Quick travel: The poor little thing in the period novel strikes back

As soon as Shuanzi heard his elder brother coughing in the yard, his mind worked quickly and he immediately changed the subject.

"I was so busy talking to my sister-in-law just now that I forgot that my eldest brother was here too. My eldest brother and I were planning to go to the city today, and my sister-in-law wanted to use a bullock cart, so the three of us went together. I'm not as strong as my eldest brother, but with my eldest brother here, he can carry all the things my sister-in-law buys."

Shuanzi looked proud of his elder brother and opened the door of his yard in front of Shi Yan.

"Brother Ze, let's go to the city to play today. Can you help my sister-in-law while you're there?"

As soon as Shuanzi finished speaking, he saw someone he hadn't seen for more than a month walking out of the yard in a nonchalant manner, with a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth. He looked as unruly as possible.

"Bah! Okay, it's just to help carry a few things. When do we leave?"

In the first half, Zhao Ze was replying to Shuanzi, and in the second half he was asking Shi Yan. However, from beginning to end, Zhao Ze's eyes were disobediently fixed on Shi Yan and never left.

"Can we go now? It's getting late." Shi Yan replied.

"Then let's go now."

The three of them went to the city together, but this time the person driving the coach was Shuanzi instead of Zhao Ze, and Zhao Ze sat face to face with Shi Yan. He was silent for a long time before he could think of what to say.

"Sister-in-law, what have you been busy with recently? I haven't seen you."

Zhao Ze has been observing Shi Yan since he got in the car. He sees that Shi Yan has not lost weight, and her face is even rounder. Her eyes are shining with watery light. There is no trace of sadness, but full of vitality. Her complexion is also good, and she does not look sick. But how come Shi Yan can't be seen even though she lives next door?

"I didn't do much. I usually planted flowers in the yard, occasionally went to the mountains, or chatted with the aunties in the village by the river."

Shi Yan was telling the truth. Besides wanting to avoid Zhao Ze, she also wanted to integrate into the lives of everyone in the village. This way, she wouldn't end up being a young widow who had fled famine and lost her man, rootless and vulnerable to bullying.

"Why didn't my sister-in-law call me when you went up the mountain? It's not safe up there."

Shi Yan: "I didn't go up there much. I just walked around and picked up some firewood."

"Oh, that's how it is."

Zhao Ze felt that his sister-in-law was a little cold towards him. Could it be that they had become estranged after not seeing each other for a month, or did his sister-in-law feel offended by the last incident?

The atmosphere between the two was a bit awkward, but fortunately Shuanzi might be better at driving a carriage than Zhao Ze, and they soon arrived in the city.

"Sister-in-law, I'm going to park the car. Let Brother Ze accompany you to the supply and marketing cooperative first. I'll come find you later."

As soon as the ox cart arrived at the place, Shuanzi smiled and urged the two to get off the car, and even winked at his elder brother when Shi Yan was not paying attention. Zhao Ze was confused by Shuanzi's look, but also a little shy. He didn't know what was going on. When no one was paying attention to him, Zhao Ze secretly pinched his thigh through the cloth.

Zhao Ze was really cruel to himself. He shivered in pain, and his mind became clear and his thoughts started working.

"Sister-in-law, besides clothes and bedding, do you want anything else? Do you have enough cloth coupons?"

Shi Yan's mind had not yet fully adapted to the fact that she had to pay with coupons to buy things. So if she calculated it this way, the few feet of cloth coupons she had were not enough for her to buy thick clothes and quilts for autumn and winter.

"Sister-in-law, I know where to buy cloth and cotton. You don't need a ticket and the price is not expensive. The only trouble is that you have to make the clothes and quilts yourself."

Shi Yan: "I can make clothes, but I don't know how to make quilts. What should I do? Is there anyone in the village who can do it?"

Zhao Ze was waiting for Shi Yan to say this, and the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably:

"Fluffing a quilt is a piece of cake. I learned it when I was ten years old. The quilt I cover myself with now is made by myself. If my sister-in-law doesn't mind, you can buy the cotton and I will take the time to go to your house with the tools to help you make it."

Shi Yan couldn't help laughing at Zhao Ze's boasting, but she couldn't help teasing Zhao Ze verbally.

"This should be very troublesome, but forget it. I need you to take time out to help me. Wouldn't that delay your work? You should introduce me to someone in the village who has this skill!"

Zhao Ze: "No, no, I don't have anything important to do recently. A quilt can be made quickly. Leave this to me."

"Sister-in-law, come on, I'll take you to buy cloth and cotton now."

Zhao Ze led the way and took Shi Yan into the alley. They turned left and right and arrived at the entrance of an alley with many paths leading in all directions. He asked Shi Yan to stand aside and wait for a while, and knocked on an old and shabby wooden door in the alley. Soon someone opened the door from the inside.

The person who opened the door seemed to be very familiar with Zhao Ze. The two of them exchanged greetings and laughed for a while. The stranger's laughter was so loud that Shi Yan could hear it clearly even though she was standing at the entrance of the alley.

After the conversation ended, Zhao Ze waved in her direction and Shi Yan quickly walked over.

"I heard that you want cotton and cloth. Isn't this a coincidence? We just received a batch of goods these two days. Feel free to pick them. Aze and I are friends. I'll give you a discount after you finish picking them."

The man who was speaking looked to be about thirty years old, with a plump figure, a very pleasant smile, and his eyes were narrow and curved like a thin line.

"I'm really sorry to bother you today, but Zhao Ze and I are not in the relationship you think."

Shi Yan was able to come here and buy things without a ticket entirely thanks to Zhao Ze's connections. She was still very grateful, but she and Zhao Ze were just ordinary neighbors now, so she still explained it according to her original personality.

"Oh oh oh oh... look at my eyes, I'm so outspoken, it's just because Aze brought a lesbian here for the first time."

The man meant to say that he was wrong, but from the tone of his voice, it sounded more or less sarcastic.

He let Shi Yan into the yard, walked one step behind Zhao Ze, nudged Zhao Ze with his elbow, and whispered to Zhao Ze.

"Aze, you haven't gotten her yet? This girl looks good to me, you have to work harder. When I was your age, your brother and I already had a baby!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is my neighbor. She has some change but not enough tickets. I see she wants to buy a lot, so I'm introducing her to you, right?"

When Zhao Ze explained, he subconsciously ignored the fact that Shi Yan was married, but the man still saw his red earlobes clearly. As a person who has been through this, it is obvious that Zhao Ze is now moved and doesn't even know it. He is indeed a young man. He is so smooth in dealing with people in daily life, but when it comes to matters between men and women, he is still a boy in the end.