Chapter 157: Didn't You Want to Have a Talk With Me?

"There was no need for so much," Zhou Mingxue said, looking delighted yet feigning annoyance at the pile of items. "This is plenty, don't you worry."

"Well, do you have any free time later? Want to go for a stroll?" Lin Jingyue leaned against the counter. It just so happened to be the day of the factory exchange fair.

"Sure! I finally have an hour off. Give me a moment."

"I'll come back later then; I have a few things to attend to." Lin Jingyue waved and left before Zhou Mingxue could even manage to hand over the letters she had been keeping for her.

She headed straight to the scrap collection station.

"Master, what are you doing?"

"Whoa! You scared the life out of me!" Old Huo, who had been squatting on the ground examining some porcelain, nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice. He glared at Lin Jingyue indignantly. "Can't you make a sound when you walk?"

"It's just that you were too focused," Lin Jingyue said, her eyes landing on two blue-and-white porcelain plates on the ground. "Master, are you having trouble identifying these?"

"Don't you even think about it. I just got my hands on these."

"Come on, we're family. I'm your apprentice."

"How many things have you already swindled out of me?"

Lin Jingyue rubbed her nose and chuckled, squatting down beside the old man. "Master, let me take a look for you." As she spoke, she picked up one of the plates. "This one is a fake."

"...What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I'm serious. The one in your hand is the authentic piece," Lin Jingyue winked. The two blue-and-white plates were nearly identical; only someone with an incredibly sharp eye could tell them apart.

"Fine, if it's real, you can have it. I'll just take the fake one back to serve dinner on." Old Huo glanced at her, snatched the plate from her hand, and shoved the 'authentic' one into her arms.

Lin Jingyue’s mouth twitched. When had this old man become so generous?

"Master is good to you, isn't he?" *Nice try,* he thought, *thinking you could trick me!*

Lin Jingyue accepted it with a complex expression. "Since Master is giving it to me, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept."

"So obedient today?"

"When am I ever not?"

"Fine, then recite the lesson I assigned you last time."

"...I'll recite it, I'll recite it."

For the rest of the time, she not only recited the medical texts but also discussed medical techniques with the old man. Once the time was up, she left, but not before leaving behind a wild hare—the very one 'Big Gray' had caught for her.

After she left, Old Huo shook his head with a laugh; the girl was as cunning as a fox. He looked at the blue-and-white plate in his hand and tossed it carelessly into a corner.

Meanwhile, Lin Jingyue found a secluded spot, tucked the 'fake' plate into her space, and grinned like a cat that had just stolen some cream.

When she arrived back at the post office, Zhou Mingxue was just finishing her shift.

"Let's go to the exchange fair first, we can eat later, okay?" Zhou Mingxue was worried about missing out on some items she wanted to buy.

"Sure, lead the way."

Arm in arm, the two women walked to the building hosting the exchange fair. Zhou Mingxue pulled out two letters. "You're here just in time. These came for you, so you don't have to worry about them being sent to the countryside."

Lin Jingyue took the letters suspiciously. She checked the senders: one was from her aunt in An City, and the other was from Beijing. Her eyebrows arched slightly as she recognized the name: Gu Yizhi. *She must have recovered from her injuries by now.* She decided not to read them just yet.

The fair was lively, and since most of the people there were familiar faces, they navigated the stalls with ease. Lin Jingyue bought two bolts of fabric—one blue, one water-red—a case of canned goods from the cannery stall, and a pair of 'Liberation' shoes for mountain climbing. Zhou Mingxue bought just as much, sweeping through the stalls with enthusiasm. Looking at the pile of goods before them, they stood speechless for a moment.

Fortunately, Zhou Mingxue's partner, Comrade Xia, arrived soon after. "I was held up at the factory, sorry to keep you waiting. I brought my bicycle; I'll take these things back first. You two go grab a bite at the state-run restaurant. Here, take these food coupons." He smiled warmly, not minding at all that Zhou Mingxue had bought so much.

"What about Jingyue’s canned goods?" Zhou Mingxue asked with a frown.

"I can carry them myself. You help me take the fabric to your place, and I'll pick it up later; it's too much of a hassle otherwise," Lin Jingyue said, effortlessly hoisting the box of canned goods.

Zhou Mingxue chuckled and took the fabric. Comrade Xia strapped the rest of the items to his bike, and they parted ways at the intersection.

It was peak mealtime, and the state-run restaurant was packed. "We'll have to share a table with someone," Zhou Mingxue noted.

Lin Jingyue didn't mind. "Let's take this one here; it's too crowded further inside."

They chose a spot near the door where a young woman was already seated. She was delicate and fair-skinned, clearly either a newly arrived educated youth or a local city girl.

"Excuse me, Comrade, do you mind if we share this table?" Lin Jingyue asked politely with a smile.

Mu Furong looked up, stunned for a moment by Lin Jingyue's radiant beauty, before nodding with a smile. "Go ahead, there's no one else here anyway."

Lin Jingyue and Zhou Mingxue sat down. "Mingxue, I'll go order; you don't need to push through the crowd. What do you want to eat?" Zhou Mingxue was a little over a month pregnant.

"Anything is fine. Here, take the coupons and order whatever you think is good." She quickly handed them over. "Don't refuse, or Comrade Xia will be upset."

"Alright," Lin Jingyue laughed.

"The braised beef is quite good today," Mu Furong, who had been eating with her head down, offered with a smile.

"Then it's braised beef it is," Lin Jingyue decided.

There were five or six people in line. The blackboard indicated that the braised pork had already been crossed out. Besides the braised beef, there was pickled cabbage with large bones, braised ribs, and cabbage with vermicelli and pork belly. For staples, they had dumplings, noodles, and rice.

When it was her turn, Lin Jingyue ordered the braised beef, the cabbage with vermicelli and pork belly, two bowls of rice, and two steamed buns. After paying with money and coupons, she went to wait.

"What's wrong?" she asked upon returning, noticing that two men had sat at their square table.

"I told them someone was sitting here, but they insisted," Zhou Mingxue said, looking annoyed.

"What are you talking about? There was no one here when we sat down," one of the men said with a sneer. The other laughed unpleasantly. "Oh, my bad, so these are the ladies' seats? How embarrassing." Despite his words, he didn't stand up.

Lin Jingyue rolled her eyes. They were clearly local thugs—absolute nuisances.

"I'm finished," Mu Furong sighed and stood up. It was clear these men had been targeting her. She nodded to Lin Jingyue and Zhou Mingxue, then looked at the two men. "Weren't you looking to talk to me? Let's go."

"I don't feel like talking to you anymore. I'd rather chat with this young lady here," the man said, standing up and reaching toward Lin Jingyue. "Little sister, come talk to your brother..."

*Thud—*