Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback

CHAPTER 51: The 1960s Marriage Swap: Marrying a Cook (5)

　　“Ziyu, I’ve already prepared the gifts. Let’s go today, just in case something goes wrong again.”

　　Duan Ziyu was sitting there weaving a basket with his head lowered. His features were gentle and refined, with bright eyes and a high nose bridge, like a boy straight out of a comic.

　　Hearing his mother’s words, he pressed his lips together but said nothing.

　　At the beginning of the year, his mother had arranged a match for him with the Ye family from the neighboring West Village.

　　Since they lived close by, he had met the Ye family a few times and knew they had a decent reputation. On top of that, his mother’s health wasn’t great and she was always worried about his marriage, so he had quietly agreed.

　　But not long ago, while working at the state-owned restaurant in town, he ran into Ye Liu when she came in to eat.

　　He even paid out of his own pocket to buy her a meal with one meat dish and one vegetable dish, yet she immediately started cursing at him, humiliating him without holding back.

　　She kept calling him a mute poor man, saying he wasn’t worthy of her. The look of disgust and disdain in her eyes was something he still couldn’t forget.

　　So when he heard that his mother had prepared gifts and wanted to visit their home to discuss the marriage, his first instinct was to refuse.

　　It was obvious the other party looked down on him, so why should he go out of his way to humiliate himself?

　　Duan Ziyu paused what he was doing and gestured to his mother, “I don’t want to go. Ye Liu doesn’t like me. Let’s just forget about this match.”

　　His mother grew anxious the moment she heard that. “But the Ye family already agreed to it.”

　　“Did they say something to you? Back then, your father broke his hip trying to save Ye Xiuli, and he passed away less than a year later. You cried for your father until you had a high fever that ruined your voice. If their family is going back on their word, I’ll go confront them right now!”

　　By the time she finished speaking, tears were already streaming down her face. Their once whole family had long since fallen apart.

　　Aside from not being able to speak normally, her son was good-looking, educated, and had a stable job as a cook at a state-owned restaurant, earning a decent income. Over the past few years, matchmakers had constantly come to propose marriages.

　　But her health had been getting worse year by year, and she didn’t dare delay his marriage any longer, afraid that choosing wrong would only make him suffer in the future.

　　After carefully weighing all the options, she had chosen the Ye family.

　　Repaying a life-saving favor was one reason, but more importantly, the Ye family had a good reputation. They raised their daughter well. She was pretty, educated, and clearly cherished by her family.

　　If one day her health gave out, at least her son wouldn’t be left all alone. Having a decent in-law family meant there would be someone to look out for him.

　　Duan Ziyu hated seeing his mother cry the most. He quickly put down what he was holding and stood up to comfort her.

　　But she shook her head. “You don’t need to comfort me. We’re going today, no matter what. Whatever the situation is, it needs to be made clear. If they didn’t like you from the start, they shouldn’t have agreed. Agreeing first and then going back on it, what do they take us for?”

　　A mother could be soft, but she could also be strong when it mattered. This kind of humiliation was something she couldn’t accept. With a firm expression, she grabbed her son’s arm, picked up the prepared gifts, and headed straight for the Ye family’s house.

　　……

　　At the Ye household, when the mother and son arrived, only Ye Su was home.

　　She was in the courtyard washing clothes. The outfit she had worn when coming back from the city was dirty, and yesterday Hao Wenfang had gone to the market and bought her new clothes and shoes.

　　A blue button-up top, a pair of black trousers, and a pair of Liberation shoes.

　　She had rinsed them in the morning and let them dry, and had just changed into them. Now she was about to wash the clothes she had taken off.

　　Just then, she heard a knock at the door.

　　She got up, wiped her hands, and went to open it. The moment she pulled the door open, she froze slightly.

　　She had thought it would be someone familiar, but instead it was a stranger.

　　And not just any stranger, but an extremely good-looking young man.

　　His hair was neatly combed, soft and obedient. His features were delicate and clean.

　　A white shirt, blue trousers, tall and slender, with a straight posture and an overall striking, refined presence.

　　Ye Su asked, “Hello, may I ask who you are?”

　　Duan Ziyu was momentarily stunned when he saw her. Her small, delicate features made her look almost like a little fairy.

　　Seeing that it was an unfamiliar girl, Mother Duan took over, her tone gentle. “We’re from the Duan family in North Village. Is Ye Liu at home?”

　　The Duan family? So this was the family Ye Liu had married into before her rebirth.

　　Ye Su glanced at Duan Ziyu again. The “mute husband” Ye Liu had despised? Honestly, he was way better-looking than Tan Jun.

　　“She’s not the Ye family’s biological daughter. She’s gone back to the city to find her birth parents.”

　　“What!”

　　Mother Duan, who had been so confident just a moment ago, immediately panicked.

　　Now it all made sense why her son had been saying those things. So Ye Liu wasn’t even the Ye family’s biological daughter. Her real parents were city people. No wonder she had grown so ambitious and looked down on her son.

　　Duan Ziyu, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief upon hearing this.

　　Maybe this was for the best. With Ye Liu’s attitude, if his mother had really forced the marriage, he would’ve been the one feeling miserable.

　　Mother Duan wanted to cry, but no tears came. Looking at Ye Su’s pretty face, she couldn’t help thinking how lovely this girl was. Before she even thought it through, she blurted out, “Girl, do you have someone already?”

　　Ye Su froze for a second. “Huh?”

　　Duan Ziyu’s ears turned red instantly. He hurriedly tried to pull his mother away.

　　But Mother Duan brushed off his hand and walked up to Ye Su with enthusiasm. The more she looked, the more beautiful the girl seemed. Smiling, she asked, “Girl, I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you a relative of the Ye family?”

　　“Meiling!”

　　Hao Wenfang came running over, panting, her arms full of bags.

　　She had gone to the supply and marketing cooperative in town to buy snacks for her daughter. From afar, she spotted the Duan mother and son talking to Ye Su, and rushed over in a panic, just in time to hear Luo Meiling’s question.

　　There was no denying that Duan Ziyu was a good young man. But Susu had just come home, and the family hadn’t even had time to cherish her properly yet. How could they possibly think about marrying her off already?

　　Besides, something like marriage had to depend on the child’s own wishes. They already felt guilty for not raising her these past years. How could they selfishly push her to marry in Ye Liu’s place?

　　Hao Wenfang handed the bags in her arms to her daughter and gently nudged her toward the house. “Susu, be good and go inside first. Have some snacks. Mom will take care of the guests.”

　　Ye Su nodded, hugged the snacks in her arms, and went back into the house.

　　When Mother Duan heard her call herself “Mom,” she immediately brightened and grabbed Hao Wenfang’s hand.

　　“This is your daughter?”

　　Hao Wenfang’s smile faded slightly. She led her further into the courtyard and began explaining the recent mess, from the mix-up at birth to everything that had happened after.

　　In the end, Hao Wenfang spoke with a guilty expression. “Meiling, our family really owes you an apology for what happened with Ye Liu. But this has nothing to do with Susu. We can make it up to you in other ways, but when it comes to Susu’s marriage, that’s something she has to decide for herself.”

　　Mother Duan’s given name was Luo Meiling, and those close to her simply called her Meiling.

　　Hearing that, Luo Meiling didn’t say much. As a mother, she could understand the situation all too well. She pressed her lips together and fell silent for a moment.

　　Duan Ziyu also looked a little awkward. He gently tugged at his mother’s hand, signaling for them to leave first.

　　Luo Meiling looked at her son, then said through gritted teeth, “Fine. Then let’s forget about the marriage with Ye Liu. But my son is a good young man. If your daughter is ever looking for a match in the future, keep him in mind.”

　　Hao Wenfang’s face lit up with delight. “Of course! I’ve always liked Ziyu anyway. As long as Susu likes him in the future, I won’t stand in the way.”

　　The Duan mother and son didn’t stay long. Duan Ziyu politely nodded and said goodbye to the elder. Hao Wenfang watched them leave, sighing with emotion, and even walked them part of the way out.

　　……

　　When Hao Wenfang came back, she saw Ye Su sitting outside in the courtyard on a small stool, munching on a tomato. Ye Su casually asked, “Mom, what’s the deal with the Duan family?”

　　Hao Wenfang didn’t hide anything and began telling her about the history between the two families.

　　Duan Ziyu’s father had been a soldier. While returning home to visit family, he happened to see Ye Xiuli rolling down a hillside. Below him were sharp rocks, and if his head had hit them, it would have been fatal.

　　He rushed forward to save him, but the force of the fall was too strong. His lower back slammed into the rocks instead, and his hip was fractured.

　　The Ye family was deeply grateful. They did everything they could to get him treatment, bringing gifts and money again and again, but a life-saving debt like that could never truly be repaid.

　　Later, Duan’s father retired from the military and went home to recover. But within a year, he became bedridden. Complications followed, and in the end, he passed away.

　　When the Ye family heard the news, they felt immense guilt and scraped together five hundred yuan to send over. At that time, Duan Ziyu was only five years old, and that same month, a high fever damaged his throat.

　　After that, the two families still kept in touch during holidays. Life wasn’t easy for a widow raising a child alone, so the Ye family would occasionally send over some food and supplies.

　　Later on, Luo Meiling took her son away to study in another place, and they lost contact for three or four years.

　　It wasn’t until last year that Luo Meiling, frail and in poor health, returned with her son to settle down again. By then, her son had suddenly become a head cook at a state-owned unit. Wanting to arrange a marriage for him, she had set her sights on Ye Liu.

　　At the beginning of the year, they brought generous gifts to formally propose the marriage. The Ye family respected their daughter’s opinion, and since Ye Liu thought Duan Ziyu was good-looking and earned well, she shyly agreed.

　　So the two families settled on the match. To give the two young people time to get used to each other, they didn’t rush the wedding, planning to hold it after about half a year once they had grown closer.

　　But then all of this happened.

　　Ye Su couldn’t help feeling that the mother and son had it pretty tough too.

　　Worried that her daughter might overthink things, Hao Wenfang quickly explained, “I already made it clear to them just now. Ye Liu is Ye Liu, and you are you. Marriage arrangements can’t be mixed up. In the future, you can choose whatever kind of partner you like.”

　　After a moment of hesitation, she added, “Actually, that child Ziyu is really a good one. Back then, his mother went through a lot, so he started helping with housework and cooking from a young age. Later, he did well in school too. He’s good-looking, steady, and reliable. Around these villages, I’ve never seen a more thoughtful young man.”

　　“It’s just a pity his throat was damaged, so he can’t speak normally. Otherwise, his future would be very bright.”

　　Ye Su took a couple of bites of her tomato and nodded. “Yeah, he really does sound pretty great.”

　　As the counterpart to the female lead, she was meant to be compared with her in every aspect, including family relationships, marriage partner, and daily life.

　　Even if she didn’t get married now, she would definitely have to marry someone in the future.

　　People in the village usually married early. Setting aside whether there were suitable candidates, even if there were, they had already been screened and chosen several times.

　　And Duan Ziyu was exactly the kind everyone wanted. Plenty of people were lining up for him. The Ye family knew his background well. He was good-looking, educated, had a solid character, could cook and handle housework, and earned a good income.

　　This was 1960. Even in the city, an average worker only made twenty to thirty yuan a month. His salary seemed much higher than that.

　　In this era, earning that much meant he definitely wasn’t just an ordinary cook. A state-owned restaurant wouldn’t hire someone without real skill. It proved he had genuine ability.

　　Other than not being able to speak normally, he didn’t seem to have any real flaws.

　　Of course, Ye Su would never admit that she was just drawn to his looks.

　　Thinking back to their first meeting just now…

　　Duan Ziyu had been dressed simply in a white shirt and blue trousers, standing there tall and straight, refined like a painting.

　　And he was only nineteen this year, right in the prime of his youth.

　　Ye Su actually had a Revitalizing Pill in her possession. His throat injury was acquired later in life, so it should be recoverable.

　　Hao Wenfang saw that her daughter didn’t seem resistant and asked carefully, “Susu, what do you think of that child Ziyu? He seems pretty good, right?”

　　Ye Su nodded. “Mm, he’s not bad.”

　　Hao Wenfang couldn’t help but chuckle, gently patting her daughter’s head in rare affection. “You girl, you’re just thinking he’s good-looking, aren’t you? The girls from a few nearby villages are all chasing after him like crazy. Isn’t it all because that boy is easy on the eyes?”

　　“Being good-looking is an advantage too. Your daughter just happens to like pretty boys.”

　　After saying that, Ye Su even smiled a little.

　　Who wouldn’t like someone good-looking anyway? Same life, same days, but a pretty face just makes everything feel better.

　　Hao Wenfang was amused as well. Hearing her daughter speak so honestly with her made her genuinely happy.

　　“You take after me,” she said with a laugh. “Back then, I fell for your dad’s looks at first glance too. Your grandparents didn’t think much of him at the time, said he looked too gentle and wouldn’t be able to protect anyone. But I was stubborn. In the end, they couldn’t stop me, and I still married him.”

　　“You liking Ziyu is actually a good thing. After all, you’re a grown girl now. It’s time to start looking around for someone suitable. Our two families already know each other well, and the Duan mother and son don’t seem hard to get along with. You can try spending some time together first. There’s no need to rush the marriage anyway.”

　　Ye Su felt the same way and nodded. “Mm, I’ll listen to you, Mom.” 

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter