Xia Xiaolan’s mood wasn’t particularly good.

Liu Yong knew a police officer at the station and had learned useful information – the three men would receive heavy sentences for their brazen crime. However, their families had caused a scene at the police station this morning, and someone had given them the malicious idea to drag Xia Xiaolan down with them… Female hooligans could also be sentenced, and they firmly claimed that Xia Xiaolan was morally loose, accusing her of false allegations after failing to seduce the three men.

Moreover, police interrogations revealed these three had been enticed by rumors.

Someone had been spreading rumors that Xia Xiaolan, the loose woman of Dahe Village, had been driven from home with no one to stand up for her and that she was so addicted to men that she would accept any man who came along. Xia Xiaolan sold eggs in the county town, and these three thugs, who typically roamed between city and countryside, weren’t satisfied just hearing about her reputation – after seeing her in person, how could they resist?

They weren’t just looking for pleasure; they were aiming to take both people and money.

Liu Yong was puzzled, “You haven’t desecrated the Xia family graves, why do they hate you so much?”

Xia Xiaolan was suspicious, “Are the Xia family the ones behind this?”

She even wondered if she might not be the Xia family’s daughter at all, but perhaps the daughter of their enemy being raised in their home, which would explain why the Xia family tormented her so much – they couldn’t stand seeing her live well. Thinking about how she had nearly been violated yesterday, and those broken eggs, Xia Xiaolan could barely contain her anger.

Since they were at the guesthouse, the uncle and niece planned to discuss details after returning home. They still needed to properly thank Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei for saving her life.

Liu Yong found a state-run restaurant.

The waitress’s attitude was languid as if someone owed her money.

Xia Xiaolan, used to the future’s customer-is-king service industry, couldn’t understand the current state-run restaurant waitresses’ arrogant attitudes. Even more absurd, as the first customers of the day, the waitress seemed reluctant to serve them:

“Do you have food coupons?”

Liu Yong shook his head, “No food coupons. Give us two substantial dishes.”

Most people just came to state-run restaurants for noodles, which were much cheaper with food coupons.

The waitress could tell Liu Yong was just a peasant.

She sniffed haughtily, “Without food coupons, it’ll be expensive. What kind of substantial dishes do you want?”

Xia Xiaolan was impatient with this attitude. If there had been any decent restaurants in Anqing County besides the state-run ones, she would have left immediately.

“My, listen to yourself! Just bring whatever dishes you have – you think we can’t pay?”

Kang Wei’s Beijing accent stopped the high-and-mighty waitress in her tracks.

In those days, Beijing residents were considered superior by many locals – after all, it was the capital, quite prestigious. Looking closer, of the four people, only Liu Yong was dark, thin, and short; the other three were all attractive and carried themselves well.

The waitress couldn’t maintain her arrogance, “I’ll ask the kitchen.”

She came running back shortly: “Chef Zhu says we just got a grass carp from Baixi Reservoir, eighteen jin. Can you handle that?”

Liu Yong, being a country bumpkin, wondered what was so special about fish – back in the village, people were tired of eating the fish they caught. Since he was treating them, he thought they should have substantial dishes like pork knuckles.

But since they couldn’t afford to offend the state-run restaurant’s waitress, he glumly nodded:

“We’ll take it. Add some other dishes too.”

“Uncle, an eighteen-jin grass carp is plenty.”

Zhou Cheng explained to Xia Xiaolan, “Grass carp that are too big or too small aren’t good eating. Under ten jin they’re not fat enough, over twenty jin the meat gets tough. Eighteen Jin is just right.”

This wasn’t meant just for Xia Xiaolan; he was educating Liu Yong too.

However, Zhou Cheng had a way of not making people dislike him. Even Liu Yong had to admit Zhou Cheng was likable. He thought to himself, that was close – he’d almost embarrassed himself in front of these two Beijing youths. Though most people lacked proper nutrition in 1983, Zhou Cheng wasn’t short on money. He probably wouldn’t have reacted much if they’d ordered pork knuckles, but when the eighteen-jin fish was served, Xia Xiaolan understood why state-run restaurants were special.

Half the fish was sliced thinly for boiled fish in water.

The other half was minced into fish balls for soup, the head was steamed with chopped chilies, and the fillets were fried and served with sesame salt.

One fish is made into three dishes and a soup, each plate piled high with side dishes. Liu Yong ate the tender boiled fish in silence.

It wasn’t that fish wasn’t delicious – country folk just lacked the culinary skill and couldn’t afford to use so much oil.

This was the most satisfying meal Xia Xiaolan had eaten since arriving in 1983.

However, the dining atmosphere was strange, mainly due to Kang Wei’s attitude. Only after Zhou Cheng gave him an unobtrusive warning did Kang Wei smile and offer toasts. Xia Xiaolan understood – Kang Wei had gone to the police station and likely learned that “Xia Xiaolan” had a terrible reputation.

She thought indifferently that they were just passing acquaintances anyway. If they looked down on her because of rumors, they could simply stop associating.

The life-saving debt couldn’t be repaid with two meals, but once she made something of herself, she would naturally repay them properly. After that, they could go their separate ways, never to meet again.

A pair of chopsticks placed the most tender belly meat in Xia Xiaolan’s bowl.

Xia Xiaolan looked up to see Zhou Cheng smiling at her.

His smile was truly handsome.

Watching this, Liu Yong felt like a weasel was trying to steal his chicken right in front of him. He quickly interrupted this undercurrent of intimacy:

“Come, come, let’s drink! I toast you two comrades again, thanking you both for saving Xiaolan.”

Zhou Cheng raised his cup, and Kang Wei dared not refuse.

Zhou Cheng said very seriously: “Xiaolan and I clicked right away. Don’t be so formal – just call me Zhou Cheng, or Chengzi if you prefer. Wei and I would like to drink to you.”

Liu Yong couldn’t brush this off any more and held his cup without drinking.

“Zhou Cheng, watch what you say. What do you mean you ‘clicked’ with Xiaolan? Is that something to say carelessly?”

It was normal for young men to be attracted to Xia Xiaolan’s beauty. But to say such things in front of elders after knowing her for just one day – the man was too frivolous and wasn’t treating Xiaolan seriously. Liu Yong was quite angry, thinking he shouldn’t have brought Kang Wei to the police station.

Zhou Cheng put down his cup and stood up:

“Please don’t worry. I’m already twenty years old, and I know what I’m saying. Regarding those rumors about Xiaolan, Kang Wei just told me about them. One of my family elders once said that we shouldn’t judge people or situations based on what others say – we should experience and judge for ourselves… I have my judgment about what kind of person Xiaolan is. Even if I’m wrong, if I’ve been deceived by Xiaolan’s false appearance, that’s my willing choice to fall into that trap, and I can’t blame anyone else. I’m not saying this with any ulterior motives, nor am I trying to use my help to pressure Xiaolan into a relationship. I just want to tell you that I sincerely want to be friends with Xiaolan.”

Even if Xia Xiaolan had been with someone else before, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t mind.

Regardless of who she liked before, she would only like him in the future!