Chapter 134: Emergency Aid

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Feng Dakui’s eyes lit up at once. They were still only running a small stall, yet with her gentle suggestion, he could almost see their herbal tea developing from something sold at a roadside stand into a product displayed in the glass counters of a supply and marketing cooperative.

“It doesn’t seem that easy. Apart from having enough capital and sales, we’d also need to find a manufacturer that makes glass bottles, as well as bottling technology. There’s no way to fasten those caps tightly enough by hand.”

Shen Qingyi smiled and nodded. “Yes, it will be difficult, but now you know exactly what the difficulties are. Once you have the capital, you can solve them one by one.”

When Feng Dakui looked up, he met her clear, luminous eyes. His heart trembled. She was genuinely discussing all this with him so seriously. He hurriedly looked away and nodded. “Yes!”

Shen Qingyi picked up a dumpling and took a bite. Unable to restrain her praise, she said, “Sister Feng, how are you so skilled at cooking? These dumplings become more flavorful with every bite.”

Feng Erqiu replied modestly, “It’s only the one thing I’m good at. If you like them, I can bring you a few every few days.”

Shen Qingyi smiled. “That’s not some minor talent. You said it yourself: everyone in your village makes herbal tea, but no one’s can compare with yours. So don’t tell anyone else your unique method. Whether you can build a successful business in the future may well depend on this tea. I have great faith in you and your brother.”

Feng Erqiu smiled. “Thank you, Comrade Xiao Shen.”

After they finished eating, there was still some time before Lu Yan would finish work and come to pick her up, so An’an continued playing with Chunni.

Feng Erqiu noticed that Shen Qingyi had eaten only one dumpling and barely touched the dishes, while she kept reaching for the herbal tea to drink from time to time. After thinking it over, she said, “Comrade Xiao Shen, I’ll teach you how to make the herbal tea. Aren’t you two about to return to the capital?”

Shen Qingyi froze. “Didn’t I just tell you not to teach it to anyone else?”

“You’re not ‘anyone else.’ Even if you took it and sold it, I wouldn’t mind.” Feng Erqiu smiled.

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. But even if I learn it, I’ll probably only manage sixty or seventy percent of the flavor. The dishes I usually make at home aren’t even to An’an’s liking.” Shen Qingyi smiled.

Feng Erqiu led her into the kitchen and began teaching her how to add the ingredients. At first glance, Shen Qingyi found it quite simple, but once she actually tried it, she realized that everything required precision—the heat, the cooking time, and even the exact moment to add the second ingredient.

Shen Qingyi managed to memorize it all and cooked half a pot. But when she took a bowl and tasted it, she immediately frowned. “It’s a little different from yours.”

Feng Erqiu ladled out a bowl and tasted it herself without saying anything. She handed the rest to Feng Dakui.

Seeing him drink quite a lot, Shen Qingyi asked him, “Is it good?”

“It’s… it’s all right!” Feng Dakui normally did not like lying, and his hesitation made that very clear.

Shen Qingyi understood at once. She turned to Feng Erqiu and said, “So this isn’t some minor talent of yours. It’s a remarkable one.”

As they spoke, someone knocked on the door. Feng Erqiu hurried over to open it. “Engineer Lu!”

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As she spoke, she quickly ushered him inside.

Before seeing Lu Yan, Feng Dakui had still been wondering what sort of man could marry someone as fairy-like as her. The moment he saw Lu Yan, he understood.

The world truly did show favoritism. Fortunately, the person it favored was her.

“Have you eaten?” Shen Qingyi asked him.

“Not yet. I’ll eat after we get back,” Lu Yan answered honestly.

An’an and Chunni were playing in the room. Shen Qingyi called out, “An’an, Daddy’s here.”

An’an immediately dashed out of the room.

The moment Lu Yan saw his son, he swept him into his arms. After saying goodbye to the Feng family, the family of three went downstairs.

When they reached the car, Lu Yan opened the rear door and put An’an inside. After Shen Qingyi got in, he reached out and closed the door, then returned to the driver’s seat. He pressed the accelerator, and the car started moving.

“You should eat a bowl of noodles here before we go back. It’ll take more than an hour to drive,” Shen Qingyi said.

Lu Yan was indeed hungry. “All right!”

They stopped in front of a small noodle shop. Shen Qingyi ordered a tableful of food for him: a bowl of beef noodles, three small dishes, and an additional bowl of soup. Lu Yan ate every last bit.

Once he had finished, Shen Qingyi paid the bill, returned to the car, and they continued on their way home.

By the time they arrived, night had fallen. Lu Yan went to return the car, while Shen Qingyi remembered that An’an had already looked drowsy in the car, so she bathed him first.

Sure enough, the moment An’an finished his bath, he went straight to sleep.

When Shen Qingyi came out after bathing, she was dressed in loose pajamas. Rubbing her hair with a towel, she returned to the living room and had just sat down on the sofa when Lu Yan came back.

At that moment, her half-wet black hair fell over her shoulders. Moisture seemed to cling to her entire person; even her eyelashes were damp, and her fair cheeks were flushed with rosy color. She looked extraordinarily captivating.

Lu Yan took only one glance before immediately looking away. Pretending nothing was amiss, he sat down beside her, pulled an envelope from his pocket, and held it out to her. “I got paid today.”

Shen Qingyi hesitated. “Keep it. Don’t be so frugal with yourself from now on.”

“I’m not being frugal. I simply don’t know how to spend it. I still haven’t used up the hundred yuan you gave me last time.” His meals, lodging, and medical care were all provided free of charge. He truly seemed to have no need to spend money on anything else—not even the pleasure of spending it.

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When Shen Qingyi heard this, she could not help bursting into laughter.

Her laughter dazzled Lu Yan, and his voice softened before he even realized it. “What is it?”

“How can anyone not know how to spend money?” Shen Qingyi found it impossible to believe.

Lu Yan pressed his lips together, and his gaze deepened. “If you like spending money, then take it.”

Shen Qingyi accepted the envelope from his hand and pulled out a hundred yuan. “Your spending money for next month.”

Lu Yan took it. Just then, he saw his wife yawn. In a gentle voice, she said, “Go to sleep.”

He wanted to say that he was not tired, but he could not resist the fact that his wife was sleepy. He rose and returned to the bedroom, lying on his back on the bed. To his surprise, he felt rather content with the state of their marriage.

It was fine if she was unwilling to take things any further with him. As long as she did not expose the truth, he could continue living like this. In fact, it was quite nice.

Early the next morning, someone from the communications office came to say that there was a call for Comrade Xiao Shen, and that the caller had an urgent matter.

Shen Qingyi did not even have time to eat breakfast before following them to answer it.

The call was from Xia Xiyue. “Qingyi, Old Master Qian is in critical condition. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment yesterday. Can you come and see him?”

Shen Qingyi’s heart lurched. “All right. I’ll go home and pack right away, then see whether Lu Yan can arrange a car for me.”

With that, she hung up without wasting another minute.

Although she was not Qian Fanxi’s most favored disciple, she could still be considered one of the disciples he treated with particular affection.

He had never treated her differently because her ceremonial gift upon becoming his apprentice had been modest. As long as she played him a short tune, she could make him happy enough to praise her repeatedly.

When she returned home, Lu Yan was just leaving for work. Seeing how hurried she looked, he asked, “What happened?”

“Old Master Qian was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment last night. I want to go back and see him.”

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