Chapter 36.2

When Liu Hechang and Lin Cuixiang left, the shop assistant noticed, but she didn’t try to stop them.

The Supply and Marketing Cooperative’s products were in high demand, especially since many people were planning weddings at the end of the year. Every day, people came inquiring about big-ticket items. If Liu Hechang and Lin Cuixiang didn’t buy, others would. In fact, there might not even be enough stock to meet demand.

“Comrade.”

Just as Qin Qingman and Wei Ling were looking at other items, the shop assistant returned with an embarrassed smile after getting approval for their purchase.

Qin Qingman noticed right away that something was wrong.

“Comrade, that…” The shop assistant hesitated, unsure of how to start.

Qin Qingman didn’t want to waste any time and asked directly, “Comrade, what’s the issue?”

Seeing Qin Qingman’s openness, the shop assistant knew there was no point in dragging it out and quickly explained, “Comrade, here’s the situation. All the bicycles we have are already reserved, and the manager has taken deposits on them. Would it be possible for you to wait a few days? As soon as the next batch arrives, I’ll notify you right away and set one aside for you.”

Qin Qingman had initially thought it might be the wristwatch that was already reserved, but it turned out to be the bicycle.

In Kaoshan Village, snow covered the ground for half the year, so even if she bought the bicycle, she’d only be able to ride it for about six months. It wasn’t really worth it; if there wasn’t one available now, she could let it go.

However, Wei Ling didn’t want Qin Qingman to be disappointed. “Qingman, I’ll have someone ask around in the provincial capital. I’ll arrange for someone to get one for you from there.”

He remembered that Zuo Gaopeng seemed to have a relative working at the provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative, so there must be a way to get one.

Qin Qingman felt touched by Wei Ling’s thoughtfulness, but she didn’t consider the bicycle a necessity. She wanted to accept his kind offer and also maintain a bit of face, so she said, “Ah Ling, let’s talk about it when we get home. For now, let’s just buy the items that are available.”

“Alright.” Wei Ling deferred to Qin Qingman entirely.

If Liu Hechang hadn’t meddled earlier, Wei Ling would not have made any decisions on the shopping.

After discussing with Wei Ling, Qin Qingman conveyed her decision to the shop assistant, “Comrade, if the bicycle isn’t available, that’s alright. We’ll come back another time.”

“Alright, please wait a moment. We’ll get everything else packed up for you.”

The shop assistant had been watching Qin Qingman and Wei Ling’s expressions all along. Getting a clear response, she felt a strong appreciation for how considerate Qin Qingman had been, making her job easier.

She directed the staff to help with the packing while also refunding Qin Qingman the money and the voucher for the bicycle purchase.

The shop assistant even counted the money several times and, only after confirming it was correct, handed it over to Qin Qingman.

“Comrade, please check it to ensure there are no mistakes.”

Qin Qingman, not wanting to appear overly generous, carefully counted the money herself. After confirming it was accurate, she put it away in her bag and said to the shop assistant, “Comrade, you’re very thorough; there’s not a single mistake. Everything has been refunded properly.”

“Good, then. Comrade, would you like to wear this watch now, or shall I pack it for you?” the shop assistant asked politely.

Typically, people who bought watches here liked to wear them right away, but the shop assistant wasn’t sure of Qin Qingman’s preference, so she decided to ask.

“Comrade, please pack it for me.” Qin Qingman replied. Though she didn’t particularly like the watch, she appreciated Wei Ling’s thoughtfulness.

“Of course, I’ll pack it right up.” Although the shop assistant found Qin Qingman’s choice unusual, she respected it completely and quickly took out a box to start packing.

The shop assistant was quite efficient; in just a few minutes, she had packed all of Qin Qingman and Wei Ling’s purchases. Since she felt it was partly the Supply and Marketing Cooperative’s fault for not having the bicycle, she even helped carry the sewing machine and radio to their Jeep.

Qin Qingman carried the watch’s package herself.

“Comrade, could you leave an address? I’ll let you know when the bicycles arrive.” the shop assistant said enthusiastically. She seemed to genuinely like Qin Qingman’s straightforward attitude. She then introduced herself, “Comrade, my name is Liu Xia. I’m from the county.”

Qin Qingman knew how high and mighty most employees of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative usually were. Generally, people would come to them with requests; it was rare for them to take the initiative to show kindness. Appreciating Liu Xia’s gesture, Qin Qingman politely left her address.

Although Liu Xia was just a salesperson, maintaining good relations with someone like her could be beneficial in many ways.

This opportunity for connection came to her, and Qin Qingman was pleased to accept it.

“What a cute child. Here, Auntie has some candy for you.” Before they parted ways, Liu Xia took out a few fruit candies from her pocket and handed them to Chuchu, affectionately patting his little cheek. He was truly adorable.

Chuchu, a little flustered, held the candy in his hands and looked at Qin Qingman. Without his sister’s permission, he didn’t dare take it.

“Comrade Qin, please take it. It’s just a few pieces of candy. My own son has had so much candy I’m worried he’ll lose his teeth! It’s nice to share a little with this young comrade and let him have something sweet.” Liu Xia said, offering an excuse for giving the candy.

With Liu Xia saying so much, Qin Qingman couldn’t refuse the gesture. After a moment of thought, she took an orange from her pocket that Wu Zheng had given her and placed it on the counter.

This orange was worth far more than the few candies Liu Xia had given Chuchu. Fresh fruit was rare in the north at this time of year; aside from pears stored in the snow or canned fruits, fresh fruit usually came from the south and was highly prized.

The value was self-evident.

Seeing the orange on the counter, not only did Liu Xia’s eyes widen, but the other shop assistants also looked on in shock and envy.

“Comrade Qin, I can’t accept something so valuable.” Liu Xia said, feeling it would be inappropriate to take it.

She really didn’t dare accept it.

Since Qin Qingman genuinely wanted to befriend Liu Xia, there was no way she would allow the gift to be returned. Gently pressing down on Liu Xia’s arm, she smiled warmly and said, “Comrade Liu Xia, this orange is for your son. Don’t turn it down on his behalf. If you do, my little brother will also feel embarrassed to accept your candy.”

“This…”

Liu Xia was at a loss for words.

“Comrade Liu Xia, please take it. Although we only met today, I feel a strong connection with you. For the sake of this connection, if you don’t accept this orange, it would mean you look down on a country girl like me.” Qin Qingman said, skillfully using her charm and eloquence. It was no wonder she had the capability to build a fortune for herself later in life.

Faced with this, Liu Xia had no reason to refuse. With a more genuine smile, she accepted Qin Qingman’s gift, silently vowing that if any good things came through the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the future, she’d make sure to let her new friend, Qin Qingman, know first.

Just like that, Qin Qingman earned Liu Xia’s genuine friendship, all with a single orange.

“Qingman, let’s go take our wedding photo.” Wei Ling suggested, feeling that the marriage certificate would be more complete with a photo of the two of them.

“Alright.” Qin Qingman agreed, eager to capture a precious memory from this era.

But just as they were about to leave the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Lin Cuixiang suddenly appeared from where she’d been hiding, nearly getting kicked several feet away by Wei Ling, who only managed to stop himself at the last second.

The abrupt appearance of Lin Cuixiang darkened the expressions of Qin Qingman and her family.

Lin Cuixiang herself looked unsettled. She was frightened by the intimidating aura Wei Ling emitted. In his past life, Wei Ling had been a general on the battlefield. He wasn’t one to take lives indiscriminately, but a fair number of enemies had fallen by his hand, and he naturally radiated an imposing aura that could be quite terrifying. When Lin Cuixiang had darted out, the menace Wei Ling normally concealed erupted in an instant, leaving her pale as a ghost, her legs trembling.

For a moment, Qin Qingman felt a flicker of sympathy as she looked at Lin Cuixiang’s ghostly pale face.

Then, she held up a finger and said calmly, “Double the price.”

Qin Qingman’s words snapped Lin Cuixiang out of her daze, prompting her to exclaim, “Are you robbing me?”

“Take it or leave it.” Qin Qingman replied confidently.

“I… I don’t have the final say.” Lin Cuixiang stammered, instinctively stepping further away from Wei Ling. Yet her desire for the watch made her try to negotiate with Qin Qingman, “Comrade, I’ll add thirty yuan. Would that be acceptable?”

Thirty yuan could buy a lot in the countryside; it was by no means a small amount.

Qin Qingman cast a sidelong glance at Lin Cuixiang. “Do you think I’m the kind of person who’d care about a mere thirty yuan?”

Lin Cuixiang fell silent. Judging by Qin Qingman’s simple clothing, she might have thought thirty yuan was a decent offer. But after recalling the cash and tickets Qin Qingman had casually pulled out at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, she started to feel like offering only thirty yuan was almost an insult.

“Step aside, Comrade. We’re on a tight schedule, so we won’t be staying long.”

Qin Qingman moved to bypass Lin Cuixiang.

Wei Ling, holding Chuchu, had been listening intently. By now, he fully understood the situation. He had sensed from the beginning that Qin Qingman wasn’t particularly interested in the watch, especially one that had been tried on by numerous people. So he was entirely fine with however she chose to handle it.

“Comrade… please, don’t leave. Don’t go.” Lin Cuixiang hurriedly called out, reaching out to grab Qin Qingman, only to freeze as Wei Ling’s cold gaze met hers. Trembling, she raised her offer again. “Comrade, I’ll go up—fifty, fifty yuan. I really can’t offer more than that.”

“Double it. Not a cent less, or I’m not selling.” Qin Qingman said firmly.

She was still annoyed by Liu Hechang’s earlier interference at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. If it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t have bought the watch in the first place.

In the cold of winter, Lin Cuixiang started to break out in a sweat at the price Qin Qingman was asking. She was just about to start pleading her case when Qin Qingman beat her to it.

“Comrade.” Qin Qingman said, “let me be clear. I don’t have any personal grudges against you. Originally, I intended to let you have the watch when you first asked for it. But your man—he was simply too…” She let her voice trail off mid-sentence.

Leaving the remark unfinished was a deliberate tactic.

Lin Cuixiang immediately recalled all the embarrassing things Liu Hechang had done to humiliate Wei Ling, and her face flushed with shame. Now, she felt that not compensating Qin Qingman properly would indeed be wrong.

“Comrade, why take on the worries of a household you don’t even control?” Qin Qingman continued. “It’s not your burden to bear. If your man were really worth his salt, he’d have bought that watch proudly and married you with dignity. Instead, he’s too stingy even to buy you a watch.” Qin Qingman wanted nothing more than to make Liu Hechang pay dearly.

Hearing this, Lin Cuixiang couldn’t help but think of her previous marriage. Her life back then had been marked by poverty, lack of food, and a lack of respect from her in-laws. And after her husband passed away, she’d been treated poorly because she only had a daughter. If it hadn’t been for her difficult situation, she’d never have considered a man like Liu Hechang.

But living with someone like Liu Hechang was akin to negotiating with a tiger.

Saving money, no matter how much, had nothing to do with her—after marriage, Liu Hechang would never let her manage the household finances anyway.

“Comrade, I’ll only double the money. As for how much you can actually get, that’s up to your skill.” Qin Qingman planted a seed in Lin Cuixiang’s mind.

In the original storyline, Liu Hechang was stingy and abusive toward the original heroine. Even though this life had changed with her arrival, Qin Qingman couldn’t shake off her resentment toward Liu Hechang, especially when she thought of the original heroine’s suffering.

Qin Qingman’s words successfully tempted Lin Cuixiang.

Lin Cuixiang began to think it over.

The fact that she could persuade Liu Hechang to buy her a watch suggested she understood his temperament to some extent. Rather than looking at all that Liu family money without being able to use it, it was better to plan ahead for herself. She figured she’d better seize an opportunity while Liu Hechang still had some interest in her, or else if he grew tired of her, it would be nearly impossible to squeeze even a single coin from him.

Licking her dry lips, Lin Cuixiang was swayed. “Comrade, I’ll come find you in a bit.”

Qin Qingman smiled. “Half an hour later, right here. I won’t wait too long; if you don’t show up, I’m leaving.”

“It’s a deal.” Lin Cuixiang bit her lip and ran off.

Watching Lin Cuixiang’s figure disappear into the distance, Qin Qingman turned to Wei Ling. She felt a bit uneasy—after all, the watch was Wei Ling’s gift to her, and here she was, selling it in front of him, even doubling the price. It could be seen as a direct insult to the gift-giver.

“I understand.” Wei Ling spoke up before Qin Qingman could.

Sensing her concern, he reassured her, saying, “Once a gift is given, it’s yours to handle. I don’t mind.” After all, it wasn’t a personally crafted gift; to him, the watch didn’t hold particular sentimental value.

Qin Qingman hadn’t expected Wei Ling to respond in such a way.

She found it hard to understand Wei Ling’s thought process.

How could anyone not care about a gift they’d given? A gift represents one’s sentiment, and seeing that sentiment trampled on would surely offend any giver. If they were the straightforward type, this might even lead to a falling out.

Unable to make sense of it, Qin Qingman simply voiced her confusion.

After listening, Wei Ling finally understood her worry.

As the heir of a noble family, in his previous life, whenever he gave gifts, he merely instructed the butler to prepare them. After that, he’d only review the gift list—it had never been necessary for him to personally select a present, so he simply didn’t share the same sentiment that Qin Qingman did.

Now he wondered if it was too late to express his feelings properly.

Qin Qingman also knew she hadn’t handled things well; she had made a decision without consulting Wei Ling first.

But she truly detested Liu Hechang.

Thinking about the original heroine’s fate, she felt a sense of fragmentation. She always had the feeling that her connection to the original heroine was more than just a story crossing over. Perhaps, there had always been some sort of link between them.

“Ah Ling, I’m sorry.” Qin Qingman’s mood suddenly sank.

She didn’t actually care how much the watch had been sold for, but she just wanted to make Liu Hechang uncomfortable.

“I understand, Qingman. Don’t blame yourself. I really don’t mind. I can tell that you didn’t like the watch. If you didn’t like something, I would never force you to keep it. In fact, I’m grateful that you defended me in front of others. Otherwise, you could have refused to buy the watch from the start, instead of worrying about my feelings and agreeing to purchase it.” Wei Ling said, taking Qin Qingman’s hand and looking at her with sincere eyes.

Seeing Wei Ling like this, Qin Qingman finally let out a sigh of relief, feeling deeply thankful for his understanding.

With a husband like him, she felt it was all worth it.

“Ah Ling, it’s so wonderful to be able to marry you.” Qin Qingman smiled brightly at Wei Ling.

Wei Ling’s earlobes turned a little red at Qin Qingman’s words. “Qingman, being able to marry you is the greatest blessing of my life.”

Such direct words made both of them blush a little.

Chuchu, who had been standing nearby, had already covered his eyes with his hands. Although his sister and brother-in-law hadn’t done anything inappropriate, he felt like he had heard something he wasn’t supposed to.

Seeing Chuchu acting this way, Qin Qingman reached out and tickled the child’s ribs.

Though Chuchu was well protected by thick cotton clothes, he wasn’t really tickled hard, yet he still burst out laughing.

As soon as Chuchu laughed, the atmosphere between Qin Qingman and Wei Ling returned to normal.

Since she had made an appointment with Lin Cuixiang, Qin Qingman didn’t waste any time and had Xiao Shi drive them to the photography studio.

In this era, material life was still scarce, and ordinary people didn’t have many spiritual demands. The photography studio was usually only busy with families that had some wealth or couples preparing to get married. Otherwise, it was quite empty.

When Qin Qingman and the others arrived at the photography studio, there was no one else inside.

They didn’t take many photos—just two black-and-white pictures. One was a portrait of Qin Qingman and Wei Ling together, meant to be placed in their marriage certificate, and the other was a family photo that included all three of them.

After taking the photos and paying, they were told to wait three days for the prints to be ready.

The road between Kaoshan Village and Baicheng wasn’t easy to travel, so Qin Qingman and the others decided not to return in three days. Instead, they asked the photographer to mail the photos to Hongqi Town.

It was much closer to the town from Kaoshan Village, making it more convenient for them to pick up the photos.

The photographer carefully noted down Qin Qingman’s address and promised to mail the photos as soon as they were ready.

With that important matter settled, Qin Qingman and the others had completed their goal in the county.

Wei Ling glanced at the sky and said, “Qingman, it’s getting late. Let’s go to the State-Owned Restaurant and see what’s good to eat.”

Qin Qingman had originally planned to say she wasn’t hungry, but remembering Wei Ling’s appetite, she silently nodded in agreement.

Chuchu, even more direct, stretched out his hand to pat his stomach.

They had eaten breakfast early, and by now, they were indeed getting a little hungry.

The State-Owned Restaurant was right next to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, so it didn’t interfere with Qin Qingman’s transaction with Lin Cuixiang. They ordered four bowls of noodles, and before the noodles arrived, Qin Qingman ran outside to complete her deal with Lin Cuixiang.

In just over an hour, Qin Qingman had earned a net profit of 126 yuan.

With the money and the watch ticket in hand, Qin Qingman happily returned to the State-Owned Restaurant, where the three of them sat down to a meal of noodles that was filled with complaints.

The noodles were terribly overpriced and very unpleasant to eat.

The lard in the noodles had a bit of a rancid smell, the pork slices were thin and sparse, there were just a few bean sprouts and a little bit of green onions—compared to Qin Qingman’s cooking, it was leagues behind.

Frowning, the three of them barely managed to finish their meal.

As for Xiao Shi, it was his first time dining at a county-level State-Owned Restaurant, and he thought the food was quite good—at least better than what the cooks at the military canteen prepared.

After hearing Xiao Shi’s comment, Qin Qingman and her brother exchanged sympathetic glances at Wei Ling.

Wei Ling: … Actually, the food at their military canteen wasn’t that bad; Xiao Shi was just exaggerating.

But for the sake of his own comfort, he chose not to explain.

On the way back, they passed by the train station.

Although Baicheng wasn’t very large, transportation was quite convenient with direct trains.

Initially, their vehicle would have just passed by the station, but the sounds from outside caught Qin Qingman’s attention.

Chuchu had never been on a train, and his eyes were glued to the train station outside the window.

Not far from the train station entrance, a young woman was being pulled and restrained by several people, preventing her from leaving. After watching for a few seconds, Qin Qingman suddenly said, “Stop the car.”

Xiao Shi, being a soldier, was used to following orders without question.

The jeep screeched to a stop, and Qin Qingman opened the car door and rushed out.