Chapter 28 Unexpected Discovery
After drinking a small bowl of warm rice porridge, and being half-coaxed and half-forced by Lu Ye to eat two slices of golden-brown and crispy fried steamed buns, Jiang Suining was finally considered "full" by him, and the two then got ready and went out.
Jiang Suining was anxiously wondering where they were going, but she knew Lu Ye's personality well. Since he was keeping her in suspense, asking him would be pointless, so she simply suppressed her curiosity and followed him without saying a word.
Lu Ye had expected her to press him for answers, but even after they had walked quite a distance from the family compound, she remained quiet beside him. It was he who lost his composure first, turning to look at her: "Aren't you curious where I'm taking you?"
"If I ask, will you tell me?" Jiang Suining raised an eyebrow and asked back.
Lu Ye shook his head decisively: "No."
"Then why should I ask 't'?" Jiang Suining raised her chin slightly, with a hint of smugness. "I'm not going to waste my breath."
Lu Ye was amused by her cleverness, and his playful side suddenly arose. He lowered his voice and teased her, "So you're willing to come with me? Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"
"You're willing to do that?" The words almost slipped out. After saying them, Jiang Suining was stunned for a moment. When did she start talking to him so casually, and even with a hint of coquetry? Before he went on his mission, there was a certain politeness between them. How come after he came back, that distance had disappeared without a trace, and they were so close and natural?
Lu Ye clearly noticed her unconscious display of intimacy, and the smile in his eyes deepened. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he quickly squeezed her hand and then let go, leaning close to her ear and saying firmly in a breathy voice, "I can't bear to part with you."
His warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying his unique voice. Jiang Suining's heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed. She cursed herself for being so weak. Before transmigrating into the book, what kind of handsome men hadn't she seen? How come with him, a single casual remark could make her heart race?
No, I can't let him lead me by the nose all the time. She pretended to be calm and pushed his face away as he approached: "Stay away, it's hot."
Looking at her blushing profile, Lu Ye knew she was shy, so he stopped teasing her and revealed the answer: "There's an old silversmith on the island whose craft is passed down from generation to generation. I asked him to make you a pearl bracelet."
Sure enough, no woman can resist the allure of jewelry. Jiang Suining's eyes lit up instantly, but the excitement was fleeting, and reason quickly returned. In this era, pearls were no ordinary items; they were incredibly valuable. She immediately suppressed her smile and asked cautiously, "This... isn't against the rules, is it?" She didn't want Lu Ye to make a mistake because of her.
Seeing her so carefully considering his needs, Lu Ye's heart melted. He couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch her cheek, the touch delicate and warm: "Don't worry, those pearls are ones I picked up while diving over the years. I've been saving them up for a long time. I just asked a silversmith to process them. The materials are my own, so it's not against the rules."
"You retrieved it while diving?" Jiang Suining was even more surprised, and a little scared. "When did you retrieve it? How come you've never mentioned it before? Diving is so dangerous!"
“It’s alright, I’ve been saving them up slowly. I don’t go looking for them intentionally; I just pick one when I come across it.” Lu Ye’s tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about a trivial matter. “I’ve been saving them for seven or eight years, and I only have about twenty. Not many of them are in good condition. I originally wanted to make you a necklace, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The silversmith said I could only make a bracelet.” There was a hint of regret in his tone.
A warm feeling welled up in Jiang Suining's heart, mixed with gratitude and heartache. For seven or eight years, this man had always silently given her the best. "Don't go looking for it anymore, it's too dangerous," she muttered softly, but her tone left no room for argument.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Lu Ye readily agreed, his words a mix of truth and reassurance.
Jiang Suining walked silently, a question rising in her mind: The book clearly said that Lu Ye was a clueless straight man, and she had previously agreed with that. But this time, after returning from his mission, he was all lovey-dovey in the bathroom and surprised with pearls. His sweet talk skills seemed to have been maxed out instantly. Where was the trace of a straight man? Could it be that he suddenly became enlightened?
Lu Ye brought Jiang Suining to Bogang Village, where the silversmith Li lived. Speaking of which, the silversmith's experience was somewhat legendary. He was not a local. Many years ago, he was rescued from the sea by the village's fishermen. Due to a head injury, he lost his memory and did not know where his home was, so he stayed. Later, he became a son-in-law of a family in the village.
Three years later, while repairing the roof, he accidentally fell and hit his head again, miraculously regaining his memory. After discussing it with his wife, he went back to his hometown, and a few months later returned to Bogang Village. He said that his parents had passed away, his sister had married far away, and he had no more ties, so he sold his ancestral home and settled down here. He has been here for more than 20 years now.
"Sui Sui, this is Master Li." After knocking on a slightly quaint courtyard gate, a man who looked to be in his fifties, with a robust build and a gentle smile, came out to greet them. Lu Ye introduced him in a low voice.
"Hello, Master Li." Jiang Suining glanced at the man and was slightly surprised. Although Master Li was not young, his eyes were bright and his facial features were well-defined. His skin was not as dark and rough as that of fishermen who worked at sea all year round. Instead, it had a kind of incongruous whiteness, which showed that he must have been very handsome when he was young.
"Oh, it's Xiao Lu. Please come in." Master Li warmly ushered the two into the courtyard and quickly brewed tea. "I finished making what you wanted last night."
"Thank you for your help, Master Li," Lu Ye said. He had only heard about Master Li's excellent craftsmanship by chance, and after submitting his task yesterday, he specifically sought him out. After much persuasion, Master Li finally agreed to help. Fortunately, the pearl bracelet's process was relatively simple; if it were a more complex design, one day would definitely not have been enough.
"Please have a seat, I'll go get it." Master Li turned and went into the inner room. A moment later, he came out with a flat wooden box and handed it to Lu Ye. "Have your wife try it on. If the size isn't right, I'll adjust it."
Lu Ye opened the box, and Jiang Suining leaned closer to look. On the dark velvet lay a string of lustrous pearls, with two other pearls of the same size scattered beside it. Each pearl was about the size of an adult's thumbnail, round and full, shimmering with a brilliant light, and of excellent quality.
Jiang Suining took a deep breath and was speechless for a moment. Not to mention that such uniformly sized and high-quality pearls were already very rare, just imagining Lu Ye searching for and collecting these pearls one by one in the vast ocean over seven or eight years was enough to move her.
"Try it." Lu Ye picked up the bracelet and carefully slipped it onto Jiang Suining's slender wrist. The size was a little loose, but it wouldn't slip off easily.
“I think this size is just right. If we remove one, it might become too tight,” Master Li said, examining the item from the side.
"What do you think?" Lu Ye asked Jiang Suining, looking down at her.
"Very good, I like it very much, let's leave it like this." Jiang Suining gently rotated her wrist, the pearls shimmering with a soft luster, and she liked them more and more the more she looked at them.
“I made a pair of earrings with the remaining two pearls,” Master Li said, his gaze falling on Jiang Suining’s earlobes. “I see you have pierced ears, so I’ll try them on and see if they fit.”
Jiang Suining was surprised that the other two pearls were also put to use, and picked up the pair of small and exquisite pearl earrings with delight.
Lu Ye took it and carefully helped her put it on. Master Li then went inside to get a small mirror and handed it to her.
Jiang Suining looked at herself in the mirror. The round pearls made her earlobes appear even whiter, adding to her gentle and graceful temperament.
"Master Li, this is the fee for your work, you must accept it." Lu Ye was very satisfied with the result and took out a few one-yuan bills to hand over.
Master Li quickly waved his hand and refused, saying, "No, no! You gave me too much yesterday! This earring was just something I picked up on the spur of the moment, it's not worth much!"
Without saying a word, Lu Ye stuffed the money into Master Li's shirt pocket, thanked him, and then took Jiang Suining's leave.
After walking a short distance out of the courtyard, Jiang Suining carefully removed her earrings and bracelet, placing them back in the wooden box. Seeing this, Lu Ye asked, somewhat puzzled, "Don't you like them? Why aren't you wearing them?"
“Of course I like it.” Jiang Suining looked up at him and explained earnestly, “It’s precisely because I like it so much that I can’t wear it casually. These pearls are of such high quality and so big that wearing them out now would be too conspicuous.” She paused, her voice lower, “These days, it’s better to be simple, so as not to attract gossip and have a bad influence on you.”
Lu Ye frowned slightly and immediately understood her concerns. It was the late 1970s, and although the social atmosphere had gradually loosened, such "flashy" jewelry was indeed easy to attract attention. He thought to himself that if he had the chance in the future, he would find some more everyday and inconspicuous materials to make some small jewelry for her.
In the original book, a spy codenamed "Conch" was lurking on the island, whose real name was Li Gensheng! Later, Li Guodong discovered and captured him, and Li Guodong was awarded a second-class merit for this, with a bright future ahead of him.
When exactly was it? Jiang Suining's mind raced, trying to piece together the timeline from the original book. That's it! It's within the last year or two! She had to find a way to remind Lu Ye that he absolutely couldn't let this opportunity to earn merit slip away to Li Guodong! But how could she remind him in a way that would both achieve her goal and conceal her "precognitive" anomaly?
While trying to recall the few scattered descriptions of Li Gensheng in the book, she quickly calculated her words in her mind.
Lu Ye noticed her sudden silence and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you tired? Come on, I'll carry you." He then made a move to squat down.
“I’m not tired,” Jiang Suining quickly grabbed his arm and took the opportunity to elaborate, “I just suddenly felt a bit emotional.”
"What are you feeling sentimental about?"
“I feel sorry for that Master Li,” Jiang Suining said, carefully choosing her words, based on several points in the book that later made Li Guodong suspicious. “He must have been a lucky man. Although he married into the family back then, he must have had a very smooth and comfortable life in the village all these years.”
Lu Ye didn't quite follow her train of thought for a moment: "Why do you say that?"
“You can tell just by looking at his skin color,” Jiang Suining analyzed casually. “Most of the people in Bogang Village rely on the sea for their livelihood. They’re exposed to the wind and sun all year round, so their skin is all dark and rough. Look at Master Li, his skin isn’t much darker than mine. Even if he’s a craftsman and doesn’t have to go out to sea every day, since he’s settled here, he should at least learn to go to sea to help support his family, right? But he doesn’t look like he’s ever been to sea. I’m sure his family, especially his wife, feels sorry for him and doesn’t let him suffer.”
"Does he have a lot of sons?" Jiang Suining asked seemingly casually, then continued, "Definitely. With more sons, they can go to sea when they grow up and support the family, making things easier for the old couple. But..." She frowned slightly, revealing a perfectly timed hint of doubt, "It's strange, since he doesn't go to sea much, I see his hands, especially the area between his thumb and forefinger, have quite thick calluses. He doesn't seem like a craftsman who does delicate work..."
Thick calluses on the tiger's mouth?!
Lu Ye's heart sank! He immediately thought of the information he had heard about Li Gensheng: he only had one daughter, who was already married; his wife was frail and sickly and had passed away. In recent years, it would be difficult for him to find work with his skills. Furthermore, how could a craftsman who makes gold and silverware have such thick calluses on his hands from years of holding guns or using specific tools? What exactly is his source of income?
The doubts instantly connected, and a sharp glint flashed in Lu Ye's eyes, but he remained calm on the surface. He simply put his arm around Jiang Suining's shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Alright, stop making a fuss. Let's go home." He needed to verify some things immediately.
Jiang Suining quietly observed his expression. Seeing the change in his eyes, she knew that her words had aroused his vigilance, and she felt slightly relieved.
After lunch, Lu Ye made an excuse that he had some business to attend to at the regiment and hurriedly left. Jiang Suining guessed that he was probably going to investigate Li Gensheng. Knowing this, she didn't ask any further questions and took a nap at home.
Sure enough, that evening, Lu Ye sent his bodyguard, Xiao Zhang, back to deliver a message that there was an urgent mission in the regiment and he wouldn't be back that night.
Eating alone, she had no appetite. She heated up the leftovers from lunch, ate a quick bite, and then washed up and rested.
For the next few days, Lu Ye didn't go home. Jiang Suining was worried about him and couldn't help but go to the regiment to look for him, only to be told that Chief of Staff Lu had an urgent mission and had gone on a business trip.
First, Zhou Xiaomei was caught red-handed for illegally reselling seafood and was sent to a legal education and training class for three months of reform. Second, Li Guodong was implicated for lax family management and ineffective discipline of his family members, was demoted, and could no longer live in the originally allocated housing, and moved to a smaller house.
Upon learning that she would no longer be neighbors with Zhou Xiaomei, Jiang Suining felt that even the air felt much fresher.
***
It was payday again, and Liu Hong excitedly dragged Jiang Suining to the supply and marketing cooperative, saying she wanted to buy a new outfit for the season.
Inside the supply and marketing cooperative, Liu Hong lingered at the counter selling finished products, while Jiang Suining glanced around but didn't find anything particularly appealing, so she waited to the side. Just then, a cautious voice came from behind her: "Comrade, do you still buy seaweed now?"
Jiang Suining turned around and saw an old fisherman, wearing mud-splattered rubber shoes and carrying a wet, dripping basket on his back, standing awkwardly at the door.
"Oh dear, why did you just come in like that!" A saleswoman frowned and stepped forward, pointing to the ground. "Look, your basket is still dripping water, it's made the floor wet. Get out, get out!"
The old fisherman quickly stepped outside, took down his basket, and handed it forward, revealing the fresh, plump kelp inside: "Comrade, look, it's just been caught, it's very fresh, would you like to buy it?"
"You wait here!" the saleswoman said impatiently. "I'll go ask." She then turned and went into the back office.
A short while later, a tall, well-mannered young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses came out. He looked at the seaweed in the basket and explained kindly to the old fisherman, "Uncle, our supply and marketing cooperative buys seaweed, but according to regulations, we only buy dried seaweed. Your fresh seaweed has too much moisture, so we can't store it and it will easily rot and spoil."
"Comrade, please, just take it," the old fisherman pleaded anxiously. "Even a lower price would be fine!"
The young man looked troubled: "Uncle, it's not about the price, it's just that we really can't store it. It's the rule. Why don't you take it back and dry it before coming back? We'll definitely accept it."
The old fisherman refused to give up, almost pleading, "Then I'll take it back to dry. Could you give me a deposit first? I need the money urgently..."
It seemed the old man was in trouble. As Jiang Suining was thinking this, Liu Hong approached her at some point, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "This is Wang Laoshuan from the west end of the village. He has a hard life. His only son went out to sea two years ago and got caught in a typhoon. He never came back. Fortunately, his daughter-in-law was pregnant at the time, so at least the Wang family had a descendant."
"You know him?"
“Hmm,” Liu Hong nodded, a look of sympathy on her face. She stepped forward and helped the old fisherman who was swaying a little, and gently advised, “Uncle Wang, don’t rush. Listen to this comrade. Take the kelp back and dry it first. The sun has been good these past few days, so it will dry quickly. Once it’s dry, you can sell it. It’s the same thing.”
Wang Laoshuan's eyes instantly reddened, his lips trembled a few times, but in the end he didn't say anything more. He lowered his head dejectedly, shakily picked up the heavy basket on his back, and walked away with faltering steps.
"Oh, how pitiful. The pillar of the family is gone, and now there's another mouth to feed..." Liu Hong sighed softly as she looked at the old man's hunched back.
"Thank you so much for your help in mediating this, comrade." The young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked over and thanked Liu Hong sincerely.
Two blushes appeared on Liu Hong's face, making her seem a little flustered. Her voice also softened unconsciously: "No, it's nothing, it's nothing. My name is Liu Hong, and I work in the Women's Federation at the Labor Protection Factory. What's your name, comrade?"
The young man seemed surprised that the other party would introduce himself so directly. He paused for a moment, but out of politeness, he still extended his hand generously: "Su Donglai, I am a purchasing agent from the supply and marketing cooperative."
Liu Hong quickly reached out and gently shook his hand, her face beaming with joy and her eyes sparkling.
Jiang Suining, who was watching from the side, chuckled inwardly. This girl was probably having a crush. She suddenly remembered the seaweed farming, and thought it would be a good opportunity to inquire about it. So she took the opportunity to ask, "Comrade Su, I heard that our supply and marketing cooperative is currently buying seaweed on a large scale?"
“Yes, that’s true,” Su Donglai nodded, then smiled helplessly and emphasized, “but it’s dried kelp, just sun-dried kelp.” It seems he’s developed a conditioned reflex from what Uncle Wang did earlier.
Jiang Suining almost laughed, but held it back and continued to ask, "I heard that the large-scale purchase of seaweed is to transport it to iodine-deficient areas to prevent goiter?"
“That’s right!” Su Donglai pushed up his glasses, his expression becoming serious. “This comrade understands very well. Goiter, also known as endemic goiter, is mainly caused by iodine deficiency in the environment, leading to insufficient iodine intake in the human body. In regions like Central China, Southwest China, Northwest China, and parts of North China and Northeast China, due to soil and water issues, iodine content is generally low, resulting in a relatively high incidence rate. Kelp is rich in iodine, and after drying, it is easy to transport and store over long distances, making it a very economical and effective food for preventing this disease.”
“Actually, we could try artificial seaweed cultivation on the island,” Su Donglai said with a smile. “If it can really be done and scaled up, our supply and marketing cooperative can buy it all!”
Jiang Suining was quite surprised that this person knew about artificial breeding. She looked intently at Su Donglai and said, "You're right. If we can achieve a stable output, it will not only meet the demand but also provide our coastal residents with another way to increase their income."
Su Donglai strongly agreed: "This is a great idea! I've heard that some coastal areas in the south have already started trying to cultivate kelp artificially, but there's no precedent here yet."
Jiang Suining's lips curled slightly. It seemed this matter was feasible. However, given the current policy environment, it was definitely not feasible for an individual to do it. Zhou Xiaomei was arrested and sent to a re-education camp for privately buying and selling seafood, indicating that the individual economy and private business operations were still taboo at present. So, how should this matter be promoted in a way that both complies with policy and gets things done?
She stood aside, pondering.
Liu Hong took over the conversation and started chatting with Su Donglai.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com