Chapter Sixty-One: Already Had a Plan in Mind

Zhang Yulan wanted to say something further, but Chu Qingxuan had already turned around and walked forward.

Sunlight streamed through the corridor window onto her back, casting a slender, elegant silhouette.

"This child..." Zhang Yulan murmured, looking at her daughter's receding figure, a sudden, inexplicable sense of panic welling up in her heart.

She knew her daughter all too well. The more nonchalant and breezy her attitude, the more certain it was that she had already made up her mind.

Li Xiangyang stepped out of the hospital gates. A cold wind blew into his face, causing him to instinctively wrap his cotton-padded jacket tighter around himself.

Recalling the scene in the hospital room just moments ago, he chuckled and shook his head. He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the envelope Zhang Yulan had given him. Opening it, he found a full fifty yuan inside.

"Zhang Yulan is really too polite." Li Xiangyang muttered to himself. He had initially wanted to decline, but on second thought, given the tense atmosphere inside, had he refused, Zhang Yulan likely would have grown even more anxious.

He slid the money back into the envelope and tucked it away carefully.

Figuring that he had a bit of extra cash on hand, he should buy something for Li Xiaoyun.

She had been far too busy these past couple of days, and he hadn't even found the time to go see her.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, but the calls of peddlers echoed continuously.

Li Xiangyang headed straight to the fish stall and picked out a lively, wriggling crucian carp.

Mindful of the dark cat's notoriously picky appetite, he thoughtfully spent an extra twenty cents to buy a small yellow croaker as well.

"That cat is harder to serve than a feudal ancestor," Li Xiangyang muttered to himself, though he couldn't help smiling.

With the fish in hand, he turned toward the department store.

Various goods were displayed behind the glass counters, and Li Xiangyang paused in front of the stationery section.

Li Xiaoyun had recently been preparing for the rural teacher qualification exam and was desperately short of pens, ink, and paper.

"Comrade, give me two Hero fountain pens, and two pads of writing paper."

The clerk efficiently wrapped up the items. Li Xiangyang took them, thought for a moment, and added a bottle of ink to the purchase.

Only then did he head back, feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Upon returning home, just as Li Xiangyang pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard a soft thud. It was the dark cat leaping down from the eaves, landing gracefully in the courtyard, its golden eyes fixed squarely on the parcels in his hand.

"I knew it was you coming back," Mother Li poked her head out from the room. "What good things did you buy? That cat has been crouching up on the eaves for ages."

"Oh, what good things could there be?" Li Xiangyang grinned, pulling the two fish from his bag. "Here, specially bought for our little ancestor."

The dark cat eagerly hurried forward, resting its front paws against Li Xiangyang's trouser leg, tilting its head upward, and letting out a series of persistent meows.

"All you know how to do is act spoiled," Li Xiangyang scolded with a smile. "Hold on, I'll clean these up for you right now."

He squatted down in the courtyard and quickly gutted and scaled the fish with practiced, if crude, movements.

Though his technique was rough, fortunately, the dark cat wasn't picky.

"Oh, by the way, Mom," Li Xiangyang said as he plucked the remaining scales off the fish, "When I went to the hospital today, I ran into the old militia leader's daughter."

"Oh? Zhang Yulan finally gave in?" Mother Li put down the chore in her hands and sidled over to catch some gossip.

"Of course she did. Her old man is sick, how could she not give in? By the way, she even brought her daughter along today," Li Xiangyang said, smacking his lips. "Judging by her drift, she wants to take the old militia leader to live in the city."

"Well, the conditions in the city are better. Wanting to take the old man there to enjoy some comfort is only natural, isn't it?" Mother Li remarked, then asked, "Did the old militia leader agree?"

"As if he would!" Li Xiangyang laughed. "You know what kind of temper the old militia leader has. But that Zhang Yulan was acting all jittery, as if she was terrified I had designs on her daughter."

"You child," Mother Li couldn't help laughing. "She was just worried about her daughter. If you had a daughter, you'd be the same way."

"Forget it, I already have a sweetheart," Li Xiangyang waved his hand dismissively, pulling the envelope from his pocket. "Look, she even gave me all this money, saying it was to thank me for taking the old militia leader to the hospital. I figured, I might as well use some of it to buy stationery for Xiaoyun."

"How much is in here?" Mother Li took the envelope, opened it, and gasped involuntarily. "Fifty yuan? That's way too much!"

"It is a lot, a few extra bills for sure," Li Xiangyang nodded. "Mom, it's not like I'm trying to take advantage. I just figured that if I didn't take it, she'd only panic more."

With that, he stood up and dusted the fish scales off his hands. "Mom, I'm heading over to the educated youth point to drop these things off for Xiaoyun."

"You boy," Mother Li suddenly called out to him, "Do you really think Zhang Yulan was just overthinking things?"

"Of course she was," Li Xiangyang chuckled. "Xiaoyun and I are getting along just fine."

Mother Li opened her mouth as if to say something, but hesitated, ultimately letting out a sigh. "Go on then, go on."

When he reached the educated youth point, Li Xiangyang spotted Li Xiaoyun hanging laundry in the courtyard at a glance.

"Xiaoyun!" he called out brightly.

Li Xiaoyun turned around, and upon seeing it was him, a radiant smile bloomed across her face. "What brings you here?"

"I bought you some things," Li Xiangyang said, handing over the stationery. "Oh, right, when I went to the hospital today, I ran into a hilarious thing..."

He vividly recounted the scene at the hospital, mimicking Zhang Yulan's nervous, high-strung demeanor with a couple of targeted impressions.

However, after listening, Li Xiaoyun couldn't laugh at all. Instead, she widened her eyes and stared straight at him.

"What's wrong?" Li Xiangyang asked, bewildered.

"Xiangyang," Li Xiaoyun said with absolute seriousness, "Auntie Zhang wasn't overthinking things at all."

"Huh?" Li Xiangyang froze.

"You don't understand," Li Xiaoyun sighed. "No one knows a daughter better than her mother. She could tell her own daughter had taken a fancy to you."

"No way..." Li Xiangyang scratched his head. "We only met once..."

"So what if it was love at first sight?" Li Xiaoyun gave him a sideways glance. "Back then, didn't I..."

Stopping abruptly mid-sentence, her face flushed crimson red.

"Didn't you what?" Li Xiangyang pressed with a smile.

"Nothing!" Li Xiaoyun spun around. "I need to write a letter home and tell my parents to come over right away."

"Write a letter?" Li Xiangyang still hadn't caught on. "What letter?"

Li Xiaoyun turned back, glaring at him with an expression that conveyed a mixture of exasperation and fondness. "Our business, of course! We need to lock this down right now."

"In such a hurry?"

"Of course I'm in a hurry!" Li Xiaoyun glared at him again. "Do you think city girls are pushovers? If that girl really sets her sights on you, we're going to have a serious problem."

Seeing the anxious look on Li Xiaoyun's face, Li Xiangyang suddenly understood, and he burst out laughing. "Are you feeling jealous?"

"Get away with you!" Li Xiaoyun blushed and slapped him lightly on the arm. "If you dare to change your mind, I'll..."

"You'll what?"

"I'll..." Li Xiaoyun bit her lower lip. "Oh, you're impossible. I'm going to write my letter."

Watching Li Xiaoyun's shy appearance, Li Xiangyang felt a warm glow in his chest.

Zhang Yulan's worries were completely unfounded.

Because his heart had already found its permanent home.