Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Cat in Heat, Are You in Heat Too?

The next day, the news about An Hao selling Snowflake Cream spread through every alley and lane; all the villagers knew she had wholesaled the cream to sell and made quite a profit from a single temple fair.

When it came to discussions, everyone was green with envy.

Some of the villagers, who’d been to the market in the neighboring village, had seen it but hadn’t bought any, and they went to An Hao’s house afterward looking to buy Snowflake Cream.

Bai Yanjiao watched with wide eyes as others bought up all the Snowflake Cream, feeling both envious and resentful. Gritting her teeth and stamping her foot, she closed her door and left.

She went to look for Shen Lianqing, to see if she could get some to use.

No sooner had Bai Yanjiao stepped out than she heard people discussing An Hao and Shen Zhihua. They said that yesterday when An Hao went out to sell goods, Shen Zhihua had waited for her with a water jug under the willow tree by the village entrance.

The pair looked quite well-matched walking together; surely the young man was smitten, and the maiden returned his feelings.

Had she not heard the gossip, it might have been alright, but listening to it felt like her heart was being pricked with needles.

She had quietly admired Shen Zhihua for a long time, but she never dared to speak up. Despite visiting his house every day, she hadn’t seen him so much as glance her way.

The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached!

Walking down the road in low spirits, she didn’t even hear the village chief’s wife, Wang Jinzhi, calling her several times.

”Yanjiao! Yanjiao! What are you daydreaming about? I’ve been calling you for half a day!” Wang Jinzhi crossed the street to approach Bai Yanjiao, unable to refrain from scolding her upon seeing her distracted manner.

Bai Yanjiao looked up and saw it was the village chief’s wife. After not seeing her for a few days, she had cut her hair short and plucked her eyebrows thin, and was wearing a dark blue coarse cloth jacket. Wherever she stood, her appearance seemed even fiercer.

”Auntie, did you call me for something?” Bai Yanjiao asked.

”Of course, there’s something.” Wang Jinzhi stiffened her neck, speaking in a tone that was far from friendly, ”When you borrowed money before, wasn’t it because you had none? How come I hear from others that An Hao has wholesaled Snowflake Cream and made quite a lot of money?”

Bai Yanjiao knew Wang Jinzhi had come to collect money; she was always borrowing but not bothering with repayments.

So, she said to Wang Jinzhi, ”Auntie, go and ask An Hao for it. The borrowing was also thanks to her, and the repayment is hers to make.”

”Alright, I’ll go and ask her for it.”

When Wang Jinzhi arrived at An Hao’s house, a woman from the village was already there, bustling around An Hao, chatting about this and that concerning the Snowflake Cream.

Widow Zhang was particularly enthusiastic in her questions, ”An Hao, can using this Snowflake Cream on the face really make it better, make it as good as yours?”

Old Lady Li, who had always been there for the excitement, couldn’t help but tease Widow Zhang, ”Tell me, why do you dress so fancy and pretty just for yourself, living alone?”

”Exactly, or have you taken a fancy to another man?” another woman from the village laughed and teased her.

”Look at you, all full of mischief. Can’t I be beautiful by myself?” Widow Zhang wasn’t annoyed and joked back with them, ”I dress up nice, so in my dreams, when I see my departed hubby, he’ll stay a bit longer and not vanish just as it gets to the good part of the dream.”

”Hahaha!” Old Lady Li burst out laughing so loudly that the roof seemed to shake, ”Spring is here, cats are in heat, and you’re feeling the stirrings of spring, too?”

”What’s there to be ashamed of? I’m pining for my own late husband, not lusting after someone else’s man.”

Her remark set off another round of raucous laughter among the crowd.