Buying Cloth

No wonder Bai Yun's face had fallen. In this day and age, few people dared do such a thing openly, much less at the request of a stranger they had just met.

Shen Jianan naturally understood that. He did not mind her attitude at all; on the contrary, if she had agreed right away, he would have had to reconsider finding someone else to handle it.

"Sister Bai Yun, please don't get the wrong idea. I really am buying this cloth to take home and make clothes."

Somewhat embarrassed, he scratched his head and explained, "Don't laugh at me when I say this, but the clothes at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative are pretty good quality. Their styles are just a little ugly—I don't really like them."

There was three parts wilfulness and seven parts grievance between his brows. "So I wanted to try making a few sets of clothes myself. If I can wear them, I'll wear them. If not, I'll give them to the villagers in the brigade. Either way, they won't go to waste."

"Oh, I see!"

The chill in Bai Yun's eyes shifted at his words. She began studying the young man before her thoughtfully.

She had not noticed before. She had only thought Shen Jianan was good-looking, with fair skin that was even more pleasing to the eye than that of city children. Now that he had mentioned it, she finally paid attention to what he was wearing.

Though the clothes on the young man were not brand-new, both their style and material were quite refined. They were several grades better than the clothes made by Red Star Garment Factory. Looking at it this way, what he said did hold water.

Bai Yun guessed that he was probably the child of some wealthy city family, so she smiled and teased, "You've already gone to the countryside, yet you're still thinking about wearing pretty clothes. Aren't you afraid people will call you one of those... pleasure-seekers?"

"I—I'm not! I'm not!"

At once, Shen Jianan put on a frightened look. His hands shook like chicken claws being yanked in the wind, and he nearly failed to hold onto his bicycle. "I just want to wear a nice new outfit. I've never slacked off at work!"

He looked at Bai Yun in utter panic, his voice carrying a hint of pleading. "Sister, forget it. I won't buy it. Just... just don't report me."

As he spoke, he made to ride away. Seeing that she had frightened him so badly, Bai Yun felt she had gone too far.

He was just a pretty-loving child from a wealthy family, looking for some defective goods and scrap material to buy. Yet she had interrogated him like a criminal and even scared him off. Feeling somewhat guilty, she quickly grabbed him. "Don't go, don't go! I was only joking with you, little brother! Why are you running?"

Shen Jianan shrank his neck and looked at her warily and fearfully. "Y-you weren't lying to me?"

"No, no."

Bai Yun shook her head with a laugh. Then she raised her hand to check the time and said, "It's lunchtime now, and the person in charge of logistics isn't here. Come eat with me first, then we'll come back this afternoon."

Only then did Shen Jianan smile, looking utterly innocent. "All right. Since you're helping me, I'll treat you to a meal."

Without giving her a chance to refuse, he pushed his bicycle forward and said, "Come on, let's go to the State-Run Restaurant."

Seeing his determination, Bai Yun knew she could not refuse, so she had no choice but to follow. Still, she thought he was young and had just been frightened by her. She could not let him pay. She would have to settle the bill first later.

The two chatted as they walked. By the time they reached the State-Run Restaurant, they had gotten to know each other fairly well. Shen Jianan locked his bicycle at the entrance, and they entered the restaurant one after the other.

The server took one look at fashionably dressed Bai Yun, then saw that Shen Jianan was fair, clean-cut, and handsome. Assuming an older sister had brought her younger brother out to eat, she quickly asked, "What would you two like?"

Shen Jianan turned to Bai Yun. "Sister, is there anything you don't eat?"

"No."

Bai Yun smiled and waved her hand. "I'm not picky. Order whatever you like!"

"All right."

Shen Jianan nodded, then ordered, "One plate of braised pork, one plate of stir-fried napa cabbage, and four liang of rice."

The server's eyes widened slightly. She had not expected the two of them to be so generous. "That'll be two liang of meat coupons and four liang of grain coupons. The braised pork is sixty cents, the rice is eight cents, and the cabbage is twenty cents." (Prices varied slightly from place to place, but not by much. These prices were recounted by the author's parents.)

Shen Jianan said nothing at her startled fussing. After all, in this era, there were not many people who could enter a State-Run Restaurant and order both meat and vegetables. He immediately reached into his bag for money and coupons.

But Bai Yun was already one step ahead. While the server was still quoting the prices, she had taken out money and coupons from her handbag and handed them over. "Please bring it quickly. My little brother is still hungry!"

"Sure thing!"

The server accepted them and turned straight toward the kitchen. Once she had gone, Shen Jianan held his own money and coupons in his hand and said awkwardly, "Sister, I said I was treating."

Bai Yun smiled and waved him off. "Don't stand on ceremony with me. It's only one meal."

It was not that she was showing off her wealth; she truly did not care about this little bit of money. She was an accountant at the Garment Factory, earning several dozen yuan a month, while her husband was the deputy director of the county furniture factory, with an even higher income. Even both their parents were salaried cadres.

Not to mention the town—even in a big city, families with backgrounds like hers were few and far between. So she could casually treat someone to a meal that cost less than one yuan without feeling the slightest pinch.

Shen Jianan could naturally see that too. He thanked her, then privately considered making her some small gift later to show his gratitude.

As the two chatted, the server brought their food over. Before leaving, she kept glancing back at Shen Jianan. Bai Yun could not help frowning and asked coldly, "Miss, is there something else?"

"N-no."

The server blushed scarlet with embarrassment and fled. Only then did Bai Yun put on a smile and urge the young man to eat. Shen Jianan thanked her happily, took the initiative to place a chopstickful of food in her bowl first, and only then began eating.

Sure enough, the pork and vegetables of this era had none of those modern artificial additives. Even if the chef's skills were a little lacking, the food still tasted wonderfully authentic.

The cabbage was sweet, fresh, and crisp. The braised pork melted in the mouth, rich but never greasy. Both dishes were excellent, making them take bite after bite without stopping.

After finishing their meal, they sat and rested for a while, then headed to the Garment Factory just in time for work to resume. Bai Yun had him wait at the corner by the back gate while she entered through the main entrance. Not long afterward, she emerged with a man in his thirties.

The man nodded at Shen Jianan and quoted him directly, "Four yuan for one pile. The cloth inside comes in different patterns and materials, some good and some bad. No picking through it. If you want it, I'll go get it for you."

Hearing this, the young man silently calculated the money he had on him. After all the expenses today, he still had fifteen yuan, eighty-six cents left. Even after buying the cloth, it would be enough to last him quite a while, so he nodded readily.

"All right, thank you, big brother. One pile will do."

"Fine! Wait here."

After saying that, the man turned and entered the factory gate again. Only then did Bai Yun tell him who the man was. "He's from the logistics department. His surname is Wang—Wang Hong. Just call him Brother Wang. I still have to work, so I'm going in now. When he brings the cloth out, pay him and leave quickly, understand?"

Shen Jianan understood at once that she was reminding him not to wander around and draw attention to himself. He hurriedly nodded. "I understand, Sister. Thank you. The next time I come to town and have time, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."

Bai Yun covered her mouth and laughed, knowing he was still thinking about having failed to treat her earlier. "All right! Next time, you treat."

She then entered the Garment Factory. Not long after, Wang Hong came out of the back gate dragging a sack and holding a bundle of rope. In front of Shen Jianan, he opened the tied mouth of the sack and pulled out a handful of cloth. "Take a look."

Shen Jianan was stunned when he saw the fabrics in the man's hand. There were many large pieces, and when he felt them with his hand, their texture was excellent. What was more, many of them were not even sold at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

He was already excitedly thinking about how to use the cloth. He hurriedly took out the money and handed it to Wang Hong, asking him to tie the sack tight and secure it to the back seat of the bicycle with rope.

Then he bade him farewell, rode away from the Garment Factory with a heart full of joy, and headed toward Red Flag Commune.

By the time he returned to the brigade, it was already after six in the afternoon. He happened to run into everyone getting off work. Seeing the sack on the back of his bicycle, they thought his family had sent him more things again, and every one of them turned green-eyed with envy.

Watching his retreating figure, Niu Chunhua said sourly, "What kind of family does he have? They send him things every month, and so much of it too?"

"He's from Hai City."

Zhao Hongying stared greedily at the sack on the back of Shen Jianan's bicycle. "I heard his father is a production director at a tractor factory, his mother is a head nurse, and his maternal grandparents are especially rich too."

"No wonder he was so proud before!"

Li Zhaodi's eyes rolled as calculation filled them. "Tell me... what kind of wife do you think Shen will marry in the future?"

"Heh!"

Niu Chunhua scoffed and turned back to look her up and down. "What, does your family want to take Shen in as a live-in son-in-law?"

Having her thoughts exposed, Li Zhaodi's ears immediately flushed red. She said uneasily, "What are you talking about? I was just asking."

"Just asking?"

Niu Chunhua sneered, then mocked her, "Zhaodi, we're sisters after all, so don't blame me for not warning you. People should have a little self-awareness. Don't keep dreaming in broad daylight.

"Not even mentioning Shen's family background, just his looks alone are beyond the reach of some country girl from the brigade.

"Besides, he's still... Among the girls your family could offer, there's only Xiao Min, right? She's already twenty-one this year—three years older than Shen!"

"Pfft! Chunhua, haven't you heard that a woman three years older is like carrying a gold brick in your arms?"

Gu Yu had just climbed onto the field ridge when he heard their conversation. His expression instantly darkened, and he deliberately shouted, "Jianan!"

"Oh, heavens!"

The women, deeply engrossed in their conversation, cried out in fright. The three patted their chests and turned around. "Are you trying to kill us, you..."

Then they saw his grim face, covered in frost. The way he looked at them was like a blade, as if he wanted to stab them full of holes. It was especially terrifying.

The curses had reached their lips, only to be swallowed back down in fright. With stiff movements, Niu Chunhua reached out and tugged her two close friends. "Go, let's go home and cook."

"O-okay!"

Zhao Hongying and Li Zhaodi hurriedly agreed and ran off after her. Watching the three flee in panic, Gu Yu thought of what they had just said and frowned irritably before lifting his foot to chase after Shen Jianan.

By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, the other man was untying the rope. He quickly stepped forward to help. "I'll do it!"

"Brother Gu?"

Hearing the sound, Shen Jianan happily moved aside. "You're not going out today?"

Gu Yu's hands paused, then resumed their work. "Not for now. Over there..."

He raised his eyes to look at him and murmured seriously, "Once things are settled, I'll tell you."

Shen Jianan froze, then smiled and nodded. "All right."

As they spoke, the rope had already been undone. With a forceful lift, Gu Yu hoisted the sack onto his shoulder. "Go return the bicycle. I'll carry this home first."

"Okay!"

Shen Jianan kicked up the bicycle stand and rode away. Before long, he arrived at Zhao Qiancheng's home. By coincidence, the entire family had just finished work and reached their doorstep.

He quickly called out to them and, before the passing villagers, thanked Zhao Qiancheng profusely. Only after Qin Fengying checked the bicycle and found no problem did he return cheerfully to Half-Mountain Courtyard.

Seeing the courtyard gate open and Gu Yu busy in the kitchen, he hurriedly ran in to help. "Brother Gu, I'll help you."

"Okay!"

Gu Yu glanced back at him and continued stirring the sweet potato and corn porridge in the pot. "What's in that bag of yours? It's pretty heavy."

"Oh! Cloth."

Shen Jianan added a handful of firewood to the stove, then stood to wash his hands. As he chopped vegetables, he said, "Today, I bought some cloth scraps at Red Star Garment Factory. I'm planning to make some small things to give away. If there are good whole pieces, I'll use them to make clothes, little backpacks, and things like that."

Gu Yu frowned. "You... are you planning to start doing business now?"

"No."

Shen Jianan answered vaguely, "Don't worry. I know my limits."

"What limits?"

Gu Yu's tone suddenly grew heavier. "Jianan, don't try to muddle through with me. Do you not know how strict the crackdowns are right now?"

"I know."

Seeing that he could not fool him, Shen Jianan had no choice but to stop chopping vegetables. He turned to face him, his brows full of earnestness. "Brother, don't worry. I won't do anything that puts myself in danger. I plan to..."

"That won't do either!"

Before he could finish, Gu Yu rejected it outright. "We can take things slowly, one step at a time. I can't let you take risks."

Shen Jianan's face darkened at his words. "Brother, if we do things your way, we'll have to stay passive forever. Have you thought about what the consequences will be?"

Hearing that, Gu Yu suddenly recalled running into those two plagues while working today. Both had glared at him with hatred blazing in their eyes, as if they wanted to eat his flesh.

Then there were his aunt and uncle in the distant capital, whose loyalties were unclear. They too were a ticking time bomb. If he did not keep all three sides in check, not only would his own situation become even more difficult, but Shen Jianan and their family members scattered across various places would suffer as well.

The thought left Gu Yu covered in cold sweat, and guilt toward the young man rose in his heart. "I dragged you into this. I..."

"Brother Gu."

Seeing that he was being stubborn again, Shen Jianan grew a little angry. "Are you treating me like an outsider?"

Gu Yu froze. "I'm not."

"You are!"

Shen Jianan's eyes widened, filled with grievance. "Otherwise, why are you drawing such a clear line between us? We clearly agreed that we would share sweetness and bitterness, and struggle together."

He would not "split households" with the other man. Otherwise, facing Zhao Jianguo, Jiang Hongmei, and that "Plot Lord," who might appear at any time, all by himself would be far too exhausting.

So, catching him off guard, he viciously pinched his own thigh. Only when the pain made his eyes redden did he release his hand. Putting on a heartbroken expression, he glared fiercely at him. "Fine! You don't want to treat me as family, is that it? Then I'll go find Zhao Qiancheng and change where I live right now, so I won't be an eyesore to you."

With that, he turned and stormed out, puffed up with anger. Gu Yu hurriedly reached out to grab him. "Jianan, that's not what I meant."

"Move!"

Shen Jianan flung off his hand, then ran out of the kitchen. Seeing that he was serious, Gu Yu panicked. He did not want Shen Jianan living with anyone else, so he rushed after him and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "Listen to me... explain."