Chapter 7

Seeing Lu Baiwei and He Ting eating baozi together, the girl noticed the surprised smile on He Ting’s face as he looked at her, and she froze.

With an unhappy expression, she asked He Ting, “Who is this? Another one of your fellow youth workers from the same team?”

He Ting seemed disinterested in responding to her, but when he met Lu Baiwei’s inquiring gaze, he still answered the girl in the Bragi dress.

“She’s not from the team, she’s my wife.”

Looking at their clothes, Lu Baiwei guessed that the two girls were also youth workers. After all, in their area, no one wore such fashionable fabrics as the ones the two girls had on.

As expected, after He Ting finished speaking, he introduced the girl to Lu Baiwei. “This is Liu Cuifang. Before going to the countryside, she lived in the same compound as me. She’s a youth worker in the neighboring Hongqi brigade.”

When He Ting was introducing her, the girl in the Bragi dress froze. First, disbelief flashed in her eyes, and then her expression slowly turned angry.

“He Ting, what did you just say?”

“You’re married?”

Liu Cuifang glared fiercely at Lu Baiwei. “How could you marry her in the countryside? What about Shishi?”

“Do you know how heartbroken Shishi was when you randomly signed up to go to the countryside? She’s still waiting for you to return to the capital, and here you are, getting married in the countryside?”

“How could you do this to Shishi?”

“You married some country girl—how is she even close to being like Shishi…”

Liu Cuifang was furious, nearly pointing her finger in Lu Baiwei’s face.

At first, He Ting had been focused on eating the meat baozi, too lazy to pay attention to her. But when she got too personal with Lu Baiwei, he couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

As Liu Cuifang raised her hand to point at Lu Baiwei, He Ting’s face turned dark in an instant, his aura turning intimidating. “My wife doesn’t need to be compared to anyone.”

“Liu Cuifang, if you dare point at my wife, watch out. I’ll break your hand.”

He Ting quickly wrapped up the remaining baozi, grabbed Lu Baiwei’s hand, and stood up. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative. Don’t mind this crazy woman.”

“He Ting, don’t go…” Liu Cuifang’s voice followed them.

As they walked out of the state-run restaurant towards the supply and marketing cooperative, He Ting explained to Lu Baiwei, “I have no relationship with Feng Shishi. She’s like Liu Cuifang, someone who grew up in the same compound. No one would play with Feng Shishi, so she kept following me around like a little tail.”

Lu Baiwei understood. A man like He Ting, even if he did nothing, would still attract attention. After all, he had those peach blossom eyes that could make anyone fall for him.

As long as he wasn’t scowling, it was hard for anyone to resist the allure of his gaze.

As long as he wasn’t always wearing a stern face, his gaze was hard to resist.

Take her for example—before they registered their marriage, she thought this man was unapproachable, someone not to be trifled with. But from yesterday when he gave her the betrothal gifts to today when they registered their marriage and spent time together, she had somehow almost gotten lost in it all.

A man with a face like his, telling her he would be responsible for her for life… it was hard to resist, wasn’t it?

But life doesn’t let you get something for nothing!

If you’re going to be captivated by the man’s looks, you have to be prepared for the trouble caused by his unintended romantic entanglements.

Lu Baiwei didn’t take it too seriously and teased him, “I see, a childhood sweetheart from the same compound.”

He Ting: “…”

The first thing He Ting and Lu Baiwei did when they arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative was buy wedding candy.

He Ting took out his money and coupons, asking the attendant for several pounds of Big White Rabbit milk candy.

Milk candy wasn’t cheap, and Lu Baiwei’s eyes widened at the price.

Thinking about the trouble the He family would soon face, and knowing that she would have to help He Ting raise nieces and nephews, Lu Baiwei felt that after their marriage, she would have to help him manage finances carefully.

Otherwise, when the money and supplies from the capital didn’t arrive, and this young master was used to spending lavishly, life would become difficult for them.

With Lu Baiwei’s emotional intelligence, she didn’t stop He Ting.

Instead, she tugged on his sleeve and said, “He Ting, I love fruit-flavored hard candy.”

Who doesn’t love milk candy?

The youth workers in their compound all loved Big White Rabbit milk candy.

He Ting changed his mind and told the attendant, “Then let’s have three pounds of Big White Rabbit milk candy and three pounds of fruit-flavored hard candy.”

“Do you like peach crisps and snow dates?”

He Ting asked Lu Baiwei.

How could she not like them?

But living frugally was important!

Lu Baiwei didn’t want to discourage him, so she said, “Let’s buy a little, and also pick up some peanuts and sunflower seeds. When we have the wedding, we’ll need to prepare food. If we don’t hold a banquet, we’ll need to bring something when we visit your uncle and aunt.”

As for the land and house-building matter with the village party secretary and team leader, Lu Baiwei was worried that this young master would casually buy expensive cigarettes and liquor like Mao Tai. So, she quickly spoke up.

“He Ting, the team leader loves Erguotou liquor, and the party secretary’s favorite cigarettes are Hongta Mountain.”

Speaking of which, the team leader, Tang Jinghe, was actually Lu Baiwei’s maternal uncle.

He Ting believed her!

He Ting believed her!

As for how Lu Baiwei knew that the Party Secretary liked to smoke Hongta Mountain cigarettes, it was because Secretary Liu had once shown off the Hongta Mountain cigarettes his son had given him. Additionally, since Lu Baiwei’s maternal uncle was close to Secretary Liu, it was natural that she knew which brand of cigarettes the Secretary liked.

He Ting immediately had the attendant bring four bottles of liquor and four packs of Hongta Mountain cigarettes.

After leading Lu Baiwei to the fabric counter, He Ting set his sights on the best material, the same kind of floral fabric worn by the youth worker who had been with Liu Cuifang earlier.

The attendant, full of enthusiasm, said, “Comrade, you really have a good eye. This fabric is rare, imported from Haicheng. It’s popular in the provincial capital! Only the youth workers who come to the countryside have the means to ask for this fabric. That’s why our cooperative only brought in a few bolts.”

“The price is a bit high, but it looks great once worn!”

He Ting immediately stated, “Get enough fabric to make two outfits.”

“One outfit is enough, one outfit is enough. Just get a little of this fabric to make clothes for when you’re not working. For everyday work in the fields, we still need plain gray-blue cotton fabric. It’s more durable, won’t get dirty, and won’t tear easily.”

Who doesn’t love beauty?

The rich young master was generous, and Lu Baiwei liked it too.

If she didn’t know that trouble was soon coming to the He family and that she and He Ting would have to live more frugally, Lu Baiwei wouldn’t have been so focused on saving money, all while trying to keep it hidden from He Ting.

But when it came to making clothes for her wedding, He Ting didn’t listen to her this time.

“Get enough fabric for two outfits for my wife, and get one more bolt of plain fabric.”

“Ah, comrade, you really take care of your wife.”

The attendant, rolling up the fabric, enthusiastically told Lu Baiwei, “Your husband is handsome, and he’s so generous with you. Sister, you really married well.”

Lu Baiwei: “…”

After walking around the cooperative, Lu Baiwei kept trying to find ways to stop the young master from spending so much money, trying to make him save a little.

But the young master insisted that weddings couldn’t be skimped on, and with his extravagant style, he wanted to buy this and that.

Lu Baiwei felt a headache coming on.

As expected, good-looking boys aren’t easy to manage.

Just earlier at the state-run restaurant, this guy had eaten six large meat buns in one sitting.

As if his eating habits weren’t enough, he also spent money like it was nothing.

Lu Baiwei remembered that in her past life, not long after Lu Jiaojiao married He Ting, his nieces and nephews were sent to the Xiangyang brigade.

It seemed that if she wanted to take care of this young master, she would have to start making money quickly. Otherwise, with more expenses than income, they wouldn’t be able to live comfortably—forget about living a good life, they might just be drinking the northwest wind.