“Forget it.” Zhao Rencheng didn’t want to talk about it.

Zhang Yunxi bit her chopsticks, furrowed her brows, tilted her head, and asked, “Shoes?”

Zhao Rencheng nodded. Seeing that the food in her bowl had diminished, he added some meat to it: “This is something many people don’t approve of, including myself.”

“Really?”

Zhang Yunxi ate the meat in a daze.

She was all for buying and selling for profit.

It was such a great way to make money.

If she hadn’t lacked the connections and the ability to frequently go to town, she would have tried her hand at it.

It was 1970 now, and by 1978, when the reform and opening-up would allow people to make money, one would need savings to start a business, right?

So, she wanted to earn money!

In her view, making money was no big deal. If she could make a fortune by buying and selling, she wouldn’t feel much psychological burden; in fact, she would feel great.

But people at that time avoided such activities, and it was normal to be afraid. She too was anxious and cautious before doing anything.

If a girl married him and didn’t approve of his actions, exposing him, then Zhao Rencheng would be finished.

Wait…

He couldn’t get married.

Neither could she!!!

She was also involved in buying and selling!

She didn’t want to get married, but she really wanted to fall in love, especially during the slack farming season, which was perfect for finding a man to have fun with.

It seemed now that she could only focus on her career.

After all, there were almost no entertainment options in the seventies.

Zhang Yunxi poured a cup of tea and clinked it with his, “Cheers to us having a reason not to marry, I’ll drink to that.”

Holding the cup, Zhang Yunxi threw her head back and drank it all in one go.

Zhao Rencheng had no choice but to down his cup of water as well. Seeing her melancholy expression, his cold eyes showed a hint of helplessness, as if to say, “What can I do with you?” “If you want to, you can.”

People who buy and sell for profit can still get married.

Especially those willing to step back not only wouldn’t be affected but could also live quite well with their savings.

“We’ll see, I don’t have anyone I like right now, no rush.” Zhang Yunxi lowered her head to eat the meat.

Er Gouzi and Zhao Mo blinked their clear, innocent eyes.

They completely didn’t understand the riddle the adults were speaking.

Even though they were all sitting at the same table eating together, why couldn’t they kids understand what the adults were saying?

Sigh.

The world of adults is really complicated.

The dishes on the table were all cleaned up by everyone.

Before leaving, Zhao Rencheng received a scornful look from the waitress.

The waitress also pulled Zhang Yunxi aside and said, “Comrade, for us women, marriage is a second birth, we must keep our eyes sharp.”

Zhang Yunxi didn’t understand but could feel her goodwill, so she nodded with a smile.

Holding Zhao Mo’s hand, Zhang Yunxi went shopping at the supply and marketing cooperative. She bought two mooncakes, half a catty of rice wine, two rolls of biscuits, and a pomelo.

She also wanted to buy malted milk.

Unfortunately, the small town was out of stock.

When it was time, they waited for the ox cart driver at the designated place, and Zhao Rencheng and Zhang Yunxi naturally parted ways.

Wu Donglin hadn’t eaten much at noon.

He now had only three yuan and fifty cents left. Thinking that the autumn harvest would be very hard and tiring, he bought a few catties of grain to replenish his energy, especially since Zhao Erhua’s eldest brother wouldn’t be helping him with the work anymore, and working in the fields could take half his life.

Thinking of Zhang Yunxi having lunch at the state-run restaurant today, Wu Donglin was furious. He gritted his teeth, unable to restrain his steps, and walked up to Zhang Yunxi, saying sarcastically, “So rich, you’d rather take someone else’s kid out to eat.”

“Don’t you have money?” Zhang Yunxi retorted.

A direct hit to Wu Donglin’s heart.

Yes.

He had no money.

And was very poor!

Wu Donglin warned fiercely, “Don’t push your luck.”

“I’m not, it’s you who’s coming over to get scolded by me.” Zhang Yunxi blinked innocently.

Wu Donglin was so angry he nearly fell over, “When I get back to the city, I won’t let you off.”

“Still thinking about that job of yours, you’re not even there anymore, who knows who might have taken it.” Zhang Yunxi kindly reminded.

Thinking that his job might be gone, Wu Donglin’s spirit was instantly drained. Seeing the onlookers enjoying the show, he perked up, flared his nostrils, and said, “Just say you’re jealous.”

“Yes, yes, I’m jealous, jealous that you were abandoned by your parents, jealous that you’re rubbish at work, jealous that you look like a pig’s head.”

Zhang Yunxi was fed up, her sarcasm was at full throttle.

Wu Donglin angrily walked away, still shouting, “I won’t stoop to someone’s level.”

Onlookers: We have eyes and ears too.

At the same time, everyone had a realization, Zhang Zhiqing’s mouth was like it was smeared with poison.

It could infuriate someone to death.

Zhao Rencheng saw her holding the wooden carving, her little head drooping, bored, swaying back and forth, tired from standing, then squatting down.

She didn’t look like a little fox anymore, more like a little white rabbit.

So obedient.

She wanted to join in the game of whipping tops with Zhao Mo and Er Gouzi, but after playing for a while, Zhao Mo and Er Gouzi found various reasons to politely decline.

There was no helping it, she was just too bad at it.

She kept getting beaten by them.

Zhao Mo and Er Gouzi also felt a bit embarrassed.

After being rejected by the two kids, she squatted down again, pouting, her chin resting on the tiger wooden carving, her eyes unfocused as she looked ahead, until the ox cart arrived, and her eyes lit up again.

Zhao Rencheng’s usually impassive eyes also showed a hint of a smile.

The ox cart driver arrived late, his eyebrows drooping as he counted the people present. With kids running around, he got annoyed with the counting and simply asked Zhao Rencheng, “Xiao Cheng, is everyone here?”

“Everyone’s here.”

“Alright, let’s get on.”

The driver said.

Er Gouzi quickly scrambled to sit next to the driver: “Uncle, let me tell you, I ate so many delicious things today, do you want to hear about it?”

The driver smacked the back of his head: “Look at you showing off.”

“Hehe, I don’t want to, but the situation doesn’t allow it. Let me tell you, the food at the state-run restaurant was so fragrant, the white rice was so clean, you couldn’t see a single speck of dirt. We ate perch, so smooth and tender, so fresh, I still crave it when I think about it. And also, the pig’s trotters stewed with soybeans, oh my, I’ve never eaten anything so delicious, the skin of the pig’s trotters, so bouncy, one bite and it was like being in heaven. As for the braised pork, needless to say, savory with a hint of sweetness, even the simplest garlic chrysanthemum greens had plenty of oil. This meal was the best I’ve had in eight years, and I still crave it when I think about it.”

Er Gouzi swallowed his saliva.

Everyone on the cart, except for Zhang Yunxi and Zhao Rencheng.

Also swallowed their saliva in unison.

Especially Wu Donglin, whose stomach growled loudly from hunger.

Everyone turned their heads away, earnestly trying to hold back their laughter!

Wu Donglin covered his stomach, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

It was all this kid’s fault, why did he have to talk about food, and make it sound so tempting? He had eaten such delicious food before, and that’s why he craved it even more!

“Wu Zhiqing, aren’t you rich? You could go and try it.” Er Gouzi, sitting at the front, earnestly suggested.

Wu Donglin: “!!!”

It’s not that I don’t want to.

Is it because I don’t want to?!

Ah?!

“I’m not used to the taste of small towns.”