Su Xiaowan was startled by Han Dasao's remarks. Glancing at the elder sister-in-law as she walked away, she realised that she was being looked down upon by a woman of rural heritage from the eighties. She turned to Han Dongchen, giving him an innocent and aggrieved look, hoping for some comfort.
Responding with a blank expression, Han Dongchen simply said, "Let's go."
Using her quietest voice, Su Xiaowan muttered, "Hmm, go then. No need to act so high and mighty."
Although she spoke quietly, Han Dongchen, a former scout, could not miss her gesture. However, he chose to ignore her.
By the time they reached the town, Su Xiaowan was in a worse-off state. Thinking about all the turbulence she had faced, she could hardly remember a time when it had been worse. The expected country road, dew-laden grass, birdsong, and even the morning light were swept away by the disastrous road conditions. The bumpy ride had soured her mood. Assessing the small gains from it, she took solace from the fact that she had managed to cuddle up to Han Dongchen's firm abs along the journey.
The town was not as lively as she had expected, with no small vendors by the roadside. In this age, doing business was scorned upon and somewhat taboo.
Procuring goods in this area required one to visit the government-run supply store. It offered a wide range of essential goods which could all be obtained by presenting the assigned rations.
The journey to the town was quiet. After taking the necessary photographs, they arrived at the family planning office. Weakened and out of sorts from the bumpy ride, Su Xiaowan followed Han Dongchen's instructions. It was only when she held the crimson certificate in her hands that she realised, she was here to get their marriage license.
Regardless, she was now a married woman, and being the wife of an officer meant she had the nation's protection.
Han Dongchen, perhaps sensing that Su Xiaowan was underdressed, magnanimously decided to buy her some new clothes. They ended up at the fabled supply store. The bustling place was frequented by people from the nearby villages.
After browsing through the store, Su Xiaowan decided to buy a cotton floral shirt and a pair of trousers made of fine fabric. In total, she spent 20 yuan. Pleased with the low prices, she insisted on buying a pair of white sneakers for another 5 yuan, completing her outfit.
Excited by her purchases, she didn't notice Han Dongchen's wrinkled brows and the contempt he held for her spendthrift behavior.
Encouraged by the cheap prices, Su Xiaowan became interested in each item's cost, unfazed by the saleswoman's impatience and mockery of her rural naiveté.
After a while, she realised things were a bit odd. Everything was astonishingly cheap, from a box of matches at 0.02 yuan to a kilogram of rice at 1.5 yuan. The low prices now made sense; the villagers must think she was ignorant for spending as if money was abundant. She glanced back to see Han Dongchen, his stoic face seemingly dusted with soot, radiating an icy aura of unapproachable caution. All he said was, 'Let's go home.' Su Xiaowan nodded and kept up with his pace.
The journey back home was quiet. As they neared home, Su Xiaowan mustered the courage to say, "Thank you for today."
All Han Dongchen responded with was a curt "Hmm," and continued walking without acknowledging her further.
She gave her nose a light touch and cautiously asked, "How much do you earn in a month?"
After a seemingly long pause, he finally said, "I used to earn 32 yuan a month. But after my recent promotion, I now earn 40 yuan per month. I haven't had the chance to inform my family yet."
On hearing this, Su Xiaowan was taken aback. How could he only earn 40 yuan a month? Small wonder everything was so cheap. Reflecting on her spending spree, she realized that she had spent an extravagant sum by local standards. But considering the 500 yuan Han Dongchen had spent to marry her, Su Xiaowan began to understand the gravity of their economic situation. She put herself in his shoes and realised the difficulty of their situation. Changing lifestyle habits and acknowledging financial realities lived deep in one's subconscious.
By the time they reached home, it was past lunchtime. The two had a quick meal as the rest of the family were busy at work.
Han Dongchen wanted to bring Su Xiaowan, along with two boxes of gifts, back to her family's home. She refused outright, arguing there was no point in revisiting her family who sold her. As the old saying goes, 'A married daughter is like spilled water,' she decided to leave her past behind.
Han Dongchen didn't insist any further and left her alone in the room. Apparently, he had to prepare for an army mission the following day and wanted to arrange everything before his departure.
Sitting on the heated brick bed, Su Xiaowan looked around the spacious room. Apart from the clothes she bought today and the patchy clothes left behind by the owner, she had nothing else. She had a few textbooks from high school and a couple of pencils, but that was it.
She neatly packed up everything. Wearing the new clothes was out of the question now, with the exception of the youngest brother, everyone was wearing patched clothes. She didn't want to invite any additional attention unnecessarily, especially considering the tense situation at home.
After tidying up the room and taking a quick rest, she decided to rise. The sun was preparing to set, signaling the family members' return.
After washing her face, she stepped outside. The two younger siblings were out playing while Xia Hua was chopping wild vegetables for the chickens and ducks. Seeing Su Xiaowan approach, she quickly greeted, "Second sister-in-law, you're back. Where's my second brother?"
Su Xiaowan replied, "Hmm, we just arrived, and your second brother left." Joining Xia Hua, she proceeded to help chop the remaining vegetables.
The two chatted while working; in no time, they had finished feeding all the animals. Su Xiaowan proceeded to sweep the yard while Xia Hua started preparing dinner.