Chapter 1 Lying
Although Miao Hui always said that no matter how good the attitude was, it was useless, Lin Qingqing still sold a white T-shirt by Saturday morning.
The woman buying clothes was middle-aged. She had come once on Friday and had Lin Qingqing show her all the summer clothes in the wardrobe section, but in the end, she couldn't decide which item to buy and went to the fabric counter. Sister He at the fabric counter had seen what had happened earlier, but she didn't bother with the woman and pointed out a few cheap fabrics that didn't require coupons, letting her choose from them.
But after looking around, the middle-aged woman still didn't buy anything and left empty-handed.
After the middle-aged woman left, Miao Hui lectured Lin Qingqing again, and Lin Qingqing didn't get angry, only responding half-heartedly. Who knew that after a day's rest, the middle-aged woman came again on Saturday and even started chatting with Lin Qingqing.
It turned out that the woman wanted to buy her husband a new shirt because his fortieth birthday was approaching, and she noticed the patches on his clothes. However, her family wasn't well-off, and she had limited fabric ration coupons, so she couldn't afford a jacket and could only buy a t-shirt. She was unsure whether to buy a ready-made garment or fabric.
After hearing this, Lin Qingqing first asked her if she knew how to make clothes. The other woman smiled wryly and said, "I know a little, but my skills aren't very good."
Lin Qingqing asked her husband for his measurements, calculated the cost of buying fabric and having it made, and then took out a cheap T-shirt from the counter and said, "In the end, if you have it made, the price will only be a little over a cent cheaper than this shirt. Of course, you might get some scraps of fabric after the T-shirt is made, but the finished garment will be more structured and make you look more smart."
The middle-aged woman also hesitated on this point. She had many children, so they lived a very frugal life, and her husband couldn't afford a new set of clothes for two or three years. Otherwise, she wouldn't have thought of buying him a new outfit for his fortieth birthday.
Thinking that her husband was forty years old and had never worn any nice clothes, the middle-aged woman hardened her heart and said, "I'll take this one."
Lin Qingqing accepted the money and tickets and handed the clothes to the middle-aged woman.
As soon as the middle-aged woman left, Miao Hui started yelling again: "Look at you, you spent two days trying to persuade her, and she only bought this cheapest piece of clothing. Was it really worth it?"
“But if I don’t try to persuade her, she won’t even buy this dress, right?” Lin Qingqing retorted. “If every customer comes in with this mindset, how can our counter sell any clothes?”
Miao Hui scoffed and said, "So what if the clothes sell? What's it to you?"
Miao Hui's thoughts reflected those of most sales clerks at the time: whether they did well or poorly, they received the same fixed salary, so naturally they lacked motivation. Because of this, private enterprises sprang up like mushrooms after the reform and opening up, while state-owned enterprises clinging to outdated ideas went bankrupt one after another.
Of course, it's also very simple to motivate Miao Hui and the others: just set up reward measures.
But Lin Qingqing hasn't achieved anything yet, so it's too early to say such things. Therefore, she didn't refute Miao Hui's words, but just smiled faintly.
Lin Qingqing served several customers in the morning, while Miao Hui remained seated without moving.
In fact, ever since Lin Qingqing was transferred to the wardrobe counter, Miao Hui has been sitting there motionless every day at work, leaving customer service to Lin Qingqing alone. Lin Qingqing didn't say anything about it; since there were fewer customers, she could handle it all by herself.
However, when Lin Qingqing was serving a young woman, Miao Hui took notice. She stood up from her chair and asked in an unusually warm tone, "Comrade, what would you like to buy?"
A young woman wanted to buy a dress, and Lin Qingqing was showing her a white dress. Although she was puzzled, she didn't turn around until Xie Wei's voice rang out: "Look at the clothes."
Lin Qingqing turned her head in surprise, about to speak, but heard the woman in front of her say, "I'd better think about it some more."
Lin Qingqing had no choice but to turn back and smile, saying, "It's alright, please come back after you've thought it through."
Her expression was gentle, and there was not a trace of anger on her face, which made the young woman pause for a moment. She smiled and said, "Thank you," before turning and leaving the second-floor store.
After the woman left, Lin Qingqing hung her clothes on the hooks on the wooden board behind her.
While Lin Qingqing was talking to the customer, Miao Hui was also talking to Xie Wei: "Comrade, what kind of clothes are you looking to buy? Can I introduce some to you?"
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her expression looked both shy and bold, with a hint of anticipation.
Xie Wei thought she looked a bit strange, and since he had come to find his wife, he pointed at Lin Qingqing and said, "No need, I'll find her."
Miao Hui was a little unhappy upon hearing this, but she didn't show it. She just smiled and said, "Comrade, you may not know this well. She's a newcomer and doesn't know her as well as I do." Then she said to Lin Qingqing, "I just remembered that I left a piece of clothing in the warehouse and didn't hang it up. Could you help me find it?"
Miao Hui knew there was a military base nearby, and occasionally people in military uniforms would come to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things, but she had never considered it before. Those people were either ordinary-looking and rude, or just soldiers who might be discharged and go back to their hometowns any day. If the man had an urban household registration, that would be fine, but if she married someone with a rural household registration, her life would be ruined.
She only saw Xie Wei now.
Xie Wei was tall and handsome, which made him stand out from many of the soldiers who came to buy things. His uniform had four pockets; although his rank was unknown, he looked young, and who knows, he might stay in the military for a long time.
Miao Hui is already twenty-three years old this year. Her family started pressuring her to get married a couple of years ago. The men they introduced her to weren't exactly ugly, but she just couldn't stand them. Now that there's someone she likes, Miao Hui is naturally very proactive. She's not about to let Lin Qingqing steal her chance.
Although Lin Qingqing is already married, she can't take away my opportunity.
As Miao Hui was thinking, she heard Lin Qingqing say to the young man in front of her, "Then I'll go to the warehouse, and we'll talk later?"
What should we talk about?
Miao Hui frowned, but then heard the young man say, "Yes, I'll wait for you here."
Listening to their conversation, Miao Hui guessed that they might know each other and asked, "Are you and Comrade Lin's husband comrades-in-arms?" This was Miao Hui's guess. She thought that the young man in front of her might have been introduced by Lin Qingqing's husband to buy clothes. As for whether he could be Lin Qingqing's husband, Miao Hui hadn't thought about it.
Lin Qingqing has been working at the supply and marketing cooperative for ten days now, and everyone has already found out about her background.
First, Lin Qingqing was from the countryside and was illiterate; second, she came to Jinshi with her husband, a regimental commander, after getting married.
In Miao Hui's memory, a regimental commander must be at least thirty or forty years old, so she thought Lin Qingqing had probably married an older man who had been married before. But considering Lin Qingqing's circumstances, being able to marry an older man who had been married before, and then transfer her household registration to the city to work at the supply and marketing cooperative, was a great stroke of luck for Li Shuo.
Miao Hui had a hidden agenda when she asked this question. Lin Qingqing's husband was a regimental commander, so the man in front of her was introduced by her husband. He must be a battalion commander or deputy battalion commander, right?
He doesn't look very old. He might get a promotion before leaving the military, and maybe he can go back to his hometown and become the head of his unit.
If it could block the light from the official's wife, Miao Hui felt that going back to his hometown with him would be fine.
Xie Wei felt Miao Hui's scrutinizing gaze and frowned slightly, but considering that she was Lin Qingqing's colleague, he maintained a polite demeanor and said, "I am Comrade Lin Qingqing's husband."
"Impossible!" Miao Hui's expression changed.
Xie Wei frowned even more: "What's impossible?"
Miao Hui snapped out of her daze, a hint of hesitation creeping into her heart. If the young man in front of her wasn't Lin Qingqing's husband, why would he say such things to someone else? But if he was…
Miao Hui felt very resentful, but didn't know how to express it. Then, her neighbor, Sister He, asked curiously, "Isn't Comrade Lin's husband the regimental commander?"
Upon hearing this, Miao Hui felt a sudden sense of relief. "That's right! There's no way a regimental commander could be so young!"
As they were talking, Lin Qingqing came out of the warehouse and asked in confusion, "Sister Miao, I couldn't find the clothes you left in the warehouse. Why don't you go look for them yourself?"
In fact, no clothes were left in the warehouse. Miao Hui just wanted to get Lin Qingqing out of the way. Hearing her words, she casually said, "I'll go check later."
Sister He was very curious. When she saw Lin Qingqing come out, she pointed at Xie Wei and asked, "Comrade Lin, is this your husband?"
“Yes,” Lin Qingqing said, stepping behind the counter to ask Xie Wei, “Why did you come here?”
"Didn't I say I was here to buy clothes?" Xie Wei asked in a low voice as he walked up to Lin Qingqing's counter.
Linlin and Qingqing recalled what they had said a couple of days ago and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say it was okay?"
"Never mind, I mean I won't let others buy clothes from you, but I still need to buy my own clothes," Xie Wei explained. Seeing Lin Qingqing's hesitation, he played the victim, saying, "I haven't bought clothes for years."
Just as Lin Qingqing said, the army issues new uniforms every season, and Xie Wei, at his level, doesn't have to roll in mud and cross sand like a raw recruit. Often, when the new uniforms are issued, the old ones haven't even worn out yet, so he really hasn't bought any clothes for several years.
Even when he got married before, Xie Wei only changed into a new military uniform, but didn't get new clothes made.
Lin Qingqing softened when she heard him say that.
Actually, she didn't want Xie Wei to buy clothes from her not because she was stingy, but because she didn't want him to buy unnecessary clothes just to boost her sales figures. But not having bought new clothes for years sounds a bit pathetic, doesn't it?
Sister He didn't know the situation in the army. Hearing Xie Wei's words, she felt that he was in a terrible situation. She immediately advised, "Comrade Lin, why don't you buy your man some clothes?" She was afraid that Lin Qingqing would be stingy and refuse to buy clothes for Xie Wei.
Lin Qingqing: "...Okay."
...
Although the overall business of the men's clothing section is not good, men's clothing is still slightly better than women's clothing.
Because men's clothing styles are generally more limited than women's clothing styles in any era, and department stores also have a limited selection. Therefore, it wasn't difficult to find Xie Wei an outfit at the supply and marketing cooperative.
However, Lin Qingqing didn't pick out a green military uniform for Xie Wei, because the green military uniforms sold at the supply and marketing cooperative were different from those worn by soldiers, and they all had two pockets. Instead, she chose a white shirt. The military uniforms issued to Xie Wei included white shirts, which were similar in style to the one Lin Qingqing had chosen, and they could be worn alternately.
But Lin Qingqing chose a white shirt not for that reason, but because men's clothing styles were limited. If she didn't buy a white shirt, she could only buy a t-shirt, and she preferred a white shirt.
Instead of choosing military trousers, I opted for a pair of black trousers, similar in style to dress trousers, but lighter and thinner to the touch.
Xie Wei picked up the pants she had chosen and asked, "Do you like me dressed like this?"
Lin Qingqing glanced at Xie Wei, signaling him to be careful; she could hear Sister He and the other counter staff snickering. But Xie Wei remained expressionless, simply watching her quietly, waiting for her answer.
Lin Qingqing had to say, "I've never seen you wear black pants before. If you don't like them, that's fine."
"I like it." Xie Wei said, glancing at the size, then had Lin Qingqing wrap it up. He took out cloth coupons and money from his pocket and handed them to her, then asked, "Are you going home for lunch?"
Because each person in the supply and marketing cooperative manages one counter, although the official working hours do not include lunch time, everyone actually takes turns going to the canteen at the back for lunch instead of going home to rest.
"I can't leave the counter," Lin Qingqing shook her head and suggested to Xie Wei, "Why don't you eat lunch in our cafeteria?"
Xie Wei asked, "Is that okay?"
“No problem at all!” Sister He immediately said enthusiastically, and the others echoed her. Sometimes they would bring their children to the supply and marketing cooperative’s canteen for meals, or get food to take home for the whole family to eat together.
Lin Qingqing also said, "That's fine."
As they were talking, a clanging gong sounded from the backyard, signaling that it was time to eat.
Sister He said, "Comrade Xiaolin, why don't you take your man to the canteen for lunch? I'll keep watch here for you."
"Why don't you go eat first? I can go later." Lin Qingqing asked Xie Wei for his opinion. Xie Wei was off today and had nothing to do, so he nodded in agreement.
Although Sister He said that it was not good, she was indeed hungry. Seeing that Lin Qingqing insisted, she said, "Then I'll eat quickly and come back to exchange with you."
Lin Qingqing nodded in agreement.
While they were discussing, Miao Hui just watched coldly, gave a soft snort, and went downstairs first. As soon as Miao Hui went downstairs, Sister He and the saleswoman at the shoe and hat counter followed.
As she was going downstairs, Sister He ran into Zhou Xiaofang and asked, "Who offended Comrade Xiao Miao? Why are they so angry?"
Miao Hui didn't say anything and went straight into the backyard through the back door. When Zhou Xiaofang saw Sister He coming down, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"The plan failed, huh?" Sister He scoffed.
Zhou Xiaofang sensed something was amiss and approached Sister He to ask, "What's the plan?"
Sister He didn't answer, but only asked, "Did you see a young soldier going upstairs just now?"
With so many people coming and going at the supply and marketing cooperative every day, and soldiers coming in from time to time, most people wouldn't leave a deep impression on Zhou Xiaofang. But when Xie Wei came in, there were no customers at the counter that Zhou Xiaofang was in charge of, and because he was tall, had a good posture, and was good-looking, Zhou Xiaofang remembered him and asked, "I remember you, but what does that person have to do with Comrade Xiao Miao being angry?"
"You didn't see how enthusiastic Comrade Miao was towards him after he went upstairs," Sister He said, keeping everyone in suspense.
Zhou Xiaofang understood what Sister He meant, and she didn't mean to mock her. What young woman doesn't like a handsome young man? When she was dating, she also considered a man's appearance and character. But then she thought it was strange: "I remember that person hasn't come down yet, right? So why did Comrade Xiao Miao come down while he was up there?"
As they talked, they arrived at the back cafeteria. Although Sister He had said this behind Miao Hui's back, she didn't want to have a conflict with her in person, so she didn't mention Miao Hui at all when she spoke again, and only asked, "Do you know who he is?"
"Who is it?" Zhou Xiaofang asked casually as she opened her lunchbox and lined up to get her food.
"Comrade Xiaolin's husband!"
Zhou Xiaofang's eyes widened: "Are you sure you're not mistaken? That person looks quite young to me?"
The store staff had discussed Lin Qingqing's situation thoroughly these past few days, and everyone thought she had married an older, divorced man. When Zhou Xiaofang suddenly learned that her husband was so young, she couldn't believe it.
"I couldn't believe it at the time either, but that person and Comrade Xiao Lin both said so," Sister He said, standing behind Zhou Xiaofang with her arms crossed. "Comrade Xiao Lin is really lucky!"
Sister He had previously remarked that Lin Qingqing's husband was a regimental commander, but at the time, she also felt a bit sorry for him. Lin Qingqing was only in her early twenties, the age of a flower in full bloom, yet she married an older man, whose children might already be as old as her.
But looking at him today, he's at most thirty years old, and even if he's married, his children probably aren't very old.
So this time, Sister He's words were simply a sigh of emotion, without any regret.
Not only Sister He felt this way, but everyone else in the supply and marketing cooperative who knew Xie Wei's identity also felt the same way. Some people, like Miao Hui, felt a bittersweet feeling in their hearts as well.
How could Lin Qingqing, an uneducated village girl, marry so well?
...
Unaware of her colleagues' gossip, Lin Qingqing took Xie Wei to the cafeteria for lunch.
The supply and marketing cooperative had few employees, so the canteen was small, with only one cook in charge of cooking and serving food. He had overheard people talking about it all afternoon, and while getting his food, he glanced at Xie Wei a couple more times and asked, "Is this your man?"
"Yes, his name is Xie Wei." After introducing Xie Wei, Lin Qingqing also told him the chef's surname.
Xie Wei nodded to the person and greeted them.
The chef thought to himself that this person was far too young, but as a grown man, he was too embarrassed to keep asking questions, so he simply nodded in response.
After getting their food, Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei found a place to sit down and asked him why he had come over while they ate.
"I'm here to buy clothes," Xie Wei said.
"Really?" Lin Qingqing looked doubtful.
Xie Wei coughed and said, "I also wanted to see your work environment."
"So what did you see?" Lin Qingqing asked.
Perhaps because the manager is a woman, there are more women in the Qingshan Supply and Marketing Cooperative's store, and the only two men both look to be over forty years old.
Xie Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Your colleagues are all very enthusiastic, which is great."
Lin Qingqing scoffed, not calling him out on his words.
After finishing his meal, Xie Wei didn't linger. He took the clothes he had bought and rode away on his bicycle.
Xie Wei arrived by shuttle bus and originally planned to wait for the bus outside when he returned. But when Lin Qingqing came downstairs, she remembered the bicycle parked in the backyard and suggested that he ride it back.
Xie Wei, thinking he had nothing to do today, said, "Then I'll pick you up from get off work this afternoon."
Lin Qingqing didn't think it was necessary; she could get home in just over ten minutes by bus. But Xie Wei said, "I want to come pick you up."
His expression was solemn and serious. Lin Qingqing forgot what to say for a moment. By the time she came to her senses, he had already waved and ridden away on his bicycle.
Lin Qingqing stood there, shook her head with a smile, and turned back to the store.
As soon as Lin Qingqing entered the store, Zhou Xiaofang stopped her and asked, "How old is your man? He looks like he's in his early twenties."
Lin Qingqing was unaware of everyone's speculations about Xie Wei. She was a little confused by Zhou Xiaofang's question, but she still answered honestly, "He will be twenty-nine in October."
"She's not very old, is she?" Zhou Xiaofang said.
The lady at the next counter was also curious and asked, "Is your man really the group leader? He's so young!"
Zhou Xiaofang found these words unpleasant to hear and said, "Just because someone is young doesn't mean they can't be a regimental commander. Maybe he joined the army earlier?"
Lin Qingqing understood what the lady at the next counter meant and felt slightly uncomfortable.
Actually, she didn't intend to show off Xie Wei. It was just that she was introduced by the family resettlement office, and the logistics department also had information about Xie Wei's work, so she didn't hide anything. When people asked her about it during casual conversations, she told them the truth.
But the lady at the counter next door sounds like she's lying.
But with Zhou Xiaofang interrupting, Lin Qingqing couldn't say anything, and explained, "He joined the army before he was seventeen, and spent the last few years on the southern battlefield. I guess that's why he got promoted so quickly."
It hasn't been many years since the country mobilized troops to support other countries in fighting wars, but Zhou Xiaofang still remembers this incident. She said, "So that's how it is. He must have had a tough time too."
"Yes, it wasn't easy," Lin Qingqing nodded.
The lady at the counter next door listened to their conversation, looking a little embarrassed. She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
Lin Qingqing ignored what she was going to say, told Zhou Xiaofang, and went upstairs.
As soon as Lin Qingqing went up to the second floor, Sister He stopped her again to ask about the situation, and asked her how old Xie Wei was.
After being repeatedly asked about Xie Wei's age, Lin Qingqing had her own guesses. To avoid everyone making wild guesses, she simply told them everything she could.
Hearing that Xie Wei had served on the battlefield and that's why he rose through the ranks so quickly, Sister He wasn't surprised. She said, "I don't think he's that old either, but he's still way too young."
Lin Qingqing returned to the counter and asked with a smile, "How old did you think he was before?"
Sister He said awkwardly, "It should be a bit bigger than it actually is, right?" She was embarrassed to say that she had thought he was in his thirties or forties.
Knowing that Xie Wei was Lin Qingqing's husband, Miao Hui had given up on the idea, but the thought of him being so young still made her feel a pang of sadness. Hearing their conversation, she couldn't help but ask, "He's been married before, hasn't he?"
Both Sister He and the lady at the shoe and hat counter froze upon hearing this.
Lin Qingqing frowned slightly: "What?"
"Your man is twenty-nine years old, he must have been married before, right? Does he have any children?" Miao Hui thought that if Xie Wei had been married before, it wouldn't be surprising if he married Lin Qingqing.
She would definitely not date a married man.
Lin Qingqing's smile faded: "My husband was in the military all the time, which delayed our marriage. So we got married relatively late. He had never been married before and had no children before we got married."
"Impossible!" Miao Hui's eyebrows furrowed.
Lin Qingqing retorted, "Do you think it's impossible for him to have neglected his personal life due to being in the military for so long? Or do you think it's impossible for him to have never been married? Or do you believe that I can only marry a man who has been married before and has children?"
Miao Hui blurted out, "Otherwise, why would someone with such great qualities like him be interested in you?"
Xie Wei became a regimental commander at a young age, with a promising future. If he really had never been married and had no children, he could have easily married an educated city girl, let alone a goddess. Why did he end up marrying Lin Qingqing, a country girl who never went to school?
But he ended up marrying Lin Qingqing.
Miao Hui thought about it more and more and felt that Lin Qingqing was not telling the truth!
Author's Note: First update
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