Chapter 9

"Grandpa, how many more of these grapes do you have? I want them all."

Shen Man only tasted one before deciding to take the basket of grapes.

"Little girl, in this day and age, private trading isn't allowed. I don't want money; I want food. There are more than twenty catties in this basket, and there are more than forty catties at home that haven't been picked yet."

Surprise flashed in the old man's eyes, and his expression became cautious again.

He was afraid the little girl would find it troublesome and not want them. He had been wandering around here for several days, and only this little girl was willing to take the grapes.

If the little girl went back on her word, his family would really run out of food.

"Okay, how about this, Grandpa. I'm here to eat with my brother. Give me this basket along with the grapes inside, and I'll give you forty catties of grain coupons.

You exchange them for grain to take home first. Tomorrow, I'll come here again with my brother, and you bring the rest of the grapes for me.

I'll exchange some flour coupons for you—third-grade, second-grade flour coupons—and I'll also give you a few oil coupons. Does that work?"

Shen Man negotiated with the old man in a consultative tone.

Being able to set up a farming greenhouse at home meant he was at least an educated person.

To be reduced to this state, who didn't have some unspeakable difficulties?

Bartering didn't involve private trading; as long as both parties were willing, it was fine.

As for the exchange rate, it was all based on one's conscience.

"Thank you, little girl. Just do as you say. Thank you~"

The old man's eyes sparkled; he couldn't remember how long it had been since he received such warm kindness.

After the discussion, Shen Man opened the car door and signaled for the old man to put the basket on the passenger seat.

She was going to sit in the back seat, so she wouldn't put miscellaneous items there.

Then, with a thought, she took out four grain coupons from the space, each with a face value of ten catties.

"Grandpa, tomorrow at noon, right here, don't be late."

The old man looked at the coupons with glowing eyes, and after taking them, he hurriedly stuffed them into his pocket, thanking her repeatedly:

"Hey, thank you, little girl. I'll remember."

"By the way, Grandpa, do you have any poultry like chickens, ducks, or geese?

Eggs are also fine. I'm leaving the Capital in a few days to join my relatives, and I want to take some meat and eggs with me. If you can get them, bring them all to me. Coupons or money and coupons are both fine."

Shen Man asked with a smile. Perhaps because she was so generous with the coupons, the old man looked around and whispered:

"Little girl, I wouldn't dare agree if it were anyone else, but if it's you, I'll risk it and get them for you."

"Pfft."

Shen Man laughed, her voice crisp, with a thick, soft accent, "Okay, thank you, Grandpa. Don't worry, I will definitely keep my mouth shut and won't implicate you."

After the two reached a consensus, the old man left in high spirits.

He had to hurry home to get the money and coupons and rush to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy grain, otherwise, his family would really run out of food!

Almost as soon as the old man left, Li Mingguang returned with an oil-paper package.

"Who was that just now?"

"Brother Li, I saw that old man was quite pitiful, so I exchanged grain coupons for his grapes.

I'm leaving the Capital soon, and before I leave, I want to brew some grape wine for Grandfather."

Shen Man realized she couldn't hide it from Brother Li's eyes; he wasn't just a simple driver.

Rather than making him worried and wasting manpower to investigate, it was better to just say it now.

"Grapes?"

Li Mingguang was surprised. In March, grapes were on the market?

It probably wasn't greenhouse-grown.

But at this time, people who could use greenhouse cultivation, besides relevant government departments, were only some retired university professors, researchers...

"Brother Li, stop thinking about other things. I'm hungry."

Shen Man rubbed her stomach, looking hungry and pitifully at him.

"Hey, I'll lock the car. I was lucky and grabbed the last roast duck..."

Li Mingguang couldn't bear Miss Manman acting coquettish. In his view, Miss Manman was seven years younger than him, and he completely treated her as a little sister.

The sister was hungry, so as an older brother, he should hurry and take her to the state-run restaurant to eat!

While the two were having a harmonious meal at the state-run restaurant, the Lu family was also having dinner.

"Tingchen, can you drink?"

"Mm, I can have two drinks with Grandpa and Dad."

"That's good. By the way, has your work transfer order been issued?"

"Mm, it has. I'll be staying at the Capital Railway Bureau from now on."

"Railway Bureau, mm, not bad. Did the unit assign you a house?"

"Yes. We'll move out tomorrow and move into the compound assigned by the Railway Bureau."

"Mm, you two are newlyweds, so live a good life from now on. Living a good life is better than anything."

"Mom, eat some vegetables."

Lu Manman looked shy, lowering her eyes as if she were embarrassed, but her palms were sweaty, and her heart was full of bitterness.

It was only after she married over that she found out the Gu family had an adopted daughter, and that adopted sister liked Gu Tingchen!

On the first night of their wedding, she was full of expectations for their first night.

She sat in the bridal chamber all night, and the groom didn't return all night.

It turned out he had been drugged and spent the night in the living room.

The culprit was that adopted sister...

The next day, when she served tea to her in-laws, she felt wronged but couldn't vent.

Gu Tingchen, the man she loved to the bone, didn't comfort her, just said coldly, "The sister is young, you, as the sister-in-law, should be more tolerant."

He had forgotten that she was only eighteen or nineteen years old!

She was two years younger than that adopted sister!

On the second night of their wedding, the adopted sister wanted to repeat the trick, deliberately spiking the wine at dinner, so she followed the plan and drugged Gu Tingchen's wine glass.

Next, everything went smoothly.

She finally got this man, and the adopted sister was also warned by Grandpa Gu this morning, so she at least made a show of respect.

But when Gu Tingchen woke up in the morning, rubbed his temples, and looked at her with cold eyes, he didn't look happy at all.

But he still didn't say anything, just got out of bed, got dressed, washed up, called her to go out to eat, and then brought the return gifts to accompany her back to her parents' home...

The dishes she originally liked now tasted like wax.

After finally finishing lunch, Lu Manman stared at the clock on the wall, wanting to leave.

The work of cleaning up the kitchen didn't need them. The men moved to the living room. Suddenly, Gu Tingchen's gaze fell on the potted plant in the corner by the window, and he asked subconsciously:

"Mm? Is that red plum on the branches of the money tree?"

If he remembered correctly, it wasn't there when he came to pick up the bride a few days ago.

"Oh, that's Man—"

"That was something Manman made with candle wax before she got married, just for the festive spirit."

Zhang Xuemei brought out a plate of fruit, her back to her son-in-law, looking at the old man with a pleading gaze, hoping the old man wouldn't expose her lie.

Elder Lu didn't want to cause trouble for his granddaughter, so he didn't press the issue and said casually:

"Mm, this tea tastes bland. Brew a new pot."

Lu Mingyuan had rarely spoken since his son-in-law and stepdaughter returned home.

At this moment, looking at the red plum made of wax, a trace of sadness crossed his eyes...

Lu Manman saw it, and her heart felt like it was being pinched painfully by an invisible hand.

She prayed inwardly that Gu Tingchen wouldn't notice anything wrong and would never know she had impersonated the substitute marriage...

"Tingchen, do you like plum blossoms? Then after we move, I'll make some in our new home."

"Mm."

Gu Tingchen didn't say anything, sat down, accompanied Grandpa Lu in idle chatter, and glanced at the red plum from time to time.

Unconsciously, his cold expression softened a bit.