Chapter 127: Strolling Through Town, I'll Give You Something Nice

“If you can’t sleep, just get up and sit for a while. Why did you get up so early?”

Xia Yan’s face was drawn and pale, her voice weak and lacking energy.

Lin Ling saw her sister-in-law’s condition and knew what she was worried about, so she stepped forward to comfort her. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. My brother will be fine.”

Though she herself had been anxious half the night, seeing Xia Yan like this, she couldn’t let her worry show.

Xia Yan forced a faint smile. “Hmm, you have the selection for the Cultural Troupe today. Let me help you get ready...”

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Lin Ling genuinely liked Xia Yan’s hairstyle and the makeup on her face; it was truly elegant and fitting.

***

The next time Xia Yan saw Zhu Yan was at the hospital at the foot of the mountain. Zhu Yan’s right hand was already immobilized.

When she heard that Zhu Yan had been in the accident, Xia Yan came immediately.

“How are you feeling?”

Xia Yan peeled a segment of orange and offered it to Zhu Yan, whose complexion was already much rosier.

“It hurts!”

“Good, you know it hurts. Just be more careful in the future. Don’t keep your head down and rush forward recklessly. Fortunately, you’re okay. Luckily, Bao Guo arrived just in time; otherwise…”

Xia Yan didn’t dare think about what could have happened.

Zhu Yan nodded. “This time, I really owe him.”

But then she suddenly showed a childlike expression Xia Yan had never seen before. “But I blame him too. Why was he chasing after a goat for no reason? If I wasn’t worried there might be injured people, I wouldn’t have rushed out like that.”

“Exactly, blame him!”

Xia Yan went along with her words, relieved that she had come back safely.

As they chatted and laughed, there was a knock at the ward door. Zhu Yan glanced at the time—it was noon—and curiously asked, “Who could be coming at this hour?”

She called out to the door, “Please come in.”

The door opened, and Xia Yan saw a man in a suit wearing glasses enter, holding a bouquet of flowers.

***

The man was about Lin You’s height and had a refined, scholarly air.

He approached the bedside and smiled at Zhu Yan. “Feeling better? I wanted to come yesterday, but was tied up with something.”

Zhu Yan’s smile faded when she saw him. “Was it my mother who called you?”

The man chuckled lightly, not hiding it. “Yes, your aunt called me yesterday.”

Xia Yan roughly guessed who he was—the childhood friend of Zhu Yan, and the one pressing for marriage this time.

“Zhu Yan, the kids at home are still waiting. I have an afternoon bus back to the base, so I’ll be going now.”

Xia Yan, understanding the situation, got up to leave.

Just after she closed the door, she heard a voice inside the ward: “Ye Yun, you didn’t have to come. Also, we really aren’t right for each other.”

After leaving the hospital, Xia Yan planned to stroll through town alone for a while, to buy some things unavailable at the mountain supply cooperative.

Passing by the meat stall where she used to buy, the owner recognized her immediately. “Girl!”

“Hey, boss, why aren’t you closed yet at noon?”

Xia Yan smiled as she walked over. She had always thought that except for the supermarket’s meat section, market butchers usually only worked the morning shift.

The owner glanced at the house behind him. “I live here. You came at just the right time. I have something good for you—perfect for making soup for the kids.”

“What is it?”

The owner smiled and went inside, soon emerging with a huge item: a giant beef bone. But the bone looked almost too cleanly stripped; after looking carefully, Xia Yan estimated there wasn’t even a pound of meat left on it.

“This…”

“Just slaughtered this morning. You’re lucky to come by today. I still haven’t properly thanked you for what happened with the Zhao family. Consider this beef bone a gift.”

“This won’t do. How much is it? I’ll buy it.”

Bones like this are often bought and cracked open for soup, the marrow inside fragrant and rich with beef tallow. Add a little salt and vegetables, no seasoning needed, and it’s a delicious broth.

“You’re saying that as if you look down on me! It’s just a bone no one wants. Take it with you!”

The owner pretended to be annoyed, picked up a cleaver, and began chopping. The beef leg bone was split, the spine cut into sections, and the bare ribs were tossed aside.

The bones filled a whole large bag, and the owner even added a fresh beef liver.

The weight easily exceeded fifty pounds, far too heavy for Xia Yan to carry.

“Where do you live? I’ll help deliver it.”

Seeing the owner had packed everything, Xia Yan didn’t want to seem petty and gave him her address. After he left, she took five one-yuan bills from her pocket and tucked them under the beef at the bottom of the bag.

Xia Yan then went to the poultry vendor, planning to make a simple beef bone broth hotpot for dinner—with quail eggs, which were essential.

But at the poultry stall, she saw chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, but no quail eggs.

“Comrade, do you have quail eggs?”

The woman selling eggs was surprised. “Quail eggs? I’ve been selling eggs for a long time, but never had quail eggs. They’re not sold in our town.”

Hearing this, Xia Yan felt disappointed. Without quail eggs, the meal would lack a key ingredient.

In the end, she bought some duck eggs, thinking she could make salted duck eggs at home.

After paying, Xia Yan headed to another shop to buy some vegetable seeds.

Every store now bore the words “State-Run” in red paint. The seed shop was no exception. Seeing the neatly stamped sign, Xia Yan couldn’t help but smile.

Inside, she ordered the seeds she needed. Being just a local seed shop, many varieties were unavailable, but she managed to buy most of what she wanted and felt quite satisfied.

Only cilantro—the soul of the dish—was missing.

Passing by the supply cooperative, Xia Yan bought two pairs of cotton shoes. But when she tried them on, she found them clunky and rather ugly, and not at all slip-resistant.

“If only they sold stylish, good-looking snow boots—or bean shoes.”

Suddenly, Xia Yan thought of the abundance of cattle and sheep in the northwest. Their hides were cheap and excellent materials for shoes. If she partnered with a shoe factory, wouldn’t she make a good profit?

Lost in thought, Xia Yan stood there smiling foolishly.

Passersby stopped and stared at the silly-looking girl, their expressions puzzled.

Under their gaze, Xia Yan snapped back to reality. On her way home, she thought carefully and realized there were so many ways to make money that she was almost overwhelmed.

“I’ll go back and ask Lin You’s opinion. Let’s see what he thinks.”