Chapter 6: Buying Meat to Eat

Shen Zhuo’s house was built on leveled ground atop a hill, giving it a small yard and an isolated feel. Getting down the long slope from his home had always been a chore for Ye Xin, especially when she came back from work exhausted. But sitting on the back of his bicycle now, they zoomed down the hill in no time.

As they left, the rest of the team was heading to work. Among them were a few of the other young educated workers. The sound of the bicycle wheels caught their attention, and as they looked up, they saw a blur rush past them.

Sun Weiqiang squinted at the disappearing figures. “Was that Ye Xin?” he asked.

Zhao Zhonghua nodded. “Yeah, Shen Zhuo’s giving her a ride.”

“They must be heading to the market,” Sun Weiqiang guessed.

“Probably,” Zhao Zhonghua replied. “I heard her ask the captain for the day off.”

Sun Weiqiang frowned. “She always asks us to pick up things for her when we go to the market. Now she’s going herself and didn’t even offer. I’ve been meaning to send a letter home, but I didn’t have the time.”

Liu Hongxia chimed in with a scoff. “You know what she’s like. Always trying to get something for nothing. Why would you even expect her to help?”

Zheng Wenwen raised an eyebrow. “Hold up—weren’t they just fighting to break off their engagement a few days ago? Now look at them, riding off to the market together like they’re all cozy!”

Zhao Zhonghua shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe she changed her mind and decided Shen Zhuo isn’t so bad after all.”

Sun Weiqiang let out a cynical laugh. “What’s so great about him? He’s a scrawny kid with no parents, dirt poor. Have you seen how skinny he is? He probably hasn’t had a decent meal in ages!”

Zheng Wenwen countered, “Poor or not, he’s got a bicycle, and that makes getting to town way easier. That alone is a pretty big deal.”

Sun Weiqiang rolled his eyes. “You women are so materialistic.”

His remark was met with a chorus of protests from the women around him.

…

While the group speculated, the reality was far less cozy. Ye Xin, perched on the back of the bike, was terrified. The steep slope they were speeding down had her gripping Shen Zhuo’s waist in sheer panic, and she had to stifle a scream.

Shen Zhuo’s normally pale face had turned a shade of red. When she had grabbed him around the waist, he nearly lost control of the handlebars. To make things worse, they had passed right by the group of workers. He could already imagine the teasing that would follow.

Once they were out of sight of the village, he finally said, “Let go.”

“No way!” Ye Xin clung to him even tighter, her voice shaky. “You’re going way too fast!”

“The brakes are broken. There’s nothing I can do about it,” Shen Zhuo explained, exasperated. He wasn’t speeding on purpose—coming down the slope with broken brakes was just unavoidable.

“What?!” Ye Xin’s heart leapt into her throat. She held on even more tightly. “Why didn’t you tell me that before? This is so dangerous!”

“The bike’s fine, it’s just the brakes. As long as you sit still, you’ll be fine,” Shen Zhuo reassured her, though his voice was laced with frustration.

Ye Xin didn’t feel reassured at all. “How am I supposed to sit still on this bumpy road?” she muttered, her nerves fraying.

She was embarrassed to be holding him like this, never having been so close to a guy before. But in this situation, safety came first. Just as she was about to relax a little, the bike hit a pothole, causing them both to jolt. Ye Xin let out a yelp and instinctively tightened her grip, practically strangling Shen Zhuo’s waist.

For his part, Shen Zhuo was doing his best to keep them steady, though her sudden squeeze had nearly knocked the wind out of him. He tried to ignore the sensation and focus on navigating the rough terrain, avoiding any further bumps.

After a moment, Ye Xin nervously patted her pocket, checking to make sure her money and tickets were still there. Relieved to find them secure, she awkwardly loosened her grip a little and said, “Don’t get any ideas. I’m only holding on because I don’t want to fall. It’s not like I’m trying to get close to you or anything.”

Shen Zhuo, still red-faced, thought to himself that as a guy, he didn’t see how he could benefit from being “taken advantage of.” His tone was gruff as he replied, “People will talk if they see us like this.”

Ye Xin shrugged. “Let them talk. As far as everyone’s concerned, we’re still engaged, right?”

Shen Zhuo pressed his lips together, unwilling to continue the conversation. “What about later?” he muttered. “Your reputation…”

Ye Xin laughed, a bit carelessly. “Reputation? What reputation do I have left to lose at this point?”

Shen Zhuo went silent, focusing on pedaling. They passed a few villagers heading to the market on foot, baskets strapped to their backs. He kept his eyes fixed ahead, ignoring their curious glances.

The road was uneven, and Shen Zhuo had to concentrate as the bike creaked and jolted along. Whenever they reached a particularly steep hill, Ye Xin would hop off and walk alongside to give him a break. She didn’t want to exhaust him, especially since he was already so skinny.

For the most part, though, she stayed on the bike, and the cool morning breeze made the ride surprisingly pleasant. After about forty minutes, they finally reached the bustling market town of Hongze. The sun was now high in the sky, and the heat was starting to creep in.

Shen Zhuo brought the bike to a stop, and Ye Xin jumped off. He parked the bike, careful to keep it close since it was a valuable possession, and started walking towards the market’s entrance.

Ye Xin’s eyes lit up as she took in the lively scene. It was her first time here, and everything looked so fresh and exciting. She slowed down, absorbing the sights: rows of makeshift stalls selling everything from hand-woven baskets to fresh vegetables. For her, even the simplest items seemed like precious, handcrafted goods, though they were just everyday tools for the villagers.

“Where to first?” Shen Zhuo asked, seeing her distracted.

“Let’s go to the post office first,” she replied, snapping out of her awe. “I need to withdraw some money.”

Shen Zhuo led the way, stopping at the post office. As they arrived, he said, “I’ll wait outside with the bike. You go ahead.”

Ye Xin smiled and said, “I also need to write a letter inside, so don’t worry if I take a little while.”

Shen Zhuo nodded and moved the bike into the shade by the door, waiting for Ye Xin.

Ye Xin hadn’t written a letter before, mainly because she hadn’t decided if she wanted to reply, and also because she didn’t have any stationery. But now, she had made up her mind. Though her family had favored her brother over her, and her parents and brother weren’t great, her elder sister, Ye Huan, had always shown her some care. Ye Xin suspected that the 30 yuan she recently received was sent by her sister.

Since that was the case, Ye Xin thought it was only right to send a letter back to ease her sister’s mind. After all, it wouldn’t be right to take someone’s money without expressing thanks.

The post office wasn’t crowded. Ye Xin bought paper, an envelope, and stamps. Inside, there was a table with a few chairs and a pen for customers to use.

Ye Xin sat down to write her letter. Her thoughts were clear, and the words flowed easily. First, she mentioned that she had received everything her sister had sent, and nothing was missing. Then, she briefly described her life over the past three months in the countryside, mentioning that Liangshuitang was a mountainous, watery place. She explained the hard work of growing rice, how difficult it was compared to life in the city, but reassured her sister that she was adjusting to the farming life. Lastly, she expressed her heartfelt thanks for the 30 yuan and said she would use it to buy supplies. Ye Xin also promised to send the money back when she could or if her sister ever needed it.

Within a few minutes, the letter was done. Ye Xin looked it over, then frowned slightly. Her handwriting was different from the original Ye Xin’s, and she wondered if that might raise suspicion. She considered adding a note saying her hands were sore from farming, which explained the change in her writing, but then decided against it. That would only seem more suspicious.

Once the ink dried, Ye Xin folded the letter, sealed it in the envelope, and affixed the stamp. Task completed, she mailed the letter and successfully withdrew the 30 yuan from the money order. Then, she exited the post office.

She walked over to Shen Zhuo. “Did I keep you waiting long?”

Shen Zhuo, leaning against the wall with the bike, straightened up when he saw her. He shook his head. “Where to next?”

Ye Xin hesitated. “Should we go to the butcher shop first for meat, or head to the supply store for a kerosene lamp? If we buy the meat first, won’t it spoil in this heat?”

Shen Zhuo quickly offered advice. “If you want meat, better get it early. It sells out fast.”

Ye Xin nodded immediately. “To the butcher shop, then!”

When they arrived, it was as busy as Shen Zhuo had predicted, and the meat supply was low. Thankfully, she made it in time to buy a piece of pork belly, using up her entire ration ticket for one pound of meat. It wasn’t much, but she carefully wrapped it in leaves and stored it in her basket.

Next, they headed to the supply store. The crowd there was even bigger, and even though Ye Xin was small, it was tough for her to push through. After finally getting the shopkeeper’s attention, she rattled off her list of necessities and stuffed everything into her basket after paying. Sweaty and flushed from the effort, she stepped outside and triumphantly shook the basket at Shen Zhuo.

“Let’s go check out the agricultural products market!” she said excitedly.

Shen Zhuo thought of offering to carry her basket, but she was already marching ahead with enthusiasm. He could only silently follow with the bike.

At the agricultural market, Ye Xin spotted someone selling eggs. There were only about twenty left, and she quickly bought them all. One pound of pork wouldn’t last long, so she needed the eggs for extra nutrition. Delighted with her purchase, she looked around for more, but eggs were in high demand. She’d been lucky to get those few, so she moved on. She also saw some dried vegetables but decided against buying them—dried vegetables were best for winter stews, not for now.

Ye Xin then noticed some pottery jars, handmade by the locals. Seeing that her basket still had some space, she bought one large and one small jar for pickling vegetables in the future.

By now, her basket was quite heavy. Shen Zhuo, who had been watching her buy one thing after another, finally spoke up. “Let me carry it for you.”

Ye Xin wiped the sweat from her brow and straightened her back. “No need, I can manage. Just keep an eye on the bike. Let’s go buy seeds, and then we can head back!”

The seed stall was nearby, and Ye Xin squatted down to pick out a variety: cabbage, eggplant, radishes, tomatoes, green beans… She bought so many that the vendor kindly explained how to plant each one—whether they needed seedlings, supports, or specific months to grow. Ye Xin listened attentively and memorized it all.

Shen Zhuo frowned slightly. Was she really going to plant so much? There was hardly enough space behind his house.

As he was pondering this, she had already paid for the seeds. Shen Zhuo sighed inwardly. It was her money, after all—whatever made her happy.

Ye Xin stuffed the large bag of seeds into the pottery jars in her basket and was about to announce they could head home when she suddenly remembered that Shen Zhuo’s bike brakes were broken. She quickly asked if there was a place in town to get them fixed.

Shen Zhuo wanted to say there was no need, that it wasn’t dangerous, but seeing how scared she’d been earlier, he decided to stay quiet and took the bike to be repaired.

Ye Xin finally relaxed, smiling. “Alright, now we can go home!”

But after just a few steps, she caught the smell of food wafting through the air. Her eyes lit up as she spotted a state-run restaurant nearby. “Wait here for a moment,” she said to Shen Zhuo, running off before he could stop her.

Moments later, she came back with two steamed buns, slightly out of breath, and handed one to him. “Meat buns! Eat up!”

Shen Zhuo pressed his lips together and hesitated, but when she handed him the basket, he had no choice but to take the bun too. “You eat it,” he said. “I’m not hungry.”

“How can you say that? You still have to take me home, and it’ll be harder than coming here since the basket is heavier now.” Ye Xin pushed the bun into his hands. “One for each of us. Hurry up and eat!”

She took a bite of her own bun, closing her eyes in satisfaction. Despite the state-run restaurants’ indifferent service, the food was still hearty, and the buns were delicious, with thin skin and plenty of filling.

Shen Zhuo looked at the bun in his hand, sighed inwardly, and took a bite.

After they finished eating, Ye Xin clapped her hands and said, “It’s too hot. Let’s hurry back before the meat spoils!”