A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 17

She was so eager to save the woman that she completely overlooked the disparity in “strength” between herself and the elderly woman.

She couldn’t pull the woman back. Instead, she stumbled and was almost pulled off the boat by the woman.

At that critical moment, a powerful force suddenly came from behind her, accompanied by a muffled thud. Someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her hard away from the edge of danger.

The elderly woman was also saved and fell back into her seat.

Shen Sisi was shaken. Cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.

The old woman was also terrified, her face pale, and her lips trembling. She hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Shen Sisi, holding Niu Niu, gasped for air. Just as she was about to thank her savior, a cry of alarm came from behind her. “Brother Hua, your hand…”

She turned her head at the sound. The man diagonally behind her was clutching his wrist with a pained expression.

The man was in his mid-twenties, well-built, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large, bright eyes. He was handsome in a wholesome way and looked like a man of integrity.

The young man next to him was skinny, with thin arms and legs, like a child who hadn’t fully grown.

Just now, it must have been this man who had reached out and pulled her and the old woman back onto the boat!

That muffled thud… must have been his wrist hitting the chair. It sounded painful.

Shen Sisi saw that his wrist was already bruised and swollen. It looked like a serious injury.

“Are you okay?” Shen Sisi asked with concern.

Before the man could speak, the boy, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, exploded like a firecracker. “Does my brother look okay to you?”

“His hand was already injured, and he hurt it even more to save you.”

“That’s enough, Xiao Jiang. As long as they’re okay,” Cao Hua said, suppressing the sharp pain, and lowered his voice to scold him.

He looked up, subconsciously glancing at Shen Sisi, and in that one glance, he was completely stunned.

What a beautiful girl!

Her face was small, her skin was fair and delicate, and her clear eyes were bright and watery. She looked fragile and soft, like a flower bud about to bloom. It was no exaggeration to say that she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind.

Seeing the old woman about to fall into the water, she instinctively reached out to save her.

Cao Hua grinned foolishly, staring at her pretty face. His hand didn’t seem to hurt so much anymore.

“Are you okay?” Cao Hua asked gently in return.

Shen Sisi shook her head. “I’m fine. But your hand is all swollen…”

“It’s just a small injury. It will be fine soon,” Cao Hua said, pretending it was nothing. He twisted his wrist and sucked in a cold breath from the pain.

Dong Xiaojiang glared angrily. “Brother Hua, stop being so tough… You twisted your hand yesterday, and it wasn’t even healed yet, and now you’ve hit it again. What if you become a cripple?”

“A cripple my ass!!” Cao Hua wished he could kick this guy to the bottom of the river.

“Brother, I was wrong. Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey. No harm in innocent words, bad luck go away, good luck stay…”

Looking at this funny duo, Shen Sisi couldn’t help but laugh. She took a small bottle of medicinal oil from her cloth bag.

“I made this medicinal oil myself. It can reduce swelling and promote blood circulation. Take it and rub your hand.”

A ripple of emotion passed through Cao Hua’s eyes. She made it herself…

He stared at the medicinal oil as if it were a rare treasure.

“This is too much trouble…” he said, being polite.

“Just take it. Thank you for saving me…” Shen Sisi pressed the medicine into his hand, reminding him to apply it at least twice a day and to rub the area until the skin turned red.

Cao Hua held the bottle dearly, nodding repeatedly. “Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you. My name is Cao Hua, Cao as in Cao Cao, and Hua as in China. What’s your name?”

Shen Sisi smiled faintly. She didn’t answer him. Instead, she looked toward the front of the boat. “We’re here.”

She helped the old woman off the boat, and they sat on a large stone on the bank.

The old woman’s eyes filled with tears. She held Shen Sisi’s hand and thanked her repeatedly. “Thank you, young lady. If it weren’t for you, I would have fallen into the river just now… In the middle of this cold winter, if I didn’t die, I’d at least get seriously ill!”

Shen Sisi patted the back of her hand comfortingly. “Auntie, you should be thanking the man who saved us, not me.”

“But wouldn’t he have been able to reach you only because you held onto me first?”

Shen Sisi thought for a moment. It was true. “In any case, please be more careful next time and don’t get distracted…”

The old woman thanked her profusely again, saying she absolutely had to treat Shen Sisi and Cao Hua to a meal.

“My name is Xu Jinhua. Everyone around the South Gate knows me. I’m not a bad person. I just want to thank you two for your great kindness.”

Cao Hua had already gotten off the boat. Seeing Shen Sisi, he couldn’t bring himself to leave and stayed with her and the old woman.

Hearing that Xu Jinhua wanted to treat them to a meal, he was secretly delighted.

He was about to agree when Dong Xiaojiang blurted out, “We don’t have time to eat… My brother is very busy. He’s the boss of the loading and unloading at Pier No. 8 and manages a lot of people…”

Cao Hua was so angry he elbowed him hard. “No one would take you for a mute if you kept your mouth shut…”

“Was I wrong? Weren’t you rushing to the pier to talk about something…”

Cao Hua glared furiously at Dong Xiaojiang, signaling him to shut up.

Hearing that they were busy, Shen Sisi also politely declined the old woman, Xu Jinhua. “Auntie, please don’t worry about the meal. I have something to do as well…”

With that, she didn’t linger. She held Niu Niu and walked up the stone steps.

She left the others standing there, staring at her retreating figure.

Cao Hua held the bottle of medicinal oil, his fingers clenching so hard that he nearly crushed the bottle.

Dong Xiaojiang finally had a delayed reaction. “Brother Hua, don’t tell me you like this woman!”

“Get lost!” If Cao Hua’s hand wasn’t injured, he would have already smacked him. This idiot always messed things up.

Dong Xiaojiang said sourly, “Stop looking. She has a kid already. You can’t be one of those lowlife scumbags who breaks up a family…”

“You’re the one who looks like a scumbag…”

The small incident didn’t affect Shen Sisi, but Dong Xiaojiang’s words did remind her.

Jiang City was a port city!

Its shipping was well-developed, with routes going all the way to the capital in the north and the special economic zones in the south. It was a crucial central hub.

Whether traveling south or north, or heading east to the sea, all ships would pass through Jiang City for resupply.

The timber that was a specialty of Lin County was transported upriver to Jiang City to be sold and shipped out of the province.

Therefore, there were many people from all over coming and going, and the black market here was much bigger than in other places.

Even though the city squad for public order came to crack down on speculation and profiteering every day, those who risked doing business here were always flocking to it.

Entering the black market, Shen Sisi swiftly wrapped her scarf around her face and also covered Niu Niu’s face. Only then did she feel safe enough to walk around.

She walked and looked, and her eyes were overwhelmed.

It truly was a black market in the provincial capital. It was so much bigger than the one in Lin County.

In addition to the clothes, shoes, daily necessities, meat, and eggs she usually saw, she also saw many goods from other places she had never seen before.

There was donkey-hide gelatin, ginseng, and kimchi from the north.

Beef, mutton, and dried fruits from the northwest.

Mountain goods and traditional Chinese medicine from the south.

And seafood and sea salt from the east…

Even electronic products from Hong Kong City were displayed on the small stalls.

It was truly a feast for the eyes, with everything imaginable.

People didn’t dare to be loud. They were all shouting their goods in low whispers.

Shen Sisi had originally come to the market to see if she could find any business opportunities.

After walking around, she felt more and more discouraged.

She was walking forward aimlessly when someone called out to her.