Chapter 43 (Combined)
Yan Ruyi knocked on the door, and the woman in front of the desk turned around. Only then did Yan Ruyi realize why the back view looked familiar—it was Wu Meili.
Wu Meili stood up and asked in surprise, "Ruyi, what are you doing here?"
She welcomed Yan Ruyi into the office, pulled up a chair for her, and poured her a glass of water.
Yan Ruyi said, "I came here today to apply for a business license. A lady just told me that they also review materials here, so I came over."
Wu Meili scolded, "Didn't I tell you I work at the Industry and Commerce Bureau? Why didn't you come directly to me when you came to apply for a business license? If it weren't for the older sister calling you over, would you have just been waiting in line outside?"
Yan Ruyi said, "I'm afraid of causing you trouble."
During the last gathering, Wu Meili told her that she worked at the Bureau of Industry and Commerce.
When she came, she had considered taking a shortcut and going directly to Wu Meili.
However, she only knew that Wu Meili worked at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, but did not know which department she worked in.
If Wu Meili's department is not closely related to the department that handles business licenses, and she asks Wu Meili for help, Wu Meili will have to find someone else to help her with the process, which would only cause her more trouble.
Furthermore, if Wu Meili helped her, she would benefit, but Song Yiping would be burdened with a favor.
The debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay. With Song Yiping, she only accumulated more and more debts, and in the end, she repaid them by offering herself to him.
How can Song Yiping repay the favor he owes Wu Meili? He can't very well repay her with his body.
That's why she didn't come looking for Wu Meili.
She hadn't expected that Wu Meili was in charge of this area; what a coincidence!
Wu Meili poked her forehead. "You're still being so polite with me. Didn't you say you'd call me if you needed anything? What kind of business license do you need? Show me the documents."
Yan Ruyi then handed the materials to her.
Wu Meili flipped through the documents and found that all the necessary materials were there. She then said to Yan Ruyi, "These materials still need to be reviewed by our section chief. He went to a meeting at the municipal government and won't be back until this afternoon. You can put the materials here and I'll ask him to review them as soon as he gets here this afternoon. I'll try my best to get the license issued this afternoon."
Yan Ruyi thanked her.
Wu Meili said, "A verbal thank you isn't enough. You and Commander Song should at least treat me to a big meal."
Yan Ruyi said, "Sister Meili, just tell me what you want to eat."
"Let's make this clear first, I want a big meal, like a wedding banquet."
Yan Ruyi realized that Wu Meili was teasing her on purpose, and said frankly, "Then it will be at least next year."
Wu Meili clicked her tongue.
Yan Ruyi can wait, but Commander Song probably can't.
During working hours, Yan Ruyi didn't want to keep Wu Meili from working, so she left the materials and left.
After leaving the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, she realized what had happened.
Song Yiping was only Wu Meili's instructor; strictly speaking, she couldn't be considered Song Yiping's comrade-in-arms.
Wu Meili also went to the last gathering. She said that Chen Feiyong invited her to attend because she wanted to see what kind of girl Song Yiping had found, so she went with Chen Feiyong.
Wu Meili works at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, and her preparations for the auction house inevitably involve the Bureau.
So Song Yiping asked Chen Feiyong to call Wu Meili over, and then brought her over to introduce her to Wu Meili.
Having connections in the court makes it easier to get ahead in officialdom. Although it's supposed to be a matter of official business, having acquaintances can reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Like that lady, if she knew someone at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, they could check the materials she submitted beforehand and make sure everything was in order, so she wouldn't have to make so many trips.
Her husband, Commander Song, really put a lot of thought into it.
During her date with Song Yiping that evening, she unilaterally announced that her evaluation of Song Yiping was over and that she was now preparing to meet his family.
Song Yiping was very enthusiastic about visiting his future mother-in-law and immediately arranged a time with Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi said, "You need to be mentally prepared. You're not just going to meet my parents, but also my eldest brother and sister-in-law, my second brother and sister-in-law, Sihe, Miaomiao, Xiaohua..."
Song Yiping knew Yan Ruyi's parents, eldest brother and sister-in-law, second brother and sister-in-law, Sihe, and even Miaomiao.
This was the first time he had ever heard of Xiaohua.
He humbly asked Yan Ruyi, "Who is Xiao Hua?"
Yan Ruyi said, "The cat you picked up in Sihe depends on whether it likes you or not. If it doesn't like you, be prepared to be bitten. And it won't just bite you once; it will bite you every time, unless it's not home and can't see you."
Xiao Hua disliked Shen Qiaoxiu and would bite her every time she saw her.
It's not just biting for fun; it's a serious bite.
Except for Shen Qiaoxiu, Xiaohua doesn't bite anyone else.
Her mother said that Xiaohua is a spirit, and it bites people with bad intentions.
Song Yiping still thought that Xiaohua was Yan Ruyi's older brother's second child, whom he had secretly given birth to.
It turned out to be a cat.
Song Yiping: "My mom used to have a cat, pure white, and it was quite attached to me."
This indirectly shows that he is also a cat lover, and Xiaohua will definitely like him too.
Yan Ruyi said, "It won't just be my family at that time; my uncle and aunt, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins will also be there."
Yan Ruyi counted on her fingers, "Including our family, there are about fifteen or sixteen people."
This doesn't even include her uncle's family, because she wasn't sure if her mother would invite her uncle's family, or even if she did, whether they would come.
Song Yiping imagined the scene and felt a lot of pressure.
However, he could understand that if he wanted to marry someone's daughter, that person would definitely want to thoroughly investigate her before entrusting her to him.
There's no way to take shortcuts in this kind of thing; you have to show enough sincerity.
The most important thing is what gift to bring on the first visit.
Since Song Yiping had no experience, he consulted Zhang Laiqun, the commander of the Second Regiment.
Zhang Laiqun often boasted to everyone how popular he was at his mother-in-law's house. Every time he went to his mother-in-law's house, his father-in-law would invite him to drink, and when they got drunk, he would call him brother.
Song Yiping felt it was necessary to learn from his experience.
Commander Zhang said, “You’ve come to the right person. I’m an expert at giving gifts to your future mother-in-law’s family. You need to find out what they like first, especially your future father-in-law and mother-in-law. If the gift you give can touch their hearts, then you’ll achieve twice the result with half the effort, and the matter will be at least half settled. For example, my father-in-law and mother-in-law both love to eat meat. The first time I went to their house, I carried half a pig with me. My father-in-law was so happy that he immediately pulled me aside for a drink. After drinking a bit, he called me his brother, and I married my wife on the third day.”
Song Yiping had a little notebook in his mind, and he immediately wrote down one point: When giving gifts, you should cater to the recipient's preferences.
Commander Zhang said, "Not only your father-in-law and mother-in-law, but also your brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces. Prepare more fruit, candy, and pastries so that everyone can be taken care of."
Song Yiping, "She also keeps a cat at home."
He could tell that Yan Ruyi really liked Xiaohua and treated her like family, so he couldn't forget to give Xiaohua a gift.
Commander Zhang, "...We also need to bring a gift for the cat?"
Song Yiping: "My partner really likes this cat, so it would be best if it had some."
And since Xiaohua ate the gift he brought, she probably won't bite him anymore.
Commander Zhang had never given a gift to a cat before. He scratched his head and said, "Cats like to eat mice, so how about we catch a mouse and take it over?"
After saying that, he rejected it himself, saying, "Mice won't do, they're too hard to catch, and it wouldn't look right for you to bring a mouse on your first visit. You should buy a fish instead, cats love to eat fish."
Song Yiping then wrote down another point in his notebook: When giving gifts, one must be considerate of all aspects.
Commander Zhang asked him, "Does your sister-in-law have any brothers?"
"Yes, she has two older brothers and one younger brother, but her younger brother is only 9 years old."
Commander Zhang said, “When men get together, drinking is inevitable. Don’t hold back, just drink as much as you can. Once you’re drunk and passed out, your father-in-law, your brother-in-law and his brother-in-law will all be calling you brother. That’s basically when you’ve succeeded.”
...
After listening to Commander Zhang's words, Song Yiping felt that he had benefited greatly.
The next step is to find out the preferences of your father-in-law and mother-in-law, and then prepare gifts accordingly.
Before the gifts were even prepared, orders were received to go to Lincheng to pick up the new recruits who had enlisted this year.
I told Yan Ruyi about it when we went on a date that evening.
Yan Ruyi, "How many days are you going to be gone?"
Song Yiping calculated the time, "At least a week."
Yan Ruyi thought this was a good thing, as it would help cool down their relationship.
She felt the two of them were being a little too clingy.
Since her family has given her permission, she can now openly date Song Yiping, which means she spends almost every night, plus Sundays, with him.
Luo Huihui complained that she forgot her friends because of her looks.
She and Luo Huihui hadn't gone shopping together in a long time.
He said to Song Yiping, "Go ahead, I'll take this opportunity to get to know Luo Huihui better, otherwise she might sever ties with me."
Having just tasted the sweetness of dating, Song Yiping was a little reluctant to leave Yan Ruyi.
However, military orders are paramount, and in the face of such orders, personal feelings must naturally be put aside.
From his perspective, he felt that Yan Ruyi was also reluctant to part with him.
Yan Ruyi said that only to comfort him.
He also felt it necessary to ask for a gift to comfort himself.
This was the first time Song Yiping had ever asked her for a gift. Yan Ruyi found it unusual and looked up at him, asking, "What gift?"
Song Yiping slowly approached, getting closer and closer. Yan Ruyi knew what gift he wanted and shyly closed her eyes.
Seeing that she didn't pull away, Song Yiping confidently kissed those lips he had longed for.
They didn't dare kiss for too long, and parted almost immediately after touching.
Yan Ruyi felt her face burning and her legs going weak, and her heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
It took a long time for him to calm down.
He punched Song Yiping in the face and whispered, "Aren't you afraid someone will see?"
Because their relationship had become public, Song Yiping was now permitted to be sent to the family compound.
They weren't allowed to escort her to her doorstep yet; usually, they would just drop Yan Ruyi off at the corner.
The streetlights don't reach the corner, and there's a sycamore tree planted at the corner of the wall.
The sycamore trees were planted when the residential compound was built. Now they are at least as thick as a person's arm. If two adults were to hide behind a tree, they would be invisible unless they were looking for it.
Now that it's not so hot, fewer people come out to cool off. The two of them usually linger by the sycamore tree for a while before Yan Ruyi goes home.
In the past, when we were affectionate, it was at most just hugging each other's necks, holding hands, or kissing each other's foreheads.
Today was the first time Song Yiping kissed her.
Yan Ruyi was a little shy, and also a little nervous about being seen.
Song Yiping quickly pecked her lips again, "We're a serious couple, it's fine if others see us."
Yan Ruyi was afraid that if things continued like this, the two of them would keep kissing each other endlessly.
He urged Song Yiping to go back, saying, "You have to get up early tomorrow, so go back now."
Song Yiping was a little reluctant to leave, and wanted to give her one more kiss before she went.
Just as his lips touched Yan Ruyi's, he heard someone call out, "Ruyi?"
Yan Ruyi recognized her mother's voice and, in a moment of nervousness, bit Song Yiping's lip. Song Yiping let out a muffled groan, which startled her so much that she quickly covered his mouth.
She didn't dare to say anything. After waiting a while, when there was no more noise, she secretly peeked out and saw that her mother had already left.
Yan Ruyi then let go of Song Yiping's hand and pulled him closer to where the streetlights shone. When she looked at Song Yiping's lips, she saw that they were cracked.
Song Yiping comforted her, "It's okay, it'll be fine by the time I get back, it won't affect anything..."
Knowing he was about to say something inappropriate again, Yan Ruyi quickly covered his mouth.
Song Yiping chuckled softly a few times, then pulled down Yan Ruyi's hand, shook it briefly, and said gently, "You can go back now."
Yan Ruyi took a few steps, then turned back to wave to Song Yiping before hurrying home.
She cautiously entered the courtyard, and seeing that she didn't see her mother, she breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and closed the gate. Just as she was about to go inside, she saw her mother come out of the house.
I was kissing my girlfriend, and her mom caught me.
Yan Ruyi felt rather embarrassed, wondering if her mother had seen it.
Ye Hongzhen walked up to her and whispered, "You two aren't married yet, so you can't do anything reckless. People will gossip if they see you."
Yan Ruyi blushed again. Taking advantage of the darkness outside so her mother couldn't see her, she argued, "I didn't do anything wrong, I just said a few words."
Ye Hongzhen: "That's true. Commander Song seems like a decent person. He shouldn't do anything out of line."
Yan Ruyi felt that Song Yiping's appearance was too deceptive.
Those who know him say he is serious, upright, and even a bit aloof.
Actually, everyone was fooled by him. When they were together, he had so many tricks up his sleeve, and she was no match for him at all.
That big liar.
Yan Ruyi called Luo Huihui.
Luo Huihui said she had been neglected during this period and wanted to eat a good meal to soothe her wounded heart.
The two then arranged to have dinner at Xiaobaihua on Xingfu Road.
Little Birch is a Western-style restaurant that specializes in Jiangsu cuisine.
When the two arrived at the restaurant, Luo Huihui pulled Yan Ruyi aside again before going in and whispered, "Are we really going to eat here? Neither of us speaks Su language, and their waiters don't understand Chinese either. How are we going to order?"
Little Birch is different from other Western restaurants. All the staff, from the chefs to the waiters, are Soviet, and none of them speak Chinese.
Those who don't speak Su language communicate entirely through gestures.
If the gestures are wrong, the dishes served will be completely mismatched.
This has led to many funny situations.
Yan Ruyi puffed out her chest, looking confident. "I can."
Luo Huihui knew that Yan Ruyi liked Su Yu, even though he was only half-baked at it, he could at least say a few simple words.
Influenced by her good friend, Luo Huihui also likes Suzhou language, but she found it too difficult after learning just a few letters, even more difficult than English.
Therefore, her current level is still at the 6-letter level.
I figured that with gestures and Yan Ruyi's half-baked spoken English, it should be enough.
He bravely followed Yan Ruyi inside.
The interior of Little Birch House is decorated with a distinctly Soviet style.
The walls were adorned with colorful oil paintings, the tables were covered with light yellow tablecloths, and the waitresses wore black dresses with white aprons over them.
It was their first time here, and they felt like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, finding everything new and exciting.
The restaurant wasn't crowded, and the two chose a seat by the window.
As soon as they sat down, a waiter came over with the menu, handed it to the two of them, and started talking incoherently.
Luo Huihui didn't understand a single word, but she could guess the gist of it: they were being asked to order food.
The menu is also in Sukhomlinsky, but each dish is accompanied by a picture. Even though you can't read Sukhomlinsky, you can still order by looking at the pictures.
Neither of them had ever eaten Suzhou cuisine before, so they didn't know which dishes were good or bad.
Following their usual practice, they chose the ones with the nicest patterns.
Even if it doesn't taste good, at least it looks nice and is pleasing to the eye.
Yan Ruyi had heard Song Yiping talk about the dietary habits of the Su Kingdom. The first dish was usually soup, with common options being red vegetable soup, cabbage soup, and fresh fish soup.
Borscht is the most representative of the soups, and Yan Ruyi ordered one.
The second course was the main course, and since they couldn't tell what the dishes were, they just picked the ones with pretty pictures.
The last course is dessert, and there are many kinds of desserts.
Yan Ruyi wanted to try the famous apple cake, but just looking at the pictures, she couldn't tell which one was the apple cake, so she asked the waiter directly. The waiter answered her and then asked her again. Yan Ruyi turned to Luo Huihui and asked, "Two bottles of kvass, please?"
When Yan Ruyi communicated with the waiter, she spoke in Suzhou dialect.
Luo Huihui was stunned.
Why is her best friend suddenly speaking so fluently?
It's like two people are both academic underachievers, but one of them suddenly becomes a top student!
Yan Ruyi asked her again before she came to her senses.
She had heard of kvass, a traditional low-alcohol beverage in the Soviet Union.
I've only heard of it, but I've never tried it. Since I'm already here, I definitely have to give it a try.
Yan Ruyi then went to the waiter, who nodded, took the menu, and left.
As soon as the waiter left, Luo Huihui asked Yan Ruyi, "Who taught you Su dialect? How come you suddenly speak it so fluently?"
Yan Ruyi feigned modesty and said, "Yiping taught me. He has been to the Su Kingdom. Oh dear, I have only just learned a little bit and know some everyday conversations."
Luo Huihui saw right through her. "I knew it! Why did you come to Xiaobaihua to eat Western food? You're just showing off that you can speak Suzhou dialect, aren't you?"
She also casually mentioned that her boyfriend taught her Suzhou dialect.
Yan Ruyi smiled broadly.
Luo Huihui had a knowing look on her face.
The soup and dishes they ordered were served one after another. Whether they tasted good or not was another matter, but they smelled alright.
The taste was barely acceptable, but I wasn't used to using a knife and fork. Luo Huihui is an impatient person and found cutting too troublesome, so she simply ate it with a fork.
Anyway, there weren't many people in the restaurant, so no one noticed her lavish eating habits.
The kvass was surprisingly popular with the two of them; it was sweet and sour, and Luo Huihui drank half a bottle in one go.
When Yan Ruyi heard Song Yiping say that kvass had a strong aftereffect, she was afraid that the two of them would lose control after drinking, so she didn't dare to ask for more.
Overall, the two were basically satisfied with the meal.
When we paid the bill, it came to 8.6 yuan.
Upon seeing the bill, Luo Huihui immediately declared that she wouldn't come back next time, as it was both expensive and the food wasn't good.
The kvass was pretty good, though I don't know if they sell it in bulk at their restaurant.
After leaving the restaurant, the two agreed to go shopping the next day.
Luo Huihui said mysteriously to Yan Ruyi, "Tomorrow I'll take you somewhere. You know how to recognize antiques, so let's go see if we can find a bargain."
Yan Ruyi: "Where?"
Antique Street.
Yan Ruyi expressed her doubt, "...How come I've never heard of this street?"
"I heard it from my second brother. It's in a small alley on Songshui Road. You have to go early, or the vendors will have left."
Yan Ruyi was a little skeptical, "Is it really possible to find a bargain?"
“My second brother went there. He said that many of the items on display looked like old things, but he didn’t know their value and didn’t dare to buy them. He said that his coworker had bought the real thing, but I don’t know if what his coworker said was true or false.”
Yan Ruyi was somewhat tempted.
A lie can fool others, but it can't fool her.
She had been thinking about what gift to give Song Yiping's grandfather when she visited his home.
His grandfather likes antiques, so giving him antiques would be the most suitable gift.
However, she couldn't afford the expensive ones, and there was nowhere to buy them.
She could find something rare and unusual as a gift.
Moreover, since she has this skill, she can't just make money by herself; she wants to help her good friends make money together.
I immediately decided to go to the antique street tomorrow and try to find some bargains.
Luo Huihui decided to stay at Yan Ruyi's house, and the two of them would share a bed and gossip at night.
"Ruyi, have you heard? Shen Zhimin's father got fired from the art museum."
The electrical appliance factory's residential compound and the fertilizer factory's residential compound are relatively close to each other, so any disturbance in one compound can quickly spread to the other.
Moreover, being fired from one's job is a major event.
Yan Ruyi yawned. "Why were you fired?"
Luo Huihui: "I heard he was sued for selling fake paintings, so the art museum fired him. But he doesn't say that himself. Wang Lanying said he was in poor health and took sick leave. Only a fool would believe that."
Yan Ruyi remembered that Li Guangyan had bought a painting from Yao Dehou, which she identified as a fake, making Li Guangyan so angry that he almost had a heart attack.
She reminded Li Guangyan that by following Yao Dehou's lead, they might be able to find the person making the counterfeit goods.
Perhaps Li Guangyan was still angry, so he followed the clues and dragged Shen Zhimin's father into the mess.
Shen Zhimin's father is a state employee. He was involved in counterfeiting and selling fakes, but the art museum didn't call the police and arrest him. They were already being lenient with him because he was a long-time employee.
Luo Huihui said gleefully, "I wonder if Tang Yanna will still jump into this rotten pit that is the Shen family."
Yan Ruyi yawned. "It's hard to persuade a damn fool. If she wants to jump, let her jump. It'll save Shen Zhimin from harming others."
Luo Huihui: "That's right, every pot has its lid, the two of them are a match made in heaven."
After finishing talking about the Shen family, Luo Huihui suddenly leaned close to her and whispered, "I have something to tell you, but you mustn't tell my family."
Yan Ruyi yawned again. "What is it?"
Luo Huihui was uncharacteristically a little shy, "I've taken a liking to someone..."
Yan Ruyi immediately perked up, "What's his name? What does he do for a living? How did you two meet?"
Luo Huihui: "His name is Jiang Hao. He's a teacher at No. 4 Middle School. I met him when I went to No. 4 Middle School for research last time. Later, he came to the Education Bureau to submit materials twice, both of which I handled. To express his gratitude, he treated me to a meal, and we gradually became acquainted... He's very handsome and speaks very gently. I can tell that he also likes me. He even asked me to go to the movies tomorrow night. What do you think, should I go or not?"
Yan Ruyi has experience in this area: "If he invites you to the movies, he might want to express his feelings for you. You should be prepared."
Luo Huihui exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
She covered her face and said shyly, "Then I'll go."
Yan Ruyi encouraged her, "Go ahead."
Her best friend is also starting to date, so she won't have to worry about her friend being left out when she goes on dates with Song Yiping anymore.
The two got up early the next morning.
Ye Hongzhen was busy making breakfast in the kitchen when Luo Huihui went over to her and said, "Aunt Ye, you don't need to cook for us. We'll eat out."
Ye Hongzhen: "What are you two doing, going out so early?"
Luo Huihui said mysteriously, "Let's go pick up the treasure."
Ye Hongzhen took it as a joke and said, "Go ahead and pick up a big treasure."
There's a breakfast shop right across the street, serving steaming hot, freshly steamed meat buns.
Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui each ordered two meat buns and a bowl of soy milk. After they finished eating, they took the bus to Songshui Road.
Songshui Road is a main road, and besides the main road, there are many winding alleys on the side.
I heard that these alleys are all interconnected, and the antique street was chosen here so that it would be convenient for the vendors to escape at any time.
Luo Huihui had only heard her second brother mention it once, and she didn't know exactly which alley the antique street was in. The two of them wandered around for a long time before finally finding the place.
When they arrived, it was just dawn, but there were already quite a few people setting up stalls in the alley.
They would simply lay a cloth on the ground, display the items they wanted to sell, squat down behind it, and calmly wait for people to come and ask about the price.
Luo Huihui knows nothing about antiques; she only cares about whether something looks good or not.
She likes things that are pretty, and she doesn't like things that aren't.
Before long, she took a liking to a powder box.
The powder box was about the size of a palm and made of porcelain. It consisted of two parts: the body and the lid. The entire box was engraved with exquisite patterns, and Luo Huihui liked it more and more as she looked at it, so she couldn't bear to put it down.
The owner was a thin man in his fifties with eyes that kept rolling around. He had already categorized Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui as soon as they squatted down in front of his stall.
Young girls, untouched by the harsh realities of society, with clear, innocent eyes, naive and easily fooled.
Judging from their clothes and appearance, they probably come from well-off families, which means they are wealthy.
A girl in a pink dress who keeps saying this looks good and that doesn't shows she doesn't know anything about fashion.
The girl in the yellow dress didn't say anything, but she didn't refute what the girl in the pink dress said, which shows that they were both laymen.
In summary, they were both naive and rich.
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