After parking her bicycle, Sheng Jinhe entered the supply and marketing cooperative, heading straight to Xu Han’s counter like she had done countless times before.
“Hanmei, I’ll take a pound of brown sugar, a pound of white sugar, a pound of fruit candy, and two pounds of Big White Rabbit milk candy.”
Xu Han was lost in thought, but she snapped out of it when she heard Sheng Jinhe’s voice. Upon hearing the candy order, she could only sigh.
Well, she had gotten used to being speechless at least once a month.
“Alright, alright. Get your money ready—I need to grab the items from the back!”
“Thanks, Hanmei. Come with me later. We’ll go have lunch at the state-run restaurant. Did Sister Yue tell you?”
Sheng Jinhe knew that if Xu Han wasn’t working here, she wouldn’t have been able to get so much candy at once. And since Xu Han’s aunt wasn’t the manager, they couldn’t just sell this much either. Ah, it’s all about connections, she thought silently.
“She mentioned it. Wait for me. Oh, do you want malted milk powder?”
“Just arrived!”
“Okay, take as many as you can sell. Count the payment first and leave it with you; I’ll pick it up after lunch.”
They whispered to each other. Xu Han nodded and went to the back yard.
Sheng Jinhe looked around the store and once again felt deeply that she had really transmigrated into the book.
Xu Han moved quickly, packing everything into a large woven basket.
“All set. There are two cans of malted milk powder. I’ll bring the basket to your house later.”
“Perfect! How much?”
“Eleven yuan and twelve cents, plus candy coupons.”
“Here you go!”
Sheng Jinhe took out her wallet, counted the money, and handed it over.
“Can you leave now? Time’s almost up!”
“Yes. Are you riding the bike?”
“Yeah, leave it in the back yard for me, and we’ll stroll over together.”
“Okay!”
By now, Sheng Jinhe had already put her camera into her spatial pocket. So valuable! She definitely wouldn’t carry it around while wandering.
When they arrived at the state-run restaurant, there was still no one except the waitstaff.
“Zhao Haikun! Zhao Haikun!”
Sheng Jinhe called out toward the kitchen from the ordering window.
“Already here so early? Ready to start cooking?”
Zhao Haikun rushed out, looking anxious.
“Of course! I think I even skipped breakfast. Start with our table first. Will you join us later?”
“Braised chicken with mushrooms, braised pork, potatoes with beef… just throw in some greens. I want beef noodles; you know what the rest want.”
“Got it. I’ll have my chef prepare it for you.”
“They’ll be ready soon?”
After ordering and settling the payment, Sheng Jinhe went to find a seat.
By the time the food arrived, everyone else had arrived too.
Shen Wang and Jiang Yueyue came together.
“Here, over here!”
Sheng Jinhe waved.
“Got it. Ordering so much meat,” Jiang Yueyue muttered silently, thinking about how wasteful Sheng Jinhe was.
“There’s some greens, isn’t there? Why shouldn’t you guys get three meat dishes?” Sheng Jinhe teased, understanding Jiang Yueyue’s meaning.
“Stop joking!”
“Do you still want to know the news?”
Jiang Yueyue raised an eyebrow.
“Sister, sister, tell me quickly!”
Sheng Jinhe obediently waited.
“Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after lunch; no need to waste this time.”
Jiang Yueyue was worried that if she revealed the news now, Sheng Jinhe wouldn’t be able to eat—it wasn’t exactly good news.
“Fine then!”
They were seated anyway, and no one could leave. It had been a long time since they had a proper meal together. She hadn’t realized how long she’d ignored her childhood friends. Truly deserved a scolding!
The five of them ate happily, chatted even more happily, and naturally spent some time mocking the male and female leads.
“Phew, I can skip dinner; I’m too full!”
“Let’s go for a walk; we can grab some things from the supply store while we’re at it.”
Sheng Jinhe rubbed her belly.
“Let’s go. We can talk while walking.”
“Zhao Haikun, keep busy!”
They said their goodbyes.
“Yeah, you guys go ahead.”
As an apprentice chef, he wouldn’t clock out during mealtime, but stepping out for a meal was fine.
Once outside the state-run restaurant, Sheng Jinhe immediately grabbed Jiang Yueyue’s arm, acting coy.
“Sis, tell me! Who is my brother-in-law?”
The four of them were speechless.
“Can you hold back? You have no fate with my brother-in-law! Stop thinking about it!”
“Why not?”
Sheng Jinhe was dissatisfied.
“Do you even know who he is?”
Jiang Yueyue frowned.
“As long as he’s not married, I’ll marry him!”
Sheng Jinhe said stubbornly.
“Alright, alright. Fine, he’s impressive—he’s a member of the Li family, Li Zhanye.”
“If we’re not in that circle, we wouldn’t know. Shen Wang, tell her!”
Jiang Yueyue thought Sheng Jinhe was incredible. The men she liked were never easy!
At this point, Sheng Jinhe couldn’t hear anything else. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Li Zhanye—Li Zhanye—Li Zhanye!
“Li Zhanye?”
“Are you sure? From the military family, the Li clan? The courtyard’s crown prince? Heaven’s favored son? Soldier king?”
Both Jiang Yueyue and Shen Wang nodded.
Isn’t this the same Li family the female lead broke off her engagement with?
“The man I, Sheng Jinhe, have my eye on is really impressive!”
Sheng Jinhe quickly recalled the book’s description of him.
“Stop messing around!”
“Come with me,” Jiang Yueyue pulled her aside and continued, “The Li family was sent down yesterday. Don’t go provoking them. If you like military men, have Shen Wang’s brother find one for you in the army!”
“No need. It’s him.”
She wasn’t the type to back down just because the benefactor had been sent down. Impossible.
In Sheng Jinhe’s dictionary, there were no words like ‘give up in the face of difficulty’ or ‘abandon halfway.’
The Li family now had immense power. Too flashy, and they’d attract jealousy, but Grandfather Li was not to be trifled with. Once reinstated, the Li family would rise even higher, and as long as he lived, no one dared touch them.
However, during the book’s story, the Li family’s exile was harsh. Many went, but only the grandfather and grandson returned alive. That grandson was her lifesaver, Li Zhanye, who would later become a big shot in the military.
At this moment, the big shot was only temporarily fallen.
Could Sheng Jinhe do the same heartless things as the female lead?
It was the summer of ’73. In the book, the Li family was among the first to be reinstated, so by the end of ’76, the whole family could return to Beijing.
Three years—perfect for having a child or two, sons and daughters, and then return to Beijing without delaying her plans. Brilliant!
So she had to decisively chase her benefactor to the countryside!
But before that, she needed to deal with the Li family’s nemesis. Even though she hadn’t married Li Zhanye yet, anyone daring to bully her future husband? They were asking for trouble.
Fortunately, the book detailed the Li family’s reinstatement clearly. She remembered the nemesis family’s situation, the hardships during exile, and their actions—though they later got severely punished by the Li family.
Also, the author had written this through the female lead’s memories, a kind of “whitewashing.” The female lead accidentally found out the Li family would be sent down and got scared, so she broke off the engagement.
Of course, Sheng Jinhe suspected it was just the author giving the female lead a plot advantage. And later, when the Li family returned to Beijing, the female lead would try to leverage it.
In shamelessness, that female lead truly had no rival.