Chapter 35

When Zhang Hao arrived, it was almost dark. Before he even stepped into the yard, he caught a whiff of a delicious, spicy aroma that made it impossible for him to move his feet.

He had thought that Lu Yun was just experimenting in the kitchen. After all, many people wanted to venture into business these days, even those who had nothing to begin with, simply hoping to make a quick profit.

However, doing business was not easy at all, and there were countless cases of people who tried for a few days only to quit midway, or those who hoped for a bit of fun but left without making any money. Zhang Hao suspected Lu Yun was just being whimsical.

As soon as he pushed the door open, Zhang Hao called out, “Sister-in-law, I’m here! Brother He said you asked him to call me over for dinner, saying it’s spicy skewers. I also brought some soda!”

He Cheng’an was generous with the coal, concerned that Lu Yun might feel cold. The room was warm, and when Lu Yun heard about the soda, she felt a sudden craving. She looked over to see the glass bottles, but the caps were tightly sealed. He Cheng’an simply glanced at Lu Yun and quickly reached for an orange soda, opening it without a bottle opener.

He didn’t forget to wipe the rim before handing the soda to Lu Yun.

“Drink slowly,” He Cheng’an advised.

After a few sips, Lu Yun found she could not drink any more. He Cheng’an took the soda from her, placing it aside. Their movements were natural, as if they had done it countless times before.

Zhang Hao watched them and smiled broadly. He felt happy that He Cheng’an and Lu Yun shared such a good relationship.

This time, the spicy skewers included vegetables, tofu skin, mushrooms, and shrimp balls and fish balls made by He Cheng’an himself. There were also slices of pork belly, hot dogs, braised chicken feet, and instant noodles, which were essential.

In addition, Lu Yun had prepared sesame sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro, and chili oil.

Zhang Hao had never seen anything like this before. He reached for a braised chicken foot, and as he tasted it, his eyes lit up. “Sister-in-law, this is definitely going to be a hit! It’s just too delicious! Sister-in-law, you’re not only beautiful but also capable. If you start a business, you’re sure to make a fortune! If you don’t make money, who will?”

He ate eagerly, directly gnawing on the chicken foot. “Sister-in-law, this is just amazing! I haven’t even seen anything like it in the provincial capital.”

Hearing Zhang Hao’s flurry of compliments, Lu Yun felt a bit shy.

Things were already halfway there. Lu Yun could not help but stand to the side, smiling; at least now, even if she lost her job, she could still earn some money. The Cotton Textile Factory where she worked could likely stay open for quite some time, but the future was uncertain for the rest of the Lu family, which was not mentioned in the original text.

Moreover, given the current timing, if she earned more money, she could buy a house. Perhaps there would be redevelopment in the future; even if not, owning several properties would still appreciate greatly in value.

Lu Yun had not eaten spicy skewers in a long time. That evening, she indulged, finishing an entire bottle of soda by herself.

When Lu Yun returned home, He Cheng’an walked her back. As they strolled through the alley, Lu Yun found the night sky exceptionally beautiful, with the moon shining brightly.

Lu Yun turned to face He Cheng’an while walking backward, hands clasped behind her back as she watched him. When He Cheng’an saw someone approaching, he reached out to pull her back. When Lu Yun stopped and looked at him, they both smiled.

—o—o—o—

On Monday evening, after work, Sister Sun was preparing to go to the market again. Lu Yun couldn’t help but glance at her a bit longer. Sister Sun hadn’t gone to the market every day before, and now she seemed to have a lot to say.

As they walked out together, Sister Sun vented about her relationship with her mother-in-law. In Sister Sun’s words, it was more exhausting than work itself.

Her mother-in-law was difficult to get along with and was always thinking of supporting her other son. She became increasingly unreasonable.

She even remarked that Sister Sun’s son was well-dressed, which made her other grandson seem pitiful, as if the uncle should take responsibility.

Sister Sun complained, “We’re living paycheck to paycheck. With New Year’s approaching, she insists on going back to the countryside to celebrate. They say it’s great because you don’t have to buy anything, but when we go, can we really just take nothing? It’s not worth it to stay at home and be comfortable. But do you know what my mother-in-law said? She actually suggested that we use the money we were saving for New Year’s preparations to buy things for her younger son, so we could celebrate New Year’s together.”

She shook her head. “At this rate, it’s really impossible to go on like this. For the past few days, I haven’t eaten any of her cooking. I’ve been buying my own groceries and making fresh meals. I’ve noticed my son has grown taller lately.”

Lu Yun asked, “What will you do about it in the future?”

Sister Sun replied, “What else can I do? This time, I definitely need to demand an explanation from them. Life can’t just go on like this in confusion.”

She sighed and continued, “Every family has its own difficulties. Our colleague, the one getting married soon, Xiao Sun (Not Sister Sun), has been having unpleasant discussions with her family about the betrothal gifts. The groom is offering a low amount, and Xiao Sun’s family doesn’t agree, even though she likes her partner.”

Laughing, she turned to Lu Yun and said, “You definitely don’t need to worry. From what I see, your partner would gladly give you as much as possible in betrothal gifts.”

As they talked, Sister Sun pulled Lu Yun aside, gesturing for her to look ahead.

Lu Yun glanced up and saw Li Chunxia and Auntie Chen Xue talking about something.

Auntie Chen appeared so agitated that she seemed on the verge of losing her composure, while Li Chunxia maintained her calm demeanor.

Sister Sun remarked, “I told you, that Li Chunxia is no easy opponent.”

Lu Yun observed their expressions, feeling indifferent yet amused. If Auntie Chen knew that the Female Supporting Character was set to marry Chen Zhiqiang, and reflected on the things she had done, she might realize she was in the wrong while looking at Li Chunxia standing across from her.

Lu Yun withdrew her gaze and smiled at Sister Sun. “What should we buy today?”

Sister Sun thought for a moment. “How about we buy some pork belly to stir-fry? I was also thinking about ordering some fresh milk for my son. Just a portion for him each day should suffice. They say drinking milk helps with growing taller. Even if it doesn’t make him taller, it’s still good for him to drink more.”

Lu Yun nodded in agreement. “That sounds good.”

Regarding the encounter with Li Chunxia and Auntie Chen, Lu Yun didn’t think much of it.

They were all working professionals, and their off-duty hours were similar, all coming to the same market. If everyone was shopping for groceries, it was indeed easy to run into each other.

Take Zhang Meili and Lu Dong, for example. When they went out to buy groceries, even if it only took ten minutes, they could easily stop to chat with acquaintances for three or four minutes, and that was on the shorter side.

After all, they had lived in this county for many years and knew a lot of people.

Lu Yun said, “Let’s buy some chili peppers too. We have eggs at home; I’ll make a bowl of farmhouse-style fragrant eggs when I get back.”

Sister Sun became curious. “What’s farmhouse-style fragrant eggs? How do you make it?”

Lu Yun explained, “It’s just stir-frying the chili peppers with eggs and some meat. It’s simple, and I’ll tell you the details.”

Not far away, Auntie Chen Xue was trembling with anger as Li Chunxia berated her, saying, “Alas, it would have been better to let Lu Yun be with Chen Zhiqiang.”

Li Chunxia stood there with her arms crossed. “Oh, then why don’t you let Lu Yun and Chen Zhiqiang be together? I’ve heard that Lu Yun is dating someone now, and they’re getting along well. Don’t think you can use your tricks on me like you did with Lu Yun.

Besides, no matter how you spin it, you’re just an auntie, not Chen Zhiqiang’s mother. And don’t you dare bring me any more of those contraceptive pills. What’s wrong with you? Do you want Chen Zhiqiang to have no worries about the future? Want to dump me? Dream on!”

“I’m telling you, I’m just after your Chen family because Chen Zhiqiang looks good and is a college student and a director. What are you going to do about it?”

—o—o—o—

That night, Lu Yun couldn’t sleep.

Zhang Meili came in and asked, “What are you thinking about again?”

Lu Yun was indeed deep in thought; she was pondering the issue of betrothal gifts.

She shifted over a bit to make room for Zhang Meili to sit on the bed.

Once Zhang Meili was settled, she began to inquire about the topic of betrothal gifts.

Zhang Meili made Lu Yun laugh.

Zhang Meili asked, “Who said what now?”

Lu Yun relayed her conversation with Sister Sun to Zhang Meili, who echoed Sister Sun’s sentiments. She patted Lu Yun on the shoulder. “If He Cheng’an could marry you right now, he would definitely find a way to gather the betrothal gifts.

When you get married, we won’t take a single penny for the betrothal gifts; it will all be for you. The dowry will also be yours, and you can hold onto the money, so we won’t have to worry.

As for the betrothal gifts, let He Cheng’an decide; it’s up to him. For the dowry, your dad and I have saved up 600 yuan for you. When the time comes, we’ll also give you money to buy a pair of rings—one for you and one for He Cheng’an.”

She continued, “As for your brother, he’ll also get 600 yuan as his betrothal gift. The wedding is being organized by the groom’s side, so we’ll have to contribute to that as well. However, the red envelope money we receive from the wedding guests will add up. Your brother will collect his share, and any red envelopes we get from our relatives will go to you.”

Lu Yun laughed, “The way you’re talking makes it sound like I’m already marrying He Cheng’an! We haven’t even discussed that yet.”

With that, she turned over on her side, still holding the little goldfish in her hand.

Zhang Meili then mentioned, “And what about that person from your office? What’s her name?”

Lu Yun replied, “Xiao Sun.”

Zhang Meili continued, “Right, that Xiao Sun. If you have the chance, you should really talk to her. A man who won’t even offer a betrothal gift can’t genuinely like her. From what you’ve said, it seems like that guy knows how Xiao Sun feels about him and is deliberately avoiding giving her a betrothal gift.”

Lu Xiang’an, who had been outside, overheard their conversation and came in to say, “If my partner’s family asked for a betrothal gift and I didn’t have enough, I would definitely find a way to come up with it. But if you’re forcing me into a blind date and insisting that I marry someone I don’t like, then I wouldn’t want to pay any betrothal gift.”

Zhang Meili chased after Lu Xiang’an, saying, “What are you talking about? Being forced into a blind date to marry someone you don’t like? You’re the one who was enjoying a free love the most!”

Lu Xiang’an chuckled, “I’m heading back.”

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun wanted to start her spicy skewer business, and He Cheng’an helped her with everything from customizing the special pots for the skewers to renting a shop. While finding the right pots was relatively straightforward, renting a shop proved to be more challenging.

Whenever He Cheng’an had the chance, he would return and make several trips. Finally, he found a suitable place for Lu Yun, located near a few factories. During lunchtime, many workers from the factories would go out to eat after getting tired of the cafeteria food, so that street had high foot traffic.

When He Cheng’an went to pick up Lu Yun after work, he took her to see the shop. The space wasn’t large, about twenty square meters, and it had previously been used for selling noodles, so there were tables and chairs already inside.

Walking ahead, He Cheng’an pointed out, “This area here can accommodate your custom skewers. Once the weather gets warmer, we can also set up outside. That way, we can free up some space inside for a long table. What do you think?”

As he spoke, he measured the space with his eyes, even considering how to accommodate more diners in the twenty-square-meter shop.

After listening to He Cheng’an, Lu Yun nodded and replied, “Alright, this one will do.”

He Cheng’an asked, “Aren’t you going to look at other places or think about it some more?”

Lu Yun sat down on a chair, resting her chin on her hands as she gazed at him. “But you said it was good. If you think it’s good, then it must be good.”

He Cheng’an had the ability to make a business thrive, so if he thought the shop was good, then it surely was. While Lu Yun knew she should consider the foot traffic, counting how many people passed by each minute or hour, and identifying the peak times, she trusted He Cheng’an completely.

He Cheng’an moved closer, cradling Lu Yun’s face in his hands with a bright expression. “Do you trust me?”

Lu Yun nodded, “Yes, I trust you.”

Just as she finished speaking, He Cheng’an quickly placed a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Wait for me,” He Cheng’an said.

Lu Yun nodded and asked, “Are you going to help me negotiate the rent for the shop?”

“Yeah, I’ll talk about the rental,” He Cheng’an replied.

After He Cheng’an left, Lu Yun gazed at the shop. However, he returned in just a few minutes, bringing Lu Yun a soda and a steaming bowl of wontons from outside.

He opened the soda for Lu Yun and prepared the wontons, placing a spoon into the bowl for her.

“Finish your meal, and then I’ll head back,” He Cheng’an said.

Lu Yun teased him, “I can finish it in a minute!”

He Cheng’an chuckled and sat down across from her. He spooned a wonton, gently blowing on it before bringing it to Lu Yun’s lips. “How about I stay and eat with you first, then go?”

Lu Yun took a bite of the wonton that was at her lips and said, “Okay, then you eat too.”

After saying this, she reached out to grab the spoon from He Cheng’an’s hand and lowered her head to eat the wontons from the takeout box. After a few bites, she looked up at He Cheng’an and noticed he was still smiling at her.

“What are you staring at? Go grab another spoon!” Lu Yun urged.

He Cheng’an laughed and replied, “You just eat. I’ll finish the rest.”

Lu Yun ate about half of the wontons and felt full, so she gave the rest to He Cheng’an. He didn’t bother to grab another spoon; instead, he used the one Lu Yun had just used to finish the remaining wontons.

He ate quickly at first, but as he neared the end, his pace slowed down.

Lu Yun gently kicked his foot, prompting him to continue eating the wontons.

He Cheng’an said, “The shop is just next door. Once I finish this, I’ll go back.”

Lu Yun teased him, “He Cheng’an, you’re really clingy.” He Cheng’an responded with a grin, “Yeah, I’m just clingy to our Ah Yun.”