Chapter 22

Shen Yiyi said: “If you want to continue working with me, you need to give me an address where I can find you. I remember that on the left side of the supply and marketing cooperative, there’s a wall with a missing brick at about two meters high. If you want the goods, just place a brick there. When I see it, I will come to find you.”

After thinking for a moment, she added: “If you need a larger quantity, I can give you a better price. The specific price will depend on how much you want.”

Zhou Fengshou was eager for the deal and quickly gave her an address.

Shen Yiyi memorized it, and before leaving, she warned him: “Don’t even think about following me. If I catch you, you can forget about getting even a single watch from me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fengshou hurriedly assured her of his loyalty, promising that he would never have any ill intentions.

With that, Shen Yiyi left.

It was her first time entering the Black Market, and she had exited smoothly.

Perhaps it was because of the space she had—if she was discovered, she could simply hide inside it. That was why she walked with confidence, without a trace of guilt or fear.

Zhou Fengshou kept his word and did not try to follow her, which slightly improved her impression of him.

As soon as she got out, she found a secluded place to change her clothes. Once she was done, she prepared to head home.

Looking at the sky, she estimated that by the time she reached home, Li Chen would have already finished work. That meant there wouldn’t be enough time to cook.

So, she went to a state-owned restaurant and bought fifteen meat buns and five steamed buns before rushing home.

Just as she reached the entrance to the road leading back to Qingshui Village, she was surprised to see Uncle Niu’s ox cart parked by the roadside.

Could he be waiting for her?

Regardless of whether he was or not, it seemed that she had a ride back.

Earlier, for convenience, she had only carried an empty basket on her back. Everything else was stored inside her space, with the plan to take them out once she was closer to the village.

This wouldn’t do. She found a secluded alleyway and took out the package Mom Shen had given her. When she looked inside her space, she was surprised to find children’s clothes. She grabbed a few pieces.

She originally wanted to see if there was anything Li Chen could wear, but there wasn’t. Instead, she took out a few bolts of fabric and some wool.

Then, she retrieved a thermos, ten eggs, a jar of malted milk, two pig trotters, a large bone, and a can of oil from her space, stuffing everything into her basket.

That should be enough. Only then did she walk toward Uncle Niu. When she asked, she was surprised to learn that he had actually been waiting for her!

Shen Yiyi was a little flattered. “Uncle Niu, I thought you had already gone back, so I wandered around a bit longer.”

“I just got back from seeing the leader. I figured you might not have returned yet, so I decided to wait for a bit. If you hadn’t shown up soon, I would’ve left.” Uncle Niu said cheerfully. “That’s a lot of stuff you’re carrying. Hop on the cart quickly. Good thing I waited for you.”

“Alright!” Shen Yiyi responded happily, carrying her things onto the cart.

She knew that Uncle Niu’s kindness was genuine, but not too deep. After all, she hadn’t been close with the villagers before. Uncle Niu had no real obligation to wait for her.

However, if he went back now, he likely wouldn’t make it in time to transport grain. Running into her meant he could at least earn five cents from her.

Even so, Shen Yiyi still appreciated the gesture. She took out a meat bun from her basket and handed it to Uncle Niu. “Uncle Niu, have a meat bun?”

Uncle Niu was caught off guard. “That’s too generous, Da Bao’s Mom. You should take it back for Da Bao and the others.”

“Uncle Niu, it’s not for free.” Shen Yiyi said with a smile. “I’ve got too much stuff and was hoping you could help me bring it to my doorstep when we get to the village.”

Only then did Uncle Niu accept the request, but no matter what, he refused to take the five cents. Shen Yiyi didn’t force the issue.

When they arrived home, Shen Yiyi jumped off the ox cart and went to open the door. Sure enough, she saw that Li Chen had already returned. He was washing rice, preparing to cook. 

Shen Yiyi called him over to help carry the things inside.

“This afternoon, we’re not cooking. I bought buns!” Shen Yiyi patted the bulging oil-paper bag, her tone full of excitement.  

Li Chen was in the middle of unloading her packages and the basket from the ox cart. Hearing this, he glanced at her with a slight smile. “Mm.”  

He hoisted everything onto his shoulder and carried it inside.  

Shen Yiyi followed behind him, smiling as she bid Uncle Niu farewell.  

Uncle Niu watched them with a grin.

Who said Li Chen and his wife didn’t get along? From what he could see, they seemed pretty good together!  

Back home, Shen Yiyi began unpacking the things from her basket, chatting as she did. “Besides what my Mom sent me, I also bought quite a bit—eggs, malted milk, a can of oil, two pig trotters, and a large bone…”  

As she spoke, she suddenly paused and looked up at Li Chen.  

Li Chen had been listening patiently, the corners of his lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Seeing her glance at him, he raised an eyebrow slightly. “What is it?”  

“You…” Shen Yiyi hesitated for a moment. “Do you think I’m being wasteful?”  

This world was once just a novel. Although there were some differences from reality, its setting was based on the real-life hardships of the 1970s.  

In these difficult times, even getting enough food was a struggle for rural people, let alone shopping as extravagantly as she had.  

Li Chen was the Main Villain in the story. His character was written to have more foresight than the average person, but he was still a product of this era.  

Li Chen paused. From his perspective, her way of living was indeed a bit extravagant.  

But wasn’t she originally a well-off city girl?  

From the day he married her, he had already decided that he would do his best to give her a good life.

It was just that, in the past, she had refused to take his money, despised him, and was focused solely on getting a divorce.  

Now, though he wasn’t sure if it was real or not, she was willing to accept him and even ask for his opinion.

He was overjoyed!  

Even if she was wasteful—he was more than happy to indulge her!

At the end of the day, as long as he had the means to support her “extravagance.” that was all that mattered!  

“I don’t think so.” Li Chen said. “You can buy whatever you want.”  

Shen Yiyi let out a relieved sigh. “Brother Chen, don’t worry. I have my own money. Before I came to the countryside, my parents gave me a lot, and they send me more every month. It’s more than enough for us to…”  

As soon as the words left her mouth, something felt off.  

Wait a minute—wasn’t she basically implying that he should just rely on her financially?  

Realizing her blunder, Shen Yiyi felt a little awkward.  

She knew what kind of person Li Chen was. He had a bit of a traditional, macho mindset, and he definitely wouldn’t be comfortable hearing something like this.  

Sure enough, Li Chen seemed to pick up on her meaning, but his expression remained unchanged. Without a word, he turned and walked into the house.  

Shen Yiyi’s heart skipped a beat.

Was he actually angry?  

But before she could overthink it, Li Chen came back out—not empty-handed, but holding… money.  

Then, without hesitation, he shoved it into her hands.  

Shen Yiyi stared at him, wide-eyed in shock.  

Li Chen spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “We’re married now. It’s not right to always use your parents’ money. Here, I have 200 yuan in total. Spend it however you like. If you run out, just tell me—I’ll figure something out.”  

Shen Yiyi was touched, but at the same time, she felt like she was holding a hot potato. “You—where did you get so much money?”  

This morning, he had already given her 50 yuan, and now he was handing her another 200… Wasn’t he just an ordinary rural man working in the fields? He couldn’t possibly earn this much just from labor points, could he?  

Then, a thought hit her.  

She suddenly remembered what his past was.  

Her eyes widened. “This money… don’t tell me—”  

After all, in the novel, he was the Main Villain, and before that, he had been a tyrant.  

Seeing the look on her face, Li Chen instantly knew what she was imagining. He was silent for a moment before saying: “Relax. It’s not from robbing or killing.”  

Though, to be fair… it wasn’t exactly from the most legitimate means either.