Volume One, Chapter Three: Finding a Partner Is a Matter of Utmost Importance

“Yes, yes, Wan always secretly dated me. When we were in school, I carried her desk and backpack,” Xu Qiang nodded in agreement.

Huo Xiaohan looked at the two, neatly dressed, with a few gifts wrapped in red paper hanging from the bicycle’s handlebars—this was indeed in keeping with rural courtship customs.

A cold smile curved his thin lips.

That woman was even more hypocritical, calculating, and snobbish than he had imagined.

When he went to Su Wan’s school to help her get her transfer certificate, he had seen her report card—several subjects with single-digit scores; even without transferring, the school would have advised her to drop out.

This proved beyond doubt the words Su Wan had said to her mother yesterday. He had not misheard: under the guise of going to Beiping for high school and university entrance exams, she was not only trying to climb the social ladder but also seeking a partner with a good reputation.

Even her homeroom teacher said that she was not really there to attend high school in town but was aiming to find a local boyfriend.

“Is there anything else?” Huo Xiaohan glanced at his watch, showing no intention to linger, and spoke coldly.

“Wan never lets my son say they’re dating; she’s just riding one donkey while looking for another. Comrade, you mustn’t be fooled by Wan,” Xu Qiang’s mother hesitated, then, seeing Huo’s lack of response, earnestly added before pulling her son away.

Standing at the doorstep, Su’s mother saw the jeep parked at the village entrance through the wheat fields and hurriedly called her two daughters to pack their belongings and head out.

They met Huo Xiaohan halfway on his way to the Su family.

Su Wan wore a floral short-sleeved shirt, her long black braids smooth and neat, a few stray hairs framing her forehead. She carried the locally unique large bamboo backpack.

Beneath the harsh June sun, she stood tall and graceful, her skin as smooth and pale as a peeled egg, glowing with freshness. Her delicate oval face bore clear, bright eyes, a finely shaped nose, and full, rosy lips as if saturated with flower nectar, ready to bloom at any moment.

Her entire presence was indescribably gentle and pure, yet like a spring blossom, vivid and charming—impossible to look away from.

Su Xiaohui, meanwhile, was piggybacked by their older brother. She also had two braided pigtails, each tied with a freshly picked gardenia flower at the ends, dressed in a brand-new pink polyester shirt her mother had bought for her matchmaking.

She was also pretty, though her skin was darker and slimmer, making her features less distinctive compared to Su Wan’s.

“Hello, Brother Huo,” Su Xiaohui said shyly.

In the letter, Brother Huo had instructed her to address him this way.

After greeting Su’s mother and older brother, Huo Xiaohan’s gaze skipped over Su Wan and settled on Su Xiaohui. His tightly pressed lips relaxed slightly. “Hello, Sister Xiaohui.”

Then he took the backpack from Su’s mother.

“Hello, Comrade Huo,” Su Wan greeted him with a bright smile, showing a row of clean, even teeth.

Huo Xiaohan merely nodded lightly and handed her the letter of introduction.

“Brother Huo, what about my letter?” Su Xiaohui asked, puzzled.

“It’s with me. I’ll keep it safe for you,” Huo Xiaohan said in a low, calm voice, carrying an unspoken authority of a protector.

Su Wan could tell he was wary and dismissive of her, as if afraid she might tear up Su Xiaohui’s letter.

Given the original person’s temperament, she indeed might do such a thing.

“Thank you, Brother Huo,” Su Xiaohui lowered her shy eyes, her heart swelling with happiness.

Brother Huo must like her too.

She recognized he was protecting and backing her up.

Proudly, she glanced back at Su Wan.

Su Wan only looked straight ahead, planning her life in Beiping. Once there, she would have to rely on herself entirely.

The Huo family surely knew about the original’s attempt to snatch her sister’s boyfriend and even her suicide attempt by jumping into a river. They would not look kindly on her.

She did not want to live as a burden to others.

So she hoped to find a job with room and board included, to earn some tuition and living expenses.

Once school started, she would stay in the dormitory—just endure until she got into college.

Su’s mother recalled how Xu Qiang’s mother had come to propose marriage, spreading rumors that Wan was a broken woman no one wanted.

Soon, the whole village would probably know.

Anxious and uneasy, she grabbed Su Wan’s slender arm, repeatedly urging her to find a match quickly once in Beiping.

Finding a partner was her top priority. Soldiers were off-limits, but some intellectuals were acceptable.

If she stayed in Beiping, her in-laws could help find her a job, which would be better than studying.

“Mhm,” Su Wan’s thoughts were interrupted. Knowing it was useless to explain her plan to attend university, she nodded along.

“You must find a husband in Beiping. If you finish high school and still can’t marry, returning to Qiantang Village means you’ll have to marry a lifelong bachelor,” Su’s mother said, her eyes reddening as she gripped Su Wan’s hand tightly.

Xiaohui was blessed and promising, so no worries there, but Wan was truly on the edge of despair.

Su Wan understood her mother’s thoughts in this era and gently squeezed her hand to soothe her restless emotions.

“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely find a husband within three months of arriving in Beiping.”

In reality, her family had pressured her to marry before, and she knew the pressure would only be harsher in this time.

If she didn’t give her mother some reassurance, she might get letters or telegrams frequently, or worse, her mother might come to Beiping herself.

To focus on studying for the college entrance exam, she decided to tell a beautiful lie.

When school started, she would write home saying she found a partner but would wait until after high school to marry.

First, calm her mother’s nerves; after getting into college, she would reveal the truth.

“All right, all right,” her mother sighed with relief, wiping the stinging from her nose.

With Wan’s looks, as long as she didn’t act out, finding a match within three months should be easy.

Hearing the mother and daughters whispering about matchmaking behind her, Huo Xiaohan quickened his pace.

Find a good match in three months, climb the social ladder?

His dark, cold eyes were filled with sarcasm and indifference.

At the village entrance by the jeep, Su’s mother reluctantly gave many instructions, her eyes red.

Xiaohui could still come home during holidays, but it would be difficult for Wan.

Just before boarding, she stuffed the family’s few remaining eggs into Su Wan’s bag.

Huo Xiaohan sat in the driver’s seat, coldly watching the scene through the rearview mirror.

After placing the eggs in her blue shoulder bag, Su Wan straightened her posture, meeting Huo Xiaohan’s sharp, eagle-like black eyes in the mirror.

His high, stern brows radiated an innate chill, an overwhelming presence.