Reborn in the 1980s: Nine Stunning Beauties Get Pregnant Before Marriage

Chen Yongqiang pushed the cart and turned into a relatively quiet street.

It's not as bustling as the supply and marketing cooperative, but it's home to several shops run by veteran craftsmen, including blacksmiths, bamboo weavers, and pottery sellers.

Business is slow because of the cold weather.

Chen Yongqiang stopped in front of a shop with a lot of pottery pots and jars piled up at the entrance.

The shop owner was a taciturn old man who was dozing off by the brazier in the house. When he saw him come in, he raised his eyelids slightly.

"Master chef, I'd like to see some earthenware pots, the large ones, the thicker the better. Also, do you have any ceramic stoves with lids that can be used to burn firewood?" Chen Yongqiang got straight to the point.

The old man slowly stood up and led him to a row of clay pots placed against the wall.

The largest type has thick, heavy walls and a dark color, clearly indicating that it is made of durable, heat-resistant material.

Chen Yongqiang picked it up and weighed it in his hand, then tapped it with his fingers. The sound was muffled and solid. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Give me two of these big ones. And one smaller one too." He thought he'd put them in his spatial storage so he could use them to cook when he went hunting in the mountains later.

Setting up the stove took some effort. The old man only had a regular small clay stove for boiling water.

Chen Yongqiang gestured and said that it should be able to burn stably for at least two or three hours and also be able to control the fire to a certain extent.

After pondering for a while, the old man finally pulled out an old stove covered in dust from a corner of the backyard.

"It was used to make glue for people in the old days, but it's not used anymore. If we clean it up, it should still be usable. It just takes a lot of firewood," the old man explained.

Chen Yongqiang examined it; although old, it had no cracks, and the structure was exactly what he needed. "I'll take this one. How much for the clay pot and stove in total?"

After agreeing on the price, Chen Yongqiang paid without asking for change.

As he walked back, he thought to himself: I have all the materials needed to refine the Body Tempering Pill.

Before heading back, Chen Yongqiang pushed his bicycle and made a detour to the town's supply and marketing cooperative.

As the year draws to a close, the shop is busier than usual, with people buying cloth, weighing sugar, and purchasing pots, pans, and spoons crowding in front of the counter.

He first picked out a thick military overcoat for himself, the warmest one to wear in winter.

Next, Chen Yongqiang walked to the women's cotton-padded jacket rack. There weren't many styles, and the colors were limited to navy blue, dark gray, and maroon.

He pointed to a maroon cotton-padded jacket: "Take one of these."

That was for Lin Xiulian; she has fair skin and looks radiant in red.

Then she picked out a simpler navy blue cotton-padded jacket. This was for Wang Guixiang; she worked hard every day and needed something practical.

His gaze swept across the shelves, finally settling on a smoky gray cotton-padded jacket with a slanted front. The style was slightly more unique than the previous two, and the fabric was softer.

He thought of Ding Wanru; she always carried a slightly bitter, herbal scent, and this color and fabric would suit her well. "I'll take this one too."

The saleswoman was a middle-aged woman. While issuing the receipt, she couldn't help but glance at Chen Yongqiang a few more times, thinking to herself that this man must have quite a few people in his family to buy so many women's cotton-padded jackets.

"Take that set for little girls, something they can wear when they're seven or eight." Chen Yongqiang pointed to the children's clothes hanging next to him. It was a red cotton-padded jacket and trousers with white floral patterns, which looked festive and warm.

This was bought for Wang Guixiang's daughter, Xiaojing, since she calls him her godfather.

"I won't see Liang Meie off." His mind was clear.

That woman is shrewd. She's made quite a bit of money lately by trading the wild boar meat he gave her, and she's well-off. She doesn't need his little treat.

Giving her gifts is pointless and might even make her think of other things.

I strapped all my bags to the bicycle, put on my military overcoat, and immediately felt much warmer.

When Chen Yongqiang arrived at Wang Guixiang's courtyard gate with his cart, it was nearly noon. He knocked on the door, and Xiao Jing answered.

"Godfather!" the little girl called out in a clear voice, then turned and called into the house, "Mommy! Godfather's here!"

Hearing the noise, Wang Guixiang came out of the house: "Why are you here at this time? Come in and sit down."

"I won't go in." Chen Yongqiang untied the two burlap sacks tied to the back seat of the car, carried them into the yard and put them down. "It's almost Chinese New Year, so I brought you some things. Rice, flour, oil, salt, and some meat are all inside."

He then took the cloth bag containing a navy blue cotton-padded jacket and floral children's clothes from the front of the car and handed it to Wang Guixiang, saying, "This is for you and Xiaojing. It's cold."

Wang Guixiang took the cloth bag and immediately recognized it as a thick new cotton coat. Her eyes reddened slightly. "How can I accept this? I always take your things."

"Of course. I have something to do, so I'll head back now." Chen Yongqiang said, pushing his bicycle back up and heading out of the alley.

"You're leaving already? At least have some hot water," Wang Guixiang said before she could finish her sentence.

Chen Yongqiang got into the car. "Maybe next time!"

Wang Guixiang stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching Chen Yongqiang's departing figure.

Xiao Jing nestled against her and whispered, "Mom, Godfather is so good."

"Yes," Wang Guixiang murmured in response, then turned away and closed the courtyard gate tightly.

When Chen Yongqiang returned to his courtyard, it was already getting dark.

Lin Xiulian was busy in the kitchen when she heard the noise and peeked out. Seeing him return, she smiled and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

Chen Yongqiang first took down the cloth bag containing the maroon cotton-padded coat, walked up to Lin Xiulian, and said, "I bought you a coat, try it on and see if it fits."

Lin Xiulian accepted it with some surprise: "This color is quite bright. How much does it cost?"

"Not much, just enough to keep warm." Chen Yongqiang has enough money to live on now.

Lin Xiulian took off her apron, removed her old coat, and put on a new cotton-padded jacket.

The maroon color made her complexion look much better, and the cotton-padded jacket fit her perfectly. She turned slightly in front of Chen Yongqiang: "How is it?"

"It looks good." Chen Yongqiang nodded.

Lin Xiulian lowered her head and stroked the front of her cotton-padded jacket: "It's fine to wear now, but in a few months when my belly gets bigger, I'm afraid I won't be able to button it up."

"I'll buy you a looser one later," Chen Yongqiang replied naturally.

Lin Xiulian took off her new cotton-padded coat: "I'll put it away first and wear it again for the New Year."

She then looked at Chen Yongqiang, "There are still cornbreads in the pot."

"I've already eaten," Chen Yongqiang said. Actually, he had only hurriedly eaten a cold bun in town, but he was preoccupied with other things and didn't feel hungry.

Lin Xiulian had no suspicions, assuming he was just tired from the cold: "Then go and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed), I'll come as soon as I'm done tidying up."

"There's no rush to concoct the medicine tonight," he told himself. "Tomorrow, when it's light and I'm at my most energetic, I'll begin."

While resting at night, I repeatedly went over the description of the "Body Tempering Pill" heat control in my mind, thinking about which steps were prone to errors and which medicinal materials needed to be added at precise times.

Success or failure hinges on this moment; this Body Tempering Pill will be his first step onto the path to immortality.

It wasn't until late at night that Chen Yongqiang finally fell asleep with Lin Xiulian in his arms.