Chapter 16
Are We Still Going Back to the Village?
Seeing that the two of them could barely hold any more things in their hands, Lu Shiyan went over to a local villager setting up a stall nearby and bought a bamboo back-basket. He packed the purchased fabric, candy, melon seeds, peanuts, and enamel mugs into it one by one, then carried it steadily on his back.
Su Wanqing’s hands were suddenly completely empty, making her extremely relaxed. She skipped happily in front, leaning into a roadside stall to look around one moment, and gripping a shop’s doorframe to peer inside the next, full of curiosity.
As she walked along, she suddenly stopped her steps, her eyes glued straight onto a snack stall ahead.
That stall supported a small coal stove, upon which twist rolls, fried dough twists, sugar cakes, and freshly out-of-the-pan fried dough sticks were displayed. Golden and oily, the grease was still sizzling, and the fragrance wafted over with the wind, making people swallow their saliva.
Su Wanqing couldn’t resist swallowing her saliva, her gaze stuck on the fried dough sticks, unable to turn away.
Lu Shiyan walked to her side carrying the back-basket. Looking at her greedy appearance, he couldn’t help but smile, “Want to eat?”
Su Wanqing quickly nodded her head, her head nodding like a rattle drum, “Yes, it looks delicious.”
Lu Shiyan didn’t question further. He pulled out cash, handed it to the vendor, and bought two freshly cooked fried dough sticks and two sugar cakes, wrapping them carefully with oilpaper before placing them into her hands, “Eat slowly, don’t get burned.”
Su Wanqing took them, unable to wait as she took a big bite of a fried dough stick. The outer skin was crispy and crunchy, making a crackling sound as she bit down, while the inside was soft and doughy, permeated with a faint oil fragrance, filling her mouth with absolute satisfaction.
As she chewed, she suddenly recalled her favorite way to make fried dough sticks before she transmigrated.
Cutting soft and sticky glutinous rice cakes into small pieces, coating them with a thin layer of flour, and frying them together with fried dough sticks. After frying, scattering a handful of black sesame seeds and white granulated sugar over themācrispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, the sweet fragrance mingling with the oil fragrance, taking a bite could even pull strings of rice, ten times more delicious than a plain fried dough stick.
If she was going to set up a stall later on, she could try it out to see if the people of this era liked it.
Chewing her fried dough stick, she turned her head to look at Lu Shiyan, her mouth still bulging, “Are you eating? It’s really delicious.”
Looking at her mouth gleaming with oil and a tiny speck of oil sticking to the corner of her lips, Lu Shiyan’s eyes were completely filled with laughter as he shook his head, “You eat, I’m not hungry.”
Su Wanqing refused to comply, holding the fried dough stick she had bitten once to his lips, “Taste it, just one bite. If it tastes bad, you can spit it back out.”
Helpless, Lu Shiyan lowered his head and took a gentle small bite right from her hand. The crisp fragrance of the fried dough stick spread out in his mouth, mingling with the faint warmth of her fingertips, making it more fragrant than anything he usually ate.
Su Wanqing took another big bite, suddenly remembering something, asking him indistinctly, “By the way, where are we staying tonight? Are we still going back to the village?”
Lu Shiyan looked at her, his tone flat, “Do you want to go back?”
Su Wanqing wrinkled her brows as she thought about it, puckering her lips, “Although the brigade gave us a three-day holiday, without a letter of introduction, we can’t stay at a guesthouse either. Going back is fine, it’s just that annoying ghost Zhang Hongying, seeing us come back from getting registered, she will definitely speak sour words behind our backs again, it’s annoying just hearing it.”
Lu Shiyan fell silent for a few seconds, reaching out to hold her hand, “Come with me.”
“Ah? Where are we going? At least make it clear.” Su Wanqing froze for a moment, tugging her hand slightly against his grip.
Lu Shiyan didn’t say much, just holding her hand as they twisted and turned through the town’s small alleys. After walking for about a few minutes, he finally stopped at the entrance of a small courtyard.
This was a small courtyard that wasn’t very large. The courtyard walls were built with adobe bricks, not high, and some wild grass grew along the top of the walls. At the courtyard entrance was an old wooden door, the red paint brushed on it having already peeled away almost entirely.
Inside the courtyard, a tall parasol tree was planted, its branches lush and leaves numerous. The dense foliage cast a large patch of shade, and when the summer wind blew, the leaves rustled, exuding a refreshing coolness, much cooler than outside. A few old clay pots were piled in a corner of the yard, and a few balsam flowers were planted by the wall, blooming vibrantly, adding a bit of life to this simple small courtyard.
Looking at this small courtyard, Su Wanqing was full of surprise, turning her head to ask Lu Shiyan, “Th-this is your house?”
Lu Shiyan rubbed his nose, explaining a bit unnaturally, “It’s not mine, it’s an old house belonging to a friend. He moved elsewhere, and the house was left empty with no one taking care of it, so he asked me to help look after it. Sometimes when I come to town for business and it’s too late to go back, I stay here.”
Su Wanqing was completely clear in her mind that he wasn’t planning on confessing his identity as a black market big shot just yet. She didn’t press him either, only saying with a beaming smile, “That’s wonderful! The red paper we bought can just be used to cut window paper-cuts and paste double happiness characters. Even if we don’t have a proper bridal chamber, we must have a celebratory atmosphere!”
Lu Shiyan froze for a moment, somewhat surprised, “You can cut window paper-cuts?”
Su Wanqing glared at him, hands on her hips, her tone carrying a hint of playful pride, “What? Who are you looking down on? The window paper-cuts I cut look more beautiful than the ones cut by the skilled aunties in the village!”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. My wife is the most amazing.” Lu Shiyan let out a low chuckle, rubbing her hair.
The two pushed the door open and walked into the small courtyard. Lu Shiyan unloaded the back-basket, taking out the things inside and placing them on an old table in the room.
The furnishings in the room were simple: just an old table, two chairs, and a wooden plank bed, tidied up spotlessly clean without a speck of dust. It was plain to see that he frequently came here.
Lu Shiyan clapped away the dust on his hands, saying to Su Wanqing, “You sit and rest for a bit first, I’ll go to the street to buy some groceries, we’ll cook and eat at home tonight.”
Su Wanqing immediately wrinkled her brows, rubbing her own legs as she said coquettishly, “I’m not going, walking too much made my legs hurt. I’ll just stay at home cutting window paper-cuts and wait for you to come back.”
Lu Shiyan smiled helplessly, squatting down to reach out and gently squeeze her legs, his tone carrying a bit of indulgence, “Truly delicate, crying pain after walking such a short distance.”
Su Wanqing let out a huff, slapping his hand away, “What’s wrong with being delicate? What’s wrong with your wife being a bit delicate?”
“Good, good, good, not delicate,” Lu Shiyan stood up with a smile. “I’ll go buy groceries and be back very soon, don’t run around blindly at home.”
Having said that, he turned around and left the small courtyard, going to the street to buy groceries.
After about half an hour or so, Lu Shiyan returned carrying the groceries. He hadn’t bought anything too expensive, just picking out a fresh fish, a piece of pork belly, a few eggs, and also buying a handful of green vegetablesāall of which were things Su Wanqing loved to eat.
Pushing open the courtyard door, Lu Shiyan saw Su Wanqing sitting on a small stool in the yard, holding scissors and red paper, her head lowered as she cut window paper-cuts. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the parasol tree leaves, scattering across her face, looking exceptionally beautiful.
The window paper-cut was already half cut. It was a large double happiness character, cut neatly and structurally, with tiny patterns bordering the four sides along with two magpies. It was indeed more delicate than the ones cut by the village aunties.
Lu Shiyan eased his steps as he walked over, placing the groceries on the stone table nearby, and pulled out a few washed tomatoes from his pocket, handing them to Su Wanqing, “Eat a bit of this to cushion your stomach first, cut again later, don’t tire yourself out.”
Su Wanqing lifted her head, taking the tomato and taking a bite. It was sweet and very juicy.
In this era, fruits weren’t plenty, so tomatoes were considered a rare fruit.
Seeing Lu Shiyan rolling up his sleeves and about to walk toward the kitchen, she quickly put down the tomato and scissors, running over to block him, “Wait, wait, wait, let me cook!”
Lu Shiyan froze for a moment, looking at her with confusion, “You know how to cook too?”
