As the first hint of dawn painted the horizon, Shen Yao and Jiang Yingying had already left the village entrance. It was only upon arriving that she realized a crowd of men, women, and children had gathered—some from their own village, others from neighboring ones—all waiting at the stop leading to the county town.
Jiang Yingying wore the dress she had finished making the day before, layered beneath a military-green coat. From the outside, only the floral-patterned skirt was visible—pretty but not overly conspicuous.
Before long, the puttering sound of a tractor echoed from a distance. Jiang Yingying recognized the driver—Li Yingzhan, a fellow villager.
“Uncle Li!” she greeted sweetly, pulling a warm steamed corn bun from her bundle. “Have you eaten breakfast? If you don’t mind, take this to fill your stomach!”
Li Yingzhan quickly waved his hand. “No, no, I’ve already eaten!” he replied, though inwardly he wondered: Jiang Yingying, who usually acted too proud to notice anyone, had never spoken to him so politely before.
The crowd lined up to board the tractor. The cargo bed was cramped, leaving everyone squeezed together and uncomfortable.
Jiang Yingying, finding her dress impractical, settled near the front, leaning against the tractor’s cabin. Across from her sat Shen Ling and her mother—the same pair who had tried to snatch the rabbit in the fields days before.
Shen Hongcui scowled at the sight of Jiang Yingying. Turning to Shen Ling, she muttered, “Listen, a woman ought to be hardworking and capable. Wanting meat one day and a trip to town the next—who does she think she is, acting like some delicate young lady?”
Her voice carried, drawing the attention of others toward Jiang Yingying. When it came to laziness and affectation among the village girls, Jiang Yingying was second to none…
Unfazed, Jiang Yingying leaned lightly against Shen Yao. Noticing Shen Hongcui’s glare, she smiled gently and said, “Aunt Hongcui, there’s a vegetable leaf stuck between your teeth!”
Shen Hongcui’s face flushed. She lowered her head and picked at her teeth, but after a moment found nothing. Then she remembered: for breakfast, she’d only had a corn pancake—where would a vegetable leaf have come from?
Furious, she glared back, only to see Jiang Yingying blink innocently. “Sorry, Aunt Hongcui, I must be seeing things from waking up so early. You won’t hold it against me, will you?”
The onlookers understood the jest perfectly, and some couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Shen Ling’s face turned red then pale. She glanced at Shen Yao and said, “Aren’t you going to rein her in? You still call my mother ‘aunt’—how can you let her act like this?”
Shen Yao gave Jiang Yingying a calm look before turning away. “She said she was seeing things, didn’t she?”
Jiang Yingying covered her face playfully. “Oh, Sister Ling, I really didn’t mean it! Please don’t be angry! Here, you can scold me back if you like!”
Shen Hongcui was so enraged her chest heaved. Just as she was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, Li Yingzhan called from the driver’s seat, “Auntie, she’s just a kid running her mouth—it was only a joke. As an elder, how can you take it seriously?”
He added, half-joking, half-stern, “We’re almost at the county town. If you two start a scene on my tractor, don’t expect a ride from me again!”
Shen Hongcui bit her lip till it nearly bled. But since she went into town every week to trade eggs for goods, she couldn’t afford to make a scene now. Swallowing her anger, she sat back down, her face dark with resentment.
Shen Ling’s fists, clenched behind her back, were white-knuckled. If before she had only envied Jiang Yingying’s face, now she truly wanted to tear that mouth of hers apart!
By the time the sky finally brightened, they had reached the county town.
At this time, private enterprise was still not permitted, but the winds of reform had begun to blow. While black markets remained officially banned, enforcement had loosened somewhat. Bartering goods was generally tolerated.
Most of the farmers carried eggs or other agricultural products, hoping to trade for something else in town.
Jiang Yingying carried only a light bundle, while Shen Yao’s arms were stuffed with something unidentifiable. Since he didn’t offer an explanation, she didn’t pry.
They soon arrived at the bustling morning market. During this hour, many workers were commuting, and numerous bicycles whizzed past.
Jiang Yingying clicked her tongue—she realized she didn’t know how to ride this type of bicycle.
Calculating quietly, she reckoned she had fifty yuan on hand. After selling the clothes she planned to make, she could earn another seventy or eighty. Since bicycles and sewing machines cost about the same, and she needed to earn money, buying a sewing machine first was the logical choice…
Shen Yao gestured with his chin toward the alley across the street. “I need to take care of something first. Wait here for me—don’t wander off.”
Jiang Yingying tugged at his sleeve. “Where’s the supply and marketing cooperative?”
“You plan to sell clothes there?” Shen Yao looked at her as if she were an idiot. “You’d be arrested on the spot!”
“I’m not that foolish!” Jiang Yingying sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her fair face tilted upward, eyes sparkling with charm.
Suddenly uneasy, Shen Yao decided to escort her to the cooperative’s entrance. “Behave yourself. You can look around inside, but don’t chat with strangers—especially men!”
She wasn’t some naive young girl. Though she disagreed inwardly, Jiang Yingying smiled sweetly and leaned closer. “Brother Yao, you’re so good to me! I’ll listen to you, alright?”
Shen Yao took a deep breath, his expression darkening again. “Don’t go around smiling like that when you’re alone outside!” With that, he strode quickly toward the alley. He needed to hurry back—leaving this troublemaker unattended was far too risky.
As soon as Shen Yao disappeared, Jiang Yingying slipped into a narrow lane beside the cooperative. There, she removed her army-green coat, revealing a floral-print dress beneath.
Her slightly wavy hair was tied in a simple ponytail. With her fair skin, red lips, and captivating, luminous eyes, she stood out vividly. Though the dress was modest in design, it accentuated her feminine curves perfectly.
When she stepped out, the surroundings seemed to fade into monochrome, as if a splash of vibrant color had disrupted a black-and-white photograph, sending ripples of light shimmering through the scene.
All around, people turned to stare—some with admiration, some with curiosity, and others with less honorable intentions.
Jiang Yingying paid them no mind. She walked confidently into the supply and marketing cooperative and, under the clerks’ frequent glances, calmly purchased pastries and candies.
The clerk wrapping her pastries was particularly enthusiastic, her eyes repeatedly scanning Jiang Yingying’s dress. “Young lady, this dress is absolutely lovely! Where did you buy it?”
Jiang Yingying didn’t hide the truth. With a generous smile, she replied, “Oh, this wasn’t bought—I made it myself.”
“You made this yourself? Oh my, you must have the skill of the Weaving Maiden descended to earth!” The shop assistant gaped, unable to believe it. “And this fabric is extraordinary too!”
Jiang Yingying didn’t respond further. Her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly over the other women browsing in the shop before she turned and walked away.