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Seafood wasn’t easy to find here. Transportation wasn’t like it would be decades later. Momo really craved it. In the capital, she could still eat it once in a while, since nearby cities were by the sea.
“Alright. I’ll ask him to send a variety. Once you’ve tried them, you can tell me which ones you like most, and I’ll have him send more.”
“Mm-hmm. Kelp especially. That’s good for the body… prevents goiter.”
After they finished eating, Lin Xingchen went straight to the post office to call a comrade.
The line connected after one transfer.
“Lin Xingchen? What made you call me today?”
“I need a favor. My wife loves seafood. Send me some—kelp, dried shrimp, dried fish, all of it.”
“What did you just say, you have a wife? Didn’t you swear you’d never marry?”
The voice was so loud that even Momo, standing a bit away, could hear it clearly.
“That was then. Now I’m married. And my wife is wonderful. Enough chatter… I’ll wire you the money. If it’s not enough, tell me. I’m hanging up.”
Before the man on the other end could react, Xingchen hung up.
The comrade cursed at the dead line, but of course, Xingchen didn’t hear.
“Don’t worry. He might joke around, but he’s reliable. The package will come soon enough.”
“The money’s in the box at home. Take however much you need.”
They hadn’t brought much cash with them, and they’d already spent some earlier. What was left wasn’t enough.
“Alright. Now we’ve got one last important thing to do.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
Xingchen didn’t answer. He simply took her to the hospital. Then he turned those fiery eyes on her.
“Wife, wait outside for me. I’ll be quick. Wait for me.”
His gaze was so intense and open that Momo flushed. After all this time, it felt like they’d had a long courtship, and now things had naturally reached this point.
Inside, Xingchen went straight to the doctor.
“Doctor, I’d like to collect family planning supplies.”
“Sure, how many?” The doctor was pleasantly surprised. Few ever came for these.
Xingchen thought it over. Once a month at the hospital, thirty should be enough. After all, there was always about a week when his wife wasn’t feeling well.
Momo nearly fainted on the spot.
（￣□￣；）!!
Don’t go overboard! Have some self-control!
“Let’s start with thirty.”
“…What? Thirty? That many? You know you can come every month.”
“Exactly. That’s why I want thirty. If it’s not enough, I’ll get more next month.”
His face was dead serious. He meant it.
“You probably don’t know—these can be reused. You don’t need so many.”
“No. That’s unsanitary. I want thirty. Can you give them to me or not?”
Momo had whispered to him earlier that, technically, they could be reused, but it was harmful to women. That was absolutely unacceptable to him. Better he suffer than let her get hurt.
“…Twenty at most. Others need them too.”
“Fine.”
He took the bundle, tucked it neatly into the bike’s covered basket, and turned back to her.
“Alright, wife. Let’s head home.”
As they rode out of town, Momo slipped her arms around his waist from behind. Xingchen kept his eyes forward, but the smile in them was impossible to miss.
The thought of their evening together made his heart race—but it wasn’t time yet.
They stopped by the village head’s house.
“Sister Chen, I’m here.”
“Oh, Momo! Vice Commander Lin! Come in.”
“Sister Chen, do you have soybeans?”
“Of course. How much do you need?” Soybeans were common in the northeast—nothing rare at all.
“How much can you trade me? I also want some mung beans.”
“Soybeans, no problem—at least twenty jin. Mung beans are scarcer, maybe three to five jin.”
“Alright. Twenty jin of soybeans, as many mung beans as you can spare. I’ll be back—I need to stop by Carpenter Liu’s.”
It had been about half a month since she last arranged with him. Time to check what mountain goods he’d gathered.
On the way, Xingchen asked, “Wife, why are we going to the carpenter’s? Need something?”
**“Didn’t I tell you? I asked Carpenter Liu’s family to forage for mountain goods every half-month. It’s about time, so we’ll check and have them deliver to our house.
If I had to go gather everything myself, it’d be exhausting. Paying a little is worth it.”**
She’d thought she told him. Turns out she hadn’t.
Xingchen narrowed his eyes. “So you forgot me. If just half a month makes me slip your mind, imagine longer. I’ll be completely abandoned.”
A hardened soldier, yet out of his mouth came the whiniest line. Momo shivered at the goosebumps.
But since she really was at fault, she decided to coax him.
“Oh, A-Chen, you’re so handsome, so outstanding, and so good to me. How could I ever forget you? Without you, how would I survive? Out of the thousands of men in the world, only you have my heart.”
Momo could talk circles around anyone. Sweet words came easy… action, less so.
Her sudden, blatant confession left Xingchen, this old-fashioned man, completely dazed.
“Ahem. Wife, we’re still outside… mind yourself. We’ll continue this at home.”
Her words were music to his ears. He’d known she liked him—after all, at their first meeting, she’d stared blankly at his face.
For him, showing weakness to his wife wasn’t shameful. If it earned him affection, why not?
Wrapped in their pink little bubble, they only sobered up when they reached the carpenter’s.
“Brother Liu, how much have you gathered?”
**“Comrades Su, Lin—you’re here. Everything’s sorted and cleaned.
Wild grapes, mountain hawthorn, wild strawberries—lots of fruit. Once the season passes, there won’t be more.”**
“Perfect. Have it delivered to my house later. Count up the money—I’ll pay you.”
“No problem.”
That careful, thorough work was why she’d chosen his family in the first place. Sure enough, everything was spotless.
Back at the village head’s, Sister Chen had returned.
“Here—twenty jin soybeans, a little over five jin mung beans. Do you need vegetables too?”
“Yes. String beans, corn, and pumpkin. We’re hosting a meal tomorrow—need a lot of those.”
She planned to make a big “Harvest Stew” with ribs, potatoes, and eggplant.
“Eggs too—give me fifty.”
“I’ve been saving them for you.”
With everything gathered, they hauled their heavy load home together.