The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 67

Song Mingyue followed Qin Shuang to the night market. This was the first time she had seen the nightlife of this city since her arrival.

The entire street was filled with a dazzling array of neon lights. Many stylishly dressed men and women moved through the crowd, and at the street corner, disco music was blaring—people were dancing along, lost in the lively atmosphere.

Zhang Jingjing’s eyes widened in shock. She had never seen anyone dancing like this in public, let alone dressed in such “revealing” clothing. It was a complete culture shock for her. Though she found it incredible, the sheer vibrancy of the scene left her feeling an urge to be part of it.

So, this is what the great Shanghai is like, she thought. I’m really gaining some perspective.

She excitedly turned to speak to Song Mingyue, only to find her friend remarkably calm and unmoved by the spectacle.

Zhang Jingjing couldn’t help but ask, “Mingyue, how are you so calm? Look at how lively this street is at night. We’ve never seen anything like this in Mo City, have we?”

Song Mingyue hadn’t seen such scenes in Mo City, but she knew that in a few decades, any reasonably developed city would look just like this at night.

However, her composure wasn’t just because she was accustomed to the sight. Ever since she decided to commit herself to building her business, she had learned to keep her emotions in check, especially when out in public. No matter what happened, one had to remain unperturbed to ensure opponents found no weaknesses to exploit.

Qin Shuang was still busy greeting others. Clearly, she was a regular here; she had already chatted with several people along the way. Song Mingyue couldn’t help but wonder if this place had been the catalyst for her eventual meeting with that scumbag of a man.

Seeing Zhang Jingjing’s “country bumpkin visiting the city” expression, Qin Shuang felt a mix of pride and disdain. “It’s just a night market. Why are you so worked up?”

“Where we’re from, everyone goes to sleep after dinner. I rarely see people gathering to have fun at night.”

“That’s not the same at all. Your place is the countryside—you can’t compare it to Shanghai.”

Zhang Jingjing felt slightly awkward at the comment, but Qin Shuang didn’t give it another thought, already drifting away to network with more acquaintances.

“Your relative is quite something, isn’t she?” Zhang Jingjing whispered, watching her dance around. She felt a mix of admiration and annoyance at Qin Shuang’s words. “Her temper isn’t great, though. Sure, Shanghai is developed, but our home isn’t so bad either.”

Song Mingyue comforted her: “No need to bicker with her. We came here for the clothes wholesale, after all.”

When Qin Shuang returned, Song Mingyue couldn’t help but ask, “What does this place have to do with stocking up on clothes?”

“What’s the rush? I’ll take you there after I hang out here for a bit. It’s not far ahead.”

Song Mingyue frowned and said, “You’re still young. You should focus on your studies instead of hanging out with the wrong crowd.” In the future, these friends will likely only bring you harm.

She knew there was little chance Qin Shuang would listen, but seeing her frivolous behavior, the warning slipped out. As expected, Qin Shuang didn’t appreciate it. She smirked and replied, “Who do you think you’re lecturing? Even my mom doesn’t talk to me like that. Do you still want to see the clothes or not?”

Seeing her stubbornness and recalling the miserable woman she would later become, Song Mingyue realized that everything had its consequences. Zhang Jingjing, worried that Qin Shuang wouldn’t take them after all, quickly mediated: “We want to go, we want to go! Mingyue didn’t mean anything by it.”

Qin Shuang gave a dismissive “Hmph,” and moved on. Later, Zhang Jingjing tugged at Song Mingyue, whispering, “She’s got a fiery temper. It’s useless to try and reason with her.”

“I know,” Song Mingyue replied. “I won’t do it again.” She understood that approach wouldn’t work. I’ll just focus on the task at hand for now.

Once they passed the entertainment district, they reached the area specifically for clothing. There were a few storefronts, but most were rows of clothes hung neatly on racks lining both sides of the street. It was just as busy as the area with the dancing, with many fashionable young women browsing.

Qin Shuang said proudly, “There, don’t let the small area fool you. This is the most stylish stuff in all of China, and it’s incredibly popular.”

Looking around, the clothes were vibrant and colorful—a sharp contrast to the uniform blue, white, and black typical of the era. These styles were truly on the cutting edge. Even decades later, some of these trends would still look stylish; fashion truly is a circle.

The market was filled with plaid shirts, bell-bottoms, jeans, red dresses, and chunky leather shoes. Some shops even sold accessories like large-framed sunglasses and earrings. The shopkeepers were enthusiastic, calling out to anyone who walked past their stalls.

Honestly, a stroll through this market was more effective than days of research on the streets of Mo City. If the clothes in Mo City were dull and colorless, every garment here was stylish and had character. These were the current trends, and they would soon make their way to other parts of the country.

Seeing Song Mingyue staring intensely at the merchandise, Qin Shuang felt a surge of pride. “Told you, I’m familiar with every place in Shanghai that sells clothes.”

“The clothes here are great,” Song Mingyue said, “but we are here to wholesale. We can’t just buy a few pieces.”

Qin Shuang looked as if she had expected this. “You out-of-towners are all the same—no patience.”

Song Mingyue ignored the sarcasm and focused on the key point. “Have other people from out of town come here to stock up before?”

“Those who know quality definitely come here. If you went to Huating Road without knowing anything, you’d probably get scammed and end up counting money for someone else.”

That was the truth. Connections were important in any era, and if not for Qin Shuang, they would have wasted a lot of time. Song Mingyue thanked her sincerely: “Thank you, Qin Shuang.”

Song Mingyue’s genuine tone caught Qin Shuang off guard. She was used to people who responded to toughness with either confrontation or submission, but Song Mingyue’s shift in attitude left her speechless. She walked ahead to lead the way: “Come on, it’s just up ahead.”

The place Qin Shuang referred to was a shop nearby where she was quite familiar with the owner. She didn’t even bother with pleasantries, walking right in and saying, “Er-Mei, this is my niece. She wants to wholesale some clothes to sell back home, so why don’t you introduce her to your sources?”

Although they seemed close, Song Mingyue had no memory of this woman. Back then, when Qin Shuang was miserable, Song Mingyue had suggested she find a close friend to hang out with and spend money to feel better. But Qin Shuang had no true friends—only a group of fair-weather acquaintances who drifted away once she lost her status.

So, she did have good friends when she was younger, Song Mingyue noted to herself. How on earth did she manage to ruin such a good hand?

Er-Mei was loyal and direct. “Since she’s your niece, I won’t hide anything. I’m going to Huating Road to pick up stock tomorrow at 5:30 AM. You two meet me there, and I’ll introduce you to the suppliers.”

“Thank you so much,” Song Mingyue said.

After chatting for a while, there was nothing left for them to do. Just as they were about to leave, Er-Mei said teasingly to Qin Shuang, “Oh, it’s so late already. He’s not coming today, is he?”

“Er-Mei, don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t say I was waiting for anyone!” Qin Shuang immediately retorted, though a hint of shyness appeared on her face.

It seemed the person they were talking about was someone special to Qin Shuang.

Song Mingyue analyzed the situation with a tense, serious focus. Qin Shuang had always insisted that her husband, Song Jiacheng, was the only man she had ever been with, while he had countless affairs—which she felt was incredibly unfair. Seeing this, it seemed Qin Shuang had liked someone else when she was young.

Zhang Jingjing found Song Mingyue strange today. They were both exhausted, and Zhang’s legs were trembling. Even though it was Song Mingyue who had initially wanted to leave, when Zhang asked again, Song insisted they wait a bit longer.

Qin Shuang was also confused. “Why aren’t you going back yet?”

Song Mingyue made up a weak excuse: “It’s too late, and it’s not safe for you to go home alone. We’ll walk with you.”

Er-Mei laughed. “Go on, girls. Qin Shuang has her own guardian knight coming.”

“Is she dating someone?”

Qin Shuang said angrily, “What are you talking about? Who’s dating?”

Even though Shanghai was more advanced than other places, girls were still sensitive about such topics. Song Mingyue actually wished she was dating—surely that would be better than her future life of misery.

After waiting a while longer, no one appeared, so Song Mingyue and Zhang Jingjing finally returned to the guesthouse. They took a pedicab because Song couldn’t walk another step, costing them two yuan.

Zhang Jingjing winced at the price. “My legs are about to snap, but that was two yuan! That could buy so many things—and we just spent it on a ride.”

Song Mingyue offered a different perspective: “Look at it this way: if we hadn’t found Qin Shuang today, it would have been hard for the two of us to avoid being cheated at Huating Road. We might have ended up spending even more money.”

Zhang Jingjing still seemed dazed by the day’s events. “Mingyue, I remember you said you were from Pingcheng. How did you become a person from M City today?”

“I grew up in M City and only moved to Pingcheng later.”

“No wonder!” Zhang Jingjing smiled. “Well, we really owe your Shanghai relative one. Otherwise, this trip would have been full of obstacles.”

“Exactly, so spending two yuan to treat ourselves is worth it.”

Zhang Jingjing understood. Under the moonlight, the two of them, weary to the bone, finally reached the guesthouse. The place was quiet, with only the night-shift clerk awake. Seeing them return, the clerk said, “You two are truly hardworking. I hope your business is a success!”

Song Mingyue nodded at him gratefully.

Back in their room, she finally realized that her toes were bleeding from the friction of the leather shoes she had bought specifically for this business trip.

Zhang Jingjing complained, “Your feet are bleeding! Mingyue, why didn’t you say anything?”

Song Mingyue hadn’t felt a thing. Aside from a bit of pain on the train, she had completely forgotten about her feet all day; her entire focus had been on Qin Shuang and the wholesale business.