My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 36 Xu Guoqing

"Brother Zhou, is it really necessary to do this to just an old woman?"

Old Wen saw everything Zhou Jiye did. After Zhou Jiye gave the things to the old woman and returned, Old Wen couldn't help but ask.

"Everyone has their own difficulties, and besides, these vegetables aren't worth much. It's good to lend a hand if we can," Zhou Jiye said.

Old Wen sighed and patted Zhou Jiye heavily on the shoulder.

They had been dealing with each other for quite some time and got along very well with Zhou Jiye, especially Zhou Jiye's magnanimity, which Lao Wen greatly admired.

Today, Zhou Jiye's actions made Lao Wen feel that he was a kind and righteous young man. Don't underestimate the value of just some cheap vegetables. The problem is that this old woman comes to the market to pick up vegetables every day and encounters too many people on the way. At most, others will sigh and say something like "This old woman is so pitiful", but no one will actually help her.

But Zhou Jiye did just that, even though he had absolutely no connection with the old woman; they only bumped into each other at the market every day. Although Lao Wen, like everyone else, had never offered the old woman any help, he greatly admired Zhou Jiye's actions. He felt that since Zhou Jiye could treat a complete stranger so kindly, such a friend was worth making!

More than a week has passed in the blink of an eye.

As usual, Zhou Jiye first went to the suburbs to collect old hens and eggs, and then rode his bicycle to the market.

I had just arrived at the market and hadn't even set up my stall when Lao Wen came running over.

"Brother Zhou, I have something to tell you later."

"Sure! Let's talk after we've finished setting up our stall."

Zhou Jiye casually replied with that, not taking Lao Wen's words to heart. Anyway, they would chat for a while after closing up shop every day, so he didn't think much of it.

As usual, Zhou Jiye's old hens sold very well; in just over two hours, nearly twenty old hens were sold out.

Old Wen was butchering a chicken, and Zhou Jiye, having finished his task, picked up a broom and started cleaning up his stall. By the time he was almost done, Old Wen had seen off his last customer and came over with a smile.

After helping Zhou Jiye finish up, Lao Wen took the cigarette Zhou Jiye offered and lit it. He looked around and then pulled Zhou Jiye along, leading the two to an inconspicuous corner behind the stall.

"Ask you something."

"What's the matter that requires such secrecy?" Zhou Jiye couldn't help but ask with a smile, seeing that Lao Wen was acting all mysterious, as if he were conducting underground work.

"Neither you nor Xiaolin have Shanghai residency permits, right?" Lao Wen asked directly, without beating around the bush.

Zhou Jiye was stunned for a moment, and glanced at Lao Wen warily. He was taken aback by Lao Wen's words.

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s not hard to guess.” Old Wen said in a low voice, “Didn’t you guys say you wanted to move? But you’ve looked at so many houses in the past month, and you haven’t been able to negotiate a single one. Brother, I know you’re from the Northwest, but your wife, although she says she’s a returned educated youth, hasn’t settled her household registration yet, right? Tell me the truth, is it that neither of you has a Shanghai household registration? Or is there a problem with your wife’s household registration?”

"this……."

Zhou Jiye didn't expect Lao Wen to ask about their most private matter so quickly. For a moment, Zhou Jiye didn't know how to answer Lao Wen's question. Saying yes was not good, and saying no was not good either. He fell silent instantly.

Seeing Zhou Jiye's expression, Lao Wen understood and stopped pressing for details. He sighed and patted Zhou Jiye's arm.

"You little rascal, you don't consider me a true friend!" Old Wen complained. "No wonder I felt something was off a while ago. You guys clearly had your eyes on several houses on the spot, but then nothing came of it. You should have just told me earlier. After knowing me for so long, can't you see what kind of person I am?"

"Brother Wen, I..."

Zhou Jiye explained with a wry smile, "How can I talk about this? You know the current policies. If the neighborhood committee finds out, we won't be able to stay in Shanghai anymore!"

"You, you."

Old Wen shook his head and said earnestly, "This is no small matter. You can't hide this situation for long. Shanghai is not like other places, especially when it comes to things like household registration, which are checked very strictly. Tell me the truth, is your decision to move here also because of this?" Zhou Jiye nodded silently. Since Old Wen had already figured it out, there was no point in hiding it anymore, so he admitted it directly.

After grumbling to Zhou Jiye, Lao Wen took a deep drag on his cigarette. Looking around to make sure no one else was nearby, he lowered his voice and said to Zhou Jiye, "Brother, we need to resolve this quickly! This can't go on. If you trust me, how about I point you in a direction? Maybe it can help."

Zhou Jiye, head bowed, could hardly believe his ears. What? Lao Wen can help with this? Are you kidding me?
"Brother Wen? You can handle the household registration?" Zhou Jiye's eyes widened in surprise.

“I don’t have that kind of ability. If I were that capable, why would I be slicing eels at the market?” Old Wen shook his head. Just as Zhou Jiye’s mood plummeted from its peak to its trough, he heard Old Wen continue, “However, I know someone who has connections and might be able to help. I’m not entirely sure if it will work out. You’ll have to discuss it yourselves to find out. And let me make this clear: I won’t take any benefits from helping you, but I can’t help him. Besides, you know how difficult it is to get a Shanghai residency permit. This isn’t an easy thing to do. You should be prepared.”

"I understand, I understand!" Zhou Jiye never expected that the turning point would come from Lao Wen's side. He was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

Old Wen spoke quietly with Zhou Jiye for a few more minutes, explaining the pros and cons and warning him to keep this matter a secret at all costs, as it would be a serious matter if outsiders found out. If Zhou Jiye agreed, he could act as a go-between, arranging for Zhou Jiye and his group to meet with the other party. As for whether they could reach an agreement, that would only be known after the meeting, and he couldn't guarantee it.

Zhou Jiye nodded in understanding and readily agreed. He thanked Lao Wen profusely and begged him to help make the connection, promising to remember Lao Wen's kindness regardless of the outcome, and that he would repay him handsomely in the future.

Old Wen smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Let's not talk about generous rewards or anything like that. Since we're friends, let's not be so formal. Besides, things aren't even settled yet. We'll talk about it when we meet. Let's leave it at that for now. Wait for my notification, and I'll let you know the time and place of the meeting once everything is arranged."

After finishing his story, Lao Wen returned to his stall. Zhou Jiye was still a little dazed. He never expected Lao Wen to bring him such good news. Although he had no idea whether the matter would work out, who the other party was, or how they would help them solve the problem, it was still a turning point. Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying were worried about this every day; it had become a real worry for them. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so they had to try whatever they could.

That afternoon, Zhou Jiye didn't even rest before going straight to the movie theater to find Lin Ying and quietly told her about the situation.

"Wen-ge said that?" Lin Ying was also surprised. She didn't expect that Lao Wen not only saw their problem, but also offered to help them.

Zhou Jiye nodded and said to Lin Ying, "I'm not sure about this either. I got excited and agreed to ask Brother Wen for help. But after thinking about it, I felt uneasy. What if Brother Wen isn't reliable? Maybe I should go see him later and tell him to let it go?"

"No!" Lin Ying thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and said to Zhou Jiye, "Don't refuse yet, let's see how things go. If Brother Wen has connections, that's one way. Besides, we're not stupid. We'll know what's going on when we meet him. If it's not reliable, then we can refuse."

"Hey! You and I are thinking the same thing," Zhou Jiye exclaimed, slapping his thigh.

"You little rascal, Zhou Jiye, are you testing me?" Lin Ying pinched Zhou Jiye's arm without any politeness. Zhou Jiye quickly dodged to the side and chuckled, "This isn't testing you, it's asking for your opinion. You're my wife, we're husband and wife, I wouldn't dare agree without your consent."

"Hmph, you're smart." Lin Ying rolled her eyes at him. "You go back first. We'll discuss this again tonight. Don't rush Wen Ge. Let's see if he's truly willing to help. We'll take it one step at a time, understand?"

Zhou Jiye immediately gave Lin Ying a knowing look, then got up and went home. That evening, they analyzed the matter carefully at home and felt for the time being that there was no major problem. As for other issues, they couldn't see anything else at the moment and could only patiently wait for Lao Wen's reply.

A few days later, Lao Wen finally got news, telling Zhou Jiye that he had made an appointment, gave him an address, and instructed him to go there with Lin Ying the next day to meet the other party.

After thanking Lao Wen, Zhou Jiye told Lin Ying about it when he got back. Lin Ying decided to take a half-day off the next day and go with Zhou Jiye to meet the person Lao Wen had introduced.

Neither of them set up their stall the next morning, enjoying a rare late sleep. Around nine o'clock, after changing into clean clothes, they went out. Zhou Jiye rode his bicycle with Lin Ying to the diving pool area opposite the Black Stone Apartments. After asking around, they arrived at an inconspicuous state-run restaurant. The restaurant was small and located in a somewhat remote area. Since it wasn't lunchtime, there weren't many customers. Just as they were about to enter, a waiter stopped them, saying that there were still two hours until noon and that if they wanted to eat, they should come back later.

"Excuse me, sir, we're looking for Xu Guoqing. Is he here?" Zhou Jiye explained to the waiter with a smile.

"Looking for Xu Guoqing?" The other person sized up Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying, then told them to wait before going inside.

"National Day! Xu Guoqing!"

The waiter's loud voice rang out from inside, followed quickly by a reply. Soon, a man in a white uniform and hat came out of the state-run restaurant. Upon seeing Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying waiting outside, he immediately asked who was looking for him.

"You must be Brother Xu? We were introduced by Brother Wen Zhiqiang," Zhou Jiye said quickly, handing him a cigarette.

Upon their first meeting, for some reason, Zhou Jiye felt that the other person looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place him.

(End of this chapter)