Lu Chenyuan wouldn't leave her behind, would he? He had no money on him, so how would he return to the village?
At least before leaving her, he should say something, and she could give him the money for the bus ticket.
After all, she had persuaded and pestered him to come to the county town with her. Having brought him out, she had to make sure he was brought back too.
Lin Yan carried a large plastic bag containing her newly purchased pink quilt, which was light as a feather and wouldn't be heavy. You get what you pay for; it definitely wouldn't suffice in winter and would be cold.
She stood at the entrance of the market, waiting for a long time without seeing anyone, her eyes aimlessly wandering in confusion.
Seeing Lu Chenyuan coming from the south, her disconsolate little face broke into a smile, sweet dimples appearing.
She waved to Lu Chenyuan, "I'm over here."
Lu Chenyuan frowned, amused by how high she tiptoed, as if scared he wouldn't see her.
In his hand, he held a not-so-large bag, which he handed to Lin Yan.
Inside was a scallion pancake, still warm to the touch.
Lin Yan expressed surprise, "Did you buy this pancake for me?"
Lu Chenyuan replied, "Do I know anyone else here?"
Lin Yan looked around, and indeed, there was no one else—just her.
Without money, Lu Chenyuan had still bought her a pancake. Holding the scallion pancake, Lin Yan felt uncomfortable inside.
She was causing him trouble again.
"I'll give you the money. I can't let you spend your cash," she said, feeling awkward as she reached for her wallet. "You have it tough too."
Lu Chenyuan half-smiled, thinking just how tough could he be, that someone should repay him for a pancake?
Lin Yan passed the money to Lu Chenyuan.
Accepting it, he pocketed the money, unwilling to engage in a back-and-forth drama with Lin Yan.
With her earnest little face, refusing the money would invite her stubborn nagging.
Lin Yan offered the quilt to Lu Chenyuan.
"Carry it yourself," said Lu Chenyuan, who was smoking and showed little chivalry.
"But I want to eat my pancake, and I can't hold it. If I put it on the ground, it'll get dirty."
Lu Chenyuan, with the cigarette filter clenched between his lips and the haze of white smoke obscuring his face, took the quilt in hand.
He squeezed the filling of the quilt, guessing she definitely bought the cheapest one.
Standing there, Lin Yan cradled the pancake with both hands. Her tiny cherry lips couldn't open wide, yet she bit off a large chunk each time, chewing with relish.
"It's delicious, the scallion flavor is strong. Do you like it? If you do, I can make you pancakes for breakfast," Lin Yan said with her naturally harmless smile.
Lin Yan was always finding ways to subtly reassure Lu Chenyuan that she intended to stay for the long haul.
"I don't like them," Lu Chenyuan answered coldly, but Lin Yan persisted, "If not pancakes, then porridge. My porridge is also tasty."
Lu Chenyuan was speechless.
Just how delicious can porridge be? It all tastes like rice anyway.
With the remaining money, Lin Yan bought quite a lot of vegetables, though she purchased only a small amount of meat.
When finances are tight, filling the belly is what matters.
By the time they headed back to the village, it was already late. Lin Yan followed behind Lu Chenyuan, looking around nervously as they walked at night.
Lu Chenyuan led the way without looking back, indifferent to whether she kept up or not.
It would be better if she got lost; it would be quieter.
"You're walking too fast, I can't keep up," Lin Yan said, running to keep pace, afraid of the stray dogs in the village.
As a child, she had been bitten by a stray dog and still had a scar on her leg.
Her father had wanted to take her to the clinic for a shot, fearing she would get rabies from the bite.
Zhou Ping thought it was a waste of money. She said no one in the village was that delicate; just washing the wound with soapy water should be enough, or else just apply some soybean paste to it.
I heard that the incubation period of rabies could be ten years, and Lin Yan would occasionally panic as she counted the days.
Lu Chenyuan stopped in his tracks, his deep black eyes piercing, "If you can't keep up, don't bother. Go back to wherever you came from. I don't want to keep you around."
Lin Yan was terribly upset. How could this man change his face faster than the flip of a page?
"I even bought all these groceries. If you want me to leave, you have to let me finish all the food and rice," she said.
Every day, she had a new excuse. Lu Chenyuan had never met someone so clingy.
When she got home, Lin Yan didn't even rest before storing the groceries in the kitchen.
Lu Chenyuan was so poor that he didn't even have a refrigerator. She didn't know how long she could make these groceries last.
Lu Chenyuan leaned against the kitchen doorway with his arms folded, watching the bustling figure.
Was she wound up like a clockwork toy? Never feeling tired?
"Eat your fill, and don't mind me. Leave whenever you're done," he said.
Lin Yan brushed the dust from her hands and nodded obediently, "Got it. But I can't finish it alone. You can help out. Eating noodles in plain water every day isn't nutritious."
Lin Yan looked up at Lu Chenyuan. He was strong and tall, and certainly didn't seem malnourished.
"I won't eat," Lu Chenyuan refused.
He wouldn't accept charity. He was able-bodied. Should he scrounge meals off some poor girl?
"Tomorrow my sister is going into the city. I'll accompany her, so you might need to take care of lunch yourself. I'll have all the vegetables washed and ready to cook in the morning," Lin Yan said.
Lu Chenyuan's gaze was icy, his handsome face taut. Communicating with such a green and immature girl was exhausting.
He said his piece, but she didn't take a single word to heart.
"Whatever you say," Lu Chenyuan uttered and left.
Lin Yan tidied up the kitchen, arranging the seasonings neatly and covering them with a small white cloth to protect them from oil splatters.
Satisfied at last, she felt the kitchen had some life to it.
She brought in a pair of new slippers and saw Lu Chenyuan leaning by the window, smoking and staring blankly into the empty yard.
Lin Yan always felt Lu Chenyuan was a man with heavy thoughts, wondering what was on his mind now.
People released from prison would surely need a long time to reintegrate into normal life.
"Here... this pair is for you. I'm not sure about your size, but I think they'll fit."
Lu Chenyuan came back to his senses and glanced sideways. Those dark, unyielding eyes fixed on her, sharp and cold.
Startled, Lin Yan shivered, dropping the slippers. She hurriedly bent down to pick them up.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm scared," she said, easily showing her fear.
After a long silence, Lu Chenyuan said coldly, "I see you're bolder than anyone, moving into a stranger's house with your luggage. Aren't you afraid I'll have ulterior motives?"
Lin Yan's face panicked, and she shook her head, "I've decided to settle down with you. After we get the certificate, we'll be husband and wife legally. I won't refuse."
A marriage certificate? Lu Chenyuan scoffed to himself.
When had he, Lu Chenyuan, fallen so low as to marry a rural woman like her? This naive girl had a knack for planning ahead.
"You sure are optimistic," Lu Chenyuan said mockingly, his deep pupils twinkling with derision.
Lin Yan said, "I don't have a choice. If I don't stay with you, I'll have to..."
"Marry the crippled son from Zhang the Blind's family, right?" Lu Chenyuan interrupted her.
Every time he heard that, he felt enraged, a giant among dwarfs.
Lin Yan paused and nodded honestly.
Although Lu Chenyuan was a bit lazy, poor, and short-tempered, he was able-bodied, which would make her life much easier.
"I won't marry you, so stop daydreaming and be realistic," Lu Chenyuan said flatly, intending to dissuade her from any misguided notions.
Lin Yan countered, "Do you already have someone you love?"