121, hidden thoughts, pink crystal

Jing Suyun observed the expressions of her cousin and his wife, worried they might feel displeased, and quickly smoothed things over: "Jiang Feng, Xiaohua, look, this is fate between the two girls! Xinxin is a military wife and will follow her husband to his post later. Xiao Shen is surrounded by soldiers, so when the time comes, he can help Xiaomin find a good match. Isn't it a glorious thing to be able to marry a soldier now?"

Jing Suyun naturally understood He Xiaohua's character; she was very narrow-minded. When she had previously been reluctant to let Xiaomin acknowledge her, wasn't it because she feared she had designs on Xiaomin’s marriage and wanted to take advantage?

"That’s right, there are plenty of young, single men in the military who just don't have the time to settle their personal affairs," Zeng Lin added with a smile, echoing the sentiment.

At the mention of military officers, Jiang Feng’s eyes lit up. He responded eagerly, "Cousin is right. My wife and I will listen to you! This girl is truly blessed to have caught your eye."

Although his wife had recently begun looking for suitors for their eldest daughter, given their own circumstances, it was impossible to find a better match than a military officer. Marrying into the military was a glorious thing!

Everyone knew that soldiers enjoyed excellent benefits and welfare, a fact he firmly believed in. Moreover, he had inadvertently noticed the watch on his niece-in-law’s wrist—a Meihua brand timepiece. It cost over 170 yuan, which was enough to cover a regular family's expenses for an entire year. This proved that soldiers had money!

Furthermore, since his cousin had these connections in the military, in a few years, he could send his youngest son into the service as well, allowing him to become an officer. That would certainly be something to brag about!

Seeing that her husband had agreed, He Xiaohua stopped pushing back. After all, he was the one who always made the decisions in the family.

Jing Qingxin paid no attention to the expressions or thoughts of Jiang Feng and his wife. Since Jiang Min had agreed, she said, "Good! From this moment on, we are sisters! Xiaomin, come, follow me to the room!"

With that, Jing Qingxin took Jiang Min’s hand and walked toward the room she shared with Gao Shen.

"These sisters have such a bond! They’ve just become sisters and already have secrets to share," Jing Suyun teased with a laugh.

"That's right, the two sisters are of similar age and have common topics to discuss. If I were a few years younger, I’d also want to adopt a god-sister; how wonderful it is to have more siblings!" said Chen Mei, Zeng Lin’s wife, jokingly. She had a very good impression of Jing Qingxin and felt an instant connection.

The men continued to drink the last of their wine, no longer paying attention to the conversation among the women.

Inside the room, Jing Qingxin invited Jiang Min to sit down and turned toward the cabinet, where the items purchased that day and their military bags were piled.

Jing Qingxin pretended to rummage through her military bag, but in reality, she retrieved a small square wooden jewelry box from her "Flowing Light Brocade" space. Since they had become sisters, a gift was only appropriate. As for the godfather and godmother, she had prepared something for them too, but she would present those after the guests had departed.

Sitting beside Jiang Min, Jing Qingxin smiled and handed over the jewelry box: "This is a token of our sisterhood! Take a look and see if you like it."

Jiang Min had thought Jing Qingxin brought her inside to talk, never expecting a gift.

Suddenly, Jiang Min felt a warmth in her heart. So, this was what it felt like to be cared for! It was the first gift she had ever received in her life. Even if the contents were old and unremarkable, she would cherish them like a treasure.

Jiang Min carefully took the small wooden box, which fit in the palm of her hand. With gentle fingers, she unlatched the iron clasp. The moment the box opened, Jiang Min fell in love with the gift.

Inside the small box was a string of pink crystals interspersed with a few silver-carved peach blossoms. In the center lay a pair of pink crystal ear studs in the shape of five-petaled flowers, matching the bracelet.

Jing Qingxin had collected many jewels and accessories in her "Flowing Light Brocade"—some from the original "Flowing Light Palace" collection, some gifted by elders and friends, and some she had collected herself. She had always enjoyed interesting and beautiful trinkets.

Originally, she had wanted to give jade jewelry, but the current social climate made that unsuitable. She would wait a couple of years for the atmosphere to settle before giving Jiang Min better pieces.

While crystal jewelry wasn't as expensive as jade, its strength lay in being unique, novel, and appealing, and it wasn't classified as a "precious" gemstone. Most importantly, it was perfect for a young woman to wear, adding a touch of vitality.

"Sister Qingxin, what kind of bracelet is this? It's so beautiful!" Jiang Min asked, her face full of delight.

In this era, crystal was not a popular material, nor was there much research or jewelry crafted from it. Most accessories were very plain, and only gold was widely circulated. People dared not display jade jewelry openly for fear of being labeled as capitalist.

"This is pink crystal, a type of crystalline mineral. Most importantly, pink crystal is said to strengthen cardiovascular health and soothe the mood. Furthermore, it is known as the 'stone of love,' which helps attract romance and improve one's social connections," Jing Qingxin explained with a smile. The color pink was particularly suited for a young girl.

Jiang Min’s eyes brightened. She had fallen in love with the pink trinket at first sight, and hearing Jing Qingxin’s explanation made her love it even more. What a wonderful gift!

"And what is this?" Jiang Min asked, picking up the crystal ear studs.

Jing Qingxin smiled and said, "These are ear studs, just like earrings. Do you have pierced ears?"

"Yes," Jiang Min replied, looking down shyly. She had pierced them with a close friend from next door, though she had no earrings to wear and only kept a small piece of red thread through the holes.

"That's good! You can wear these!" Jing Qingxin said softly. In any era, women loved beauty.

"Thank you, Sister Qingxin!" Jiang Min said with a beaming smile, thinking to herself how wonderful her new sister was.

"Would you like to come with us to the countryside for a few days tomorrow? Stay until after my wedding banquet before heading back," Jing Qingxin suggested. Jiang Min’s personality had been too suppressed, which made her appear quiet and gloomy. Changing environments would change her mood, and life in the countryside was well-suited for relaxation.

Jiang Min asked excitedly, "Is that okay? Would it be a burden to you?"