Chapter 13: Shopping Spree

Lin Yue waited until Wang Xiuxiang and Sun Meifeng were far away before she exited the market from another direction and found a secluded alleyway.

She had filled a military water bottle with goat’s milk in the morning. Now, she untied it from her waist and fed her two little ones, changing their diapers.

This water bottle was left to the original owner by Zhang Yuandong when they got married. The original owner cherished it, and it was somehow left behind and not taken by her mother-in-law.

Taking advantage of the empty alley, Lin Yue took her two little ones into the space.

The temperature in the space was higher than outside. She changed her children into thinner clothes and found a clean spot to lay down a thick mattress.

Fearing that the children wouldn’t be used to the unfamiliar place, Lin Yue played with them for a while before putting them to sleep.

Lin Yue changed into a different set of clothes and wrapped her face and neck with a headscarf.

She stood by the spiritual spring pool and looked at herself. She was dressed like an ordinary, cold-averse woman of this era. Satisfied, she left the space and went back to the market with her hands tucked in her sleeves.

She went back to the chicken stall and asked for five chicks.

This time, she bought the fluffy, small chicks, not the half-grown ones, because they were cheaper.

She put the chicks in a cloth bag and secretly transferred them to the space as she strolled along.

There were too many people at the market, crowded together. No one noticed her little actions.

Lin Yue’s most important task today was to buy an iron pot, but she couldn’t find one anywhere in the market.

She asked an old man selling porcelain. The old man’s porcelain was sold to the brigade. He sat idly on the ground, tapped his dry pipe, and looked up at Lin Yue, “Iron pots and iron farm tools are all sold at the supply and marketing cooperative! You woman, don’t you know that?”

Lin Yue didn’t get angry. His porcelain was indeed good. She bought a large and a small clay pot and a clay casserole from him.

This way, she wouldn’t have to carry her big clay pot back and forth and worry about breaking it accidentally.

She also bought two plates, four bowls, and a pair of chopsticks. It was the New Year, symbolizing a family’s prosperity.

Of all these things, the three pots were the most expensive. In total, they cost Lin Yue more than six yuan.

Lin Yue paid and told the old man she would come back later to get them. She then walked towards the stalls in front.

She continued to buy two large jars, four small jars, two large wooden basins, four small wooden basins, and two stone mortars.

Some people were curious about why she was buying so many things, so she said that her family had just separated, and she needed these things for herself and her sister-in-law.

Many people in the village could make jars themselves. Most of the jars used to store noodles were made by the men in the family, but these water jars needed to be bought.

Lin Yue had bought so much that the man selling them asked for her address, saying he would deliver it to her in a couple of days. Lin Yue declined, saying that her husband was waiting for her outside with the donkey cart. She borrowed a handcart from the man and pushed the things to the alleyway she had been to before, secretly collecting them into the space.

It took two trips to move the two large jars and all the basins, big and small. She then went back to the old man selling pots and loaded them onto the handcart.

The houses near this alleyway were probably abandoned. She had been back and forth so many times, but she hadn’t seen anyone there.

She then found a furniture maker and bought a few small stools and tables. She also ordered a bed, a long table, a few matching chairs, a four-tiered wooden shelf, and drew a diagram for two cabinets, one for miscellaneous items and one for clothes.

She paid a deposit and agreed to pick them up at his house in a few days.

After paying the deposit, Lin Yue was completely broke. The 25-yuan Zhang Yuandong had given her, plus her own savings, which the original owner had been reluctant to spend even when she couldn’t afford to eat, had been spent by Lin Yue. She didn’t even have enough money to buy soy sauce.

Spending money is fun, but then you cry later.

Lin Yue changed her clothes, tied her two little ones to her again, held two chickens in one hand, and a large basket in the other. She was filled with a strange mixture of satisfaction and regret after her shopping spree. She took the donkey cart home.

In the afternoon, she took a rabbit and twenty eggs from the space, put them in a basket, covered them with cloth, and went out.

Everyone had just been to the market that morning, and there were still many people on the street, asking each other what they had bought and what new things they had seen at the market.

Lin Yue deliberately went out at this time. She greeted people with a smile and slowly walked towards Liu Yiliang’s house.

She was going to visit Liu Yiliang’s house to give him a gift. Liu Yiliang’s wife, Miao Lanfang, was close to Sun Hongmei. Usually, as long as she didn’t do anything outrageous, Liu Yiliang would side with Sun Hongmei.

Last time, when she argued with Sun Hongmei, Liu Yiliang was willing to speak up for her. It was clear that he had been pressured and was afraid of the situation escalating, so he had to speak up.

Lin Yue had seen the exchange of glances between him and Sun Hongmei that day. She guessed that Sun Hongmei must have often given gifts to Liu Yiliang’s house.

She didn’t want to offend this kind of person.

She went to Liu’s house today to express her gratitude.

No matter what, he had stood by her side and helped her. It would be inappropriate for her not to show her appreciation.

She went to thank him, not to curry favor. She didn’t want her gift to be received in a negative light, so she chose a busy path and went there openly.

Lin Yue stood at the door of Liu’s house and shouted, “Is Auntie Miao home?” She called several times before Miao Lanfang came out of the inner room, wiping her mouth and answering, “Coming, coming!” Seeing it was Lin Yue, she pursed her lips and moved aside, “Oh, what wind brought you here? Come in.”

Lin Yue pretended not to see it and stepped into the house, saying politely, “Auntie’s house is so tidy, no wonder everyone says you’re a quick worker! I hope I didn’t interrupt your work?” Hearing Lin Yue praise her, Miao Lanfang’s expression improved slightly, but she still didn’t like Lin Yue and didn’t offer her a seat, letting her stand in the hall.

Fortunately, Liu quickly came out, laughing and asking, “Is this Little Grey’s wife? What’s the matter? Do you need anything?” Lin Yue pretended to be shy and smiled, revealing the cloth on the basket and handing it to Miao Lanfang, “Secretary Liu, I’m here to thank you. Last time, you spoke up for me. I’ve been thinking about how to thank you, but I couldn’t think of anything suitable.

Luckily, I found a rabbit on the road today. It’s meat, so I brought it to you.

Please don’t refuse it.”

Miao Lanfang saw the rabbit tied with rope in the basket and her eyes widened.

She quickly took the basket and went into the kitchen, taking out the rabbit and eggs. Then, she quickly took the basket back to Lin Yue and brought her a stool to sit on.

Meanwhile, Liu’s polite words hadn’t finished, “Why are you bringing so many things when you come to my house? I did what I should have done. Take it back! If you have any difficulties in the future, come to me, and I’ll definitely help you!” But when he turned around, he saw his wife already sending out the empty basket, and his face darkened. He roared, “What are you busy doing? Go cook! Let Little Grey’s wife stay for dinner tonight.”

Lin Yue quickly declined, “No, no, Uncle, I have two little ones at home waiting for me. They’re too young, and I have to go back quickly.” Lin Yue wouldn’t dare leave the two children alone at home. They were currently in the space.

She chatted with Liu for a while, asking how to receive her allowance. Liu wrote down Zhang Yuandong’s contact information for her. Lin Yue expressed her gratitude and then left.

On the way, Lin Yue looked at the note with Zhang Yuandong’s unit address, phone number, and telegram method, and sighed.

The original owner had never contacted Zhang Yuandong until her death. Now, without her asking, Liu had taken the initiative to give her the contact information.

That man didn’t even know his wife was dead, let alone that she was pregnant and had given birth.

She respected his profession, but she couldn’t agree with his failure to contact his wife for almost a year.

When the original owner married Zhang Yuandong, he never touched her. The man had openly told her that his profession was very dangerous, and he didn’t know if he would ever return from the battlefield.

They had no feelings for each other. Zhang Yuandong didn’t want to sleep with the original owner, it was for her sake, to leave her a way out.

But the original owner was unwilling. She didn’t want to go back to her old home.

Moreover, the original owner had a secret hidden in her heart. Her background was actually problematic. She was afraid that one day the truth would come out and she wouldn’t be able to marry.

The original owner didn’t love Zhang Yuandong much. She just saw him as her lifeline and genuinely wanted to stay at home as his wife to take care of his parents and siblings.

So, when she learned that her husband was leaving the next day, she took the initiative to sleep with him.

Unexpectedly, she became pregnant that one time. She was actually looking forward to the arrival of these two children because they were her future security.

After Zhang Yuandong returned to the army, the original owner never received any news from him. If her mother-in-law hadn’t been able to receive her allowance every month, she would have thought he was dead.

Lin Yue sighed. The man was right, there was no point in forcing two people without feelings to be together.

She felt the same way now. She hoped the man would be safe, but she didn’t want him to come back and disturb her life.

Now, she had children and could support herself. She naturally hoped it would always be this way. He would defend the country in the army, and she would stay at home and raise their children.

But she also knew that this kind of life wouldn’t last forever. Lin Yue didn’t have a better solution, so she could only take things one step at a time.