It was no wonder Bai Yun looked sour; in this day and age, few dared to engage in such dealings openly, let alone with a total stranger they had just met.
Shen Jianan understood this perfectly well, so he was not offended by her attitude. On the contrary, had she agreed immediately, he would have reconsidered his choice and looked for someone else to handle the matter.
"Sister Bai Yun, please don't misunderstand. I really am buying this fabric to make clothes for myself." He scratched his head with a bashful look and explained, "Don't laugh at me, but while the quality of the clothes at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative is good, the styles are just too ugly. I can't bring myself to wear them."
With a mix of stubbornness and grievance in his expression, he added, "So, I wanted to try making a few sets myself. If I can wear them, great; if not, I'll just give them to the villagers in the brigade. It won’t be a waste anyway."
"Oh, is that so?"
The coldness in Bai Yun’s eyes thawed. She began to look at the young man in front of her with newfound contemplation. She hadn’t noticed it before, but Shen Jianan was quite handsome—his skin was fair, even more refined than the kids from the city. Now that he had pointed it out, she noticed his clothes. While not brand new, the style and material were sophisticated, far superior to the garments produced by the Hongxing Garment Factory. His explanation seemed plausible enough.
Bai Yun guessed that he must be the child of some wealthy urban family, so she teased him with a smile, "You child, you’ve been sent to the countryside and yet you’re still thinking about dressing up? Aren't you afraid of being called a—what do they call it?—a hedonist?"
"I—I’m not! I didn't!"
Shen Jianan immediately put on a terrified expression. His hands began to shake as if he had palsy, and he almost lost his grip on his bicycle. "I just wanted a nice-looking set of new clothes to wear. I haven't been slacking off on my chores at all!" He looked at Bai Yun with panic in his eyes, his voice laced with pleading, "Sister, never mind, I won't buy them. Just... just don't report me."
He started to move as if to ride away, but seeing him so genuinely frightened, Bai Yun felt she had gone too far. It was just a rich kid who liked nice things and had come looking for scraps or defective goods; she had interrogated him like a criminal and scared him off. Feeling a twinge of guilt, she quickly grabbed his arm. "Don't go, don't go! I was just joking with you, little brother. Why are you running away?"
Shen Jianan shrank his neck, looking at her with a mix of wariness and fear. "You—you’re not lying to me?"
"No, I'm not."
Bai Yun shook her head with a laugh. She checked the time and said, "It's lunchtime now, and the logistics manager is out. Why don't you come grab a bite with me, and you can come back this afternoon?"
Only then did Shen Jianan’s face brighten into an innocent smile. "That sounds great! Since you're helping me out, let me treat you to a meal."
Without giving her a chance to refuse, he pushed his bike forward and said, "Let’s go, let's head to the State-run Restaurant."
Seeing his persistence, Bai Yun knew she couldn't get out of it, so she followed along. However, she figured that since he was young and had just been spooked by her, she shouldn't let him pay. She would make sure to cover the bill herself later.
They chatted along the way, and by the time they reached the State-run Restaurant, they were already well-acquainted. Shen Jianan locked his bike at the entrance, and they walked in one after the other.
The server immediately spotted the stylishly dressed Bai Yun, then looked at the fair-skinned, handsome Shen Jianan, assuming it was an older sister taking her younger brother out to eat. She quickly asked, "What would you two like to have?"
Shen Jianan turned to Bai Yun. "Sister, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
"None at all." Bai Yun waved her hand with a smile. "I'm not picky. Just order whatever."
"Alright then." Shen Jianan nodded and addressed the server, "We'll have a plate of braised pork, a plate of stir-fried Chinese cabbage, and four taels of rice."
The server’s eyes widened slightly; she hadn't expected them to be so lavish. "That will require two taels of meat coupons and four taels of grain coupons. The braised pork is sixty cents, the rice is eight cents, and the cabbage is twenty cents."
Shen Jianan didn't seem bothered by the price; after all, few people in this day and age could walk into a state-run restaurant and order both meat and vegetables. He reached into his bag for the money and coupons.
But Bai Yun was faster. Even before the server had finished tallying the price, she had already pulled money and coupons from her handbag and handed them over. "Please, hurry up with the food. My brother is hungry."
"You got it!" The server took the payment and headed to the kitchen.
Once she was gone, Shen Jianan stood there, clutching his own money, and said apologetically, "Sister, I said I would treat."
Bai Yun waved him off with a laugh. "Don't stand on ceremony with me. It’s just a meal."
It wasn't that she was trying to show off; she genuinely didn't care about the cost. Not only was she an accountant at the garment factory with a monthly salary of several dozen yuan, but her husband was also the deputy director of the county furniture factory, and both their parents were officials on state salaries. Even in big cities, let alone in this town, families with her background were rare. A meal costing less than a yuan was nothing for her to worry about.
Shen Jianan realized this, so he thanked her, mentally planning to make some small trinkets to give her later as a gesture of gratitude.
As they were talking, the server brought the food over. Before leaving, she kept glancing back at Shen Jianan. Bai Yun frowned and asked coldly, "Miss, is there something else?"
"No, nothing!" The server blushed deeply and scurried away. Bai Yun immediately put on a smile and invited the boy to eat. Shen Jianan thanked her happily and even served her a portion before starting his own meal.
Truth be told, the pork and vegetables of this era lacked the artificial additives of the modern world. Even though the chef’s skills were mediocre, the food was incredibly flavorful. The cabbage was crisp and sweet, and the braised pork melted in the mouth—fatty but not greasy. Both dishes were so good that they couldn't stop eating.
After finishing their meal and resting for a while, they headed to the garment factory just as work was resuming. Bai Yun had him wait at the corner of the back gate while she went inside. Not long after, she returned with a man in his thirties.
The man nodded at Shen Jianan and stated his price directly, "Four yuan for a full sack. The fabric inside varies in pattern and quality; you can't pick and choose. If you want it, I'll go get it for you."
Shen Jianan mentally tallied his remaining funds—after today's expenses, he still had fifteen yuan and eighty-six cents left. Even after buying the fabric, he would have plenty for his daily needs, so he nodded readily. "Alright, thank you, Brother. Please get me one sack."
"Done! You wait here."
Once the man had gone back inside, Bai Yun explained, "He’s from the logistics department. His surname is Wang, just call him Brother Wang. I have to get back to work now. When he brings the fabric out, pay him and leave immediately, you hear?"
Shen Jianan understood she was warning him not to loiter, so he wouldn't attract attention. He nodded quickly. "I understand, Sister. Thank you. When I’m in town next time, I’ll be sure to treat you to a meal."
Bai Yun covered her mouth to hide a smile, knowing he hadn't forgotten about the earlier treat. "Deal! Next time, it's on you."
She headed into the factory. Soon after, Wang Hong dragged a burlap sack out the back door, holding a length of rope. He untied the knot in front of Shen Jianan and pulled out a handful of material. "Take a look."
Shen Jianan was stunned by the fabric. There were many large pieces, and when he touched them, the quality was excellent—many of these patterns weren't even available at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Excited, he began brainstorming how to use the fabric. He quickly handed the money to Wang Hong and asked him to help tie the sack shut and secure it to the back of his bike.
After bidding farewell, he rode away from the garment factory, his heart full of joy as he headed toward the Hongqi Commune.
By the time he reached the brigade, it was past six in the evening. He happened to run into people just finishing their shifts. Seeing the sack on the back of his bike, they assumed his family had sent him more things, and they watched him with eyes green with envy.
Niu Chunhua watched him ride away and said sourly, "What kind of family background does he have? Getting packages every month, and so many of them too?"
"He’s from Haishi," Zhao Hongying said, eyeing the sack greedily. "I heard his father is the production director at a tractor factory, his mother is a head nurse, and his maternal grandparents are extremely wealthy."
"No wonder he was so arrogant before!" Li Zhaodi’s eyes darted around, full of calculation. "Do you think... what kind of wife will Educated Youth Shen marry in the future?"
"Ha!" Niu Chunhua snorted and looked her up and down. "What, does your family want to recruit him as a live-in son-in-law?"
Li Zhaodi’s ears flushed red, having been called out. She said awkwardly, "No way! I was just asking."
"Just asking?" Niu Chunhua sneered, "Zhaodi, we're friends, so don't blame me for not warning you. You need to have some self-awareness and stop daydreaming. Setting aside his family background, just looking at his face alone, he’s not someone a country girl from this brigade could ever match. Plus, he's a high school graduate and so young. The only girl in your family old enough to marry is Xiaomin, right? She’s already twenty—three years older than him!"
"Pfft! Chunhua, don't you know the saying, 'a woman three years older is like holding a golden brick'?"
Gu Yu had just climbed onto the ridge of the field when he heard their conversation. His face darkened instantly, and he deliberately shouted, "Jianan!"
"Oh! Goodness!" The women, deep in gossip, were startled and cried out. As they turned around, they saw his face hanging low, his expression cold as frost. His gaze was like a knife, as if he wanted to pierce holes right through them. The insults they had been about to spew were swallowed back in terror. Niu Chunhua stiffly tugged at her two friends. "Let's go, let's go home and cook."
"Oh, right!" Zhao Hongying and Li Zhaodi chimed in, quickly hurrying after her. Watching the three of them flee, Gu Yu frowned, annoyed by what he had just heard, and set off to catch up with Shen Jianan.
When he reached the foot of the mountain, Shen Jianan was untying the rope, and he stepped up to help. "Let me do it."
"Brother Gu!?" Shen Jianan heard the movement and happily stepped aside. "Are you not going out today?"
Gu Yu’s hands paused, then he continued. "Not for now. As for that matter..." He looked up at the boy and whispered earnestly, "I'll tell you when it’s finalized."
Shen Jianan froze, then smiled and nodded. "Alright."
As they spoke, the rope came loose. Gu Yu used his strength to hoist the sack onto his shoulder. "You go return the bike, I’ll carry this home."
"Sure!" Shen Jianan kicked the kickstand up and rode away. He reached Zhao Qiancheng’s house just as the family was arriving home from the fields. He called out to them, profusely thanking Zhao Qiancheng in front of the neighbors. Only after Qin Fengying had checked the bike and confirmed it was in good condition did he return to the Half-Mountain Courtyard.
Seeing the gate open and Gu Yu busy in the kitchen, he ran inside to help. "Brother Gu, let me help."
"Alright!" Gu Yu glanced back at him and continued stirring the sweet potato and corn porridge in the pot. "What’s in that bag? It’s quite heavy."
"Oh! Fabric." Shen Jianan fed some wood into the stove, then stood up to wash his hands. As he began chopping vegetables, he said, "I bought some scraps at the Hongxing Garment Factory today. I plan to make some small items to give away. If there are any decent-sized pieces, I'll use them to make clothes or small backpacks."
Gu Yu frowned. "You... are you planning to start a business now?"
"No, not exactly." Shen Jianan replied vaguely, "Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion."
"What proportion?" Gu Yu’s tone sharpened. "Jianan, don't play games with me. You know how strict the crackdowns are right now, don't you?"
"I know." Seeing he couldn't deflect, Shen Jianan stopped chopping and turned to face him, his expression earnest. "Brother, don't worry. I won't do anything that puts myself in danger. I’m planning to—"
"That’s still not okay!" Gu Yu cut him off, refusing outright. "We can take it slow, one step at a time. I can’t let you take risks."
Shen Jianan’s face fell. "Brother, if we follow your logic, we'll be stuck on the defensive forever. Have you thought about the consequences?"
At these words, Gu Yu suddenly remembered the two pests he had encountered at work today—their hateful glares and their desire to see him ruined. Then there was his aunt and uncle back in Beijing, whose allegiances were unknown and who were like ticking time bombs. If he didn't balance these three factions, not only would his own situation become even more difficult, but Shen Jianan and the rest of their family, who had been sent to various places, would also suffer.
Thinking of this, Gu Yu broke out in a cold sweat, and a sense of guilt toward the young man washed over him. "It’s me who has dragged you into this, I..."
"Brother Gu!" Shen Jianan saw him getting stubborn again and felt a flash of anger. "Do you treat me like an outsider?"
Gu Yu was stunned. "I don't."
"You do!" Shen Jianan’s eyes widened, full of grievance. "Otherwise, why are you drawing such clear lines between us? We clearly agreed to share the joys and sorrows and struggle together!"
He wasn't about to "separate" from the other man. If he did, dealing with Zhao Jianguo, Jiang Hongmei, and that unpredictable "plot-line god" alone would be far too exhausting.
He took advantage of the moment to pinch his own thigh hard, until his eyes reddened with pain. Letting go, he put on a devastated look and glared at him. "Fine! If you don't want to treat me as family, as a younger brother, then fine. I'll go to Zhao Qiancheng’s house right now and find somewhere else to stay so I don't get in your way!"
With that, he turned and stomped toward the door. Gu Yu panicked, not wanting him to go live elsewhere, and rushed forward to wrap his arms around him from behind. "Listen to... what I have to say."