Chapter 128: A Great Variety

“Brother Yan, could we have some shelves made to organize everything by category and label them? It would make finding things much easier.”

The storeroom was cluttered, and searching for items was time-consuming.

Yan Rushan nodded slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Good idea. I’ll ask Cao Liu to find someone to custom-make them later.”

“Cao Zheng knows a carpenter?”

“Yes.”

Zhong Yuxiu felt a stir inside. “Could he help me make something?”

“Sure. Just tell Cao Liu what you want, preferably with a blueprint.” Yan Rushan tapped his jaw lightly. “Cao Liu looks honest and is well connected—people from all walks of life know him. You won’t need to hold back when you need his help in the future.”

“You’re quite good at squeezing favors out of your brothers.” She bumped her elbow against his chest, then quickly regained her composed demeanor. “But having connections does make things easier.”

Yan Rushan smiled softly as he rubbed the spot she’d hit. “Yuxiu.”

“Hm?” Zhong Yuxiu lifted her chin, eyes glancing sideways at him.

“Did you know?” He leaned close, his voice a gentle murmur, “Your way of saying one thing but meaning another looks very charming.”

Zhong Yuxiu was momentarily stunned, then decisively stepped on his shoe, pressing down with a playful grin. Yan Rushan felt both pain and joy—this side of Yuxiu, once so calm and reserved, never showed such intimacy. Now that she did so naturally, it meant she had truly accepted him in her heart, not just with words while still weighing him inside.

“Yuxiu, your foot’s going to be broken.”

His voice trembled slightly, betraying the intense pain he was enduring.

“When did you become so slick-tongued?” She pulled back her foot, releasing her spiritual energy, then carefully sifted through the pile of clothes and shoes.

Yan Rushan stomped to ease the pain and crouched beside her, helping to pick out nice clothes. He showed her every piece he thought looked good; if she liked it, he’d carry it away for her.

After more than half an hour of searching, Zhong Yuxiu selected five complete outfits—coats, padded jackets, cashmere sweaters, lantern pants—all matched with five pairs of shoes.

“That’s all. We’ll have to wash them before wearing, though. Not sure if we’ll get to wear them on New Year’s Day.” The weather was cold, and drying would take about ten days. If only there were a dryer.

“That’s for sure. We have charcoal braziers at home; light the coals, place a basket on top, lay the clothes there, and they’ll dry overnight.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded. “To avoid having piles of laundry to dry in the future, I want to make a machine that can dry clothes. I have some free time now, so I’ll start working on it when I get back.”

The young girl’s serious expression was rare, and Yan Rushan gently stroked her fair cheek.

“If you want to make it, just tell me what materials you need. If I can’t find them, I’ll ask my grandfather to help.”

“No need to bother you. It won’t require expensive materials. I’ll have Comrade Xi Nian help me apply for some.”

“That works too. Just say the word, and we’ll get it for you.”

With the clothes packed, the two walked out of the storeroom chatting happily. Outside, they saw Luo San and the others crouched among the goods, rummaging through items. Zhong Yuxiu curiously asked, “What are they looking for?”

“Boss, sister-in-law, you’re back.” Cao Zheng turned at the sound and smiled up at them. “We’re hunting for some rare stuff. This shipment has dried seafood—good for gifts or for ourselves. Can’t go wrong with it.”

“Dried seafood?” Zhong Yuxiu’s interest was piqued.

Coming here, she’d never even seen seafood before, let alone eaten it.

Luo Lijun nodded while searching. “Yes, quite a variety. Once we find it, you should take some home too.”

“Okay, I’ll help.” She was eager.

With Zhong Yuxiu’s help, they finally located the dried seafood section—dried fish, scallops, squid, shark fin, tiny shrimp, dried oysters, sea cucumber, dried kelp, and seaweed, a wide assortment.

Yan Rushan picked out two pounds, each type packed separately in one-pound portions. Though the appearance wasn’t perfect, the quality was good, showing the buyers had been careful.

Luo Lijun, Cheng Minglang, Lin Kai, and Cao Zheng each packed some as well. Zhong Yuxiu remembered Wu Chao was still outside and packed a portion for him too.

“We’ve got everything. Yuxiu and I should head home now. Are you all coming back?” Yan Rushan asked, carrying the dried seafood and clothes in one hand, holding her delicate hand in the other as he spoke to the brothers.

Cao Zheng shook his head. “Boss, you stay with sister-in-law. We need to discuss sales. Dried seafood and food sell well during the New Year. We have to decide whether to sell ourselves or use black market middlemen to help.”

Zhong Yuxiu wasn’t interested in business matters and didn’t understand them.

Yan Rushan nodded. “Alright, you guys get to work. Yuxiu and I will go home first. I won’t come tomorrow either. Decide how to handle the sales—stick to the old ways or something new. Just let me know once you have a plan. The day after tomorrow, we’ll meet at my place, and I’ll take you all to visit Yuxiu’s home.”

“Sounds good.”

“Boss, sister-in-law, take care! If you ever want to visit, we have plenty of food and drinks here. Whatever you want, just say the word, and we’ll find it for you.” Luo Lijun was sweet-talking, calling her “sister-in-law” with warmth and eagerness.

Yan Rushan gave him a cold look, said goodbye, and led Zhong Yuxiu away.

Once out of the compound, Zhong Yuxiu couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. Yan Rushan looked down and asked, “Happy?”

“Yes. New clothes, new shoes, and seafood to eat—how could I not be?” She didn’t mention that the brothers all had their quirks, which made them interesting; her laughter was also because Luo Lijun’s enthusiasm was almost comically excessive.

Yan Rushan squeezed her hand. “If you like seafood, I’ll have someone get you fresh ones next time.”

“Fresh seafood? That’s not easy to get here. We’re far from the coast. Even if we tried, they’d spoil.” Not just now, but even in later times, fresh seafood would be hard to come by. To eat fresh seafood, it has to be transported the same day, usually by plane.

These days, forget private planes—there aren’t many government planes either.

“I’ll get it for you someday.” Yan Rushan made a mental note of her new preference.

He was determined, and Zhong Yuxiu didn’t object—such thoughtfulness meant a lot. “I’ll be waiting.”

As they stepped out of the alley, the world suddenly opened wide before them. They approached the vehicles, and Wu Chao looked up at the commotion. Seeing them coming, he quickly opened a car door and got out.

“Dashan, sister-in-law, you’re back so soon. Want to look around more? Sister-in-law, get familiar with the surroundings.”

“I’ll come again next time. This time, I’ve found the gate. Next time, I’ll come whenever I want.” Zhong Yuxiu smiled warmly in reply.

Wu Chao laughed heartily. “You’re right. Then come back and play. By the way, where are the others?”

“They’re not coming back.” Yan Rushan held out his hand. “Give me a car key. I’ll drive one vehicle ahead. You all come back together later.”