Feng Luxi brought Chu Wan to her place. She lived in the next alley, not far away.

Feng Luxi has a son and a daughter. Her son was 28 years old this year and was the eldest grandson of the Lu family, Lu Jiankun. Her daughter, Lu Jianran, was 24 years old. Both of them have started working and were already married. Lu Jianran was out of town and Lu Jiankun was busy with work. She didn’t have many people around her, so she was particularly enthusiastic about Chu Wan.

Feng Luxi rummaged through boxes and drawers and found Lu Jianran’s old clothes. “This cotton-padded jacket was worn by your Third Sister before she started working. Later, when she went out of town, she thought the color was too young for her, so she didn’t wear it anymore. I think it suits you well now—“

As she spoke, she gestured, “Is it a little too big?”

Chu Wan thought it was good. “I like looser clothes, this one fits me well.”

Seeing this, Feng Luxi took it out, patted it, and hung it outside to air. She then found a jacket, 2 sweaters, a pair of woolen trousers, and 2 pairs of wide-legged pants—all of which were Lu Jianran’s old clothes. “Pick out some and see which one suits you best.”

Chu Wan didn’t hesitate and took the jacket and 2 sweaters, but she didn’t want the wide-leg pants. “They don’t suit me. It would be inconvenient to work in the village.”

Feng Luxi thought about it and put it away.

Feng Luxi also hung these outside to air and found some fabric. “This woolen material is pretty good, you can keep it to make a coat in the future. It’s not easy to buy fabric outside now.”

“Forget it, those old clothes are fine on me,” Chu Wan said.

Feng Luxi sighed, “You’re not a kid anymore, it’s time to dress up. Wear these for now. When the new material arrives tomorrow, I’ll make you a few nicer ones.”

In her current outfit, she looked like she was from the countryside.

No wonder the nanny, Mrs. Chen, mistook her for a rag collector.

Now that the Old Man was angry, Mrs. Chen could just forget about her job. Feng Luxi would have to change the nanny. She didn’t know what the new nanny would be like; she would probably have to teach her from scratch.

Putting these thoughts aside and packing the clothes, Feng Luxi took Chu Wan with her. At this time, not only Lu Jianshi was there, but even Lu Jianzhao has returned.

Lu Jianzhao, the eighth child in the family, was only a year older than Lu Jianshi. Currently studying Literature at Peking University, he enjoyed writing provocative essays and was a renowned talent. Shortly after graduation, he would publish several bestselling books and become a renowned author. He would then venture into film directing, a new field. His first film won a prize at the Locarno International Film Festival, and he quickly became a sought-after writer and director in the 1990s.

Chu Wan later invested in Lu Jianzhao’s films and earned considerable returns.

Lu Jianzhao was a person with extensive social connections and diverse hobbies. He was also very interested in collecting antiques. For this purpose, he even made a movie about antiques and even won an award for it.

He naturally admired Chu Wan. To him, Chu Wan was half a master and also a God of Wealth, the kind who could invest in him and turn stones into gold.

At this time, Lu Jianzhao was just a simple literary youth. He put on hair gel, wore a fashionable Hong Kong-style leather jacket and straight trousers, and was more fashionable and stylish than the average young man in Beijing.

He was obviously surprised to see Chu Wan. He greeted her, but he looked a little uncomfortable.

Chu Wan took one look at him and understood what he was thinking.

The engagement back then stipulated that Chu Wan would marry into the Lu family, so when Chu Wan came to play as a child, Grandpa Lu always told them that they had to behave well and make Chu Wan like them, and then she would choose from among them.

Now that they have grown up, some have married, some were dating, and those who were not dating yet seemed to be in the ‘son-in-law to be chosen’ category.

For Lu Jianzhao, he was a talented student in school and was the object of everyone’s pursuit. Naturally, he disdained this kind of feudal, patriarchal, arranged marriage, and may even feel that it was ‘a loss of face’.

Of course, Chu Wan’s current dress had a very rural feel, which was naturally very different from his female classmates. All these made him feel very uncomfortable when he saw Chu Wan.

This was probably what the talented men in the Republic of China thought when they saw their original wives from the countryside.

Chu Wan looked at him and thought that Lu Jianzhao was quite interesting. She deliberately teased him a little, “I heard that Eighth Brother has been admitted to university. He’s now a college student.”

When Lu Jianzhao heard this, he coughed, sat on the sofa, and waved his hand. “That’s just how it is. Actually, it’s quite easy to get into university.”

“Really? I’m planning to take the college entrance exam,” Chu Wan said. “Can you tutor me some when you’re free?”

Lu Jianzhao leaned back on the sofa with a dignified manner, holding the sofa arms with both hands and crossing his legs. “Wanwan, how was your foundation in high school?”

Chu Wan thought about it. “Not very good. I plan to start from scratch and learn junior high school math first.”

Lu Jianzhao heard this and said, “That won’t do. Mathematics is the key. Both arts and sciences require math. If you’re not good at math, then you’re far behind.”

While Lu Jianzhao and Chu Wan were talking, Lu Jianshi became unhappy.

He didn’t get into university and was now already working. When Lu Jianzhao and Chu Wan talked about taking the university entrance exam, he seemed to be a step behind.

He immediately leaned over and said, “Wanwan, you want to go to university? That’s easy. I’ll ask for you later. There’s a graduate student in our unit, a graduate student from Peking University. I can just ask him to tutor you!”

Lu Jianzhao raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was a little surprised by Lu Jianshi’s enthusiasm for Chu Wan.

Chu Wan has nice features and a good figure, but she was a little too thin and had yellow hair. Of course, it was mainly her appearance that was off. She was wearing an old-fashioned, blue, cotton-padded jacket, which made her look a bit out of place as she sat on this leather sofa.

So when Lu Jianzhao saw Lu Jianshi’s attentiveness, he smiled without saying anything and just let him go. He immediately found an excuse and quickly got up.

Chu Wan naturally understood what Lu Jianzhao meant. That implicit smile, to put it bluntly, meant that he didn’t think much of her.

This actually felt very novel to her.

In her previous life, she had also suffered some cold treatment in the Lu family, but it passed quickly and she did not feel it deeply. Later, when she reached such a high position, most people in the Lu family did not dare to look down on her.

So when she came back and saw Lu Jianzhao—who once admired her so much—putting on airs in front of her, she actually found it quite amusing. This made her look back and examine and reflect on her life from a higher perspective.

She began to recall why she chose Lu Jianshi. Was it because at that time, only Lu Jianshi was attentive and enthusiastic towards her, while his cousins simply ignored her?

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

In the evening, Feng Luxi brought out the cotton-padded jackets and sweaters that had been dried in the sun, and Chu Wan changed her clothes. She now wore woolen trousers on the bottom and a sweater and cotton-padded jacket on the top.

After putting it on, Feng Luxi was very happy. “You look much better than before. In fact, Wanwan has beautiful eyes and brows, and have fair skin, but you are too thin. If you eat more and put on some weight, and dress yourself up, you will look better than the girls in the city!”

Chu Wan also thought this was not bad; at least, it looked neat and refreshing.

After she got dressed, she went back to see the Old Man.

Who knew that while walking in the alley, she saw a jeep parked in front of the house; it looked familiar to her.

The car door opened and a man got out, extremely tall and slender. It was Lu Shouyan.

Chu Wan was delighted to see Lu Shouyan and shouted from a distance, “Seventh Uncle!”

Lu Shouyan saw her and looked at her several times before saying, “Wanwan, you’ve changed so much.”

Chu Wan walked up to him and said with a smile, “Do you think I’ve become more beautiful? Of course, clothes make the man!”

Lu Shouyan glanced at her and said calmly, “This dress is a bit too big for you.”

Chu Wan said, “This belonged to Third Sister. It’s a little big for me, but I think it will be just right for next year.”

Lu Shouyan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Chu Wan felt that he looked a little distant, and the sense of closeness she had felt when she first saw him disappeared.

Then she said seriously, “Seventh Uncle, I accidentally found a piece of jade yesterday. I think it suits you very well, so I’m giving it to you.”

After saying that, she took out the three-colored, double-badger, jade pendant and said, “Although this is not an old item, the jade quality is actually pretty good!”

Lu Shouyan lowered his eyes and looked, only to see a piece of jade placed in the palm of her fair hand. It was a piece of jade that was half black and half white, with clever use of color, and carved with two black and white badgers, the two badgers holding each other, head to tail.

He raised his eyes and looked at her. “Why do you suddenly want to give me this?”

Chu Wan smiled and said, “Seventh Uncle, you gave me 10 yuan last time. If I return the money to you, you would definitely not want it. This is just an extra thing I have, so it doesn’t cost any money.”

Lu Shouyan was silent for a moment before he said, “Wanwan, it’s only 10 yuan, why are you being so formal?”

Chu Wan stuffed the jade into Lu Shouyan’s hand and said, “Seventh Uncle, please accept it. Are you getting married soon? This double badgers symbolizes double happiness and a long-lasting marriage. Keep it and give it to my future Seventh Aunt!”

Having said this, she suddenly paused.

If he got married, he would still marry Sun Xueya, the one who—together with Lu Jianshi—harmed her Nine Dragon Jade Cup.

Will he give her the jade pendant that she carefully selected?

Chu Wan felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

Lu Shouyan didn’t notice her strangeness and accepted it immediately. “Okay, I’ll accept it this time, but you don’t have to give me anything in the future. It’s just a few yuan of pocket money, and here I am accepting return things from a junior. If this gets out, it wouldn’t be right. If the Old Man finds out, he will teach me a lesson again.”

Chu Wan came back to her senses and asked, “I heard that Seventh Uncle got scolded a lot because of me?”

Lu Shouyan looked at her helplessly, “Yes.”

Chu Wan laughed. “Who told you to mention it to the Old Man? If you didn’t mention it, he wouldn’t know about it!”

Lu Shouyan said calmly, “And when he finds out later, I will be the one who suffers.”

Chu Wan laughed even harder. Even as she laughed, she was thinking about Sun Xueya, so she asked tentatively, “Seventh Uncle, when are you planning to get married?”

After hearing this, Lu Shouyan’s expression paused slightly, and his dark eyes instantly fell on her face.

Pearls and Jade Beside Me in the ’80s translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: ‘Old Man’ here is not flippant or disrespectful. Quite the opposite; it’s a respectful title for an elder.

My other translation work, Seventh Year of My Secret Love for You, just finished. Yey! A pining Second Male Lead given the chance to snatch up the love of his life. Broken engagement, office romance, domineering CEO, quirky side characters.

This story, Pearls and Jade Beside Me in the ’80s, will take over its posting schedule: Fridays and Saturdays.

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Here are this story’s advance postings per Patreon Tier:
…Devoted 2nd Male Lead
Chapter 13 — People Can’t Just Pick Up Benefits
Chapter 14.1 — That’s Glass!
Chapter 14.2 — That’s Glass!
Chapter 14.3 — That’s Glass!
… Awakened Villainess
Chapter 15.1 — Solicitous
Chapter 15.2 — Solicitous
… Unattainable White Moonlight
Chapter 16 — Became a Hot Commodity
Chapter 17.1 — Explore the Courtyard