Chapter 58 : Snow flower cream

“That’s fine then.”

The waiter smiled, noted down the dishes, and went to the kitchen. Since the peak dining hours had passed, the state-run restaurant was not very crowded. Liang Qingqing took a deep breath and rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window. The view was of the street, with the hot weather keeping most people indoors. The stone walls and green tiles gave the place a distinctive charm of a southern town.

It would make a nice tourist spot if developed in the future.

“What are you thinking about?” Fan Yanxing’s voice pulled Liang Qingqing back to the present. She shook her head with a smile, “Have you finished mailing the letter?”

“Yeah, just finished.” Fan Yanxing sat down beside her, his hand brushing against her face, making it flush with a slight redness. He couldn’t help but rub her cheek, his rough palm making her skin feel ticklish.

Liang Qingqing recoiled slightly, glancing around in a panic. She realized that at some point, they were the only customers left in the restaurant. The table was relatively secluded, next to the wall and window, and far from the kitchen. Unless someone came close, they wouldn’t be able to see what was happening at their table.

Feeling relieved, Liang Qingqing still couldn’t help but glare at Fan Yanxing, “Behave yourself outside!”

Fan Yanxing grinned, his expression shameless as he relaxed in the wooden chair, stretching his long legs casually. Whether intentional or not, his calves occasionally brushed against hers. His long, slender fingers tapped lazily on the table, and he drawled, “Oh, then at home…”

Understanding the double meaning in Fan Yanxing’s words, Liang Qingqing suddenly realized that her previous comment was rather ambiguous. Her face flushed with a hint of pink, and she snapped, “Be quiet!”

Fan Yanxing smiled, seemingly amused, and produced a gift box out of nowhere, placing it on the table between them. He signaled her with his eyes to open it.

“What’s this?” Liang Qingqing’s attention was drawn to the gift box. After a moment of silence, she looked up to see Fan Yanxing pointing to his lips with a resigned shrug. Realizing what he meant, she couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. It was quite rare to see someone complain about being the “culprit.”

Liang Qingqing, both amused and annoyed, stood up and took the gift box. Fan Yanxing watched her changing expressions with interest, raising his eyebrows and smiling at her. “Snow flower cream.”

Liang Qingqing’s eyes lit up as she touched the elegant gift box. Her tone was excited, “I thought it wouldn’t arrive for another couple of days?”

“I asked casually at the post office, and it had already arrived.” Fan Yanxing, seeing her happiness, was also pleased. He rested his chin on the table with one arm propped up, “Quick, see if you like it.”

Unlike in later times when you could check logistics information directly on your phone, in this era, you had to estimate the delivery time. Thus, packages might arrive early or late.

“Great.” Liang Qingqing was thrilled at the prospect of finally using the snow flower cream. The excitement she felt was unprecedented, something she hadn’t experienced even with high-end skincare products in her previous life. It might be because skincare products were rare in this era, or perhaps because someone actually remembered and fulfilled their promise…

Either way, she was deeply satisfied.

Moreover, since it is summer, the difference made by skincare products isn’t very noticeable. However, once autumn and winter come, if there aren’t any moisturizing skincare products applied, the skin will likely become dry and flaky. The cold wind will make the face feel painfully sore.

Liang Qingqing didn’t know who Fan Yanxing had asked to buy the snow flower cream, but just the packaging box wasn’t something an ordinary supply and marketing store could provide. It was adorned with intricate patterns and a beautiful red ribbon tied into a bow. The bow-tying technique was quite skillful, it looked tightly bound but could easily be undone by gently pulling at the corners.

Opening the box, she found it was indeed a sophisticated gift box with four neatly arranged boxes of snow flower cream in different scents. It was quite nice-looking. Liang Qingqing casually took out one box, opened it, and a faint jasmine fragrance wafted out.

“It smells pretty good. Take a sniff,” Liang Qingqing said, handing the box under Fan Yanxing’s nose. He took a moment to smell it and nodded in agreement, “It does smell good.”

“Try this one too.”

Liang Qingqing had him smell all of them and insisted he choose the best one. Fan Yanxing was quite troubled by this as a man, he couldn’t discern much difference in the scents. He thought they all smelled similar and randomly pointed at one, only to end up choosing the same one as Liang Qingqing by coincidence.

“Not bad taste,” Liang Qingqing said with a more pronounced smile on her face. Pleased, she put the snow flower cream away and handed it to Fan Yanxing to keep. After a while, the waiter brought out all the dishes they had ordered, and the portions were generous, completely worth the money she spent.

Earlier, they had eaten some mung bean cakes at the cinema to stave off hunger. Although they weren’t particularly hungry, seeing the dishes presented so attractively made them both put aside their conversation and start eating heartily.

Liang Qingqing had a small appetite, so even though the dishes were delicious, she felt full after just a small bowl. On the other hand, Fan Yanxing ate quickly and enjoyably. Dining with him was quite a pleasure and even enhanced her appetite. Thus, she picked up two more pieces of ribs before setting down her chopsticks.

The remaining dishes on the table were all eaten by Fan Yanxing, with no waste at all.

After finishing their meal, the two packed a few meat buns to take home. These buns were easy to store and didn’t require a lunch box; they could simply be wrapped in oil paper, making them very convenient. They planned to bring them back to share with Ma Xiuzhi and others.

After leaving the state-run restaurant, they first went to retrieve their belongings stored at the supply and marketing store before heading to their usual waiting spot to catch their ride home.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of 19 Tonglin Street, Jing City, a woman in a black long dress got out of a car. Two little children followed her, bouncing and skipping as they entered through the large iron gate.

“Mom! Mom!” The woman, upon entering and making a round on the first floor without seeing anyone, instructed the two kids to play in the living room. She then called out several times towards the stairs but received no response, so she decided to go upstairs.

She originally intended to head straight to the master bedroom but, as she passed the first room on the right side of the stairs, she hesitated for no apparent reason and cautiously turned the doorknob. The dimly lit room contained someone sitting there, and the sudden sight nearly scared her to death.

“Mom, what are you doing sitting here in broad daylight?” Fan Yajun placed a hand on her chest to steady her racing heart, struggling to shake off the shock. Feeling a pang of guilt, she noticed her mother didn’t answer and decided to open the curtains by the window. Instantly, sunlight flooded into the room, illuminating every corner and revealing a middle-aged woman seated at a desk.

She was wearing a dark blue long dress with her hair pinned up, revealing a well-maintained face. Despite being in her late forties, she looked like she was just over thirty, exuding an air of grace and elegance, unmistakably the result of a privileged upbringing.

“Mom, why are you looking at my brother’s photo album? Do you miss him?”

Fan Yajun glanced at the album her mother was holding, her hand tightening unconsciously upon remembering the news she had learned today.

Qiu Qingying, hearing her daughter, closed the album and tossed it onto the table with a dull thud. It felt like a heavy blow to Fan Yajun’s heart. Her eyelashes fluttered. Could it be that her mother already knew about that matter?

“Why are you back at this time? Aren’t you working today?”

Qiu Qingying spoke calmly, as if she hadn’t noticed Fan Yajun’s sudden change in expression, her gaze subtly shifting to the face that resembled her own by about forty to fifty percent.

“My colleague swapped shifts with me.”

Fan Yajun composed herself and forced a smile. “The two little ones have been clamoring to see their grandparents for a while now, so I brought them back while I had the chance.”

Upon hearing about her grandchildren, Qiu Qingying’s lips curved upward. “Is Lin Feng available? Ask him to come over for dinner tonight. Your dad has a lighter workload recently.”

“He’s on a mission and won’t be back for a few days.”

“That’s a pity.”

“There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”

As soon as Fan Yajun finished speaking, Qiu Qingying lifted her gaze, her expression a mix of a smile and scrutiny. “Yajun, is there something you’re hiding from me?”

Fan Yajun swallowed nervously, trying to appear confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard you sent some things to Changbei Province?” Qiu Qingying’s smile widened, her tone direct and assertive. “Was it bought through someone at the Friendship Store?”

Though phrased as a question, her tone was very certain.

Realizing she couldn’t hide it any longer, Fan Yajun sat down on the edge of the bed with a resigned gesture. “Since you already know, what’s the point of asking me?”

“You’re so protective of your dear brother, hiding everything for him. If it weren’t for…” Qiu Qingying didn’t elaborate on how she found out, but Fan Yajun could guess that some uncle or aunt had overheard and mentioned it to her.

“Dad, does he know too?” Fan Yajun nearly bit her own tongue, feeling a surge of panic. She silently hoped that her brother would fend for himself, she couldn’t help him with this!

Qiu Qingying snorted but softened her tone. “I haven’t told him.”

Hearing this, Fan Yajun felt a wave of relief, letting out a heavy sigh. Seeing her daughter’s disheartened state, Qiu Qingying was initially frustrated but chose to focus on more important matters.

“What kind of girl has Yanxing found? Is she a fellow student from the village or the daughter of some minor official from the city?” As she continued, Qiu Qingying’s tone grew increasingly urgent.

Fan Yajun shook her head honestly, “He just asked me to buy some cream, and didn’t say anything else.”

She did send a letter to ask, but it will still take a few days to receive a reply.

The key issue is that, given Fan Yanxing’s temper, it’s uncertain whether he will tell her the truth. So she really doesn’t know which girl Fan Yanxing bought the snow flower cream for. Tsk, he even emphasized repeatedly to buy the best! Just from this, it’s clear that her brother must really cherish that girl.

But she absolutely doesn’t dare to say this out loud.

Seeing Qu Qingying’s increasingly grim expression, Fan Yajun quickly added, “With his standards, he definitely wouldn’t be interested in an ordinary girl. Mom, aren’t you reassured about him?”

“What outstanding girl could there be in a small place?” Qu Qingying frowned, reflexively retorting. But after the retort, she felt her words were too prejudiced, so she smoothed it over, saying, “Reassured? He’s the one I worry about the most in the family!”

“He had such a great opportunity to get a job directly, but he chose to give up an easy life and went far away to live a hard life as an intellectual youth! If he wanted to train himself, couldn’t he stay around the capital? It’s all rural, where couldn’t he get experience? Now look, so far away, who knows what kind of girl has captured his heart, and he even bought snow flower cream!”

“Maybe he’s using it himself?”

Fan Yajun said this, but she didn’t even believe it herself.

After an awkward two-second silence, Qu Qingying glared at Fan Yajun and suddenly stood up. “Yanxing cannot marry a girl from outside, someone whose background we don’t know. It might bring endless trouble in the future!”

“Mom, if Yanxing likes her, there’s nothing we can do to stop him from marrying her,” Fan Yajun kindly pointed out.