Volume One, Chapter 18: Xie Yu Causes a Scene! Fiercely Rebuffed!

The next day.

After breakfast, Song Yi took the hair ornaments she had made and went to the department store. From a distance, she saw Jiang Qiu standing where she had set up her stall yesterday, accompanied by seven or eight young women.

As soon as Jiang Qiu saw her, she ran over excitedly. "Comrade Song, you finally came! We've been waiting for you for ages."

Song Yi looked puzzled. "What’s going on here?"

Jiang Qiu pointed to the girls behind her and smiled. "These are my colleagues and good friends. When they saw my hair ornament, they all loved it and begged me early this morning to bring them to you. I hope you don’t mind?"

How could Song Yi mind? She was delighted, quickly setting up the table and displaying the hairpieces. "Of course not. Pick whatever you want."

The seven or eight girls swarmed the table, chattering as they chose.

Jiang Qiu didn’t pick any herself—she had bought some just yesterday and had enough for now. She glanced at Song Yi and grinned. "Comrade Song, we have one more favor to ask. I wonder if you can agree?"

Song Yi didn’t say yes immediately but smiled. "Tell me what it is first. Let me see if I can."

Jiang Qiu beamed. "I’m sure you can. My friends all think the hairstyle you did yesterday was beautiful and want you to help them do their hair too. Of course, we won’t make you work for free—we’ll pay you fifty cents each time."

"Of course."

No need for payment—especially since Jiang Qiu had brought so many customers, she would have helped them style their hair gladly.

The other girls were overjoyed and instinctively lined up without even a word from Song Yi. They even joked about who should go first while waiting.

Naturally, they all took hair ornaments as well; some took four or five since money wasn’t an issue for them.

Song Yi had them sit on stools and, considering each person’s face shape, temperament, and the style of the hair ornament, she styled each differently.

The girls looked into mirrors and praised her. "Comrade Song, your skill is incredible! With your hair ornaments, we all look so much more beautiful."

"Yes, I have a round face and have always been self-conscious. After your styling, even my pancake face looks good."

"Seriously, you look like a noble lady from a movie—both fortunate and elegant."

"Haha, and you too! Your oval face looks especially classic."

Song Yi smiled. "My skill is part of it, but it’s also because you’re all very pretty. A little styling just brings out your best features and makes you look more refined."

The girls laughed together. "Comrade Song, you’re beautiful too, especially your clothes. I’ve never seen anyone match them so well. Have you ever thought about selling clothes? We’d definitely support you."

Song Yi smiled. "Alright, when I open a clothing store, you’ll be the first to know."

She was genuinely tempted. When she went shopping with Li Wan before, she had considered opening a clothing store, but with rent, renovation, and stock, the startup would cost at least ten thousand yuan. Right now, she only had two thousand, which was from Shang Chen.

But as long as she worked hard, ten thousand yuan wasn’t impossible, and neither was opening a clothing store.

The girls were satisfied and didn’t even haggle; they paid and agreed to come back when they had time.

After they left, Song Yi roughly calculated that she had sold twenty hair ornaments in a short while. Including the hairstyling fees, she earned thirty-four yuan in total.

Her confidence soared. After drinking some water, she continued calling out to customers.

By noon, most of the hair ornaments were sold, and she was about to pack up and go home.

At that moment, a tall figure approached and stood in front of her stall.

Looking up, Song Yi’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. "Xie Yu, what are you doing here?"

Xie Yu ignored her greeting and glanced at the hair ornaments on the table, sneering, "Song Yi, I didn’t expect you to fall so low after leaving me, doing this kind of work."

Song Yi laughed bitterly. "This kind of work? What kind of work? I’m honestly setting up a stall and doing business. How does it sound like I’m doing something shameful coming from you? Or is marrying you and using my family’s money to support your studies the ‘proper’ thing to do?"

"You..." Xie Yu’s face flushed with anger, voice tinged with fury. "At least after I graduate from university, I’ll be living off the state, giving you a life where you can ask and receive everything. But you married a farmer and will suffer for it your whole life."

Ha.

He was a top student with a bright future ahead.

But Song Yi? Marrying a peasant, she could see at a glance the hardships she would face. Yet he wouldn’t pity her because she brought it on herself.

Song Yi packed the remaining hair ornaments into a cloth bag. Hearing his words, she coldly smiled, about to retort when a deep, magnetic voice interrupted—

"Prison food is also state food. If you’re interested, I can send you to taste it."

...It was Shang Chen.

Song Yi looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Shang Chen wore a white short-sleeved shirt. His strong legs were clad in sky-blue coarse cloth pants, and on his feet were Liberation Army shoes.

Though his clothes were ordinary, his tall stature and straight posture made him look exceptionally upright, drawing admiring glances from passing women.

He came to Song Yi’s side, his handsome face stern, voice calm and measured. "So in the eyes of a future university student, setting up a stall is beneath you. I’ve truly learned something new today."

Xie Yu’s mind flashed back to being thrown into a stinking ditch. He involuntarily stepped back two paces. "Did I say something wrong? What future can a street vendor have?"

Don’t let Song Yi’s current earnings fool you—it was just petty cash.

Once he graduates, no, even without graduating, he could easily surpass her tenfold or hundredfold with his knowledge.

Song Yi said calmly, "You don’t need to worry about my future. If you’re concerned, you should focus on your own tuition first. Shang Chen, let’s go."

Because he was out, Shang Chen wore civilian clothes. Otherwise, if Xie Yu knew he was a soldier, even a company commander, he wouldn’t have the face to call street vendors lowly.

But Song Yi didn’t plan to use Shang Chen’s status to intimidate anyone. Borrowed prestige is only a fleeting glory; she preferred to someday achieve success on her own and personally teach Xie Yu a lesson.

Shang Chen cast a cold glance at Xie Yu, then with one hand lifted the table and walked toward Wang Shufen’s home with Song Yi.

Curious, Song Yi asked, "Why are you here?"

She hadn’t inquired about Shang Chen’s whereabouts, but normally he would be with his unit at this time.

As they spoke, they arrived at Wang Shufen’s house and returned the table to her.

After greeting Wang Shufen, Shang Chen said softly, "You mentioned wanting a refrigerator. I took a few hours off to accompany you to the department store to take a look."

Song Yi was taken aback, waving her hand. "A refrigerator is so expensive. How could we afford one? Besides, I was just casually saying."

She didn’t know Shang Chen’s background but guessed it wasn’t substantial enough to support such expenses.

Shang Chen took the cloth bag from her hand and said, "Let’s look first. Whether we buy it or not is another matter."

Without giving her a chance to refuse, he strode ahead with long legs toward the department store.

Song Yi had no choice but to follow.

The 1988 department store had a somewhat modern mall feel. Besides daily necessities, it sold furniture and appliances.

Shang Chen headed straight to the furniture and appliance section. Looking around, he pointed to a twin-door refrigerator of the Shuanglu brand and asked Song Yi, "How about this one?"

Though the Shuanglu twin-door refrigerator cost twelve hundred yuan, its color and style should appeal to her.

Song Yi was speechless.

Could it be that Shang Chen’s true identity was that of an invisible wealthy heir?