Picking Someone Up: Who Is This?
Su Xiaoman and Xie Mingtu hurried back to the train station. They weren’t the last ones to arrive; only Grandpa Chen, Tang Jianqiang, and Zhao Qingqing had gotten there before them. Zhang Lili, Jiang Yantang, and He Liang hadn’t arrived yet.
Zhao Qingqing cheerfully greeted Su Xiaoman, “Back already? Looks like you bought a lot of things.”
Su Xiaoman smiled, “You’ve bought quite a bit yourself.”
Even Grandpa Chen had picked up quite a few items on this trip. Su Xiaoman noticed some familiar tobacco leaves. Grandpa Chen came over, picked up a piece, sniffed it, and praised, “Didn’t expect a girl like you to know how to choose good tobacco.”
“Let me tell you, good tobacco is the kind that doesn’t scratch your throat—it’s smooth and pleasant. Your dad will be pleased when he sees this. Did he ask you to buy it for him?”
Su Xiaoman shook her head. “I didn’t pick it; Mingtu did.”
Hearing this, Grandpa Chen glanced at Xie Mingtu, nodded approvingly, and remarked, “Seems like a good son-in-law.”
Xie Mingtu stiffened a little. Su Xiaoman’s father hadn’t been very happy about their marriage, and Xie Mingtu’s earlier image with his father-in-law wasn’t great. He knew he’d need to improve things once they got back.
Zhao Qingqing sidled up to Su Xiaoman and whispered, “When I left them earlier, I saw Zhang Lili chasing after Comrade Jiang. She clearly had something to say. I wonder if they managed to sort things out.”
“Really?” Su Xiaoman thought, It seems the main characters are always finding ways to come together, often needing supporting characters like us to help them along.
That earlier encounter with Zhang Lili, witnessed by Jiang Yantang and the others, was probably another chance for the leads to misinterpret each other.
Su Xiaoman wasn’t particularly interested in Zhang Lili and Jiang Yantang’s story.
Su Xiaoman believed in one thing: life was about living in your own world. No matter how insignificant you seemed, you were still the main character in your own life.
But until she figured out the boundaries of this world and whether the main characters had some kind of protective “main character aura,” she didn’t want to make enemies of them unnecessarily.
They sat on a stone bench near the waiting room, waiting for Zhang Lili and the others. The meeting time was fast approaching.
The train station was bustling with people. In most counties and cities, the area around the station was the busiest and most modern. The station itself was often a symbol of modernization.
A military-green transport truck pulled up at the station entrance, and a group of people wearing red sashes and dressed in green military uniforms got off. Zhao Qingqing said they were new recruits. For many young people, especially the educated youth, joining the army was one of the few ways to leave the countryside. Others tried to pull strings for city jobs, and the best opportunity was to secure a spot at a university. But getting a spot for higher education was extremely difficult.
The new soldiers, dressed in neat green uniforms, exuded energy. Passers-by couldn’t help but glance their way, and the soldiers stood even taller under the attention.
Among them were several female soldiers in arts and culture roles, also dressed in crisp green uniforms, with brown belts cinching their waists. Their glossy black braids and bright red-star hats made them look both heroic and beautiful.
Su Xiaoman found herself captivated by the female soldiers, admiring their outfits.
Xie Mingtu followed her gaze and asked, “Manman?”
“I just think their uniforms are really nice!” Su Xiaoman liked the design, full of the spirit of the times. If she had the chance, she’d love to wear one and have a photo taken for memory’s sake.
Xie Mingtu nodded, somewhat confused but agreeing nonetheless. If Manman likes it, then it’s good.
“That green uniform really does give people a sense of pride,” Grandpa Chen commented while smoking his pipe. “Joining the army brings honour to the whole family. These young men are good lads—people’s soldiers who defend the country. They’re heroes in the eyes of the common folk.”
“That reminds me, Comrade Jiang’s grandfather is a retired official, and he believes that his descendants need to go through the toughest military training to become accomplished. That’s why most of his family members, like his older brother and cousins, are in the military,” Zhao Qingqing, always the gossip, chimed in. It seemed there was no one in the educated youth group who had more insider knowledge than her.
“I feel the same way,” Grandpa Chen added. “If my grandson has the chance, I’ll send him to join the army.”
At the mention of Jiang Yantang, Xie Mingtu’s expression tensed. The name alone made him feel on edge. For him, it was now about protecting against fires, theft, and Jiang Yantang.
Xie Mingtu’s former rival, just hearing his name, sparked resentment in him.
Su Xiaoman noticed his mood change and worried that he might develop a negative attitude toward Jiang’s family or military service. She tugged on his hand and whispered in his ear, “You saved me—you’re my hero.”
Lately, Su Xiaoman had realized more and more that Xie Mingtu was different from most people. His keen hearing often meant he picked up on things that weren’t meant for others’ ears. Even if he wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, the things he overheard still affected him to some extent.
Su Xiaoman felt it was necessary to instil more positive values in Xie Mingtu. His abilities should be used for the right purposes.
She smiled and gently scratched his calloused palm with her fingertip.
First, I’ll flatter him. Then, I’ll steer him toward being a hero, not a villain.
If Xie Mingtu did end up becoming a villain, well, she was prepared to stick with him and be a villainous couple.
“Manman…” Xie Mingtu’s eyes glimmered, and his hand tingled from the gentle touch. If they weren’t at the train station, he’d have scooped her up in his arms right then and there.
Su Xiaoman smiled at him knowingly.
When Zhao Qingqing mentioned the Jiang family, Su Xiaoman couldn’t help but think of another matter. In the original story, Xie Mingtu was actually the real youngest son of the Jiang family, while Jiang Yantang was the biological son of Sun Mei.
According to the book, Jiang’s second brother would soon visit the countryside, and he would realize that Xie Mingtu, who resembled his second uncle, was the true child of the Jiang family. But when would that happen?
Following the typical narrative structure of novels, the male and female leads usually had a period of interaction and bonding before facing major conflicts together.
That meant it might take two or three months—or even half a year to a year—before Xie Mingtu’s true identity was revealed.
…Why not take control of the situation first?
Did they really need Jiang’s second brother to uncover Xie Mingtu’s true parentage?
Moreover, it wasn’t clear whether reconnecting with the Jiang family was a good thing.
Su Xiaoman held Xie Mingtu’s hand tightly. While it was good to come from a wealthy background, if his biological parents didn’t welcome him and the family rejected him, was there any point in going back?
Xie Mingtu needed to grow strong on his own. Wealthy families often looked down on poor relatives, even if they were blood-related. Reputation mattered more to them, and sometimes they would rather acknowledge a non-blood relative than their own flesh and blood.
…Such people were just chasing fame and profit.
Su Xiaoman didn’t know what the future held, but whatever happened, she would stay by his side. If that family didn’t accept him, they could still live their own life behind closed doors. Who needed those so-called blood ties anyway?
Ten minutes past the meeting time, Zhang Lili, Jiang Yantang, and He Liang finally arrived. None of them showed much emotion. After Jiang Yantang apologized, the group bought their tickets and waited to board the train.
Soon, they would be back in Qinghe Commune.
Returning after this experience felt like stepping into a different world. Su Xiaoman tugged on Xie Mingtu’s sleeve, thinking that after tasting the good life at the Zhou family’s, it might be hard to go back to life with the Xie family.
Although they needed to leave the Xie family sooner rather than later, they had to lie low for a while first.
Who knew how many secret stashes of “pet rabbits” Xie Mingtu had hidden away?
Su Xiaoman’s uncle, Liu Zhaoqiang, received a call from the county informing him that Su Xiaoman and her group were on their way back. Overjoyed, he immediately rushed to Su Xiaoman’s family house to announce the good news.
“Shufeng! I’ve got great news for you—Xiaoman and the others are coming home soon!”
At the Su family home, both Liu Shufeng and Su’s eldest sister-in-law were present when they heard the news of Su Xiaoman’s return. Liu Shufeng quickly wiped her hands with a cloth, a smile spreading across her face.
Su’s eldest sister-in-law shouted from outside, “Mother, Uncle is here, and he said our Xiaoman is coming back!”
“Our Xiaoman is really coming back?!” Liu Shufeng was overjoyed. Although this troublesome daughter occasionally frustrated her, she still deeply missed her beloved youngest daughter.
At moments like this, she felt relieved that she hadn’t married Xiaoman off far away. If Xiaoman had been married to someone distant, it would be difficult to see her even once a year, and she couldn’t bear that.
Lately, Liu Shufeng’s mood hadn’t been great. Her husband and two sons had been grumbling that it was a mistake to have impulsively allowed Su Xiaoman to marry the poor boy from the village, Xie Mingtu.
Their words made Liu Shufeng feel suffocated.
The trouble started when Xiaoman’s cousin-in-law brought her daughter, Tang Hong, to visit. This cousin-in-law, Yang Guihua, was a difficult woman—sharp-tongued, always comparing herself to others, and fond of showing off.
Ever since Tang Hong had found a good match—a young worker from the city who even wore glasses and appeared very cultured—Yang Guihua couldn’t stop boasting. Her daughter was soon to marry into the city, eating “state meals,” and no longer needed to marry a “mud-legs” farmer scraping by in the fields.
Yang Guihua acted as if her own status had risen along with her daughter’s.
As soon as she and Tang Hong arrived, Yang Guihua began talking about Tang Hong’s engagement, then quickly pretended to show concern for Su Xiaoman’s marriage. When she found out that Su Xiaoman had married a poor boy from the village, her pride practically overflowed.
Her words dripped with condescension: “Oh, Xiaoman is so pretty, how could she marry someone worse off than my Tang Hong?”
“I thought your Xiaoman would at least marry a school teacher or something. Didn’t I hear she had a crush on some educated youth?”
“Which young girl doesn’t want to marry someone with an education?”
“Why did Xiaoman marry so quickly? How much dowry did they give? Where was the banquet? Why didn’t we get an invitation?”
“Your Xiaoman’s life must be hard. Tang Hong, listen to this. Being pretty isn’t everything. A woman’s fate depends on marrying well. Look at your sister Xiaoman…”
…
These words made the Su family feel utterly uncomfortable. They wanted to drive her out, but she’d switch to a softer tone, pretending to be caring, all while radiating smugness, which only made the family feel even more stifled.
Recently, Su Guodong and Su’s eldest and third brothers had taken her to visit a cousin’s home, leaving the family with a bit of peace and quiet, finally free from her passive-aggressive comments.
Liu Shufeng had no interest in knowing how much dowry her daughter received, nor did she care about the fancy restaurant in town where the wedding banquet was held. She also wasn’t impressed by Tang Hong’s glasses-wearing, soon-to-be son-in-law’s looks.
She had practically shooed this pair of troublemakers out of the house.
However, when Yang Guihua heard that Su Xiaoman and her husband were about to return, she insisted on staying a few more days to see Su Xiaoman’s new husband. She declared, as if showing concern for the younger generation, that she just had to meet him.
There was even a sly smile on her face when she mentioned this, indicating that she’d already heard about Xie Mingtu’s situation and everything about Su Xiaoman and the educated youth.
This woman clearly just wanted to stir up trouble under the guise of concern.
Because of Yang Guihua’s actions, Su Guodong and Su Xiaoman’s eldest and third brothers had been complaining to Liu Shufeng, “Mom, you shouldn’t have rushed Xiaoman into marrying Xie Mingtu.”
“It would have been better to find her a stable man from the next village. The Song family is well-off.”
“She could have married the chef from the state-run restaurant.”
“Or that man from Second Brother’s factory…”
“Enough, enough, enough!” Liu Shufeng frowned and swatted at them one by one. These brats, talking nonsense—her daughter didn’t even like that fat chef.
Though she didn’t fully agree with her husband and sons, Liu Shufeng was starting to regret whether she had acted too impulsively before.
She felt anxious, unsure how Xiaoman and Mingtu were doing after their trip.
With a sigh, she thought to herself, If it doesn’t work out, we can still take care of Xiaoman.
Su’s third brother added, “Mom, you’re too optimistic. What if Xiaoman is still thinking about that educated youth?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Xiaoman already said she doesn’t like Jiang Yantang anymore.”
“Mom, better safe than sorry. Xiaoman is just as changeable as you are. Plus… this time they went on the trip together, and Jiang Yantang is so outstanding. What if—”
Liu Shufeng threw a rag at his face. “Don’t jinx it. If Xiaoman gets involved with Jiang Yantang again, I’ll act like I never gave birth to her.”
“Mom, you’re just saying that. You could never disown your precious daughter.”
Furious, Liu Shufeng slammed the table and yelled, “You bunch of troublemakers! You’re all here to torment me!”
Meanwhile, at the Xie family’s house.
The news of Su Xiaoman’s return reached them too. Old Xie took a puff of his cigarette but didn’t react much. When Xie Mingtu left, things had been a bit busier at home without him, but it wasn’t too much of a burden.
Xie Mingtu had always been invisible, rarely attracting attention. The village folks didn’t care about him much, until he unexpectedly got lucky and married the prettiest girl in the village, Su Xiaoman. Only then did people start paying attention.
While many in the village still looked down on Xie Mingtu, secretly, the young men were envious. Who wouldn’t want to marry someone as beautiful as Su Xiaoman?
Some of the more spiteful villagers even hoped something would happen to Xie Mingtu so that Su Xiaoman would be widowed.
…
“The fifth and his wife are coming back?” Eldest sister-in-law Qin Xiuying and third sister-in-law Zhou Xiaohui were both delighted to hear the news.
Nowadays, they didn’t care much for their domineering second sister-in-law, Xu Yanlan.
They were looking forward to Su Xiaoman’s return, hoping she would help them deal with Xu Yanlan.
The children were simple-minded. Little Xie Chunjuan was especially excited, exclaiming, “Pretty little auntie is coming back!”
She still remembered how Su Xiaoman had styled her hair and braided her pigtails.
When Xu Yanlan heard that the annoying Xie Mingtu and the even more bothersome Su Xiaoman were coming back, she couldn’t help but grumble to her husband, Xie Yaozu. She muttered a few complaints in front of her mother-in-law, Sun Mei, saying, “We’ve only had a few days of peace, and now they’re coming back.”
Xu Yanlan assumed Sun Mei would share her dislike for Su Xiaoman. But to her surprise, Sun Mei’s reaction was completely different.
“Is that so?” Sun Mei stopped what she was doing, her heartbeat quickening. “Are they coming back together? When? We should go to the village entrance to greet them.”
Go to the village entrance to greet them???
Xu Yanlan was dumbfounded.
Since when did Xie Mingtu and Su Xiaoman deserve such treatment from her mother-in-law?
Xu Yanlan, unaware of Sun Mei’s true intentions, was confused by her mother-in-law’s unexpected excitement. Sun Mei was doing her best to stay calm, but her eagerness to go to the village entrance wasn’t for Xie Mingtu—it was for her biological son, Jiang Yantang.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoman and her group returned to Qinghe Brigade and were soon on their way back to their village. Some of the men in their group had learned how to drive tractors, and the brigade had recently been given two brand-new large tractors for their Qiao Xin Village, which was part of their production team.
Two tractors were just enough to carry everyone back. The men capable of driving were Xie Mingtu, Jiang Yantang, He Liang, and Tang Jianqiang. Tang Jianqiang took one tractor, while He Liang eagerly volunteered to drive the other. Although he didn’t think much of driving a tractor, it was considered quite a prestigious skill in the countryside, and He Liang didn’t want to miss the chance to show off.
Xie Mingtu and Jiang Yantang didn’t compete for the role, so the drivers were settled.
The brigade officer, Tang Zhenhua, warned them, “You’d better be careful with these machines. If they break down, you’ll have to get them repaired by Old Dong in the neighbouring brigade.”
Nosy Zhao Qingqing chimed in, “We learned how to fix tractors during our trip!”
Tang Zhenhua was skeptical. He doubted they had learned enough to actually repair tractors in just a few days. “Is that so? Who knows how? It’d be great if you could fix them yourselves.”
“Xie Mingtu,” Zhao Qingqing said, pointing at him.
Tang Zhenhua looked in the direction she pointed and was taken aback. When did their brigade get such a strikingly handsome young man? And his last name was Xie—wasn’t Xie the second-oldest in Qiao Xin Village? But that couldn’t be; Xie’s second son was a teacher, and he didn’t look this young.
“What’s his rank in the family?”
“He’s the youngest, the fifth.”
Tang Zhenhua was puzzled. He had heard of Xie’s fifth son but had never heard that he was this good-looking.
At the entrance of Qiao Xin Village, a crowd had gathered to watch the excitement. In the countryside, entertainment was scarce, and the return of Su Xiaoman’s group, along with two new tractors, was a big event.
Liu Zhaoqiang took a puff of his cigarette, his heart racing with excitement. He was eager to know what these young people had learned during their time away. Would their production team see any big changes?
At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned about his niece, Su Xiaoman. What had happened on this trip? How were things between her and her new husband, Xie Mingtu?
“They’re coming, I can hear the tractor! They’re back!”
“Hey, Old Tang’s family—your son Tang Jianqiang is driving a tractor! He’s really made something of himself.”
“Better find him a match quickly! Now that he’s driving a tractor, he’ll be in high demand, plenty of girls will want to marry him.”
…
The crowd buzzed with excitement, but all eyes were soon drawn to Su Xiaoman, who was standing on one of the tractors.
Her long braid, delicate features, and bright eyes made her look as radiant as ever. Even though she was married, she still looked as youthful and beautiful as an unmarried girl.
Seeing Su Xiaoman, many people began to envy the man who had managed to marry such a beauty.
But where was Xie Mingtu? He wasn’t on the same tractor as her. Wasn’t this big news? Su Xiaoman wasn’t even sitting with her husband! Yet, Jiang Yantang wasn’t there either.
…
What was even more curious was the man standing next to Su Xiaoman. He wasn’t Xie Mingtu, nor was he the well-known educated youth, Jiang Yantang. Instead, he was a handsome stranger dressed in clean, sharp black clothing, with a tall, well-built frame. His striking features, especially his high-bridged nose and slightly upturned eyes, caught the attention of many, including the women in the crowd.
“Who is that handsome young man? Is he new here?”
“He looks unfamiliar, very young, and probably not married yet.”
“He’s standing right next to Xiaoman.”
The two tractors stopped in front of the crowd, and Xie Mingtu was the first to jump down, quickly offering a hand to help Su Xiaoman down from the vehicle.
Su Xiaoman felt that the only downside to these open-air vehicles was the dust they kicked up.
Spotting her uncle, Liu Zhaoqiang, in the crowd, Su Xiaoman smiled and grabbed Xie Mingtu’s hand, walking over to greet him.
Liu Zhaoqiang had been watching his niece closely, noting how she had arrived with a handsome young man beside her. Their closeness seemed a bit inappropriate… He furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling serious.
His eyes locked onto Xie Mingtu, wondering who this young man was.
Su Xiaoman smiled brightly and called out, “Uncle, we’re back!”
Xie Mingtu, nervous and sweaty in the palm of his hand, followed suit, calling out, “Uncle.”
Liu Zhaoqiang, cigarette in hand, widened his eyes even more, wondering what this young man was doing calling him uncle.
“Who’s your uncle? Xiaoman, who is this?”
Su Xiaoman was momentarily stunned. What?
She had become so accustomed to Xie Mingtu’s current appearance that she hadn’t realized her uncle didn’t recognize him. Even though Xie Mingtu had shaved and changed his clothes, there were still plenty of features from his old appearance.
How could her uncle not recognize him?
Turning to Xie Mingtu, Su Xiaoman gave his hand a light squeeze and said, “You tell him who you are.”
Liu Zhaoqiang’s gaze remained fixed on Xie Mingtu, curious to learn who this young man was and why he seemed so close to his niece.
“Xie Mingtu.”
Liu Zhaoqiang’s reaction was one of disbelief. He blurted out, “What did you say your name was?”
“Xie Mingtu,” he repeated, his voice calm and composed.
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