Lin Chuxia had fought and vented her frustration, knowing full well that if these people were sent to the police station, they would likely be let go after a simple lecture, as there was no substantive criminal act.
She glanced coldly at them, “Get lost. If I see you doing harm again, don’t blame me for not being polite.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
The man quickly went to help Bald, who was the most battered among them; his face was swollen.
Seeing the man, Bald mumbled through the corner of his mouth, “Why didn’t you tell me she could fight like that?”
“I did tell you, I told you, but you didn’t believe it,” the man said in a small, aggrieved voice.
One of the hoodlums stole a glance at Lin Chuxia, “You only said she wasn’t someone to mess with, you didn’t say how. I mean look at her, so frail and weak, I’d never have believed it.”
It’s all his fault for not explaining properly.
“Let’s go quickly, stop talking…”
Once the group had left the alley, Lin Chuxia looked around. It really was a remote area; despite the scuffle, not a single passerby had come by.
She picked up the items from the ground and put them straight into her space.
After leaving the alley, she went on a shopping spree in the grocery store.
All sorts of snacks and fruits, tobacco, alcohol, tea, sugar, various groceries and seasonings, anything usable and of decent quality, she bought some.
With plenty of money on hand, Lin Chuxia had enough to splurge.
She was a bit of a shopaholic by nature; now that she had extra money, she certainly wasn’t going to deprive herself.
She also took the opportunity to stroll along several main streets in the city. Even the urban areas weren’t very large, and the bustling streets were few.
Lunch was at the State-Owned Restaurant. The food was quite tasty, though the service was as indifferent as ever.
She thought that leaders with the brains and vision like Manager Zhao at the Department Store were rather rare.
Finally, she went to the Xinhua Bookstore and bought a dictionary. When she planned to go to the bus station, she saw the City Hospital nearby, thought of something, and turned in its direction.
She didn’t know where to buy that particular item, so she headed straight for the gynecology department.
To her surprise, they actually had it there.
The clerk was a woman in her thirties. Upon hearing Lin Chuxia ask for family planning supplies, she suggested several options.
The nation was actively advocating family planning, but public awareness was generally low. Eager to find someone who proactively sought to buy family planning products, the clerk was afraid she wouldn’t explain thoroughly enough, failing to implement the national policy fully.
Lin Chuxia felt embarrassed and couldn’t help but interrupt, “Doctor, we don’t have kids yet, and we will firmly comply with the national policy in the future. ’To become rich, have fewer children and plant more trees; for a secure old age, let the nation support you; late marriage and late childbirth lead to fewer but healthier offspring’; I’ll remember all of it.”
The doctor looked relieved, “Good that you’ll remember. I missed the timing of the national policy and had three kids. I just hope you young people will take it seriously.”
Lin Chuxia: “…”
After finally getting what she needed, Lin Chuxia left the hospital and let out a long sigh of relief.
Since she was going to see Qin Yang, she would inevitably do certain things that promote intimacy between men and women.
Although she felt that she was not very maternal, it was still essential to be cautious.
Her career was just taking off; an unplanned pregnancy now would mean she wouldn’t have the time or energy to invest in such a matter.
The more she cared, the more cautious she became; Lin Chuxia did not want her child to grow up barely seeing their mother or to only be able to watch their parents bustling about, to end up labeled as ’having a good life because of their sacrifice.’
Her child would have to be born into a life of prosperity, with the companionship and love of both parents and a complete childhood.
Now was not the time to have children.
Seeing it was about time, she headed to the bus station.
The public bus that ran between the county and the city only made one trip a day. On the return trip, many of the faces she had seen earlier were there.
Just after getting on the bus, the old lady who sat in the same row as her on the way there waved at her, “Girl, I knew you’d be heading back today. Granny saved a seat for you. Come and sit on the inside, by the window.”
Lin Chuxia walked over with a smile, “Granny, aren’t you scared that I’ll open the window anymore?”
“Not afraid. You were right, the smell inside the bus is too strong; we need to open the windows to air it out. Granny put on a couple more layers of clothing. Look, you can open all the windows and I won’t even feel cold.”
Saying this, she even opened up her coat to show her the clothes underneath.
“Are you visiting relatives, Granny?”
“Went to my sister’s. She just had a new grandson, and today is his one-month celebration. These clothes were given to me by my sister.”
Lin Chuxia just smiled and didn’t say anything more.
The bus left on time. Lin Chuxia didn’t see the three people Qin Yang had fought with, nor the boy with the chicken. They probably stayed in the city.
Meanwhile, at a family residential building somewhere.
Yang Rui returned home, and as soon as he walked up the stairs, he saw his wife cooking at the entrance of their tube-shaped apartment building.
Her belly, at 6 months pregnant, made bending over inconvenient. She sat on a small stool, holding a pair of chicken feet and plucking feathers.
Perhaps hearing his footsteps, she turned her head and spoke with a smile, “You’re back. My mom had Tianyu bring over two chickens. We’re having chicken stew with mushrooms tonight.”
At that moment, Wang Tianyu came out holding a basin and called out courteously to Yang Rui, “Brother-in-law.”
Yang Rui nodded, “Tianyu’s here. It must have been inconvenient to bring two chickens such a long way, wasn’t it? When you go back, tell your mother not to worry, we have everything we need at home.”
Wang Tianyu, with a shy smile, thought about the troubles he encountered on the way and how inconvenient it really was, but…
“Mom said the chickens sold in the city are all old hens that don’t lay eggs anymore. These two are raised this year, their meat is tender. She wanted me to deliver them to my sister for some nourishment.”
Yang Rui took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and said to his wife, “It’s still your mother who cares most about you. Let me handle this, take the jacket inside.”
Wang Tianxue washed her hands in clean water and took the offered jacket, “It’s about done, I’ll give it one more wash and chop it before putting it in the pot.”
“Alright,” Yang Rui got to work skillfully cleaning up.
Wang Tianxue watched for a while before finally taking the clothing back to the room.
She shook out the clothes and hung them on a rack, at the same time, a faint fragrance wafted out.
Different from the scent on her husband, it smelled more like… a woman’s fragrance.
Wang Tianxue furrowed her brows and leaned in for another sniff, the scent becoming more distinct.
She gently flipped through the collar and found a long strand of hair near the neck buttons.
“Sis, what are you doing? Brother-in-law is asking how to cook the chicken,” Wang Tianyu’s voice came from behind her.
Wang Tianxue snapped back to reality, uttered an “oh,” and went back to the hallway.
“How should we cook the chicken, braised in soy sauce or stew it? I think we should stew it. Chicken soup is nourishing, you can drink a couple more bowls later.”
Staring at the familiar man, Wang Tianxue remained silent for a long time.
Confused, Yang Rui looked back, “What’s wrong?”
“Where have you been today?” Her voice was casual, no different from usual.
Yang Rui continued working on what he was doing, casually replying, “Where could I go? Just bustling around the Department Store. The goods shipped from the south last time are selling well. Manager Zhao is very pleased with my work recently. I had a long chat with him today. You know Manager Zhao always has good ideas, I think there’s a future in working with him.”
Something came to him and he turned around, “That’s right, you always said you liked the clothing styles from the south. It’s not convenient for you now with the pregnancy. Once the baby is born, I’ll take you out for a good shopping spree. We’ll buy a few nice pieces of clothing. Just today, a lady at the Department Store bought seven or eight pieces in one go, Manager Zhao almost served her personally. It’s all about having the money.”
He lamented as he busied himself, and only after he finished did he realize Wang Tianxue hadn’t said how to cook the chicken.
“How about stewed chicken soup?”
Wang Tianxue had been watching him the entire time, as if trying to read something on his face, but she didn’t see anything.
Hearing his suggestion, she nodded, “Alright, as you say.”