“Lu Yun, come down now—the school is just a few hundred meters away. If the other students see us, they’ll surely say something.” Lu Xiao Ying stopped her car, wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, and spoke to Lu Yun.
Lu Yun nodded. “Thank you, Xiao Ying. You wait at the convenience store while I go get an ice cream for you.”
“See you soon,” Lu Xiao Ying said with a wave and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Watching Xiao Ying’s retreating figure, Lu Yun wiped his lips thoughtfully. “Girls grow up so fast—by now, they’ve transformed beyond recognition. How will it be when she grows even older?” He pushed his battered bicycle, wobbling steadily toward school.
The convenience store was right beside the school gates. When Lu Yun arrived, he found the place bustling with people—mostly women, few men—and everyone was rushing in, pushing and jostling to get inside. Why? Because when the crowd grew thick, some awkward guys took advantage, trying to make passes on the girls.
Lu Yun attended Fenglai Town Middle School—a quiet, modest town where academic standards weren’t outstanding—but one thing stood out: there were an unusually high number of beautiful, well-proportioned female students. And both the convenience store and the cafeteria were famous spots for romantic overtures—Lu Yun had surely seen his share of awkward moments there.
Only ten minutes before class began, Lu Yun set down the bicycle and rushed into the crowd to find Xiao Ying.
“Lu Yun, I’m right here!” A girl waved at him from within the throng. He recognized her immediately—it was Xiao Ying—and he quickly pushed through the people to join her.
“Xiao Ying, you go ahead now—be careful not to get bumped by anyone. I’ll buy your ice cream and deliver it to you.” How many people were there! Lu Yun had finally managed to break through the crowd.
Xiao Ying’s face flushed instantly at this. “Okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “but hurry—please!”
Lu Yun grinned. “Don’t worry. With my build, just one gentle push and they’ll all step aside. Go on now—don’t let me down.” Lu Yun wasn’t exactly the most charming boy in town—he was well-trained by his aunt—but Xiao Ying was a standout beauty among the students. So far, he hadn’t managed to enjoy even a single slice of tofu without someone else claiming it first.
As Xiao Ying turned to leave, she paused suddenly and pulled out a one-yuan coin from her pocket, placing it firmly in Lu Yun’s hand before brushing past him with a bright red face. “My family isn’t wealthy,” she said. “So I’ll pay for the ice cream.”
“Such a thoughtful girl—maybe she has eyes only for me?” Lu Yun thought as he watched her go. Then he quickly recalled: her father was the village headman. Goodness, even if Xiao Ying liked him now, wouldn’t her parents be able to find anyone else more suitable?
His aunt, you’re talking about that little thing between us, and then you go tell that stubborn old man—what do you expect?!
Lu Yun had always been easygoing. Even though he was “bought” into the family as a child—he didn’t see it as a burden at all. After all, being bought wasn't a disadvantage; it just meant someone else cared about him. In this unremarkable village, where girls outnumbered boys, if there weren’t so many beautiful young women to admire, Lu Yun would have already packed up and left long ago.
“Clear the way! Clear the way!” Lu Yun shouted as he stormed through the crowd toward the store’s interior. “Mrs. Liu—two ice creams, one for 50 cents, one for 20 cents!”
A male student who knew him looked stunned. “Has this boy suddenly become so generous? Buying a 50-cent ice cream?”
Lu Yun didn’t bother to answer—he just stretched his neck and kept pushing forward, every man and woman stepping aside as if Xiao Ying were now the most important person in the room.
“Little Lu Yun—could you please move more slowly? These are all my customers—they’ve been pushed away by you!” The store owner, a middle-aged woman with a graceful charm, watched him break through the crowd, then laughed and scolded. “Now that you’ve got your turn, isn’t it time to pay back the five yuan I’m owed?”
Mrs. Liu was in her thirties—the golden age for women—yet she had become an unmarried widow at a young age. The reason? None other than Lu Yun’s father, Lu Feng. In this village, there’s a long-standing tradition: any woman who marries first and then dies within the year of marriage is expected to remain single forever—even if her husband passes away in the early days of marriage. And if she has children, she can’t remarry either—only married men are allowed to take her as a wife. If someone tries to marry her again, it’s considered a scandal. Mrs. Liu had been widowed for over ten years now.
At first, she’d been respectable and steady—but with so many single men in the village, the pressure grew. She gradually became known as the village’s most well-dressed yet unfulfilled widow—famous for her flirtations.
According to Lu Yun’s hearsay, Mrs. Liu had a secret affair with the school principal. Otherwise, how would she have secured such an important position in the school’s convenience store?
Lu Yun smiled and said, “Mrs. Liu, don’t tease me about that—how many times haven’t you heard of our situation? That five-yuan debt is on hold—just this time, I’m buying something for someone else. You know the young girl from the village office, Xiao Ying?”
Everyone in the village knew of the romance between Mrs. Liu and the headman’s daughter.
As Lu Yun talked more, Mrs. Liu grew increasingly amused and finally hit him with a punch. “Young man—when did you learn to talk to me like that? You’re making me feel old!” Then she said with warmth, “Since it’s Xiao Ying who wants to buy the ice cream, I won’t charge you anything. Go on—take your ice creams and get out of my way. I’ve got work to do.”
“Mrs. Liu,” Lu Yun said with heartfelt gratitude as he took the two ice creams in hand—and before he left, he gave her one more cheerful wave. But what came next was only a gentle scolding from Mrs. Liu. “Oh—by the way, after class today, would you mind helping me out? I’m running short on time.”
Lu Yun nodded and hurried out with both hands full of energy.
“How long has it been now?” Xiao Ying asked as she saw Lu Yun struggling to catch his breath, rushing toward them from outside. “Did you see Mrs. Liu having trouble walking?”
“Too many people,” Lu Yun said, shaking his head. “You know how bad the students are—how they’re always making eyes at each other.” As he handed Xiao Ying her ice cream, he also slipped the one-yuan coin into her hand.
“But I told you—I was paying for your ice cream! How come you’ve just started spending again?” Xiao Ying looked visibly displeased.
Lu Yun beamed proudly. “I know my uncle works hard to support me—how could I possibly waste money on something like this? I’ll tell you the truth: these two ice creams weren’t purchased at all—they were gifts from Mrs. Liu.”
Xiao Ying paused, then suddenly dropped her own ice cream to the ground with a firm thud. “You come here,” she said, voice rising in anger, “and today I’m not attending class anymore—I’ll stay right here.”
Lu Yun was completely puzzled—what had gone wrong? He followed silently behind as Xiao Ying walked toward a quiet patch of woods outside the school grounds.
“Lu Yun,” Xiao Ying sat down on the grass and said with firm eyes, “tell me—why would Mrs. Liu, someone so frugal, give you something for free?”
“Well… I’ve actually helped take care of her business several times over—do you know that Mrs. Liu’s entire life as a widow stems from my father? So helping her feels like the most natural thing to do.” Lu Yun said truthfully. His father had not only brought misfortune upon himself, but also caused other women in the village to remain unmarried—as a result, Lu Yun often felt some sense of guilt.
“Is that really true?” Xiao Ying looked up at him, her eyes fixed on the tall, solid figure of Lu Yun.
“If I’m lying,” Lu Yun continued, “then I’ll go back home and start from scratch—my little cottage, struck by thunder, bitten by dogs, and turned into a mere shadow.” He recited all the dramatic promises he could think of.
Xiao Ying just sat there in silence for a long time—not saying a word.
Lu Yun’s heart began to race—he couldn’t figure out what was going on inside her head. So he finally broke the silence. “Xiao Ying, it's almost time for class. I’m not worried—I know you’ve always been favored by teachers.”
“Lu Yun,” Xiao Ying suddenly stood up and looked straight at him. “Tell me—do you have anything improper between you and Mrs. Liu?”
“I'm only thirteen years old!” Lu Yun said, utterly stunned. “How could I possibly have any kind of relationship with Mrs. Liu? What’s come over you lately—why are you always asking about things like this?”
Xiao Ying remained silent, her gaze fixed gently on the ground as she walked deeper into the woods.
Lu Yun had no choice—he was now in a dark, quiet forest. If a stranger stepped out of the shadows, Xiao Ying would surely be too shy to face him. So he followed closely behind.
*End of Chapter 2 – Part 2: The Country’s Fair Wife (Mrs. Liu)*