Chapter 219: The Reply Letter
Ning Xiyue set the book aside, scratching her head in frustration, thinking hard about how to reply to that letter. She had never written a love letter before—this was truly the first time a maiden rides in a bridal sedan chair.
What a difficult situation.
She had to write all the letters she owed people while still on the train, so she could mail them right after arriving at Yongchuan Commune. Writing them after returning to the team would waste too much time and energy.
From the upper bunk, Ning Qingyuan poked his head down curiously.
“Sis, what are you doing? Your hair’s a mess—you keep pulling at it, it’s going to fall out.”
“I’m thinking about what to write in the letter home. Once we arrive, we can mail it right away,” she said quickly, smoothing her hair and waving a piece of stationery to distract him.
“Oh, then leave me a few lines at the end of your letter. I’ll write after you so we can save paper and ink.” Ning Qingyuan, believing her explanation, eagerly adjusted his posture, leaning over the railing to hand her a fountain pen. “Use this one—it writes really well.”
Ning Xiyue shook her head and took out her own pen. “No need, I’ve got mine—it works just fine.”
“Alright, give it to me when you’re done,” he said, reclining again. Then he suddenly remembered something and leaned over once more: “Oh right, Sis, when you’re done, hand me the lunch box—I’ll go get some hot water for it. You stay here and watch the luggage.”
“Okay. But there’ll probably be a long line later. Let’s go a bit earlier to heat the food, so we can have lunch sooner. I’m already hungry—we ate too early this morning.”
“Now that you mention it, I’m starving too,” Ning Qingyuan said, rubbing his belly. He checked his watch. “It’s already half past ten. Let’s wait another thirty minutes and then head out.”
Ning Xiyue pulled the two chocolate bars Comrade Ji had given her from her pocket and handed one to her brother. “Here, eat this to tide you over.”
Smiling, Ning Qingyuan accepted it, asking curiously, “How many chocolates did Brother Ji give you?”
“Just these two. Hurry and eat.”
The chocolates in this era were much more genuine than the ones in later generations—rich and not overly sweet. Too bad she didn’t have any foreign currency coupons to buy more from the Friendship Store.
“Hey, are we eating the braised chicken big brother brought, or the spicy rabbit Comrade Ji gave us?” he asked.
Both dishes were delicious, and Ning Qingyuan wanted both. After some thought, he said, “Let’s eat Brother Ji’s rabbit first. I haven’t tried it yet—I want to taste his cooking.”
Ning Xiyue nodded, taking out the food parcel they’d been eating from these past few days. She unpacked one lunch box of spicy diced rabbit, three boxes of rice, and one of vegetables, placing them neatly in the basin and setting them on the small table in front of her. “Brother, why don’t you go heat it now? It’s getting late.”
“Sure thing. I’m starving.” As soon as food was mentioned, he perked up, quickly jumped down from the upper bunk, put on his shoes, and dashed off with the basin. “Sis, wait for me!”
“Take your time,” she said helplessly, watching her energetic brother hurry off. He really is the most enthusiastic when it comes to eating.
Once her brother was gone, Ning Xiyue could finally focus on writing her reply. With him around, she couldn’t possibly compose a love letter—it was too awkward.
Determined to finish before he returned, she wrote quickly, keeping it as concise as possible—just a few clear sentences.
Since Comrade Ji had written her such an open and heartfelt confession, she couldn’t leave him hanging. Whether she accepted or refused, she had to be honest and clear. That was her way of doing things.
She had already thought out the main points: first, express her feelings about receiving his letter and the money and ration coupons; then, answer his question directly.
She would accept his sincere affection. From now on, they’d officially be in a relationship—with marriage as the goal. They should write often, communicate openly, and never hide things from each other.
She had read plenty of modern novels—so many misunderstandings between couples happened because they “didn’t open their mouths.” She wasn’t going to let that happen between her and Comrade Ji.
Real life wasn’t a melodrama. No relationship could withstand endless wear and tear, and no “oops, it was all a misunderstanding” could magically restore worn-down feelings.
Since this would be a long-distance relationship, communication was key.
As for marriage—that was something for the future. She would have to observe him first. Only if he passed the “inspection period” could they move to the next stage.
She was a rational person, not one to lose her head in love.
Ning Xiyue wrote all of this in the letter, phrasing it gently instead of bluntly.
Though she’d planned to keep it short, her pen wouldn’t stop. Before she knew it, she’d written a thousand-word mini-essay—even including the chocolate story. What a blunder.
“Host, can I record your dating process?” her little turtle system asked. “I’m weak in that area of knowledge and need to study romance to expand my database and service range.”
Ning Xiyue sealed the envelope and affixed a stamp, then shot the turtle a glance. “What, are you going to start a ‘Host Romance Education Course’ next?”
The little turtle giggled shyly. “Hehe, not a bad idea. Some hosts lose themselves for men—I could study and teach others how not to.”
“Fine, record it. But I have one condition—if I ever want to rewatch the memories, you’ll give me a copy.”
That way, the system would basically be her personal recorder. She could relive those sweet old memories anytime she wanted. She liked that idea.
“Got it, Host!” the system said, happily waving its tiny claws as it began recording its “new curriculum.”
Just as Ning Xiyue put the letter away, Ning Qingyuan rushed back in, grinning from ear to ear with the steaming basin in his hands.
“Sis! It’s ready! Let’s eat while it’s hot—Brother Ji’s rabbit is amazing!”
Even when he tested the temperature earlier, the aroma had been mouthwatering. He’d barely cracked the lid before everyone nearby started sniffing around like hungry wolves, so he’d quickly covered it again and sprinted back.
“Alright.”
Ning Xiyue cleared the books from the table, wiped it down, and set the lunch boxes in place.
“Whoa, that smells incredible.”
The moment she opened the lid, a wave of spicy fragrance filled the air. Ning Xiyue’s mouth watered instantly. She grabbed her chopsticks, scooped up a piece of rabbit, and tasted it.
It was indeed delicious—tender, spicy, and savory, perfect with rice. She happily devoured it.
It seemed Comrade Ji’s cooking skills had improved a lot—much better than the last time he’d cooked behind the youth courtyard. He must have been secretly practicing.
That made her quite pleased—his culinary progress was definitely a bonus. No matter who he was cooking for, she’d surely be the one to benefit most.
She just hoped his dishes kept getting better. After all, she really did love good food.
After eating, Ning Xiyue took a few sips of water and said, “Brother, since you heated the food, I’ll wash the dishes.”
“Alright.”
Ning Qingyuan didn’t even look up, focused entirely on finishing his meal. He mixed the last of the rice into the rabbit sauce, scraping the box clean until not a single grain remained, and then burped in satisfaction.
Ning Xiyue handed him his water bottle and began tidying up, putting the dishes and chopsticks into the basin. She poured in a bit of dishwashing liquid and began cleaning.
Thanks to her brother’s thoroughness, the boxes were easy to wash. After a few scrubs, they sparkled—she just needed some clean hot water to rinse them.
“Brother, take a rest. I’ll go get some hot water to rinse these.”
“Be careful,” he called after her, swallowing the last of his water.
“Got it.”
It was lunchtime, and the train corridor bustled with passengers—some heading to the dining car, others fetching hot water.
Ning Xiyue made her way to the dining car, emptied the leftovers into the waste bucket, rinsed everything thoroughly with hot water, and started back.
Just then, a little girl of about six came running toward her, face anxious, not watching where she was going—
—and crashed straight into Ning Xiyue’s leg.
“I’m sorry, big sister!”
“It’s alright,” Ning Xiyue said, rubbing her sore thigh and waving it off.
The girl nodded and dashed off again, disappearing into the crowd.
