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Chapter 18 Captain, why did you buy so many things?
“Alright, alright, as long as you know what you’re doing.”
“But don’t think kids are all innocent—some people… are just born bad…”
“Mom, you don’t have to worry. Your daughter isn’t stupid—I’m smart.”
“And besides, if he ever dares to mistreat me, I’ll fight back.”
“I’m not the kind of person who swallows grievances and stays quiet about it.”
Li Shuzhen could tell her daughter had a strong will and wasn’t someone who’d be easily bullied, so she felt more at ease.
At some point, Jiang Fugui had lit another cigarette. He took a couple of puffs and spoke up,
“Alright, wash up and get to bed. Our girl has to get up early tomorrow to sell melons.”
“Ay, stop it, stop it—you old man, smoking again?”
Li Shuzhen grabbed the cigarette pipe out of his hand and snuffed it out on the table.
“Ahh… you old woman! That’s a waste!”
Jiang Fugui looked at the half-used tobacco with heartache. Even the worst kind cost 0.80 yuan a pound, and his wife only let him buy two yuan’s worth per year. He always rationed it carefully.
Now so much was wasted at once—he couldn’t stand it. He got up and carefully packed the leftover tobacco back into the pipe with his fingers. Even the bits that had fallen on the ground, he didn’t mind. He crouched down and scooped them back in.
Luckily, the floor had just been swept after dinner by their second son, or else it would’ve been full of dust.
The next morning, before dawn, the two siblings set out on the ox cart to the city to sell melons again.
As they passed the village entrance, they found Lu Huaijin already waiting there.
Jiang Yanwen saw him. “Huaijin-ge, what are you doing here?”
“I’m waiting for you. I need a ride into the city—got some things to do,” he said as he lightly pressed one hand down and jumped onto the ox cart smoothly.
Seeing that, Jiang Peiyu started swooning again. So handsome… oh my god… I’m drooling…
Lu Huaijin secretly glanced at her, seeing her lovestruck expression. He curled his lips into a satisfied smile.
Honestly, with his long legs, he could’ve just stepped up normally, but for a certain little girl, he’d shown off on purpose.
When they arrived in the city, Lu Huaijin said goodbye to the siblings, telling them he’d return on his own and they didn’t need to wait.
Watching him walk away, Jiang Peiyu kept fangirling in her heart. Oh my god, how can someone’s back be this handsome, this manly…
Lu Huaijin didn’t really have any urgent business in the city. He first went to the guesthouse to find Wu Junmin, and the two of them headed to the police station.
Zhong Yi was delighted to see him. “Captain, what brings you here?”
Lu Huaijin got straight to the point. “How’s the interrogation of those three from yesterday?”
“We got everything out of them. They confessed they were paid by a woman named Xia Lizhu to cause trouble on the street.”
“We’re about to go arrest her now.”
“Remember, once you catch that woman, punish her severely. Preferably make her…”
“Understood, Captain. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”
Lu Huaijin didn’t finish the sentence, but Zhong Yi understood the intent from just a glance. After all, back in the army, he was personally trained by the captain. If he hadn’t gotten injured and retired, they’d still be fighting side by side today.
After finishing at the station, Lu Huaijin and Wu Junmin drove to the supply co-op.
He bought two packs of Hongtashan cigarettes, two cans of baby formula, two kilos of apples, two kilos of bananas, and a five-kilo slab of pork belly.
Watching his captain spend money like this made Wu Junmin ache inside.
“Captain, why are you buying so much stuff?”
Lu Huaijin smiled and said as he turned to leave,
“To bring to my future in-laws.”
“Huh? Captain, aren’t you already engaged? Why buy so much?”
“You don’t understand. Just drive. We’re going to the department store.”
“Still more shopping?!”
“Less talking, more driving.”
“Yes, Captain.”
At the department store, Lu Huaijin went straight to the women’s clothing section and picked out a light yellow dress for Jiang Peiyu.
She had fair skin, a beautiful face, and a sweet personality. In his mind, he imagined her in that dress—she’d look like a little fairy.
Without hesitation, he paid 30 yuan and bought it.
On the way back, they passed a street vendor selling freshly fried twisted crullers—sweet and fragrant.
Thinking Jiang Peiyu would love them, he said,
“Stop the car.”
“Captain, what now?” Wu Junmin pulled over.
Lu Huaijin said nothing and got out of the car, quickly buying two jin of the treat and getting back in.
Watching all this, Wu Junmin thought to himself, I’m doomed. If getting a wife costs this much, I’m never affording one with my salary…
Meanwhile, Xia Lizhu was sitting on her couch, sipping coffee—made extra rich with milk—feeling smug.
This was something she could never enjoy before. She smugly thought, It’s been a day now. Jiang Peiyu must have been ruined by now.
Jiang Peiyu, in this life, you should live like a rat in the gutter—forever in the dark… hahaha…
Right as she was lost in her glee, there was a knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
Xia Lizhu put down her coffee and got up to open the door.
At the door stood three police officers in uniform. Her heart instantly tightened.
“Are you Xia Lizhu? We’re with the city public security bureau,” one of them said, showing his badge.
“You are suspected of instigating public disturbances and intentional harm. We are placing you under arrest.”
At the lead officer’s command, the two policemen behind him immediately handcuffed Xia Lizhu and escorted her to the car. She was trembling all over from fear and nervousness, too terrified to even say a word in her defense, and was taken away just like that.
Once at the police station, Xia Lizhu confessed everything without resistance. She spilled it all — even admitting to stealing 1,100 yuan from home before running away.
Meanwhile, after watching Lu Huaijin leave, Jiang Peiyu pouted a little, then went back to loudly hawking melons. Because she was pretty, had a good voice, and was a skilled talker, her weighing scale always tilted generously in favor of the customers. The melons were indeed big, round, and delicious. After two days of hard work, she’d already gained a few regular customers.
The first time buyers came with a “let’s just try one jin” attitude, but after tasting how good they were, they came back over the past two days to buy two or more jin.
Before long, the two siblings had sold nearly all their melons.
Before they left home, Li Shuzhen had told them to stop by the supply co-op to buy some meat and two bottles of Erguotou (a strong liquor) on the way back.
After yesterday’s incident, Jiang Yanwen wasn’t comfortable leaving Jiang Peiyu alone, so they packed up and went to the co-op together with the ox cart.
They spent 2.5 yuan on meat, and 12 yuan on two bottles of Erguotou (6 yuan each).
Seeing that Jiang Peiyu kept eyeing the sponge cakes, Jiang Yanwen bought her a jin (500g) of them too, which cost 1 yuan.
He hadn’t expected the price to rival a jin of pork!
But Jiang Peiyu didn’t feel bad eating it at all. She popped one into her mouth every two or three bites — they were just too delicious.
The sponge cakes these days were fragrant, soft, and had a strong milky flavor — way better than the dry, tasteless ones sold in later years.