Where Did You Get This?!
After a good night’s sleep, Qin Shi woke up feeling refreshed. Even the discomfort from her period seemed to have vanished.
But her good mood lasted only a moment. As soon as she got out of bed and stood up, she froze.
Her face darkened as she grabbed a roll of toilet paper and carefully made her way to the latrine in the corner of the Lu family courtyard.
In the 1980s, everything required ration coupons, and sanitary napkins were a luxury few could afford. Many rural people didn’t even know they existed.
When Qin Shi’s period had started a couple of days ago, she’d been utterly distraught. She refused to use the original owner’s menstrual cloth, so she found some fabric scraps and hastily sewed a few pads, layering them with precious toilet paper for added absorption.
Toilet paper was a valuable commodity at the time, and if anyone in the village knew she was using it like this, they’d call her wasteful. After all, many people still used ash and grass.
The mere thought of it made Qin Shi shudder. She thanked her lucky stars for the roll of toilet paper she’d found in the original owner’s cabinet. Without it, she might have gone mad.
On the bright side, unlike in her previous life, she didn’t experience the debilitating pain that usually accompanied her periods. Although slightly irregular, the original owner’s cycles were virtually painless, a fact Qin Shi greatly appreciated.
After finishing in the latrine, she ran into Lu’s mother, who greeted her warmly. “Ni’er, the hot water and breakfast are ready. Come wash up and eat!”
“Got it,” Qin Shi replied, placing her things back in her room before heading out to wash.
Breakfast was brown sugar water with boiled eggs. The bowl Lu’s mother handed her contained four whole eggs, leaving Qin Shi surprised and a bit overwhelmed. “This is too much. I can’t eat it all.”
Lu’s mother feigned a stern expression. “You have to eat it all! These are good for you, especially now. Eat, and you’ll feel warm and comfortable.”
Qin Shi paused, her heart softening at Lu’s mother’s kind expression.
She realized that Lu’s mother must have noticed her carrying the roll of toilet paper earlier and figured out she was on her period, which was why she prepared the brown sugar and eggs.
In her previous life and even this one, she had never experienced such care from her biological or step-parents. But here, with Lu’s mother, she felt a genuine familial warmth.
Without further protest, Qin Shi focused on eating. Though the brown sugar seemed slightly stale and had a faintly odd taste, she found the meal surprisingly comforting.
After finishing three eggs, Qin Shi felt full to bursting. But she steeled herself and forced down the last one, determined not to waste Lu’s mother’s goodwill.
When she finished, Lu’s mother’s satisfied smile made it all worth it.
Lu’s mother thought to herself: This girl can eat. She’ll be blessed with good fortune!
Meanwhile, Qin Shi mused: This is the best, most filling meal I’ve had since I got here.
After breakfast, Lu’s mother busied herself with preparations, even though there wasn’t much to pack. She darted around, organizing food and essentials for Qin Shi and Lu Zetian’s journey.
Qin Shi, having spent most of her previous life living alone with only nannies to manage her needs, was unaccustomed to such lively scenes. Watching Lu’s mother bustle about, issuing instructions to Lu Zetian, brought a rare smile to her face. She found herself enjoying the warmth of this familial hubbub.
As they prepared to leave, Lu’s mother pulled Lu Zetian aside to speak privately.
When they returned, Qin Shi noticed an odd expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow and casually asked, “What’s that about?”
Lu Zetian simply shook his head and replied, “Nothing.” He then took her bundle of belongings from her hands. “I’ll carry this.”
The luggage wasn’t much—just two bundles. With his strength, Lu Zetian lifted them effortlessly, one in each hand. Qin Shi, unbothered, handed them over with a light-hearted “Thank you.”
“No problem,” he replied, carrying the bundles out to the ox cart parked outside.
As Qin Shi adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag, she noticed Lu Zetian’s ears were bright red.
Looking up at the blazing sun, she thought to herself, His ears must be sensitive. Just a little sunlight, and they turn red.
The ox cart had been rented by Lu’s father. Normally, it would have been used for farm work, but today it was taking them to town.
As Qin Shi and Lu Zetian climbed aboard, she waved to his parents, who were reluctantly seeing them off.
“Mom, Dad, you can go back now,” Lu Zetian said. “I’ll write to you when we arrive.”
“Alright, take care on the road! And make sure you look after Ni’er, do you hear me?” Lu’s mother wiped her tears, knowing it might be years before she saw her son again.
“I will. Don’t worry.” Lu Zetian’s voice was steady and reassuring.
“Mom and Dad, take good care of yourselves. When I have time, I’ll bring the kids back to visit you,” Qin Shi said warmly.
“Good, good! Go on now,” Lu’s mother replied, her face lighting up with joy.
Whether Qin Shi meant it or not, just saying such thoughtful words was enough to make Lu’s parents happy.
As the ox cart rolled away, Qin Shi turned back to see them still standing in the middle of the road, watching them leave. A strange sense of melancholy crept over her. She glanced at Lu Zetian, who had just turned his head away from the same scene, feeling a pang of envy for the love and care his parents gave him.
Lu Zetian noticed her unusual expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Qin Shi replied, her tone light. Just a little envious, that’s all, she thought to herself.
Lu Zetian, not one for small talk, fell silent. Qin Shi, also feeling a bit uncomfortable, leaned back, closed her eyes, and rested.
Upon reaching the town, Lu Zetian found the bus they were to take, loaded their luggage, and told Qin Shi to go ahead and find a seat while he ran an errand.
Feeling a dull ache in her stomach, Qin Shi nodded and secured a spot on the bus.
Time passed, and as the departure time approached, Lu Zetian still hadn’t returned. The bus driver, already annoyed, had been persuaded by Lu Zetian’s uniform and prior request to wait a little longer, but his patience was wearing thin.
Finally, five minutes after the scheduled departure time, Lu Zetian appeared, jogging toward the bus. He apologized to the driver before making his way to Qin Shi.
Seeing the sweat on his forehead, Qin Shi silently tore a piece of toilet paper from her bag and handed it to him.
“Here, wipe your sweat,” she said.
“Thanks,” Lu Zetian said, accepting the paper.
“No need to thank me,” Qin Shi whispered, leaning closer. “We shouldn’t be too formal. It wouldn’t be good for the kids to hear.”
Lu Zetian nodded. “Alright.”
The bus started, leaving the town behind. Soon, the bumpy roads began to take their toll. Qin Shi, feeling carsick, leaned against her seat, her face pale.
Noticing this, Lu Zetian opened the window slightly, letting in a cool breeze that seemed to alleviate her discomfort.
However, it wasn’t long before a passenger behind them, holding a small child, asked them to close the window. The breeze, though refreshing for Qin Shi, was too cold for the baby, and they feared it might make the child sick.
Qin Shi glanced at the baby, understanding their concern. She reluctantly closed the window.
Seeing her discomfort return, Lu Zetian pulled out a thermos, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to her.
Qin Shi, setting aside her usual aversion to shared items, took the cup and drank. The warm water helped soothe her unsettled stomach.
This is odd, Qin Shi thought. The first two days of my period weren’t painful, but now I feel terrible.
Flipping through the original owner’s memories, she realized that this pattern had always been the case. She sighed, resigned to the discomfort.
As the bus jolted along for another two hours, the smell of food filled the air as passengers began pulling out their packed meals. The mingling aromas made Qin Shi feel even more nauseous.
Lu Zetian offered her one of the steamed buns his mother had prepared, but Qin Shi shook her head. “You eat. I don’t have an appetite.”
Understanding her carsickness, Lu Zetian put the bun aside and retrieved a can of fruit preserves. Opening it, he handed it to her. “Here, try this. It might help.”
Qin Shi took a small sip. The overly sweet, synthetic taste masked her nausea but left her feeling worse. She quickly handed the can back.
Without a word, Lu Zetian sealed the can and put it away. Then, picking up the bag of buns, he stood and moved to the front of the bus.
Curious but too tired to investigate, Qin Shi waited for his return.
When he came back, Lu Zetian was carrying not only the bag of buns but also two oranges.
“I noticed someone had a bag of these when we got on. I traded them a few buns for two,” he explained, handing the oranges to her.
Qin Shi stared at the oranges in surprise before turning to Lu Zetian. His calm demeanour, as if this were a trivial act, made her blink.
He seems like a straight-laced guy, but he’s surprisingly thoughtful, she mused.
Peeling one of the oranges, Qin Shi found its tart sweetness refreshing. She offered half to Lu Zetian, but he shook his head.
You can tell a lot about a person from small gestures like this, she thought. I’ve lucked out. For someone I married on a whim, he’s turning out to be quite decent.
If Lu Zetian himself was this reliable, Qin Shi reasoned, the children he raised—or at least the ones nurtured by his family—were unlikely to be problematic.
Qin Shi felt a slight sense of relief as she began contemplating how to approach her first meeting with the children. First impressions matter.
However, before she could think much further, a sudden and overwhelmingly foul smell hit her—a stench reminiscent of tea eggs gone horribly wrong.
Her sensitive nose betrayed her as she gagged audibly, nearly incapacitated by the odour. The culprit in front of her, unbothered by any sense of shame, turned his head to glance at her and mumbled, “City girls, always so delicate…”
Qin Shi clamped her nose and mouth shut, astounded by the sheer thickness of this person’s skin.
Lu Zetian, sitting beside her, caught her expression. For the first time, he allowed a subtle smile to cross his lips. It was rare to see Qin Shi’s usually composed demeanour crack into such an animated reaction.
Thus, surrounded by a miasma of sweat, foul-smelling tea egg flatulence, and the pungent odour of pickled vegetables, Qin Shi endured over two hours of jolting bus travel before they finally arrived in the county.
The moment she stepped off the bus, Qin Shi inhaled the fresh air deeply, her eyes almost misting with relief.
“This is already tough enough in the ‘80s,” she muttered to herself. “I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like if I had chosen the ’60s or ’70s.”
With three hours to kill before their train, Lu Zetian led Qin Shi to a state-run restaurant. There, Qin Shi managed to eat half a bowl of sour soup noodles, which somewhat settled her uneasy stomach.
Lu Zetian then took her half-eaten bowl and finished it off without a second thought.
Qin Shi’s eyes widened in surprise before quickly recovering. Right, he’s a soldier, and it’s this era. No food waste. Perfectly normal, don’t overthink it.
After their meal, Lu Zetian took Qin Shi to the supply and marketing cooperative.
“My mom asked me to buy you two sets of clothes and some shoes,” he explained. “If you’re missing anything else, let’s get that too.”
Qin Shi nodded without hesitation, deciding to treat it as an advance on her future “salary.”
Just as she was about to enter the store, Lu Zetian suddenly called out to her. He fished into his pocket and pulled out two small tickets, handing them to her.
“This… take these,” he said, a little awkwardly.
Qin Shi glanced down and was shocked to see the words “Sanitary Pad Coupon” written on them.
“Where did you even get these?!” she blurted out.
Looking up, she caught sight of Lu Zetian’s ears turning bright red.
Qin Shi froze, her mind momentarily blank.
—
**Author’s Note:**
– Regular reader reaction: Wow, a caring guy! Love him already!
– Qin Shi’s reaction: This man seems decent (a good person). Hopefully, the kids aren’t brats.
Lu Zetian might have been married before, but he’s still quite pure at heart~
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