The two little ones closed their eyes, unable to bear watching, fearing they might go back on their word.
As it turned out, Xie Sui was just putting on a show; he didn't eat their candy. He ruffled their heads and said, "Go play."
"Oh, Daddy's the best, love you, Daddy."
Xie Sui offered his cheeks, letting each child plant a kiss on them. Then, they ran off to play.
Though his sons were a bit rough, not as soft and sweet as a daughter, Xie Sui didn't mind. He knew he'd have daughters eventually.
Once his sons were well-raised and would dote on and protect their sister in the future, he and Lin Wanwan could enjoy their own time together. Xie Sui's plans were already in full swing.
"You, always teasing them, how old are you now!"
Lin Wanwan fiddled with a hairpin, intending to put it away and wear it on festive occasions.
Suddenly, something was placed in her mouth. Just as she was about to spit it out, a rich, sweet aroma froze her. This was—milk candy!
"I..."
"Eat it. In my eyes, you're a big child too, and I cherish you just the same."
Lin Wanwan looked at him as if she'd seen a ghost. It was too cheesy, giving her goosebumps. However, the milk candy was really delicious.
"Stop being so cheesy, it's disgusting."
Lin Wanwan was unaware of the term "pickup line" from her past life. Her cheeks involuntarily flushed, though in her heart, she didn't dislike it that much.
"Wife, you should say it like this, 'Oh no, it's so yucky!'"
Xie Sui flicked his wrist in a delicate, affected manner, nearly making Lin Wanwan laugh herself to tears. This guy was something else, absolutely hilarious!
Zhao Qiue walked in with a basket of vegetables. Upon seeing her son's effeminate demeanor, the vegetable basket slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.
Xie Sui: "..."
"Mom, you have to listen to me, we were just joking around!"
Lin Wanwan laughed so hard she almost fell off her chair. She went to help pick up the basket. "Mom, we were really just joking, don't overthink it."
"I, I didn't overthink it. You, you continue playing, play on. I'll be going back."
She had come to deliver some vegetables. The old family also had a vegetable patch, and they shared any excess produce. But it would have been better if she hadn't come. The old lady had lived most of her life and had never seen anything like it, especially from her own son.
She would probably need a few days to recover.
After this incident, Lin Wanwan noticed that her in-laws treated her even better. Xie Sui had once again contributed to maintaining good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations, though the consequence was that his mother worried constantly if her son had some sort of issue.
Fortunately, it was a small village, and they were unaware of concepts like homosexuality. Xie Sui also had two sons, otherwise, the old couple would have been worried sick.
"Stop laughing, you've completely embarrassed me."
Xie Sui was also quite dejected. This situation was incredibly awkward.
"Serves you right."
Lin Wanwan said playfully, her coy and happy expression suddenly making Xie Sui feel less dejected. As long as his wife was happy, that was all that mattered.
At Chen Wenfeng's house.
The elderly couple took their bowls outside to chat. Conversing with neighbors during mealtime was one of their few forms of entertainment.
Zhang Wenfeng's wife, Yang Yumei, pulled him inside and asked, "Do you know how much Wang Tiezhu earned in the city today?"
"I do. Almost eighty, right? What's the problem?"
"Eighty?!"
Yang Yumei's voice rose several octaves. Angrily, she pinched his arm. "He earned that much in a single day, more than you earn in a month! I think Xie Sui doesn't take you seriously at all.
You're like that mule of ours, working hard for little reward, only getting a bundle of fodder in the end. Aren't you being foolish?"
Zhang Wenfeng disagreed. "Tiezhu only earned money this one time, and it wasn't all in one day. He caught fish for several days, and they almost rotted. If Xie Sui hadn't helped, they would have all been lost.
Brother Xie never shortchanges us on money, and he always provides a meal. Every time, I eat white noodles, sometimes rice, and meat. Remember that braised pork I brought back for you last time? Wasn't it delicious? It was all thanks to Brother Xie!"
He was referring to a time when Xie Sui treated them to a meal. He hadn't sat at the main table, but Xie Sui had ordered him a portion of braised pork with rice. Zhang Wenfeng had been reluctant to eat the meat and only ate the rice, secretly giving the meat to Yang Yumei that night, not even to his parents.
"That was leftovers he gave you, and you still treasure it."
Zhang Wenfeng didn't think so, but he didn't want to argue with her. "Alright, it's none of our business. Since no one's home, let's get some rest early..."
As a newlywed couple, they wanted to be affectionate whenever they had free time. However, Yang Yumei pushed him away. "I'm not in the mood. We have a mule cart and labor, and Xie Sui is earning so much money. Shouldn't he increase your wages?"
"Brother Xie is just starting out and needs money for everything. I've only been working for a little over a month, why should I get a raise? Women are so short-sighted..."
Yang Yumei exploded. "I'm short-sighted? Do you have any conscience? Who am I doing this for?
Do you know what I saw today? Xie Sui bought his son Da Bai Tu milk candy, and that hairpin for Lin Wanwan cost three yuan, more than your daily wage! Do you think he doesn't have money?"
Yang Yumei was also jealous. Who didn't want to eat well, dress well, look glamorous, and be respected?
"That's his money; he can spend it however he pleases. What does it have to do with us?"
Zhang Wenfeng was also getting angry. He felt he was already treating her well. She didn't have to do any farm work, and Brother Xie even let her work, earning fifteen yuan a month. Brother Xie had been generous to their family.
"You dimwit, you'll never amount to anything."
Zhang Wenfeng turned his back and remained silent. She knew this was the situation when she married him. What was the point of bringing it up now?
Talking too much led to arguments, and Zhang Wenfeng didn't want to argue. He decided to go to sleep. Yang Yumei was fuming, thinking him pathetic.
Xie Sui was unaware of their marital dispute. The new day was crucial. He wondered how Gu Lei's sales efforts were going and if he could open up the market. It all depended on today.
Ten thousand bags of dried peaches were loaded onto a cart bound for the county town. It was just Xie Sui and Zhang Wenfeng; Wang Tiezhu wasn't with them this time as there wasn't enough space on the cart.
"Brother Xie, you're here! I've been waiting for you. Is the cargo ready?"
"It's all here. How are your orders?"
"My brother's legs are worn out from running. Thirty boxes of orders, not bad, right?"
Xie Sui smiled. This was beyond his expectations. He had initially thought that ten or eight boxes would be a good start.
"My mom knows about this and is very supportive. She pointed us in a direction: find the sales department manager at the county's Sugar and Alcohol Company. They specifically distribute goods to supply and marketing cooperatives, and we can have our dried peaches delivered with them. That way, we don't have to deliver them ourselves."
"That's great! Sister Gu, no, Aunt Gu, you're truly my aunt! Let's go now."
"Hold on, Brother Xie, no rush. Those people at the Sugar and Alcohol Company are shady. They won't get any benefits without giving some. I know Manager Yan's son. Let's invite him out to build some connections, it'll be easier to deal with them."
"I'll listen to you. I'll arrange for the state-run restaurant."
"Yan Xiaoliang doesn't like going to state-run restaurants. He likes playing billiards, watching movies, and roller skating. We need to find him near the cinema. And it's always at night. That guy plays differently than us, more open. My mom doesn't let me hang out with him."