Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Yesterday, while chatting with Wang Yunyun, she mentioned that there are a few villages nearby. Since this area is close to the military residential area, the management is a bit lax. There is a small, covert market known among the military families, where villagers sell vegetables they've grown themselves, and chickens they've raised, and so on.

One still needs to make a trip to take a look.

Xu Yuqing stroked his chin in contemplation, realizing he would need to pay a visit to Wang Yunyun shortly.

But... where exactly is her home?

Her sense of direction was average at best, and coupled with the large size of the residential compound, after parting ways with Wang Yunyun, she walked around for a while longer, and to be honest, she really didn't have a clear memory of which specific house it was.

Xu Yuqing put down the half-written menu; after all, completing it now would be futile, as it would still depend on what dishes were available.

Even the most skillful housewife cannot make a meal without rice.

Acting on impulse, she made up her mind to go out and look for Wang Yunyun right away. Turning around to lock the door, Xu Yuqing, based on her memory from yesterday, hesitated between the two houses.

Hesitation leads to defeat; Xu Yuqing made a choice at random, walked straight up, and knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock!"

After the clear sound of three claps, Xu Yuqing stopped her hands, waiting for someone to come.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Xu Yuqing took two steps back and watched as the courtyard door was opened.

"Looking for me?" Zhang Lifang pushed open the door, and her eyes were momentarily dazzled. My goodness, Xie Tuan's wife looked incredibly beautiful from afar, and upon closer inspection, she was even more stunning.

How can this little face be so tender?

Xu Yuqing was taken aback when she saw a military wife she didn't recognize. She sheepishly pinched the fleshy part of her hand, "I'm looking for Wang Yunyun. Could you please tell me where she resides?"

Zhang Lifang curled her lips, realizing it was about Wang Yunyun. With a hint of gossip from the bottom of her heart, Zhang Lifang asked in a low voice, "What's the purpose of looking for her? Anything she knows, I know too."

Xu Yuqing did not speak directly, as she was well aware that the market was an underground one, and openly discussing it could have repercussions.

"Just buying some things," Xu Yuqing said softly, her gentle and low voice causing Zhang Lifang to shiver involuntarily.

Oh my goodness, where did Commander Xie Tuan find such a wife, her voice is so enchanting that it makes one's bones feel limp.

"Let's go buy some things, Wang Yunyun's youngest child has been complained about by the teacher, she's at the elementary school now, probably won't be back soon. If you're in a hurry, I can take you there! Anyway, I don't have much to do." Zhang Lifang said with a smile, her personality clearly very outgoing and cheerful.

Xu Yuqing hesitated for a moment in her heart. In reality, Wang Yunyun and the military wife before her were almost the same to her – unfamiliar. All she ultimately needed was to make a purchase. With that in mind, she said, "Sister-in-law, I'll leave it to you. You can just call me Yuqing."

Zhang Lifang's eyes sparkled, "Oh my! Such a pleasant name. My name is Zhang Lifang. You can call me whatever you like; I don't stand on ceremony."

Her expression was bold and spirited, with a cheerful disposition. The way she waved her hand in her dusty grey clothes exuded a certain chivalrous charm, which made Xu Yuqing feel quite at ease. Following her lead, Xu Yuqing also began to laugh, her eyebrows curving into a smile, "Then I shall call you Sister Fang, thank you for your help."

Zhang Lifang waved her hand dismissively, "What's the fuss about? It's just a trivial matter, no trouble at all!"

Zhang Lifang had never attended school, not even primary school. It was only after she came to the Military District that she attended a literacy class and learned to read a few characters. For this reason, she didn't have many familiar military wives in the military dependents' compound; after all, they looked down on her.

She was able to marry Old Zhou because of their childhood friendship. Originally, she was almost sold by her heartless parents for a dowry, but Old Zhou happened to return home at that moment and saved her from the scene.

But she didn't care. Her personality was naturally carefree, and she didn't let things bother her. Now, except for feeling somewhat indebted for not giving Old Zhou a son after many years of marriage, she didn't let anything else bother her.

Zhang Lifang acted with vigor and enthusiasm. She asked Xu Yuqing to wait for her at the door for a moment while she went back to change clothes and grab some money before rushing out.

"Yuqing, I'm ready!"

Xu Yuqing snapped back to reality, nodded, and walked side by side with Zhang Lifang toward the small market.

"This market is only open two days a week, you're lucky it's today. Every Monday and Friday, so when you said you wanted to buy something, I knew it was here."

Zhang Lifang had a loud voice and was tall, probably around 170 centimeters, while Xu Yuqing was only 163 centimeters tall. Zhang Lifang had to lower her voice and bend her head down for Xu Yuqing.

Xu Yuqing didn't notice this. Upon hearing these words, she was startled inwardly, grateful that she had come today. However, she didn't know what could be bought or if she could carry it. Originally, she planned to take a look today and bring Xie Junli tomorrow.

"Is there meat every time?"

Zhang Lifang shook her head. "Not every time, it's a matter of luck. But there's a village near the mountainside that's quite remote. They secretly raise more livestock, and if you're desperate for meat, you can go there to buy some, though it's a bit more expensive there."

Xu Yuqing listened to the detailed introduction and nodded understandingly. She looked gratefully at Zhang Lifang. "Thank you, Sister Fang. If it weren't for you, I'd still be wandering around aimlessly."

Zhang Lifang waved her hand dismissively, as if it were no big deal. "It's nothing. Just so happens that we ran out of meat at home too, and my husband has been craving it."

She had taken some money earlier. Their family was relatively well-off, with kind in-laws who only asked for five yuan to be sent each month. Zhang Lifang had only given birth to a daughter, so eating meat was a regular occurrence for them.

Xu Yuqing nodded, and the two left the military dependents' compound, walking along a dirt road. Xu Yuqing walked beside Zhang Lifang, matching her step for step, but the other party had longer legs and was used to walking faster.

They didn't know how long they had been walking, but Xu Yuqing was sweating on her back in the cool weather.

"How much longer?" Xu Yuqing wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked, panting. Fortunately, this body had recovered a lot recently. If she had been as weak as before, she might have fainted.

Zhang Lifang turned her head and saw Xu Yuqing's exhausted appearance, finding it somewhat amusing. "You don't walk much, do you? We're almost there, just turn left at the tree up ahead."

These words gave Xu Yuqing hope. She sighed in relief and rallied herself, following Zhang Lifang forward.

Under that tree... Xu Yuqing followed Zhang Lifang's words and finally spotted it around the corner.

The place wasn't large, with at most ten people sitting under the tree, seemingly chatting in groups of three or two.

Xu Yuqing was somewhat disappointed. She thought it would be bigger, but now, it was understandable. The policies hadn't been relaxed yet, and all private trading was considered speculation, which could lead to imprisonment if caught.

She should buy whatever she could find, better than having nothing at home.

She walked over with Zhang Lifang. In front of each person was a small basket covered with leaves. Seeing Xu Yuqing and Zhang Lifang approach, Xu Yuqing keenly felt several pairs of eyes looking at her.

Until Zhang Lifang spoke up, "This is our new arrival."

As the words faded, one by one they lifted the leaves to reveal what lay beneath.

Eggs! Xu Yuqing, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted the small basket of eggs—a delightful surprise for her as she loved eggs in any form—scrambled, fried, or boiled. On the spot, Xu Yuqing decided that she would buy the entire basket of eggs.

Apart from the eggs, there were other items. As Xu Yuqing inspected them, she was surprised to find two live chickens, their limbs bound, lying listlessly in the basket.

This trip had been incredibly fruitful. Not only did she acquire chickens and eggs, but Xu Yuqing also purchased a large amount of vegetables. With the cool weather, they would keep well and be stored easily, especially since she needed provisions for the dinner party she was hosting the following evening.

However, she had bought far too much... She couldn't carry it all herself.

Looking at Zhang Lifang, who hadn't bought anything yet, Xu Yuqing hesitated to ask for help despite the eager look on Zhang's face. Thinking about it, Xu Yuqing said, "Sister Fang, could you go back and call for Commander Xie? Just tell him I'm here and he needs to come pick up the things."

Zhang Lifang looked at Xu Yuqing, her mouth agape in surprise. She never thought of doing this before, sighing at how she used to struggle carrying everything herself. It seemed Old Zhou had gotten a good deal.

"No problem, just wait here. I can run fast, and your Old Xie doesn't have any tasks today, right?"

Xu Yuqing glanced up at the sun, which was nearly at its zenith. She shook her head, "No, he said he'd be back for lunch."

Zhang Lifang nodded, "Alright, I'll be quick!"

The number of people under the tree dwindled further as the egg seller, having received payment, hurried off, saying his son was waiting for the tuition money.

Only a few elderly vendors remained, sitting together and chatting, having not sold all their goods.

"Miss, you've bought so much, it won't be easy to store!" One of the elderly women remarked as she watched Xu Yuqing organizing her purchases. She offered a chair, waiting until Xu Yuqing sat down before continuing.

Xu Yuqing lifted her head. The midday sun, coupled with the exertion of moving around, had left her cheeks flushed. Looking at the woman, she replied, "It's alright, I'm having guests tomorrow, we'll eat it all."

With that, the elderly woman didn't press further. They had been doing business with military wives for a long time and wanted to maintain a steady clientele. They understood the value of kindness.

"Well, that's good then. No wasting food."

Silence descended upon the group once more. It was nearly noon, and they estimated that no more customers would arrive. Observing the young girl sitting nearby, drowsy and with skin as delicate as a flower, everyone instinctively moved quietly, slowly packing up their belongings.

Even after finishing their packing, they stayed put. This area was known for snakes and insects, and they always sprinkled powder when they arrived to deter them. If they left and the area became less crowded, the snakes might become bolder, potentially harming the property owner.

She had bought so many things today.

They could wait here for the soldiers to come collect the goods; it wouldn't make much difference in terms of time.

However, they didn't have to wait long. Xie Junli arrived swiftly, thanks to Zhang Lifang bumping into a man carrying rice and flour on his shoulder upon her return.

"Commander Xie! Put down the rice and flour quickly and go fetch your wife!"