Chapter Thirteen: The Unique Scenery of This Era

Although Song Hui was still young, she loved going out very much. Watching the bustling crowd, her eyes darted everywhere, sometimes babbling a few words. Whenever she became restless, Wei Yao would reach back and gently pat her little bottom.

She was carried in a specially designed baby carrier, wrapped in a layer of floral fabric, which made Song Hui sit quite comfortably.

“How fragrant! Mom, the egg cakes just came out of the oven,” Song Hui exclaimed.

“If you want some, Mom will buy them for you later. Let’s see if there’s anything else you like. Mom will buy everything you want.”

“Hehe...” Song Hui giggled.

Wei Yao smoothed the cowlick on Song Yang’s head and then took a few steps forward with the crowd. In her previous life, her mind was always preoccupied with either finding more food or figuring out how to kick Song Liping and her three starving brats out of the house. She never took the time to truly appreciate the unique scenery of this era.

Though clothing and food were scarce, everyone was upbeat, passionate, and full of energy.

As she was lost in admiration, a sudden voice beside her snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Oh dear, I wondered who that was. Turns out it’s my sister-in-law from the Song family. Once you have money in your hands, you dare to come anywhere. Without our parents steering the ship, how do you expect to live like this?”

Song Liping, with a bag slung over her shoulder and groceries in hand, looked at Wei Yao with eyes full of resentment.

“Thanks to your Song family’s dead hands, I’m living quite well with my two kids. I heard you went to check your old house again. Unluckily, as soon as I stepped in, I smelled a fox’s stench and didn’t dare stay, afraid it would bring bad luck.”

“Hehe, Wei Yao, I know you’ve always been jealous that I’m prettier than you. I’m not angry at your words because someone as ugly as you will never experience my life in this lifetime. All your verbal attacks are just attempts to get my attention. Ugly people always cause trouble, and that’s you.”

Wei Yao: “.......”

When did you go blind? Ugly? I’m freaking beautiful, okay???

“Yes, you’re right. I saw you bought quite a few things at the supply and marketing cooperative. When the family split, your parents must have pawned their underwear, yet you still have money to shop here. You’re really considerate. Step aside and don’t disgust me in front of me. If I reveal what your son did, it’s you who should be ashamed.”

Just as Song Liping was about to retort, her face suddenly turned pale and her lips trembled as she stared into the distance.

Following her gaze, Wei Yao saw a well-mannered young man chatting and laughing with a young woman as they approached. The young man glanced their way, but his expression remained unchanged.

Wei Yao frowned, thinking for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up. She finally remembered who he was—one of Song Liping’s many suitors. But that person... tsk, tsk. Wei Yao tilted her head to glance at Song Liping and sneered.

Song Liping swayed and, without caring if Wei Yao mocked her, staggered away.

“Serves you right. What goes around comes around.”

The newly arrived cloth at the supply and marketing cooperative was thick and sturdy. She immediately liked a piece of woolen fabric and spent all the fabric coupons she and Song Mingrui had on it—seven and a half meters in total.

Besides fabric, she also bought the egg cakes that Song Yang had been craving, along with some canned food, peach crisps, biscuits, candy, dried eggs, dried vegetables, tiny dried shrimp, old kelp, and some oil and salt—all packed into a bag.

Song Yang watched his mother buy so many things, and his earlier doubts vanished instantly. The stuff at home must have been bought by Mom after work but had just been put away out of sight.

Next to the supply and marketing cooperative was a tailor shop. The three of them took measurements and arranged a day to pick up their clothes.

At noon, she didn’t eat at home but took Song Yang to a restaurant where they ordered two bowls of chicken soup wontons. The mother and son ate their fill and happily returned home.

Elsewhere, Sun Xudong was humming a tune as he rode his bicycle home. Suddenly, someone darted out from an alley, startling him. He called out in alarm and quickly got off his bike.

Just as he was about to curse, he saw Song Liping glaring at him with bloodshot eyes. Her fierce anger shifted into sorrow in her gaze.

“What’s going on? Who’s upset our lovely comrade Liping?”

They had only met two or three times, so his words were rather frivolous. Usually, any woman would have cursed and spat upon hearing that.

But Song Liping was not an ordinary woman. Though furious moments ago, hearing his words, she suddenly felt overwhelmed with grievance.

“Wuwu, what’s wrong with you today? Who was that woman? Sun Xudong, you have to give me a definite answer today. I, Song Liping, am not someone who chases after others. If you’re not interested in me, just tell me directly. I won’t pester you.”

A trace of disdain flashed through Sun Xudong’s heart. What decent girl would say such things to a man they barely knew? Did she think she was something special? A mother of three children, with no brains at all. But this suited him just fine.

“Hey, haven’t eaten yet? Come on, I’ll take you to the state-run restaurant to eat something. Look at you, waiting so long over such a trivial matter. Be good and get in the car. If you starve yourself, won’t I be heartbroken?”

Tears streamed down Song Liping’s face even harder. Knowing she shouldn’t trust him, she couldn’t help but get in the car. She only wanted one answer—just one.

At the state-run restaurant, Sun Xudong ordered two portions of lamb offal noodles and a plate of potstickers.

Since the Song family split, she had sold everything she could to tighten the belt and pay off debts quickly to maintain some dignity. They were very frugal with food—mostly cabbage or radishes, not even able to afford brown sugar water.

Though eager to talk to Sun Xudong, the aroma of the food soon made her dizzy and robbed her of the ability to think clearly.

“Eat first, fill your stomach, then we’ll talk. Be obedient.”

Song Liping pursed her lips, feeling a faint sweetness in her heart.

She picked up her chopsticks and began eating slowly at first, then gradually faster. After finishing a bowl of lamb offal noodles, she nearly polished off the potstickers as well.

Sun Xudong frowned continuously but softened his expression into a gentle smile whenever Song Liping looked his way.

Finally feeling satiated, Song Liping felt revived and could think clearly. Seeing she had eaten almost everything, she felt a bit embarrassed.

“I... I accidentally ate a bit too much.”

“It’s okay. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t upset you, you wouldn’t have waited so long hungry. Liping, don’t do this again. You don’t know how much it hurts me.”

Hearing this, Song Liping’s eyes immediately reddened.