Song Siyi glanced at him.
The two of them then selected a Forever brand bicycle together. When it came time to pay, Xie Jingzhou also handed over the money for his wristwatch to the salesperson.
Song Siyi quickly took the money back, saying, "We agreed I would buy it for you, so naturally, I should pay."
Seeing this, Xie Jingzhou didn't say anything more. After all, once they were married, his money would be hers anyway.
Song Siyi then gave the wristwatch ticket to the salesperson. The watch cost one hundred and twenty yuan.
The women's model was one hundred and ten yuan, and the bicycle was one hundred and eighty-eight.
Xie Jingzhou was surprised to see that she actually had a wristwatch ticket.
It seemed his fiancée wasn't quite like the rumors circulating in the brigade suggested.
After leaving the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Xie Jingzhou put the watch on Song Siyi.
Not knowing what else to say, Song Siyi offered, "Should I put yours on for you too?"
Xie Jingzhou quickly took off his old watch and stuffed it into his pants pocket.
Then he held out his hand. "Alright."
Seeing this, Song Siyi chuckled softly. As she put the watch on his wrist, she couldn't help but notice how warm his hand felt.
"All done."
For a moment, both of them felt a slight unease in their hearts.
Afterward, they went to get the bicycle stamped with the official steel seal before leisurely making their way to the state-run restaurant.
By the time they finished their meal and returned to the village, dusk had already fallen.
But that didn't stop everyone from finding out that Xie Jingzhou had bought Song Siyi a bicycle as part of the betrothal gifts.
Within half an hour, the news had spread throughout the entire brigade.
Neither Xie Jingzhou nor Song Siyi paid it much mind. Xie Jingzhou saw her to the door before heading back.
The Song family had been eating dinner when they heard someone return, and they all rushed out to see the bicycle.
Song Sijia was so jealous her face contorted, her nails digging deep into her palms without her even noticing.
Xie Jingzhou was something else. In her previous life, he had never bought anything like that for her.
He really was a damned cripple, a dog of a man destined to die without heirs.
It was just a bicycle.
Once Lu Yan became the richest man, she could have any car she wanted. She would make sure to drive a different one in front of Song Siyi every day, just to rub it in her face.
Having reasoned this out, Song Sijia lifted her chin proudly.
The rest of the Song family wore complicated expressions. This was only the second bicycle in the entire brigade.
Song Siyi actually had such good fortune.
Without even looking at them, Song Siyi parked the bicycle and went straight back to her room. She had already eaten, after all.
Setting down her basket, Song Siyi took out the items inside.
After leaving the state-run restaurant, she had realized that with Xie Jingzhou around, it would be difficult for her to retrieve anything from her space. So, they had made another trip to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
There, Xie Jingzhou had bought her malted milk powder, White Rabbit Creamy Candy, and sponge cake. He had even paid for the fabric they had picked out.
She simply couldn't win against him.
Remembering how they had been at the time, Song Siyi couldn't help but laugh.
So far, Xie Jingzhou was quite satisfactory to her.
Having already lived through one lifetime, Song Siyi was no longer the naive village girl she had been in her previous life. She felt she was a worthy match for Xie Jingzhou.
Now that she had the Spirit Spring Water, she thought she might try to see if it would help with his injuries after she married him.
She had only heard that his leg was injured, but it wasn't very noticeable when he walked normally.
And as for that other matter… she wondered if the Spirit Spring Water could cure that too.
Truth be told, she really wanted a child. Not having one in her previous life had always been a regret.
Later, after she became beautiful, Lu Yan had frequently suggested sharing a room with her.
But ever since she found out he had cheated with his first love and even had triplets with her, the sight of him disgusted her, and she absolutely refused to share a bed with him.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about finding another man, but at the time, she was physically and mentally exhausted, already numb to everything, so she simply let the thought go.
This life was different, though. Her life was just beginning, and she could fully choose the kind of life she wanted to live.
If he really couldn’t perform, then they could just adopt a child.
As Song Siyi thought this, she cut the fabric. In her previous life, she had studied on her own and even passed the university entrance exam, majoring in design.
However, the clothes she made still followed the current styles. She didn’t want Song Sijia to know she was also reborn.
The clothes Song Siyi made were quite simple—just a white shirt paired with a pair of army-green trousers.
There was no other way. In this sensitive era, even if she had brightly colored fabric, she wouldn’t dare wear it.
Meanwhile, when Xie Jingzhou returned home, the Xie family was also having dinner.
As soon as Second Sister-in-Law Xie saw Xie Jingzhou, she started making sarcastic remarks.
“Oh, our soon-to-be groom is back. The news about buying a bicycle has spread throughout the entire brigade. Fourth Brother is really making quite a splash, isn’t he?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuying angrily retorted, “Wang Guihua, what are you being so sarcastic about? Do you have to bring bad luck on such a joyous occasion? Are you asking for a beating?”
Hearing her mother-in-law’s anger, Wang Guihua couldn’t help but tremble, but she still stubbornly insisted, “What did I say wrong? We’re both daughters-in-law, so why does Fourth Brother get to give his bride a hundred yuan in betrothal gifts and a bicycle?”
“While we only got fifty yuan. Are we really any worse than that Song Siyi?”
She looked toward her sister-in-law across the table, Zhao Meixia, as if seeking agreement. “Right, Sister-in-Law?”
After all, Zhao Meixia was an educated youth, while Song Siyi was just an illiterate village girl—she wasn’t even as good as her.
Zhang Xiuying pointed at Wang Guihua, her tone full of displeasure. “The money my son used to marry his wife was earned with his life. He can buy whatever he wants for his future wife. If you have the ability, why don’t you make your man go to the battlefield and earn you the ‘three rounds and one sound’? Did I ever stop you?”
“The betrothal gifts I gave from the family funds were the same for everyone. No one can say anything about that.”
“It’s just you, Wang Guihua, always complaining and gossiping. If you have time to envy others, why don’t I see you earning full work points?”
“If you have complaints, keep them to yourself. If you’re really that angry, go back to your parents’ home.”
Xie Jingzhou also made his stance clear. “Even though I don’t earn work points at home, the money I hand over every month is more than enough.”
“I don’t need Second Sister-in-Law’s permission to use my own money to prepare betrothal gifts for my future wife.”
Second Brother Xie Wenhua gave Wang Guihua a warning look before turning to Xie Jingzhou and saying, “Fourth Brother, don’t listen to your second sister-in-law’s nonsense. How could we possibly have any objections about your own money?”
Eldest Brother Xie Lincheng also chimed in, “Second Brother is right. Fourth Brother just returned injured. If he can’t even buy a bicycle for his future wife without being criticized, where is the conscience in that?”
Wang Guihua widened her eyes and glared at Xie Lincheng. Was he saying she had no conscience?
Wang Guihua pushed her bowl aside and stormed out angrily.
Xie Lincheng rolled his eyes. She was always causing trouble, and he had long been fed up with her.
His own wife hadn’t gotten pregnant yet, and Wang Guihua never missed a chance to comment on it.
How dare she even ask?
With Wang Guihua gone, Xie Lincheng felt the air had cleared.
He picked up a piece of wild chicken meat and placed it in Zhao Meixia’s bowl. “Wife, have some meat.”
Zhao Meixia smiled gently, "You should eat too."
Although she wore a smile on her face, only she knew the bitterness in her heart.
Xie Wenhua felt somewhat awkward and turned to Xie Jingzhou, "Your second sister-in-law just has a sharp tongue. Don’t take it to heart."
Xie Lincheng snorted coldly, "You really should discipline your second sister-in-law, or sooner or later, her mouth will damage the bond between us brothers."