Chapter 19: Angry at the Store Clerk

When Meng Wangfei opened the door and saw Shi Qingqian, he immediately brightened up.

“Comrade, did you manage to buy the medicine?” he asked eagerly.

“Yes. Take a look and see if it’s all correct,” Shi Qingqian said, handing over the bag.

“Yes! Yes!” Meng Wangfei looked at the medicines in the cloth bag, tears of relief streaming down his face.

He quickly called everyone out, and for the first time, Shi Qingqian saw all the people living in the hut. Besides her uncle’s family of three and Meng Wangfei, there were two other middle-aged couples: Liu Chong and Bai Ling, Qiu Xiaotong and Ning Hua, and a man in his fifties named Zhao Yuan.

“We have the medicine!” Meng Wangfei excitedly shared the good news.

These people had never lifted a finger before being sent down; now they did the dirtiest, hardest work daily, and their bodies had all suffered to some extent. When they heard there was medicine, joy immediately lit up their faces.

Liu Chong was so moved that he wanted to kneel and kowtow to Shi Qingqian and Xu Huaian. When he was sent down, his wife Bai Ling had been pregnant, but they only found out after the child was lost. After the miscarriage, she had no time to recover, leaving her health severely weakened. Without medicine, they feared she wouldn’t last long.

Xu Huaian quickly steadied Liu Chong. “Comrade Liu, don’t be like this!”

Realizing he had overreacted, Liu Chong bowed instead to show his gratitude. Bai Ling stood by, tears streaming, choked up. “Thank you… you are our lifesavers.”

Shi Qingqian comforted her. “Aunt Bai, don’t say that. This is all we could do.”

Meng Wangfei then began distributing the medicines, carefully instructing each person on usage and precautions.

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The next morning, Xu Huaian went to his second uncle for a reference letter. After breakfast, he and Shi Qingqian set off for the city. To get better items, Shi Qingqian once again rode the bus until she was nauseated. Seeing her pale face, Xu Huaian felt heartbroken. He gently patted her back.

“Qingqian, thank you for enduring that. Once we get to the city, I’ll find a truck to carry the things back. We won’t take the bus again.”

Shi Qingqian nodded repeatedly, vowing never to ride that rickety bus again.

Upon arriving in the city, Xu Huaian found a quiet spot for Shi Qingqian to rest until her color returned. Then he went to the post office and queued at the telephone.

When it was his turn, Xu Huaian dialed: “Please connect me to Commander Liang Guodong.”

“Please hold,” said the operator.

After a moment, Commander Liang’s voice came through: “This is Liang Guodong.”

Xu Huaian immediately straightened his back, speaking respectfully and formally. “Reporting, Commander. This is Xu Huaian of the 19th Regiment.”

“You little rascal, splurging on the phone. Speak. What’s the matter?”

“I’d like to inquire about the progress of my marriage report with Comrade Shi Qingqian.”

“I figured you’d be anxious. Don’t worry. I’ve already sent the report to Wang Zhiyong, Deputy Director of the Yangning Town Police Station. He should receive it in a few days and will deliver it to your home.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

“All right, enough formalities,” Liang suddenly asked, “Is that girl with you?”

“She is.”

“Then ask her: does her father have any other names? And what about her grandfather? What does he do?”

Xu Huaian frowned. “Commander, why do you ask this?”

“Just ask,” Liang added sternly, knowing his stubbornness. “This is an order.”

Although puzzled, Xu Huaian’s sense of military obedience made him immediately answer, “Yes, sir!”

He asked Shi Qingqian as instructed.

“Well… let me think,” Shi Qingqian searched the original owner’s memories. Her biological father apparently did have another name. “I think it’s Liu Yun something…”

On the other end, Liang Guodong interjected: “Liu Yunping?”

Shi Qingqian nodded. “Yes, Liu Yunping. But my father said this was a name given by the traffickers when he was kidnapped. He never used it again and forbade me from telling anyone—it would attract the traffickers.”

“As for my grandfather, my father said he was taken when my father was very young, and he never saw him again. But apparently, my grandfather specialized in digging pits.”

Shi Qingqian was not joking; the “digging pits” remark came directly from her biological father, literally meaning digging.

“All right, I understand,” Liang said, hurriedly hanging up and making another call.

Xu Huaian and Shi Qingqian stood by the phone, puzzled, but they didn’t think much and, after paying for the call, took a rickshaw to the city’s department store.

Inside the store, Shi Qingqian’s eyes were immediately drawn to a pair of couple’s watches in the display case.

The men’s watch had a bold, sturdy style with a slightly large, clean, simple dial. The silver case with a matching five-link band gave an impression of steady, determined, yet subtle elegance—perfect for Xu Huaian.

The women’s watch was delicate and small, the case surrounded by a ring of tiny diamonds, sparkling in the sunlight like Shi Qingqian herself—beautiful and lively.

“Bring out these two for me,” Shi Qingqian said.

The salesperson glanced at Shi Qingqian and Xu Huaian, showing clear disdain. Standing stiffly, he sneered, “Do you even know what brand these are? These are Rolex watches, only sold in big cities like Jinghai or Yunhu. These two are treasures our manager specially brought back from Jinghai. You country bumpkins will never be able to afford them in your lifetime. Best leave now.”

Shi Qingqian’s eyes blazed with anger. She glared at the salesperson and shouted, “Are you a worm in your belly or a maggot in a toilet? You didn’t even ask, yet assumed we couldn’t buy them!”

“And look at your arrogant, ugly face, looking down on people from the countryside. Our Constitution clearly states that everyone is equal before the law, yet you’re full of class prejudice. Do you think you’re an empress from an ancient palace doing a feudal revival?”

“I have reason to suspect your ideological awareness is seriously flawed. As a citizen of China, I have the right to complain to your supervisor. Call your manager out immediately, or I will call the police.”

The salesperson turned pale from Shi Qingqian’s rapid-fire accusations. Class prejudice, feudal revival—two heavy charges at once. His entire family was doomed. He ran hastily into the office to find the manager.

The commotion attracted the attention of other shoppers, who all turned to watch the watch display.