A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

The department stores in Harbin were packed with people; it was a weekend, and even more bustling than usual.

Lu Weidong wasn't wearing his military uniform today. He had changed into a dark gray woolen short coat, over which he wore a white long-sleeved shirt, and dark trousers that were pressed straight.

This outfit was definitely considered fashionable and stylish for its time.

With his height of nearly 1.9 meters and his cool demeanor, he stands out in a crowd as if he has his own spotlight, attracting the attention of passersby.

The two stopped in front of the stationery section.

There were some paints, paintbrushes and colored pencils on the counter.

Ye Wenxi examined it carefully.

The variety isn't particularly extensive, but they do have colored pencils.

Available in 12-color, 24-color, and 36-color options.

For her, this was already a pleasant surprise, as it met her basic needs.

She pointed to the 24-color box and asked, "Comrade, how much is this? Do I need industrial coupons?"

The middle-aged female sales clerk behind the counter looked up and spoke in a flat tone.

"Twenty-four colors, twelve yuan and eighty cents, plus two industrial coupons."

Ye Wenxi quickly did some mental calculations.

This is almost half a month's wages for an average worker, plus two precious industrial vouchers.

She pursed her lips, feeling it was too extravagant.

I was about to say, "I'll think about it some more," or switch to cheaper watercolor paints.

Lu Weidong, who was standing next to him, spoke up, "Comrade, we want the box with the thirty-six colors."

The sales clerk paused for a moment, looked at Lu Weidong, and then at Ye Wenxi.

His face immediately broke into an even warmer smile: "Comrade, you have excellent taste! These thirty-six colors are high-end goods from Shanghai, with a complete range of colors, perfect for any makeup look!"

As she spoke, she took a flat tin box from under the counter.

It is printed with bright patterns and the words "Chinese Thirty-Six Colored Pencils".

"But this price is different."

"Twenty-five yuan and forty cents, that requires three industrial coupons."

The price made several people around who were also looking at stationery secretly gasp.

Thirty-six colors, three industrial coupons! What kind of wealthy family would be willing to buy this for themselves to paint for fun?

Ye Wenxi was also surprised, her tone a little urgent: "Lu Weidong, this is too..."

"Comrade, this is the one."

Lu Weidong had already counted the money neatly, and then took out a few industrial coupons from the inner pocket of his military officer's ID card and handed them over, his movements as natural as handing over ordinary paper.

Then the salesperson took a look at his military officer's ID and demeanor.

"Comrade, you must be a military officer? I can give you a special price; just one coupon will do."

Lu Weidong turned to Ye Wenxi and said, "Don't worry about the coupons. Buy everything you need today."

Ye Wenxi thought about it again and realized that made sense.

For a family like the Lu family, there are probably "inexhaustible" various ration coupons.

Lu's father and mother were both high-ranking officials, and the amount of industrial coupons and cloth ration coupons they received each month far exceeded that of ordinary employees.

Moreover, the company often has internal supplies and special supplies, and many daily necessities are distributed directly as welfare benefits without needing to be purchased.

Once she understood this, she stopped being coy.

If you want to establish yourself, you need to have all the necessary tools.

She carefully selected: a set of drawing rulers, a compass, several types of sketching pencils of different hardness, a special eraser, and a paper cutter.

I picked out the most practical items, but I didn't deliberately choose the cheapest ones.

The two stood in front of the counter, and Lu Weidong paid the money and coupons quickly and efficiently.

Ye Wenxi was focused and meticulous when selecting items, and the ones she bought were all "uncommon" cultural products.

Several sales clerks who weren't too busy gradually gathered a short distance away, watching and whispering among themselves:

"Tsk tsk, look at all the high-end stationery they bought."

"What? Jealous?"

"Shh! The key is that guy. He looks like that, yet he's so generous."

"Sigh... I wish I could find someone like that."

Lu Weidong's expression was a bit cold, his brows furrowed slightly, annoyed by the scrutinizing gazes and whispers.

Ye Wenxi couldn't help but smile as she looked at his "keep away" demeanor, which was yet being frequently stared at.

"Do you always go out like this?" she asked softly.

Lu Weidong turned his head to look at her, his brows furrowing even more. He sighed and said nothing.

This reaction can be considered an admission.

Therefore, he never liked shopping and preferred to stay in the military camp.

It's simple and quiet there, without so much chatter and gossip.

"Battalion Commander Lu, you're really popular with the female comrades."

Ye Wenxi's smile deepened, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude.

Seeing her somewhat amused expression, Lu Weidong's face grew even colder.

Don't lesbians generally dislike their men being stared at by others?

Why does she seem completely unconcerned, instead acting like a detached bystander offering her opinions?

He felt inexplicably blocked up and somewhat annoyed.

The two then moved to the women's clothing section.

Ye Wenxi picked out some close-fitting clothes to change into, along with two plain-colored shirts and a pair of trousers, and then decided to stop shopping.

"That's enough, these are enough to wash."

She gathered the clothes she had chosen together, calculating in her mind that she had already spent quite a bit of money today, and she would save the rest for when she earned her writing fees later.

She had just turned to leave when Lu Weidong grabbed her arm.

"Not buying it?" he asked.

"That's enough, we'll talk about it later." Ye Wenxi tried to pull her hand away.

Lu Weidong didn't let go; his gaze went straight past her to a thick, dark gray wool coat hanging in the counter.

He said to the sales clerk, "Comrade, could you please take that coat down and try it on?"

That coat was clearly different from ordinary ones; the material was thick and sturdy, and the style was simple yet sophisticated. It was obvious to anyone with a brain that it was expensive.

Ye Wenxi quickly grabbed his arm: "Hey! Lu Weidong, really, you don't need to..."

She didn't want to owe him anything more, especially not for such luxuries that clearly went beyond basic needs.

"It's cold, you need it." He said succinctly, his voice low.

The saleswoman, a round-faced, friendly woman, had already taken the coat down with a smile.

"Comrade, you have excellent taste! This is genuine military wool fabric—lightweight, warm, and especially windproof!"

The coat is a classic straight-cut double-breasted style with clean lines, and it will not go out of style even decades later.

Lu Weidong had already taken the coat from the sales clerk; it was heavy and made of solid material.

He simply shook it open, stretched out his arm, and gestured for Ye Wenxi to turn around: "Give it a try."

Ye Wenxi tried to refuse again: "Lu Weidong, I really don't need it."

"Try it." He interrupted her, his tone suggesting that if she didn't turn around, he would personally help her put it on.

Ye Wenxi had no choice but to turn around.

The next second, the coat was draped over her shoulders, and his arm came around to help her put her arms into the sleeves.

Several customers browsing clothes nearby had already looked over.

Two young women huddled together, their eyes gleaming as they stole glances at Lu Weidong, then looked enviously at the wool coat, whispering amongst themselves:

"My God, that's really high and impressive."

"He's so good to his girlfriend; that coat isn't cheap, it cost a lot of industrial vouchers."

"Look at the way he helps her get dressed, tsk, I wish my boyfriend was half as considerate."