The sky was very blue at this time of day, with only a few white clouds.

The trees on the distant hills were lush and green, and Jiang Jinxiu seemed to see a different version of herself in the future.

She wouldn't miss the college entrance exam this time; she was determined to go to university, and she believed Gu Xichen would support her.

She knew earlier than others and had two years to prepare; she believed she could definitely do it.

Gu Xilan is currently in her second year of high school, so I could borrow her textbooks to take a look, but it would be even better if I had my own set of textbooks.

Moreover, she remembered that there was a set of books that was particularly important for the 1977 college entrance examination, and she had to find a way to get her hands on it.

Jiang Jinxiu searched all the bookstores in town but couldn't find the book she was looking for, not even her high school textbooks.

After going around in circles, she returned to the entrance of Punan Town High School.

Seeing the security guard diligently guarding the gate, she went up to him and asked, "Sir, do you know where in our town I can buy high school textbooks?"

The security guard at the entrance noticed that she looked unfamiliar, but was quite pretty, so he sized her up for a while.

Nowadays, junior high and high school are two-year programs, while primary school is five-year programs. Generally, students graduate from high school at around sixteen years old.

The old man was puzzled. The girl in front of him was neither too old nor too young, but she seemed to be past the age of going to school. Why was she buying high school textbooks? Did she miss high school and now want to go back to school?

"Young man, why are you buying textbooks? If you want to study, the school will provide textbooks. You don't need to buy them yourself."

The old man voiced his doubts. After all, very few people want to buy textbooks directly these days.

Most people go directly to school to study, or they simply stop studying and go home to help with household chores. Girls, when they reach a certain age, are immediately asked to get married.

"I really enjoy reading, but my family can't afford it. I want to buy some books to read myself," Jiang Jinxiu said, making it up.

The old man felt quite uncomfortable upon hearing this.

He'd seen plenty of people working here.

Many girls have excellent grades in school, but their families don't allow them to continue their education. Some say their families don't have the money, others say that it's useless for girls to study since they'll all get married anyway, and there are all sorts of excuses.

He actually hoped that all the children could go to school, but unfortunately he was willing but powerless to do so; his abilities were limited.

He was still very happy to hear Jiang Jinxiu's words. He pointed into the distance and said, "Young comrade, go down this road and there's a recycling station. You can go there and take a look; there might be some old textbooks."

Jiang Jinxiu was overjoyed upon hearing this.

How could she forget about this treasure trove that is the junkyard?

She still remembers that after the country's economy developed, many people regretted throwing away things they thought were unimportant back then.

The scrap yard has collected a lot of treasures, but it has also destroyed a lot of treasures.

After thanking the old man, she went straight to the recycling station.

The scrap yard is about a 20-minute walk from Punan Town High School. It's a small place, run by two older women.

When Jiang Jinxiu arrived, she saw two women in their forties sorting through old and discarded items at the entrance.

Dust was flying everywhere at the entrance of the scrap yard. A gust of wind blew by and formed a small tornado, sweeping up the debris on the ground.

Jiang Jinxiu couldn't help but sneeze a few times.

The two older women looked over when they heard the sound, their eyes filled with doubt. What was such a pretty young girl doing here?

"Comrade, what are you doing here?" one of the women asked curiously.

Jiang Jinxiu looked at the things they were packing in their hands. They were some old newspapers and miscellaneous items, and even some chicken and duck feathers.

Jiang Jinxiu raised her right hand, waved away the dust in front of her eyes, and after calming her breathing, said, "I want to find some books and textbooks."

"So you're a book-loving young lady." The two older women smiled and looked her up and down. "We have to pay for these too. Do you have the money to buy them?"

After saying that, the two women looked at each other.

Jiang Jinxiu pretended to hesitate and touched her pocket, then said apologetically, "Sister, are the things here expensive? I have some money, but I can't afford them if they're too expensive."

Her voice was soft and sweet.

The two older sisters were overjoyed to hear that one word, "sister."

Originally, they thought the girl was fair-skinned and clean, and her clothes looked quite nice, so her family didn't seem to be short of money. They were planning to offer her a high price so they could also make some money off her.

But now that she's being so sweet-talking and doesn't have any money, I've lost interest.

"You sweet talker, girl. My surname is Zhang, just call me Sister Zhang. Her surname is Liang, call her Sister Liang." Sister Zhang said, pointing to Sister Liang beside her.

Jiang Jinxiu was very clever and greeted them with a smile, "Hello, Sister Zhang! Hello, Sister Liang!"

The two older women burst into laughter again.

It's been a long time since anyone called them "sister".

"The books are all inside, go in and find them yourself. It'll only cost you 15 cents a pound. There's a man inside who's also looking for books, but you can't tell him the price."

Sister Zhang leaned closer to her and whispered.

Jiang Jinxiu nodded knowingly.

When buying things, everyone's price will be different, and the price you can negotiate is a matter of personal skill.

Jiang Jinxiu wouldn't be so kind as to tell the other customers.

"Little girl, why don't you wait until that man comes out before you go in to look for him? It's not good for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together," Sister Liang reminded her.

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