Su Xiaoqi returned to her room and stored the money into her space.
She made herself a cup of malted milk drink to quench her thirst.
Zhou Ye came back from outside, went to the kitchen, scooped up water, and washed his face and hands.
He ignored Yang Huaihua’s murderous glare and went straight back to the room to find Su Xiaoqi.
“Xiaoqi, I borrowed a bicycle from the brigade leader’s family. Let’s go to the commune.”
“I’m hungry.”
Su Xiaoqi had just taken out a piece of peach pastry and broke it in half, handing one portion to him.
“Eat this.”
“You eat it,” Zhou Ye said, unwilling to take it.
“If I tell you to eat, then eat. Why so much nonsense?” Su Xiaoqi leaned closer to him, her gaze sharp and aggressive.
Zhou Ye looked at her—peach pastry crumbs clung to her full lips as she spoke.
Her half-lidded eyes carried a faint, almost playful charm.
Before he realized what he was doing, Zhou Ye bent down and licked the crumbs from the corner of her lips.
They both froze.
Seeing a trace of irritation in her eyes, he quickly explained, “You had crumbs there. I… I didn’t want to waste it.”
“Didn’t want to waste it?” Su Xiaoqi suddenly smiled.
She leaned in and kissed him on the face.
“Don’t you like this instead?”
Then she stepped back.
Looking slightly wronged, she said,
“Zhou Ye, you’re so bad.”
Zhou Ye paused, then said gently, “How am I bad?”
“We just got married and you were sent on a mission before even consummating the marriage. You were gone for more than two months.”
She tilted her head and glanced at him.
“You come back and immediately want me to give my heart to you. I don’t want to make it so easy for you.”
“That’s not fair at all.”
Zhou Ye’s heart trembled.
He hadn’t thought that deeply back then.
He only knew that hostile foreign forces were watching them, something was happening at sea, and he had to rush there immediately.
And Su Xiaoqi had used her “rescue” as leverage to force the marriage.
He had also been angry.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “From now on, I’ll give you my heart too—until you think it’s fair. Okay?”
Su Xiaoqi felt that Zhou Ye’s absence had actually given her a huge bargain.
“Are you going to eat it or not?” she asked again, holding the pastry to his lips.
Zhou Ye didn’t dare refuse.
He bit down on it.
Then hurried to the kitchen, scooped water with a ladle, and drank a few mouthfuls.
Su Xiaoqi followed closely behind.
“No more drinking raw water from now on.”
Zhou Ye paused.
In their daily life, everyone drank water like that.
River water during missions, well water straight from the pump, even rainwater collected at sea.
“What should I drink then?”
“Boiled and cooled water.”
“Oh.”
When they left the house, the Xu family was just about to eat breakfast.
Seeing the two of them leave, Yang Huaihua started cursing again, but Su Xiaoqi ignored her completely.
She grabbed Zhou Ye’s waist and shouted,
“We’re going to the commune to buy breakfast!”
“Buns, fried dough sticks, sesame balls, meat buns… and a bowl of salty porridge with spicy tofu!”
Every word she said made the people inside swallow their saliva.
After the couple left, Xu Yong’an stared at the watery corn porridge and sighed repeatedly.
“Mom, give me money. I’m going to the Wen family to find Wen Anning.”
“Everyone just knows how to ask for money! There’s no money left at home!” Yang Huaihua snapped.
Xu Youtian slammed his tobacco pipe on the table.
“If he asks for money, give it. Stop talking nonsense.”
“Are you planning to save it for that debt-collecting ghost?”
Reluctantly, Yang Huaihua gave him two yuan.
“Spend it carefully.”
Xu Yong’an immediately complained, “Two yuan isn’t enough. Give me food tickets too.”
She reluctantly added more money—eventually totaling three yuan.
The daughters-in-law, Yang Xiaolin and Hong Shanpang, looked on enviously.
“Dad, we—”
“What you? If it weren’t for you causing trouble, would Zhou Ye’s family be extorting us?”
Xu Youtian coughed violently.
After a while, he barked, “Anyone who keeps talking can go back to their maiden family!”
The atmosphere froze.
No one dared speak again.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zheng and Zhou Cao finished their corn porridge and went out to collect firewood, trying to stay invisible.
Back at the commune, Su Xiaoqi and Zhou Ye had already arrived.
The southern side of the commune was used for livestock.
The air was thick with the smell of manure and urine.
Ox carts and mule carts were parked nearby.
The street wasn’t long.
The supply and marketing cooperative, state-run restaurant, meat processing station, grain depot, and clinic were all lined up along the road.
The smell of fried dough sticks drifted through the air.
“I smell fried dough sticks,” Su Xiaoqi said, inhaling deeply. “Let’s buy some?”
“How many tickets do you have?”
“All of them,” she patted her pocket. “Today I’m here to eat and spend. Don’t you dare stop me.”
“I’m just afraid your mouth is big but your throat is small,” Zhou Ye said.
He immediately regretted it when he saw her expression.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“Hmph.”
Just then, someone called out,
“Su Xiaoqi!”
She turned around and saw two educated youths.
One of them walked over and nodded politely at Zhou Ye.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” Zhou Ye replied calmly.
“Shen Ning,” Su Xiaoqi recognized him. The other, more arrogant-looking one was Shen Ruhua.
Both were from the educated youth station.
“Why haven’t you taken your things back from the educated youth dorm?” Shen Ning asked casually.
“I forgot,” she replied.
In truth, the original owner had intentionally left them there.
Su Xiaoqi simply hadn’t thought about it.
“You should go get them. What if someone with bad intentions touches them?” Shen Ning hinted with a glance.
“Alright. I’ll go this afternoon.”
“Okay, I’ll leave then.”
He waved and ran off to join Shen Ruhua.
Shen Ruhua asked quietly, “Why did you remind her?”