"Sure," Chen Yifei said. "But if I find any termite mushrooms, or matsutake mushrooms, will you buy them?"

"We'll take them! The price for these valuable ones will be calculated separately. Of course, if it's something like ginseng, our state-run restaurant can't afford it; we'll have to go to a pharmacy."

The manager laughed and talked about it.

He was someone the boss of their state-run restaurant knew; otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have chatted with a farmer like that for long!

They kicked them out a long time ago.

His interactions with Chen Yifei were fairly harmonious, and he dared not harm each other.

Even when it came to walking on the scales, Chen Yifei had to confirm it multiple times.

The mushrooms weren't too heavy, so they sold for around seventy yuan.

He was already very satisfied with making so much money on the first day. The money was plentiful, and it also solved his mushroom sales problem; it was a good start.

The manager wasn't dissatisfied; it added another specialty dish to the restaurant, and the mushrooms were fresh. The wealthy and capable employees were picky eaters, and the mushrooms were of good quality, so they wouldn't lose money at two yuan.

Not only does Chen Yifei have connections at higher levels, but he also has the ability to sell good food. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

The quality of these wild mushrooms is good, and there's no conflict between them and the people who supply the food to restaurants.

It won't interfere with his own life, and at the same time, it will allow the state-run restaurant to make more money. Why not do it?

After leaving the state-run restaurant, Chen Yifei went on to sell potato pancakes.

Not wasting a single moment, although we arrived at the square a little late, a large crowd had already gathered as soon as we arrived:

"We heard yesterday that there were delicious potato pancakes here, and we thought you weren't coming!"

"I've been waiting in line here for so long, I almost gave up!"

"It's really delicious, young man. It's also very filling, and it gives me a lot more energy to work."

"..."

They couldn't afford to eat anywhere else, and they were always hungry. They could only buy whatever they could find to eat; in those days, steamed buns and dumplings were just enough to fill their stomachs.

But Chen Yifei's pancake was quite filling, more so than three steamed buns.

This was also the direction of competition that Chen Yifei himself had envisioned.

The reason they found it filling and delicious was because it was oily; his pancakes were very generous with oil, making them quite flavorful and keeping them full.

In addition, the flatbread is quite substantial, so it's comparable to steamed buns and mantou.

While making pancakes, Chen Yifei said, "I'll come here every day from now on. I'll be here during mealtimes."

"You guys can tell your friends to come and support my business. I'll give you a discount if you want."

"Okay, okay!"

"If you set up more stalls, everyone will be willing to buy from you!"

Crispy and crunchy, it's very fragrant with every bite. There's even chili sauce to dip the pancake in, which helps to cut through the richness.

You can finish a whole pancake without even realizing it, and it's still filling.

The day passed just like that. He sold until night, selling a total of more than two hundred pancakes, at four cents each, which is eighty yuan.

Adding the money I made selling mushrooms today, it comes to a total of 150 yuan.

Another fruitful day! At least I have a 28-inch bicycle now. Next up is a radio, a sewing machine, and a watch. These things aren't expensive; after selling the bicycle, these three items won't cost much, and I can easily earn enough in two days to buy a nice watch.

With this in mind, Chen Yifei felt it was time to put the marriage proposal on the agenda. A marriage proposal naturally required an auspicious day, so he went to an old woman, bought a calendar, and after flipping through it for a while, discovered it was this Sunday, which was exactly three days from now—an auspicious day according to the Chinese almanac.

Should we go to propose marriage then?

Thinking of this makes my heart feel sweet, and I'll tell He Runqing as soon as I get home.

Chen Yifei continued to send the larger items from his stall to the gatekeeper for safekeeping. He planned to give the gatekeeper a small amount of money each month, both as a way of expressing his gratitude and as a way of renting the space.

After tidying up, Chen Yifei wiped the sweat from his nose before preparing to go back.

The old man stood behind him, watching his retreating figure, and thought, "I wonder who will marry this brat in the future!"

"He's so ambitious; any woman who marries him will surely enjoy endless blessings."

"..."

Chen Yifei encountered an old woman selling sweet soup on the road. It seemed that he saw the sticky porridge, with warm steam emanating from it.

He rode his bike over and asked, "Grandma, what is this porridge? I've never seen it before!"

He had only ever seen people selling sweet soup.

"This is eight-treasure porridge. It's packed with various ingredients. I cooked it myself. Why don't you take it home and try it? You don't seem to like sweets, but your wife at home should like them!"

"Give me a bowl!"

He bought a bowl for three cents, which was considered expensive; the sweet soup only cost seven cents.

I remember this thing; it's considered a specialty of Shanghai. He Runqing is a native of Shanghai, so she speaks slowly and softly, with a very pleasant voice.

After she died in his previous life, Chen Yifei would go and pay his respects to her whenever he had the chance.

For some reason, it seemed to have become an obsession. So he remembered some of the food in Shanghai.

Pack it in a food box and take it back to the village.

It was no longer unusual for him to park his bicycle at the educated youth settlement. Even the female educated youths would see him and quickly run to find He Runqing.

"He Runqing, your fiancé is looking for you!"

When He Runqing came out of the house after being shouted like that, her face was red and she had a high fever.

She was never one to blush easily and always had her own judgment in doing things. So why did everything seem to fall apart after meeting Chen Yifei?

After coming out, I saw Chen Yifei.

She quickly handed over her own handkerchief: "Wipe it off."

Chen Yifei rode his bike very fast the whole way, and he would sweat when it got hot.

"It's nothing." He took it. The handkerchief also carried He Runqing's faint fragrance. Looking at this small piece of fabric...

I couldn't help but think of Xiaoyi I saw that day. My throat feels a little dry now.

Chen Yifei's ears turned red: "Well, I came to find you because there's something I need to tell you."

"Mm." He Runqing nodded, looking at her. Stray hairs fluttered in the wind, and two small braids lay on her chest.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, waiting quietly for him to speak.

"I will come to propose to you in three days. I've checked that day and it's an auspicious day. When I come to propose, just be prepared and don't panic. You don't need to prepare anything else."

Upon hearing this so suddenly, He Runqing's heart began to race.

She talked about this with Wang Mei today and still felt a little annoyed because Chen Yifei hadn't told her when he would propose.

Just as I was wondering how to ask him, and was internally conflicted about whether to just ignore it, he immediately and thoughtfully told me.

It was originally a very simple wedding ceremony to give each other a formal status. At first, He Runqing felt that if she got married here, her life would be ruined.