Zhuang Zhimeng and Hao Caiyun left the supply and marketing cooperative with bags and packages, chatting and laughing as they walked home.

"Mom, I'll take my ration book to the grain store tomorrow to buy some grain. I think we don't have much rice left at home," Zhuang Zhimeng said to Hao Caiyun, suddenly remembering that they didn't have much grain.

"Okay, I'll buy some flour while I'm at it. Your train leaves in the afternoon, so I'll make you dumplings for lunch. You can take some with you on the train; just add hot water and you're good to go."

Hao Caiyun had been thinking about what to bring on the train. Other things were hard to heat up, but dumplings were perfect.

"Mom, then bring me some more pickled vegetables, they're delicious."

Zhuang Zhimeng's mouth watered just thinking about the pickled vegetables.

"No problem at all. Pickled vegetables are no trouble. I'll bring you a few extra bottles. If you run out, just write home and I'll send you more!"

Hao Caiyun was very happy to hear that her daughter liked to eat it.

Shi Hongye also came to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things for the countryside. When she saw that Zhuang Zhimeng and her daughter were carrying a lot of things, she was so jealous that her eyes turned red.

He hurriedly stepped forward and called out to Zhuang Zhimeng, "Mengmeng, you're here to buy things for the countryside too? You're so lucky! Look at me, I can only buy the few things I really need. I don't have enough money coupons. Could you lend me a few things so I can buy the rest? I'll pay you back when I have the money..."

When the mother and daughter turned around and saw Shi Hongye, Zhuang Zhimeng thought to herself, "I haven't even gone to settle accounts with you yet, but you're already rushing to make your presence known. Do you really think I'm a pushover?"

"Shi Hongye, how can you be so shameless? We've already fallen out, how can you still shamelessly come near me? Give me back what you borrowed right now, I wouldn't give it to you even if it were some random cat or dog," Zhuang Zhimeng said loudly.

"Mengmeng, weren't all those things given to me by you? How can you go back on your word?" Shi Hongye retorted.

"Pah! You're not pretty, but you think too highly of yourself! You don't know this, do you? I have a habit of writing down everything you borrow from me in a notebook. It was just a personal hobby, but look, I don't need to keep it. You always say you're borrowing, and I thought you were lending it to a friend, so I didn't press you. What? Didn't you ever think about returning it to me?" Zhuang Zhimeng said irritably.

As she spoke, she took out a notebook from the warehouse. That's right! Now that she had a warehouse, Zhuang Zhimeng had put all her belongings that could be stored there in it. The notebook clearly recorded the time and items, all of which were borrowed by Shi Hongye. There were White Rabbit milk candies, biscuits, a pocket mirror, and even clothes.

"That girl is really not a good person. She borrowed so many things from people and then claimed they were given to her! She definitely wants to keep them for herself. Who would give away their own clothes?"

"Yes! It's so hard to make a piece of clothing these days! My husband saved up his fabric ration coupons for two months just to make one garment!"

"This young girl was easily fooled; she even claimed to be someone's friend!"

"Whose daughter is this? She's grown up like this..."

As more and more people gathered around, Shi Hongye panicked. How did things turn out this way? What was wrong with Zhuang Zhimeng? Why was she out of control? She would definitely have given her things before.

"I'll return those things to you. We're no longer friends, hmph!" With that, she turned and ran out of the crowd.

Shi Hongye thought that Zhuang Zhimeng would calm down in a few days and would definitely come to make up with her. She would definitely not want to let her go, just like before.

"Yaya, you absolutely must not associate with this girl anymore. She looks like she has ulterior motives, her eyes are always darting around, she's never serious," Hao Caiyun said worriedly to Zhuang Zhimeng.

Zhuang Zhimeng used to consider Shi Hongye a friend, and her family had tried to persuade her otherwise, but to no avail. If they tried to persuade her too much, Zhuang Zhimeng would get angry, so her family stopped trying.

"Don't worry, Mom! I'm clear-headed now. I won't fall for her little tricks again!" Zhuang Zhimeng said confidently.

The mother and daughter rarely go shopping together, so instead of going home to cook, they decided to eat at a state-run restaurant.

The blackboard said there was braised pork on the menu today. The two of them ordered two bowls of beef noodles and one bowl of braised pork, which cost a total of 1.5 yuan plus half a jin of grain coupons.

After paying for the ticket, I found a seat.

This beef noodle soup is really generous, a big bowl with plenty of beef. I also tried the braised pork; it tasted good and wasn't too greasy. Zhuang Zhimeng ate a few pieces.

There's no such thing as waste in this era. Zhuang Zhimeng ate as much as she could, but she still couldn't finish the beef noodles. Seeing that she really couldn't eat anymore, Hao Caiyun took out a lunchbox, packed the beef noodles and braised pork separately, and took them back for Zhuang Xingzhou to eat.

After returning home and unpacking, the mother and daughter rested for a while. Then they took out their suitcases and started packing, discussing what to bring to the countryside.