Chapter 554: Chapter 554: Treasure

Zhang Dahai actually felt a bit insecure around Su Qing. He thought she came from a good family, was beautiful, and a top student at Beijing University. As for him? He was just an ordinary worker from an average family. What’s more, he felt he was average-looking himself. Standing next to Su Qing, he felt he was completely unworthy of such a dazzling girl.

But as fate would have it, he had fallen for this very girl. He always felt that his affection for Su Qing was an insult to her purity, that for someone like him to like her was nothing more than wishful thinking.

So now, standing face-to-face with Su Qing, he not only stammered, but his heart pounded like a drum. He felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

Still, he was secretly delighted to be able to speak with her. Before Su Qing could say a word, he blurted out, "Um, this alley is pretty empty around this time. Where are you headed? I can walk you, just in case that guy from earlier comes back."

Su Qing smiled and politely declined. "It’s alright, you’ve already helped me enough. I’m just headed to the department store. It’s not far."

"The department store?" Zhang Dahai said quickly. "I’m heading that way too. Let’s go together. Otherwise, if you’re walking alone and run into someone with ill intent, you could be in trouble."

Since he put it that way, Su Qing smiled. "Well, thank you then."

"D-don’t... don’t mention it," Zhang Dahai stammered. ’I’m stuttering again,’ he thought, wanting to slap himself. ’Why am I so pathetic?’

They weren’t far from the department store from here, just another six or seven-minute walk.

Seeing the crowded main street just ahead, Zhang Dahai said to Su Qing, "Uh, Su Qing, the department store is right up there. You’ll be fine from here. I... I should get going."

"Thank you," Su Qing said with a smile. Then, using her backpack for cover, she took a packet of tea out of her spatial storage. This wasn’t the top-grade tea she gave to her family and Mr. Gong. However, the raw leaves had been picked from forty- to fifty-year-old tea trees, so its flavor was much better than anything sold in the market. It also had properties that could improve one’s health.

Su Qing intended to give this packet of tea to Zhang Dahai as a thank-you gift.

"This is for you. Thank you for helping me earlier," Su Qing said, handing the packet of tea to Zhang Dahai.

Zhang Dahai quickly waved his hands in refusal. "No, you don’t have to. I was just passing by, it was no trouble at all. You really don’t need to be so formal."

"Just take it." Su Qing pressed the tea into his hand. She didn’t like being indebted to people. "If you don’t accept it, does that mean you think my gift isn’t good enough?"

"No, no, not at all! It’s just... this is too valuable," Zhang Dahai said hastily.

The tea was wrapped in oil paper and weighed about a pound. Even though it was wrapped tightly, delicate wisps of its aroma still escaped. Zhang Dahai didn’t know the first thing about tea, but the scent was far more fragrant than what came from the veteran foreman’s enamel mug back at the workshop. Just inhaling it felt wonderfully refreshing.

In the end, Zhang Dahai accepted the packet of tea. Although he was reluctant to leave her, he had no more reason to stay by Su Qing’s side. After earnestly reminding her not to walk through secluded alleys alone again, he departed, glancing back every few steps.

Su Qing had actually sensed some of Zhang Dahai’s feelings for her, but she chose to feign ignorance. ’We probably won’t cross paths again,’ she thought, and put the matter out of her mind. She went to the department store and bought the pastries Mrs. Li loved, along with some other snacks. Since Li Wan was working today, she went to visit her for a while and they had lunch together. Only after learning that Su Mei hadn’t been bothering Li Wan anymore did she return to the residential compound, relieved.

As for Zhang Dahai, he clutched the tea from Su Qing, feeling as if he were in a dream. Everything felt a little unreal. He had actually run into Su Qing, even helped her, and on top of it all, she had given him a packet of tea. Its clean fragrance lingered around him all the way home. He was still in a bit of a daze when he walked through the door, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Brother! Brother!"

When Zhang Dahai arrived home, the Zhang family was getting ready for lunch. Zhang Xiaozhen, carrying a dish out from the kitchen, saw him looking completely dazed. He was clutching something to his chest as he headed for his room. Now that the eldest son, Zhang Shenghai, was married, Zhang Dahai had moved out of the room the two brothers used to share. The family had partitioned off a small space in the living room to create a bedroom for him. Fortunately, their living room wasn’t too small, so the large family could just about manage to live there, even if it was a tight squeeze.

Right now, the Zhang family was just hoping Zhang Shenghai’s work unit would hurry up and assign him an apartment, or that they’d find some other way to get another place. It was simply too crowded for the whole family to be living together.

Zhang Dahai was still lost in thought about his time with Su Qing. He snapped back to his senses when he heard Zhang Xiaozhen’s voice. Looking at her, he asked, "What is it, sis?"

Zhang Xiaozhen’s eyes went wide. "Brother, you’re asking me what’s up? You should take a look in the mirror! Do you have any idea what you just looked like? You were grinning from ear to ear! And what’s that you’re hugging like it’s some kind of treasure?"

"Yeah, Dahai," his older brother, Zhang Shenghai, chimed in with a grin. The whole family was home from work today. "Did something good happen? Why are you so happy? From the looks of it, I’d say you met a girl you like, huh?"

The words were spoken casually, but they hit home.

Hearing his older brother’s words, Zhang Dahai’s face and ears flushed red, and he couldn’t stop himself from breaking into another silly grin.

Zhang Shenghai’s eyes widened. "So you really did meet a girl you like?"

With that, Zhang Shenghai shouted toward the kitchen, "Mom, I think you’re about to get your second daughter-in-law!"

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Zhang Dahai protested immediately. ’I’m no match for Su Qing, how could I ever dare to dream of being with her?’ Even though his sister always hoped Su Qing would marry him, he never allowed himself such an extravagant wish. He could only admire her from afar.

"What was that?!" Mrs. Zhang emerged from the kitchen at once. "Dahai, who’s the girl you’ve taken a liking to?"

"Mom!" Zhang Dahai groaned in exasperation.

But Zhang Xiaozhen’s eyes lit up. "Brother, don’t tell me you ran into Su Qing."

As she spoke, she eyed the package he was holding like a treasure. "And that thing you’re holding... don’t tell me Su Qing gave it to you?"

Zhang Xiaozhen knew exactly how much her brother liked Su Qing. She was certain the only person who could make him this happy was Su Qing.

’But I haven’t even figured out a way to get close to Su Qing’s family yet,’ she wondered. ’How has my brother already managed to cross paths with her?’

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