Sometimes, a woman's intuition is surprisingly accurate.
At the dinner table.
Zhou Xiaomei paid special attention, observing Shen Qingqing's attitude toward Jiang Zhixun.
Shen Qingqing was seated to Jiang Zhixun's left.
Then came Xiao Bao, followed by Zhou Xiaomei herself.
It wasn't clear whether it was intentional or not, but Shen Qingqing kept tilting her body slightly toward Xiao Bao while eating, taking care of him.
There was no interaction between her and Jiang Zhixun—no eye contact, not even a passing glance.
Not even their arms brushed against each other.
Xiao Bao was well-behaved while eating, quietly holding a steamed bun and nibbling on it without needing any coaxing from the adults.
Shen Qingqing's behavior seemed more like she was deliberately avoiding Jiang Zhixun.
Zhou Xiaomei's eyes were filled with curiosity.
If her goal was divorce, why did she still seem at peace with Jiang Zhixun?
If not, then why was she so distant?
Truly close couples give off a certain vibe, even if they're consciously keeping their distance. This clearly wasn't it...
Zhou Xiaomei had no idea what might have happened between Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out the source of their awkwardness.
"Old Jiang, serve some food to Comrade Shen. Stop only thinking about your own meal."
Chen Shaojie, sitting on the other side, chimed in.
Shen Qingqing calmly filled half a bowl of chicken soup for herself. "When it's cold, I just feel like having something warm. Excuse me while I have some soup first."
The chopsticks Jiang Zhixun had lifted hesitated before slowly retreating.
He lifted his eyelids slightly, casting an indifferent glance at Chen Shaojie across the table, and asked lazily.
"You seem pretty good at taking care of the ladies. When are you planning to start dating?"
Chen Shaojie felt his scalp prickle instantly.
Out of the four of them, he was the youngest and the only bachelor.
Cheng Jingliang already had a fiancée back in his hometown and was planning to marry her over the New Year. Once they got a house next year, she would join him at his station.
He had originally thought Jiang Zhixun was single but later found out that Jiang had already married Shen Qingqing before transferring to the Northwest.
If Comrade Shen also decided to join her husband at his station, Chen Shaojie would end up being the only one still living in the bachelor dormitory.
Laughing dryly, he replied, "I've been too busy lately. Where would I find the time to go out and date?"
Shen Qingqing didn't want the conversation circling back to herself and Jiang Zhixun.
She casually offered, "There are plenty of accomplished women in the military district. Wouldn't it be easier to start a relationship with someone nearby?"
Zhou Xiaomei enthusiastically chimed in, "The women in the cultural troupe can sing, dance, and they're beautiful, too. Should I play matchmaker for you?"
Though Chen Shaojie was good-looking, no one would have guessed he'd get nervous when it came to relationships despite his usually outgoing personality.
That was why he'd stayed single all this time.
"I'm not in a hurry. You all should focus on making your own marriages happy; that's the most important thing."
Zhou Xiaomei couldn't help laughing. "We can't just leave you single forever. If you're not interested in the matches I suggest, maybe Comrade Shen could set you up with someone. She's a well-educated intellectual, so I'm sure her female friends are as graceful, well-read, and easygoing as she is. Marrying someone like that would bring joy to the whole family."
Shen Qingqing wasn't very experienced with matchmaking.
Moreover, since she was planning to divorce Jiang Zhixun, she figured she wouldn't maintain contact with the people around here in the future.
She made a noncommittal reply, "What kind of woman do you like? If I can think of someone suitable, I'll introduce you."
Chen Shaojie, who had lived in the Northwest all his life, didn't know many women like Shen Qingqing.
Laughing, he said, "Someone like you—gentle and beautiful."
The moment he said this, a wave of icy-cold stares came his way, but Chen Shaojie acted as if he didn't notice it.
Inwardly, he thought to himself, What a peculiar person.
On one hand, Jiang's relationship with Comrade Shen seemed strained; on the other hand, he refused to let others compliment her.
Did he like Comrade Shen, or was it just some twisted sense of possessiveness over her?
Beijing was so far away that dating couldn't be easy.
But Chen Shaojie, not wanting to dampen the mood, kept smiling as he said, "Comrade Shen, my chances of finding a partner will depend entirely on you."
Cheng Jingliang cut in, "Well, just make sure that if Comrade Shen introduces someone, you don't chicken out—you might end up ruining her reputation."
"Who'd chicken out?"
"Who else? You didn't even dare to go to a matchmaking meeting!"
Chen Shaojie clicked his tongue. "If Comrade Shen really introduces someone, I'd even travel to Beijing to meet her!"
At this, Shen Qingqing gave it some serious thought.
"I have a colleague, a fellow translator at the publishing house. She's excellent in every way, but I don't know if she's interested in dating. If she is, I can introduce you two."
The colleague's name was Shi Yu, and she was a Beijing native.
She was exceptionally capable. Although she hadn't received professional training, her English was excellent.
The unfortunate part was her chaotic family situation. Her stepmother wanted to marry her off to her step-cousin.
Shi Yu refused, so the stepmother invited the cousin to move into their home.
She hoped to ruin Shi Yu's reputation and pressure her into agreeing.
Now, Shi Yu, like Shen Qingqing, rented a place and lived by herself.
Since Shi Yu was financially independent, the Shi Family frequently came to her for money.
Shi Yu had complained before about wanting to move somewhere else to live.
But relocating wasn't easy. It required a letter of introduction and dealt with food ration quotas, which made things complicated.
Beijing was a desirable city, and everyone fought tooth and nail for residency there.
Shen Qingqing thought that among all her colleagues, Shi Yu might be the only one willing to leave Beijing.
The Northwest was tough to live in, but Chen Shaojie was a pilot with a promising future.
If they ended up dating, it might just work out.
"Comrade Shen, I'll wait for your good news then."
"Alright."
As they talked, Shen Qingqing pulled a small notebook and pen from her coat pocket and jotted down a couple of notes.
Jiang Zhixun, knowing how good Shen Qingqing's memory was, felt puzzled.
Otherwise, how could she manage to master languages and various skills all at once?
But seeing her actually jot something down in a notebook—that was a first.
Curiously, he asked, "What are you writing down?"
"Nothing important."
Shen Qingqing slightly turned her body away.
Jiang Zhixun chuckled in exasperation. "I'm not going to sneak a look."
Shen Qingqing quickly tucked the notebook away and continued sipping her soup, as though nothing had happened.
The others resumed eating, and the topic of matchmaking was dropped.
Lin Zhidong glanced at his sister. He had originally been considering introducing Xiao Mian to Xiao Chen.
But now, that idea was clearly dead in the water.
Setting aside whether or not she was pretty, the word "gentle" definitely didn't apply to her in any way.
If Comrade Shen herself was so accomplished and praised the women she suggested, they were surely excellent.
Xiao Mian couldn't compete at all.
Lin Zhidong's expression was caught plainly by Lin Fengmian.
She felt extremely annoyed.
She might not like Chen Shaojie, but they were at least acquaintances.
Now she was single, and Chen Shaojie was single, too.
Why weren't these people pushing her and Chen Shaojie together?
Why were they letting Shen Qingqing introduce some random stranger for him instead? Were they not supposed to support their own family?
Forcing a smile, she said, "Comrade Shen only comes to the compound once every three years. Chen, you'd better think carefully—if you really marry her colleague, you might end up in a long-distance relationship, where you barely get to see each other for years. Is that any way to live?"
Shen Qingqing was living alone in Beijing—who knew if she'd been involved with any other men?
Of course, Lin Fengmian only had the nerve to think this to herself.
If she said it out loud, forget Jiang Zhixun's reaction—her brother and Zhou Xiaomei would tear her apart.
But deep down, she still believed Shen Qingqing wasn't a good woman!