Her ears buzzed.
The heartbeat thundering beside her had lost all rhythm, and she could not tell whether it belonged to her or to him.
Footsteps sounded in the distance, drawing nearer and nearer.
A man’s voice said, “No one’s here. Keep chasing ahead.”
The footsteps gradually faded away.
Only then did Shen Yao realize just how frightened she had been. Now that the danger had passed, lingering fear washed over her, and her body trembled slightly.
He Shi was no calmer than she was.
The girl’s body was unbelievably soft.
His nose was filled with her gentle fragrance.
Heaven knew how much effort it took to keep the arms wrapped around her from trembling.
This was the first time he had consciously held a girl like this.
His heartbeat was completely out of control.
Had the alley not been shrouded in darkness, Shen Yao would have seen that the tips of his ears were red enough to drip blood. He was deeply embarrassed.
The first time he had held Shen Yao, he had not been fully awake. Half asleep, he had simply pulled her into his arms.
At the time, he barely knew her. He only knew she was a girl from Shenjia Village, and he had been furious that she had climbed into his bed in the middle of the night.
This time was entirely different.
He was fully conscious.
And he liked her.
He Shi tried to steady his breathing.
Slowly, he loosened his arms.
The instant he released her, Shen Yao stepped back.
She moved away so quickly that He Shi felt his embrace become empty in an instant.
Something inside his heart seemed to empty with it.
He rubbed his fingertips together unconsciously, reluctant to part with the lingering warmth they still carried.
This was the first time in Shen Yao’s life that a man had held her like this.
It felt as though some strange force had drained all the strength from her body.
Her heart raced so wildly that it frightened her.
The sensation was strange, unfamiliar, and impossible to describe.
She lifted her eyes and met He Shi’s gaze.
As expected, it was him.
The anxiety hanging over her eased considerably.
She studied him.
In the dim alleyway, he appeared somewhat dazed.
Shen Yao quickly looked away, not daring to meet his eyes for long.
She surveyed the narrow passage.
It was shallow, with a bundle of firewood piled at the entrance. Inside, there was barely enough space for one person to stand.
Only then did she understand why He Shi had held her that way.
The firewood concealed only a limited area. Had she stood as she was now, she would have been spotted immediately.
Facing He Shi, she felt awkward beyond words.
At the same time, she did not dare leave just yet.
More than anything, she suddenly missed the old almanac.
One moment she had been fleeing from the Red Armbands.
The next, she had been caught red-handed by He Shi.
If there had been an almanac for today, it would probably have read:
Avoid travel. Avoid opening for business. Inauspicious for all undertakings.
If so, she certainly would have chosen a more favorable day.
“Educated Youth He, what a coincidence.”
Trying to cover up the fact that she had been running from the Red Armbands, Shen Yao greeted him obediently.
She secretly hoped he did not know what those Red Armbands were doing.
There was even a trace of unconscious ingratiation in her voice.
He Shi’s lips curved slightly.
“Mm. What a coincidence.”
His eyes carried a smile, along with a faint hint of helplessness.
He had deliberately restrained himself from seeing her.
He had avoided creating chance encounters.
When passing the Shen family home, he forced himself not to look inside.
For three days.
He had lasted only three days before his resolve completely collapsed.
That morning, when he found himself walking toward the Shen family home for the third time after ten o’clock, he had decisively changed direction, gone to the brigade office for an introduction letter, and come into the city instead.
Now, at this moment, He Shi thought that fate truly was something impossible not to believe in.
His gaze fell on what Shen Yao was carrying.
“What did you come to the black market to sell?”
Shen Yao felt utterly dejected.
Life had been going too smoothly lately. Perhaps all her bad luck had accumulated and arrived on the same day.
None of it showed on her face.
Instead, she smiled with complete innocence, looking adorably naïve and somewhat aggrieved.
“I’m not selling anything. I just got greedy and came to buy something to eat. Then everyone suddenly started running, so I ran too.”
She lifted the chestnut cakes in her hand.
“Chestnut cakes. Would you like some?”
She held up the pastries for He Shi to see, looking incredibly obedient and soft.
He Shi nearly laughed out loud.
The first two times, merely standing a little too close to her or tapping her on the forehead had been enough to bring out her fiery little pepper temper. Yet now, after being caught in his arms, she was acting so meek. The only explanation was that she felt guilty.
“You bought them to eat? That’s a pity. I thought you came here to sell something. I actually have connections to help sell pastries like these. Looks like you won’t need my help after all.”
Shen Yao looked at him in surprise, trying to determine whether he was telling the truth.
Logically, she should deny everything and never let slip that she had come to sell them. But the travel money had been borrowed from Fifth Grandma. Although the round trip fare only cost forty cents and she would still have sixty cents left over, she was technically already in debt. After using so many ingredients from home, if she ended up owing Fifth Grandma another forty cents, what kind of situation would that be?
“Well… I did buy a little too much. If your friends want some, I could spare a portion.”
This time, He Shi could not hold back his laughter.
“Stop trying to be clever. I’m not going to report you. If you’re still worried, I can help you sell them. Then we’ll be accomplices together. How about that?”
It took considerable effort not to reach out and ruffle the silly girl’s hair.
Shen Yao glanced at him before lowering her eyes. Then, as though she had made up her mind, she handed the entire bag over to him.
“Gangzi helped me calculate it. This is worth three jin of grain coupons and ten yuan.”
He Shi was thoroughly amused. Foolish as she was, she had still thought to ask Shen Gang to work out the accounts beforehand.
“Are they actually good? Maybe I should just buy them all myself. That’d be simpler.”
Shen Yao’s eyes lit up immediately.
A wealthy customer.
How had she not thought of that?
At a time like this, humility was the last thing she needed.
“They’re absolutely delicious. If you’re taking them back to the village, there’s still some left at home.”
There were plenty more chestnuts anyway. She could easily make several more jin. Better to sell this batch in the city and earn extra money.
A trace of tenderness flickered in He Shi’s eyes.
“How come you’re suddenly so clever now?”
Sometimes foolish, sometimes not. If only she were always this sharp.
Shen Yao could hardly answer that. She could not exactly reveal all her secrets just to earn a little money. So she simply offered him her trademark sweet smile.
The smile made his heart tremble.
She was standing so close that he could raise a hand and touch that exquisite face. If one day apart felt like three autumns, then how many autumns had he already gone without seeing her?
His fingers twitched instinctively, but he caught himself at once, forcibly suppressing the turbulent feelings in his chest. After staring at Shen Yao for a long moment, he finally said:
“Fine. I’ll help you sell this batch. Once we’re back in the village, I’ll buy another portion from you myself. But how are you going to thank me?”
What could Shen Yao possibly offer him?
She still had not fulfilled the meal she had promised him in exchange for the shoe coupons. Then again, Shen Gang had been catching fish in the stream every day. Every couple of days, he would send one or two fish to Fifth Grandma’s house so He Shi could have an extra dish. In Shen Yao’s opinion, that more than repaid the shoe coupons, so she had not given the matter much thought.
“How about I charge you one less jin of grain coupons?”
She calculated that if she reduced the price by one jin for him and sold two portions altogether, she would still earn five jin of grain coupons. Then she could buy more flour, make something else, and earn even more money.
He Shi truly had no words.
His face darkened.
Over the past few days, he had thought about so much, family background, government policies, Shen Yao’s mental state. Whenever he had a spare moment, his mind was filled with those complicated concerns.
And now, with a single sentence, Shen Yao had shattered all of it.
What the hell had he been thinking about?
This silly girl was completely carefree. In her eyes, he probably was not worth as much as a single jin of grain coupons. Yet he had been tormenting himself over all those issues like an idiot.
Seeing his expression darken, Shen Yao assumed she had not offered enough in return.
Thinking it over, she admitted she was being rather stingy. Back when she had asked for shoe coupons, Comrade He had handed over three of them without hesitation.
Poverty really changed people.
In the past, when she was in a good mood, she would casually reward maids with gold, silver, jade, and pearls. She had never imagined she would one day become so poor. Poverty truly diminished one’s ambitions. That was not entirely her fault.
Having reached that conclusion, she said apologetically:
“Then I won’t charge you any grain coupons at all. Is that okay?”
He Shi looked at her steadily.
Wonderful.
His value had increased.
He was now worth three jin of grain coupons.
“Fine. Stay here a little longer. Once things calm down outside, I’ll take you to sell these.”
Shen Yao let out a sigh of relief.
Those three jin of grain coupons had clearly been well spent.
Twenty yuan.
In the past, not even a hundred taels of gold would have earned more than a passing glance from her. Yet now she was glowing with excitement over twenty yuan.
Twenty yuan.
With enough coupons, she could enjoy chicken, fish, eggs, and meat for an entire month.
While she happily indulged in fantasies of feasting on chicken, fish, pork knuckles, and meat whenever she pleased, He Shi asked:
“Who came with you? Did you get separated?”
Shen Yao shook her head.
“I came by myself.”
There was no way she could drag her family into a speculative trading charge. Besides, she really had come alone.
He Shi frowned.
“Who at home knows about this?”
She shook her head again.
No way.
He asked, “Then what about your introduction letter? Do you have one?”
Shen Yao looked at him.
After considering that he was both a valuable customer who could buy pastries and help sell pastries, she pulled a folded sheet of paper from her trouser pocket and handed it over.
She actually had one.
He Shi took it and examined it.
The handwriting was not Shen Guozhong’s, but it bore the seal of the Eighth Production Team.
He looked at Shen Yao, silently prompting her to explain.
Shen Yao gave an awkward laugh.
“I wrote it myself. I stole my dad’s seal.”
He Shi was so exasperated he laughed.
Reaching out, he pinched the still slightly baby-fat cheek on her face.
“You’ve really got some nerve. Bold enough to reach the heavens. Forging introduction letters now, are you? With brains like this, where exactly are you supposed to be foolish?”
Smack.
Shen Yao slapped his hand away and pouted.
“I was never foolish to begin with. I told you that if I attended literacy classes, I’d learn to read.”
Did he really think she could not tell?
Every time this Educated Youth He looked at her, he was secretly calling her a little fool.
He Shi rubbed the hand she had smacked and laughed.
See?
That was the reaction he was familiar with.
~
Inside the Municipal Committee residential compound, He Shi brought Shen Yao into the security guard’s break room.
To the guard on duty, he said:
“I’m looking for Xing Wei. Tell him He Shi is here.”
The moment the guard heard the name Xing Wei, his expression became noticeably more respectful.
“Are you referring to Mayor Xing’s son?” he asked.
He Shi nodded.
Listening from the side, Shen Yao heard the title “mayor” and guessed it was roughly equivalent to a prefect who governed an entire administrative region. She looked around this so-called municipal government compound. Although the landscaping and layout were nothing special, it stretched so far that she couldn’t see the end of it at a glance, so it wasn’t exactly small. The buildings were certainly tall, but they could hardly be called refined or beautiful. She couldn’t understand what these people were thinking. Just how many servants did they have to build houses this tall?
Shen Yao arrived at a conclusion: this country was far less prosperous than Tianqi, and its people knew nothing about aesthetics or the enjoyment of life.
The gate guard took one look at He Shi’s clothes and bearing, then politely asked him to wait a moment. He called Mayor Xing’s residence. When the call connected, voices leaked faintly from the receiver. The instant Shen Yao heard human speech coming from that tiny object, her eyes widened into perfect circles.
He Shi found the sight genuinely amusing. He had been observing her the entire journey. The silly girl was endlessly curious about everything in the city.
She always sat with impeccable posture. When sitting upright, she looked as beautiful as a painting. But the moment a voice emerged from the telephone, her back unconsciously straightened even more, her ears perked up, and her eyes widened adorably. It was probably her first time seeing a telephone. She was dying of curiosity, yet somehow managed not to ask any questions. Once she realized her reaction showed too much, she immediately composed herself and resumed sitting with perfect dignity.
Xing Wei did not make He Shi wait long. He came down quickly and called out with a grin before even entering the guardroom.
“You brat. I invited you over at noon to stay at my place for a few days, and you weren’t interested. What changed your mind? If you want to listen to music at my place, you can listen all you…”
The moment he stepped inside and saw that besides He Shi, who was lounging lazily on the bench with one leg crossed over the other, there was also a beautiful young woman sitting on a stool beside him, the rest of his sentence got stuck in his throat.
“He Shi, is this your friend?”
He looked at Shen Yao, and Shen Yao looked back at him. He appeared eighteen or nineteen years old, about the same height as He Shi but much sturdier. With thick brows, large eyes, a round face, and round eyes, he looked exceptionally cheerful and good-natured.
He Shi gave a noncommittal hum and asked, “Do you have money and ration coupons on you?”
Xing Wei was caught off guard. His mind clearly couldn’t keep up with the abrupt change in topic. After a moment, he replied, “No. Come to my place and get them. You can also get familiar with the place and sit for a while.”
He assumed He Shi was short on money after being sent to the countryside. As a straightforward northerner with a generous disposition, he believed friends should help each other financially. He didn’t even ask how much He Shi needed.
He Shi stood up and asked Shen Yao, “Do you want to come in with me or wait here?”
Then he immediately felt the question was stupid. This silly girl was far too pretty. Leaving her outside alone was something he couldn’t feel at ease about.
“Come with me. I won’t stay long.”
Shen Yao trusted He Shi’s character well enough. Besides, she was a bit particular by nature and felt that sitting in the guardroom waiting for someone was rather beneath her. So she nodded and got up to follow behind the two men.
Xing Wei immediately caught on and shot He Shi a suggestive grin with raised eyebrows. For whatever reason, He Shi chose not to explain.
Xing Wei’s family lived on the second floor. As they entered the stairwell, the door of a first-floor apartment happened to open, and an elderly man came out carrying a child. Xing Wei greeted him before leading He Shi and Shen Yao upstairs.
Only then did Shen Yao realize she might have misunderstood. The municipal compound was not the mayor’s private estate. The entire compound didn’t belong to him.
He Shi didn’t stand on ceremony with Xing Wei at all. Handing him the bag of pastries, he said, “Want some chestnut cakes? Twelve yuan and three jin of grain coupons.”
Shen Yao’s eyes lit up instantly. Educated Youth He was actually helping her mark up the price. Well done.
Xing Wei laughed. So He Shi had come to sell him something. He rummaged through a cabinet, found money and ration coupons, and stuffed them into He Shi’s hands.
“Nicely done, He Shi. If you’re ever short on money, make sure you tell your brother here.”
He had already guessed that He Shi was probably running an errand for his sweetheart. The young woman’s clothes looked quite pretty, but the material was obviously ordinary coarse cotton cloth. Her family circumstances were probably not very good.
Little did he know that while he was sympathizing with Shen Yao’s poor family background, Shen Yao was looking around the mayor’s home and feeling sorry for his family instead.
This was far too shabby.
So this was the treatment a mayor received?
After taking the money and coupons, He Shi didn’t linger. It was getting late, and if they delayed any longer, they would miss the bus back. He told Xing Wei they would get together another time, then left with Shen Yao.
Xing Wei escorted them all the way to the entrance of the municipal compound before heading back.
He Shi handed the money and ration coupons to Shen Yao.
Shen Yao smiled as though she had just received a pile of gold leaves. In fact, even actual gold leaves had never made her this happy.
Nobody knew where she produced it from, but she suddenly took out a small apricot-colored cloth pouch and happily tucked the money and coupons inside.
He Shi took the pouch from her hand and examined it. It was surprisingly well made, delicate like a sachet. It was probably sewn from leftover scraps of the fabric used for her clothes.
After looking it over, he returned it to her and leaned lazily against the wrought-iron fence of the municipal compound while watching her treasure the little pouch.
“You little country bumpkin. Everyone else wears shirts and keeps their money in wallets. Have you ever seen a wallet? Look at the clothes you made. They don’t even have a proper shirt collar. And this little cloth pouch, isn’t it rustic?”
After putting away her purse, Shen Yao shot him a sidelong glance.
You’re the real bumpkin, she thought.
After all, there was still one box of pastries left unsold.
She only muttered that to herself. Out loud, she said, “How could shirts be prettier than this? They’re loose and baggy, like barrels.”
Laughter flickered in He Shi’s eyes.
It really was beautiful.
Although her outfit was also slightly loose-fitting, it didn’t make her look bulky. Instead, it accentuated her petite beauty and gave her an indescribable liveliness. He couldn’t praise her, though. If he praised her any more, her tail would be sticking up into the sky.
Curling his lips into a smile, he started walking. In an exceptionally good mood, he called over his shoulder,
“Keep up. If you get lost, don’t expect me to go looking for you.”
Shen Yao hurriedly jogged a couple of steps to catch up.
After being chased around the black market for more than ten minutes and then walking all this way with He Shi, she had long since forgotten the route. Of course, asking for directions wouldn’t be difficult, but having He Shi lead the way saved a lot of trouble.
After walking a few steps, her gaze lingered on his wrist. After doing this several times, she finally asked,
“Educated Youth He, what time is it now?”
She had already left home fairly late. Then there had been that incident at the black market, forcing her to hide for quite a while. She was worried that her family would return home before she did. If she got scolded, she deserved it, but she was afraid Shen Gang would get dragged into it too.
One look at her was enough for He Shi to know exactly what the silly girl was worried about. He raised his wrist, checked the time, and said,
“Don’t worry. We should be able to get you home before your parents get off work.”
Seeing her visibly breathe a sigh of relief, He Shi found it amusing.
“So now you know how to be afraid? I thought you didn’t even know how to write the word ‘fear.'”
Thinking of what had happened, he turned serious and carefully warned Shen Yao:
“You’re not allowed to go there again. Do you know what would have happened if you’d been caught today?”
Shen Yao knew he was talking about the black market. She looked at him without speaking.
Helpless, He Shi stopped walking and looked at her sternly.
“They’d hang a huge placard around your neck with the words: ‘Speculator and Profiteer, Shen Yao.’ You’d be paraded through the streets as a public example and subjected to criticism sessions. You’re a young woman, you couldn’t bear that. Be good and listen to me.”