Seeing that Aunt Liu was going to bring something, He Tiantian casually asked Old Man Qi what he needed.
Old Qi gave her fifty cents and asked her to bring some wine.
No coupons were needed to buy alcohol; anyone with money could buy it. However, in those times of scarcity, when even food was scarce, few people bought alcohol. Old Man Qi, however, was not short of money, so he could still drink two or three bottles a year.
That evening, after returning home, He Tiantian wrote a letter, intending to mail it the next day to inquire about the situation. She felt uneasy not receiving the letter.
Grandma Qi didn't have anything she wanted to bring back, but He Tiantian would still buy her some easy-to-eat pastries. If she had the ingredients, she could make them herself, but without them, even a skilled cook can't make a meal without ingredients, and she couldn't make all sorts of delicious pastries.
Wang Shuping brought He Tiantian a lot of money and coupons, and Huo Yingjie also prepared a lot of money and food coupons for He Tiantian. With the allowance for educated youth, it was enough for her to spend.
The next morning, He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan waited in a grove of trees not far from the village. They avoided the crowd to prevent gossip.
A short while later, Qi Ergou drove an oxcart, carrying Secretary Qi, and swayed over.
"Get in the carriage." Secretary Qi greeted his daughter with a broad smile, as if his carriage was more impressive than a car.
"Hey!" He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan smiled broadly and got onto the oxcart.
Qi Ergou flicked the whip in the air, making a crisp sound.
The old ox, which had been so lazy, gradually picked up speed as it walked along the country road.
As dawn broke and the morning dew was heavy, Secretary Qi produced two burlap sacks as if by magic, saying, "Each of you wear one, so the dew doesn't wet your clothes."
"Thank you, Uncle Qi." He Tiantian took the shawl and put it on; she had benefited from Qi Xiaoyan's kindness today. When no one else was around, He Tiantian changed her form of address.
"Sweetie, what are you doing in the county town?" Secretary Qi asked. "The county town isn't what it used to be; it's chaotic now. Be careful, buy what you need quickly, and stay close to Er Gou. Don't wander off!"
"Go buy some soap and toothpaste, then go to the post office to mail a letter," He Tiantian said softly. She knew the county town was chaotic; she remembered that around this time in her previous life, Secretary Qi had brought back several people from the county town who were supposed to undergo labor reform. Perhaps this time, Secretary Qi was going to do just that.
Secretary Qi nodded and said, "It's good that you two know what's going on. By the way, Sweetie, it's been so long since you sent your parents that letter. You should reply by now, shouldn't you?"
“Yes,” He Tiantian said. “Logically, my parents should reply to my letter immediately. But it has been so long and they haven’t replied. I’m worried.”
He Tiantian wasn't worried about her parents' situation for the time being, and she also had to deal with Huo Yingjie. Neither side had replied to her letters, leading He Tiantian to suspect that Qi Jianguo and Qi Shuli had hidden them. However, she had no proof and had to go to the post office to check.
"Oh, no wonder," Qi Dazhu said. "When we get to the county town, I'll go to the commune and have Er Gou take you shopping in the county town and to the post office."
He Tiantian kept expressing her gratitude, saying that having a good relationship with the cadres made things much easier.
Along the way, Secretary Qi asked He Tiantian about the situation in Nanshi, and He Tiantian told her the truth. He Tiantian also realized that the reason Secretary Qi was so concerned about Nanshi was because Qi Xiaoyan's second brother was serving in the army there. What a coincidence! If there's an opportunity in the future, she could ask his second brother to bring some things for their parents.
For example, those rare pickled rabbits and pickled pheasants.
They set off early in the morning, and when they arrived in the county town around 10 a.m., Qi Ergou drove the oxcart directly to the commune compound and found a place to park it.
Secretary Qi went to a meeting at the commune, while Qi Ergou took He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan to stroll around the county town and buy the items on the shopping list.
The people on the street hurried along, their faces ashen, most looking malnourished. Their clothes were patched, and they seemed lost and bewildered.
The sky was gray, the houses were dilapidated, and everything in sight exuded an air of decay. At this time, probably only the walls along the streets were covered with propaganda slogans such as "All reactionaries are paper tigers," "Carry the great proletarian revolution through to the end!" and "We will resolutely not allow the restoration of capitalism!"
Every word and phrase is filled with fighting spirit!
Along the way, they frequently saw people being forced to participate in public denunciations. Qi Ergou protected Qi Xiaoyan, while He Tiantian walked to the side, not wanting to get involved.
Seeing this, He Tiantian felt heartbroken. This was a national catastrophe, a disaster for the people. He Tiantian knew this was the inevitable trend, and she, a nobody, had no way to change the situation. In her previous life, her parents had also been subjected to such persecution. She couldn't control others, but she was determined to change her parents' fate.
"I'd rather die than not change." This is He Tiantian's motivation to persevere.
The supply and marketing cooperative was relatively close to the commune government compound, so the three of them went there to buy things first.
The salespeople there are government employees, but they have no professional service skills whatsoever.
They are aloof and indifferent.
He Tiantian knew the true colors of these salespeople from her past life; even if they were rude, they had to put up with it. Fortunately, He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan were both pretty and dressed neatly, giving the impression that their family was well-known and influential in the county. Although the salespeople weren't enthusiastic, they didn't make any sarcastic remarks either.
Qi Ergou went to the city today, wearing his best clothes, but still received a disdainful look from the salesperson. However, Qi Ergou felt inferior; as a country boy, he didn't dare to argue with these government officials.
The three of them quickly bought what they needed and went to the post office.
There was only one man sitting behind the counter in the post office, busy sorting letters with his head down.
"Hello, comrade, I would like to ask how long it takes to send a letter from here to Nanshi in Jiangsu Province?" He Tiantian asked politely, taking out her letter.
Seeing that she was a pretty girl, the young man guessed she was an educated youth from Nanshi. He quickly put down what he was holding and replied, "If all goes well, it will take about ten days. Do you want to send a letter? The stamp is eight cents and the envelope is one cent."
He Tiantian took out a dollar and said, "Twelve envelopes and eleven stamps, that's exactly one dollar."
The man deftly took the stamps and envelope and handed them over. He Tiantian carefully put the letter inside, affixed the stamps, and wrote the address and recipient's name.
"How long will it take to send it from Nanshi to here?" He Tiantian asked, trying to estimate when she would receive a reply from her parents and Huo Yingjie.
The man thought for a moment and asked, "Are you in the city or the countryside?"
“From the countryside, Qijia Village,” He Tiantian replied with a smile, very politely.
"That will probably take ten days to half a month," the man replied. "After all, our postmen have to deliver mail to the villages one by one. You know the situation in our county town; it's all mountain roads, so delivering mail takes even longer."
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