Chapter 63

“There are so many girls in the compound, and he doesn’t like any of them. He’s so picky. If he likes this girl, how bad could she be?”

“Besides, do you want him to marry someone like his sister-in-law? Our family would probably fall apart soon.”

“People from both above and below are watching our family. We can’t make any mistakes. Otherwise, we won’t know when we’ll be tricked.”

The old lady said, “I just don’t know where my grandson is in the countryside. Otherwise, we could send him some things.”

“And I don’t know what kind of person his wife is. Is she easy to get along with?” Old Master Xiao said, “We don’t need to worry so much. As long as our grandson likes her, that’s all that matters. Besides, with his taste, his wife must be a good person. Didn’t he say he would send photos? You’ll know what your granddaughter-in-law looks like soon enough.”

The old lady sighed, sat down, poured a cup of tea for Old Master Xiao, poured herself a cup, took a sip, and then said, “I’m just afraid she’s like my eldest son’s wife. I’ll probably die a few years earlier from anger.”

Old Master Xiao said, “Yunyou, don’t you know your grandson? His taste isn’t something just anyone can meet. Look at those families in the compound. Which of those girls wasn’t interested in him? He didn’t even give them a good look.”

While the old couple discussed their future granddaughter-in-law, Xiao Yichen hung up the phone, paid for the call, and took Xia Yunxuan to the supply and marketing cooperative.

They arrived at the clothing section. “Little girl, what do you think of these clothes? I’ll buy you a few more,” Xiao Yichen asked.

“Yichen, let me see if there’s anything I like first,” Xia Yunxuan whispered. “I don’t think they look very good.”

Xiao Yichen whispered back, “I think they’re too ugly, too ugly. They don’t suit your style, little girl.” After looking around, Xiao Yichen found a dress, a shirt, and a pair of pants that he thought were pretty good.

Xiao Yichen asked, “Little girl, what do you think of those two outfits? I’ll buy you a pair of little leather shoes to match. They’ll look really good.”

Xia Yunxuan said, “Those two outfits are okay. The others are really bad. They’re too ugly and too big, and the fabric is bad.”

Xiao Yichen still bought both outfits. They cost 45 yuan in total. He also bought a pair of little leather shoes for 20 yuan. The saleswoman’s eyes widened. Where did this rich person come from? He didn’t even blink when he spent money.

They had spent two or three months’ worth of wages in one go. Xia Yunxuan went to the men’s clothing counter and saw a white shirt and a pair of black pants that were perfect for Xiao Yichen. “Yichen, do you think you could wear this outfit? I’ll buy it for you. It’s only fair,” Xia Yunxuan whispered.

Xiao Yichen glanced at the clothes hanging there and said, “Little girl, I can wear this outfit.” Xia Yunxuan turned to the saleswoman at the counter and said, “Comrade, please take this outfit down for me to have a look.”

The saleswoman said, “Comrade, please wait a moment. Your partner is so handsome. This outfit really suits him. It’s like it was tailored for him.”

The saleswoman took the clothes down. Xia Yunxuan felt the fabric. It was pretty good. She asked, “Do you have any men’s leather shoes and belts? I want those too.”

The saleswoman was overjoyed to hear that the girl wanted to buy so much. She said, “Comrade, we have those. Come with me.”

They went to the shoe section, and there were only two or three pairs left. And there was only one pair in Xiao Yichen’s size. There was no choice but to take that pair.

The outfit, a pen, a pair of leather shoes, and a belt cost a total of 75 yuan. The saleswoman had never seen anyone spend money like this before. She was envious. She couldn’t imagine spending that much money. They had spent several years’ worth of her wages in one go.

Her family had several elderly people and children. They couldn’t even afford to eat enough, let alone fine grains. There were just too many people, and they didn’t have enough food. They could only eat coarse grains, and even then, they could only eat enough to fill their stomachs.

These two people clearly just started dating. And their clothes showed that they were rich. They looked so good, like stars who walked out of magazines.

Xiao Yichen said, “Little girl, let’s go to the snack section. I’ll buy you some food. Then let’s see if they have any women’s bicycles. If they do, I’ll buy you one. It’ll be more convenient for you to ride.”

They arrived at the snack counter, and Xiao Yichen said, “Comrade, hello. I want two pounds of chicken cake, two pounds of Great White Rabbit milk candy, one pound of osmanthus cake, one can of milk powder, and one can of malt extract.”

The saleswoman said, “Okay, comrade. Please wait a moment.” This was a big customer. She couldn’t afford to be rude. She had seen them spend a lot of money before. They were really extravagant.

The saleswoman quickly packed the items. “Comrade, hello. That’s six ounces of food coupons and 19 yuan and 80 cents. Chicken cake is one yuan per pound, Great White Rabbit is two yuan per pound, osmanthus cake is 80 cents, milk powder is 8 yuan, and malt extract is three yuan.”

Xiao Yichen took out two 10 yuan bills. The saleswoman gave him 20 cents in change and said politely, “Comrade, is there anything else you need?”

Xiao Yichen asked, “Comrade, do you sell women’s bicycles here?” The saleswoman’s eyes lit up. “Comrade, you’re in luck. We just have one left. Someone ordered it before, but they probably decided it was too expensive and didn’t want it anymore. That women’s bicycle is really beautiful. I want it, but I don’t have the money or the coupons.”

Xiao Yichen asked, “Comrade, who should we talk to if we want to buy that bicycle?” The saleswoman said, “Comrades, please wait a moment. I’ll go get our director.”

Xia Yunxuan said, “Comrade, thank you for your trouble.” The saleswoman said, “No trouble at all. It’s our job.”

The saleswoman told someone nearby to keep an eye on things and then ran to the office to find the director. A few minutes later, she came back with the director. He was a short, stout man with a receding hairline. He looked at Xiao Yichen and said, “Comrade, hello. Are you the ones who want to buy that women’s bicycle?”

Xiao Yichen said, “Director, hello. It’s me. I want to buy that women’s bicycle. How much is it?”

The director said, “It’s 150 yuan plus a bicycle coupon. Someone ordered it before, but they didn’t want it anymore. That’s why we have a women’s bicycle. Otherwise, we don’t have any in this town. Even 28-inch bicycles are rare.”

Xia Yunxuan said, “Director, can you take me to see the bike? If it’s okay, I’ll buy it. But Director, this was ordered by someone else. Will they come back and cause trouble?”