As she reflected on the scene at the department store, Lin Ying realized that Su Beibei’s situation was vastly different from her own. If Su Beibei had let her family know she was searching for a partner, they likely would have meddled under the pretense of “helping” her, only to marry her off to someone she couldn’t stand for the sake of a better bargain.
Every soul has its own path, and their choices are shaped by the shadows they walk through. If the Su family had known beforehand, they might have forbidden the union with Zhong Xu [the original male lead], fearing they wouldn’t be able to squeeze any profit out of the match.
In this era, a proper wedding demanded the legendary San Zhuan Yi Xiang [The “Three Turns and One Sound”: a wrist watch, a sewing machine, and a bicycle—the three that “turn”—and a radio, the one that “sounds”]. For a family to receive these treasures when their daughter married was enough to grant them bragging rights for a lifetime.
However, these four items were far from cheap. Most ordinary families wouldn’t dare ask for such extravagances, settling instead for a modest sum of money, new clothes, or thick quilts. Lin Ying hadn’t broached the subject with Shao Mingyuan yet; she figured they would settle the details during their next meeting.
Since their union was a sham marriage—a temporary alliance born of necessity—Lin Ying felt that a traditional Caili [the betrothal gift or bride price paid by the groom’s family] wasn’t truly necessary. She even considered dipping into her own secret hoard—the money she had earned from selling her gold—to pay for the gifts herself. She could pretend the funds came from Shao Mingyuan, ensuring her family felt supported and respected without putting an undue burden on her “husband.”
As she was palnning all this “What are you looking at? You’re completely lost in thought,” Su Yulan [Lin Ying’s mother] said, patting her shoulder. “I told you to choose the bed sheets and duvet covers. Hurry up.”
Lin Ying turned to the counter. The display was a riot of 1970s aesthetics: floral sheets in shocking pink, bright scarlet, and sunset orange, all featuring massive, intricate peonies. They looked exactly like the vintage linens she had seen at her grandmother’s house in her past life.
Ultimately, she pointed to a muted light blue set adorned with delicate white peonies. Because the colors were “too plain” for the festive standards of the era, they were actually cheaper. Though Su Yulan preferred the loud, lucky reds, she gave in to the budget. They ended up with four sets: a white one with red buds, a blue checkered pattern, one with elegant orchids, and the pale blue peony set.
These items, along with the matching Beizhao [decorative duvet covers] and pillowcases, devoured half of Su Yulan’s savings. The older woman felt the sting in her heart, only pausing to buy a single red “Double Happiness” enamel basin before rushing out.
As they left, passing the watch counter, Lin Ying saw Su Beibei choosing a watch and remembered how Zhong Xu had been really good to Su Beibei in the book. At the beginning, it seemed he had already provided her with the “three turns and one sound” (a traditional Chinese accessory).
The Zhong family already had a bicycle and a sewing machine, so they didn’t need to buy them; the watch and radio were bought by Zhong Xu taking Su Beibei to the department store. If Su Yulan hadn’t been there, Lin Ying would have really wanted to watch the process of the couple choosing wedding supplies.
Su Yulan, oblivious to the drama, led Lin Ying through a maze of alleys to a small cotton-fluffing shop to order quilts. She calculated her remaining coins and ration coupons, deciding to go all in. She ordered two thin summer quilts, one for autumn, and a thick one for winter.
To save money, Su Yulan brought an old quilt from home to be “re-fluffed.” Lin Ying watched, mesmerized, as the craftsman worked the bow-string tool, turning flat, yellowed cotton into a snowy, voluminous cloud. She leaned in too close, and the stray fibers sent her into a fit of sneezing.
By the time they reached home, Su Yulan was struck by “buyer’s remorse.” They had nothing left but basic living expenses to last until the next paycheck.
After this shopping spree life settled into a rhythm. Lin Ying returned to her studies but made sure to set aside a full set of textbooks for Lin He [her elder brother]. He was only twenty-one, working as a factory hand, but Lin Ying knew that in 1977, the Gaokao [the grueling national college entrance exam] would be reinstated. If he started studying now, he could change his destiny.
The following Saturday, as she walked out of the school gates, she saw a figure that made the crowd seem to fade away. Shao Mingyuan stood there, tall and composed, his presence drawing the eyes of every passing schoolgirl.
“You’re visiting my house tomorrow,” he explained as she approached. “I wanted to discuss the arrangements.”
As they walked, he laid out the details of his family. “My parents and grandparents will be there, along with my older brother and younger sister. Like you, I’m the middle child.” He paused, looking at her seriously. “Once we have the certificate, we won’t live with them. I have a Siheyuan [a traditional courtyard house with rooms surrounding a central garden] closer to the hospital. It’s quiet and spacious. I hope you don’t mind living there.”
Lin Ying smiled. She had spent a lifetime alone in the Apocalypse; a lively courtyard house sounded like heaven. “I don’t mind at all. I like the idea of a courtyard.”
“There are three rooms,” he continued, his tone softening. “It was my mother’s dowry. It’s plenty of space for two, though we’ll need furniture. I’m quite busy at the clinic, so I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to handle the decorating.”
“No trouble at all,” she replied. The thought of turning a house into a home—their home—sent a pleasant thrill through her.
“I’ll pick you up at 7:30 tomorrow morning,” he said. “I’ve already prepared the gifts for you to give my parents. We can pick up the rest on the way.”
Lin Ying blinked. “You prepared them already? But it’s my first visit… I feel terrible letting you do all the work.”
Shao Mingyuan gave her a rare, gentle smile. “I know my family better than you do. Money isn’t an issue—I’m a doctor, I have a steady salary. My father is particular; he likes a specific chocolate that isn’t sold in regular shops. My mother drinks a rare tea that would take you a month to track down. It’s better this way.”
Lin Ying stared at him. What kind of background did this man have? High-end chocolate? Rare teas? Was she accidentally marrying into the secret elite? In the original book, the Shao family had looked down on the “original” Lin Ying, likely because of her poor health and humble roots. But seeing Shao Mingyuan’s effortless grace and his hidden wealth, she realized the gap was even wider than she’d thought. Yet, looking at him now, he didn’t seem like a cold aristocrat; he seemed like a man simply trying to make her path a little smoother.
“These are wonderful gifts, and I know they suit your parents perfectly,” Lin Ying said gently, learning about the high-end items Shao Mingyuan had prepared. “But they’ll recognize them as yours the moment they see them. For a first visit, I must prepare something myself. Even if it doesn’t match their expensive tastes perfectly, it’s my gift—it carries my intention.”
She didn’t voice her other worry: if she showed up with items her family clearly couldn’t afford, his parents would know he had paid for them. It would make her look like a gold-digger before she even said hello.
Shao Mingyuan paused, scratching his head with a sheepish look. “I… I didn’t think of that.”
“It’s not your fault; you were just trying to look out for me,” she reassured him. “I’ll still take what you bought, but I need to add something of my own to make it proper.”
With that, she led him back to the department store. Since the rare chocolates were out of reach, she asked, “What else does your father like, besides sweets?”
“He loves fishing,” Shao Mingyuan replied after a moment’s thought.
Lin Ying’s eyes lit up. She first picked out an exquisite double-walled glass teacup etched with a delicate orchid design for his mother. Then, she led him to the market and began buying a strange assortment of ingredients that left the doctor completely baffled.
“What exactly are we buying?” he asked, watching her bag up various grains and pungent additives.
“I can’t afford his favorite tea, but I can afford a beautiful cup,” she explained. “You said your mother is a teacher [a respected profession requiring much public speaking]. She talks all day; she needs a good vessel for her water. It’s practical, elegant, and she’ll think of me every time she takes a sip. As for the rest…” she gestured to the odd market finds, “this is for bait.”
“Bait? For fishing?”
“Special bait,” she said with a wink. In her past life, during the harshest years of the Apocalypse, she had survived by fishing in the dangerous, receding rivers. She had perfected a secret recipe culled from old forums and trial-and-error—a scent so potent no fish could resist it. “Trust me, it works.”
Back home, Su Yulan was a whirlwind of nerves when she heard the visit was the next morning. “We haven’t prepared a thing! What will they think of us?”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve handled the main gifts. But,” Lin Ying added, “if you want to add a touch of our home, let’s bring some of Grandma’s pickled radishes.”
Wang Guihua’s pickles were legendary—a perfect harmony of crisp, spicy, sour, and sweet. Even in a wealthy household, such a handmade delicacy was a rare treat. Su Yulan quickly scrubbed a glass jar until it shone and packed it full of the vibrant vegetables.
The next morning, Lin Ying stepped outside to find Shao Mingyuan already waiting by the stairs.
The neighbors were practically hanging out of their windows. “Who is that handsome young man?” Aunt Wang from the first floor whispered loudly, leaning over her balcony. “Yingzi, is that a classmate of yours?”
“No, Auntie,” Lin Ying called back with a bright smile. “He’s my boyfriend.”
As they walked away, she noticed Shao Mingyuan’s ears had turned a charming shade of crimson. “I hope you didn’t mind me saying that,” she murmured. “Since we’re marrying soon, it seemed easiest. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, his voice steady despite his blushing ears. “To the world, I am your boyfriend now.”
They stopped at the market for braised pig’s trotters, a fresh sea bass, and a sweet watermelon before boarding the bus. When they arrived at the Shao residence, Lin Ying wasn’t surprised to see a sprawling Siheyuan [a traditional four-sided courtyard house]. In the future, this property would be worth hundreds of millions; even now, in the early ’80s, it was a symbol of immense status.
The courtyard was breathtakingly tidy, lined with lush rosebushes in every shade of red and pink. “My grandmother’s handiwork,” Shao Mingyuan explained. “She adores roses.”
He led her into the main living room, where a young woman sat on a lacquered chair, playing with a small boy. She wore a pale yellow Qipao-style dress [a traditional body-hugging dress] that highlighted her porcelain skin. This was Chang Huijuan, the sister-in-law.
“You must be Mingyuan’s girlfriend!” Chang Huijuan gushed, rising with practiced enthusiasm. “Please, sit! We’ve been waiting all morning. Mingyuan is usually so stubborn—his mother tried to set him up for years, but he always hid behind his hospital work. It’s clear he’s finally found someone he’s truly satisfied with.”
She pulled her son, Shao Rusong (nicknamed Yuanyuan), forward. “Say hello to Auntie, Yuanyuan.” The boy ignored her, obsessed with his wooden toys. “He’s a bit shy, I hope you don’t mind,” she laughed, launching into a long monologue about the boy’s upcoming third birthday.
Lin Ying listened politely. She didn’t sense any immediate malice from the woman, though she suspected the warmth might be more “polite society” than genuine affection. As long as they didn’t have to live together, Lin Ying was happy to play along.
Soon, Shao Hongfeng [the father, a man of imposing stature] and Li Lianhua [the mother] entered. Their greeting was polite but measured—the cool appraisal of a family who knew their worth.
“And where are you working, Miss Lin?” Shao Hongfeng asked, his eyes sharp.
“I haven’t graduated yet,” Lin Ying replied honestly. “Afterward, I’ll look for a formal post. But for now, I’ve been submitting articles to literary magazines.”
Shao Hongfeng’s brows rose in surprise. “A writer? Truly?”
Even Shao Mingyuan looked startled. He realized in that moment how little he actually knew about the girl .
“I wouldn’t call myself a writer yet,” Lin Ying said modestly. “It’s just a lifelong passion. Whether they get published is still up to the editors.”
Shao Hongfeng nodded, his expression softening with a hint of respect. In an era where literacy was still a prideful achievement, a girl with literary ambitions was a far better prospect than a mere idler. “Persevere with it then,” he encouraged. “Ambition is a fine trait in a young woman.”
“I will certainly do so. Thank you for your encouragement, Uncle Shao,” Lin Ying replied, her voice steady and respectful.
Li Lianhua [the mother, a career teacher] then interjected, “What kind of articles do you write? May I see them?”
“It’s nothing grand, just a novel,” Lin Ying said modestly. “The current manuscript has already been sent to the editors. If the opportunity arises next time, I would be honored to have you critique it.”
Li Lianhua gave a small, approving nod. She could tell Lin Ying wasn’t a boastful girl; there was a quiet competence in her tone that eased the mother’s initial reservations. If the girl was truly a woman of letters, the match was far more acceptable.
Suddenly, the peace was broken. Clatter!
“Yuanyuan, don’t touch those!” Chang Huijuan [the sister-in-law] cried out, lunging toward her son. “Look at you—you’ve made a mess of the gifts Auntie brought.”
Lin Ying looked over. The expensive chocolates and high-grade tea Shao Mingyuan had prepared were scattered across the floor. Shao Hongfeng didn’t move a muscle, his face a mask of indifference, while Li Lianhua sighed. “He’s just a child, he doesn’t know better,” she told Lin Ying. “Don’t take it to heart.”
Lin Ying remained calm, but her sharp eyes noted the “coincidence.” The boy had been playing perfectly well on the rug until the moment his grandparents’ attitude toward Lin Ying had begun to thaw. Furthermore, Chang Huijuan was wearing a fine dress today—hardly the attire for wrestling with a toddler—yet she was suddenly hovering over him.
“Mom, Dad,” Shao Mingyuan spoke up, his voice cutting through the awkwardness. “Those were actually chocolates and tea I bought specifically for you.”
Chang Huijuan’s face flickered with a brief, sharp shadow of surprise. She hadn’t expected Shao Mingyuan to claim the gifts. “My mistake,” she said quickly, smoothing her expression. “I thought they were from Xiaolin [a polite diminutive for Lin Ying].”
Lin Ying chose that moment to stand up and present her own offerings. “Mingyuan mentioned you enjoy fishing, Uncle. This is a special bait I prepared myself. Perhaps you can try it next time you’re at the river; I think you’ll find the catch quite impressive.”
Shao Hongfeng looked up, genuinely surprised. His son had brought him a gift? The boy was actually growing up. He took the bait with a curious, thoughtful look.
Meanwhile, Lin Ying handed the orchid cup to Li Lianhua. “I heard you’re a teacher. You must speak quite a bit in class, which can be taxing on the throat. This cup has a built-in filter for your tea and keeps the water at a perfect temperature. I thought it might be practical for your long days at school.”
Li Lianhua’s eyes lit up as she turned the delicate glass in her hands. “What a thoughtful girl you are.”
The household soon filled with more voices as the grandparents, Shao Baoguo and Zhou Wanxin, returned from their morning walk. Upon meeting his grandson’s girlfriend, the old patriarch immediately challenged her: “Do you know how to play chess?”
“A little,” Lin Ying admitted.
Shao Mingyuan leaned in, whispering urgently, “My grandfather is a terrible player. He’s a sore loser and an even worse strategist. Don’t take it seriously.”
However, as the game progressed, Lin Ying realized that her own skills—honed years ago at the Children’s Cultural Palace—had grown quite rusty. She found herself making random, clumsy moves. To her shock, Shao Baoguo began to chuckle with delight. “Aha! Little Lin and I are perfectly matched!”
In the end, she somehow stumbled into a victory. Shao Mingyuan looked at her with newfound respect. “To play with him that long without losing your mind… that is an achievement.”
The dining room soon filled as the rest of the clan arrived. Shao Mingyang [the eldest brother] walked in with two girls. One was Shao Mingxin, the fifteen-year-old sister who seemed a bit prickly and reluctant to speak. The other was a four-year-old girl, Shao Rusi (nicknamed Tiantian), who stood dazed, silently licking a candied hawthorn stick.
As they sat around the large, solid wood table, the spread was lavish: rich braised pork for the grandfather and steamed sea bass for the grandmother. In the center sat the jar of pickled radishes Lin Ying had brought.
“These side dishes are quite flavorful,” Chang Huijuan remarked, her tone breezy. “Did your family pickle these themselves? It’s been so long since I’ve seen such… homemade things.”
The table went a bit quiet. It was a subtle jab—a reminder that while the Shaos ate banquet food, the Lins were the sort of people who lived off pickles. Lin Ying didn’t blink. “Yes, my grandmother is a master of the craft. I brought them specifically because they cut through the richness of the braised pork. They’re a family treasure.”
Shao Baoguo, still high on his “evenly matched” chess game, piled a heap of radishes onto his plate. “Excellent! Just what I needed with this meat!”
After the meal, Shao Mingyuan walked her to the bus stop. “My family likes you,” he noted. “At least, they didn’t chase you out.”
“Then the trip was a success,” Lin Ying laughed. “Since the parents are satisfied, shall we get the marriage certificate next week? I graduate the week after, and I can move into the courtyard then.”
“Whatever you say,” he agreed.
“One more thing,” Lin Ying said, turning serious. “The betrothal gifts. My family doesn’t expect much, but for appearances’ sake, we should show my mother the ‘Three Turns and One Sound.’ I have some savings I can use to buy them myself, so it looks like it came from you.”
Shao Mingyuan shook his head firmly. “No. I’ll provide what is proper. A watch, a sewing machine, a bicycle, a radio—we’ll set a time to buy them together.”
Lin Ying was surprised. She didn’t need a sewing machine or a radio, but she appreciated the gesture. “Let’s just do the watch and the bicycle. I actually have access to the shopping coupons [rare permits required for luxury purchases] through a friend whose wedding fell through. I can get them cheaper.”
In truth, the coupons were hers, but she needed a cover story. Shao Mingyuan nodded, relieved. Even for a doctor, those coupons were a headache to find.
Back at home, Lin Ying lay in bed, puzzled. In the original book, the ‘Shao Mingyuan’ of the story never gave the original Lin Ying the ‘Three Turns and One Sound.’ The heroine, Su Beibei, had been the only one in the tenement to receive such a grand bride price. Why was this Shao Mingyuan being so much more generous?
She couldn’t find the answer, but she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
A few days later, they met at the department store. Shao Mingyuan had only two hours between shifts, so they moved with military precision. Before long, a shiny Plum Blossom mechanical watch was strapped to her wrist. He paid without a second thought.
Next came the bicycle. He had wanted a 26-inch lady’s frame, but the store was out of stock. Instead, they walked out with a sturdy, brand-new 28-inch Great Wall bicycle. It was large and imposing, but it was theirs.
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