Ye Qinglan was secretly delighted.
The man cared about her.
It was only natural for him to be jealous. She would have been worried if he hadn’t reacted at all.
“Let’s go. I want to look around the black market.”
As soon as Ye Qinglan finished speaking, Zhou Beihan took out two pieces of black cloth.
She accepted one and covered her face with it.
Everyone dressed like this in the black market, so it wasn’t unusual.
The two men guarding the entrance both recognized Zhou Beihan. Even with the black cloth covering his face, they could still identify him.
It was obvious that he was very close to Huang Chao.
“Brother Han, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee. If you hear the whistle, just run.”
One of the men whispered quietly.
“Alright. Next time I have time, I’ll buy you both a drink.”
After saying that, Zhou Beihan led Ye Qinglan inside.
They passed through a small courtyard.
Beyond it was a large open area that looked like an abandoned warehouse.
Quite a few people were selling goods, but there weren’t many customers.
It was probably because of the time of day.
Most people were working at factories during these hours.
People from the countryside were usually the sellers. They normally worked in the fields and only had large crowds during market days.
Ye Qinglan asked about the prices of grain, chickens, ducks, and pork.
She wasn’t interested in anything else.
Grain cost about twice as much as it did at the government grain station.
Pork was selling for one yuan and fifty cents per jin.
Chickens and ducks cost around four to five yuan each, depending on their size.
“Qinglan, if you ever need to buy anything, just go to Huang Chao. The black market isn’t safe, so try not to come here too often.”
Zhou Beihan lowered his voice.
“Alright. I was just curious and wanted to take a look around. I don’t actually need to buy anything.”
After all, her space contained almost everything she could possibly need.
After finishing their tour, the two of them left the black market.
Ye Qinglan suddenly thought about the scrap collection station.
Finding an excuse, she said she wanted to buy some old newspapers so she would have something to use every day when lighting the coal stove.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to the scrap station. It’ll be much faster by bicycle. It’s quite a long walk.”
Zhou Beihan didn’t want her to get tired.
“Beihan, let’s have lunch before we go back. My treat. Don’t argue with me.”
Ye Qinglan wanted to enjoy a proper meat meal.
This body was seriously lacking in nutrition.
“Alright. You’ll be in charge of our household from now on. I’ll hand over all the money I earn to you. Spend it however you like.”
Zhou Beihan wasn’t someone who fussed over small matters.
He was willing to let his future wife make all the decisions.
The two of them arrived at the scrap collection station.
An elderly man was guarding the entrance.
Everything inside was discarded junk, and as long as you paid, you could take whatever you wanted.
Ye Qinglan began browsing through the books.
Meanwhile, Zhou Beihan was interested in old paintings and calligraphy.
The old caretaker sat leisurely smoking a cigarette, sipping green tea, and listening to traditional opera.
Ye Qinglan found several medical books and quietly stored them inside her space.
She also collected some paintings, books, and wooden boxes made from high-quality timber, though the boxes were empty.
She even picked up several bronze artifacts, including a bronze incense burner.
She couldn’t bear to leave any of them behind.
Then she found a thick dictionary.
When she opened it, she noticed that it still looked almost brand new.
It seemed as though something was hidden inside the cover.
She quietly stored it in her space, planning to examine it carefully after returning home.
Zhou Beihan found several books of his own.
Ye Qinglan didn’t have time to pay attention to him.
She spotted a few beautiful little bowls that looked like antiques and immediately stored those away as well.
“Qinglan, I’m done looking. Is there anything else you want to find?”
Zhou Beihan asked.
“I’m finished too. Let’s go pay.”
Ye Qinglan hugged several books and a stack of old newspapers in her arms.
The two of them spent only two yuan in total.
The old caretaker even gave them a worn burlap sack for free.
After packing everything inside, they tied it to the front of the bicycle.
Afterward, they went to the state-owned restaurant for lunch.
They ordered braised pork, stir-fried three delicacies, braised eggplant, tofu, and even bought a full jin of cooked rice.
“Eat more meat. You need to gain some weight. You’re too thin right now.”
Zhou Beihan was the first to place food into his girlfriend’s bowl.
“I don’t eat much. I feel uncomfortable if I eat too much.”
Ye Qinglan had never liked eating until she was overly full.
Everyone had different habits.
Some people loved buying clothes.
Others preferred delicious food.
Still others enjoyed traveling.
In the end, Zhou Beihan cleaned every dish on the table.
Ye Qinglan stared at his stomach in disbelief.
Where had all that food gone?
No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.
“Qinglan, why are you staring at my stomach?”
Zhou Beihan asked with an amused smile.
“Where does all the food you eat go?”
She accidentally voiced the question that had been on her mind.
“Silly girl. I have a very fast metabolism. I digest food quickly, so my stomach never gets bigger.”
Zhou Beihan found his girlfriend incredibly adorable.
“That’s good. I like men with a nice figure.”
Back in her previous life, Ye Qinglan loved looking at male models whenever she had free time.
“Don’t worry. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with my physique.”
Zhou Beihan said confidently.
“Mmm. It certainly looks impressive.”
Ye Qinglan thought to herself that it had felt even better when she touched it.
That’s right.
Ye Qinglan was absolutely attracted to Zhou Beihan’s body.
After all, appreciation of beauty and desire were simply part of human nature.
The two of them rode their bicycles back to the village.
Zhou Beihan escorted Ye Qinglan back to the educated youth residence.
He left her books and newspapers there before returning home to park the bicycle.
By the time he came back, the goods they had purchased had just been delivered.
Zhou Beihan helped carry everything inside.
Meanwhile, Ye Qinglan lit the coal stove.
The original owner had used one frequently, so it wasn’t difficult for her.
“Big Sister, could you lend me some money?”
Ye Bailian appeared again, trying to make her presence known.
“No. Don’t even think about taking advantage of me ever again. Be careful, or I’ll strip you naked and throw you into the mountains.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Ye Bailian fled in terror.
Seriously…
And this was supposed to be the heroine?
What on earth had the author been thinking?
Ye Qinglan felt she could crush her in an instant.
Ye Qinglan boiled some water and prepared a cup of malted milk for Zhou Beihan.
By the time they finished moving everything inside, the delivery workers had been paid and left.
Zhou Beihan stayed behind to spend time with his girlfriend so they could get to know each other better.
“I’m making preserved egg and sausage congee tonight. Do you want to stay for dinner?”
Ye Qinglan really wanted to feed him a proper meal.
“Sure. I’ll go home in a while and let my family know. Tomorrow I’ll have someone come with a marriage proposal. Tonight I’ll bring the betrothal gifts.”
Zhou Beihan liked to settle things quickly.
He had never been someone who dragged things out.
“Beihan, are there any foods you don’t eat?”
Ye Qinglan asked.
“Other than cilantro, I’ll eat anything.”
Zhou Beihan simply disliked the taste of cilantro.
“Really? Cilantro is my favorite. The thing I dislike most is ginger.”
Ye Qinglan hadn’t expected him to dislike cilantro.
“Then I’ll start eating cilantro too. If I eat enough of it, I’ll probably get used to it.”
Zhou Beihan felt that his tastes should match his girlfriend’s.
“Huh? You don’t have to do that. If you don’t like it, then don’t eat it.”
Ye Qinglan hadn’t expected him to go that far.
“It’s alright. If Qinglan likes something, then I should try to like it too.”
Zhou Beihan flirted without even realizing it.
Ye Qinglan gazed at him in a daze.
He was so handsome and made her feel completely safe.
She was certain that marrying him would make her very happy.
Looking at his high nose bridge and sharply sculpted profile, she couldn’t help admiring how incredibly handsome he was.
His firm muscles were especially tempting.
She almost started drooling.
That evening, Zhou Beihan returned home briefly to let Li Chunxiang know that he would be having dinner at the educated youth residence.
After night fell, he carried a wooden box to see Ye Qinglan.
Inside were all of his personal belongings.
“Qinglan, this is everything I own. From now on, you’ll manage our household finances.”
As he spoke, he handed the box to her.
“Beihan, I didn’t expect you to be so wealthy.”
Inside the box, besides several gold bars and a jade bracelet, was a savings passbook with a balance of more than five thousand yuan.