Chapter 139: Come Here

Wang Chunhua was sitting in front of her stall, tidying up the insoles, intending to pack up for the day, when she saw a beautiful young woman pushing a bicycle stop in front of her. "How much are these insoles?" the woman asked.

"Eighty cents," Wang Chunhua replied, just as she did to every other customer.

Shen Qingyi smiled. "Could you make it a bit cheaper?"

Looking at Shen Qingyi’s attire and refined air, Wang Chunhua didn't think she looked like someone who would haggle over eighty cents. "You might want to ask elsewhere, miss." With that, she began packing up her stall.

Shen Qingyi quickly stopped her bicycle and reached out to hold Wang Chunhua’s hand. "That’s no way to do business—closing up just because you don't like what someone said."

Wang Chunhua hesitated. "How many pairs do you want to buy?"

"How about two pairs for a dollar?"

Wang Chunhua immediately lost her patience. "I can't sell them for fifty cents a pair."

"I visited Nanyang Town, Baxili Village, a few years ago," Shen Qingyi explained. "I bought two pairs from a woman named He Xiangcao for fifty cents each. They were so comfortable, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere since moving to Kyoto. It was a long time ago, though."

At the mention of the name "He Xiangcao," a flicker of surprise flashed across Wang Chunhua's eyes, though she quickly regained her composure. Shen Qingyi caught that subtle reaction perfectly. Her mind was racing—so it was true... Suppressing her inner excitement, she waited calmly for Wang Chunhua to respond.

Wang Chunhua hesitated for a moment. "One dollar and fifty cents for two pairs. Take them if you want."

Shen Qingyi nodded readily, pulled money from her pocket, and handed it to Wang Chunhua. After paying and taking the insoles, she tried to strike up a conversation. "Sister, will you be out here after lunch?"

"If you want more, you should buy a few extra now," Wang Chunhua replied. She felt that Shen Qingyi looked somewhat familiar and didn't seem like the type to go out of her way for such humble insoles, which made her feel wary.

"I wanted to bring some of my friends to buy them," Shen Qingyi said.

Wang Chunhua nodded. "I’ll be here this afternoon."

"Don't you have children to take care of at home?" Shen Qingyi had expected Wang Chunhua to say she couldn't come back because of household chores, hoping to use that as an opening to find out where she lived. She was surprised that Wang Chunhua said she would return.

Before Shen Qingyi could ask anything else, Wang Chunhua hurriedly finished packing her stall, placed it on a small wooden cart, and left. Shen Qingyi decided she would just come back in the afternoon; she had been too rushed and hadn't prepared a better excuse to get closer to her.

After lunch, Shen Qingyi went to the department store, bought a tin of malted milk powder and two pounds of candy, and came up with a new reason to approach her. But when she returned in the afternoon, the stall was nowhere to be found.

For the next several days, Shen Qingyi went to the same spot, but there was no sign of the woman. She asked people around the area, but no one knew where Wang Chunhua lived. Shen Qingyi felt incredibly frustrated. Five days passed, and Wang Chunhua never returned. It wasn't until Xia Xiyue told her that Qian Fanxi had passed away that Shen Qingyi stopped waiting and went to pay her respects.

For three days, Shen Qingyi felt a heavy, suffocating weight in her chest. After the funeral, she took several days to recover, occasionally receiving phone calls from Lu Yan.

Before she knew it, the end of the month arrived, and Lu Yan’s project concluded. On the afternoon he returned, An’an was overjoyed. Lu Caiqing was busy cooking, and Shen Qingyi had just stepped out to run some errands.

Lu Yan put his luggage back in his original room, and An’an followed him inside. "Dad, Mom bought you so many things!"

Lu Yan set his bags down and watched as An’an opened the wardrobe doors. They were filled with his clothes, towels, socks, and scarves. Lu Yan stood stunned, and then An’an opened another small cabinet. "I have things too!"

Lu Yan walked slowly to the closet, his hand brushing over the clothes—garments for all four seasons, undershirts, jackets, long and short sleeves, and socks of various thicknesses, all neatly organized. An’an’s closet was the same, though the sizes were larger, with some clothes big enough for a five or six-year-old.

Noticing his father’s silence, An’an asked in a small, crisp voice, "Aren't you happy?"

Lu Yan suppressed the tightness in his throat. "I am. Do you know why Mom bought us so many clothes at once?" It seemed she was preparing for a future where she would leave them both behind.

"Auntie and Mom made a lot of money! Mom likes to spend money whenever she has it; she loves the department store most of all. Her hands get itchy if she doesn't spend money there," An’an explained earnestly, her eyes sparkling.

Lu Yan didn't respond. His gaze landed on his desk. There was a new pen holder filled with pens of various styles and colors—fountain pens, ballpoints, and pencils. Beside them were three bottles of ink: black, blue, and red.

Seeing that Lu Yan didn't look pleased, An’an walked over and tugged his hand. "Dad, what’s wrong? Are you angry that Mom spent so much money?"

Lu Yan turned and slowly sat at the desk. "No."

Just then, An’an heard a noise outside. "Mom’s back!" she said, beaming.

Hearing this, Lu Yan’s heart began to pound. He wanted to stand up, but his back was stiff, as if he were waiting for a sentence to be passed. An’an opened the door and ran out. "Mom! Dad’s back, go see him!" She whispered, "Dad doesn't seem to be in a good mood. Give him a hug; I’ll stand guard at the door like last time."

Shen Qingyi: !!!

Shen Qingyi placed the braised meat and eggs she had just bought on the table. She knew Lu Yan was arriving tonight and had gone out to buy extra food, but she hadn't expected him back so soon. She pushed open the door to Lu Yan’s room and walked in.

Lu Yan heard her and gathered his thoughts. He stood up and closed the door. As his gaze fell upon his wife, he realized she had lost weight.

"An’an said you weren't in a good mood. What’s wrong?" Shen Qingyi asked.

Lu Yan looked at his wife. She had a smile on her lips, and her eyes were calm and clear, showing no sign of a confrontation. "Thank you for the clothes you bought me."

"Is there anything you don't like or that doesn't fit? If so, I’ll return them."

"No! My boss gave me a week off," Lu Yan replied. His wife’s eye for detail was sharper than a ruler, and her taste was excellent. More importantly, he didn't care what he wore, so whatever she chose was fine by him.

Shen Qingyi smiled. "Then get some good rest."

He wanted to ask why she had suddenly bought all these things for him and An’an, but he swallowed the words. He knew the answer, and he didn't want to hear it right now.

Lu Yan gave a soft hum, paused, and then said in a low, heavy voice, "Come here."