Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Tang got up.
Qin Ye had already performed a set of punches in the courtyard outside, and his body was radiating heat.
"We're going to the supply and marketing cooperative today, why don't you sleep a little longer?" He walked in and casually tucked Su Tang's long hair, which had fallen over her shoulders, behind her ear.
"I'm not going to sleep anymore, I want to go early."
Su Tang looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"I want to go with you and buy all the things we need for the New Year and our wedding, one by one, and then arrange them properly."
Qin Ye's heart softened and warmed by her words.
He didn't say anything more, but leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Okay, whatever you say. I'll make you a bowl of noodles with two eggs. You'll need energy to shop if you eat well. Go change your clothes."
After the two had breakfast, Qin Ye pushed out his gleaming old bicycle.
"Get in." He patted the soft cushion he had made himself with an old military blanket on the back seat, which he had specially prepared for her.
Su Tang laughed and jumped up, reaching out to hug his strong waist.
Bicycles travel through the streets of Sunshine City on a winter morning.
The cold wind was blowing on her face, making her feel a little cold, but Su Tang's heart was burning hot.
She pressed her face against Qin Ye's broad back, feeling the warmth emanating from him and listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat. Her heart was filled with something called "happiness."
So this is what life is like for ordinary people.
It's simple, real, and reassuring.
Upon arriving at the largest supply and marketing cooperative in Sunshine City, one could feel the bustling atmosphere even before entering.
As the year draws to a close, the supply and marketing cooperative is bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
The air was filled with a complex mix of smells: the alkaline smell of soap, the starchy smell of fabric, and the sweat from people.
The counter was crowded with people, and most of the sales clerks had the typical "poker face" of state-owned enterprises, dealing with customers indifferently.
"Comrade, give me two feet of red ribbon."
"Comrade, how much are the coupons for this Dacron fabric?"
"Hey, don't push! Don't push!"
Su Tang was protected in Qin Ye's arms, which prevented her from being separated from the crowd.
She looked at the shelves with curiosity.
A few items were sparsely displayed on the shelves.
The thermos, enamel basin, towel, face cream, and some condiments such as soy sauce, vinegar, and salt.
Most of the shelves were half empty, giving off a shabby feeling of scarcity.
“Let’s go take a look at the fabric and red paper first,” Su Tang whispered in Qin Ye’s ear, standing on tiptoe.
The two finally managed to squeeze to the fabric counter.
"Comrade, we'd like to see some red fabric for our wedding," Su Tang said politely to a middle-aged female sales clerk behind the counter who was knitting a sweater.
The salesperson didn't even lift an eyelid, and lazily pointed behind her.
"They're all there, see for yourself."
Su Tang looked in the direction she pointed.
There are only two kinds of red fabric.
One type is coarse cotton cloth, in a dark, earthy red color. It looks stiff and prickly, and after two washes, it will probably fade to pink.
Another slightly better one is cotton-dyed polyester, which is a bright red, but it's as thin as paper and has a pungent chemical dye smell.
"Comrade, don't you have anything better? Like better cotton or wool?" Su Tang asked.
"That's all!" The saleswoman finally looked up, glancing at her impatiently. "That's all. Take it or leave it. That's the going rate in the city. Want to buy raw materials? You'll have to try your luck at a big department store in Beijing!"
Su Tang's little bit of expectation, like a balloon punctured by a needle, deflated with a "pop".
It's not that I'm really disappointed.
Her space contains the finest Yun brocade and Shu embroidery; any one of them is more precious than all the fabrics here combined.
However, the warm scene she had imagined—of her and Qin Ye excitedly choosing fabric for their wedding dresses and arguing about colors and patterns—was shattered.
Reality, after all, is harsh.
"Then... what about the red paper?" she asked again.
"The red paper is over there, go get it yourself. Five per person, five cents each." The saleswoman then went back to knitting.
The two then squeezed onto the counter selling stationery and general merchandise.
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