Chapter 3: A Letter from Far Away

That March arrived with the last cold winds of the season, covering every roof in the compound with mist.

Qingning sat by the window, carefully checking every seam on a newly finished blouse.

In the beginning, only a few people had placed orders, but now the number of garments had grown considerably.

The three women from the compound had gradually grown used to the way Qingning organized the work.

Every morning, they gathered in the room at the back of the house to sort fabric together.

Qingning handled the designs, calculated the materials, and inspected every piece before delivery.

Sister Zhang and the other two did the sewing, and the simple tasks were shared out evenly.

The clear division of labor meant everyone earned extra income without feeling shortchanged.

Qingning looked at the profits tucked carefully away in the wooden box and felt her confidence grow.

She knew the money wasn’t enough to change her life yet, but at least she had a starting point.

More importantly, she no longer had to depend on Su Guilan the way she used to.

With every passing day, Qingning felt herself stepping closer to the life she wanted.

That afternoon, just as everyone finished work, someone called from outside.

“Qingning, there’s a letter for you from the army unit.”

She hurried out and saw the old gatekeeper holding a white envelope.

The handwriting on the front was neat and upright. One glance told her who had sent it.

Qingning took the letter, thanked the gatekeeper, and hurried back to her room.

She sat down at the table and gently opened the envelope with a small pair of scissors.

There were only a few pages inside, but every line made her gaze grow softer.

Lu Zechuan wrote that his unit was in the middle of a long training exercise.

He asked whether her work was going well and whether she had been in good health.

At the end of the letter, he reminded her that the weather back home was still cold, and that she should keep warm and not overwork herself.

Qingning read the letter twice, and a smile appeared on her lips without her meaning it to.

She had thought she wouldn’t care much about such simple words of concern.

But at some point she couldn’t pin down, every letter from him had started to lift her mood.

Qingning took out a fresh sheet of paper and sat thinking for a long time before she began to write.

She told him that orders had been growing lately, and that everyone was working very hard.

She told him she was saving money so that she could continue her studies someday.

When she reached the end, she held her pen still for a long time, not knowing what else to write.

In the end, she wrote one simple line: that she hoped very much he would come home safe.

Only after she had folded the letter carefully did Qingning realize her cheeks were a little warm.

She laughed at herself at once, feeling that she might be caring a little too much about that man.

But no matter how she tried to deny it, part of her was quietly waiting for the day he came back.

---

A few days later, something unexpected happened that set her work back.

A woman from the compound brought back a blouse Qingning had just made, looking unhappy.

“Qingning, I tried this on yesterday and the shoulders are a bit tight.”

Qingning took the blouse at once and carefully checked every seam.

She quickly realized the problem lay in the original measurements, which hadn’t been recorded accurately.

“That’s my mistake. I’ll fix it for you today.”

The woman’s tone softened at that, but someone beside her made a point of adding,

“Running a business and you can’t even write down measurements right. Who’s going to dare order from you after this?”

Qingning didn’t argue. She calmly altered the blouse right there in front of everyone.

She understood that if she wanted to do this for the long haul, she had to own up to her shortcomings.

Once she was done, the blouse fit much better, and the woman was satisfied.

“That’s right now. I’ll still order from you next time.”

Qingning smiled and thanked her warmly.

The people around them, watching how she handled it, gradually changed their minds about her.

The girl everyone used to look down on was beginning to earn their trust.

---

But Su Guilan was not pleased to see Qingning becoming more and more independent.

She had assumed that after the broken engagement, Qingning would have no one to lean on.

Yet in no time at all, the girl had started earning her own money and winning people’s trust.

One evening, Su Guilan came to Qingning’s room with a stern face.

“Qingning, you’ve been making quite a bit of money lately, haven’t you?”

Qingning looked up from her notebook and calmly regarded the woman in front of her.

“However much I make, it’s money I earned.”

Su Guilan frowned, her voice turning sour at once.

“You’ve lived in this house for years. Now that you’re making money, you don’t think to repay your family?”

Qingning put down her pen. Her eyes were calm, but there was no more meekness in them.

“For years I’ve done the housework, worked the fields, and looked after everyone. I never kept count.”

“But now I want to save for my own future. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Su Guilan stared at her for a long time, and in the end could only storm out of the room.

Qingning watched the door close and became even more determined to move out on her own soon.

She didn’t want her hard work to be treated as an obligation forever.

---

A month later, Qingning’s business was growing faster than she had imagined.

A small shop in the county had started stocking clothes made by her group.

It was the biggest order Qingning had taken since she started.

She had to mobilize everyone in the group to work for days on end.

Everyone was thrilled, because this time the pay was much higher than before.

Qingning carefully calculated every expense, then divided the wages among them.

Sister Zhang held her share and was so happy her eyes turned red.

“Qingning, I never once thought I could earn this much money.”

Qingning smiled and told her that as long as they worked hard, life would definitely get better.

Her words gave everyone even more motivation to keep going.

But Qingning also understood that this was only the first step.

She wanted to open a shop of her own someday, and she wanted to learn more about business.

So she began setting aside part of her money for books and study materials.

In the evenings, after work was done, she often sat reading under the oil lamp.

Some nights she was so tired she only managed a few pages before falling asleep at the table.

But the next morning she woke up and went right back to studying as if nothing had happened.

---

At the end of April, Lu Zechuan came back.

The news reached Qingning while she was inspecting a new order.

One of his comrades stood at the door and called to her.

“Qingning, Zechuan asked me to let you know he’s back.”

Qingning froze for a few seconds, then quickly set the blouse down.

She went out, and as soon as she reached the gate, she saw a familiar figure standing beneath the trees.

Lu Zechuan was in a neat uniform, carrying a dark green bag.

When he saw her, his eyes softened at once.

“It’s been a while.”

Qingning tried to stay composed, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her lips.

“When did you get back?”

“Just now.”

“Then why didn’t you rest instead of coming here?”

Lu Zechuan looked at her and answered evenly,

“I wanted to see you first.”

Qingning fell silent, feeling her heart beat faster than usual.

She didn’t know how to answer, so she turned her face away to hide how flustered she was.

Lu Zechuan watched her, and a very faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

He opened the bag he had brought and took out a few carefully wrapped items.

“These are some local specialties my unit sent back. I brought them for you.”

Qingning took them, looked at each one, and asked,

“You went all that way and still remembered to bring something back for me?”

“Yes. I thought you’d like them.”

That simple answer softened Qingning’s heart a great deal.

She looked at him for a long moment, then said quietly,

“Thank you.”

Lu Zechuan didn’t reply. He just stood beside her in the fading afternoon light.

They talked about so many things, from work to life during the months apart.

Qingning told him the county shop had started stocking her products, and he listened intently.

When she said she wanted to open a shop of her own, his eyes showed clear support.

“Have you thought it through?”

“Very carefully. But I still need more time to prepare.”

“If you need help, just tell me.”

Qingning looked at him and asked,

“Are you always this ready to help me?”

Lu Zechuan was quiet for a few seconds before answering,

“Because I want to help you.”

The world around them suddenly went still, with only a light breeze moving through the trees.

Qingning lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her blouse.

She knew she no longer saw him as just an ordinary neighbor.

---

That evening, Lu Zechuan went to see the elders of the compound.

At first Qingning didn’t understand what he meant to do, until she heard the conversation outside.

“I’d like to ask the family’s permission to court Qingning, seriously.”

Su Guilan was stunned, and everyone around them fell silent at once.

Qingning stood behind the door, her heart pounding so hard she could almost hear every beat.

Lu Zechuan went on in a calm voice:

“I know her circumstances haven’t been easy, but I truly respect and treasure her.”

“I can’t promise anything grand, but I will always treat her with sincerity.”

Su Guilan looked at him, both surprised and uneasy.

The man in front of her wasn’t just a soldier. He had a very bright future.

If Qingning married him, her life would change completely.

But what bothered Su Guilan was that Qingning was no longer under her control.

Behind the door, Qingning laid a hand gently against her chest.

She didn’t know what the future held for the two of them.

But for the first time since waking up in this era, she felt her life was heading in the right direction.

She didn’t need a man to rescue her from hardship.

She only needed someone who could walk with her through the days ahead.

And Lu Zechuan seemed to be the one standing on the other side of that door.

That night, Qingning lay in bed for a long time without being able to fall asleep.

Her mind kept returning to his calm gaze, and to his words about wanting to court her seriously.

Outside the window, the gentle moonlight fell over the compound’s old roofs.

Qingning smiled softly, because she knew her life was turning to a completely new page.

But she didn’t yet know that a great trial still lay ahead.

An unexpected upheaval back in her hometown would force her to return, and would reveal a secret about the original owner’s origins that she had never known.

And that very secret would bring her and Lu Zechuan even closer.