Li Xian brought out a large bag of things from the black market. When he handed it to Xu Nuo, she couldn't hold it and almost dropped it to the ground.

He reached out and took it.

Xu Nuo looked up and asked, "Are they all herbal teas?"

So heavy?

He was still holding something in his hand, so the two of them were very close. When she looked up, her warm breath fell right on his neck.

Like a feather lightly brushed across the surface.

He leaned back slightly, his body stiffening slightly, and said, "There's something else."

Worried that she might not be able to carry it, he asked, "Are you sure you can?"

No, she shook her head.

It's really heavy.

She looked at him with her round eyes and blinked: "Li Xian, can you help me take it upstairs?"

He nodded, scooped the things back into his arms, and strode upstairs. Xu Nuo called out to him, "Slow down."

He was tall and strong; one of his steps was equivalent to two or three of hers.

Li Xian stopped and turned to wait for her. Only after she walked ahead did he slowly follow her upstairs.

Xu Jinan and Xue Ping had both gone to work, and no one was home at the time. Xu Nuo took out her key, opened the door, and stepped aside to let him in.

He didn't move, but bent down, placed the things inside the door, and then went out.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Xu Nuo said, "Wait a moment."

Li Xian looked at her with suspicion, but nodded nonetheless. A moment later, she appeared by the door, reached out and put something into his pocket.

Li Xian pulled out a bundle of money tied with a small rubber band; it looked like several ten-yuan bills.

He frowned and handed it to her: "What for?"

Xu Nuo refused to take it, stepped back, and said, "This is the money from selling the ginseng, we'll split it in half."

She had been growing the two small ginseng plants that Li Xian had found for her on the mountain with herbal water. A few days ago, Duan San helped her sell one of them for 100 yuan.

One hundred yuan is not a small amount of money in this era; Xue Ping's monthly salary was only thirty-something yuan.

Last night, Xu Nuo took stock of her savings. With the share Xu Yan gave her, she now has over four hundred yuan in savings.

Li Xian knew she had sold ginseng. He had personally negotiated the price with Mo San Niang. Nowadays, there's no fixed price for things; a single ginseng root can sell for a hundred yuan or two yuan.

He said, "Don't share with me, it's yours."

He took two steps forward, placed the money on the package, and was about to turn and leave when Xu Nuo quickly grabbed him.

With his other hand, he pulled the door shut.

Li Xian, who hadn't left yet: "..."

Xu Nuo knew that if she wanted Li Xian to accept the money, she needed to have a serious talk with him. She couldn't just stand at the door and talk; what if someone she knew passed by in the hallway and saw them?

Although Xu Nuo didn't care about these things, the relationship between men and women was quite strict in this era, and gay men and lesbians couldn't be too intimate when walking on the street.

So on the way home, the two walked one after the other, and she didn't have a chance to talk to him about money.

"Come in, and help me move my things in while you're at it." Pointing to the heavy bag on the floor, she walked towards the kitchen without turning her head.

Li Xian stood there stunned for a second, then picked up his things and followed her.

She took two cups out of the cabinet, scooped in two spoonfuls of rock sugar, and threw in lemon slices, mint leaves, and licorice slices.

When I went to get hot water, I found Li Xian standing at the kitchen door with something in his arms.

His expression was serious, and his posture was upright.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was standing at attention at the door of her kitchen, holding a bag.

She said, "Take your things to the living room and wait for me. I'll make you some tea. This tea was made by Xu Yan, and it's very delicious."

As he spoke, he squinted and smiled smugly. Looking at him, he suddenly felt a little dazed.