The reason Xu Laidi did that disgusting thing back then was to claim the piece of meat for herself.
At home, she had three sisters and a little brother who was the family’s treasure.
Her brother, being the most favored, would always get whatever he wanted. As his older sisters, they were expected to give up their things without question.
Among the sisters, Xu Laidi was the second. Whenever she wanted something that belonged to her elder or younger sister—especially food—she would grab it, take a big lick, and return it.
Her elder sister, who had a slight cleanliness obsession, found it disgusting and refused to eat it, often crying and throwing the item away.
Of course, it would end up in Xu Laidi’s stomach.
Having benefitted from this behavior, Xu Laidi started doing it regularly.
Her craving for meat, which she rarely had growing up, became so intense that even raw meat was something she could lick without hesitation.
But meat was precious, and Li Juan wasn’t about to let her take it for free.
Now, under everyone’s guarded eyes, Xu Laidi could only watch helplessly as Song Wei walked away.
Song Wei casually shared with Li Juan and the others that she’d been lucky to encounter a butcher selling meat.
None of them questioned why she hadn’t told them earlier.
After all, whether at the state-owned restaurant or on the ox cart, there had been too many people around.
Flashing wealth—or in this case, meat—was akin to revealing riches, inviting envy and trouble. Who would be foolish enough to do that?
Gao Le’s eyes sparkled. “My family sent me some cured sausages. Can I trade them for some fresh meat?”
Zhao Su chimed in, “I want to trade too.”
Li Juan and Bai Yunjiao wanted to trade as well, but they had nothing suitable to offer. They could only watch enviously.
Deep down, Bai Yunjiao felt a mix of admiration and jealousy.
She envied how Song Wei managed to thrive even in such a rural environment, always returning from the mountains or town with abundant supplies—and even meat.
Meanwhile, Bai Yunjiao relied on petty tricks to get help from others.
Compared to Song Wei, who was like a resilient tree growing through cracks in the rock, Bai Yunjiao felt like a parasitic dodder vine, surviving only by draining nourishment from other plants.
Despite her jealousy, Bai Yunjiao was rational.
After repeatedly clashing with Song Wei and always coming out worse, she had learned to let go of her unrealistic envy.
“If you want meat, you can buy it from me,” Song Wei said. “Pick what you like—fat or lean. If you have coupons, I’ll sell it at the price I paid. If not, the price will be higher.”
Li Juan and Bai Yunjiao’s eyes lit up.
“I’ll buy some,” Li Juan said eagerly. “I don’t need much. Just three ounces of lean meat and two ounces of ribs.”
Bai Yunjiao glanced at the options and nodded. “I’ll take half a pound.”
As for the large amount of ribs Song Wei had bought, everyone assumed it was because she was short on money—after all, ribs were cheaper than regular cuts of meat.
Gao Le and Zhao Su returned with their parcels, bringing cured sausages to trade for fresh meat.
After Li Juan and Bai Yunjiao left with their purchases, Song Wei called out to Bai Yunjiao.
“Let Liu Linlin know she can buy ribs from me if she wants, though I can’t spare much.”
The remaining meat was too little to trade, but there were still enough ribs to sell.
Bai Yunjiao paused, then smiled. “Alright.”
This was why Bai Yunjiao respected Song Wei—she bore no grudges.
She dealt with grievances on the spot, and as long as you didn’t provoke her again, she could move on without holding a grudge.
To be honest, Bai Yunjiao didn’t think she could be so magnanimous in Song Wei’s position.
Later, Liu Linlin came over and bought three ounces of ribs.
It was getting late. Song Wei sorted the remaining meat and hung it from the ceiling beams. She wrapped the large bones and pig’s trotters in newspaper, placing them in her basket alongside Lin Zhen’s items. She added some dried mushrooms and a few persimmons she’d foraged and dried, then headed to Lin Zhen’s house.
On the way, when asked by passersby, she cheerfully replied that she was delivering medicine Lin Zhen had asked her to buy.
Most people greeted her warmly, except for a few who harbored lingering resentment and muttered behind her back about her being restless.
By the afternoon, smoke from cooking fires rose from every household.
When Song Wei arrived at Lin Zhen’s house, he was cooking too.
He had even prepared an extra portion for her.
The leftover mutton had been salted for preservation, and Lin Zhen planned to use the bones for soup while braising a piece of mutton with red sauce.
For the main course, he made cornbread and fried potato cakes.
Thinking about how southerners preferred rice over northern bread, Lin Zhen had adjusted the recipe, making the potato cakes softer and easier to eat.
He figured it would suit Song Wei’s taste better.
“Sister Song!”
Hearing the knock, Heidan instantly recognized her.
The courtyard door was usually left open, but not today—Lin Zhen was cooking meat.
He couldn’t risk someone catching a whiff and barging in.
Heidan ran to open the door while Lin Zhen, busy at the stove, craned his neck to look outside.
Seeing Song Wei, he broke into a grin that showed his two front teeth. His ruggedly handsome face looked oddly silly at the moment.
Song Wei couldn’t help but glance at him twice.
Her attention only made him smile more foolishly.
Song Wei: …
Did he injure his leg, or his brain?
She handed over the items she’d bought.
“Here’s your basin, towel, medicine, and grain. I also used the leftover money to buy soap and some fabric. You can ask the village ladies to make you some clothes.
“Oh, and these are large bones and pig’s trotters. Boil them into soup—they’ll help you recover.”
She had initially thought about visiting the black market but decided against it, unsure if Lin Zhen, as a former soldier, might have reservations about such places.
“And here’s the remaining money,” she added, holding it out.
Listening to her ramble, Lin Zhen felt warm and fuzzy inside, as if he’d been submerged in a tub of hot water.
“But why didn’t you buy something for yourself?” he asked.
“I did,” Song Wei replied. “It’s at home.”
“No, I mean with the money I gave you.”
Song Wei paused and looked at him. “Are you okay?”
Why would I spend your money on myself? Besides Heidan, what other connection do we have?
Lin Zhen scrambled for an excuse. “I just meant, you worked so hard to buy all this for me. I should at least pay you for your trouble. Otherwise, I’d feel bad.”
Turns out, he’s pretty quick-witted!
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