“Good morning.”
A flash of surprise appeared in Mrs. Yang’s eyes.
Was the sun rising from the west today? Shen Mei actually greeted her—normally she would ignore her completely.
But to be fair, the girl was dressed beautifully today.
The yellow dress clung to her figure like a blooming sunflower, bright and radiant.
Yet even more striking than the dress was her face.
Her skin was as white and delicate as a peeled lychee, seemingly soft enough to squeeze out water.
Mrs. Yang smiled warmly at her and said:
“I heard little Qin was called out on a mission last night. If you have no plans this noon, come over to my place for lunch, okay?”
Unlike the gossiping neighbors, she had a thing for beautiful faces.
Even if someone was cold, she would still smile at them.
Besides, a quarrel between Shen Mei and Captain Qin was a matter between husband and wife—it wasn’t her business, so why get involved?
Hearing the invitation, Shen Ran politely declined with a smile:
“No, thank you, Mrs. Yang. Qin Lie is on a mission, and I’d be bored staying at the military housing alone. I’d rather head home.”
“Oh, that’s fine too.”
A flash of envy appeared in Mrs. Yang’s eyes.
Having a family home in Beijing was wonderful—you could return anytime you missed it.
She, on the other hand, came from Jiangnan and returned home only every few years. Whenever she missed home, she had to cry in secret late at night.
The military housing was full of wives from all over the country—local Beijingers were rare.
No wonder Shen Mei had always kept her distance, refusing to socialize with them.
As they walked to the gathering point at the gate, a few other military wives were already there, surprised to see the two together.
“Mrs. Yang, you’re here! Yesterday we agreed to go to town to buy fabric—have you decided on the color?”
A woman around Mrs. Yang’s age walked up and pushed Shen Ran aside, linking her arm with Mrs. Yang’s.
She lowered her voice and whispered:
“Why are you hanging out with Qin Lie’s wife? Don’t you know what she’s like? So proud. Every time we greet her, it’s like talking to a deaf person—she doesn’t even lift her eyelids…”
“Achoo!”
A crisp sneeze cut off the gossiping woman mid-sentence.
Everyone turned and saw Shen Ran smiling, rubbing her nose:
“Sorry, I startled you all. Not sure who was talking behind my back, but it made me sneeze.”
The gossiping woman’s ears immediately turned red.
The others, eyes forward, stayed silent.
Better to watch the drama than get involved.
Mrs. Yang also felt slightly embarrassed.
She wasn’t close to that woman, who deliberately stirred up trouble, putting Mrs. Yang in a difficult position.
Luckily, the bus arrived just then, and everyone hurried aboard—the incident was forgotten.
The bus to town was a military truck. Everyone sat in the open bed, about ten people in total.
At first, the atmosphere was a bit tense, but Mrs. Yang started chatting about daily life. Soon, everyone laughed and joked, the mood lightening.
Shen Ran smiled politely throughout.
When someone tried to make small talk, she responded courteously.
This left the others shocked for a while.
Even though Shen Ran rarely appeared in the military housing, she had been married to Captain Qin for two years.
During those two years, she had never looked at any of them directly.
And now, suddenly, she was opening up!
Once they arrived in town, Shen Ran would take the bus home. Otherwise, they might have tried to get closer to her.
After all, Captain Qin was the most promising young officer in the unit.
Being on good terms with his wife could only help them.
Shen Ran didn’t know or care about their schemes—if she did, she would just smile and ignore it.
After all, she would be divorcing Qin Lie soon; maintaining these relationships wasn’t necessary.
She boarded a city bus, choosing the farthest corner seat to avoid too many glances.
The bus ride to the city center took over two hours.
Shen Ran closed her eyes, resting while thinking about her next plans.
She needed to visit Xinhua Bookstore to see if she could buy study materials from this era.
With the college entrance exam six months away, she had to cram middle and high school knowledge.
Fortunately, she had always excelled academically in her previous life.
Even after university, she had continued learning diligently.
The education level in the 1970s differed from the modern era, but much of the knowledge was similar.
She only needed to focus on politics and history to catch up.
As for the fake rich girl causing trouble at home, Shen Ran knew she couldn’t sit idly by—she needed to strike back.
The biased family? Once Shen Ran finished college and established herself in the city, she would sever ties completely.
Half-asleep on the swaying bus, Shen Ran drifted off.
When she woke again, the bus had arrived at the city station.
It was already past 1 p.m., and her stomach growled.
She ducked into a hidden alley to enter her space, had a hearty meal, and stepped out again.
The station was downtown, about a 30-minute walk from Xinhua Bookstore.
Though buses went directly, she chose to walk: “A little post-meal stroll won’t hurt.”
At Xinhua Bookstore, she bought all the middle and high school textbooks she needed, plus workbooks, pens, and pencils.
As she was about to leave, she remembered one important set she hadn’t bought: the “Self-Study Series for Math, Physics, and Chemistry.”
After the 1977 college entrance exams resumed in October, this series became nearly impossible to find—anyone who owned it could secure a university admission.
But the exams hadn’t resumed yet, and the books had fallen into obscurity. Shen Ran wasn’t sure if Xinhua Bookstore carried them.
She searched the store—nothing.
Maybe she could check the scrap yard?
In novels set in this era, heroines often found treasures at scrap yards.
The idea popped into her mind, and she decided immediately:
To the scrap yard! Treasure hunting!