Volume One, Chapter Nine: I Heard You Failed Another Blind Date?

Wait! Why is Song Huaichuan’s pen still with her?

Thinking they probably hadn’t gone far, Shen Zhiyi quickly turned around and waved the pen in her hand toward the direction Song Huaichuan and the others had left, shouting:

“Hey! You dropped something! Your pen! Your fountain pen!”

Faintly hearing the shouting, Wang Tieniu turned to look.

Just in time, he caught sight of Shen Zhiyi waving at them from a distance.

But the distance, combined with the setting sun and the trees, blurred his vision.

Wang Tieniu only saw Shen Zhiyi seemingly... giving them the middle finger.

Without hesitation, he turned to the person beside him and said:

“Boss, Sister Shen says you’re an idiot.”

Song Huaichuan: “...”

Meanwhile, Shen Zhiyi was still shouting, “Hey! Your pen! Your fountain pen! Don’t you want it?”

The helpful comrade Wang Tieniu continued conveying the message: “Boss, Sister Shen says you’re an idiot and shameless.”

Song Huaichuan: “...”

Wang Tieniu said, “Boss, let’s hurry up. I told you no matter what you do today, start with your right foot. But just now I saw you step off with your left foot again. You must have angered Sister Shen by stepping off with your left first...”

Veins bulging on his forehead, Song Huaichuan finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Shut up.”

Yet his pace quickened noticeably.

On this side, Shen Zhiyi was baffled.

The more she shouted, the faster those two ran away.

Watching them disappear over the hill, she had no choice but to lower her hand.

Forget it, she’d return it next time they met.

The fountain pen looked quite valuable.

Shen Zhiyi spun around and noticed a character engraved on the inside clip of the pen cap: “Song.”

Feeling quite pleased with today’s gain, Shen Zhiyi followed big brother Shen home happily.

But no sooner had she stepped through the door than second brother Shen anxiously pulled her aside.

“Little sister, did anyone say anything to you on your way back?”

“No, why?”

“Nothing. It’s been hot lately, so try to stay home as much as possible. If you want to go out, call your second sister-in-law to go with you, okay?”

Though a little puzzled, obedient as always, Shen Zhiyi nodded.

Shen Zhigao was very pleased; his sister was truly well-behaved.

Then he stuffed a package into Shen Zhiyi’s arms.

“Here, a reward for you. Bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative today. Not much, just take it and eat it yourself.”

Hearing second brother’s coaxing tone, Shen Zhiyi couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Holding the heavy pastries in her hands, her heart warmed.

“Have sister-in-law and Xiao Qiu eaten?”

Shen Zhigao replied, “Don’t worry, they’ve all eaten. I even bought them a pack of fruit candies.”

Reassured, Shen Zhiyi accepted the pastries.

Before leaving, Shen Zhigao still looked a bit uneasy and reminded her once more:

“By the way, little sister, if anyone in the village talks nonsense, just ignore them. Don’t listen, got it?”

A flicker passed through Shen Zhiyi’s eyes, but her smile remained unchanged.

“Don’t worry, second brother. I won’t let others affect me.”

That night, faint quarrels came from big brother Shen’s room, but immersed in her studies, Shen Zhiyi was unaffected.

She slept soundly.

Early the next morning.

As Shen Zhiyi washed up in the courtyard, a gloating voice sounded behind her.

“Shen Zhiyi, I heard you got your engagement broken off?”

Without turning, Shen Zhiyi knew it was her eldest uncle’s daughter, Shen Liyun.

Since childhood, Shen Liyun had liked to compete with her.

They’d compared grades, brothers, then looks and jobs.

Her standards for choosing a partner were all based on Shen Zhiyi’s: must be from the city, must have someone in the family as an official, the higher the rank the better—preferably from the capital.

After endless fussing, she ended up an old maid. (One year older than Shen Zhiyi.)

Knowing Shen Zhiyi had been jilted, last night she woke up laughing several times in her dreams.

So the first thing she did this morning was come over to mock Shen Zhiyi.

Turning to face Shen Liyun’s smug expression, Shen Zhiyi felt inexplicably annoyed.

“What’s your pleasure? Even if I was jilted, that marriage wasn’t going to fall to you.”

The smile on Shen Liyun’s face froze instantly.

Indeed, Shen Liyun had once tried to steal Shen Zhiyi’s engagement.

Back then, egged on by Shen Liyun and Aunt Shen, Grandma Shen had tried to switch Shen Zhiyi’s betrothal to Shen Liyun, but failed.

Changing an engagement wasn’t so simple, especially since Shen Zhiyi’s original match was complicated.

Her engagement to Song Huaiyu was less about gratitude and more about compensation.

When the Song family—grandfather and grandson—came from the mountain, old Song slipped and fell into the water. Song Huaiyu tried to save him but couldn’t swim and almost drowned himself.

In the early winter’s cold water, Shen Zhiyi struggled to drag them both ashore but barely managed to climb out herself.

Her health was poor to begin with, and the effort, plus soaking in icy water, left her fainting for three days and nights.

At that time, Shen Liyun’s mother, Aunt Shen, was standing by making snide remarks:

“Tsk tsk, she was sickly to start with. Maybe she won’t survive. In my opinion, better not to save her. Being in that cold water so long, even if she lives, she’ll be a burden for life, won’t marry well and will drag her brothers down...”

Old Song felt guilty and insisted that Song Huaiyu become engaged to Shen Zhiyi.

Shen Liyun also recalled her failed attempt to steal the fiancé.

It was humiliating.

But,

“If you ask me, you might as well have given the engagement to me back then. Now look, they must have broken it off because of your poor health.”

As she spoke, Shen Liyun’s lips curled slightly, but her words dripped with malice.

“Tsk tsk, no one in our village has ever been jilted before. You’re the first. You really shame us women!”

Shen Zhiyi was about to reply when a voice behind her beat her to it—

“Little sister, I heard you failed yet another blind date recently. Is it true?” Second sister-in-law Yang Huihui asked with a smile, her expression full of curiosity.

Shen Zhiyi’s eyes flickered, and mimicking Shen Liyun, she tutted twice:

“Been on dozens of blind dates and not once successful. Even the matchmakers don’t dare come to your house. You’re the first in our village, really embarrassing us women!”

Shen Liyun stomped her foot. “You’re lying! It’s not dozens, only sixteen times!”

Shen Zhiyi replied, “Second sister-in-law, isn’t sixteen times enough? I don’t know—I’ve never been on a blind date.”

Yang Huihui laughed and joined in: “I don’t know either. I only went on one, and on the first try I chose your second brother.”

Shen Liyun was speechless with anger. “That’s because I didn’t like them!”

“Oh really?” Shen Zhiyi said leisurely. “But gossipers don’t care about your process; they only judge the result.”

Shen Liyun glared. “All those matchmakers introduced me to were rejects. What’s wrong with refusing them?!”

Shen Zhiyi looked shocked, clutching her chest and stepping back dramatically.

“Don’t you know? The quality of your blind date reflects how the matchmakers see your value.”