On the way to the state-run restaurant, Bai Lu desperately wanted to sell the bottle of liquor in her hand. Two hundred thousand Mall Coins! If the purchasing power of two hundred thousand Mall Coins was equivalent to two hundred thousand RMB, she would be rich.
Arriving at the state-run restaurant, she saw a sign by the door with today’s offerings written in chalk: Braised Pork, Chicken Stew with Mushrooms, Stir-fried Tomato and Eggs, Stir-fried Green Beans with Cured Meat… Wen Nuan excitedly ran inside to order at the window.
With a helpless smile, Bai Lu walked over and stood behind her.
Since it wasn’t peak mealtime yet, there weren’t many people in the restaurant, and most of the tables were empty.
Bai Lu and Wen Nuan ordered the Braised Pork and the Stir-fried Tomato and Eggs, with steamed white rice as their staple.
Wen Nuan took the rice with a beaming smile and immediately popped a piece of braised pork into her mouth. The pork was fatty but not greasy, melting the moment it touched her tongue. With her mouth full, she mumbled, “Bai Lu, you should eat too!”
Bai Lu nodded and picked up a piece of braised pork, placing it in her bowl. The savory sauce mixed with the rice was incredibly fragrant. Even though Bai Lu had tasted all sorts of delicacies in the new century of her previous life, she couldn’t help but salivate.
As she ate, Wen Nuan sighed with emotion, “This is so delicious. If only the hospital cafeteria had braised pork this good.”
“We’ll have it in the future,” Bai Lu said enigmatically. In the new century, everyone would live the good life—upstairs and downstairs with electric lights and telephones, plowing without oxen, lighting without oil, white rice for every meal, and meat every day.
After finishing their meal, Bai Lu and Wen Nuan took the bus back, arriving at the dormitory after 3:00 PM.
Today was a shared day off for both of them, so they were the only two in the dormitory. Taking advantage of the moment Wen Nuan went to the restroom, Bai Lu quickly sold the liquor. Instantly, her balance increased by two hundred thousand Mall Coins, making her a “little wealthy woman” with 210,000 Mall Coins. Overjoyed, she hurriedly checked the homepage of the “Universal Mall.”
Just then, someone shouted loudly outside the dormitory, “Nurse Bai, there’s a phone call for you! It’s your Jin Jialiang calling.”
Hearing that name filled Bai Lu with a visceral sense of disgust. She quickly spent 30 Mall Coins to buy a jar of assorted lollipops. The lollipops were colorful, but the packaging was a plain, transparent bag with no markings. She opened the transparent plastic jar, grabbed a handful to put in her pocket, put the rest into the “Universal Warehouse,” and rushed out of the dormitory.
Sure enough, Lin Yaoyao, a young nurse from the reception desk, was standing in front of the dorm.
Seeing her panting, it was obvious she had jogged all the way. Although the dormitory area was behind the hospital, it still took several minutes to walk.
Bai Lu grabbed a handful of lollipops and stuffed them into the pocket of Lin Yaoyao’s white coat. “Thank you, sorry for the trouble. You walk back slowly and take a rest; I’ll head over to answer the phone first.”
With that, Bai Lu jogged toward the front of the hospital.
Arriving at the reception desk, Bai Lu reached out, picked up the receiver, and placed it to her ear. “Hello…”
“It’s me!”
Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, Bai Lu’s nose prickled, and tears nearly spilled out.
It was Jin Qiu!
The person calling her was Jin Qiu!!
It was her second husband from her previous life, Jin Qiu—not that chauvinistic Jin Jialiang. She didn’t know why Jin Qiu was pretending to be Jin Jialiang to call her.
Bai Lu desperately wanted to speak, but she couldn’t make a sound. She tried her best to adjust her emotions, wanting to face Jin Qiu in a normal state, but she truly couldn’t do it.
“Bai Lu, you’re back, right?” Jin Qiu asked on the other end.
Bai Lu’s eyes widened in shock. He said “back,” which meant… did it mean he had returned too? Had he also been reborn? However, phone calls were monitored, so certain things couldn’t be said too bluntly.
Bai Lu choked out, “You… you’re back too?”
“Yes, I’m back,” Jin Qiu said earnestly. “Wait for me. I’ll come find you in a few days. I won’t let you be alone anymore.”
Bai Lu tried to keep her eyes wide to stop the tears from falling. “Knowing you’re back and knowing you’re okay is enough for me. You don’t need to give up your job for me or change everything about yourself. We will definitely reunite.”
In her previous life, it had taken two years for Jin Qiu to transfer to the forest farm, where he became the deputy director of the neighboring farm.
Bai Lu didn’t want him to abandon his current career and transfer back just for her right now.
In this life, they had plenty of time, so she wasn’t in a hurry at all. Furthermore, she and Jin Jialiang hadn’t “broken off the engagement” yet. Although the “engagement” back then was only a verbal agreement without a formal ceremony, the breakup still required Jin Jialiang to mention it verbally.
If she stayed with Jin Qiu at this time, what would others think of them? Would they see Jin Qiu as a third party destroying a relationship? Would they think she was unfaithful?
They could ignore other people’s opinions and gossip, but they were both working professionals. Such scandals could very likely affect their future careers.
“I can’t wait, do you know? I’m desperate to see you. You don’t have to do anything; just wait for me.” After dreaming of his past life, he was desperate to come to her. However, given the special nature of his work, he couldn’t act recklessly. He had to arrange everything properly before he could go to her.
Bai Lu nodded repeatedly at the phone. Realizing Jin Qiu couldn’t see her, she said, “Take it slow, there’s no rush. we will have plenty of time ahead of us.”
“Is Jin Jialiang away?” Jin Qiu asked.
“If I remember correctly, he shouldn’t be back for another half a month.” In her previous life, Jin Jialiang went back alone to attend his cousin’s wedding and stayed for over twenty days. Calculating the dates, there were about fifteen days left.
“While working, remember to take care of yourself.” Someone likely came to find Jin Qiu, so he gave a few brief instructions and hung up the phone.
Bai Lu held the receiver, unable to snap out of it for a long time. The husband she had missed for decades had also been reborn. This meant they could be husband and wife eight years earlier in this life. With the experience of their past life and the knowledge of how to avoid danger, they could grow old together this time.
“Bai Lu, isn’t this a bit much? Your fiancé has only been gone for a few days, and you’re already this reluctant to let go? Why didn’t you just go back with him for the wedding then?” Suddenly, a hand landed on Bai Lu’s shoulder, giving her a start.
Bai Lu turned around and saw Lin Yaoyao. She managed a forced smile. “If both of us went back, would there be any salary this month? We’d be living on nothing but air next month.”
“Thanks for the fruit candy; it’s sweet, sour, and very tasty,” Lin Yaoyao said.