Chapter 9: Youngest Sister Jiang Lian

Jiang Cong saw Qin Man sweating and reached out to wipe her forehead. The two of them were very comfortable with each other.

In fact, they had only known each other for a few days, yet they were already acting like an old married couple.

“It’s hot, right? Come with me!”

Jiang Cong took Qin Man by the wrist and led her toward the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.

With a handsome man and a beautiful woman walking together, they attracted quite a few glances on the street. The supply and marketing cooperative was bustling with people. Jiang Cong bought two bottles of Erguotou for three yuan, which instantly wiped out the money he had saved up for days.

“Do you want anything else? There are crispy sesame sticks, candied olives, and salted golden dates!” As he prepared to pay, Jiang Cong thoughtfully asked Qin Man.

But Qin Man wasn’t the kind of person who didn’t understand thriftiness. She smiled and shook her head in refusal.

“I’m not a child. I don’t like sweets!”

Since she refused, Jiang Cong didn’t say much. He simply turned to the shop assistant and said,

“I’ll take two packs of dates, two packs of candied fruit, and two crispy sesame sticks!”

“I thought we agreed not to buy anything else?” Qin Man asked anxiously.

Jiang Cong couldn’t help but chuckle. He explained gently, “My younger sister works at the guesthouse. We’ll visit her later. The candied fruit is for the kids!”

“Uh…”

Feeling embarrassed, Qin Man averted her gaze.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Cong found her even more adorable. He turned and walked to a large white foam box nearby. Lifting the lid, he revealed a thick quilt inside, covering a pile of popsicles. They came in several flavors—this was how ice pops were stored in this era.

In the countryside, it was common to see people riding old-fashioned bicycles with these small boxes strapped to the back, selling popsicles. The moment village children heard the vendor’s call, they would get excited and beg their parents to buy one, even if it was just the cheapest three-cent mung bean popsicle—it would make them happy for a long time.

Jiang Cong picked out a popsicle and brought it to the counter to pay.

“Please calculate the total.”

He spoke to the shop assistant, an older woman who smiled and nodded. She couldn’t help but glance at him a few times—such a handsome young man was rare to see.

“Two bottles of Erguotou are three yuan. The dates are seven cents per pack, two packs are fourteen cents. The candied fruit is three cents per pack, two packs are six cents. The crispy sesame sticks are seven cents each, two make fourteen cents. And this popsicle—it’s a cream one, from a big city, quite rare—it costs eight cents. Altogether, it’s three yuan, thirty-four cents.”

Jiang Cong paid the money and left the cooperative with Qin Man, carrying their purchases. He unwrapped the popsicle and handed it to her.

“Aren’t you feeling hot? Eat it quickly and cool down!”

Qin Man stared at the popsicle, which cost eight cents—the equivalent of an eight-yuan ice cream in the future. The candy he bought for the kids cost only six cents. Usually, when their sister-in-law’s daughter, Niu Niu, wanted a three-cent mung bean popsicle, she had to listen to a lecture first. Yet he was so generous with her. This thought stirred something inside Qin Man.

“What are you waiting for? It’ll melt soon!” Jiang Cong smiled at her warmly.

Only then did Qin Man take it.

“Thank you!”

She smiled sweetly, revealing two deep dimples that made her look even more charming.

Her long hair was half-tied up, complementing her oval-shaped face, giving her a soft and gentle look. When she smiled, she also had a touch of playful liveliness.

“You’re welcome. Let’s go. Stay close to me!” Jiang Cong carried the bags in both hands, unable to hold hers.

Qin Man watched the cold mist rising from the popsicle and followed him at a steady pace. The taste of this cream popsicle wasn’t as rich as modern ice cream, but for some reason, she found it incredibly sweet and satisfying.

Jiang Cong walked ahead, occasionally glancing back to check if she was keeping up.

By the time they arrived at the guesthouse, the popsicle was already finished. The two of them entered, carrying their things, to visit Jiang Lian.

Jiang Lian was at the front desk. The guesthouse was similar to a small hotel, and since there weren’t many guests at the moment, she had nothing to do and was lost in thought.

She snapped out of her daze when someone knocked on her desk. Thinking it was a guest, she looked up, only to be pleasantly surprised.

“Second Brother! What are you doing here?”

Jiang Lian was delighted. She hadn’t been able to go home recently, but she had heard that her second brother had been assigned a great job—he would be working in the city in the future. She hadn’t had the chance to congratulate him yet and was planning to do so when she returned home for the Mid-Autumn Festival in a few days.

The guesthouse had only three staff members—herself, another young girl of similar age, and an older woman who managed the place. Their work mainly involved cleaning rooms and changing bed linens.

“I came to town to buy some things and thought I’d stop by to see you. I brought you your favorite dates and crispy sesame sticks!”

Jiang Cong handed her a pack of dates and a crispy sesame stick, saving the other pack of dates for the children.

“Thanks, Brother! I was just craving these!”

She only kept a small portion of her monthly salary for herself—just about ten yuan. Living in town required money for food and daily expenses, and she also had to save a little. She couldn’t bear to spend on snacks, sending most of her earnings back home instead.

“Manman, why are you standing at the door? Come in!” Jiang Cong turned and noticed that Qin Man hadn’t entered yet. Looking back, he saw her lingering at the entrance.

“Second Sister-in-law is here too?” Jiang Lian craned her neck to peek outside.

Hearing this, Qin Man straightened her clothes, stepped in, and greeted her with a big smile.

“Hello!”

Her little sister-in-law was also quite a beauty. A few years ago, when she was in high school, she had to board at school, and later, she started working in town, so they weren’t very familiar with each other. She wasn’t sure what Jiang Lian’s personality was like, but she didn’t seem to dislike the original host much.