Without Su Yue causing trouble, Su Yan's subsequent tasks went much more smoothly.

She pushed her stall to the designated shed of the management bureau, collected her number, and then took Li Juan to do a big shopping spree.

The stalls under the management bureau are guarded by security personnel 24 hours a day, which costs one dollar a month. Fortunately, if the stalls are lost, the management bureau will compensate in full, so she is not worried at all.

She went to the tailor shop and bought five bolts of cloth, which were the best in color and quality available at the time, and then went to the commune to buy daily necessities.

The commune doesn't have many kinds of products now, but the quality is excellent; they're completely pure.

She bought three mirrors, one for each child, and two toys for the children. Su Yan bought ten yuan worth of toys for Hu Zi and Su Lei, based on their age groups.

She bought five boxes each of Friendship Cream and Clam Oil, but just as she was about to use them on the quilts, her mother stopped her.

"We can just make the quilts in the village; they're a few yuan cheaper there! The cotton is all the same." Li Juan paced anxiously.

Her daughter is so obsessed with buying things, and her mother can't stop her at all!

Su Yan thought about it and realized that it would be difficult to carry too many things back home, so she gave up.

The final bill came to 15 yuan, and the fabric cost 35 yuan.

Su Yan doesn't buy ready-made clothes because she doesn't like the current styles. Her mother works in this industry, so she can just draw up the designs and have her mother make them for her.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked, carrying her things, "Don't you have a sewing machine at home?"

Li Juan's eyelids twitched suddenly, and she said warily, "No, what would you need that for? We don't need it."

Su Yan, "How can you make clothes without a sewing machine?"

“No need, my hand-sewn ones are just as good. Don’t waste the money. Besides, sewing machines aren’t so easy to buy,” Li Juan quickly said, trying to stop her daughter’s idea.

Su Yan nodded thoughtfully.

It's true that it's hard to buy, but just because she doesn't have the connections doesn't mean others don't.

"Mom, wait for me, I forgot to buy something." Su Yan said as she turned back to the supply and marketing cooperative. "I'll take you to the state-run restaurant for dinner later."

A few minutes later, she came out without changing her expression and dragged Li Juan to the state-run restaurant without giving her a chance to ask questions.

The state-run restaurant's decor was very distinctive, with a five-star red flag flying above the signboard, the words "State-run Restaurant" written in the middle of the entrance, and "Self-reliance and Hard Work" written on both sides. Su Yan found it quite novel.

There's nothing I can do, she hasn't seen it before.

Carrying her mother with bags and packages, Su Yan glanced at today's menu and said, "Two bowls of sour soup dumplings, one serving of boiled beef, one serving of sweet and sour pork ribs and steamed fish, and finally, some braised pork with preserved mustard greens. How much?"

Li Juan wanted to say not to order so much, but seeing her daughter's enthusiastic expression, she didn't say anything.

Well, now that we have the means, let my daughter eat what she wants. As her mother, I can't be too disappointing.

Li Juan decided to change her stingy habits and absolutely not let her daughter suffer!

The sales clerk smiled broadly and quickly said, "It's fifteen yuan and eighty-five cents in total. We don't need a receipt anymore, so the price is a little higher than before."

The mother and daughter were dressed very simply, and she thought they wouldn't spend much, but they turned out to be quite generous.

Employees of state-run restaurants receive commissions, similar to sales in later generations; the more a customer buys, the higher their commission.

It was lunchtime, and the state-run restaurant was quite crowded. When Su Yan ordered almost a week's wages in one go, everyone present couldn't help but look on with surprise.

Su Yan paid the bill readily and then chose a seat by the window.

After putting down his things, he said to Li Juan, "Mom, I'm going to the post office and Baicaotang in a bit. Wait for me here, and don't talk to anyone. We'll talk when I get back."

Her mother is completely naive; if she encountered someone with ill intentions, she would be easily fooled.

Li Juan was a little reserved since it was her first time in such a luxurious place. Hearing this, she nodded and said, "Okay, Mother will listen to you."

Su Yan smiled contentedly, then rested her chin on her hand and stared blankly at the scenery outside the window.

It wasn't that she was petty; it was just that she had witnessed too much wickedness in people's hearts in her past life, so she was used to being extremely vigilant wherever she went.

Soon, all the dishes they ordered were served.

Su Yan immediately picked up her chopsticks and tasted each dish, her eyes showing what seemed like surprise. With each bite, she squinted her eyes with delight, her lips curving into a smile, like a greedy kitten.

Little did they know that this scene was being witnessed by a young man standing by the window in a room at a guesthouse across from the hotel.

If Su Yan looked up, she would see the man who was spying on her—the same man who was next to Tang Li that day!

Only after Su Yan left the state-run restaurant alone did Jiang Jingxing turn his gaze away, close the window, and walk to the sofa to sit down.

His room was the best in the guesthouse; only people with special status and a letter of introduction could stay there.

Besides him, there was another man in the room, wearing a green uniform and with a slightly youthful face.

He is Wang Xiaoxin, Jiang Jingxing's bodyguard.

"Commander, do you know that girl?" Wang Xiaoxin asked gossipily.

This was the first time he had ever seen the regimental commander take the initiative to look at a girl. If he told his comrades in the regiment, probably no one would believe it.

Jiang Jingxing, with a cigarette between his teeth, sat back on the sofa, making the originally spacious sofa suddenly seem narrow.

"You don't know her, do you?" His deep eyes held an unfathomable emotion, and his thin lips curved slightly. "Go and check on her family background."

Wang Xiaoxin hesitated for a second, then suddenly realized and laughed in an extremely "timid" manner, saying, "Commander, I understand!"

Jiang Jingxing lifted his eyelids to look at him, exhaled a smoke ring, and said, "I understand..."

"You don't need to say anything, I understand what you mean, and I guarantee I will complete the mission!"

After interrupting, Wang Xiaoxin left the room with a resolute attitude, as if he were going to war.

Jiang Jingxing: "..."

The group leader said he didn't know her and asked him to investigate. Wasn't that implying that he wanted to get to know the girl?

Wang Xiaoxin felt that he really understood the regimental commander! Indeed, he was the most suitable person for this position.

...

Unaware that she was being watched, Su Yan was completely oblivious.

When she arrived at Baicaotang, she was warmly greeted by Bai Lian and taken upstairs, where she was directly invited into Tang Li's office.

Tang Li looked up from his work and immediately smiled sincerely when he saw the person who had arrived. "Miss Su, you've come so quickly this time."

"My stall opens tomorrow. I came to town to buy some ingredients, and I'll have my mom bring them over for you to try." Su Yan sat down on the black leather sofa.

Tang Li was delighted and got up to pour her tea. "Alright, we've cooperated a few times, so we're practically friends. I won't stand on ceremony with you then."

Su Yan smiled noncommittally, then said, "Also, I have two Ganoderma lucidum and Dendrobium that are over two hundred years old. I forgot to bring them with me today. Do you still need them?"