Qi Zhifang had someone take her to the other women's shed. Although they still couldn't meet, they were closer and breathing the same air. I wonder if Qi Zhifang will be happy this time.

She was assigned to loading the trucks. This involved the coal miners carrying the coal up and dumping it into a pile, and her job was to load that pile onto the large trucks. If she was lucky, the two of them would actually be able to see it.

Meanwhile, Wang Fang received gifts and money from Qi Zhifang and her mother. Qi Zhifang sent 50, and her mother sent 20.

She pouted and thought to herself, "How can I possibly show this much money? I can't even afford face cream. It's true what they say, when someone's down, everyone kicks them while they're down! They're looking down on me."

She wasn't in a hurry to buy grain; she simply took her money and coupons and strolled over to the supply and marketing cooperative.

He walked in and said, "Hello comrade, give me two bottles of face cream and five clam oils!"

The salesperson took it out and said, "Hello sir, the face cream is 2.5 yuan a bottle, 5 yuan for two bottles, and the clam oil is 1 yuan a box, 5 yuan, 10 yuan in total."

Wang Fang handed over ten yuan and thanked him. Just as she was about to leave, she saw a dark green wool coat next door. Oh my, that's beautiful! In this era where gray, blue, black, and military green are the norm, this color is truly stunning.

In the past, people would say, "Excuse me, comrade, how much is that green coat?"

The sales clerk came over and said, "Hello, this coat is 35 yuan." The purchasing department only stocked this one coat; the price was too high. Many people looked at it, but no one bought it. It's been sitting there for two months now.

Wang Fang gritted her teeth and tried it on, then couldn't take it off, so she gritted her teeth and bought it.

He happened to see some pale yellow yarn next to him, and his eyes lit up. He used two jin of grain coupons to buy two and a half jin of yarn for eight yuan. Only then did he go back satisfied. After getting the grain back, he bought six jin of noodles, which cost him another ten yuan.

Good heavens, less than three days after receiving 70 yuan, only 7 yuan remained. And this is only after the New Year; the next grain distribution is still a long way off!

This inability to manage a household is clearly hereditary. She doesn't even know that her mother has gone to the Northeast to work as a coal miner, and her maternal grandmother has been separated from her and is living alone. From now on, she can only rely on herself, as mountains crumble, rivers dry up, and people run away.

As for Zhao Aiguo, since Qi Zhifang left, he started going to the machinery factory again. After school in the afternoon, he was hungry, so he went to find his father, hoping to get two cents to buy a meat-filled bread at the bakery.

Zhao Dahu was outside the canteen directing the dismantling of the slaughtered cow! Seeing Zhao Aiguo in the distance, he muttered, "What's that little bastard doing here!"

Zhao Aiguo skipped over and said, "Dad!"

"Why are you wandering around here instead of going home after school?" Zhao Dahu hurried over, afraid that someone had bullied his son and that his son had come to ask for help.

Zhao Aiguo looked at the beef, licked his lips, and said, "I want to eat, I'm hungry!"

Zhao Dahu gently patted his head and said, "Where am I supposed to get you something to eat at this hour? I might as well go back and ask your grandma to find you something to eat."

He took two uncleaned cow bones, along with about a pound of scraps, wrapped them in oil paper, tied them with a string, took out fifty cents from his pocket, and handed them over, saying, "You've come at the right time. Take this to your uncle's house, and use the money to buy some food."

Zhao Aiguo nodded, picked up his things, and ran off, skipping and hopping to Wei Xigun's house. Even from a distance, he saw the door open, and Erni was hanging clothes to dry outside. He shouted, "Sister Erni..."

Hearing the noise, Wei's mother and Da Ni came out together and saw Zhao Aiguo running over like crazy. Wei's mother smiled so hard that her eyes disappeared and said, "What brings you here, you little rascal?"

Zhao Aiguo chuckled and said, "My dad slaughtered a cow at the canteen and asked me to deliver these to my uncle and aunt. I didn't expect you guys to come. Grandma, Da Ni, Er Ni, when did you arrive?"

Mother Wei took the oil paper package and said, "I've only been here for less than an hour. I was thinking of tidying up and going to see your grandparents tomorrow. They seem to be doing well."

Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "Grandma, please make us some beef bone soup!"

Mother Wei nodded and said, "Okay, I'll make it if my grandson wants to drink it!"

Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "Okay, Grandma, you go and make it! I'll take Da Ni and Er Ni to the alley entrance to buy meat pies!"

Mother Wei quickly took out fifty cents and said, "I'll give you the money!"

Zhao Aiguo shook his head and said, "My dad gave them to me. I bought pork and cabbage filling, and I can buy six, just enough for us to each have one!" With that, he grabbed one in each hand and led the other away.

Zhao Aiguo was 11 years old and already 162 centimeters tall, much taller than Da Ni and Er Ni. He was pulled along and ran to the entrance of the alley to buy pork and cabbage pies. These pies cost one cent each, and you could get one free if you bought five. Zhao Aiguo was so hungry that his mouth was practically watering. He took six, asked them to wrap them separately, put three in his arms, and each of them had one of the remaining three. He decided to eat them first.

As they ate and played on their way back, they saw Gu Dahong. They quickly finished the pie, stuffed the rest into Da Ni's arms, and went over to say, "Gu Dahong, are you going home?"

Gu Dahong nodded and said, "Yeah! What are you doing here?"

Zhao Aiguo touched his mouth and said, "I'm visiting my uncle's house. When you go back, tell my family that my grandma is here and I'm having dinner here!"

"Okay." With that, he ran off with a group of teenagers.

Zhao Aiguo also shouted at the top of his lungs, "Don't forget!"

"Ladies, how could I forget something like this?" They all scattered in a flash.

Mother Wei took an axe and chopped the cow bones into small pieces, soaked them in water, found two radishes, and then, after thinking for a moment, reluctantly took another radish.

She lit a fire on the stove and planned to stew a whole pot of food in an iron pot. Just as she was washing the pot, Liu Taohua returned with the leftovers she had divided up. As soon as she entered the house, she exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, what brings you here?"

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