Only four words filled his mind swaying back and forth.
He suddenly thought of that day in the thatched hut, the rippling curves across the young girl’s chest…
Realizing what he was thinking, Jiang Chengbei quickly reined in those inappropriate thoughts and spoke as calmly as possible.
“Listen to my fiancée.”
Seeing that he didn’t agree to buy it, the sales clerk looked a little disappointed, but didn’t press further.
“Alright then. Congratulations in advance on your wedding.”
“Thank you.”
Ning Xi and Jiang Chengbei exchanged a smile, thanked her, and left.
Afterward, Ning Xi bought a length of soft white fabric, planning to try making two pieces of underwear herself.
Back on the first floor, Jiang Chengbei went to the candy counter and bought two jin of assorted fruit candies to hand out to guests at the wedding.
He also bought some cigarettes and alcohol.
Passing the pastry counter, he even wanted to buy Ning Xi some mung bean cakes.
Ning Xi quickly waved her hand.
“The peach crisps and biscuits we bought last time aren’t even finished yet. How about we go look at the stationery section instead? I want to buy a gift for Xiaoyu.”
She’d gotten along very well with Xiaoyu these past days.
After the wedding she’d be leaving the village, and they wouldn’t see each other again for at least a few months. A gift would be a small keepsake for the little girl who had kept her company.
“Okay.”
Jiang Chengbei didn’t hesitate to agree.
He doted on Xiaoyu, his own niece, as well.
In the end, Ning Xi chose a small red backpack. By next September, Xiaoyu would be able to carry it to school.
After a thorough shopping spree at the department store, it was nearly noon. They then went to a photo studio to pick up photos and mail them to Ning Xi’s parents. Afraid that her handwriting differed from the original owner’s and might arouse suspicion, Ning Xi didn’t include a letter.
Jiang Chengbei asked whether she wanted to send anything else to her parents.
Ning Xi gently shook her head.
“Forget it. Given their situation, even if we sent something, it probably wouldn’t reach them. We’ll talk about it when there’s a chance later.”
“Then when we have time in the future, we’ll go visit them.”
“Okay.”
Since it was already late, the two of them went together to a state-run restaurant to eat.
While waiting for the dishes, Ning Xi casually glanced toward the entrance and happened to see Jiang Yanyan walking in, chatting and laughing with a tall, thin young man.
The two stood very close together, clearly intimate.
Unlike her usual domineering manner in front of Ning Xi, Jiang Yanyan’s cheeks were flushed now, her expression shy.
Anyone could tell she was in love.
“Jiang Chengbei, your little sister is here.”
Hearing that, Jiang Chengbei followed Ning Xi’s gaze. A faint crease appeared between his brows.
When did Jiang Yanyan start dating someone?
He immediately stood up and walked toward them.
Jiang Yanyan was completely absorbed in the man beside her, speaking in a deliberately softened voice. Suddenly blocked, she frowned and looked up her smile froze instantly.
“Se-second Brother? Why are you here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. And this is…?”
Thinking that she and the man had already confirmed their relationship, Jiang Yanyan decided to be upfront. Blushing, she introduced him.
“Second Brother, this is my boyfriend, Qiao An. He works at the machinery factory.”
A factory worker dating a rural girl?
Jiang Chengbei narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Qiao An. His hawk-like gaze made Qiao An uneasy. He gave an awkward laugh and quickly found an excuse.
“Second Brother’s in the military, right? You can tell just from your bearing you’re impressive.”
As he spoke, he proactively extended his hand.
“Hello, Second Brother. Since we ran into each other today, it’s fate. Let me treat you can get to know me too.”
Before Jiang Chengbei could respond, Jiang Yanyan anxiously tugged at Qiao An’s arm.
“No need. My second brother must have already eaten. Let’s just eat our own food.”
The way she acted, it was as if Jiang Chengbei were some kind of monster.
In reality, she didn’t want Qiao An to meet Ning Xi. Ning Xi was simply too beautiful and eye-catching any woman standing beside her would pale in comparison, especially someone like Jiang Yanyan, whose looks were quite ordinary.
Qiao An smiled at her.
“That doesn’t seem very polite.”
“It’s fine. My second brother doesn’t care about things like that.”
With that, Jiang Yanyan pulled Qiao An away to order food.
Jiang Chengbei returned to his seat. Looking at the two acting so intimately, a strange feeling lingered in his heart. Qiao An’s smile felt like a mask unnaturally fake.
The dishes had already been served. Ning Xi handed Jiang Chengbei a steamed bun.
“That man is Jiang Yanyan’s boyfriend?”
“Yeah. She says he works at a machinery factory.”
Hearing that, Ning Xi raised a slender eyebrow in surprise.
It wasn’t that she looked down on rural people, but in this era, a man with a formal urban job could easily find a well-matched partner on the marriage market. Anyone with a decent city job usually wouldn’t choose a countryside wife.
If Jiang Yanyan were pretty, that would be one thing.
But among the four Jiang siblings, only Jiang Chengbei stood out in looks. The other three were completely ordinary they didn’t even look like they shared the same parents. For someone like Jiang Yanyan to land a city boyfriend was rather… surreal.
Unless the man had some hidden problem.
Or he was deliberately toying with women’s feelings.
Over there.
Qiao An kept glancing toward Jiang Chengbei’s table without drawing attention.
Mainly because Ning Xi was simply too beautiful he couldn’t control his eyes.
Jiang Yanyan noticed and pouted unhappily.
“Don’t tell me you’re mesmerized by that fox just like my second brother?”
“Jealous?”
Qiao An smiled gently and patted the hand Jiang Yanyan had resting on the table.
“I’m just curious. Your second brother looks like a cold, distant person, but he’s very attentive toward that woman.”
Throughout the meal, he kept serving her food and refilling her water.
Jiang Yanyan snorted, lips pursed.
“She’s a capitalist heiress. Her family did ours a favor, and she used that to force my second brother to marry her. He already had someone he liked, but she broke them up.”
To smear Ning Xi, she even made up malicious rumors.
“Don’t be fooled by her looks. That woman is used to flirting around relying on her face to stay entangled with a lot of men in the village.”
Qiao An nodded along.
“Truly, you never know a person’s heart just by their face. Yanyan, I still prefer a simple, pure girl like you.”
The sudden confession made Jiang Yanyan’s face flush red. Summoning her courage, she asked,
“Then when will you take me home to meet your parents?”
“In three days. Wait for me at the usual place.”
After Ning Xi and Jiang Chengbei finished eating, Jiang Yanyan had already left with Qiao An.
She didn’t even say goodbye guarding against Ning Xi like she was a thief. Still, in the afternoon, they ran into each other again on the return bus. It was the last bus of the day miss it, and you’d have to walk all the way back.
The bus was packed to the point of severe overcrowding.
Jiang Yanyan was squeezed so badly her face looked flattened, yet she still found time to flaunt things in front of Ning Xi.
“Jealous? The man I found is a formal city worker. He said in a few days he’ll take me to meet his parents. Ning Xi, didn’t you look down on me for being a country girl? Soon I’ll step out of the countryside and become someone important standing on equal footing with you.”