Early the next morning, Xu Zifan rode his bicycle with Yang Wanyun to the county. Unexpectedly, when they were almost in the county town, they saw Su Qing, which meant that Su Qing had set off earlier than them.
Su Qing had a basket slung over her arm, and judging from her strained expression, it seemed quite heavy. Xu Zifan glanced at it and guessed she was probably planning to sell something on the black market. Having separated from the family and now possessing her own property, it was natural for her to try and earn some money. However, the era Su Qing was reborn into wasn't very free, and she'd probably only be able to earn enough to make ends meet for the next few years.
Xu Zifan didn't slow down, quickly passing by Su Qing, just as he bumped into a small pothole. Yang Wanyun cried out in pain, quickly grabbing Xu Zifan's waist and instinctively scolding, "Slow down, what's the rush!"
Su Qing's face instantly darkened. She looked up at the two people getting further and further away, holding her breath. That damned Yang Wanyun was definitely doing it on purpose. As soon as she saw her, she hugged and kissed Xu Zifan, making it seem like they were on good terms! And Xu Zifan, he actually took Yang Wanyun to the county town. They must have gone shopping. He never took her shopping in his past life.
The thought of how kind and gentle Wu Zhigang had been to Yang Wanyun in her past life, only to break off their engagement in this one, made her feel even more aggrieved. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything about it, and she was so frustrated she felt like she was going to vomit blood! She also remembered how Xu Zifan had bullied her because he was the deputy factory director; she vowed to make a scene with Xu Zifan and Yang Wanyun when she became the regimental commander's wife. They'd only be able to make a living in the county town then, and she'd see how smug they were.
After Xu Zifan arrived in the county, he first sent out Yang Wanyun's manuscripts, three copies in total. Yang Wanyun said excitedly, "I hope one of them will be noticed by the editor."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Maybe I'll like all three of them?"
"How could that be? Don't praise me all the time, I don't write that well." Yang Wanyun covered her face, a little embarrassed. "You have important things to do, I'll go back first."
"No need, I'll just give the proposal to President Liu and say a few words to him. You wait for me outside for a while, and then we'll go shopping and buy some things."
Yang Wanyun was afraid of delaying Xu Zifan's business, but Xu Zifan told her to wait outside and watch the car, and she came out in just over ten minutes. Xu Zifan pushed the car and called for Yang Wanyun to follow, "Let's go, let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative."
As Yang Wanyun walked, she kept looking back at the commune's work unit, and asked in confusion, "You finished talking so quickly? Did you get that breakfast thing you mentioned yesterday?"
Xu Zifan shook his head. "It didn't work out. This kind of unconventional thing will definitely be rejected the first time I bring it up. I'll come back a few more times and come up with more reasons, and then President Liu will agree. No problem."
Yang Wanyun looked at Xu Zifan with a hint of admiration in her eyes. "You're so amazing. It seems like nothing is a problem for you. You always have a way to solve it. You're not afraid of being rejected by the president. I can't do that. When I think about speaking in front of the president, my mind goes blank and I can't say anything."
Xu Zifan laughed, "That's because you haven't experienced it. Once you've seen it a few times, you won't be afraid of anything. No matter who he is, he's just a person, right? He hasn't done anything wrong, so what's there to be afraid of? For example, if you submit a manuscript and none of your manuscripts are accepted, and the editor says your writing is no good, would you just stop writing?"
Yang Wanyun immediately said, "No, I will continue to write, write better, and then submit it."
"That's settled then, it's the same thing. It's easy to give up because you don't have enough motivation. If you're doing something you love, you won't overthink it no matter how big the difficulties are. You'll just instinctively try to find a way to move forward until you achieve your goal."
Yang Wanyun thought about it and realized that it made sense. Then she thought about what Xu Zifan had done and asked in surprise, "So what you like is to be an official and work for the benefit of the villagers? Just like my dad."
Xu Zifan was taken aback. Wasn't this exactly what people in this era were doing? He looked at Yang Wanyun and smiled, "So be it. Times are changing, and my goals will change too. I just enjoy the process of trading these goods."
Yang Wanyun blinked, a strange feeling suddenly creeping into her heart. Isn't the process of trading goods simply buying and selling? Could it be that Xu Zifan enjoys buying and selling? She looked around, then leaned closer to Xu Zifan and whispered with some concern, "I've heard that some people go to other places to resell things and make a profit. You absolutely mustn't go there, or you'll be finished if you get caught!"
Xu Zifan whispered to her, "Don't worry, with my wife at home, I can't bear to go anywhere else."
Caught off guard by the sweet talk, Yang Wanyun abruptly took a large step to the side, her face flushed crimson! She reached out and pinched him, unsure where to look, "What are you saying in the street! Aren't you ashamed!"
Xu Zifan drew out an "Oh," his eyes full of smiles, "I won't say it on the street, I'll remember that, I'll tell you all I want when I get home."
Before Yang Wanyun could even reach out, Xu Zifan ran out and parked the car. He turned back and said, "Let's go shopping. Let's see if there's anything we like."
Yang Wanyun was frugal; she only bought household necessities she needed and didn't take anything else. However, Xu Zifan had been observing what she looked at and naturally noticed what she liked. After she finished shopping, Xu Zifan directly bought two boxes of face cream, two hair ties, a handkerchief, and a pack of glutinous rice strips.
Yang Wanyun tugged at his clothes to stop him, saying, "I don't need these, don't waste money."
"Give Mom a box of face cream, and you can use the rest for now. I'll find you some better ones later." Xu Zifan stuffed everything into her handbag and paid without further ado.
Yang Wanyun muttered, pressing her handbag, "Always wasting money." But a smile played on her lips.
It rose uncontrollably, and my mood soared along with it.
Xu Zifan drove her around the county again, and when they saw some nice houses, he asked her, "Do you like the houses here? What do you think if we lived here?"
Yang Wanyun asked in surprise, "You want to live in the county? You need to have a county household registration. Besides, I heard that there aren't enough houses in the county. Many families are crammed into one house, so it's not comfortable. You... do you want to go back to the city?"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "People strive to rise higher, just as water flows downhill. If our family wants to live a good life, we must gradually move uphill. When we have the opportunity in the future, we can come to live in the county, then go to the city, and then to a bigger city. Of course, it depends on the situation. If we are comfortable living in the village, we can stay."
Yang Wanyun felt that going elsewhere was impossible. Even getting a letter of introduction for a long trip was difficult; how could one easily survive elsewhere? Besides, being in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, what kind of good life could one have? She thought for a moment and said, "When our family has money in the future, we'll build a house according to your wishes, like in the city. Then you won't miss going back, right? Actually, our village is spacious; a house with a yard would be much more comfortable than in the city. With mountains and water, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Xu Zifan understood what she meant, chuckled, and said, "Okay, let's make our village even more comfortable than the city, so that everyone will be vying to come and live in our village."
The two then went for a bike ride along the beautiful riverbank. When it was lunchtime, Xu Zifan took Yang Wanyun to a state-run restaurant. Yang Wanyun was startled and pulled at Xu Zifan at the door, saying, "Let's eat at home. Or we can just buy two steamed buns. It's very expensive here."
Xu Zifan turned around and comforted him, "You've never eaten here before, so it's a good opportunity to try it today."
Yang Wanyun shook her head, "I'm not greedy, I don't need to try it. Brother Fan, I'm not a child anymore, I really don't need to."
A man and a woman walked over from a distance. The young man was dressed in a very trendy style. As he passed by them, he glanced at Xu Zifan with disdain and sneered, "What are you pretending to be if you don't have money? You're so long-winded over a meal. Go home and eat some cornbread."
Yang Wanyun immediately glared at him and scolded, "Who are you? What business is it of yours whether we eat or not? Do you own a state-run restaurant? If you're so rich, why don't you drive a car? Why do you take the road? You've worn your boyfriend out, haven't you? If you don't have money, why are you dating? Why are you so good at pretending?" After saying that, she turned to the girl and said, "Comrade, you have to open your eyes wide when you're looking for a partner. If a man is mean and stingy, and flaunts his money everywhere, he'll definitely be the first to run away when things get tough. He's unreliable. You should think twice."
The young man angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
"What are you talking about? Tell the truth!" Yang Wanyun wouldn't back down. She just didn't want to waste the opportunity, but Xu Zifan ended up being ridiculed, so of course she had to retaliate.
Before the young man could say anything more, Xu Zifan stepped forward to block Yang Wanyun, looked at the young man coldly, and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing? Bullying a woman? Why don't we go somewhere else and have a proper talk?"
Xu Zifan's aura was somewhat intimidating, and the young man instinctively felt a little scared. He took a step back and said, "Who has time to talk to you? I'm still eating. This is ridiculous!"
The young man called the girl who had come with him inside and ordered a plate of braised pork and two bowls of white rice. When he saw Xu Zifan and Yang Wanyun enter the room, he glanced at them disdainfully, looking like he was watching a joke.
Anyone can enter a state-run restaurant, of course, but what you order makes a big difference; after all, even ordering a bowl of vegetarian noodles is still eating. Many poor people, just to experience what it's like to eat in a state-run restaurant, order the cheapest food, looking pained with regret. The young man thought Xu Zifan and his friends were just such country bumpkins, and he kept staring at them. Backing down earlier was too embarrassing; he'd just started dating someone, how could he be so shameless? He waited for Xu Zifan to finish ordering so he could mock him again.
Many items at state-run restaurants are rationed and not always available every day. Xu Zifan and his group arrived early and at just the right time; they actually had several kinds of meat dishes. After asking around, Xu Zifan immediately ordered a braised pork, a stewed crucian carp, a four-happiness meatball, a spinach and egg soup, two bowls of rice, and two steamed buns.
Although Yang Wanyun was a little distressed about the money, she didn't say anything this time and sat obediently, afraid of embarrassing Xu Zifan again. When the food was ready and all the dishes were placed on the table, Yang Wanyun's mood instantly changed.
She ate with great relish, suddenly understanding why Xu Zifan had ordered so many expensive dishes. Since they were already there, they might as well enjoy themselves; otherwise, what was the point of coming? These things were expensive, but they were truly enjoyable to eat! Seeing that jerk staring at them with such an embarrassed expression made her even happier!