs, there was no chance of earning extra money. However, she discovered something quite peculiar—her used sanitary pads seemed to regenerate after being disposed of.
It wasn’t just the sanitary pads—even money and ration tickets were the same. At first, she hadn’t noticed, but after discovering that the sanitary pads had multiplied, she began to check other items. Even clothes that she didn’t wash would appear brand new when she opened her suitcase again. It was truly magical.
Lately, she had been missing her phone. Taking advantage of Lin Jiang’s winter break, she suggested taking a walk in the mountains, hoping she might find her phone at the spot where she had arrived in this world.
However, the Lin family disagreed. The mountains were treacherous, and ordinary people wouldn’t dare venture there.
With no other choice, she put the idea aside. Just then, someone from the village came to inform her that she had a letter waiting at the village office. After tidying herself up, she went to retrieve it. Lin Donghe happened to be there as well. His attitude toward Su Su had cooled considerably since she had arrived, mainly because the female lead’s life had become difficult due to Su Su’s presence. It was said that Qin Yueyue was frequently ostracized by the other educated youths.
“I’m here to pick up my letter,” Su Su said, not really interested in engaging with the male lead or female lead anymore. They could do whatever they wanted. After all, even if Lin Donghe was eventually recognized by his wealthy family, he wouldn’t have much power—just some money. It would take him three to five years to achieve anything, by which time Lin Chuan’s career in the military would likely be just as impressive. Otherwise, the female lead wouldn’t have kept stringing Lin Chuan along, calling him “brother” at every opportunity.
Lin Donghe rummaged through a worn-out drawer and handed her two letters. “It’s probably Lin Chuan sending you money. You must be enjoying life, married into the Lin family.”
He spoke casually, thinking that any woman would appreciate being told she had married well.
But Su Su was different. She was a modern woman, independent and self-sufficient. During her university days, she had paid her own tuition by working part-time, never needing to rely on her parents. Even here, in this unfamiliar world, she had money of her own and didn’t need the Lin family to support her.
Although she was unhappy with his remark, she managed a polite smile as she took the letters. One was addressed to her and came from an official department, while the other was from Lin Chuan.
Who could have sent her a letter in this world where she knew no one?
Without caring who else was around, she opened the official letter first. To her surprise, a postal order fell out.
The village secretary, who was standing nearby, picked it up for her, exclaiming, “So, Comrade Su Su is getting paid! No wonder you’re doing better than Lin Chuan—fifty yuan is a lot of money.”
Lin Donghe blushed. He hadn’t expected that even in such a remote place, Su Su would still receive a such a high salary. It was truly eye-opening.
“No wonder you’re a college graduate,” the secretary said with a smile, handing the postal order back to Su Su.
“It’s nothing, really. It’s thanks to the organization’s support,” Su Su replied, parroting the kind of phrases commonly used at the time. Then she took Lin Chuan’s letter and her postal order and headed home. Inside the envelope, she also found three ration tickets.
She’d been in this world for nearly a month, so this must be her monthly salary.
Not bad at all—fifty yuan in this era was equivalent to five thousand or even ten thousand in modern times.
Although she could have kept this information to herself, the village secretary had already seen it, so there was no point in hiding it. She might as well show it off a little when she got back to the Lin household. After all, she didn’t want them thinking she was just spending their son’s money.
Besides, having a legitimate reason to spend money would make things easier in the future.
When Su Su returned to the Lin household, Mother Lin greeted her with a smile. “You look so happy! Did Lin Chuan send you a letter?”
“Yep, I got a letter from him, but I haven’t opened it yet. And I got paid today!”
“Really? You’re getting paid too?” Mother Lin asked, surprised.
Su Su leaned in and whispered, “Yes, fifty yuan. Let’s celebrate tonight and make something special.”
She waved the postal order in her hand. “And I’ve got meat coupons too!”
“Oh, wow! That’s amazing!” Mother Lin beamed. This wasn’t just a daughter-in-law—they’d practically brought a money tree into the family.
That evening, the Lin family was in high spirits. They took out some meat and made dumplings. Father Lin even brought out some liquor to drink. The younger ones were a bit puzzled, not understanding why they were having dumplings, which were usually reserved for special occasions like New Year’s.
Mother Lin explained, “Your sister-in-law got paid, so we’re celebrating!”
“There are also five pounds of meat coupons. One of you should go to the commune to buy some meat for New Year’s,” Su Su said generously. The Lin family could use some extra nourishment—they all looked a bit too lean.
“That’s too much. You should save your money to buy things for yourself. There are too many of us for everyone to get a proper share,” Father Lin protested, not wanting to take advantage of his daughter-in-law, despite the family still living together.
“Dad, we’re all family. I can’t get fat while everyone else goes hungry. Besides, with the New Year coming, we should stock up on supplies,” Su Su said sweetly, winning over the Lin elders. Now that she had a salary, even those who might have had reservations about her couldn’t say a word against her.
Even Lin Shan, who hadn’t been particularly fond of his new sister-in-law, had to admit that the food had improved since she arrived. The family was getting along well, and life was good.
After dinner, Su Su called the three younger ones over and said, “I’m in a good mood today, so each of you can ask for a small gift. What would you like?”
Mother Lin interjected, “You don’t need to give them anything. Save your money for yourself to buy clothes and food.”
“I haven’t given them anything since I got married. Just this once,” Su Su insisted, then turned to the three boys, waiting for their requests.
But they just looked at each other, unsure of what to ask for.
Finally, Lin Shan turned and walked away. He couldn’t think of anything he really wanted from her.
“How about the book ‘How the Steel Was Tempered’? Would you like to read it?” Su Su asked. Books were scarce in this era, but she happened to have a few, and she’d intended to give them to students she liked.
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