Chapter 12: Scheming

If that day Gu Huaizheng hadn’t witnessed the whole scene and later discussed it with his friends, he might have believed Fu Tingjun’s little performance today. Just as he was about to step forward, Lu Jianwei quickly pulled a bright red invitation from her bag. Four golden characters glittered on the front: “Engagement Invitation.” Once the crowd had gotten a good look, she opened it up.

Inside, Zhu Tingting’s handwriting sprawled across the page in a messy scrawl: “Hereby, on August 1, 1962, an engagement banquet for Fu Tingjun and Zhu Tingting will be held at our home. Lu Jianwei and her family are cordially invited to attend…”

The names “Fu Tingjun” and “Zhu Tingting” were written extra-large and bold.

“Tomorrow, you two are getting engaged. What, you don’t even know each other today?” Lu Jianwei said. “The day after I returned to the country, I saw you and Zhu Tingting doing… something behind the big locust tree on the west side of the factory with my own eyes…”

She tugged on Gu Huaizheng’s sleeve. “My fiancé and I only met yesterday at a networking event arranged by the municipal trade union. Fu Tingjun, stop acting. Tomorrow I’ll come in person to wish you both happiness!”

There was a chorus of gasps from the bystanders—they’d nearly been fooled by Fu Tingjun.

Lu Jianwei’s vague “doing something” sparked endless speculation; everyone regretted not having passed by at the time.

“I never thought Engineer Fu was so wild! That locust tree is right by the road!”

“I always thought Engineer Fu was the bookish, refined type. Turns out, when it comes to these things, all men are the same!”

“My goodness, don’t tell me they dropped their pants right there by the street. Who is Zhu Tingting anyway? She’s shameless!”

“I know her. Her father’s the director of the district economic office. She works at the Number One Department Store!” The tone was tinged with envy.

Being one of the “Eight Prime Jobs” was a coveted position—who wouldn’t be jealous?

“Engineer Fu, you’re getting engaged tomorrow, and you didn’t tell us? Afraid we’d crash your party and drink your wine?”

Fu Tingjun was stunned when he saw the invitation. The families had only agreed to meet—he hadn’t even planned to tell his mother. Yet Zhu Tingting had gone and sent out proper invitations, even giving one to Lu Jianwei!

Lu Jianwei smiled. “The Zhu family is wealthy and generous; they won’t begrudge a little wine. Zhu Tingting is my cousin. If she didn’t invite everyone, I’ll help out—anyone who’s free tomorrow, feel free to drop by their house.”

A crowd swarmed around Fu Tingjun as Lu Jianwei pulled Gu Huaizheng away.

By the time Fu Tingjun finally broke free and rushed out, he saw Lu Jianwei getting into Gu Huaizheng’s military jeep and driving away, leaving nothing but two trails of exhaust in his line of sight.

As the car rounded the corner past the red-brick building, Lu Jianwei realized they were taking the wrong route. “Aren’t we going the wrong way?” she asked.

“No, not at all. We’ll stop by the department store to buy a few things and then go to your house.”

[Page 2/3]

[Treasure Hunt: A large cache of valuables has been detected.]

A schematic of the red-brick building appeared on the panel: two floors above ground with a yard in the back, one underground floor about four meters high, divided into two sections. One section, beneath the building, stored all sorts of old items: a telegraph machine, mimeograph equipment, desks and chairs, a round conference table, and bedding.

Beyond a thick wall, the other part of the basement stretched under most of the yard, stacked completely with boxes.

The boxes were filled with treasures: dazzling diamonds, piles of red jade and green stones, gold bricks, priceless antiques, vibrantly colored silks and satins, and invaluable rare paintings.

But the treasure chamber was sealed—no doors on any side.

No wonder Zhu Xinfang, after obtaining the keys to the red-brick building, never managed to get anything. Even if she wanted to steal the treasures, digging up the ground was hardly an option, especially with so many eyes watching.

As the car passed the wall outside the red-brick building, Lu Jianwei willed it, and boxes began piling up in a corner of the underground parking lot at Rose Manor—she had transported all the treasures from beneath the red-brick building into her own space.

To think she could move items from afar—this saved her a great deal of trouble.

Now she could carry out her plan as soon as possible.

After work, the department store was at its busiest. Zhu Tingting was beside herself with frustration. When she’d written her novel, she’d thought being a sales clerk was the best of the “Eight Prime Jobs” and had given herself that role.

But now that she’d ended up living it, she found it unbearable. She was not made for hardship!

“Comrade, two taels of milk candy, please!”

“Two taels? We don’t sell that little. Buy a jin or not at all!” Zhu Tingting was openly disdainful. Who buys just two taels of candy? And she didn’t even know how to work the scale.

Standing not far away, Lu Jianwei grew more and more certain—the woman before her, who bore a strong resemblance to her cousin, must be the Zhu Tingting who had crossed over from the future.

Zhu Tingting also spotted Lu Jianwei—protected closely by a tall, handsome officer, as if he feared someone might bump into her. “Lu Jianwei, your mother is sick from worrying about you. Aren’t you going to visit her?”

With that shout, Lu Jianwei became the center of attention.

“You mean your aunt?” Lu Jianwei replied. “Didn’t she already cut ties with me? Zhu Tingting, are you really getting engaged to Fu Tingjun tomorrow?”

She’d originally thought she needed an excuse to visit the Zhu family, but now, with her ability to transport treasures remotely, it was no longer necessary.

[Page 3/3]

Zhu Tingting regretted giving Lu Jianwei that invitation.

And Lu Jianwei was nothing like the character she’d written: a beautiful ornament, hopelessly devoted to Fu Tingjun, weak and foolish in love.

Could it be that Lu Jianwei had crossed over as well?

If she had, all the better—Zhu Tingting could torment her personally. She truly hated Lu Jianwei. She herself was quite remarkable, but compared to the genius Lu Jianwei, everyone would say, “Look, that’s the cousin of Lu Jianwei, the prodigy.”

Then someone else would chime in, “They’re sisters, but the difference… it’s huge,” with a knowing look.

Zhu Tingting wished Lu Jianwei would just die—she had ruined her life.

Gu Huaizheng had originally prepared two bottles of liquor, two packs of cigarettes, two boxes of pastries, and two jin of white sugar. Later, after asking Zheng Baohua about the local customs, he learned that when a son-in-law-to-be visits, he must bring a “machine gun,” “two hundred bullets,” “a dynamite pack,” and “hand grenades.”

The “machine gun” was a ham, the “two hundred bullets” were quality cigarettes, the “dynamite pack” was a cream cake, and the “hand grenades” were two bottles of wine.

At that moment, Gu Huaizheng was jostling through a crowd of older women to buy a “dynamite pack.” With only a jin or two left, he dashed forward, blocking a woman who tried to cut in.

The woman was furious. “You youngster, don’t you have any respect for your elders? My grandson is crying for cake. What’s wrong with letting me have it?”

Gu Huaizheng had changed out of his uniform at some point, now wearing a simple white shirt, dark trousers, and a pair of canvas shoes. Ignoring his striking looks and build, he seemed just an ordinary worker.

Otherwise, if he’d been dressed as a soldier, he wouldn’t have had a choice but to give in.

“I’ll take two jin,” Gu Huaizheng said, handing over his dessert coupons and money. Then, turning to the woman, he added, “You’re not old at all. Still young. If you live to a hundred, you’ve got another fifty or sixty years ahead of you.”

As he spoke, the sales clerk handed him the cake, and he was about to leave.

Zhu Tingting appeared, shouting, “Hey, comrade officer, you—”

Before she could finish, Lu Jianwei shoved Gu Huaizheng outside, stepped forward, and slapped Zhu Tingting across the face. “You wretch, what are you after this time? Wasn’t it enough that you stole my last fiancé? Still not satisfied? Now you’re following us—are you trying to steal my man too?”