Chapter 4

When Lu Yun was reading the novel, she had a strong dislike for the Male Lead, Chen Zhiqiang.

In the midst of a battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, whenever Chen Zhiqiang made an effort to assist the Female Supporting Character, life would not have turned chaotic for her.

If the Female Supporting Character felt Chen Zhiqiang’s care and concern, perhaps she would have cooperated with him to ease the tensions with her mother-in-law.

After all, once married, it wouldn’t be reasonable for all matters to be left to the Female Supporting Character to resolve on her own.

It wasn’t that the Female Supporting Character was entirely blameless; even if Lu Yun found herself in the role of the Female Supporting Character, she would not have thought so. She was certain that she would never marry a man like Chen Zhiqiang.

Chen Zhiqiang returned to the Cotton Textile Factory, but it didn’t affect Lu Yun at all. She continued to enjoy her leisurely activities, such as goofing off and heading to the cafeteria for meals. Throughout the entire day, she did not encounter Chen Zhiqiang at the Cotton Textile Factory.

The Cotton Textile Factory was not a small operation, and Lu Yun and Chen Zhiqiang did not perform the same tasks. Unless there was a deliberate effort to meet, it was unlikely they would run into each other even once a month, let alone within ten days or half a month.

Before her time travel, Lu Yun had lived in a community where her familiar neighbors resided in the same building. She would only happen to meet them a few times a year, which was likely due to her preference for staying home.

—o—o—o—

Today, Sister Sun appeared to be in a fantastic mood.

Previously, she had been in good spirits towards the end of the workday, but now, even before the day was over, her mood remained high.

The others in the office were the same, all excited because the Cotton Textile Factory was due to pay salaries tomorrow.

Listening to their conversation, Lu Yun quietly noted the date. It was no longer like before her time travel when she could barely be considered successful in her career.

To avoid relying on the Lu family’s meager savings, she had to depend on the monthly salary from the Cotton Textile Factory.

Sister Sun said: “I really envy those of you who aren’t married yet. You earn money and can afford to buy skirts and cosmetics. For those of us who are married, our husbands aren’t exactly affluent, so we have to budget our monthly earnings carefully. My child will be starting kindergarten soon.”

After saying that, she asked, “Lu Yun, are you going to the provincial capital this weekend? If you do, could you bring me back a few things?”

Lu Yun quickly waved her hand, saying, “I can’t go this month. If you’re not in a hurry, let me know what you want, and I’ll bring it back for you next month.”

Sister Sun replied, “That works.”

For Lu Yun, the past few days had not been entirely unproductive. Aside from working and slacking off, she had also been eating well.

She had learned from the chatter around the office that whenever she received her salary, she loved to buy skirts and cosmetics to beautify herself—all for the sake of Chen Zhiqiang.

Lu Yun’s wardrobe was overflowing, to the point where she sometimes questioned whether she had time-traveled back to the 1980s.

However, since most of her money had gone towards clothes, she was not left with much. In modern terms, she could barely be considered part of the “living paycheck to paycheck” crowd.

But now, Lu Yun couldn’t afford such a lifestyle; she needed to buy skirts and cosmetics while still saving some money.

—o—o—o—

Zhang Hao and He Cheng’an had grown up together.

When Zhang Hao got a girlfriend who also worked at the Cotton Textile Factory, he went to pick her up after work and overheard her talking about Chen Zhiqiang’s return.

Zhang Hao’s girlfriend was aware of He Cheng’an’s relationship with Lu Yun.

With a hint of jealousy, Zhang Hao’s girlfriend said: “The ‘Changhua’ is doing well. Over here, your Brother He is pursuing one, while over there, she still has her eyes on our Director Chen. You don’t know; she came to work today all dressed up and flashy. If our director doesn’t catch her interest, she can always return to your Brother He and still come out ahead.”

Zhang Hao’s tone turned sharp. “If you can’t say anything nice, just don’t say anything!”

He parked his bicycle aside and ordered: “Get off.”

—o—o—o—

As Zhang Hao rode his bicycle with increasing speed, he finally slowed down as he reached the alley where He Cheng’an lived.

After knocking on the door and entering, Zhang Hao announced, “Brother He, I know why Lu Yun has been paying attention to you lately, Chen Zhiqiang was away for a long time. But now, he is back from his business trip.”

After finishing his sentence, Zhang Hao glanced at He Cheng’an. “My new girlfriend, who also works at the Cotton Textile Factory mentioned that Chen Zhiqiang is back from his business trip.”

He Cheng’an, who was working in the yard, had a dark expression as he replied: “You’re saying this is what she said?”

Zhang Hao’s confidence faltered. “I thought of it myself.”

He Cheng’an shot him a glance. “There won’t be a next time.”

Zhang Hao quickly admitted his mistake. “I was confused! How could Lu Yun be that kind of person? I was wrong, Brother He! I just thought it was strange how she suddenly started paying attention to you—it felt almost like a dream.”

He Cheng’an said nothing.

Not only did Zhang Hao feel it was like a dream, but He Cheng’an himself felt the same way.

Lu Yun had accepted his gift, hadn’t turned him down, and even watched a movie with him.

He had never dared to imagine any of this happening, but he hadn’t asked her about it either.

—o—o—o—

On the morning of payday at the Cotton Textile Factory, Lu Yun woke up earlier than usual.

With a ceramic toothbrush cup in hand, she brushed her teeth in the yard. Even with foam in her mouth, she would greet anyone who said hello, exchanging smiles.

Since they all lived in the same community, everyone was quite warm and friendly.

Zhang Meili commented, “You’re up early today.”

Lu Yun smiled back. “It’s payday today.”

Zhang Meili looked worried.

While she couldn’t stop her daughter from buying skirts, she felt conflicted.

Just as she turned to go back and continue making breakfast, Lu Yun called out to her.

Lu Yun said, “I’ll go buy some pork belly and cabbage to make pork and cabbage buns.”

Zhang Meili responded, “……….”

This was quite unusual indeed.

Zhang Meili had already prepared breakfast.

The congee was homemade, the pickled vegetables were from earlier in the season, and she had bought a few deep-fried dough sticks from outside the alley.

Lu Yun devoured a large bowl of congee and munched on a dough stick.

Lu Yun said, “I’m heading to work now.”

Zhang Meili replied, “Wait a minute! Your Eldest Brother just took your bicycle to go buy something. He’ll be back soon. You should wait for him to return the bicycle before you go to work.”

The Lu family owned two bicycles: one was for Zhang Meili and Lu Dong, who worked at the same factory, and the other was for Lu Yun.

As for Lu Yun’s Eldest Brother, his factory was nearby, so he didn’t need a bicycle. As Zhang Meili put it, he could walk there in just a few minutes, so there was no point in using the bicycle.

Lu Yun glanced at her watch. “I’ll just take the bus; it won’t be crowded today.”

—o—o—o—

When payday arrived at the Cotton Textile Factory, Lu Yun was particularly eager in the queue.

She received a total of seventy-three yuan, with crisp new bills neatly packed in an envelope.

She counted the money several times, not minding how long the line was, feeling energized by the anticipation of her earnings.

After work, Lu Yun stopped by the market to buy four jin of pork belly and two large cabbages to make pork and cabbage buns.

However, on her way back, she realized once again what it meant to be a delicate Female Supporting Character, as these items were quite heavy for her to carry.

It was during this moment that she was reminded that she was now the Female Supporting Character in a period novel.

Just then, He Cheng’an happened to arrive at the perfect moment. He effortlessly lifted the items Lu Yun had bought as if they weighed nothing in his large hands.

Faced with another chance encounter with He Cheng’an, Lu Yun was already so composed that she could not be more so.

He Cheng’an asked, “Are you buying anything else?”

Lu Yun replied, “No, this is enough.”

She genuinely struggled with the weight; the two cabbages were a bit heavy, and the pork belly weighed over fifteen jin altogether.

As He Cheng’an carried the items and delivered them to the entrance of the alley, Lu Yun hadn’t even spoken yet when He Cheng’an pointed toward the Lu family’s place.

He Cheng’an said, “I’ll take these to your doorstep. When you go inside, just ask your Eldest Brother or your dad to bring them in.”

Lu Yun blinked as she recalled how Chen Zhiqiang’s aunt spoke about her in the novel. She had said in front of the Female Lead that Lu Yun was delicate, unable to carry even a small load, yet expecting everything to be handled by Zhiqiang.

She had scorned, saying it was ridiculous for Zhiqiang to marry her just to be her free packhorse.

Lu Yun found it hard to believe that she couldn’t manage those things.

As she watched He Cheng’an walk ahead, she decided to follow him. When He Cheng’an turned back to look at her, he appeared momentarily stunned.

Lu Yun said, “Thank you! I’ll bring you some buns later. I’m making pork and cabbage ones, and they’re quite delicious.”

He Cheng’an cautiously asked, “The buns you made?”

Lu Yun nodded. “Yes, I made them. I’ve been reading a lot of cookbooks lately, so I wanted to give it a try. Besides, I could make pork and cabbage buns even without looking it up.”

He Cheng’an’s smile was blinding. Observing his expression, Lu Yun quickly added, “I’ll bring you ten.”

Unlike the Male Supporting Character who was left feeling unfulfilled, Lu Yun did not want to see He Cheng’an looking unhappy.

Seeing him smile made her want to keep him in good spirits.

—o—o—o—

For Lu Yun, making pork and cabbage buns was particularly easy, especially since she hadn’t cooked in a while and felt a bit eager to get back into it.

At that moment, the shared kitchen in the courtyard was still busy with everyone using it together. Since Lu Yun returned early, the kitchen was nearly empty. She washed the ingredients and prepared the dough, quickly getting to work.

Before long, as people returned from work, the delicious aroma of the buns wafted through the courtyard, prompting comments from her neighbors.

“Whose buns are those? It smells amazing!”

“This aroma is incredible!”

“Wow, these smell so delicious!”

To pack the ten buns, Lu Yun used four containers. After securing them in a mesh bag, she informed her family and headed out.

The buns didn’t need to be eaten right away; she could have them later. Although she wanted to let He Cheng’an know she was bringing him some, she felt a bit shy about making him wait while she finished her dinner first.

Zhang Meili asked, “Where are you going? It’s getting a little dark outside. If you’re delivering buns, shouldn’t you have your Eldest Brother help you?”

Lu Yun replied, “No need, I’ll ride my bicycle over. I’ll be back quickly.”

When she spotted He Cheng’an not far from the entrance of the alley, she walked over and asked, “What are you doing here?”

After speaking, she noticed the mosquito bites on the back of his hand and glanced around at the lush greenery nearby.

Unable to help herself, she smiled, then shoved the mesh bag containing the containers into He Cheng’an’s hands and turned to head back.

He Cheng’an, holding the bag, was preoccupied with the memory of Lu Yun’s smile directed at him.

He quickly caught up with her, wishing he could shout out loud but knowing he needed to keep his voice down due to the people around. He said softly, “You look really beautiful when you smile.”

Lu Yun: “…….”

After a while, she replied, “You should head back quickly; don’t just stand there and get bitten by mosquitoes!”