Chapter 18: Serving the People

“Sister Li is here! What are you buying today?”

“Sister, come quickly! Fresh fish, just arrived this morning!”

“This comrade looks unfamiliar. Is Xiao Li your relative? Does the young lady have a fiancé? My family has a nephew…”

Li Sanhua hurriedly interrupted the chattering old woman, “Hey, please don’t say that. This is Comrade Lu, Captain Gu’s fiancée. She just arrived yesterday!”

“Oh! Captain Gu’s fiancée, is it?” The old woman’s eyes brightened, as if equipped with X-ray vision.

This was the excitement brought on by gossip, something Lu Youyou had encountered many times since arriving here.

With a crowd gathering, Li Sanhua didn’t bother introducing everyone one by one. Lu Youyou simply put on her standard professional smile to handle most people’s enthusiasm.

She took out a prepared shopping list, a full page of various items. Li Sanhua glanced at it and smiled before speaking.

“You young people sure are meticulous about daily life. Let me see… yes, this looks about right. If anything’s missing, I’ll take you to the city next time.”

Lu Youyou smiled in agreement. She was growing more fond of Li Sanhua, who seemed carefree but had an impeccable sense of propriety, never lecturing others from a position of experience.

Entering shopping mode, Lu Youyou barely asked questions about what she wanted to buy; if it was available, she simply paid with money and receipt in hand.

The sales clerk moved steadily but her eyes grew colder with every passing moment.

Without the mask of indifference, her jealousy would be unmistakable.

The sales clerk was Zhou Jing, also a military dependent, newlywed earlier this year. Her husband was the one she settled for after failing to win over Gu Qingye.

Gu Qingye rarely came to the service center, but whenever he did, Zhou Jing had taken a liking to him.

She had even tried to arrange a match between the famous military catch and herself, but the fabled catch had flatly rejected the matchmaker.

Gu Qingye probably didn’t even remember this; after all, every so often someone would come through a third party asking if he was willing to develop a “revolutionary friendship” with this or that girl. He had grown accustomed to saying no.

Gu Qingye had served in the army for eight years, faced rejection countless times, and many assumed he would remain a bachelor for life. But suddenly, he was getting married.

And now that the main lady had appeared, no one could insincerely say the two were mismatched.

Many lacked education and couldn’t find elegant words, but they all thought Lu Youyou was like a fairy. Didn’t you see how everyone’s eyes followed her when she walked in?

Not just because she was Gu Qingye’s fiancée—her presence was like a painting; one glance left you wanting to look again.

Zhou Jing was no exception. She envied and resented quietly, yet couldn’t help but scrutinize her more and more, growing increasingly bitter.

How could she look like that, with skin so white and delicate?

Wasn’t she a sent-down youth? Yet she looked so fresh and radiant—it just didn’t add up!

How could she dare spend so much money? Did Captain Gu choose a spendthrift for his bride?

Buying even more? How many things did she intend to buy?

If she were the one marrying Gu Qingye, she’d probably be the one spending money without a second thought!

A sudden surge of sour heat welled up inside Zhou Jing. Unable to bear it any longer, she pointed at the slogan overhead, indignantly declaring,

“Comrade, thrift is honorable; wastefulness is shameful.”

Lu Youyou had long noticed the strange look in the sales clerk’s eyes and had waited patiently. Was that all?

She smiled faintly, lips curving, “Thank you for the reminder, comrade. Could you please measure out four meters of that deep blue corduroy over there?”

Zhou Jing couldn’t believe it and snapped, “Comrade, a soldier’s allowance is paid for with their life! Don’t you think your behavior disrespects those who shed blood and sweat on the front lines?”

Lu Youyou’s expression instantly hardened. Who allowed such baseless accusations?

A clear, cold voice filled Zhou Jing’s ears.

“No evidence means no right to speak. If you accuse me of extravagance and disrespect toward soldiers, you must provide proof!”

Lu Youyou looked at her, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Also, I am using my own money.”

Seeing Zhou Jing’s expression crack, Lu Youyou added, “Even if it were Gu Qingye’s money, what’s wrong with that? Is it wasteful for a wife to use her husband’s money to furnish their new home? That’s unheard of.”

Her voice remained calm and composed, making Zhou Jing increasingly desperate.

In truth, many quietly resented Lu Youyou’s lavish spending, but only Zhou Jing dared to be the outspoken thorn.

Her raised tone immediately drew everyone’s attention like a spotlight.

The women buying soybeans perked up their ears, the aunt pressing down the scale’s arm, the fishmonger stopped scaling fish, all afraid that any noise might provoke the watching crowd.

Li Sanhua was buying meat and noticed the tension. She abandoned the pork belly she had chosen and hurried toward the fabric counter.

“What’s going on? Out of stock on what you want? No worries, I’ll ask the service center director later. If necessary, we’ll go to the city.”

With a few words, Li Sanhua changed the subject, then looked at Zhou Jing seriously.

“Comrade, I remember you’re the younger sister of Deputy Battalion Commander Zhou from the Second Regiment? Look, the slogans aren’t just above your head—there’s one across the way saying ‘Serve the People,’ right?”

Li Sanhua stepped in to smooth things over, and Lu Youyou, of course, played along. But—

“Comrade, could you please measure four meters of that deep blue corduroy over there? Thank you.”

She repeated the request firmly.

The cold, sharp gaze caused Zhou Jing to flinch. She wanted to snap back defiantly but Li Sanhua had called her out by name, and she lacked evidence.

The surrounding eyes made Zhou Jing breathe more rapidly. Fainting now would mean losing face completely.

Without a word, she turned and gritted her teeth as she shouted to a colleague nearby, “Didn’t you hear them say ‘Serve the People’? Why aren’t you going to get it?”

The colleague was inexperienced and dared neither anger nor speech. Zhou Jing was the deputy battalion commander’s sister; she was just an orphan seeking refuge with her cousin.

Just as she was about to comply, the clear, cool voice sounded again.

“On the way here, I also saw a slogan: ‘Work with vigor, strive for the best, build socialism quickly, well, and economically.’ Comrade Zhou, do you agree?”

Zhou Jing glared at Lu Youyou in hatred, biting her lip until a teeth mark appeared.

Could she say no? Then she wouldn’t have to come tomorrow!

Li Sanhua had wanted to urge mercy but thought better of it.

Lu Youyou was new and striking; with her abilities, she could never be overlooked. Being firm now would mean fewer troubles later.

Zhou Jing forced down her anger and managed to say, “I’ll get it for you.”

After the commotion, Lu Youyou gained a few new reputations: a spendthrift with a temper not to be trifled with.

But the effect was immediate.

From then on, no one dared to gesticulate or stare openly at her; the once brazen gazes became hesitant and fleeting.

Lu Youyou’s heavily laden figure etched itself into many memories, vivid and lasting for years to come.