Chapter 2: Stepping Into the Compound

The next morning, Qingning had barely woken up when she heard a bicycle stop in front of the gate.

She quickly threw on a thin sweater and went out to see.

Lu Zechuan was standing beside his bicycle, holding an old blue cloth bag.

When he saw her, he held the bag out and said calmly,

“These are a few kinds of fabric I found in the county. See if any of them are useful.”

Qingning took the bag and opened it to look at each piece of fabric folded neatly inside.

The quality was quite good. The colors were plain, but perfectly suited for making clothes.

She looked up at him, unable to hide her delight.

“These are great. Thank you for finding them for me.”

Lu Zechuan nodded slightly, then took a small notebook from his breast pocket.

“The seller said that if you buy in bulk, the price can come down even more.”

Qingning took the notebook and carefully memorized every price he had found out.

The more she looked, the more she felt that the man in front of her was extremely meticulous.

“You’ve helped me so much. I can’t let you do it for nothing.”

Lu Zechuan raised an eyebrow, looking at her calmly.

“And how do you plan to pay me back?”

Qingning thought for a moment and smiled.

“When I make some money, I’ll treat you to a really good meal.”

The man was silent for a few seconds, and then the corners of his lips curved up, ever so slightly.

“All right. I’ll be waiting.”

With that, he didn’t linger, and quickly rode out of the compound.

Qingning watched his back as he went, and a feeling she couldn’t quite explain stirred inside her.

She went straight back to her room, reminding herself that the most important thing right now was still making money.

The fabric Lu Zechuan had brought gave her a new idea.

Instead of sewing clothes for just a few people in the compound, she could take orders from many families.

But to do that, she needed a group of people who could sew and who were truly trustworthy.

Qingning immediately thought of the women in the compound.

In this era, many women were excellent seamstresses but had no steady income.

If she sourced the materials, designed the patterns, and divided the work, everyone could earn a little extra.

The idea set her to work right away.

That afternoon, Qingning brought a few pieces of fabric to Sister Zhang’s house at the end of the row.

Sister Zhang was the most skilled needlewoman among all the women in the compound.

The two of them sat at the table, and Qingning took out a simple sketch to explain.

“Could you try making this blouse for me? The style isn’t complicated, but it has to be very neat.”

Sister Zhang studied the drawing for a while, then asked curiously,

“Are you planning to sell clothes?”

Qingning nodded and laid out her plan.

“I want to make a few pieces first. If people like them, then we’ll start taking orders.”

Sister Zhang thought it over for a long time before agreeing to give it a try.

That night, the old sewing machine hummed steadily in the little room.

Qingning sat beside it, carefully checking every stitch.

She didn’t want to make money by cutting corners. Reputation was what would take her further.

Three days later, the first blouse was finished.

The design was simple but well fitted, and Qingning had made a special adjustment to the collar.

Sister Zhang looked at the finished piece, amazed.

“I never thought a little change like that would make it look so much better.”

Qingning smiled, tried the blouse on, and stood in front of the mirror.

She knew she had found a direction that suited her situation.

The next day, Qingning wore the new blouse out into the courtyard.

Several women in the compound immediately noticed its unusual cut.

One of them asked curiously,

“Qingning, where did you buy that blouse?”

She smiled.

“I didn’t buy it. I designed it myself and had someone sew it.”

Her answer quickly drew everyone over for a closer look.

A young woman immediately asked how much it cost, because she wanted one just like it.

Qingning didn’t rush to name a price. She asked for her measurements and favorite colors first.

By afternoon, she had her first three orders.

The money wasn’t much yet, but for Qingning it was a very important first step.

She spent every bit of the profit on more fabric, thread, and a few necessary notions.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but trouble soon came looking for her.

As soon as Su Guilan learned that Qingning was taking sewing orders, she came straight over.

She stood in the middle of the courtyard, deliberately raising her voice.

“You took money to buy fabric and sell clothes without asking me first?”

Qingning, who was cutting fabric, stopped and looked at her calmly.

“This is money I earned myself. Why would I need your permission?”

Su Guilan frowned at once. She was used to Qingning doing as she was told.

“As long as you live under this roof, everything is decided by your elders.”

Qingning set the scissors down on the table. Her voice was still calm, but very clear.

“For years I’ve done everything you asked of me.”

“But I’m grown now. I want to make decisions about my own life.”

Su Guilan was furious, but with so many people watching, she couldn’t keep making a scene.

She just tossed out one cold remark and went back to her room.

“Don’t think earning a few coins makes you somebody.”

Qingning didn’t reply. She simply went back to her work.

She understood that to change her life, the first step was not letting anyone else control her.

---

A week later, Qingning’s orders were growing fast.

Sister Zhang and two other women had started helping her sew.

Qingning divided the work very clearly: one person cut the fabric, one sewed, one inspected the finished product.

Each of them was paid according to the work she finished.

This arrangement made everyone happy, because no one felt she was working for free.

Before long, the clothes Qingning designed began to get noticed.

Some people from the neighboring residential area came over to buy as well.

Qingning knew opportunity was slowly opening up in front of her.

But she also knew this era came with a great many rules that had to be followed.

She didn’t want to complicate things by rushing to make money.

So she decided to take only small orders and do them properly.

One afternoon, while Qingning was inspecting fabric, Lu Zechuan unexpectedly came back.

He stood outside the door, watching the women busy at work inside.

Qingning smiled the moment she saw him.

“When did you get back?”

“Just now.”

He looked at the pile of fabric on the table and asked,

“How’s the work going?”

Qingning immediately pulled out a chair for him.

“Pretty well. People have started placing orders.”

Lu Zechuan looked at the neatly folded clothes, and a hint of approval showed in his eyes.

“You work fast.”

Qingning laughed softly.

“If I weren’t fast, how would I make any money?”

He looked at her for a few seconds, then said,

“At the end of the month, I have to go back to my unit for a long time.”

The smile on Qingning’s lips suddenly froze.

“How long will you be gone?”

“Maybe a few months.”

She was quiet for a moment before realizing she had just asked a question that showed far too much concern.

Qingning immediately lowered her head to sort the fabric and deliberately changed the subject.

“Then take care of yourself.”

Lu Zechuan noticed how flustered she was, but didn’t point it out.

“I will.”

He stood to leave, but paused before stepping out the door.

“Qingning.”

“Hm?”

“If you need anything, just write to me.”

She looked up, and their eyes happened to meet.

The moment lasted only a few seconds, but Qingning’s heart beat faster than usual.

She quickly looked away and answered,

“I know.”

Lu Zechuan left the compound.

Qingning stood by the door watching him go, and for the first time a strange feeling stirred inside her.

She knew she was starting to care about that man.

But she also understood that there was still a great deal she had to accomplish.

She wanted money, she wanted to study, and she wanted to build a stable life on her own.

For now, romance could only come after all those goals.

---

At the end of the month, Qingning unexpectedly received a letter from Zhou Jianguo.

She opened the envelope, read it line by line, and immediately frowned.

Zhou Jianguo wrote that he had reconsidered the marriage.

He wanted to meet her privately, because his family was now having some problems.

Qingning laughed when she finished reading.

When she was weak, the Zhous hadn’t hesitated for a second to break the engagement.

Now that they saw she had work of her own, they wanted to come back.

She had no intention of giving them the chance.

That afternoon, sure enough, Zhou Jianguo appeared at the compound gate.

He waited a long time before Qingning finally came out.

“Qingning, can we talk?”

She looked at him calmly.

“If you have something to say, say it here.”

Zhou Jianguo glanced around, looking uncomfortable.

“I want to apologize for what happened before.”

Qingning showed no emotion. She simply waited for him to go on.

“My family didn’t think it through back then, and I listened to my parents too much.”

“Now I realize that you’re still the one who’s right for me.”

Qingning found it laughable.

“Zhou Jianguo, do you know what your biggest regret is?”

He was stunned for a moment.

“What?”

“That you only realized my worth after I stopped needing you.”

Zhou Jianguo stood frozen, his face darkening.

Qingning had no wish to continue the conversation.

She turned and went back into the compound, leaving him standing alone outside the gate.

She had no idea that someone had quietly witnessed the whole thing.

Lu Zechuan had come to say goodbye before returning to his unit.

But when he saw Zhou Jianguo at the gate, he had stopped not far away.

He heard almost the entire conversation.

Only when Qingning turned to go in did he walk over.

She was surprised the moment she saw him.

“You haven’t left yet?”

“Not yet.”

Lu Zechuan looked at her, his gaze deeper than usual.

“Was that your former fiancé?”

Qingning nodded.

“That’s in the past.”

He was silent for a moment, then said,

“Good.”

Qingning looked at him, puzzled.

“Good about what?”

Lu Zechuan didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her for a long time before saying,

“Nothing.”

Then he turned and walked away.

Qingning watched him go, and suddenly found herself feeling happy.

She didn’t understand why a single, simple word from him could lift her mood like that.

But she knew that from that moment on, Lu Zechuan’s place in her heart had begun to change.

And up ahead, a marriage she never saw coming was drawing closer to her life, step by step.