She looks very familiar, but also very old-fashioned in terms of skincare brands.
Right now it’s 1980. Procter & Gamble hasn’t entered the domestic market yet, and the well-known brands from childhood—like Dabao and Yumeijing—haven’t even been established.
People’s understanding of skincare and cosmetics is still basically stuck in the 1940s and 1950s. Those high-end foreign luxury brands are something they’ve never even seen before.
What the supply and marketing cooperative is selling now, the most expensive item, is Yashuang. Besides that, there’s Youyi, Wan Zi Qian Hong, and even clam oil.
“They’re all snow cream. Why did you buy two?”
Lin Su glanced at the counter. In this era of scarcity, he had almost bought every kind of skincare and cosmetics a woman could use—except Youyi.
“I don’t really understand what women use,” Qin Zhoucheng said casually. “But this tin box is for hands, and that Yashuang is for the face. That’s what the salesperson said.”
He looked completely indifferent, speaking in a relaxed tone.
He really did look a bit like a domineering CEO from novels. Lin Su couldn’t help but laugh softly.
“This must have cost a lot of money.”
One box of Yashuang cost five yuan, Wan Zi Qian Hong was two yuan, and the unfamiliar powder compact and lipstick were even more expensive. All of it added up to more than ten yuan.
In this era, a factory worker in Haicheng might only earn that much in a month, yet he was willing to spend it all on women’s skincare products. Many men in the countryside thought this kind of spending was unnecessary and wasteful.
The original owner of this body had worked herself to exhaustion doing farm labor in the Yu family, and he had never once bought her a box of snow cream.
“Money can be earned again when it’s gone,” Qin Zhoucheng said. “If other women have it, you should have it too.”
Lin Su felt a warmth in her heart, and her face flushed even more.
“You… how are you like this…” she said, a little shyly.
He was quite good at flirting.
“Why should she be allowed to use such expensive Yashuang? She’s just a rural woman with barely any education—what right does she have to use it!”
Yu Xiuli was seething with jealousy. Qin Zhoucheng was even more handsome than her own brother, and he even bought the most expensive Yashuang for Lin Su. She had never used anything like that before—why should Lin Su have such good luck?
Originally, Yu Xiuli had ignored Yu Minghai, but she couldn’t stand him constantly shouting here.
“None of your business. Do I know you?” Qin Zhoucheng was most annoyed by loud, noisy women.
Yu Xiuli looked a bit wronged. “Comrade Qin, don’t you remember me?”
Qin Zhoucheng tilted his head to look at her carefully, then suddenly understood.
“Oh, I remember now.”
Yu Xiuli immediately brightened up, a little shy and pleased.
“You’re the daughter of that old woman who tried to falsely accuse and extort me. As expected, just like her—no manners.”
Yu Xiuli’s smile froze instantly.
Lin Su almost laughed out loud, barely holding it in. She hadn’t expected Qin Zhoucheng, who looked like a cold mixed-race handsome man, to be so sharp-tongued.
“Comrade, what exactly is your relationship with Lin Su? You just divorced me and already have someone new? Isn’t that basically cheating?”
Yu Minghai pushed up his glasses.
Qin Zhoucheng frowned slightly. “Yu Minghai? A university student? Since when can someone like you be called a university student?”
Yu Minghai was only in junior college. There was a reason he chose teacher’s college—he hadn’t gotten into university, so he settled for a lower option, and teacher’s college had low tuition plus a monthly subsidy.
But people in Yujiacun didn’t understand the difference between college and university. Since Yu Minghai was the first in the village to go to Haicheng after the college entrance exam was reinstated, everyone thought he was very impressive.
Lin Su had no good feelings toward this scumbag ex-husband. She immediately grabbed Qin Zhoucheng’s arm.
“Sorry, let me introduce him. This is my fiancé, Qin Zhoucheng. As for why we’re getting married so quickly, go ask the village secretary. It has nothing to do with you.”
Qin Zhoucheng silently sighed. Although he was pleased she was defending him, her chest pressed against his arm was truly a sweet kind of torture.
Still, the upright and serious man did not pull his hand away, nor did he remind her.
“Look at everything you bought—are you sure this is enough?”
Besides skincare products, the bag also contained toothpaste, soap, towels, various seasonings, malted milk, canned peaches, and a bag of White Rabbit candies.
“Why did you buy snacks too?”
“Aren’t you supposed to like them? Since we’re getting married, we should at least prepare properly. Let’s eat out today—I remember there’s a Jinjiang Hotel in town.”
He was extremely thoughtful, but Lin Su clearly hadn’t given him any money or ration coupons.
“Where did you get the money? Can we even afford all this?” Lin Su asked worriedly.
Qin Zhoucheng found it amusing. “I’m not a stone that just fell from the sky. Of course I have a job.”
“You can earn money, but you shouldn’t spend it like this. You’re not a state-employed factory worker. This is too much.”
They were fake marrying, not really getting married. There was no need for so much ceremony. Lin Su felt a little embarrassed, as if she owed him something.
Yu Minghai didn’t like Lin Su. If he had, he wouldn’t have immediately divorced her after getting involved with Jiang Tingting. But seeing her chatting so closely and intimately with another man now made him feel uncomfortable.
“Lin Su, don’t say I didn’t warn you. A woman like you—what could any man possibly want from you? You’d better think carefully whether you’re being deceived. Don’t end up losing both money and love and come crying to me later.”
“Exactly,” Yu Xiuli chimed in. “Comrade Qin, you should think carefully. Lin Su is fat like a pig. Even though you’re not a university student, you could still find a pretty girl in our village. Are you really willing to spend money on her? Does she even deserve Yashuang?”
“Even my brother only buys Youyi for Tingting sister. Why does Lin Su get Yashuang? It’s so unfair!”
Yu Xiuli was almost twisting her mouth in anger.
Qin Zhoucheng didn’t even bother to look at them. He simply said, “It has nothing to do with you,” then turned away in annoyance.
“I’m not worthy? My partner is willing to buy it for me. If you want it, go find someone to buy it for you. Don’t you have your university-student brother?”
Lin Su tugged Qin Zhoucheng’s arm. “Let’s go. Even going into town, we still run into their family. What bad luck.”
She rolled her eyes and pouted, acting surprisingly cute. Qin Zhoucheng nodded, expression blank, but still echoed her.
“Mm. Bad luck.”
Just as they were about to leave the supply store, they heard Yu Xiuli’s voice from behind.
“Brother, I want Yashuang too. Buy it for me.”
“Buy what buy? A box of Yashuang costs five yuan. I still need my money for Tingting.”
“But even Lin Su, that fat woman, can use it—why can’t I? It’s not fair!”
“Stop making trouble. If you don’t have money, go ask Mom. I don’t have money for you.”
Yu Xiuli seemed to be crying, and Yu Minghai was lecturing her sternly.
Lin Su couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“That feels so satisfying. It’s been a long time since I felt this happy.”
“Something this small makes you this happy?” Qin Zhoucheng looked down at her with a faint smile.
Lin Su puffed her cheeks. “I can’t help it. I’m just that worldly. I can’t be noble. Besides, I made seven yuan selling clothes today.”
She looked very proud, her eyes curving into crescents.
She seemed to have some kind of magic—she could lift the mood of everyone around her.
Qin Zhoucheng was just about to say something in response when someone suddenly ran up from behind and blocked their way.