Chapter 14 Successful Resale

Xu Zhili's eyes flickered, but her calculating smile concealed a hint of scheming.

She looked at Wang Yuting and said in a clear voice, "Since Sister Yuting treats me like a younger sister, I can't let her down. This job... the market price is 1,500."

She saw Wang Yuting and Wang Jianguo's expressions tighten instantly (1,500 was a huge sum of money in 1968), but she quickly changed the subject, "However, since she's my 'older sister,' then... 1,000 it is."

"one thousand?!"

Wang Jianguo and Wang Yuting could hardly believe their ears!

This is almost a 500 yuan discount.

His voice trembled with excitement: "Girl, this...this is too...too much thanks to you. I'll remember this kindness. I know you're also going to Xiangyang Brigade!"

He suddenly remembered something, and his eyes became serious. "Here's what I'm saying! I have an old comrade-in-arms in Xiangyang Brigade in the Great Northern Wilderness. He's the brigade's Party Secretary now. I'm writing you a personal letter. When you get there, take the letter to him. As long as you don't violate any principles, he will definitely take care of you. Consider it... consider it my way of repaying you."

This is exactly what Xu Zhili wanted.

Her smile instantly became incredibly bright and genuine, as if sunshine had broken through the gloom: "Thank you, Uncle Wang. Don't worry, I will definitely not let you down, and I will cherish this friendship!"

She paused, as if just remembering, and said in a relaxed tone, "Oh, right, Uncle Wang, I need to trouble you with two small things."

"Speak! Just say it!" Wang Jianguo wanted to tear his heart out at that moment.

"First, could you please change my name from 'Lin Zhili' to 'Xu Zhili' on my educated youth registration information? I'll take my mother's surname now, Xu. Second..."

She gently patted her younger brother Xu Zhian's head beside her. "This child is my own brother, Xu Zhian, who is six years old. Could you please provide a certificate proving that he is my brother and that I am legally bringing him to the countryside? This will save us trouble on the way."

Wang Jianguo's smile froze for a moment, and his brows furrowed as usual: "Change your surname? And bring a six-year-old child with you? Girl, this... this household registration book still says 'Lin'! Bringing such a young child to the countryside, this proof... we need to go to the Public Security Bureau to change the surname first, then the paperwork will be complete."

Xu Zhili waved her hand dismissively, her tone as relaxed as if she were commenting on the nice weather: "It's alright, Uncle Wang. I'll go sign the 'severance agreement' with the Lin family in a bit, and then go to the police station to change my name right away."

"Please help me get the registration form and supporting documents ready. I promise all the paperwork is complete and I won't cause you any trouble."

Her words revealed a decisiveness and drive beyond her years.

Looking at the two application forms in her hand that were about to be stamped with the official seal and pointed to the Great Northern Wilderness, Xu Zhili felt a chill in her heart.

Things went much more smoothly than expected, absolutely perfect.

She pondered: Shouldn't Lin Wanwan also experience what it's like to go to the countryside?

Unfortunately, that scumbag Lu Jiahao can't be touched for the time being.

However, Xu Zhili was unaware that her plan to bring Lin Wanwan to the countryside was almost certainly doomed to fail.

Because she had not yet fully grasped the details of the policies of this era—unmarried couples who signed up to go to the countryside were not allowed to be too far apart according to regulations, and could only choose nearby educated youth settlements.

This in itself limited Lin Wanwan's options.

More importantly, she never expected that Lin Wanwan, who always pretended to be weak and stole everything from her, was actually carrying a new life in her womb.

According to the policy for educated youth at the time, married and pregnant educated youth were usually not approved or were asked to postpone their assignment to the countryside, considering the harsh working conditions, scarce medical resources, and poor living environment that would pose a great risk to the health of the pregnant woman and the fetus.

This protective regulation inadvertently became a shield for Lin Wanwan to escape her fate of being sent to the countryside.

Xu Zhili's revenge plan encountered an unexpected obstacle in its very first step.

As Xu Zhili left the neighborhood office, her heart pounded excitedly in her chest, like a rabbit jumping around in her hand.

The application form for going to the countryside was tucked in her arms, heavy with emotion. It was a ticket to her mother's footsteps, and also a declaration of war for her to sever ties with the past and forge a new life.

However, amidst the excitement, a subtle sense of unease quietly arose – in the Great Northern Wilderness, that unknown land frozen for thousands of miles, supplies were the key to survival.

She walked briskly and purposefully toward the supply and marketing cooperative building, a long list in her mind.

Thick cotton-padded clothes, sturdy fur-lined boots, a dog-skin hat that can withstand temperatures tens of degrees below zero, clam oil to prevent frostbite, anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing pills, and compressed biscuits to fill your stomach.

Everything was crucial to whether she and her brother could survive their first winter in that desolate land of the Great Northern Wilderness.

However, as soon as she turned the corner, the scene before her made her freeze in place.

At the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, a huge crowd surged forth, like a floodgate bursting open, a dark, dense mass.

Shouts, curses, and children's cries mingled together, creating a huge, suffocating sound wave.

The door creaked as it was pushed open, and the glass windows were covered with distorted human faces.

People pushed and shoved like sardines, elbows flying and baskets clattering against each other.

Goodness, they're just like the elderly folks in modern supermarkets. The moment they see a discounted item, they go crazy and frantically buy it.

The scene was absolutely chaotic, with everyone pushing and shoving like crazy, all trying to grab as many bargains as possible.

Xu Zhili gasped and instinctively clutched her pocket—it contained the resettlement allowance and Wang Jianguo's heartfelt "gift" inside.

With such a large operation, let alone procuring a large amount of supplies, even squeezing in would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

With her small frame, she'd probably be trampled flat as soon as she squeezed to the doorway.

Even worse, once she leaves with bags full of goods, in this era of extreme scarcity, it's tantamount to holding up a sign saying "Come and rob me!" Envy would be the biggest problem.

Going in? That would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, inviting trouble upon oneself.

Retreat? The problem of material shortages tightened around her throat like a cold chain.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, a thought suddenly ignited in her mind like a spark in the darkness—'the black market'.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, enveloping everything in a dazzling halo.

Xu Zhili wrapped her thin old coat tighter around herself and, following her vague memories and the cryptic directions of passersby, wandered around until she finally stopped at the edge of an area that reeked of a strong, pungent, and rotten smell.

This is a forgotten corner of the city—the back of the slaughterhouse, an abandoned wasteland.

The air was so thick it felt like you could wring blood out of it.

The strong stench of blood mixed with the putrid smell of animal entrails and the foul odor of feces.

There was also a certain indescribable, stale smell of old grime, forming a highly aggressive mixture of gases that forcefully entered the nasal cavity and rushed straight to the top of the head.

"vomit……"

Xu Zhili felt a churning in her stomach and couldn't help but gag, tears welling up in her eyes.

She leaned against the cold, stained brick wall, panting heavily.