All day long, Sun Fang was in a state of unease.
The words of Shen Nanchu kept swirling in her mind.
It wasn't that she hadn't thought about separating the family. It was just because her belly hadn't been争气 (able to bear a child), and Sun Fang always felt inferior in the family.
If, if she could also earn a hundred yuan, would she have the confidence to separate the family? And would she be able to stand up for her daughter?
With this thought in mind, Sun Fang couldn't fall asleep all night. She tossed and turned like a pancake until it was almost dawn before she finally dozed off.
Sun Fang usually cooked the breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home. Wang Dazhi was a considerate man and didn't want to wake Sun Fang up. So, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast by himself.
Early in the morning, Wang Xiumei's grandmother got up to feed the chickens. She saw Wang Dazhi busy in the kitchen but didn't see Sun Fang.
She felt annoyed and started scolding indirectly in the yard.
"Eat, eat, all you know is to eat. All day long, it's either eating or sleeping."
"You don't even lay an egg. If you don't lay an egg, I'll kill you."
With such a ruckus, how could Sun Fang still be able to sleep?
Not being able to give birth to a son for Wang Dazhi was a pain in Sun Fang's heart.
Sun Fang dragged her groggy head and got up, then walked into the kitchen.
Wang Xiumei was lying in the tree - house and heard all the commotion in the yard.
She clenched her hands tightly into fists, but finally, she loosened them.
...
Shen Nanchu got up very early today.
She had made an appointment with Yu Lanhua to go to the supply and marketing cooperative in the town.
She had been in Wang Family Village for a few days but hadn't had the chance to go to the town to buy daily necessities.
At the village entrance, Wang Mazi had already parked the ox - cart.
Many villagers who were going to the town took Wang Mazi's ox - cart.
It cost ten cents for a round - trip.
The money Wang Mazi earned from driving the ox - cart was naturally used for raising the ox.
Jiang Shuyi, Li Mei, Fang Jie, and Song Qingyang came early in the morning to grab seats.
Coincidentally, it was the market day today, and there were quite a lot of people going to the town.
Soon, there was only one seat left.
Li Mei had sharp eyes and saw Shen Nanchu approaching. She quickly shouted at an approaching aunt.
"Auntie, there's one seat left. I'll save it for you."
"Okay, thank you, Comrade Li, the educated youth."
The aunt was carrying a basket on her back. She thought she would have to walk this time, but unexpectedly, she met a kind - hearted educated youth.
Li Mei was extremely proud. In her mind, she could already picture Shen Nanchu walking to the town in a sorry state.
Jiang Shuyi watched coldly.
Anyway, the seats were first - come, first - served.
Song Qingyang started to have other ideas. His seat was quite spacious. If Shen Nanchu begged him, he would reluctantly make room for her.
As soon as Shen Nanchu got close to the ox - cart, Li Mei couldn't wait.
"Shen Nanchu, first - come, first - served. You can just walk to the town."
The look in Shen Nanchu's eyes when she looked at Li Mei was as if she were looking at a fool.
"The cart is full. Uncle Wang, let's go!" Li Mei looked like a petty person who had achieved his goal.
Wang Mazi looked at Shen Nanchu apologetically, "Comrade Shen, look..."
Shen Nanchu waved her hand indifferently, "Uncle Wang, you go first!"
Song Qingyang thought Shen Nanchu would say a few nice words to get herself on the ox cart. Unexpectedly, Shen Nanchu simply told the ox cart to go.
This was different from what Song Qingyang had expected!
"Hey, Comrade Shen, I can squeeze out one more spot here."
Song Qingyang had no choice but to invite Shen Nanchu herself.
Squeeze out a spot?
Sit on you?
Be stuck to you?
You're not good - looking, but you have some wild ideas.
Shen Nanchu waved her hand.
Song Qingyang thought Shen Nanchu had agreed and quickly squeezed towards Fang Jie.
"Xiaojie, move a bit further inside. Let's make a spot for Comrade Shen."
Fang Jie wasn't very willing, but she didn't want to refuse Song Qingyang's request.
In the end, Song Qingyang really managed to make a spot.
However, instead of Shen Nanchu, Song Qingyang waited for Wang Zhaodi, the well - known gluttonous girl in Wang Family Village.
Bang!
Wang Zhaodi plopped herself down on the ox cart.
"Comrade Shen, thank you for giving me the spot."
A stench of sweat mixed with the smell of garlic hit Song Qingyang's face.
Song Qingyang almost vomited up last night's dinner.
[Disgust value +1]
[Disgust value +1]
[Disgust value +1]
...
"Hold on tight!"
"Moo~~~"
Wang Mazi drove the ox cart away.
As the ox cart moved, Shen Nanchu's figure became smaller and smaller. There was full of hatred on Song Qingyang's face.
"Shen Nanchu, just you wait."
Well, waiting then!
It's just not clear who will be waiting for whom.
Dinglingling~~~
The clear sound of a bicycle bell rang.
Yu Lanhua pushed her family's bicycle over.
"Girl Chuchu, haven't you been waiting long?"
"No."
Comrade Shen shook her head.
After a heart - to - heart talk yesterday, Shen Nanchu and Yu Lanhua had established a deep revolutionary friendship.
Shen Nanchu took the bicycle from Yu Lanhua and carried Yu Lanhua towards the town.
...
Not to mention bicycles, Shen Nanchu could even drive cars with ease.
She carried Yu Lanhua without any effort at all.
"Uncle Wang, we'll go first. See you in the town."
Shen Nanchu deliberately emphasized the last two words.
[Disgust value +1]
[Disgust value +1]
[Disgust value +1]
...
Under the watchful eyes of Jiang Shuyi, Song Qingyang and Li Mei, Shen Nanchu carried Yu Lanhua and easily overtook them. Then, they went further and further away until they became a small black dot.
The journey that originally took two hours by ox cart was directly shortened to one hour by Shen Nanchu on the bicycle.
Ning'an Town was very lively at this time.
Many villagers carried local products from their own farms to the market fair. Some of them didn't even bother to hide and just put the products on the street and started selling.
Shen Nanchu was a bit curious.
"Aunt Lanhua, isn't it said that buying and selling is prohibited?"
Yu Lanhua shook her head.
"In our remote rural areas, it's okay to bring a small amount of self - produced things to the market fair on market days to exchange for some money to buy daily necessities. Just put them away if someone comes to inspect."
Yu Lanhua lowered her voice again.
“As long as you're not doing large - scale business, the town leaders turn a blind eye,” said one.
“There's no other way. It's all because of poverty,” replied another.
“Just like Wang Family Village being the poorest village in Ning'an Town, Ning'an Town is the poorest town in Yongxiu County.”
After hearing Yu Lanhua's words, Shen Nanchu fell silent, her eyes thoughtful.
“Girl Nanchu, here's the supply and marketing cooperative. Let's go in!”
“Okay.”
There were quite a lot of people in the supply and marketing cooperative. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait in line for too long.
Shen Nanchu had decided what to buy yesterday. When it was her turn, she said,
“Comrade, please get me five bars of soap, eight washbasins, eight buckets, eight towels, and two bundles of cotton cloth...”
In an instant, everyone in the supply and marketing cooperative turned to look at Shen Nanchu. Even Yu Lanhua looked at her in disbelief. The pen in the hands of the salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative trembled.
“Comrade, are you sure? This will cost a lot of money and require a lot of coupons.”
Shen Nanchu nodded.
“I've got enough money and coupons.”
She slapped a stack of ten - yuan bills and coupons on the counter.
∑(口||
