CHAPTER 20

It was the weekend, and Lu Zhi and Zhou Cheng’an were heading to the city.

Even though supplies were still scarce, Lu Zhi was still very happy about going shopping. Aside from a camera, there were always a few things she could manage to get her hands on.

Before the morning wake-up call had even sounded, Lu Zhi was already up and washing up, while Zhou Cheng’an went to the cafeteria to get breakfast.

The cafeteria really outdid itself today—they were serving seafood porridge!

The rice was boiled until it bloomed open, and there were dried scallops, fresh shrimp, and crab meat inside.

It was yet another day where the seafood portions were incredibly generous.

The staple side dishes included steamed buns made with second-grade flour and a cold seaweed salad.

Lu Zhi took a spoonful and had a sip. The key here was freshness—it was incredibly fresh!

Lu Zhi said, “These dried scallops are so tasty.”

The texture was chewy and firm!

She decided that next time she went to the market, she’d buy some dried scallops too, to make porridge or use in other dishes.

Before she’d even started eating, the two boys—one big, one small—had already picked out all the scallops from their bowls and given them to Lu Zhi.

Zhou Jun said seriously, “Big sis-in-law, you need to eat more so you can grow taller!”

Lu Zhi: “……”

She glanced at Zhou Cheng’an, who stood at 185 cm, and said with a straight face, “I can’t grow any taller.”

Little chubby Zhou Jun looked confused. Why not?

Suddenly, the food in front of him didn’t seem so appetizing anymore.

Lu Zhi kept a straight face and said, “Because your big brother is 1.85 meters tall. When I stand next to him, I come up to his shoulder. If I grow any taller, I might be taller than him. Then what?”

No guilt whatsoever in fooling a child.

Zhou Cheng’an added very seriously, “I’m 1.855.”

Lu Zhi: “……”

After the three of them finished eating, they headed to the pier.

Lu Zhi held Zhou Jun’s hand while he was still caught up in pondering whether eating more would help him grow taller.

Even though Lu Zhi had already explained that adults also needed to eat well, but they didn’t really grow taller anymore.

Zhou Jun said, “Sis-in-law, I figured it out!”

Lu Zhi: “Oh? What did you figure out?”

Zhou Jun said, “I need to eat more than my big brother. That way, I’ll grow to 1.86 meters!”

Then he added a little shyly, “One meter eighty-six point six is okay too.”

Good grief.

Kid’s really got ambition.

….

There were a lot of people at the pier today.

The sea was a little rougher compared to Lu Zhi’s first time coming to the island by boat.

Lu Zhi looked up at the sky and asked, “Old Zhou, do you think it’ll rain today?”

Zhou Cheng’an replied, “No, I heard the weather forecast on the radio—just a little choppy, that’s all.”

Lu Zhi boarded the boat and headed up to the deck.

Many people couldn’t help but glance over at her.

As she moved through the crowd, she looked like a vivid and beautiful scene.

She wore a navy-style dress with little leather shoes. Her thick, black hair was tied into a half-bun at the back and clipped with a very pretty hairpin.

The boat rocked with the waves. Lu Zhi held onto the railing to steady herself.

Just as she was about to step back from the swaying, Zhou Cheng’an reached out to hold her steady.

His arm was strong and steady, and he smelled faintly of clean soap.

It gave off a huge sense of security!

Lu Zhi turned her head and met Zhou Cheng’an’s eyes.

Zhou Cheng’an asked, “Want my jacket?”

Lu Zhi shook her head. “No need.”

Just… her heart was beating a little fast.

….

The state-owned department store was also packed that weekend.

In many places, lines were already forming.

Luckily, they didn’t need to queue to buy a camera—those things were expensive, and not a lot of people could afford one.

The salesperson perked up when they walked in. “What would you like to see?”

Lu Zhi said, “Cameras.”

Upon hearing that, the salesperson looked at this good-looking family, and their eyes landed on Lu Zhi—only feeling more envious.

After buying the camera, they continued browsing through the store.

Zhou Jun was going to start school soon, so Lu Zhi bought him a new backpack and school supplies—pencils, erasers, and notebooks.

Six feet of navy-blue fabric.

A bag of date cakes.

Two tubes of clam oil, two bottles of shampoo, and two bars of soap.

She also bought a tin of biscuits.

Several types of vegetable seeds were also out of stock now.

Lu Zhi spotted some hair clips and carefully picked out a few.

Even though Tuantuan still had sparse hair, she was still a cute little girl with fair skin and chubby cheeks. A gift of hair clips would definitely make her happy.

Lu Zhi said, “Let’s also buy a pair of little leather shoes for my second sister.”

Saying that, she went over to pick some out, and selected a classic black pair.

When she turned around, she noticed Zhou Cheng’an holding another pair.

Lu Zhi looked at him curiously. “Are these nicer than the ones I picked?”

Zhou Cheng’an handed them over. “These will look good on you.”

Well, well—her old Zhou had taste now.

Lu Zhi asked, “Nicer than the ones I’m wearing now?”

Zhou Cheng’an looked down at her feet and thought about it seriously. “You’re good-looking—everything looks good on you.”

He looked completely sincere.

Lu Zhi had been complimented on her looks plenty of times before, but being praised like this by Zhou Cheng’an, with that expression, actually made her feel a little shy.

….

They caught the last ferry back to the island. By the time they returned, the sky was already turning dark.

Passing by Lu Yue’s house, Lu Zhi dropped off the little leather shoes she bought for her, and the hair clips she picked out for Tuantuan.

Lu Yue’s face lit up with a smile she couldn’t hide. “You’re still thinking of me? We wear the same shoe size—you should wear them. I’ve got shoes already.”

Lu Zhi said, “I bought a pair too.”

Only then did Lu Yue accept the shoes. “You two shouldn’t go back yet. If you do, you’ll still have to cook. Just eat with me.”

Perfect—time to dig in!

Lu Yue had gone clam digging today and brought back a lot of seafood. She steamed a big pot of it, made a cabbage and tofu stew, and stir-fried a plate of spicy crabs.

Lu Zhi thought the spicy crabs were especially delicious—fragrant and spicy.

She liked this kind of bold flavor, and with the crabs, she finished off a whole bowl of rice.

Lu Zhi said, “Second Sister, I haven’t gone clam digging yet since I came here. Take me with you next time.”

Lu Yue replied, “Sure, I’ll call you next time I go.”

It wasn’t like they could go clam digging whenever they wanted. They had to consider the weather and the tides.

After the meal, Tuantuan babbled in Lu Yue’s arms. When she saw Lu Zhi looking over, she burst into giggles.

Lu Yue said, “Wow, you’re quite the little lady. You waited for your aunt to finish eating before asking to be held. Your aunt bought you lots of hair clips today.”

Lu Zhi took Tuantuan into her arms—a soft little bundle.

At first, Lu Zhi had felt nervous holding Tuantuan—so tiny and delicate—but now she just felt she was soft and cuddly.

Lu Zhi pinched Tuantuan’s tiny hand and waved at Zhou Cheng’an beside her. “Look, this is our little Tuantuan.”

Zhou Cheng’an and Tuantuan stared at each other—one with a serious face, the other looking blank.

Zhou Cheng’an said, “I’m your uncle.”

Tuantuan: “Hee hee hee~”

….

Lu Zhi was completely exhausted today.

Back home, she took a shower and collapsed into bed, hugging her blanket and refusing to move. She even felt like she didn’t have strength in her fingers.

Then she remembered the camera and forced herself up to get it.

Lu Zhi figured she could figure it out if she fiddled with it for a while. But since it needed film and she didn’t want to waste any, she just held the camera and waited for Zhou Cheng’an to come out.

She pointed the lens at Zhou Cheng’an as he came out of the bathroom.

Lu Zhi: “……”

Zhou Cheng’an had just washed his hair. It was still damp, and his eyes looked like they’d just been rinsed with water too.

Zhou Cheng’an said, “Press the button on the right.”

Click.

The first photo captured Zhou Cheng’an with a towel in hand, mid-turn, drying his hair.

Not bad at all!

If she posted this photo online, it would probably blow up with likes. She could already imagine the comments.

Drooling emojis everywhere~

Zhou Cheng’an then spent a bit of time explaining the camera’s functions to her.

Now, she could start using it to document her life. Otherwise, when she looked back one day and had only a few pictures to remember it by, that would’ve been a real shame.

Good thing she’d bought extra rolls of film.

After learning how to use it, Lu Zhi lay back down in bed.

She yawned and rolled her shoulders.

Zhou Cheng’an said, “Let me massage your shoulders.”

No way she was going to turn down a good deal like that—she sat up immediately.

At first, Zhou Cheng’an’s pressure was a bit light, but after asking her a few times, he adjusted it just right.

Lu Zhi began to doze off.

Lu Zhi: “Zhi Zhi.”

Lu Zhi: “Mm?”

Zhou Cheng’an paused for a moment, then said, “I’m 185.5 centimeters tall.”

Lu Zhi: “…….”

….

After Lu Zhi married into the island village, the people in the compound envied her for a long time.

Her husband was just that good.

Chu Tong, on the other hand, felt terrible. She sensed that everyone looked at her differently now, and it took a lot of coaxing from He Li and Li Yu to cheer her up.

Only when she was being fussed over did she finally feel a little better.

At dusk, each household was busy cooking dinner. The idle ones sat around in the courtyard chatting.

Chu Tong had taken some things from her in-laws’ home and brought them back to her maiden family. Her parents pampered her so much that she floated home, full of smugness.

He Li greeted her, “You’re back. Did you eat yet?”

Chu Tong replied, “I did. My mom and dad even told me to bring some dumplings back for you. They said you keep giving me things to take home, and they feel bad. But they’re happy I married into your family.”

Hearing “dumplings,” He Li straightened up with pride again.

Although, truthfully, she really did feel a pinch giving so many things to the Chu family.

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring dumplings. You two just eat them.”

“You’re their daughter. It’s not easy for you either. It’s only right to bring them something when you visit.”

“Let me see what kind of filling the dumplings have.”

Chu Tong said, “Pork and cabbage.”

Of course, it was mostly cabbage—with just a bit of pork—but still, they were pork and cabbage dumplings.

Lu Dajie and Li Lan overheard the chatter outside. They weren’t particularly angry—just kind of missed Lu Zhi. Even their movements slowed as they worked.

Lu Dajie muttered, “That family’s always putting on a show. Closing the door and arguing inside, as if we can’t hear them.”

Li Lan also recalled how often the family quarreled behind closed doors. Their houses were close, so they heard everything loud and clear.

Just then, Jiang Dong came by, standing at the entrance to the courtyard and calling out, “Is Uncle Lu home? Auntie Li? Deputy Commander Zhou and his wife asked me to bring something over for you.”