Qin Yanci suddenly smiled. “Are you treating me like a child?”
“You’re my fiancé,” Ying Sisi corrected.
Qin Yanci felt something strange in his chest. He bit into a pastry and replied vaguely, “Mm, fiancé.”
Ying Sisi thought for a second, then pulled out a stamp. “Have you seen this before?”
Qin Yanci’s eyes lit up. He took it and examined it back and forth. “A Republic of China-era stamp. Where did you get this?”
Ying Sisi was secretly pleased. So he really knew about this.
She pretended casually, “Picked it up. I heard old stamps are worth money. Is that true?”
“It is. When I was studying, I researched and collected them. A stamp like this would be worth at least seven or eight yuan.”
Ying Sisi could barely contain her excitement.
Seven or eight yuan per stamp?
She had counted the album yesterday—over 130 stamps, all from different eras, some dating back to the last century.
If each one was worth that much, wouldn’t she get rich selling the whole album?
She suppressed the urge to smile. “So expensive? Where do you sell them?”
“Antique markets. But those places are hidden now—ordinary people can’t easily find them. Are you planning to sell? I can ask around for you.”
Ying Sisi got excited and grabbed his hand. “Ah Ci, you’re my lucky star.”
If she searched on her own, who knew how long it would take to find an antique market?
Qin Yanci lowered his gaze to their hands.
Compared to his dark skin, hers was very fair—like scallion whites. But the skin on her hands was not delicate like her face; it was rough.
Just like his.
Hands of people who worked.
For some reason, his heartbeat quickened and his throat felt dry.
He thought about how she had just fed him a pastry—her fingers almost brushing his lips. He should have bitten it then… tasted it.
Or maybe he should let her warm the bed. They were engaged anyway, and she had agreed.
At that moment, sounds of the door opening came from outside, followed by commotion.
Ying Sisi went out first.
A young couple holding a child appeared at the door. The man wore a dark blue cotton jacket, the woman wore a thick coat, fully wrapped up. Beside them stood a middle-aged woman who looked somewhat haggard.
They were Qin Yanci’s elder brother, sister-in-law, and mother.
Ying Sisi greeted them politely. “Auntie, Brother, Sister-in-law.”
“Ying Sisi? Is Yanci here too?”
Qin Yanci came out from the kitchen.
Qin’s mother froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened as she quickly walked up. “Yanci… you’re back. You’ve grown so tall.”
She reached out to touch his face, but he avoided her.
Her hand stiffened awkwardly. “You’ve gotten thinner… and darker too.”
“The farm has strong sun and hard living. Of course I’m thinner and darker. Unlike you all living comfortably in Yanjing—fat and fair and well-fed.”
His tone was sharp and full of sarcasm.
No one in the family could refute him.
Ying Sisi found it surprising—this was the first time she had heard him speak so much at once.
Qin’s elder sister-in-law, Lu Yuespring, tried to ease the atmosphere. “Yanci, do you want to see your little niece?”
“Not interested.”
Qin Yanci went straight back into his room.
“Yanci!” Qin’s mother hurried after him.
Lu Yuespring then turned her attention to Ying Sisi. “Sisi, when did you arrive?”
“Not long ago.”
Ying Sisi accompanied her into the room and leaned in to look at the baby. The child was fair-skinned with long eyelashes.
“How adorable,” she praised.
Lu Yuespring smiled. “Once you marry in, you should have one too soon.”
Ying Sisi thought to herself: You’ve already taken over all the rooms—where would we even live if we had children?
She had grown up without a proper home. If her child would also live like that, what difference would there be between them?
She didn’t want her child to suffer like she did.
But outwardly, she only smiled sweetly. “Sister-in-law, don’t tease me.”