Chapter 25: For a couple, it’s enough for one of them to have a good brain!

The town wasn’t too far from their Hongqi Village—about an hour by ox cart. Everyone had different errands in town, so once they arrived, people started getting off the cart one by one. Just before leaving, the ox cart driver called out to Chang Suisui, “Chang Zhiqing, after lunch be sure to come back to this willow tree so you don’t delay returning to the village. We’re leaving right at 1 PM.”

He pointed toward a factory gate not far away. “When the whistle blows there at noon, we have to head back.”

“Thank you, sir,” Chang Suisui said, pulling a few fruit candies out of her space and handing them to the ox cart driver. “Please save me a good spot on the cart later.”

The driver quickly waved off the offer, about to refuse, but Chang Suisui added, “This candy’s nothing fancy. You can take it home for your kids as a treat.”

She waved at him and left. The driver looked at the candies in his hand, then at her retreating figure, and sighed. He grabbed a straw mat and tossed it near the front of the cart to save a spot.

There was only this one ox cart in the village. If she missed it, this delicate city girl would have to walk all the way back, and knowing her, she’d probably be crying halfway there. Better to wait a little longer for her, the driver thought. After all, he didn’t want to take her candy for nothing. With that, he covered his face with his straw hat and leaned against the cart.

Following the plot described in the book, Chang Suisui soon found the black market entrance. But as she was about to enter, she keenly sensed someone sneaking behind her. Earlier, the place was crowded, so she hadn’t noticed. But as she neared the black market entrance, the crowd thinned, and the footsteps behind her became distinct.

Unsure if the follower was friend or foe, she didn’t want to alert them. She slowed her pace as before, then quickly slipped into her space at a corner.

From inside her space, she could still see outside. Not long after she hid, a tall figure rushed over. Not seeing her, the man looked surprised, then walked forward a bit.

“Strange… where did she go?” he muttered to himself and started looking around for any clues.

After a moment, he frowned, found no trace, and left—but his expression looked worried, a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

Chang Suisui wanted to get a good look at the man and attack if necessary, but his behavior puzzled her. Having been through the apocalypse, she was more sensitive to others’ emotions than ordinary people. She sensed no hostility from him. Judging by his posture and mannerisms, he seemed to be military.

Thinking carefully inside her space, the only military connection she had was Xie Yu. Then she remembered the “Rat” next door to Xie Yu yesterday. A thought formed—if this man was sent by Xie Yu, he was probably here to protect her, which would explain the worry and tension on his face.

With that in mind, she stepped out from her space. If he really was Xie Yu’s man, she figured she wouldn’t be able to visit the black market today.

Sighing, she quickened her pace out of the alley. Near the exit, she deliberately slowed down and acted frightened, patting her chest as if catching her breath.

Sure enough, just then she bumped into the man.

“Chang Zhiqing!” the man said.

Chang Suisui pretended to be startled, taking two steps back. “Who… who are you?”

Qian Weimin, seeing she was scared, quickly smiled wryly. “I’m Qian Weimin, the points clerk who just got assigned to Hongqi Village. I came to town on the same ox cart as you.”

Chang Suisui blinked, trying to confirm if what he said was true.

Qian Weimin felt a little embarrassed and cleared his throat. “Uh, I’m a comrade of Brother Xie. I’m really a good guy.”

Chang Suisui couldn’t help but laugh at his serious expression.

Qian Weimin chuckled and then asked, “Chang Zhiqing, what happened just now? Did someone bully you?”

She shook her head. “No. I was walking down that alley and saw a big black dog. I was scared it would chase me, so I hid. But when I got to the exit, it followed me, so I ran out.”

Qian Weimin relaxed. “Ah, I see. So where were you going?”

She pursed her lips. “I wanted to go to the supply and marketing cooperative but found it was a dead end…”

Her voice trailed off.

Qian Weimin thought to himself: If I’m not mistaken, the cooperative is on the other side. Looks like Chang Zhiqing’s pretty but… well, a little slow. But that’s fine, our team leader is smart! Among couples, as long as one person is clever, that’s enough!

He laughed again. “Chang Zhiqing, I’ll take you to the cooperative. I need to buy some things too. Let’s go together?”

Chang Suisui gratefully looked at him. “Thank you, Comrade Qian! You’re really a good person!”

Qian Weimin was flattered. “No problem, no problem. You just shop; I’ll carry the bags!”

Chang Suisui smiled secretly. She hadn’t expected Xie Yu to send her such a goofball. But since Qian Weimin didn’t suspect her, she decided to keep up her innocent persona.

They went to the cooperative and quickly bought a lot of things: cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, half a pound of milk candy, a can of malted milk powder, a pound each of biscuits and osmanthus cake, two bottles of fruit canned goods, and two cans of beef.

One carried the items in front, the other behind, and soon attracted attention.

A nearby sales clerk glanced at Qian Weimin carrying all the goods and muttered, “Look at that wife, really doesn’t know how to manage money. Buying so much, aren’t they afraid people will say she’s a spendthrift?”

“Yeah, and look at the man following her, so naïve—probably just her fool to carry the bags for her.”

Though they spoke softly, their words drew strange looks from others, making the atmosphere in the cooperative tense…