Chapter 18: VIP Entry — Updates One, Two, and Three

This was Lin Xiaqing’s second trip to the free farmer’s market in the western part of the city.

Summer plants were growing wildly, but since the county had invested heavily in the cityscape around the west side, sanitation workers kept the streets clean and tidy. Nearby government units often organized employees to volunteer—sweeping roads, updating bulletin boards—so the area’s streets weren’t just clean and orderly; even the propaganda displays were updated daily.

Lin Xiaqing had done her research—this was the heart of the county.

The west side of the city was lined with neat mid-rise buildings, their exteriors painted in soft colors like ivory yellow or cream white. Some buildings were even tiled with pale blue-white ceramic bricks, giving a more upscale appearance than plain painted ones. Inside, the hallway walls below the waistline were uniformly painted in light grassy green, and the stair railings were solid wood, lacquered to highlight their rich grain.

These carefully planned buildings mostly belonged to government units with real power or to state-owned enterprises with strong economies.

Ordinary families couldn’t dream of living in these buildings, which featured central heating and hot water—an unmatched level of comfort for the time. Leaders of the county who lived here even had their own dedicated bus line with stops conveniently spread across the entire urban area for ease of travel.

Lin Xiaqing had heard from Fang Heping that he lived nearby.

She wasn’t surprised—when he visited her mother at the hospital, he had been lavish and generous. That alone told her Fang Heping’s family wasn’t ordinary in He County. A man couldn’t spend like that without solid backing.

They had agreed to meet at 4:30 that afternoon at the market so Lin Xiaqing could return the bicycle he lent her and settle the payment for the canning jars she’d bought. Without his help, she wouldn’t have made it back to the village yesterday to prepare everything in time. She would’ve missed her chance to open shop today.

Since she had to care for her mother, she couldn’t make the busy morning crowd, so she arrived early in the afternoon to claim a prime selling spot.

Just as she arrived and was about to hang up the makeshift cardboard sign advertising her homemade sauce, she heard a familiar voice filled with surprise and excitement.

“She’s here!”

It was her little aunt, Lin Shurong.

Lin Xiaqing didn’t have a watch and didn’t know what time it was—she had left around 2 PM after her mother’s IV finished. The trip by tricycle from the hospital was slower than by bike, and the journey of six or seven miles had taken about an hour. In any case, it was clearly earlier than Lin Shurong’s usual off-work time.

She looked up and saw her aunt waving, with Fang Heping standing protectively beside her, holding a black umbrella. He stayed outside its shade while covering Lin Shurong completely—like a loyal bodyguard shielding a snow-white princess.

They looked like a fine couple—not the Beauty and the Beast impression she had initially. And Fang Heping was being rather gentlemanly today. But what on earth was he wearing?

Gone was the suave style of a wealthy young man. He now wore a stained, old button-up shirt with yellowing from age, printed with patchy tea stains, and a pair of deep-blue 60s-70s work trousers. To top it off, he wore a pair of out-of-season suede boots, with his pants oddly tucked inside.

He looked… well, terrible. Outdated and oddly pitiful. Lin Xiaqing didn’t want to say “poor” because she knew he had money. Still, nothing in his appearance today screamed city elite.

She shook off the thought and greeted them with a bright smile, “Auntie, what brings you two here?”

Lin Shurong rushed over, with Fang Heping hurriedly chasing after her, afraid the sun might scorch his precious girlfriend into vapor.

“I took half a day off from work to help you sell your sauce,” Lin Shurong said, a bit sweaty but cheerful.

Fang Heping puffed behind her, “I told her I’d help, that it’s a man’s job, but your aunt said I’m too brash and might scare away customers. I swear, I’d be all smiles out here—just a cheerful Buddha figure, winning everyone over!”

He thumped his chest and tugged on his ridiculous shirt. “What do you think? I begged my grandpa for this. Had to mobilize half my relatives to dig through old wardrobes to find this ‘vintage treasure.’”

Lin Shurong wasn’t embarrassed by his look, just felt he was overdoing the “country boy” disguise. In fact, rural folks didn’t even dress like this anymore—these clothes made him look like a parody of poor farmers from movies, not real people.

She hated how rural people were often portrayed in films—miserable, pitiful. Not all country folks were downtrodden. In fact, many were cleaner and more decent than city folks.

She tugged his shirt discreetly—tone it down, this is a public street.

But Fang Heping wasn’t worried. He had already arranged a whole “show” for this afternoon, calling in favors from friends and relatives to help hype the sales. Checking his watch, he figured the first acts should be underway soon.

Lin Xiaqing and Lin Shurong were completely unaware and soon stunned by how fast business boomed. By the time a gentle-looking girl bought the last few jars, they were nearly speechless.

“Did my sauce just become a smash hit at the local market?!”

Lin Xiaqing’s fried fish hadn’t even been touched much. City folks would take one taste and buy three or five jars without haggling. Just like that, the 90 jars were gone.

Holding over 100 yuan in her hands, she was overjoyed. See? She’d known her sauce would be a hit if she could just get people to try it.

The young woman who bought the last jars didn’t leave. Lin Xiaqing offered her some free spicy fried fish, but she politely declined.

“It’s my first time trying this kind of sauce. The fish is a bit too spicy for me.”

Odd response—why buy three jars if it was your first time?

In truth, this girl was Fang Heping’s cousin, who had crashed the event for fun. Fang Heping signaled frantically for her to leave before she gave anything away. But she just winked and playfully asked Lin Shurong if she had a boyfriend.

Blushing, Lin Shurong pointed at the “idiot” standing nearby.

“Ohhh,” the cousin teased. “So the main character is here. And might I say—he’s much better looking than my boring older brother.”

Fang Heping wanted to strangle her. But hey—at least his girlfriend was pretty.

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Lin Xiaqing hadn’t expected to sell out by mid-afternoon. She’d thought it would take at least 3–5 days to finish selling all 90 jars. Her plan had been to wait for repeat customers to return after trying the sauce at home.

But with sales this fast, she was free of debt and overjoyed. She had originally wanted to treat her aunt and Fang Heping to dumplings, but they vanished before dinner.

Fang Heping, seeing how sunburned she was, ended up buying her an ice cream.

“Enough for today,” he said like an elder. “You shouldn’t be out under the sun so much. It’s like your family has no one left to look after you.”

Clearly, he was concerned. The hundred bucks she earned couldn’t even cover a single fancy meal he’d have in the provincial capital, and watching her work this hard tugged at his conscience.

But Lin Xiaqing was content. She finally had some breathing room. No more worrying about debts or getting kicked out of the hospital.

She pedaled her now-empty tricycle with joy, even goofing around by riding in wild s-shaped curves through the alleyways. Looking up at the golden-lit tree canopies and soaking in the warm glow of a successful day, she figured she deserved a celebration.

Before heading back to the hospital, she stopped at the ice cream cart she’d been eyeing for days.

This time, she wasn’t just a window-shopper. She bought a bunch—fruit flavors, red bean, creamy ones—and splurged on two fancy cones for herself, her mother, and Jin Yang. The rest she shared with the hospital guards and nurses.

Her mom would be shocked she spent a whole yuan on ice cream.

But Lin Xiaqing would smile and say, “We have savings now—over seventy yuan. We don’t need to scrimp anymore. This year, we’ll have a good New Year.”

She was humming happily, swinging the ice cream bag, but stopped just as she reached the hospital room.

Someone else was inside.

Through the small glass window in the door, she saw a beautiful girl sitting at Jin Yang’s bedside—elegant, poised, with an ethereal aura, her silk dress sparkling in the sunset.

Together, they looked like a picture-perfect couple.

Lin Xiaqing quickly understood—this was likely Jin Yang’s girlfriend.

After all, young, wealthy, and handsome men don’t stay single for long.

Lin Xiaqing quietly hid the ice cream bag. She didn’t even know why she suddenly did such a shameful thing.

In any case, before entering the room, she tucked the ice cream behind her waist. Her footsteps were sometimes crablike, sometimes ducklike—clumsy, awkward, and completely unnatural.

She justified these seemingly foolish but actually guilty actions like this: there were only three ice creams left in the bag—one for her mom, one for herself, and one for Jinyang. There was no extra one for the “fairy girl” (his girlfriend). She wasn’t selfless enough to give up her own ice cream for Jinyang’s girlfriend, nor was she so scheming as to deliberately exclude her—after all, if the three people in the room all had one, and only she was left out, it would seem like Lin Xiaqing was declaring her dominance and isolating her.

In the end, Lin Xiaqing concluded that hiding the ice cream was an act of kindness. She was being considerate. After all, interpersonal relationships were complex, and a single ice cream could stir up drama like the butterfly effect. She didn’t want to make Jinyang’s girlfriend feel awkward.

Even without looking at Jinyang, Lin Xiaqing could feel his burning gaze. As always, the moment she walked in, he stared at her like a kid seeing their mom come home from work—his eyes glued to her. If it weren’t for his injured leg, he would’ve circled around her like a patrol dog sniffing for something good.

Lin Xiaqing purposely avoided eye contact with him, pretending to be unfamiliar—like she didn’t even know him.

Was he stupid? No girl liked seeing her boyfriend exchange glances with another woman, let alone in her presence. Even if that woman was his biological sister—it was a surefire way to cause jealousy and heartache.

So Lin Xiaqing acted like she didn’t know him, determined not to get him into trouble.

But Jinyang had to act foolish. He stretched his neck past his girlfriend, peeking over her graceful figure, and cheerfully said, “You’re back? So early today! The sun hasn’t even set!”

Lin Xiaqing wanted to die from embarrassment. Why couldn’t he just keep quiet? This idiot! Just a few days in the hospital, and he already looked chubbier thanks to her care, but apparently, none of that weight went to his brain. Didn’t he worry his girlfriend would get upset?

Lin Xiaqing was annoyed. The official girlfriend was right there, but he insisted on dragging her (Lin) into the spotlight.

Every move Hao Saiyun made was like a proper, graceful young lady. She smoothed her skirt elegantly and maintained a calm and composed demeanor. Although she looked younger than Jinyang, she possessed a maturity beyond her age.

“You should practice walking more. For leg injuries, the biggest risk is blood clots. Sitting or lying too long slows down blood flow and weakens muscle control.”

Jinyang, sounding like a megaphone, loudly replied, “Got it. Thanks for checking on me even after work. You’re such a good doctor.”

He said it loud, clearly for someone else to hear.

Facing Jinyang, Hao Saiyun’s lady-like demeanor slipped a little, and she laughed, “You found out my surname already? I’m not a doctor. I’m still in my second year at Capital Medical University, just interning here during summer break.”

She didn’t say that the hospital’s president (and party secretary) was also surnamed Hao—and that she was his only beloved daughter.

Jinyang casually replied, “What a coincidence. I’m from the capital too. Capital Med’s a great school. Union Hospital recruits lots of excellent graduates from there every year.”

Though not as prestigious as top-tier schools like Peking or Tsinghua, Capital Med was still a big deal for someone from a small town. Jinyang could tell Hao Saiyun came from a well-off family, and he had always been good at reading people. He figured this intern had a bright future ahead—assuming she stayed on track.

He didn’t mention that his relative was the VP of HR and Finance at Union Hospital, which is how he knew so much about their hiring practices.

Lin Xiaqing’s cheeks flushed pink. Her brain had obviously taken a wrong turn—just seeing a pretty girl and a handsome guy made her start playing matchmaker in her head. How rude of her.

To her, a noble white-swan-like rich girl should be with a refined young man like Jinyang—not tricked by some arrogant, insecure, and volatile punk into a chaotic life of domestic drama. These elegant girls weren’t meant to be dragged down by petty worldly squabbles, nor should their loving parents be sucked into some leech’s scheme to steal their life savings.

Lin Xiaqing hoped every girl raised with love and care could live a bright and smooth life—not get ruined by poor judgment in youth and spend the rest of their life stuck with a heartless man they can’t shake off.

Then Hao Saiyun shot a cold look at Lin Xiaqing, catching her off guard.

Lin Xiaqing was sure—Hao Saiyun must think she was the kind of woman who tried to climb the social ladder by seducing the rich.

A wild country girl trying to latch onto a noble young master from the capital? How absurd.

But Lin Xiaqing, having lived two lives, was beyond caring what strangers thought. Even if misunderstood, she didn’t need to prove herself. They’d likely never have much to do with each other anyway.

Still, Hao Saiyun was no fool. From Jinyang’s enthusiasm and Lin Xiaqing’s coldness, plus how Jinyang seemed more excited the more he was ignored, she concluded that this rural girl was playing hard to get—and winning. Clearly, the noble young master had fallen into her trap.

Being the favored daughter her whole life, Hao Saiyun had no reason to be kind to a girl from a humble background.

And then, Lin Xiaqing suddenly realized—was Hao Saiyun into Jinyang? Why else the dagger glares?

Ah… women making life hard for women. And it’s all Jinyang’s fault, this troublemaker, this beautiful disaster.

Once Hao Saiyun left, Jinyang finally relaxed.

Patients feared doctors like mice feared cats. While she was there, Jinyang sat upright like a good boy. But the moment she left, he slumped down like a lazy noodle, lying sideways with his head propped on one hand like a lounging Buddha.

He squinted at Lin Xiaqing, a bit smug and expectant. “Lin Xiaqing, did you forget you were supposed to give me something?”

His expression startled her. She didn’t owe him anything… or, well, okay, she had promised him a comic book a few days ago, something to kill time with. She had gone to the county bookstore after selling soybean paste that afternoon.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have it. The staff had never even heard of Hong Ni Guan, probably because it was just published last year. They offered to order it from the main branch, but it would take 10 to 15 days.

She pointed to his leg and said, “By then your leg should be healed, and you’ll probably have left He County.”

Back to the capital, where a comic book like that would be no trouble to find.

Actually, going to the bookstore had been a bit embarrassing. She hadn’t realized that 1980s bookstores didn’t allow customers to browse freely. Everything was behind glass counters or locked shelves. Customers had to ask clerks to retrieve books.

But the clerks were slow and indifferent. So Lin Xiaqing tried helping herself—and got yelled at. Everyone stared. She wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

Jinyang continued, “I’m not talking about the comic. When you came in, weren’t you hiding something behind your back?”

He had seen it. Lin Xiaqing clearly meant to give him ice cream but changed her mind midway.

That loud woman from the next bed had stopped by again and said her nephew was coming tonight—she wanted to introduce him to Lin Xiaqing. Trying to play matchmaker! Jinyang was furious. Was Lin Xiaqing going to offer that guy ice cream?

He felt indignant. He and Lin Xiaqing were closer than that random guy!

Jinyang had already nicknamed the man “the runt.” His aunt wasn’t attractive, and he doubted her nephew would be either.

He’d counted earlier—only three ice creams in the bag. Two for Lin Xiaqing and her mom. The last one—was it really for that guy?

As if she were just a vegetable being picked at the market? He wasn’t having it.

Seeing him still staring at the bed, Lin Xiaqing suddenly understood.

He wasn’t asking for the comic book—he wanted the ice cream!

Wow, this guy really had sharp eyes. He’d caught her bribing the gate guard earlier, and now this? What secrets could she keep from him?

Lin Xiaqing slowly pulled out the enamel basin from under the bed—she had tossed the ice cream bag in there earlier.

Luckily, it hadn’t melted.

She handed one to Jinyang, smiling faintly. “It’s for you. No need to pay, and I won’t deduct it from your account.”

Jinyang took the ice cream like he’d just won a jackpot. He looked even happier than her—as if he was the one who made money that afternoon.

He said confidently, “Business went well today, didn’t it? I saw your tricycle come back empty. You must’ve crushed it.”

Lin Xiaqing’s jaw dropped.

Was he multitasking during Hao Saiyun’s visit? Keeping track of her from the window?

She slipped off her sandals and sat on the bed across from him.

As he ate, he said, “I hope you sell out every day like that.”

She looked at the blisters on her toes from pedaling, bit into her sweet, cold ice cream, and replied, “Even if I do, I can’t afford to treat you every day.”

She wasn’t out of poverty yet. At least not until she had over a thousand in savings.

Jinyang said, “I don’t need ice cream. Just seeing you come back early every day makes me happy.”

He pointed to the sunset. “This is the first time I’ve seen you return before dark.”

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