Chapter 26: Buying Chicks

“Militia Military Training Manual.” She read out each word clearly and slowly.

Wei Dong’s face was expressionless, his eyes cold, as if saying: None of your business.

Lian Yuqing plopped down on the bed, hands propping herself up behind her. “Didn’t expect you to be such a studious one.”

“Live and learn.” He recited the phrase seriously, and Lian Yuqing couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Someone who always looked so stern suddenly saying something so obedient—it was just too amusing.

Wei Dong frowned in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing.” She quickly waved her hands. “Loving to study is a good thing. You go on reading, I won’t bother you.”

Sure enough, she lifted the blanket and climbed into bed for a nap. Before long, Wei Dong could hear the steady rhythm of her breathing.

Sleeping again? She’s only been awake for a few hours!

All the women Wei Dong had known got up early every day to make breakfast and do laundry. They were all efficient, plain, and hardworking—not a single one like Lian Yuqing… so lazy and indulgent.

Wei Dong didn’t understand, and of course, didn’t approve, but he had no grounds to say anything.

He deliberately flipped the pages of his book slowly, barely making a sound. When he checked his watch and saw the time was about right, he set the book down and left.

By the time Lian Yuqing woke up, the sun outside wasn’t so harsh anymore.

She changed clothes and went out. After being here with the military for so long, she hadn’t really explored the place or gotten familiar with her surroundings.

Aside from that initial trip out to buy some things, she had stayed holed up in the house the entire time.

Although the sun wasn’t scorching like it was at noon, as soon as she stepped outside, she still felt the burn on her skin.

She tightened the straw hat on her head. It was a typical peasant-style hat worn for working in the fields, but she had found it ugly, so she sewed some flowers made of candy wrappers onto it.

Worn on Lian Yuqing’s head, it looked more like a haute couture piece from Fashion Week.

There were plenty of children playing in the courtyard, while the adults were busy picking vegetables or doing laundry in basins and didn’t pay much attention.

Someone greeted her, and she gave a cool nod before walking away.

“All came from the countryside, acting like she’s better than everyone else.”

“Another pampered city princess.”

…

She vaguely remembered the day she arrived and had taken a look around outside the base—lots of empty land, quite desolate.

Lian Yuqing walked to the gate and asked the soldier on duty.

The young man stood straight under his cap and shyly said, “The nearest village is ten kilometers away, about a two-hour walk.”

He glanced at her sandals. “Ma’am, it’s probably better if you ride a bike over.”

Made sense. A four-hour round trip in this heat would melt anyone. Lian Yuqing smiled at him. “Thanks. I’ll have Captain Wei invite you over for dinner sometime.”

She went back to the family housing area, took a turn, and headed to Instructor Meng’s house.

“Is the ma’am of the house in?” She knocked and called toward the open window.

Soon came a response from inside. “Coming, coming!”

When the door opened, Xu Qiuhong was momentarily surprised, then quickly recovered. “Yuqing, what brings you here? Come on in, have some water—it’s so hot today.”

Xu Qiuhong reached for her hand, but Lian Yuqing smiled and said, “Don’t trouble yourself, ma’am. I actually came to ask if I could borrow your bicycle.”

“Honestly, it’s embarrassing. We’ve lived here for a while, but I still haven’t bought all the kitchen basics. I want to head out and get them today so I can host everyone soon.”

Xu Qiuhong laughed heartily. “Oh, that’s all? The bike is downstairs. No one really uses it—you go ahead.”

“It’s getting late, so I won’t take up more of your time.”

Xu Qiuhong stood in place, watching Lian Yuqing walk away. She had to admit, Captain Wei’s wife was truly beautiful, like a fairy.

She and Old Meng had privately discussed Lian Yuqing’s bold statements from that night—this girl wasn’t simple. She had a temper and a strong personality; not someone Wei Dong would easily handle.

But after today’s interaction, Xu Qiuhong thought Lian Yuqing was actually quite nice and full of charm.

The old-style bicycle was tricky to ride. Lian Yuqing wobbled a lot at first and nearly fell a few times, but after a while, she got the hang of it.

Following the young soldier’s directions, she rode for half an hour and reached the nearest village.

Lian Yuqing was disappointed. The village looked big but was dusty and rundown—not much better than Wei Dong’s hometown.

Villagers passing by kept staring at her. A young man on a bicycle nearly crashed into a ditch.

But Lian Yuqing didn’t feel embarrassed at all. She’d been in the spotlight since she was young, used to being admired, and never cared about others’ stares.

She continued deeper into the village.

Soon she saw a group of people gathered in the middle of the road. She parked the bike and walked over to see—it was someone selling chicks.

This was novel to her. The chicks, no bigger than fists, were packed in bamboo-woven cages. Fluffy and yellow, they waddled around, peeping softly—not noisy at all, actually kind of cute.

In just a few minutes, six or seven had already been bought. The seller didn’t insist on money—people traded red sugar, ration tickets, or rice.

Seeing Lian Yuqing watching for so long, the woman selling chicks called out enthusiastically, “Hey girl, want to buy a few?”

Just by her clothes, the woman could tell she was a military wife—those often came to buy meat, vegetables, or eggs.

“They’re easy to raise. Feed them leftover rice or veggie scraps, and they grow fast. Once they’re grown, you’ll get an egg a day—you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.”

Looking at the little yellow fluff balls, Lian Yuqing hesitated. Maybe she should buy some—after all, most female leads in these kinds of time-travel novels got rich by raising chickens or ducks.

“How much for the chicks?”

“Two mao for females, one and a half for males. But if you take them all, I’ll give you a deal—everything for one and a half mao each,” the seller said, assuming Lian Yuqing wasn’t short on cash.

“I’ll take them all then.”

There were eleven left. Total came to one yuan and sixty-five cents. The seller said for one seventy, she’d throw in the cage too.

Lian Yuqing paid without hesitation. The woman picked up the cage one-handed. “Where do you want me to put them?”

Lian Yuqing had been too focused on the chicks and forgot to check the cage. The bottom had holes, and as the cage was lifted, a clump of chicken poop fell out. She frowned deeply and instantly regretted her decision.

“This is way too dirty,” she said.

From Lian Yuqing’s appearance and demeanor, the woman could tell she was a refined city type. She was prepared for this kind of reaction and called out loudly, “Missy, my house is right up ahead—I’ll wash it for you.”

“Alright.”

The woman patted her chest and grinned. “I promise I’ll scrub it till it shines!”

Lian Yuqing parked her bike at the woman’s door and supervised the entire cleaning process. Only when there wasn’t a single speck of poop left did she finally nod in satisfaction.

“Do you have a cardboard box? Put the chicks in there first,” she said. Otherwise, the chicks might poop on the way back again.

The woman, patient and kind, rummaged through her house and finally found a tattered box. She put all the chicks inside, poked some holes for ventilation so they wouldn’t suffocate, and helped tie both the cage and the box onto the rear seat of the bicycle.