In the morning, Lin Qianyi got up, had breakfast, tidied up, and then secretly started taking food out from the space. She couldn’t let that guy buy groceries blindly anymore, piling up a bunch of stuff. Lin Qianyi didn’t take much—just a piece of pork belly and some cut hairtail fish. That would be enough, and if not, there was still the cured meat Meng Junchuan had bought last time. She also took out some eggs and vegetables, enough for two people for one day.
Lin Qianyi felt a little guilty—she was eating so well in the space, while he could only eat ordinary food when he came over. But, oh well, what could she do? She didn’t dare take more. Still, considering his family background, he certainly had plenty of good food growing up. Most people these days are always short on food, but he definitely wasn’t.
The mechanic factory’s residential area was huge, with many apartment buildings and even some single-story houses. Lin Qianyi was lucky that her building mainly housed engineers and technical staff, all with fairly decent living conditions. It wasn’t a problem if she cooked meat occasionally—many neighbors did the same. If she lived in other buildings, cooking meat might have drawn unwanted attention.
Meng Junchuan’s jeep slowly drove into the residential area. Everyone had grown accustomed to it; on a day off, a military-plate jeep coming in meant he was surely looking for Lin Qianyi. As expected, the jeep stopped in front of her building at the usual spot. The strikingly handsome young officer got out, opened the trunk, took out a military backpack, and walked briskly into the building. Everyone withdrew their envious gazes, again marveling at Lin Qianyi’s luck.
Lin Qianyi opened the door, and her dashing boyfriend walked in carrying a backpack. Thankfully, he hadn’t brought another pile of groceries this time, which put her at ease—she had specifically reminded him on the phone yesterday.
Meng Junchuan sat down on the sofa, put down the backpack, and reached for the teapot to brew tea, only to find that Lin Qianyi had already made it. He set the teapot aside and began taking things out of the backpack. Lin Qianyi realized she had worried unnecessarily; he had stopped buying food and was now buying other things instead.
One by one, he pulled out a few pieces of fabric, a piece of clothing that looked like a dress, some scarves and handkerchiefs, hairpins and accessories, small jars of snow cream, and a bottle containing something she couldn’t identify. Lin Qianyi sat down to see what he had brought. She picked up the bottle—it was facial cream, probably a higher-end one, and the small jar of snow cream was more common.
“You even know how to buy these?” Lin Qianyi couldn’t help but laugh.
“The sales clerk at the department store recommended them; she said girls like these things,” Meng Junchuan admitted. He didn’t really understand—he just wanted to buy something for his girlfriend, and the enthusiastic sales clerk recommended everything, so he bought it all.
Lin Qianyi stifled a laugh. That clerk had given him a thorough introduction, even all the little hairpins and hair ties that girls might use. To her, some of these hair accessories might look pretty by contemporary standards, but they were really simple.
Lin Qianyi opened the dress—it was a beautiful blouse dress, white with light blue tiny floral prints, a white round collar, a white waistband, and short sleeves with white cuffs. Simple, clean, and pretty. The fabrics he bought were all simple too, without the flashy reds, greens, or bold patterns popular at the time.
“These things are still few and not that pretty. Better buy them in Beijing, where the overseas exchange stores have a wider selection,” Meng Junchuan thought. The department store had limited options, and he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to buy more, but since they weren’t married yet, he knew Lin Qianyi wouldn’t accept expensive items. He’d wait until later.
“It’s already plenty,” Lin Qianyi said. Now that they were a couple, she didn’t want to be picky. The items weren’t cheap, but they weren’t extravagant either, so she happily accepted them. She knew if she didn’t accept her boyfriend’s gifts, he would feel uncomfortable. She could always make him something later to return the gesture. Lin Qianyi put the items away in her room.
“Try the dried apricots and plums I made,” she said, bringing out a plate of the fruit she had prepared earlier. These turned out well and kept better than fresh fruit.
Meng Junchuan picked up a piece. “Not bad—sweet and sour, with great texture. Even better than fresh ones,” he praised.
“They’re the apricots and plums you brought last time. I was afraid they’d spoil if I left them, so I made dried fruit out of them,” Lin Qianyi said, eating a piece herself. She didn’t really like fresh ones, but these dried fruits were delicious. The sweet-and-sour flavor wasn’t the harsh tartness of unripe fruit—it had a hint of lemony fragrance.
“This is great. They’ll last longer this way,” said Meng Junchuan, who didn’t usually like snacks, yet ended up eating several pieces.
“Let’s go watch a movie today. Do you want to?” Meng Junchuan asked. He remembered that his friends went to the movies when dating.
“Sure,” Lin Qianyi agreed. She had never been to a cinema in this era and was curious. Besides, young couples had few activities besides watching movies or strolling in small parks.
They decided not to dawdle. Lin Qianyi changed clothes in her room. She made herself a blouse-style dress similar to the one Meng Junchuan bought—solid color without floral prints or a waistband. She braided her hair into two long plaits, looking innocent and charming.
As soon as she stepped out, Meng Junchuan’s eyes lit up again. “My little girlfriend is too beautiful; every day a different style, and all so pretty. I just want to marry her quickly,” he thought.
“Let’s go,” Lin Qianyi said, picking up her bag and nudging him.
They locked the door and headed downstairs, greeted by the usual warm hellos from neighbors. They smiled and waved in response before getting into the car and slowly driving out of the factory complex.
The county center wasn’t very large—just a few streets—and Meng Junchuan easily found the cinema. He parked, and Lin Qianyi looked around at the cinema, which was quite simple. Handmade posters covered the walls, and the showtimes were written on paper and pasted up. It was a day off, so the cinema was reasonably crowded.
Lin Qianyi, looking pretty and radiant, stood by the entrance, attracting countless glances. People couldn’t help but turn and look at her repeatedly.