My era, 1979!

Chapter 127 I liked you before you liked you
After buying the bicycle, Lin Yimin had something to do and left first.

Xu Chengjun and Su Manshu stayed with Xu Xiaomei to look at the sewing machine.

"Brother, slow down!"

Xu Xiaomei, wearing her newly changed black cloth shoes, her heels still worn down, tripped over the threshold and stumbled. "The pork ribs and rice cakes just came out of the pot, can't we buy them when we come back later?"

Spare ribs with rice cakes is a classic Shanghai snack, with "Xiandelai" being the most famous.

The ribs are pounded to a uniform size and thickness, soaked in a uniquely formulated marinade, and then deep-fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The rice cakes are poached in a special seasoned broth and then drizzled with sweet bean sauce and served with Merlin Yellow Label hot sauce. It's a fusion of East and West with an excellent flavor.

"So you're not in a hurry to buy a sewing machine anymore?"

"Take your time and watch it!"

"The line will stretch all the way to the end of the street soon."

Xu Chengjun turned around and tapped her on the forehead, "Have you forgotten that last time in Hefei, we queued for two hours at the department store just to buy a piece of Dacron fabric?"

Su Manshu suppressed a laugh and stepped forward to help Xu Xiaomei straighten her askew canvas bag: "Let's look at the sewing machine first. After we're done, I'll go with you to get pork ribs and rice cakes."

The three walked toward the hardware section, where the aisles were crowded with people browsing for bargains.

A cadre in a Zhongshan suit squatted next to an old bicycle, tinkering with it using a wrench.

An elderly woman wearing a blue headscarf was haggling with the stall owner, clutching a Shanghai brand watch in her hand, the watch face cracked with fine lines.

There was also a young man in a work jacket carrying an old radio. Most of the paint on the "Red Lantern" logo on the radio had peeled off, but he held it in his arms like a treasure.

The air was filled with the smells of engine oil, musty wood, and the distant clanging of abacus beads—a truly lively atmosphere.

Xu Xiaomei's eyes widened. One moment she pointed at the old clock hanging on the wall and exclaimed "Wow!" The next she went to the stall with enamel mugs, picked up a mug with "Serve the People" printed on it and rubbed it: "Brother, this is just like ours! It's just that ours doesn't have so many scratches."

"If you like it, I'll buy you a new one later."

Xu Chengjun casually agreed, but his eyes were scanning the rows of old sewing machines.

The old sewing machines from Huaiguo were all placed on iron racks. Some were missing pedals, and some had thick dust covering their heads. Only the Butterfly brand machine at the very back had a milky white body. Although the paint on the corners was a little chipped, the head of the machine was so shiny that it could reflect a person's image. There was also a complete spool of thread next to the pedal.

"Sir, how much is this one?"

Xu Chengjun pointed at the Butterfly brand and shouted to the master craftsman behind the counter.

The old craftsman, with his pipe dangling from his lips, slowly raised his head, squinted at the three of them, and said, "Butterfly brand, 70% new, from last year. They've just been sitting here collecting dust, hardly ever used. If you want them, it'll be thirty-five yuan, plus two more spools."

Thirty-five?

Xu Xiaomei jumped up and tugged at Xu Chengjun's sleeve, "Brother, it's too expensive! The one we asked about before was only thirty!"

The previous one was missing a bobbin, didn't you remember?
But let's just assume the little girl was haggling.

Xu Chengjun pressed her hand down and then turned to the old man, "Master, can you give us a discount? We are students at Fudan University, and the young lady wants to save money for her studies."

The old craftsman tapped his pipe on the counter, sparks flying onto the old newspaper: "Seeing as you're students, I'll give you another dollar off, thirty-four, that's the lowest I can go. This machine would cost over fifty a month in a department store, and you'd need industrial coupons. Here, I'm offering a real bargain."

Su Manshu came closer and touched the sewing machine head: "It's a good machine, but we need to test if it works."

As she spoke, she stepped on the pedal, and the machine head started spinning with a "click-clack" sound, producing even and dense stitches.

"I didn't expect Teacher Su to have such a trick up her sleeve?"

"Do you think?"

"I thought you were a lady from a respectable family who never lifted a finger to do housework~"

Xu Xiaomei, who was standing to the side, stared wide-eyed.

"Xiaomei, you should try it too!"

"Eh!"

Xu Xiaomei gently pressed the pedal and reached for the front of the machine.

It's like a believer touching the Bible.

"I bought it!"

Xu Xiaomei suddenly took out her wallet and was about to count the money when Xu Chengjun slapped a wad of change on the counter first.

Thirty-four yuan, not a penny less, plus a few crumpled bills.

"Brother! What are you doing!"

Xu Xiaomei stamped her feet in frustration and reached out to take the money back, saying, "I have my own money!"

She felt a little embarrassed; her second brother had just bought her a bicycle, so how could she let him spend money again?

"Keep that little bit of money for study materials."

Xu Chengjun pressed her hand down, his voice softening, "This money isn't mine; it was left behind by my older brother when he passed away."

"Big brother?"

Xu Xiaomei was stunned.

Xu Chengjun bent down to pick up the wallet, stuffed it into her hand, and patted her head: "Before he left, my older brother gave me an envelope of money, telling me to buy you a sewing machine and help you with your school fees. He said that you've always liked sewing and mending since you were little, and with a sewing machine, you can make your own new clothes in the future; he also said that if you can get into university, he can rest assured even if he's in the south."

Actually, there was another letter inside the older brother's envelope.

He didn't dare tell his parents, nor did he dare show it to Xiaomei.

My elder brother gave him the letter, which I suppose is the same idea.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaomei's eyes immediately reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back from falling.

She remembered when her older brother came home, his left shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze, and he was always awakened by nightmares at night, but he still smiled and said to her, "Xiaomei, when I come back next time, I will bring you a piece of polyester fabric so you can make a new dress."

“But…” Xu Xiaomei sniffed, “This money is my brother’s hard-earned money, I can’t spend it.”

"Silly girl, if your brother knew you could use this money to buy a sewing machine and go to university, he'd be overjoyed."

Xu Chengjun picked up the spool of thread that the master craftsman handed him and stuffed it into Xu Xiaomei's hand. "Besides, once you learn to use a sewing machine, you can make your brother a new military uniform. Wouldn't that be repaying him?"

Su Manshu chimed in, "That's right, Xiaomei, if you really feel bad about it, make a couple more clothes for your brother in the future."

Xu Xiaomei was amused and burst out laughing, but tears still fell, landing on the sewing machine head and spreading out a small wet patch.

She reached out and touched the sewing machine head, then looked up at Xu Chengjun, a smile playing on her lips: "Then...then I'll make a patterned shirt for you, and a dress for you, Sister Manshu."

"Okay, I'll wait."

Su Manshu smiled and nodded, then turned to the old craftsman, "Master, could you please help us wrap this up? We need to carry it back to school."

The old craftsman chuckled and found an old canvas, wrapped the sewing machine up, and tied it with rope for them: "You young people are so lucky. Back in the day, when my wife and I got married, we were hoping for a Butterfly brand sewing machine, and it took us three years of saving to finally buy one."

Xu Chengjun and Su Manshu carried the sewing machine, with Xu Xiaomei following beside them, sometimes helping to hold the rope, sometimes reaching out to touch the sewing machine under the canvas, her face full of joy.

As soon as they left the old Huaiguo, a long queue formed at the pork rib and rice cake stall at the alley entrance, and Xu Xiaomei was about to sigh.

Su Manshu took out two catties of chestnuts from her bag and then took two portions from the pork rib and rice cake stall: "I asked the stall owner to save these while you were looking at the sewing machine."

"Sister Manshu, you're so kind!"

Xu Xiaomei took the chestnuts, peeled one and put it in her mouth, then handed one to Xu Chengjun, "Brother, try it, it's so sweet!"

Xu Chengjun bit into a chestnut, the sweet taste spreading in his mouth. He looked at his smiling younger sister beside him, and then glanced at Su Manshu, who was carrying a sewing machine.

The old-fashioned atmosphere of Huai State seemed even more heartwarming in 1979.

This state-run secondhand market will begin relocation in 1992 and gradually fade from people's view.

On September 29, 2022, "Huaiguojiu" reopened at 776 Huaihai Middle Road and was renamed "Huaiguojiu H22".

The new store features a retro style and mainly sells second-hand luxury goods. It also has trendy "shops within shops" such as coffee shops, galleries, and flower shops, and regularly updates art exhibitions and photo spots. It is a multi-functional living space that integrates second-hand, idle, retro, home furnishing, design and trendy brands.

Xu Chengjun has been there, and everything looks good.

Unfortunately, they all look the same and lack that human touch.

"correct,"

Xu Chengjun suddenly remembered something, winked at Xu Xiaomei, and said, "When you use this sewing machine to make clothes in the future, you have to save me the best one, otherwise I will tell my brother that you are wasting his money."

"Brother! How could you do this!"

Xu Xiaomei chased after Xu Chengjun and hit him, while Su Manshu laughed on the side.
-
Back at school, Xu Chengjun and Su Manshu escorted Xu Xiaomei back to her dormitory.

Xu Xiaomei carefully parked her bicycle under the bike shed and called over a few friends she usually got along well with to help her move the sewing machine upstairs to her dormitory.

Several roommates looked on with envy.

The first to speak was Li Hong, who slept in the bunk opposite her. She leaned over and touched the milky white body of the sewing machine: "Xiaomei, is this a Butterfly brand? My mom asked someone to find industrial vouchers last year, and she went to the department store three times but still couldn't buy one. Your machine looks so new, it must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Zhang Lan, who was helping out, nodded in agreement, her gaze falling on the spool next to the pedal: "That's right. When we went to the tailor shop outside the school to alter clothes, the old machine the tailor had was creaking and rattling. Yours looks much neater."

Hearing this, Xu Xiaomei first smiled and pulled Su Manshu closer to her, then took out the chestnuts she hadn't finished eating from her canvas bag and shared them with the group: "This machine was a secondhand find in Huaiguo, it's not brand new, I was just lucky to find someone who takes good care of it. I also owe it to my sister Manshu for helping me test it, otherwise I wouldn't know if it was good or bad." She then looked at Xu Chengjun, her voice softening, "And my second brother, knowing I like sewing and mending, specially kept an eye out for it for me. Even the money was a gift from my eldest brother, how could I take all the credit?"

She didn't mention the complicated process of getting the machine down from 35 to 34 yuan, nor did she talk about the little incident where she initially thought it was too expensive. She only brought up the help she received from others, neither making herself seem special nor failing to give face to those around her.

Li Hong peeled chestnuts, the sweet taste filling her mouth and a sense of comfort in her heart: "Your family really loves you, and you have such a good friend like Teacher Su to help you. If I had a sewing machine, I would be laughing in my sleep."

"Oh, right! The most important thing is that Xu Chengjun is your brother!"

"If I had such a great writer as my brother, I would be laughing in my sleep!"

There was a hint of envy in his words, but not a trace of jealousy.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaomei reached out and patted her arm, then pointed to the sewing machine: "If you want to try, you can step on the pedal now. This machine moves the needle very evenly. Once I've mastered it, anyone in our dorm who wants to make a cloth bag or alter a piece of clothing can use it. We can then brainstorm patterns together, and maybe we can even make a unique pillowcase for everyone!"

These words immediately made the atmosphere in the dormitory even more lively.

Zhang Lan immediately pulled Li Hong to step on the pedal, and the "click-clack" sound of the machine mixed with laughter drifted out of the window.

Su Manshu stood aside watching, her eyes full of smiles.

Xiaomei, this girl, clearly got a treasure, but instead of hiding it, she shared the "benefits" with everyone, which not only eased the envy of others but also brought her roommates closer together.

Seeing the dormitory getting lively, Xu Chengjun tugged at Su Manshu and said, "Let's not get in the way here. Let the girls figure it out themselves."

Su Manshu nodded, and before leaving, she winked at Xu Xiaomei: "If you encounter anything you don't know, feel free to ask me anytime."

"Brother, Sister Manshu, go on your date, I won't complain!"

"What are you talking about? You need to talk to your brother. Go back now."

Su Manshu was used to being teased by this little girl, so she took it all in stride.

"Hehe, okay, I'm leaving!"

Xu Chengjun shook his head helplessly: "This girl has become familiar with you, so don't worry about her."

Since returning from Anhui, Xu Chengjun hadn't had much time alone with Su Manshu. He'd been carrying Xu Xiaomei around the whole time. Now that they finally had a chance to be alone, they exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

The two walked and talked around Fudan University's campus, and the conversation turned to "The Fitting Mirror".

"Last time you said that the piece of floral fabric that Chunlan hid in 'The Fitting Mirror' was based on the style of the Hefei Department Store?"

Su Manshu walked beside him, her steps light. A small pearl hair clip was pinned to the collar of her beige shirt, a gift from her mother in Wuxi.

A gust of wind blew, and her long hair, which hung over her shoulders, swayed, the ends brushing against her arms.

Xu Chengjun turned his head to look at her, and the setting sun fell on her face, making the curve of her eyes look warm and gentle.

Su Manshu's eyes are bright, like the moonlight reflected in Taihu Lake in Wuxi. When she smiles, they curve into crescent moons, and even the dimples on her cheeks exude the gentle warmth of a woman from Jiangnan.

"Exactly! Last time in Hefei, I spent half a day squatting in a department store, just to see the way those girls looked at the floral fabrics."

"I'll just say it!"

Su Manshu stopped and took out a sycamore leaf she had just picked from her pocket; the edge of the leaf was still a little yellow.

“When I read it, I felt that Chunlan’s thoughts were exactly the same as how I used to hide my handkerchief when I was a child. My dad always told me that girls shouldn’t always think about these ‘useless’ things, but I insisted on putting that handkerchief embroidered with orchids under my pillow and touching it every night before going to sleep.”

When she said this, her tone carried a childlike stubbornness, but it wasn't pretentious; instead, it was like a freshly peeled candy, sweet and soft.

Xu Chengjun looked at the sycamore leaf she was holding in her hand and suddenly reached out to brush the fallen leaves off her shoulder.

"Your temperament is much more generous than Chunlan's."

When he touched her shoulder, he clearly felt Su Manshu's body pause slightly, and then she naturally walked forward again, only her ears turned red again.

"That's right. My mom said that if you like someone, you should be open about it. Hiding it will only make you tired."

Su Manshu turned her head and smiled at him, revealing two small tiger teeth, adding a touch of lively naivety to her elegant temperament.

“But when I read the part where Chunlan smashed the mirror, my eyes welled up with tears. ‘The fragments of myself, wearing work clothes and floral dresses, were all shimmering.’ That really touched me. It felt like it brought out all my childhood desire to wear a dress but never dared to say it.”

When she watched "The Fitting Mirror," it really felt like she saw herself in it.

The two walked slowly along the path behind the library. The streetlights along the road lit up one after another, and the dim yellow light shone through the gaps in the leaves, weaving a mottled net on the ground.

A few people were gathered around the entrance of the canteen not far away. The roasted sweet potato vendor was pushing his cart over. The sweet potatoes in the tin bucket were steaming, and the sweet aroma wafted over on the wind, making people's stomachs ache.

"Would you like some roasted sweet potato?"

Xu Chengjun pointed over there, "Last time, Senior Brother Zhang said that this master roasts his sweet potatoes over charcoal."

Su Manshu's eyes lit up and she immediately nodded: "Yes! When I was a child in Wuxi, I would always roast sweet potatoes with my grandma at the alley entrance in winter. Grandma said that sweet potatoes with a slightly charred skin are the best, and you can pull out sugar threads when you bite into them."

As she spoke, she moved her feet toward the stroller, looking somewhat charming and innocent.

Xu Chengjun rarely saw her like this.

The generous, gentle, and intelligent women from Jiangnan also revealed a touch of girlishness.

Xu Chengjun followed with a smile, bought two roasted sweet potatoes, and handed one to her while it was still hot.

When Su Manshu took it, her hand twitched slightly from the heat, but she couldn't bear to let go. She carefully peeled off the charred outer skin, revealing the orange-yellow flesh inside, which smelled even sweeter.

"Try it, does it have sugar strands?"

She held it to Xu Chengjun's lips, her eyes full of anticipation, as if showing off a treasure she had found.

Xu Chengjun took a bite, and the sweet and glutinous texture combined with the smoky aroma of charcoal made it much more flavorful than ordinary roasted sweet potatoes.

He was about to speak when he saw Su Manshu take a bite herself, the sugar strands sticking to the corner of her mouth.

Xu Chengjun couldn't resist and reached out to wipe it off for her. When he touched the corner of her lips, Su Manshu stopped. She looked up at him, and the moonlight in her eyes seemed to shine even brighter. Even her breathing became lighter.

"Look at you, you even get sweet potato smeared on your lips."

Xu Chengjun withdrew his hand, speaking casually, but the warmth of her lips lingered on his hand.

Su Manshu lowered her head, gently pursed her lips, and when she looked up again, her ears were still red, but she smiled generously: "Isn't it because this sweet potato is too sweet? It's all its fault."

The two continued walking, and when they reached the railing by the playground, Su Manshu stopped and looked at the students running on the field. She suddenly asked, "When you first arrived at Fudan University, did you also think this campus was too big?"

"When I came to Fudan University as a child, I thought it was so big!"

Xu Chengjun recalled the scene when he first met Su Manshu, their fleeting encounter in the archives.

"Isn't it?"

"It's a good thing I met you at Fudan University; I feel like this place is still a bit too small."

"Why is it a bit small?"

"I've already told you the answer, because spring cherry blossoms, autumn osmanthus, and winter frost and snow—every year the scenery is vibrant."

Su Manshu slightly raised her smooth forehead, her snow-white skin shimmering under the lamplight.

"No matter how big Fudan University is, no matter how big the world is, it doesn't feel big at all when you're next to me."

A gentle evening breeze blew by, carrying the scent of the grass by the playground.

Xu Chengjun looked at Su Manshu's profile. Her eyelashes were long, casting a light shadow under the streetlights. Her nose was delicate, and her lips were particularly rosy because she had just eaten sweet potatoes.

He suddenly reached out and gently took her hand in his.

Su Manshu's hands were soft, still warm from the roasted sweet potato. When he held them, they trembled slightly, but she didn't let go. Instead, she slowly squeezed back, quietly interlocking her fingers with his.

The two stood by the railing, hand in hand, watching people come and go on the playground. Neither of them spoke, but they felt there was something indescribable in the air.

After a while, Su Manshu gently shook his hand, her voice softer than the evening breeze: "Xu Chengjun, do you like me?"

Xu Chengjun was stunned for a moment.

He had thought about these words before, but when Su Manshu actually asked them, his heart still skipped a beat.

He turned to look at her. Su Manshu's eyes were bright and sparkling, with a hint of anticipation and nervousness, and shallow dimples on her cheeks.

"like."

"How much do you like it?"

"Small gains are abundant, and love comes at the right time."

After listening, Su Manshu suddenly smiled, her eyes crinkling like the most beautiful peach blossoms in spring in Wuxi.

She tiptoed closer to his ear, her voice soft and gentle: "Then I must tell you, I liked you even before you did."

The evening breeze swirled the camphor tree leaves, gently landing on their shoulders.

He held her hand tightly and walked slowly forward. The streetlights cast their shadows together, as if they were about to entwine forever.
-
Your smile is so beautiful, it's like the stars in it.

Spring breeze, sea of ​​flowers, morning dew, fireflies, white doves
But my smile is more beautiful.
Because you are in my smile—
Su Manshu's notes in 1983: In the autumn of 1979, I secretly touched you, but I didn't expect you to scatter like dandelions, and your image is everywhere since then.

(End of this chapter)