Lu Shiyan saw that both of them were almost unable to carry any more things, so he bought a bamboo basket from a nearby stall owner and carefully packed all the cloth, candy, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and enamel cups inside it. He then slung it steadily onto his back.
Su Wanqing immediately had her hands free. Feeling relaxed, she bounced ahead happily, sometimes stopping to glance at small roadside stalls, sometimes leaning against shop doorframes to peek inside. Her curiosity was overflowing.
As they walked, she suddenly stopped.
Her eyes locked onto a snack stall ahead.
The stall had a small coal stove. On top of it were fried dough twists, deep fried dough sticks, sugar cakes, and freshly fried youtiao. The golden surfaces glistened with oil, still sizzling, and the aroma drifted through the air, making people swallow unconsciously.
Su Wanqing couldn’t help swallowing her saliva. Her eyes were completely glued to the youtiao.
Lu Shiyan walked up beside her, looking at her greedy expression, and couldn’t help laughing.
“Want some?”
Su Wanqing nodded immediately, like a bobblehead.
“Yes, it looks so delicious.”
Without asking more, Lu Shiyan took out money and bought two freshly fried youtiao and two sugar cakes. He wrapped them carefully in oil paper and handed them to her.
“Eat slowly, don’t burn yourself.”
Su Wanqing took them and immediately bit down hard on a piece of youtiao.
The outer layer was crisp, the inside soft, full of rich oil aroma. Every bite was deeply satisfying.
As she chewed, she suddenly thought of something from her previous life.
She remembered a way she used to make fried dough snacks: cutting glutinous rice cake into small pieces, coating them lightly with flour, and frying them together with youtiao. After frying, sprinkling black sesame and white sugar on top. Crispy on the outside, chewy inside, sweet and fragrant, even stretching slightly when pulled apart. Much better than plain youtiao.
If she ever set up a small stall in the future, she could try it and see if people in this era would like it.
She turned to Lu Shiyan while chewing, her cheeks still full.
“Do you want some? It’s really good.”
Lu Shiyan looked at her mouth full of oil and the crumbs at the corner of her lips, smiling softly. He shook his head.
“You eat. I am not hungry.”
Su Wanqing insisted and held the bitten youtiao to his lips.
“Try it. Just one bite. If it doesn’t taste good, you can spit it out.”
Helpless, Lu Shiyan lowered his head and took a small bite from where she had bitten.
The crisp aroma of the youtiao spread in his mouth, mixed with the faint warmth of her fingertips. It tasted even better than anything he had ever eaten.
Su Wanqing took another big bite and suddenly remembered something.
She asked vaguely, “Where are we staying tonight? Are we going back to the village?”
Lu Shiyan looked at her.
“Do you want to go back?”
Su Wanqing frowned and thought for a moment, then curled her lips.
“Even though the brigade gave us three days off, without an introduction letter we can’t stay in a guesthouse. Going back is fine, but Zhang Hongying is so annoying. If she sees us after we got the marriage certificate, she will definitely make sarcastic comments again. Just thinking about it is irritating.”
Lu Shiyan was silent for a few seconds, then took her hand.
“Come with me.”
“Where? Can you at least explain?” she protested, trying to pull her hand free.
He did not explain. He simply led her through winding alleyways in the town for a few minutes before stopping in front of a small courtyard.
It was not large. The courtyard walls were made of mud bricks, not high, with wild grass growing on top. The wooden gate was old, its red paint mostly peeled off.
Inside, there was a tall sycamore tree with lush branches forming a cool shade. A breeze rustled the leaves, making a refreshing sound. In the corner were old clay jars, and beside the wall grew several impatiens flowers blooming brightly, adding life to the simple courtyard.
Su Wanqing stared in surprise.
“This… this is your house?”
Lu Shiyan touched his nose slightly, a little awkward.
“It is not mine. It belongs to a friend. He moved away, so the house was left empty. I help look after it. When I come to town late, I stay here.”
Su Wanqing understood immediately. She did not press further and simply smiled.
“That’s great! We can use the red paper to cut window flowers and paste couplets. Even if we don’t have a proper wedding house, it can still feel festive.”
Lu Shiyan paused.
“You know how to cut window flowers?”
Su Wanqing glared at him and put her hands on her hips.
“What? Looking down on me? My window flowers are better than the village aunties’!”
“Alright, alright. My wife is the best.”
They entered the courtyard. Lu Shiyan unloaded the basket and placed everything on an old table inside the house.
The interior was simple: an old table, two chairs, and a wooden bed. Everything was clean, clearly often used.
After shaking off the dust from his hands, Lu Shiyan said, “Rest here. I’ll go buy some vegetables. We’ll cook at home tonight.”
Su Wanqing immediately frowned and rubbed her leg.
“I am not going. My legs hurt from walking. I will stay home and cut window flowers and wait for you.”
Lu Shiyan smiled helplessly, crouching down to gently massage her leg.
“So delicate. You are already complaining after such a short walk.”
Su Wanqing huffed and pushed his hand away.
“What’s wrong with being delicate? What’s wrong with your wife being delicate?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll go buy vegetables. I’ll be back soon. Don’t run around.”
He then left the courtyard.
About half an hour later, he returned carrying groceries: a fresh fish, pork belly, eggs, and greens. All chosen according to what Su Wanqing liked.
When he entered, he saw her sitting in the courtyard under the sycamore tree, cutting window flowers with scissors and red paper. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on her face, making her look especially beautiful.
Half a finished “double happiness” character lay on the paper, neatly cut, with decorative edges and two magpies. It was indeed more refined than anything the village aunties could make.
Lu Shiyan quietly approached and placed the vegetables on the stone table, then took out washed tomatoes.
“Eat this first. Don’t tire yourself out.”
Su Wanqing took a bite. It was sweet and full of juice.
In this era, fruits were rare. Tomatoes were considered a delicacy.
She looked up and saw Lu Shiyan rolling up his sleeves, about to head into the kitchen. She quickly put down the tomato and scissors and ran to stop him.
“Wait, wait, I’ll cook!”
Lu Shiyan froze slightly, looking at her in confusion.
“You can cook?”