After dinner, Lan Sisi brought out a plate of washed grapes and a bottle of unlabeled wine.
Lin Ruihai took a sip, and his eyes lit up. “This is grape wine? Rich and full-bodied, it is top-quality wine. Where did you get it? It must not have been cheap.”
“I made it myself.” Lan Sisi took a sip. The aroma of the wine filled her entire mouth, carrying a hint of sweetness and acidity.
Lin Ruihai drank another mouthful. The taste made him feel as if he had returned to Beijing, standing by his father’s side, socializing with others, raising glasses and chatting with ease.
Beside them, Lan Sinian watched eagerly, his eyes full of longing. Unfortunately, Lan Sisi ignored him. Left with no choice, he picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth. The juice burst instantly, sweet and refreshing. His eyes widened in delight. “Sis, this is so good!”
Lin Ruihai also ate one. No wonder the wine tasted so good. These grapes were far from ordinary.
The three of them sat in the courtyard, drinking wine and eating grapes, completely at ease.
A gentle breeze brushed past. Lan Sisi felt slightly tipsy, a blush spreading across her face, though her mind remained clear. She tilted her head up to look at the night sky. In her previous life, she had never seen such a clean and pure sky.
The stars were clear, and the night was cool like water.
Lin Ruihai’s gaze followed her, unable to look away. Her slightly flushed face seemed to glow under the moonlight, and her eyes looked as if they held shattered starlight within them. One glance was enough to lose oneself.
After a long moment, he awkwardly turned his head away, telling himself it must be because he had drunk too much.
That night, he had a dream. In it, there was a girl with a small dimple at the corner of her lips when she smiled. The next morning, he woke up very early and sat by the bed for quite a while before opening the door.
“You are up so early.” At the doorway stood the young girl, smiling brightly, overlapping perfectly with the image in his dream. His heartbeat suddenly quickened.
That day, Lan Sisi worked in her field. She had gradually grown accustomed to farm work and handled it with ease.
“Sisi, hurry home, someone is looking for you,” Aunt Sun ran over and called out.
Lan Sisi was puzzled. Who would be looking for her at this time?
She quickly followed Aunt Sun back home.
“It’s a man, and he even rode a bicycle,” Aunt Sun said on the way.
At this time, a bicycle was a rare and valuable item. One cost several hundred yuan, equivalent to several months’ wages for a worker. Owning one was a symbol of wealth.
When she returned home, Lan Sisi saw a man in a Zhongshan suit sitting in the courtyard. As she approached, she realized it was Sun Dafa.
“Little sister?” Sun Dafa looked at the overly young girl in front of him and asked in confusion.
Hearing that form of address, Lin Ruihai frowned almost imperceptibly.
“Big Brother Sun, it’s me.” Lan Sisi smiled and explained, “I just look young. I covered my face before because I was afraid you wouldn’t trust me.”
“That makes sense, that makes sense. And this is… your husband?” Sun Dafa asked, looking at Lin Ruihai, who had just walked in. The two of them looked well-matched.
“Cough, cough…” Lan Sisi choked on her own breath. She had forgotten about that part.
The tips of Lin Ruihai’s ears quietly turned red.
“Big Brother Sun, please sit for a moment.” Lan Sisi pulled Lin Ruihai into the house.
“Do not misunderstand, I did not say that on purpose,” Lan Sisi said awkwardly, explaining the situation while omitting the farm and only mentioning that she had found a supply channel. “I will need you to pretend to be my… my husband.”
Without the “husband” explanation, she had no way to justify her supply source.
After saying it, even Lan Sisi’s own face turned red. This was too unreasonable. Lin Ruihai would probably refuse…
“Alright,” Lin Ruihai said gently. His gaze lingered on the faint redness at her ear, and he almost wanted to touch it.
The two quickly returned to the courtyard, both with slightly flushed faces. Sun Dafa expressed his understanding. Everyone had been young once, and he and his wife had been just as affectionate back then.
“Little sister, I came specially this time to thank you. Because of your vegetables, not only did I complete my task, I was also promoted. Last time I was only acting as section chief, not officially appointed. This time I have been formally promoted. Those people who tried to sabotage me have truly failed miserably,” Sun Dafa said with a loud laugh.
“Then congratulations, Big Brother Sun,” Lan Sisi said with a smile.
“It is all thanks to you two,” Sun Dafa said sincerely. He then took out a red envelope from his pocket. “This is a special token of my gratitude.”
“I cannot accept this. The last payment was already settled,” Lan Sisi refused.
“This is different. Without you, I would have suffered a huge loss this time,” Sun Dafa insisted.
After several rounds of back and forth, Sun Dafa still left the money behind. Lan Sisi held it in her hand. It was a thick stack.
“Actually, I have another matter I want to ask for your help with,” Sun Dafa continued. “A friend of mine from the Food Bureau needs a batch of fruit for making canned goods. But fruit is hard to come by right now, so he asked if you have any connections. As for the price, you can rest assured.”
Lan Sisi’s eyes lit up. It was like being handed a pillow just as she felt sleepy. She had been worrying about the surplus fruit in her farm.
“I wonder how much he needs? Right now, I may only have apples, strawberries, and grapes. They are not very large, but they taste very good. They are also new experimental varieties from that same village,” Lan Sisi said.
“Size does not matter, as long as they taste good,” Sun Dafa replied, becoming even more convinced that Lan Sisi was not ordinary.
“I will need to ask first. Can I give you an answer in a few days?” Lan Sisi said after some thought. She could not say yes immediately, or it would seem suspicious.
“Of course. When the time comes, just come to the Grain Bureau to find me.”
During the conversation, Lin Ruihai quietly acted as a background figure. After setting the time, they escorted Sun Dafa out. Lan Sisi’s mood was clearly much better.
“You are that happy?” Lin Ruihai asked with a smile.
“Who wouldn’t be happy making money?” Lan Sisi hummed as she went into the house.
Lin Ruihai began silently calculating how much money he had.
A few days later, at the entrance of the Grain Bureau.
After registering their information, Lan Sisi and Lin Ruihai were brought to Sun Dafa’s office.
Lin Ruihai had specifically taken leave to accompany her, worried that she might be taken advantage of as a young girl.
There was another person in the office, Deputy Director Li from the food factory. Sun Dafa introduced them.
Deputy Director Li appeared to be in his forties, with clear and composed features.
When he saw how young Lan Sisi was, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and showed no sign of looking down on her. Lin Ruihai’s refined bearing also caught his attention several times.
They sat down together and quickly agreed on a price. Upon hearing that Lan Sisi could supply such a large quantity of fruit, he was delighted and offered a very reasonable price. Both sides were satisfied. The location remained the same suburban warehouse as before, and the time was set for two days later.
After the agreement, Deputy Director Li readily paid a deposit of one thousand yuan. Lan Sisi smiled brightly. She liked dealing with straightforward people.
The factory still had matters to attend to, so Deputy Director Li left first, expressing his apologies and saying he would treat them to a meal next time. Lan Sisi said it was fine, as there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
“Little sister, you are impressive. I, Old Sun, do not admire many people, but you are one of them,” Sun Dafa said, giving a thumbs-up.
“Big Brother Sun, you flatter me. It is thanks to Deputy Director Li’s decisiveness and your introduction. Otherwise, I would not have found such a good partner,” Lan Sisi replied.
After exchanging compliments, it was nearly noon. Sun Dafa simply ended his workday early and treated Lan Sisi and Lin Ruihai to a meal.
“There is a Western restaurant nearby. Steak, pasta, it is quite popular among young people recently. I went there once with people from the bureau. I wonder if you are used to that kind of food,” Sun Dafa said.
Lan Sisi had eaten such food often in her previous life, so she was not particularly interested, but she did not refuse his kindness.
The streets were bustling with people, and the nearby state-owned restaurant was gradually filling up as well.
“The policies have loosened quite a bit. Look around, some private shops have started opening. Perhaps before long, there will be official directives. When that time comes, you two can really make something of yourselves,” Sun Dafa said vaguely.
Lan Sisi immediately felt delighted upon hearing this. The history of this world differed from her previous life, so she did not know when private trade would be officially allowed. Now that she had Sun Dafa’s hint, the fruits and vegetables from her farm, as well as the processed goods she made, would finally have a legitimate outlet.
She already had a preliminary idea forming.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the Western restaurant. Compared to later times, the decoration was simple, and it even had a down-to-earth name, Old Liu Western Restaurant. A waiter led them to a table and handed them a menu.
Although Lan Sisi had eaten Western food in her previous life, she was now just a “country girl” who knew nothing.
Lin Ruihai behaved naturally and even thoughtfully cut her steak for her, quietly teaching her how to use a knife and fork. Lan Sisi learned quickly and soon mastered it.
The menu was limited, and the portions were small. After finishing a steak and a serving of pasta, Lan Sisi realized she was still not full. It was not as satisfying as the large meat buns from the state-owned restaurant.
Before leaving, Lin Ruihai went to the restroom, while Lan Sisi and Sun Dafa stayed at the table chatting.
Sun Dafa had just started talking about his daughter, who was about Lan Sisi’s age, when Lan Sisi noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a middle-aged man and a young woman entering through the door. She did not recognize the man, but she recognized the woman immediately. It was her cousin, Lan Hehua.
Although the two were not overly intimate, their expressions and manner of speaking revealed a certain closeness.
Lan Sisi frowned slightly.
Their table was quite visible, so Lan Hehua quickly noticed her as well. After a moment of surprise, her expression turned into one of understanding, mixed with a trace of disdain.
Lan Sisi originally did not intend to pay attention, but the middle-aged man glanced in their direction and actually walked over.