"Sister-in-law, you have to take good care of him, otherwise he won't be able to live," Zhuang Zhimeng said to Wang Xiaoman.

"Alright, everyone go wash your hands and eat!" Hao Caiyun gave the order, and everyone dispersed.

My two little nephews were the fastest, rushing into the toilet to wash their hands. They were going to have meat today, so they had to hurry.

After the meal, everyone had a clear understanding of Zhuang Zhimeng's culinary skills.

The little nephews were overjoyed, waving their arms and legs around and showering Zhuang Zhimeng with compliments as if they were free. Zhuang Zhimeng felt like she was floating on air.

Zhuang Zhimeng's sister-in-law, Wang Xiaoman, was a textile factory worker and brought her a lot of fabric. It had some minor flaws, but these were employee perks; most people wouldn't have access to them. It was perfect for making clothes to wear when she went to the countryside.

"I brought you some polyester fabric. There's a minor issue, but it won't affect anything. Please don't mind," Wang Xiaoman said, handing the fabric to Zhuang Zhimeng.

"How could that be, sister-in-law! I need it just in time, I'm so happy! Thank you, sister-in-law!" Zhuang Zhimeng happily hugged Wang Xiaoman's arm and acted coquettishly.

Zhuang Zhiwen took out 100 yuan and handed it to Zhuang Zhimeng, saying, "I don't know what to buy you, so take this money and buy whatever you want!"

Zhuang Zhimeng looked at the money but didn't take it; 100 yuan was two months' salary for Zhuang Zhiwen.

Zhuang Zhiwen is currently a level 5 worker, earning 63 yuan a month.

Just as she was about to refuse, Wang Xiaoman forced the money into her hand.

"Take this. It's a token of our appreciation from your brother and me. Buy it if you need anything else. Don't make yourself suffer."

Seeing that her elder brother and sister-in-law genuinely wanted her to accept the money, Zhuang Zhimeng thanked them and put the money away.

Wang Xiaoman then turned to Hao Caiyun and said, "Mom, is there anything my little sister needs? Just let me know if she needs my help."

"We've almost finished packing everything for her. We've already had her quilt and cotton-padded coat made, and we bought her cotton-padded shoes a couple of days ago. We'll send her the larger items later, and she can take the smaller things with her. She should have everything she needs. If she needs anything else, she can write to us and we'll send her more." Hao Caiyun had everything arranged.

"Make sure to bring plenty of warm clothes. I heard from my colleagues that winters in Northeast China are incredibly cold, sometimes dropping to minus ten degrees Celsius. Don't let your little sister get too cold! I heard that people in Northeast China basically don't do any work in winter and just stay indoors all the time. It's freezing outside! Mom, I still have some yarn. I'll knit another sweater for my little sister. I can finish it in the next couple of days, and it'll definitely be ready before we go to the countryside!" Wang Xiaoman suggested to Hao Caiyun.

“Okay, I’ll add some more yarn for you, and you can knit her a pair of woolen pants. There are still 3 days left, that should be enough time.”

Hao Caiyun turned around and went inside to get some yarn.

"Auntie, are you leaving? Can't you stay?" Pingping asked Zhuang Zhimeng, and An'an also looked at Zhuang Zhimeng curiously.

My nephews are named Zhuang Guoping and Zhuang Guoan, and their nicknames are Pingping and An'an.

“Yes, Auntie is going to the countryside. If you miss Auntie, write to her. You two must study hard at home so I can test you when I get back,” Zhuang Zhimeng said gently, stroking her two nephews’ heads.

"Auntie, don't worry, we'll definitely write to you. If you run out of money, my dad will give you some!" An'an immediately betrayed her father.

"You brat!" Zhuang Zhiwen was both amused and exasperated.

After sitting for a while, Zhuang Zhiwen and Wang Xiaoman took Pingping and An'an home, wanting to hurry up and knit sweaters and trousers for Zhuang Zhimeng.

Hao Caiyun took out 500 yuan and some coupons and gave them to Zhuang Zhimeng, saying, "Go to the supply and marketing cooperative again in the next few days and get whatever you need. Things are definitely not as complete in the countryside as they are here."

The next day, Zhuang Zhimeng arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative after getting ready.

I saw some yarn, which is perfect for knitting sweaters. It would be nice to knit them and send them back to my family. I bought a few pounds of each color.

I bought a piece of coarse cloth; it would be great to make a curtain.

I also bought a carton of cigarettes, and since I happened to have some liquor coupons, I bought two bottles of Moutai and a few bottles of regular liquor.

Moutai is subject to purchase restrictions; each person can only buy two bottles. Keep the Moutai, and use the cigarettes and alcohol to give as gifts.

I also bought 2 jin of White Rabbit milk candy, 2 jin of sponge cake, 1 jin of regular fruit hard candy, and a few boxes of Beijing-style pastries.

The pastries taste pretty good now, without so many added ingredients as in later generations. I'll save these to enjoy slowly.

I went to the watch counter, thinking I'd buy a watch so it would be convenient to tell the time. I chose a Plum Blossom brand watch; it was quite simple and the design wasn't bad. It cost 120 yuan plus a watch voucher.

Back home, Zhuang Zhimeng calculated how much money she had left.

The original owner had over 500 yuan, and after spending it over the past few days, 303.72 yuan was left. The grandparents gave 1000 yuan, the owner won 500 yuan in a lottery, the older brother and sister-in-law gave 100 yuan, and the mother gave 500 yuan.

There are more than 2,000 in total. The largest denomination is only 10 yuan now. Luckily there is a warehouse, otherwise we would have to fill a whole sack to store the money.