Chapter 5

He Cheng’an hung the net bag containing the buns on the handlebars of his bicycle, gripping it tightly with one hand.

He rode slowly, and finally when he was about to reach the alley where he lived, he began to speed up, looking high-spirited, with an undisguised smile on his face.

After parking his bicycle in the yard, he placed the net bag on the stone table inside and turned on the faucet to wash his hands.

Only then did he sit down and begin to take out the buns one by one.

The fluffy, plump buns looked more appetizing than any He Cheng’an had eaten before.

After grabbing one, he took a big bite.

Zhang Hao knocked on the door and entered, saying, “Brother He, I brought you some food.”

He Cheng’an lived in a standalone courtyard, and Zhang Hao often liked to come over. There was a spare room, and sometimes he would stay there to rest. He frequently brought food to He Cheng’an as well.

The aroma of the buns was irresistible, prompting Zhang Hao to lean closer. Before he could even touch them, He Cheng’an moved the lunchbox aside. “You eat yours; these are from Lu Yun.”

“………”

Zhang Hao counted them—there were exactly ten buns!

Does Brother He plan to eat until he was stuffed?

With a playful grin, Zhang Hao said, “I wish you two a hundred years of harmony together. Just give me one.”

Using his charm, Zhang Hao successfully managed to get a pork and cabbage bun that Lu Yun had made from He Cheng’an.

As he took a bite, Zhang Hao seemed incredulous, finishing one bun in just two or three bites.

These were delicious beyond belief.

Zhang Hao exclaimed, “Brother He, I see that your persistence has paid off. Look at Sister-in-law; she even brought you buns, and she made them herself. I…”

He Cheng’an wanted to mention that none of his girlfriends had ever brought him buns, but then he realized he was being foolish.

He hadn’t thought things through and quickly decided not to continue.

It was indeed not Zhang Hao’s fault; he simply recalled that Chen Zhiqiang was away on a business trip, which led him to assume that Lu Yun was treating He Cheng’an well because of that. After speaking without thinking, he felt something was off.

Under the bright moon and sparse stars, He Cheng’an washed the lunchboxes in the yard, his long fingers a bit rough as he meticulously scrubbed each one.

Finally, he dried them all with a cloth, putting them away carefully.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, in the Lu family.

Lu Yun lay beneath a pink lace mosquito net, fanning herself with a hand fan. Zhang Meili sat beside her, mending clothes under the light.

In the course of their conversation, one of her questions would surely be about the buns Lu Yun had made and who they were for.

Zhang Meili said: “The buns you made today are truly delicious! They’re even better than the ones I had when I was younger at the State-Owned Restaurant in the provincial capital. I can’t get enough of them. By the way, I saw you took four lunchboxes out today. Who did you give the buns to?”

She lowered her head to continue her work. “This mosquito net is quite pretty.”

After a while, Zhang Meili added, “By the way, I heard that Chen Zhiqiang from your Cotton Textile Factory has returned from his business trip?”

Lu Yun remained silent.

She couldn’t help but smile at Zhang Meili’s enthusiasm, and when she looked up, she saw Zhang Dong pacing outside, though she worried they wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight.

Lu Yun said. “Don’t ask; they’re not for Chen Zhiqiang. You should head back to sleep.”

—o—o—o—

The next day, He Cheng’an returned the lunchboxes to Lu Yun.

Even though Lu Yun saw the shiny lunchboxes and instinctively touched them—she thought He Cheng’an had lost the old ones and bought her new ones in return.

However, upon noticing the scratches on the lunchboxes, Lu Yun quickly dismissed that idea.

She even wondered how she had washed them for so long without achieving that level of cleanliness. Maybe it was because her strength was a bit lacking.

Lu Yun felt a little troubled; her reduced strength made cooking quite a challenge, as there were many things she couldn’t handle well. She clutched the lunchboxes and walked forward.

It wasn’t just a matter of strength. In novels, the female supporting characters were often depicted as delicate, insisting on eating fine white rice, or they wouldn’t be able to eat at all. They required quality fabrics for their clothes; otherwise, they would feel itchy and break out in rashes.

Moreover, Lu Yun’s voice had a certain softness to it. When she spoke normally, it had a gentle quality, not a deliberately sweet tone, but rather a soft and clean sound that resonated with a certain brightness before her transmigration.

He Cheng’an quickly caught up with her, taking several large strides. “Are you unhappy?”

Lu Yun shook her head. “No.”

He Cheng’an pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

He could tell Lu Yun was upset and continued following her.

They walked for what felt like a long time until, suddenly, He Cheng’an stepped in front of her. He held out a small golden fish made of glass thread. The fish was yellow, shimmering in the sunlight, but a closer look revealed that it had been crafted many years ago.

He Cheng’an had no idea how he came to carry such an item, but it was indeed beautiful. He held the string attached to it and softly said, “Little fish, swim, swim over to her, and tell her to be happy.”

Lu Yun paused for a moment, staring at He Cheng’an before continuing to walk ahead.

He followed her closely, and they walked side by side along the lively street.

Eventually, He Cheng’an pressed the fish to Lu Yun’s hands, hoping to cheer her up.

—o—o—o—

As the days passed, Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching. The weather had become a bit cooler, unlike the previous days when Lu Yun sometimes woke up in the heat while sleeping.

At the Cotton Textile Factory, where she held a secure job, they distributed benefits, including mooncakes and apples.

However, the only mooncake flavor available was the mixed nut variety, which was normal for this time of year. Not many flavors were offered during the festival; most people typically consumed the mixed nut and red bean paste fillings, both of which Lu Yun enjoyed.

The essence of the Mid-Autumn Festival lay in the feeling of reunion.

The Lu family consisted of four employees, and the factory provided Mid-Autumn Festival benefits. While the total number of mooncakes wasn’t excessively high, it was still quite a decent amount.

Since mooncakes didn’t taste good after being stored for too long, Lu’s father bought some additional items and sent a portion of the mooncakes to their relatives in the countryside. He also gave some to Lu Yun to take to Li Ling’s home.

Although Zhang Meili seemed reluctant, she didn’t say much. She looked at Lu Yun with a knowing expression, suggesting, “In the future, when looking for a partner, you can’t just consider the person; you also need to understand their family background.”

Lu Dong, feeling guilty, quickly accompanied Lu Yun’s older brother, Lu Xiang’an, to work.

Lu Yun caught on to some of the implications and felt a bit uneasy herself.

The original text mentioned how the female supporting character had gone to great lengths to marry Chen Zhiqiang, even causing some upheaval in the Lu family.

Though it didn’t specify how the female supporting character managed to get the Lu family’s consent, it was clear from Zhang Meili’s words that it must have been quite chaotic. Even now, Zhang Meili likely looked at her with disfavor.

Carrying the mooncakes, Lu Yun hurried to find Li Ling to deliver the treats.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun noticed that the festive atmosphere during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 1980s was particularly vibrant.

Everyone was busy discussing what to eat for the festival. When she arrived at Li Ling’s home, the family was passionately debating what filling to use for the dumplings.

Li Ling exclaimed with surprise, “Cousin, you’re here! Come in and don’t listen to their arguing. If you ask me, we should just make two types of dumpling filling—one for each kind—and then make some spare ribs.”

As she spoke, Li Ling nearly drooled at the thought of spare ribs, as she couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten them.

Li Ling’s mother, seeing the mooncakes Lu Yun had brought, smiled and said, “I also prepared some mooncakes for you. I was planning to send them over tomorrow, along with some bananas.”

After saying this, she continued, “You two should hurry inside and play; it’s too hot outside. I’ll wash some fruit for you.”

Li Ling linked arms with Lu Yun and pulled her inside. She asked, “Cousin, are you going to be the host for the Mid-Autumn Festival gala at your factory again? If you are, I won’t watch our factory’s gala; I’ll go to yours just like last time.”

Lu Yun had heard the people in the office mention the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival gala a few days ago, but she hadn’t realized that she was the host of the last gala.

Before her transmigration, she had been a host at school events, and her only feeling after the whole experience had been exhaustion.

After that, she didn’t take on hosting duties again; at most, she would get on stage to sing a song, which she considered participating.

Now, upon hearing Li Ling’s words, her only thought was that this time, she definitely wouldn’t be hosting. At most, she would just sing a song.

Li Ling leaned closer to Lu Yun and whispered, “Last year, you hosted the gala at the Cotton Textile Factory, and a lot of people went to see you. I know several from other factories who skipped their own galas to watch you.”

It was a pity that later on, Lu Yun’s high-profile pursuit of Chen Zhiqiang had made those admirers lose interest; otherwise, she might have had quite a few suitors now. After all, Lu Yun was known as the “Changhua” of the Cotton Textile Factory, and she was genuinely beautiful.

Li Ling’s mother, who had just come over with some fruit, chimed in, “That’s true! Quite a few from our factory went to watch you host. When I saw them, I thought they weren’t even that good-looking. If they pursued you, you shouldn’t agree!”

Lu Yun couldn’t help but laugh, while Li Ling looked on in exasperation.

“Mom, your hearing is too good! We’re going back inside now.” Li Ling said, balancing the fruit with one hand while linking her arm with Lu Yun’s with the other.

Li Ling’s room wasn’t large, and she envied Lu Yun for having a place with a bathroom. She had to go to a public bathhouse to shower. However, her room had particularly large windows that let in plenty of sunlight.

The two of them chatted about their respective boyfriends who were discussing marriage, the latest popular dresses, and various wedding matters, talking nonstop until it was dark.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun finally decided to leave, the food at the Li family was ready, and they insisted on keeping Lu Yun for dinner.

It was well-known that Lu Yun was quite delicate. At Li Ling’s home, they served plain congee and made steamed buns from refined flour.

On her way back, Li Ling’s younger brother accompanied Lu Yun all the way to the gate of her alley, carrying the mooncakes and bananas she had received from the Li family.

When Zhang Meili saw them, she greeted them warmly, and Lu Yun hurried inside to take a shower.

Feeling refreshed, Lu Yun came out to find Zhang Meili still asking Li Yong questions, who appeared to be attentively listening, giving off an air of innocence.

Lu Yun thought to herself, “…….”

—o—o—o—

The next morning, Lu Yun arrived at the Cotton Textile Factory to start her workday. Before she even entered the office, she heard chatter inside about the Mid-Autumn Festival gala.

Sister Sun, spotting Lu Yun, laughed and said, “You’re hosting the gala again this time, right?”

Lu Yun quickly replied, “My little cousin is getting married, and I’m busy helping out since we’re close. So, I won’t be hosting this time. Besides, there are plenty of capable people in our factory who want to take a turn at hosting. I did it once last year, so let them have a chance to practice this time. Don’t you think so?”

She really didn’t want to take on the hosting role again; it was too tiring. As for seeking the spotlight, Lu Yun had no interest.

After all, any slight interaction between her and Chen Zhiqiang would likely become the topic of gossip at the Cotton Textile Factory.

Just then, the deputy director happened to be outside and overheard. He walked in with a smile, saying, “Look at that! Lu Yun’s reasoning is spot on. Since you don’t want to host, how about singing a song at the gala instead?”

Lu Yun smiled back, “Sure.”

Singing was certainly much easier than hosting.

After the initial discussions about the Mid-Autumn Festival gala wrapped up, the office conversation shifted to other topics, as everyone was relatively unbusy that day.

Lu Yun sat down at her desk and organized her workspace before starting to relax a bit.