Chapter 20: Seeing Your High Spirits

“I received training in the army before,” Lu Siyi said concisely, his face devoid of any extra expression.

Lin Qingyue’s eyes widened. Was this man teasing her last night?

Not allowing herself to dwell on it, she said to the children who were diligently eating, “Kids, school starts tomorrow. Is there anywhere you want to go today?”

“Your dad and I will try our best to fulfill your wishes.”

The three children exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison. After a whole holiday of playing, they couldn’t think of anywhere else to go for the moment.

Back then, children were content just running wild in the streets.

“I’ve never heard of going out to play before school starts. Other parents are reviewing lessons with their children,” Lu Siyi closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. He was genuinely worried about his children’s future academic performance.

“Learning requires a balance of work and rest. Do you know how heavy the workload is for school children?” Lin Qingyue realized she was truly mistaken. In this era, children were essentially free-range after school; parents didn’t enroll them in tutoring classes.

This was an era without involution.

Seeing her suggestion rejected, Lin Qingyue felt a little disappointed.

But she quickly recovered.

The family spent a day at home, simple yet warm, which passed quickly.

Before bed, Lin Qingyue checked the children’s school bags, ensuring their stationery and books were all packed before she felt relieved.

On the children’s first day of school, Lin Qingyue felt like she was facing a major battle. She got up before dawn to prepare a nutritious breakfast.

While the children, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, lined up to wash up, a sumptuous breakfast was already on the table: egg pancakes, stir-fried green vegetables, small buns, and cucumber and shredded pork soup.

After the children finished breakfast, Lin Qingyue checked the time, urged them to put on their backpacks, and prepared to take them to school.

“What are you doing?” Lu Siyi asked.

“Sending the kids to school, of course. Shouldn’t children be picked up and dropped off every day?” Lin Qingyue blinked. “It’s their first day of school; parents should definitely see them off.”

The three little ones looked at her simultaneously, suddenly feeling incredibly cherished by this “stepmother.”

“I’ll go with you,” Lu Siyi put on his coat and headed out.

“It’s a good opportunity for a stroll.”

“Okay,” Lin Qingyue readily agreed.

They didn’t have a vehicle, but luckily the children’s school wasn’t far from the compound. Lin Qingyue and Lu Siyi walked on either side of their three children, the family of five proceeding in a grand manner to school.

They met several neighbors from the compound along the way, who greeted them warmly, and Lin Qingyue responded with a smile.

Upon arriving at the school, Lin Qingyue finally understood why Lu Siyi had asked her that question.

Most children here went to school in groups of three or five; only a few younger children were accompanied by adults.

In this era, children’s education was essentially free-range, and parents didn’t need to pick them up or drop them off.

A hint of embarrassment crossed her face. “Why didn’t you tell me directly?”

“I saw how enthusiastic you were; I couldn’t bear to dampen your spirits,” Lu Siyi’s voice was warm and mellow.

“…”

The three children waved goodbye and happily ran into the school gates.

Lin Qingyue watched them leave until their figures disappeared from her sight before she turned her gaze back and saw Lu Siyi looking at her intently.

She subconsciously wiped her face. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No,” Lu Siyi took her hand and walked back. “Luckily, we have nothing else to do today. Let’s go to the county town for a walk.”

Her eyes lit up; that’s exactly what she had in mind.

The two took a bus to the county town.

The bus swayed back and forth, and she and Lu Siyi sat side by side, their fingers intertwined, giving her a feeling of being in love with Lu Siyi.

Drowsily, Lin Qingyue fell asleep on Lu Siyi’s shoulder.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Lu Siyi slightly curled his lips, quickly returning to composure. He gazed at the scenery outside the window speeding by, his heart filled with tranquility.

As soon as the bus arrived, Lin Qingyue woke up. “I’m sorry, I got up too early this morning.”

“Mm, you don’t need to get up so early next time, but you don’t need to apologize for this.” Lu Siyi spoke softly, showing consideration for his wife.

“…Okay.”

They first went to the county’s wholesale market. It was bustling with activity, with a large square in the center. People came and went, riding small tricycles to purchase goods or trade. Some sold homegrown vegetables, others sold home-butchered pork and poultry. In a corner of the square, several department store stalls displayed various household goods neatly on the ground.

“These people can’t afford to rent storefronts, and no one manages this square, so they come here to set up stalls,” Lu Siyi explained seeing her curious expression, knowing that before her marriage, she was a carefree young lady who probably rarely saw such things.

Lin Qingyue seemed to have discovered something and stopped, watching for a while longer. She asked, “Are all these people doing their own small businesses?”

“Mm,” Lu Siyi softly hummed in response.

At this time, widespread permission for people to do small businesses hadn’t been granted yet. People’s minds weren’t open to it, and such behavior was considered speculative profiteering.

Although not widely encouraged, it wasn’t prohibited either. The policy had recently loosened, and perhaps one day it would be fully opened, allowing for nationwide entrepreneurship.

“There are many more shops inside. I’ll take you to see them?” Lu Siyi pulled Lin Qingyue’s hand and walked inside.

Passing through those small stalls, Lin Qingyue had an idea to set up a stall herself.

She currently had limited funds, and setting up a stall was the fastest way to make money, and it was flexible.

The inside of the wholesale market was very different from modern department stores. It was like a series of long corridors, with small storefronts lining both sides.

There were at least five or six such corridors.

People could buy all their daily necessities here.

Lu Siyi led Lin Qingyue to a women’s clothing store. He passed by the store and immediately noticed a red polka-dot dress. He told the owner, “This dress, take one in her size.”

“Okay, your wife has fair skin; red will definitely look good on her,” the owner said enthusiastically as she got the item. “This style is popular in Hong Kong; it’s nylon, light and cool, and very fashionable.”

Nylon, wasn’t that chiffon?

This fabric had been popular for a long time because it was light, breathable, and didn’t easily deform after washing. Women in this era loved this fabric.

“How much is it?” Lin Qingyue softly asked.

“Ten yuan!”

“Too expensive, no thanks,” Lin Qingyue gave a polite smile. Ten yuan was enough for their family’s groceries for several days.

“Eight! Eight yuan, how about that?” the owner called out.

Lin Qingyue ignored her. Eight yuan was also a considerable sum; she wasn’t a spendthrift and needed to budget carefully.