Chapter 62 (Three-in-One)
Yan Ruyi invited Grandma Zhao to eat wedding candy, but Grandma Zhao gave her a cold shoulder, leaving her a little confused.
She and Song Yiping had just moved in, and they hadn't had any contact with Grandma Zhao before. Yan Ruyi couldn't figure out where she had offended her.
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Wan came out of her yard, pointed to her head, and said to Yan Ruyi, "She's mentally ill. Don't pay any attention to her anymore."
Everyone living in this area knows about the Zhao family's affairs.
It was rare for Sister-in-law Wan to encounter someone who didn't know the situation, so she simply pulled Yan Ruyi into her home and explained the Zhao family's situation to her.
"That old woman is no good. Her husband died early, and she raised her son alone. Later, she arranged for her son to marry a woman named Li Baoling. Zhao Yushu is the old woman's son. Although Li Baoling and Zhao Yushu were introduced by someone else, they liked each other very much. At first, things were going well. But things went wrong because of the old woman. Not long after Li Baoling entered the family, the old woman set rules for her. Not only did she have to do all the housework, but Li Baoling also had to tell her where she was going. She also demanded that Li Baoling not talk to other men. Li Baoling endured all of this."
Yan Ruyi exclaimed in surprise, "You can tolerate this?"
If it were her, she wouldn't be able to tolerate any of these points.
"Li Baoling felt that the old woman had a hard life and didn't want to argue with her. Who knew that the old woman could do something even more outrageous?"
She has to do all the housework, report to her mother-in-law wherever she goes, and is not allowed to talk to other men.
These rules were already absurd enough; Yan Ruyi couldn't imagine anything more absurd.
Sister-in-law Wan looked at her with disdain, "Old woman eavesdropping!"
Seeing Yan Ruyi's confused expression, she clearly didn't understand what eavesdropping meant.
"Oh dear, it's when the couple is doing 'that,' the old woman is eavesdropping outside."
Yan Ruyi's face flushed red instantly.
Sister-in-law Wan said, "The young couple had just gotten married and were in the prime of their relationship. Sometimes one time wasn't enough, and they wanted to do it again. As soon as there was any movement, the old woman would come outside and scold Li Baoling, saying that Li Baoling wanted to drain her son dry. Only then did Li Baoling realize that the old woman was eavesdropping. One time wasn't enough; she stood under the young couple's window almost every night to listen."
Yan Ruyi was dumbfounded. "This is too outrageous."
"Right? Who in their right mind could stand this? Later, Li Baoling wanted a divorce, but Zhao Yushu refused to agree no matter what. Li Baoling couldn't take it anymore, so she ran away with someone else. Zhao Yushu went crazy and ran away from home five years ago. Nobody knows where he went. It's been so many years, and there's still no news of him."
Sister-in-law Wan sighed, "Zhao Yushu is probably already dead outside. He ruined his son like this, and the old woman doesn't even think she's wrong. She says it's all Li Baoling's fault. She not only scolds Li Baoling, but she also scolds the newlywed wife, saying she's improper and seduces men."
Hu Junhai lived in the house on the far west side of this row. He got married two years ago. His wife walked past the old woman's house and the old woman cursed at her for no reason. Hu Junhai was so angry that he smashed her house to pieces.
Everyone says she's been driven mad by her son and daughter-in-law, but I don't think she's stupid at all. At most, she might not talk to you or give you the cold shoulder, but would she dare to curse you? She wouldn't. Your Commander Song is a military officer; she has to think twice before cursing. She'll only curse those she can handle; those she can't, she won't dare utter a sound.
Yan Ruyi was stunned by this gossip.
Throughout her life, all the mothers-in-law she's encountered—her own mother, her aunt, and her maternal uncle's wife—have treated their daughters-in-law well.
Like Grandma Li, she lost her husband early in life and raised her son alone. After her son passed away, her daughter-in-law remarried, and she raised her granddaughter alone again.
Yet she was always cheerful, raising her granddaughter to be lively and academically excellent, and Yan Ruyi had never heard her say a bad word about her daughter-in-law.
The differences between people are truly vast.
Yan Ruyi returned home with a heavy heart.
As soon as they got home, they saw Song Yiping carrying out the bedding.
Song Yiping: "The weather is nice today, so I'm taking the bedding out to air it out so I can sleep comfortably tonight."
Yan Ruyi was taken aback, then remembered that she had stuffed the fighting picture under the covers that morning.
As luck would have it, at that very moment, the fighting picture fell out of the bedding.
She wrapped it haphazardly, not securely, and when it fell to the ground, the cloth bag came undone, revealing the book inside, which even turned its pages automatically.
Song Yiping looked down and saw it clearly: it was still a page showing two people fighting.
Yan Ruyi felt like she wanted to die. She quickly went over, picked up the book, her face flushed red, and covered his eyes, trying to hide the truth, "You didn't see anything just now."
Song Yiping readily agreed, saying, "I didn't see anything just now. I'll go air out the bedding."
It would be strange if he hadn't seen it; if he hadn't been holding back, he probably would have taken action immediately.
To avoid indulging in debauchery during the day, he rearranged all the things in his house.
Even so, he still had amazing stamina at night.
It rained heavily twice in a row.
Afterwards, I asked Yan Ruyi where that book came from.
Yan Ruyi was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. She mumbled, "It was passed down from my great-grandmother. It's a genuine antique, passed down to daughters, not sons. Don't touch it. You can't afford to pay for it if you break it. I'm going to pass it on to my daughter."
Song Yiping chuckled softly and put his arm around her. "Don't move around, go to sleep."
The next day, Yan Ruyi woke up even later than the day before, and slept until noon.
Two days passed by in a blur of eating and sleeping.
Three days later, on her return visit to her parents' home, Song Yiping carried gifts and followed behind Yan Ruyi.
Zhao Cuifang was just coming out when she saw Yan Ruyi and said with a smile, "Your mother has been coming and going several times this morning. If you hadn't come back soon, she probably would have gone to the entrance of the residential compound to greet you."
Hearing the voices, Ye Hongzhen came out of the courtyard.
Yan Ruyi rushed into her arms and hugged her, "Mom."
Ye Hongzhen patted her on the shoulder, "You're so old already, aren't you afraid Yiping will laugh at you? Go inside quickly."
Yan Ruyi smiled and took her arm.
Ye Hongzhen discreetly observed her daughter, Yan Ruyi, and saw that she looked well, with a rosy complexion and good spirits, clearly having had a pleasant two days.
She felt relieved.
Because it was Yan Ruyi's homecoming day, Yan Minghai and his family of three came.
Yan Mingtao was also there.
Apart from Yan Minghe going to school, Ye Hongzhen didn't let him ask for leave, so everything was complete.
When Miaomiao saw Yan Ruyi, she called out "Auntie" and asked Yan Ruyi to hold her.
Yan Ruyi took her over, took out a bag of sponge cakes from her handbag, opened it, and gave her one.
Miaomiao nestled obediently in Yan Ruyi's arms and ate her cake.
Fang Caiyun: "When Miaomiao saw Ruyi, she didn't even want me anymore."
Zhao Cuifang chimed in from next door, "I think Ruyi also likes children, so she should ask Commander Song for one soon."
Yan Ruyi blushed, "We'll talk about it later."
She didn't actually want to have children so early. She and Song Yiping had just gotten married and wanted to enjoy their time as a couple. They would talk about having children later.
Song Yiping listened to her.
Therefore, Song Yiping took measures.
The newlyweds were both shy, so Fang Caiyun changed the subject, "Ruyi, can you take a few days of honeymoon leave?"
The national statutory marriage leave is 3 days, but different places will adjust the number of marriage leave days according to their own circumstances. For example, in Beijing, it is generally 10 days.
Yan Ruyi said, "Yiping can also rest for 10 days. We plan to go to Yangcheng for a few days."
Yangcheng is a famous ancient capital. It is said that you can dig an ancient tomb anywhere.
Yan Ruyi has never traveled far from home in her life, and she wants to take advantage of this holiday to have a good time for a few days.
Li Yan chimed in from inside, "Ruyi, how many days are you going? Won't that interfere with your visit to Congcong's Full Moon Bar?"
Although she had some reservations about Song Yiping because of her nephew's affair.
However, given Song Yiping's status and position, her pride was also honored that he could attend Congcong's full moon celebration.
Yan Ruyi said, "It's hard to say how many days I'll be gone. It could be three or four days, or it could be four or five days, but I should be able to get back before Congcong's one-month celebration."
This trip was a last-minute decision between her and Song Yiping; they hadn't made any plans and just wanted to go wherever they wanted.
Ye Hongzhen, "Are you taking the train?"
Yan Ruyi: "I took the train. Yiping bought a sleeper berth. I slept for one night and arrived."
Ye Hongzhen said, “Be careful when you’re on the train. There are a lot of pickpockets on trains now. If you’re not careful, they will steal your money. Last year, when your brother Xiancheng went to do business, if he hadn’t been alert, he would have lost more than 10,000 yuan to a thief.”
Yan Ruyi said confidently, "With Yiping here, thieves won't dare to steal."
Song Yiping: "Mom, don't worry, I'll be more careful on the way."
Miaomiao: "Auntie, Miaomiao wants to go too."
Yan Ruyi said, "Miaomiao is too young. We'll go when she's older. Auntie will bring Miaomiao a gift when she comes back."
When the two left in the afternoon, Ye Hongzhen called Yan Ruyi into the inner room and gave her a pair of large floral shorts.
"This is a new one I made, and I haven't worn it yet. I just sewed a pocket on it. When you go out, leave some pocket money outside, and keep the larger sums close to your body."
These underpants were made by Ye Hongzhen for herself. Her underpants were always made to be baggy and large, and they were all patterned.
Yan Ruyi thought it was too ugly and didn't want to wear it.
Ye Hongzhen, “Wear it inside, no one will see it, it doesn’t matter if it looks ugly or not… Don’t take it lightly, if the money is stolen, neither of you will be able to go home.”
Yan Ruyi felt that her mother was worrying too much. There were military representative offices in various places, so even if the money was stolen, it was impossible for her not to be able to return home.
However, Ms. Ye Hongzhen was quite stubborn about this matter, so Yan Ruyi had no choice but to accept the floral underwear.
Ye Hongzhen stuffed a few hard-boiled eggs and two bags of steamed egg cakes into her bag. "I heard that food sold on the train is expensive. You can take these eggs and steamed egg cakes to eat on the way."
Yan Ruyi: "Isn't this the sponge cake I brought when I came?"
Ye Hongzhen said, "We're not eating it, but you're taking it to eat on the street."
Yan Ruyi took out the sponge cake and eggs again, saying, "Yiping said we don't need to bring so much stuff, there's food for sale on the train."
Ye Hongzhen: "You just don't know how to manage money. It's so expensive on the train. I heard from your brother Xiancheng that a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes costs 1.5 yuan."
My daughter has never known how to manage money and loves to spend it. It's all her and Yan Guoqiang's fault; they spoiled her rotten.
The son-in-law doesn't seem like someone who likes to spend money, but he spoils his daughter too much. No matter how expensive something is, if his daughter likes it, he'll buy it for her.
Although she was happy that her son-in-law treated her daughter well, the two of them, one loved to spend money and the other indulged her spending, ultimately didn't know how to manage a household.
When it comes to daily life, it's important to be frugal and not spend money recklessly. There will be many expenses in the future, so it's always good to save where you can.
Ye Hongzhen insisted that Yan Ruyi take the eggs and sponge cake away.
Yan Ruyi compromised, "I'll take the eggs, but I won't take the sponge cake. We can buy more if you want to eat it."
Actually, she didn't want to bring eggs. There was food for sale on the train, although it was a bit expensive, but at least she could have something hot to eat.
However, Ms. Ye Hongzhen was afraid she would be sad if she didn't bring them, so she left the eggs behind.
Ye Hongzhen couldn't refuse her daughter's request, so she had no choice but to accept the sponge cake.
When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping left, they repeatedly reminded the two of their safety while traveling.
After leaving the machine tool factory's residential compound, the two went to a department store.
Since it's a rare opportunity to go out, I naturally want to take as many photos as possible.
Song Yiping bought six boxes of film.
When Yan Ruyi got home, she tried on the floral shorts her mother had given her. With money in the pockets, the front looked bulging.
It's so ugly, she doesn't want to wear it.
Song Yiping: "If you don't want to wear it, then don't. Just bring the money with you."
He was a soldier, so thieves usually didn't dare to steal from him.
Moreover, he is a vigilant sleeper; he will wake up before the thief steals the money.
Yan Ruyi temporarily handed over the financial power to Song Yiping. Song Yiping was responsible for arranging food and accommodation, planning travel routes, taking photos, and paying for the trip. She only needed to have fun and take beautiful photos.
They planned to take the 3:30 pm train, sleep on the train, and arrive in Yangcheng around 2 pm the next day.
Around 1 p.m. the next day, the two tidied up the house and prepared to leave.
There's no need to worry about thieves breaking into the house.
A sign reading "Home of Honor" hangs at the entrance; any thief with a modicum of common sense wouldn't dare come in to steal anything.
The vegetables in the yard are a bit of a problem; if they're not watered for a few days, they'll probably dry out and die.
Before leaving, Yan Ruyi went to Sister Hua's house and gave her the key to the front door. "Sister Hua, Yiping and I will be away from home for the next few days. Could you please take care of the vegetables in the yard for me?"
Sister-in-law Hua said, "Okay, you guys go ahead. I'll keep an eye on things."
Song Yiping hailed a taxi, and the two of them got in and went to the train station.
The train station was packed with people, and long queues formed at the ticket windows.
Song Yiping had already bought the ticket in advance. Soldiers have a special waiting room, so they don't have to squeeze in with other people.
He enjoyed a rare privilege and took Yan Ruyi to the military waiting room.
Ticket checking and boarding began at 3 p.m.
At the entrance to the hard-seat carriage, people carrying large and small bags crowded together, and many, fearing they wouldn't be able to get on, simply climbed in through the windows.
The sleeper car was much quieter, and the two of them boarded the train smoothly and found their berths.
Song Yiping bought two lower bunks, which faced each other.
It was Yan Ruyi's first time riding a train, and everything was new and exciting. As the train started moving, she sat by the window and looked out.
The roadside trees on both sides of the railway rushed past, and the scenery flashed by in an instant.
Song Yiping took out a thermos, filled it with hot water, and washed an apple for Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi ate an apple while looking at the scenery outside.
At first, it felt novel, but after watching it for a while, it became a bit boring.
She has a habit of taking a nap at noon, but she didn't nap today because she had to catch a train. Now she felt sleepy and fell asleep as soon as she lay down on the bed.
She was woken up by Song Yiping, and when she opened her eyes, it was already dark.
Yan Ruyi: "What time is it?"
Song Yiping: "It's almost 6 o'clock. Let's go eat something first, and then go to sleep."
There are time restrictions for eating on the train; it is generally closed after 7 p.m.
Boxed meals are also sold on the train, which are cheaper than eating in the dining car. A meal costs only 50 cents, but they are not very tasty; they are just enough to fill your stomach.
Song Yiping didn't order a boxed lunch and planned to eat with Yan Ruyi in the dining car.
Yan Ruyi was still a little dazed, so Song Yiping went to the sink, soaked a towel, and brought it back to wipe her face.
After wiping her face, Yan Ruyi felt much more awake. She got out of bed, and the two went to the dining car for a meal.
There weren't many people eating in the dining car because the prices were quite expensive: braised fish fillets were 2.5 yuan, braised pork ribs were 3 yuan, and stir-fried bok choy was 5 mao (0.5 yuan).
The food cart is just like any other restaurant; you can order food, get a number, and then wait for the server to call your number.
The two of them had been quite physically exhausted these past few days, so Yan Ruyi ordered three dishes and a soup: two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, sweet and sour pork, steamed lion's head meatballs, stir-fried vegetables, and a shrimp and seaweed soup.
I ordered two more servings of rice.
The meal, including rice, cost 6.5 yuan in total.
The food arrived quickly, and the portions were quite large, enough for two people.
Moreover, the taste was quite good, especially the steamed lion's head meatballs, which probably had water chestnut pieces added, making them tender, juicy, and not greasy.
Seeing Song Yiping looking thoughtful as he ate, Yan Ruyi asked him, "What's wrong?"
Song Yiping said, "This dish tastes good. I'll try making it when I get home."
He has now developed a habit: whenever Yan Ruyi has something she likes to eat, he subconsciously tries to figure out how others make it, and then his next step is to try making it himself.
He might actually have some talent for cooking; in any case, the new dishes he tried to make all tasted pretty good.
Yan Ruyi felt incredibly lucky to have found such a talented chef.
After eating, we returned to the sleeper car.
Yan Ruyi took a nap and isn't so sleepy now.
It was pitch black outside the car, and you couldn't see anything.
The carriage was only so big, and there was nowhere to go, so Yan Ruyi sat on the bed, feeling a little bored.
Song Yiping opened his briefcase, took out a book, and asked Yan Ruyi, "Want to read?"
Yan Ruyi took it and saw that it was Li Guowen's "Spring in Winter".
"You still read this kind of novel?"
Song Yiping took another book out of his bag. "This is for you to read. I'll read this one."
Yan Ruyi glanced at it and, as she expected, it was a book about Soviet military affairs.
Yan Ruyi reads a wide variety of things, including astronomy, geography, romance, martial arts... she reads everything.
Compared to her, Song Yiping was much more focused; he only read books on military matters.
The two were already a couple, so they didn't have many concerns about each other when they were out. They simply lay down on the same bed, head to head, and started reading.
The train clattered along like a lullaby, and after a short while, Yan Ruyi's eyelids began to droop.
Song Yiping took the book from her hands, saying, "Go to sleep if you're sleepy."
Yan Ruyi mumbled, "Call me in a bit," then lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
She has always had good sleep quality and sleeps soundly until dawn the next day.
I woke up at 7 a.m.
Song Yiping had already woken up and was sitting on the bed reading a book.
Yan Ruyi leaned closer and whispered, "Why didn't you call me?"
When she got on the bus, she told Song Yiping that they would take turns sleeping that night, with her sleeping for the first half of the night and Song Yiping sleeping for the second half.
If at least one of the two people is awake, they won't have to worry about thieves stealing their money.
They brought 500 yuan with them when they came out, and they would be heartbroken if it were stolen.
As a result, she slept soundly until dawn.
Song Yiping said, "I didn't wake you because you were sleeping so soundly."
"You didn't sleep last night?"
"She's asleep."
"Did you lose the money?"
Song Yiping patted the bag next to him. "No, they're all in the bag."
He was afraid the thief wouldn't know there was money in the bag, so Yan Ruyi quickly pressed his hand down, "I know, stop taking pictures."
Song Yiping took out their toothbrushes, squeezed toothpaste onto Yan Ruyi's toothbrush, and handed her a towel. "Go brush your teeth and wash your face first, then we'll go to the dining car for dinner."
Yan Ruyi's bunkmate was a young woman with curly hair and fashionable clothes.
He looked like an intellectual, and he lay quietly on his bunk reading the whole way.
Yan Ruyi glanced at it and saw that the woman was reading a martial arts novel, "Seven Swordsmen of Mount Tian".
You wouldn't guess he's a martial arts fan.
The woman also took a toothbrush and towel, and went to wash up one after the other with Yan Ruyi.
There were quite a few people at the washbasin area in the morning, so the two of them stood in line at the back.
After a man finished washing up, he turned around a bit too quickly and bumped into the woman standing behind him.
The ground was wet, and the woman slipped and was about to fall when Yan Ruyi quickly caught her.
The man then realized he had bumped into someone and quickly apologized to the woman, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."
The woman steadied herself and waved her hand at him good-naturedly, "It's alright, it's alright. Just be more careful when you turn around next time."
There were two empty spots at the washbasin, so the woman and Yan Ruyi went to wash up.
After washing up, we came back together.
The woman quickened her pace to catch up with Yan Ruyi and said, "Thank you so much earlier, otherwise I would have definitely fallen."
If she fell from where she was standing, she would definitely hit the sink and get a big bump on her head.
She hadn't had a chance to thank Yan Ruyi earlier, so she quickly made up for it now.
Yan Ruyi smiled and said, "It's nothing. I'm standing right next to you. It's just a matter of lending a hand."
"You must be Yan Ruyi. I'm also from Beijing. I've seen you on TV."
Yan Ruyi was surprised that someone on the train recognized her.
Yesterday, her mother repeatedly told her not to talk to strangers on the train.
They say there are human traffickers on trains now, kidnapping people when they're not looking.
The men were trafficked to illegal mines to do hard labor, and the women were trafficked to remote mountain villages to become wives.
However, with Song Yiping as her powerful backer, Yan Ruyi wasn't worried about her safety at all, and replied with a smile, "I am Yan Ruyi, may I ask who you are?"
The woman warmly replied, "My name is Chen Yu. I work at Beijing Radio and Television Station. My husband is also a soldier. He is serving in Yangcheng. I am here to visit him."
Yan Ruyi: "My husband and I went to Yangcheng for tourism."
Chen Yu said, “My wife has been living in Yangcheng for several years. I come to Yangcheng almost every year and I know it very well. Where are you planning to go? I’ll tell you how to get there in a bit so you don’t get lost.”
"Thank you so much. This is our first time visiting Yangcheng, and we'd like to find out what fun things to do and what good food to eat there."
When they arrived, Song Yiping bought a national map at Xinhua Bookstore. After breakfast, Yan Ruyi took out the map and showed Chen Yu where they planned to go.
Chen Yu was very enthusiastic, introducing Yan Ruyi to the attractions in Yangcheng, how to get there, and which restaurants served delicious and affordable food...
"The map of the whole country is not very clear. After you get off the train, you should buy a map of Yangcheng. They sell it at the entrance of the train station for 10 cents. The bus schedules and streets are clearly marked on it."
"Okay, I'll buy one after I get off the train."
...
Chen Yu was also a talkative person, and she talked with Yan Ruyi about the local customs and culture of Yangcheng, and then about the book she was reading, "Seven Swordsmen of Mount Tian".
Yan Ruyi reads a wide variety of books, including martial arts novels.
Her favorite martial arts novelist was Liang Yusheng. Like Yan Ruyi, Chen Yu also loved Liang Yusheng the most, so they could be considered kindred spirits.
The two hit it off as they chatted, and by the time they arrived at Yangcheng Station, they had become friends.
As they approached the station, Chen Yu generously lent Yan Ruyi his copy of "Seven Swordsmen of Mount Tian," saying, "I've already finished reading this book, so you can take it and read it."
Yan Ruyi didn't stand on ceremony and took the book. "Thank you, Sister Chen. I'll return it to you after I finish reading it. Sister Chen, could you give me your phone number?"
Chen Yu took out a notebook, tore off a piece of paper, and gave Yan Ruyi the office phone number. "This is my office phone number. Call me when we get back to Beijing."
Song Yiping admired his wife's social skills; she made another friend just by taking a train ride.
The three of them got off the train together. Yan Ruyi pulled Chen Yu to a quieter place and asked her, "Sister Chen, do you know where the antique market in Yangcheng is?"
Beijing has antique streets, and Yan Ruyi thinks Yangcheng should have one too.
After all, Yangcheng is the ancient capital of six dynasties, and its cultural heritage is exceptionally profound.
Yan Ruyi wanted to see if she could snag a bargain.
It's just that most people probably don't know where it is.
If you randomly ask a local, you probably won't get any answers. They might even think you're an undercover cop trying to set a trap.
Yan Ruyi thought that Chen Yu often came to Yangcheng and might have heard about her, so she asked her.
Chen Yu laughed and said, "You've come to the right person. I have actually been there. Last year, when I visited my husband's military unit, a military wife mentioned it. At that time, our newspaper was planning a special report on folk antique collecting, so I made a special trip to take a look. I'm an amateur, so I just went to broaden my horizons and didn't dare to buy anything."
Yan Ruyi, "Do you still remember the address?"
"I remember, it's in an alley near Chunping Road on Xianxi Road. If you want to go there, you have to go early. They set up their stalls at 6 a.m. and usually close up shop by 8:30 a.m."
It seems that, like in Beijing, they close down after starting work in government agencies or public institutions.
After all, these aren't businesses conducted openly.
After parting ways with Chen Yu, Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping bought another map of Yangcheng at the train station entrance, and then took a car to the military representative office guesthouse.
The military representative office's guesthouse is safer than other guesthouses, and the conditions are also quite good. They plan to stay here for the next few days in Yangcheng.
After checking in, the two took the keys and went to their room.
Song Yiping wanted a large room.
The guesthouse at the military representative office was nice; the rooms had bathrooms and showers, and Yan Ruyi was extremely satisfied.
While Yan Ruyi was wandering around the room, Song Yiping took the things out of his bag.
The eggs Ye Hongzhen gave me were all in my bag. I hadn't eaten them much on the way, and I was afraid they would go bad if I didn't take them out.
He was packing when he suddenly remembered something: "Oh no, I forgot something."
Yan Ruyi, "Did you forget something?"
Song Yiping, "Settings."
Yan Ruyi, "..."
She had brought the letter of introduction and the marriage certificate, but Yan Ruyi was still wondering what important thing she had forgotten.
It turned out that I had forgotten to bring that.
Although the two had already done the most intimate things, Yan Ruyi was still embarrassed to talk about it face to face. Her face turned red, and she glared at him, "We're out having fun, why are you still thinking about that?"
Song Yiping said seriously, "It will take five or six days in total. I just saw a family planning station next door. Let's go there to pick up a box later."
Both of them had just started their first sexual experience, and to be honest, Song Yiping wasn't the only one who had tasted the sweetness of it.
They ate vegetarian food for five or six days in a row, which is indeed a bit long for them at their current frequency.
However, Yan Ruyi is shy, and if asked to go to the family planning station to get condoms, she would absolutely refuse.
Everything used at home was provided by Song Yiping. If he wants to use it, he should go and get it himself.
Song Yiping knew she was as thin-skinned as paper, so he said to her, "I won't let you go. I'll go get it. Rest for a while, and you can get it when we go down for dinner."
Yan Ruyi was relieved. As long as she wasn't allowed to collect it, she could just wait and enjoy it.
After resting in the room for a while, the two went downstairs.
The family planning station that Song Yiping mentioned was right across from the guesthouse, with a sign hanging at the entrance. Yan Ruyi hadn't even noticed there was a family planning station here when she arrived.
When they were still far from the family planning station, Yan Ruyi stopped walking.
Song Yiping instructed her, "Don't go anywhere. Just wait for me here. I'll come back as soon as I get it. If anything happens, just call me."
Yan Ruyi hid behind a tree and watched Song Yiping enter the family planning station.
There were only two women in the family planning station, chatting while knitting. When they saw Song Yiping come in, one of them put down her knitting, stood up and asked Song Yiping, "Comrade, what can I do for you?"
Song Yiping was already mentally prepared that most of the staff at the family planning station were women.
However, he still felt somewhat embarrassed when he actually faced it.
It's just that it wasn't shown on the surface.
"I'm collecting family planning supplies."
A woman said, "Comrade, judging from your accent, you're not from around here, are you?"
"No, my wife and I came to Yangcheng for tourism and forgot to bring our family planning supplies. This is my marriage certificate."
He took out his marriage certificate and handed it over.
The woman looked at the marriage certificate and asked, "Where's your spouse?"
"She was shy and hid."
The other woman smiled, her lips pursed.
The woman who received Song Yiping also smiled.
Although Song Yiping is not a local, there is no policy stipulating that he cannot receive family planning supplies in a different place.
Since they're all distributed free of charge by the government, it doesn't matter who uses them.
"Comrade, do you want medicine or condoms?"
"Take two boxes."
"Please sign your name here."
After signing the requisition form, Song Yiping said proactively, "I need the large size," before the female colleague could even ask.
The woman gave him two boxes of large condoms, and Song Yiping put the boxes in his pocket and turned to leave.
If he doesn't leave soon, his face will be on fire.
After Song Yiping left, the two women finally found a hot topic to discuss.
"My goodness, how many days can you be on vacation? You even got two boxes."
"My husband and I received a box before the Lunar New Year, and we still have half a box left."
"They're probably a newlywed couple, all love at first sight. We're an old married couple, how can we compare?"
"Didn't you see their marriage certificate? His wife is really beautiful."
"That guy was pretty good-looking too. I wonder how good-looking their kids will be."
...
Yan Ru saw Song Yiping come out of the family planning station and then emerge from behind the tree. She was too embarrassed to ask Song Yiping if he had received his gift.
Song Yiping proactively told her, "I picked up two boxes."
Condoms are usually sold in boxes of 10, or two boxes of 20.
They were only out for five or six days, and even exercising every night, they didn't use up a whole box.
Yan Ruyi blushed, "We've only been out for a few days, and you've already taken two boxes."
Song Yiping earnestly explained to her, "I was worried that it might not be enough, so I took an extra box."
Actually, he didn't plan to stay up all night like he did at home.
Yan Ruyi's physical condition isn't that good. If she exercises again at night after a long day, she might not be able to handle it.
But just in case... it's better to be prepared.
Yan Ruyi was too embarrassed to continue the conversation with him, so she pulled him away, saying, "I'm hungry, let's find a place to eat quickly."
Yangcheng is famous for its noodles, which are diverse, delicious, and affordable.
Following Chen Yu's directions, the two went to the famous East Street.
Chen Yu said that Dongda Street is an old street with a history of more than a thousand years, and you can find all the famous snacks of Yangcheng on this old street.
Dongda Street does indeed have many snacks, such as zenggao (steamed rice cake), roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), thousand-layer flaky pastry, and scallion pancakes...
Yan Ruyi doesn't eat much, but she wants to try everything, so she only eats a bite or two after buying it and then gives it to Song Yiping.
Even the food that didn't suit his taste was given to Song Yiping.
Song Yiping was never picky about food. What he ate depended on what Yan Ruyi gave him. He accepted everything, and even the food that Yan Ruyi didn't eat ended up in his stomach.
Yan Ruyi was already full after just strolling around the streets and not even needing to go to a restaurant.
Although Yan Ruyi felt that if she bounced around a couple of times, her stomach could make some more room.
However, feeling too full is also very uncomfortable, so I didn't dare to eat anymore.
The sun was already setting in the west, and the two of them had finished eating, so they prepared to return to the guesthouse to rest.
Tomorrow they are going to climb the famous Lishan Mountain. Although Lishan Mountain is not high, it is still a bit steep. They need to rest well so that they will have the energy to climb to the top tomorrow.
The two were just out having fun, so they went wherever they felt like and didn't bother to go back the way they came. When they saw a small alleyway nearby, Yan Ruyi suddenly said to Song Yiping, "Let's go through this alleyway and see how far we can go."
Song Yiping was indifferent; there was still plenty of time.
If you get lost, you can just call a taxi back to the guesthouse.
Yan Ruyi pulled him along, and they entered the alley with great interest.
This alley is not very narrow, and there are houses on both sides, somewhat like Wutong Road.
However, because this alley is right next to Dongda Street, some business-minded people opened a door in the wall and started businesses, most of them restaurants.
They serve authentic Yangcheng snacks.
As I passed by the door, the salty aroma wafted into my nose.
If she hadn't been so full, Yan Ruyi felt she could have eaten two more bowls.
The two strolled along leisurely, and just as they reached the entrance of a restaurant, a man hurriedly came out, carrying a handbag.
A small yellow dog ran over from the front. Just as the man came out, the dog ran past him. Caught off guard, the man tripped over the dog and fell flat on his face. His handbag flew out of his hand and landed right in front of Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping.
Perhaps the bag was too old and the contents were too large, so when it was dropped, the zipper came undone, and the contents were exposed.
Yan Ruyi could see clearly that it was actually a bronze wine vessel, dated to 2107!
The man fell face-first, his face was scraped and he looked extremely disheveled.
The restaurant owner heard the commotion and came out. "What happened? You fell down?"
The man asked, "You tripped over a dog. Is that dog yours?"
The boss dared not admit it, "It's not my pet, and I don't know whose pet it is. I've never seen it before."
The man could only accept his bad luck and got up from the ground, cursing.
The little yellow dog had already run far away; there was no way to catch it.
The man was so angry that he spat on the ground.
Seeing Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi looking at him, he glared at them and then went over to pick up his bag.
He tried to zip it up, but the zipper was broken and he couldn't zip it up no matter what he did, so he simply gave up and carried it away.
Yan Ruyi whispered to Song Yiping, "He has a bronze artifact in his bag, it looks like it's from the Qin Dynasty."
Song Yiping had no doubt about Yan Ruyi's judgment.
In order to have something in common with his wife, he has been cramming on a lot of knowledge about cultural relics lately, and he knows that bronzes are all national first-class protected cultural relics and cannot be traded or collected privately.
But judging from that person's behavior, he didn't seem to be a researcher from any organization.
He is very likely an antique dealer who resells bronze artifacts, and he is probably on his way to make the transaction right now.
Now that he's all alone, he can easily catch the person.
However, the people who made the deal with him may not be caught.
Moreover, if we arrest him now, and he claims he went to donate to the cultural relics bureau or a museum, and then turns around and accuses Song Yiping of beating innocent people, then Song Yiping will be unable to defend himself.
When arresting people, you must catch them red-handed; in this situation, you must catch them in the act.
Song Yiping originally wanted Yan Ruyi to stay behind while he went with her.
However, he was worried because Yan Ruyi wasn't by his side.
So he simply went along with Yan Ruyi, and they would see what happened later.
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Author's Note: This is a long, 10,000-word chapter, please add it to your favorites and like it!
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