Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 17

The three brothers exchanged glances at Ye Fangfei’s words, each wearing different expressions.

Ye Dahuo sighed.
“Little sister, you’ve really grown up. We still treat you like a child. Just a few days ago when you didn’t come back, we kept urging Mom to go check on you at Shenlou Brigade, worried the Shen family might bully you. And now… in the blink of an eye, you’re giving your brothers advice.”

Ye Sanhu nodded proudly.
“Yes, little sister has become sensible. Today, if she hadn’t been here, there’s no way we could have sold all our ice cream so fast.”

Hearing their praise, Fangfei felt a pang of sadness—for them, and for herself.

In her heart, she thought, your little sister is gone. I can’t go back. I’m just a soul from another world inhabiting her body.

But since I’m here, sharing her body, I’ll treat you all as family.

“Big Brother, Sanhu… why are you saying these things? You’re making me embarrassed,” Fangfei said with a playful pout.

“You’ve treated me so well before, so I’ll treat you well in return. When I open my shop and make money, I’ll hire you to work there—city-style wages every month. And the nieces and nephews can study in the city, live like city kids.”

Though her shop wasn’t even a plan yet, that didn’t stop her from painting big dreams for her brothers.

Ye Dahuo and Ye Sanhu beamed.
“All right, little sister, we’ll look forward to working for you!”

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long,” Fangfei replied with a smile.

She didn’t forget her sister-in-law either.
“Big Sister, when the time comes, you’ll work for me too. I’ll pay you a salary.”

Zhang Meiling laughed heartily. Whether she believed it or not, she answered readily.
“Okay, little sister. I’ll work hard when the time comes.”

After a short rest, Dahuo and Erhu prepared to go wholesale for ice cream. Business had been good these past few days, so they didn’t want to waste time.

“Big Brother, Big Sister, Sanhu, I’ll head home first. Don’t take too much stock this afternoon, try to get home early, stay together, and don’t go alone, it’s not safe. Also, keep an eye on your wallets,” Fangfei reminded them.

After the reform and opening-up, troublemakers were everywhere—pickpockets, small-time thieves, hooligans… the streets were getting more dangerous.

“We know. You take care too and avoid the riverside path. Stick to the main roads,” Dahuo said.

Fangfei smiled and nodded.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. You all go ahead—I’ll stop by the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a few things.”

Once they left, Fangfei parked her bike outside the cooperative and headed to the left to the meat stall.

Earlier, she had noticed a batch of pig intestines left unsold. The meat was gone, but two ribs and some small rib pieces remained on the chopping board—cleaned of all meat. Nearby, a bucket held unprocessed intestines and pig lungs.

A few flies buzzed around, some landing on board.

If it were before, Fangfei would have covered her nose and gagged just passing by. But now… in this resource-scarce era, even pig intestines, once something she’d despised, weren’t easy to get.

Suppressing her nausea, she sniffed carefully. Luckily, they hadn’t gone bad.

No one was at the meat stall. The few other staff lounged lazily, ignoring her.

Fangfei then moved to the clothing counter. The clerk who sold her ice cream earlier was fanning herself while eating sunflower seeds.

Fangfei tapped lightly on the counter.
“Comrade, how much for those pig intestines?”

The clerk didn’t lift her head. Fangfei called again, and the clerk, now slightly annoyed, looked up. Seeing it was her; she froze for a moment.

“Do you want that stinky stuff?” she asked bluntly.

She had guessed the girl’s family was poor—otherwise, she wouldn’t be selling ice cream at midday. In this heat, the intestines would have been rotten if not for the meat vendor’s absence.

Pig offal was cheap and sold well despite the smell—just fifty cents a set, no meat ration required. But today, no one wanted to deal with it, so it was left behind, stinking up the cooperative.

“Yes, I’ll take it. How much?” Fangfei asked patiently.

“About twenty cents per jin… wait, I’ll ask,” the clerk muttered, instantly regretting saying it.

These intestines were about to be thrown away. How could she charge money? And this poor girl clearly needed them.

Glancing at her busy coworkers, the clerk whispered,
“Take it for free. Just grab it.”

“Free?” Fangfei blinked in surprise.
“Comrade, really?”

The clerk hesitated, then said softly,
“It’s been sitting a while, might be bad. But I’ll get it out for you.”

Fangfei immediately understood.
Anyone who passes up a bargain is a fool.

She even asked for the leftover bones. The clerk happily agreed.

As Fangfei stepped out of the cooperative, she heard the clerk pinch her nose.
“Li Jie, this offal stinks! Full of mosquitoes. No one wanted it, so I’m taking it out. It makes me want to vomit!”

“Good, good! You’re doing a good deed. Take it away quickly. Smelling this is making me sick too,” Li Jie replied.

The clerk wrapped the bones in straw paper and carried the bucket with the intestines and lungs outside.

Fangfei quickly took them and thanked the clerk repeatedly.
“You’re truly kind-hearted. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome. It’s just a small favor,” the clerk said, placing the bundle in Fangfei’s bicycle basket. Then, with a puzzled look, she asked,
“This stuff is stinky and strong-smelling. How do you eat it?”

Fangfei smiled.
“We’re villagers. We can’t waste meat. Even if it smells a bit, a good wash and stew makes it a treat for the kids.”

She didn’t reveal she knew how to braise intestines. Setting the basket carefully, she introduced herself politely.
“Comrade, thank you again today. I’m Ye Fangfei, from Shenlou Brigade. If you don’t mind rural simplicity, you’re welcome to visit my home sometime.”

The clerk beamed.
“My grandparents live in the countryside. I love visiting them too.”

The clerk shook her hand warmly.
“I’m Chen Qian. If you ever want clothes, come see me—I’ll recommend the best ones.”

“Thank you so much,” Fangfei said, smiling. She pushed her bicycle.
“Chen Qian, I won’t disturb you anymore. Goodbye.”

“Take care! Come visit when you have time,” Chen Qian waved.

Fangfei looked at her haul and smiled. Today had been lucky—meeting such a kind comrade meant free intestines and some leftover bones.

Even if life was tougher in this era, most people were honest and kind, and that made the heart warm.