Chapter 31: No Sweetheart

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: No Sweetheart

Right at that moment, a plump figure expertly squeezed through the crowd and arrived at the bedside.

"Oh my, is this a gift for my Tuantuan? Let Grandma keep it safe for you." Grinning from ear to ear, Granny Zhang snatched the wristwatch right out of Tuantuan’s hands.

Tuantuan was fiercely protective of her things, tugging the watch toward her chest. Zhao Erdong hugged the baby and stepped back, but Granny Zhang’s hands quickly pried them apart. Ignoring Tuantuan’s piercing wails, she triumphantly seized the watch.

She had heard everything clearly from outside—this watch was extremely expensive. If she got her hands on it, she would strike it rich! Rich people cared about their dignity, and since she was the mother-in-law of his savior, there was no way he would have the nerve to ask for it back.

As for whether this would ruin Deng Yuyuan’s image in his eyes? Granny Zhang couldn’t care less. In fact, that was exactly what she wanted. Deng Yuyuan’s good reputation was completely useless to her anyway.

Shen Zhao was just about to speak, but Granny Zhang cut him off. "Young Master, you’re from the city, so you don’t know our rural customs. I’m Tuantuan’s grandmother and the mother-in-law of the educated youth who saved you. Since she married into our family, she is a member of the Zhang family, and everything belongs to the Zhang family..."

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events. The village chief reacted quickly. Exchanging a glance with the production team leader, they dragged Granny Zhang out of the ward together. She still clutched the watch tightly in her hand. Knowing they shouldn’t cause too much of a scene inside the hospital room, they had no choice but to take the argument outside to negotiate.

Inside the ward, Tuantuan was still crying her heart out, making everyone feel terrible.

Zhao Erdong looked at Shen Zhao apologetically. "I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll take the baby outside for now."

"There’s no need. Stay. I prefer having some signs of life around here," Shen Zhao replied. He knew that the ward was the only quiet sanctuary; if they went outside, the baby probably wouldn’t get a moment of peace.

He wondered if rural family drama was always this intense.

After crying herself out, Tuantuan curled her little hands into fists, smacked her lips a couple of times, and instantly fell asleep.

Zhao Erdong suddenly understood why Deng Yuyuan always called the baby a little pig.

"With Wangshu as the vanguard, and Feilian closely behind." Zhang Ci Hao looked up from the book, his voice quiet but bubbling with excitement. "Brother Jiahua, I found it! I found your daughter’s name!"

Wearing a cheap work uniform, Zhang Jiahua stared at the verse that looked like absolute gibberish to him, desperately searching for clues. "Li Sao?"

"Yeah! Yuyuan truly is an educated youth from the city. She’s so cultured! Even a casually chosen name has such a beautiful meaning," Zhang Ci Hao praised. "Come on, let’s go find the owner and buy this book. My friend will definitely give us a discount. If you read it, maybe you and Yuyuan will have more... common ground."

Zhang Jiahua rubbed the paper with his fingers. Thinking of the name Xiao Hong that his mother had chosen, and recalling Deng Yuyuan’s disappointed and resolute gaze, he stood up and bought the copy of Li Sao along with a classical dictionary.

The two books cost almost all the cash he had on him, leaving him unable to afford even a plain bowl of noodles in town. He glanced up at the scorching sun and decided to head home for lunch.

Zhang Ci Hao patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. "I’ll treat you to lunch today as a congratulations for finding a job. Just remember to treat me to a big meal once you get paid!"

Zhang Jiahua was incredibly moved. His good brother never abandoned him in times of hardship and firmly supported him as he worked his way up.

The good brother, Zhang Ci Hao, shoved some money and food ration coupons into Zhang Jiahua’s hands. "The old noodle shop in the second alley on East Street serves the most fragrant and chewy noodles. Go order a bowl of pork meatball noodles for me. I don’t have any dietary restrictions. I’ll come find you after I chat with my friend for a bit."

After craning his neck to watch Zhang Jiahua walk away, Zhang Ci Hao turned back around and immediately bought a whole collection of classic, collector’s edition books from the pre-Qin period.

The owner gave him a forty percent discount and chuckled. "You brat, where did you strike it rich this time?"

Zhang Ci Hao cheerfully handed over the money. "Keep these here for now; I’ll come pick them up in a few days. Strike it rich? I just emptied my life savings for you. I simply realized that a man needs a bit of culture, otherwise he won’t even know how to name his own child."

"Humble names make kids easier to raise. Besides, you could always just pay someone to pick a name," the owner said. It was currently working and school hours, so Zhang Ci Hao was the only customer—and a good friend at that—in the store. The owner was more than happy to joke around with him to pass the time.

"That won’t do. A man has to put his heart into his own kid." Throwing an arm around the owner’s neck like a brother, Zhang Ci Hao lowered his voice and asked, "Can you get your hands on high school textbooks?"

"Our friendship is over." The owner performed a disappearing smile act and peeled Zhang Ci Hao off of him.

"Hey, hey! I’m willing to be your easy mark and let you rip me off!" Zhang Ci Hao upped the stakes.

The owner replied faintly, "And spend it in prison?"

"Brother, even though things are loosening up at the top, there’s no need for us to deliberately provoke them, right? When we were in school, I never saw you this passionate about knowledge."

Zhang Ci Hao sighed. "You don’t understand."

"I don’t understand how you managed to fall for a talented girl from the city, so much so that you haven’t had time to look in the mirror and see what kind of toad you are, lusting after a swan," the owner said, rolling his eyes.

Zhang Ci Hao bristled instantly, vehemently denying the accusation.

The owner made it equally clear that he didn’t believe him and urged him to give up the idea. For guys like them, even though they didn’t have to worry about food and clothing right now, the origin of their money was obviously questionable. The owner had already half-retired from that life; once this bookstore was fully up and running, he planned to manage it properly, marry a wife, and have kids.

Zhang Ci Hao, on the other hand, believed that their side business would be the next big trend and was still heavily involved in it. While the owner sometimes felt a twinge of jealousy over the money Zhang Ci Hao was making, he would never do anything to harm his friend.

They had a bond forged in life-and-death situations. After all, Zhang Ci Hao had never abandoned him to run away on his own. He had always taken the owner along to dodge the cops, and whenever they went out of town to stock up on goods, the two of them had taken turns keeping watch at night. In the end, they had parted ways on good terms.

"I’ll ask around and see if I can find any handwritten or mimeographed copies for you. But don’t obsess over it too much. Showing off your knowledge in front of those intellectuals is like preaching to the choir. Just read the books you bought a bit more, so when she talks, you won’t leave her hanging," the owner advised earnestly, drawing on his own failed experiences in romance.

"You need to show off your strengths more, like..." He thought long and hard. It seemed all of his brother-from-another-mother’s strengths were illegal to talk about. Aside from those unspoken things, all that was left was being lazy and gluttonous... Uh.

"You’re handsome! Your family’s financial situation is decent, and you have a bicycle. Just buy yourself a wristwatch later and get a brand-name sewing machine," a look of realization dawned on the owner.

"I really don’t have a crush on anyone!" Zhang Ci Hao gritted through his teeth. He just... he just liked Tuantuan and wanted to be able to chat with Comrade Deng Yuyuan. He just wanted them to have some common ground... didn’t he?

He thought of Deng Yuyuan’s beautiful face, as delicate as peach blossoms, her forever calm and rational gaze, and the way she spoke to him so gently.

"Hey, why is your face turning red?"