“Huh?” Cecilia Adler looked up as if from a dream.
“That’s the blooming peony.
A cent and a half a pair.”
“I’ll take two pairs.”
“You got it.” Cecilia Adler retrieved the items and took the money.
Her gaze then met Ian Quincy’s, and she quickly looked away.
“You should go, quick.
It’ll be a disaster if someone we know sees you.”
Her voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible, cautious, just like a child who had done something wrong.
Ian Quincy’s heart ached for her.
“You haven’t sold everything.
Where would you go?”
Her paper-cutting designs were all different, and every single one was so exquisite that even he wanted to buy a couple.
‘Her hands are so deft.’
Cecilia Adler was stunned and blurted out, “Are you going to sell them with me?”
“What else?”
Cecilia Adler was dumbfounded.
“…”
Ian Quincy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, helping hand the paper-cuttings to customers when they came.
Cecilia Adler composed herself and pulled his scarf up over his nose.
“This way, no one will recognize you.”
“But you recognized me, didn’t you?”
Cecilia Adler was speechless.
They were busy with customers, so there was no time for idle chat.
It wasn’t until everything was sold that she had a chance to ask him, “What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for study materials, and I bought a couple of books for you while I was at it.”
“Books for me?” Cecilia Adler was floored.
It was the first time anyone had ever bought her books.
“I don’t know that many words.
I won’t be able to read them.”
“You can ask me.
Ready to go home?
To our new home.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cecilia Adler nodded.
After they left the market, Ian Quincy asked in confusion, “Didn’t you just get red envelopes?
Why are you running a stall here?” She was really something else, managing to find the black market in a place where she was a total stranger.
He was a local, and even he had to pull some strings to find it.
Cecilia Adler was silent for a long time before saying softly, “The money from the red envelopes belongs to both of us.
I can’t just spend it however I want.
I found the black market by asking around.
Now that you know I’m a merchant…
what will you do?”
The Quillan family was prominent and respected; they would never accept a daughter-in-law who was a speculator and profiteer.
‘She had already prepared for the worst.
No matter what happened, she wouldn’t blame anyone.’
“I’ll run the stall with you.” Ian Quincy made his stance clear with that one sentence.
Cecilia Adler was both shocked and overjoyed.
She was shocked that he could accept her running a stall, and overjoyed that she had met a man who respected her.
She smiled, her red lips and white teeth a stark contrast to the plain, bulky old cotton coat that hid her beauty.
“Mhm.”
Ian Quincy was captivated.
The moment Cecilia Adler faced him, he immediately composed himself and lowered his gaze.
‘He couldn’t let his wife discover him ogling her.’
…
「Back at the family housing compound.」
Cecilia Adler took out the change she had earned and counted it.
After costs, she had a net profit of one yuan and eighty cents.
She recorded the accounts in a notebook.
Looking at the records, Ian Quincy realized she had already started her stall yesterday.
‘She registered their marriage, set up a stall, and cooked for his whole family.
She hadn’t had a moment’s rest.’
A bitter feeling welled up inside him.
“This stall…
do you really have to do it?”
Cecilia Adler looked up and said crisply, “Yes, I do.
You can’t go back on your word.”
Ian Quincy said, “I won’t, but you can’t be out there every day.” ‘What if you exhaust yourself?’
Cecilia Adler agreed.
The two fell silent.
After a long while, Ian Quincy took the initiative to move closer and take her hand, rubbing it gently.
‘It felt cool and rough.’
‘Her hands shouldn’t be like this.’
‘After the wedding banquet, once we’re living together, I’ll definitely nurse these hands back to health.’
Cecilia Adler’s heart started to pound.
She didn’t understand why he kept rubbing her hand.
‘If I just pull my hand away, will he be upset?’
‘Sigh.’
‘If he likes it, then I’ll just let him.’
‘It’s not like I’m going to lose a piece of me, anyway.’