Although Li Qiuhua had known since yesterday that her daughter had bought several dozen pounds of cotton to make quilts, the sight of an entire cart piled high like a small mountain of cotton still left her stunned.

The neighbors, who had been chatting nearby, quickly gathered at the Shen family’s courtyard to see what the commotion was about.

The men’s eyes were glued to the sleek 28-inch bicycle parked beside Qin Bin.

Meanwhile, the women couldn’t take their eyes off the pile of snowy white cotton.

Cotton was a precious commodity in these days.

Even finding a single pound of cotton to sew a padded jacket was no small feat, let alone securing an entire cartload of it.

For many older generations, a single quilt could last a lifetime.

When quilts became stiff or lost their warmth, they’d hire a craftsman to fluff and refresh the cotton.

Clothes were passed down from the elders to the younger ones.

When they became too worn, they’d patch them up and keep wearing them.

It wasn’t unusual to see a padded jacket covered with layer upon layer of patches.

For well-off families, gifting a daughter or daughter-in-law one or two new quilts as part of her marriage trousseau was considered a mark of status.

In Panshi Village, the most notable example was the village party secretary Su Changjiang, who gifted his daughter Su Lixiu four new quilts when she married.

But Su Lixiu married a cadre who received a state salary, earning 45.8 yuan a month—a luxury beyond the reach of the village’s hard-working farmers.

The younger children were drawn to the snack basket hanging from the bike’s handlebars. They drooled at the sight of the pastries but were quickly pulled back by wary parents, who feared the children might accidentally damage the precious goods.

In her bedroom, Shen Zhihuan was still asleep, oblivious to the crowd gathering outside her home.

“Auntie, where should I put all this cotton?” Qin Bin asked, his smile unusually polite and almost ingratiating.

Huang Xiao’er, standing nearby, was dumbfounded.

Was this the same fearsome and domineering Fifth Master who ruled over Chuancheng with an iron fist?

“Is all this cotton really ours?” Li Qiuhua asked, still in disbelief.

“Yes, all of it,” Qin Bin confirmed with a respectful nod, his demeanor as deferential as it was sincere.

He stopped just short of bowing.

Huang Xiao’er, who had followed Qin Bin for years, couldn’t recall ever seeing him treat anyone, not even his father or the old patriarch of the Qin family, with such respect.

The villagers were equally astonished, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

By the looks of it, there was enough cotton here for eight or nine quilts.

When Su Changjiang, the village party secretary, married off his daughter, he only managed to provide four quilts. That was the talk of the town for miles around.

And the Su family wasn’t just any household—they had a son working in government and another serving as an officer in the military.

How could anyone in the village possibly compare?

But now, the Shen family had outdone them by acquiring so much cotton in one go. Was this a direct challenge to the Su family’s status?

If Su Changhe, the second Su brother, found out, wouldn’t he be so angry he’d grind his teeth to dust?

He had schemed so hard, only to end up grabbing a handful of sand.

“Auntie, where should I put all this cotton?” Huang Xiao’er asked as he untied the rope securing the load. Without waiting for an answer, he picked up a bundle and headed toward the house.

Li Qiuhua hurried forward to help, but Huang Xiao’er deftly sidestepped her.

“Auntie, just tell me where you want it. With me here, there’s no need for you to lift a finger,” he said with a grin that could only be described as fawning.

As the future mother-in-law of his boss, she deserved his utmost effort.

If he played his cards right, maybe Fifth Master would reward him later.

“Auntie, please let him handle it,” Qin Bin chimed in with an equally wide smile.

Left with no choice, Li Qiuhua led Huang Xiao’er inside to store the cotton.

Meanwhile, Qin Bin grabbed the net bag hanging from the bicycle’s handlebars, which contained a large piece of pork belly, several pork bones wrapped in oiled paper, and various snacks, and followed them inside.

The villagers craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the contents in the net bag: malted milk, canned goods, powdered milk, and pastries.

Quiet murmurs broke out among them.

“Is that young man Zhihuan’s new suitor?”

“Having a pretty daughter really pays off. First, there was Boss Zhu with his meat deliveries, and now there’s a wealthy young man bringing cotton and treats.”

“Exactly! Look at what’s in that bag—canned food, malted milk, and even powdered milk with a cow on the label. That’s the kind of stuff even money can’t buy these days. Looks like the Shen family is really moving up.”

“If you’re so envious, why didn’t you have a daughter like Zhihuan?”

“Yeah! If you had half of Zhihuan’s mother’s talent for raising kids, you’d have endless good food to eat.”

When Li Qiuhua reemerged from the house, a nosy neighbor rushed up to her.

“Qiuhua, that handsome young man—he’s Zhihuan’s new boyfriend, isn’t he?”

“Where’s he from? What does he do? Does he have any brothers?” added another neighbor.

Hearing their eager questions, Li Qiuhua panicked and quickly clarified, “No, no, he’s just the brother of one of Zhihuan’s classmates. Don’t go spreading rumors!”

She glanced nervously over her shoulder to make sure Qin Bin hadn’t overheard.

If he had, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

Before she could say more, another woman leaned in conspiratorially.

“Qiuhua, is he still single? How old is he? Where does he live? Does he have siblings? Does his family live in a big tiled house?”

“How would I know?” Li Qiuhua replied, frowning.

“Why don’t you find out? If Zhihuan isn’t interested, I’ve got a niece—pretty and hardworking. If you can set them up, I’ll owe you a big favor.”

“You can ask him yourself,” Li Qiuhua said, brushing her off.

As soon as she turned back toward the house, Qin Bin appeared in the doorway, his voice bright and cheerful.

“Auntie, I’m 24, single, and the only child of my parents. I live in a two-story house in Chuancheng.”

Huang Xiao’er froze mid-step, staring at his boss like he’d just seen a ghost.

If he hadn’t been by Qin Bin’s side the whole time, he might have thought his boss had been replaced by an imposter.

When Shen Zhihuan emerged, still half-asleep and sporting a messy bedhead, the sight of Qin Bin left her equally startled.

“Third Sister, you’re awake!” Xiao Weidong exclaimed, momentarily setting aside his new toy train to greet her.

Shen Zhihuan nodded at her little brother, still groggy and trying to make sense of the scene before her.