Seeing his daughter's expectant eyes, Rong Lianhu also looked at Qing Xuanzi expectantly: "Brother, can I take her out for a walk?"
Qing Xuanzi also wanted to verify whether Rong Jiaojiao would still try to take away any good things she saw outside.
He stood up and said, "Alright, I'll go for a walk with you!"
Rong Lianhu held his daughter, letting her sit on his arm, and walked out of the courtyard one after the other with Qing Xuanzi.
Anyang Town is not small. It has a main street running straight from east to west, and a three-way main street branching out from the center of the main street.
The streets were fairly wide, with mostly low bungalows on both sides, their roofs covered with bluish-gray tiles.
The street was paved with uneven stone slabs, and perhaps due to the heavy rains this year, the gaps were filled with moss, making it look somewhat damp.
Since the public-private partnership was implemented, apart from the two fixed market days each month, there are not many pedestrians on the streets during this period.
Many families who used to run small businesses have closed their shops, creating a somewhat desolate atmosphere.
They were located at the eastern end of the town, while state-run shops, grain and oil stores, restaurants, and other businesses were concentrated in the town center.
Rong Lianhu carried Rong Jiaojiao in his arms, with Qing Xuanzi following behind, as they walked slowly along the street.
Most of the houses on both sides of the street had their doors and windows closed, and occasionally a few pedestrians could be seen hurrying by, their faces showing some worry and fatigue.
Life in this era was not easy; resources were scarce, and people lived a very frugal life.
They walked through a narrow alley and arrived at the center of the town.
This is the busiest place in Anyang Town, where state-owned shops, grain and oil stores, restaurants, and supply and marketing cooperatives are all concentrated.
The shops lining both sides of the street displayed red signs with white lettering, bearing phrases such as "Serve the People" and "Joint Public-Private Partnership."
Rong Lianhu asked, "Brother, should we go check out the supply and marketing cooperative?"
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Go ahead, see if you can buy some formula. Jiao Bao's formula is almost finished."
They entered the supply and marketing cooperative, a spacious shop filled with all sorts of goods, but mostly daily necessities like soap, cloth, and kerosene lamps.
There were some cookies and candies wrapped in paper on the shelf, but the quantity was small and looked rather shabby.
Rong Lianhu carried Rong Jiaojiao, with Qing Xuanzi following behind. The two of them weaved through the shelves, carefully searching for milk powder. However, there was no sign of milk powder on the shelves.
"Comrade, do you have any milk powder?" Rong Lianhu walked up to the counter and asked the sales clerk.
The receiving clerk, a middle-aged woman, shook her head and said, "No more. Milk powder is in high demand; it's basically sold out as soon as it arrives."
Rong Lianhu frowned, somewhat disappointed: "When will it be available?"
The sales clerk shook her head: "It's hard to say. There's a shortage of supplies lately, and milk powder is especially scarce. If you need it urgently, you can try looking in the county town; maybe they still have some in stock."
Qing Xuanzi stood to the side and sighed softly upon hearing this. He knew that supplies were scarce, and things like milk powder were indeed hard to find.
The sales clerk's gaze fell on Rong Jiaojiao, who was being held in Rong Lianhu's arms, and asked, "Did you buy this for this child?"
Rong Lianhu nodded, looking at the saleswoman with a puzzled expression. The saleswoman said, "Your child is over two years old, right? She can start eating solid food now. You should leave the formula for the babies!"
Seeing that Rong Lianhu looked confused, she explained, "There is a shortage of supplies right now. Adults are not getting enough to eat, and some new mothers have nothing to eat, no breast milk, and can't buy formula. So, the babies can only be fed some gruel or soup. They are so pitiful."
The two "yo" sounds were drawn out for a long time, making Rong Lianhu feel a little guilty.
Qing Xuanzi kept a close eye on Rong Jiaojiao's every move. He noticed that she looked around and lingered over colorful things, but showed no intention of taking them away.
Qing Xuanzi was relieved and watched Rong Lianhu leave awkwardly with a smile. He slowly followed after him.
They left the supply and marketing cooperative and walked along the main street of the town to the other end.
There are hospitals, police stations, veterinary stations, and other similar places over there.
There are fewer and fewer pedestrians on the streets. Occasionally, you can see some farmers pushing wheelbarrows loaded with agricultural products, probably on their way to sell in town.
The little girl remained quiet, looking around. They had all walked to the edge of the other side of the town; beyond that was the road to the county seat.
Rong Lianhu had no destination in mind; he just wanted to play with his daughter a little longer, so he carried her to the edge of the town to watch the residents harvest rice.
This year, due to the heavy rainfall, the rice harvest was delayed compared to previous years, and this is currently the autumn harvest season.
In the distant fields, the figures of farmers formed black dots. Rong Lianhu asked Qing Xuanzi, "Brother, should we go back?"
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Let's go back, there's nothing to see."
Rong Lianhu asked Rong Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao, are you going home?"
Rong Jiaojiao waved her little hand: "Home, home, let's go..."
They returned home close to noon. Rong Jiaojiao hadn't taken anything with her after the trip, which made Qing Xuanzi quite gratified.
Although it's possible that what she sees isn't attractive enough, it also proves that she's no longer in a position to collect things at any time.
Rong Lianhu carried his daughter around for a while, and returned satisfied. He put Rong Jiaojiao down and said, "Brother, I'll go cook."
"Okay, make Jiaojiao a bowl of minced meat and egg custard."
"knew!"
The meal was easy to prepare for the two of them, and they were eating in just over half an hour.
After they finished eating, no one from the army came to inform them to deliver more food. Rong Lianhu asked in confusion, "Could it be that they couldn't find a place to store the food?"
Qing Xuanzi wasn't in a hurry. After coaxing Rong Jiaojiao to sleep, he set out a table and chairs and began drawing talismans.
When Rong Lianhu couldn't wait for anyone to come, he simply went to sleep.
In the afternoon, no one from the military unit came. Fu Ya, Rong Zhigao, and Rong Zhiyuan either went off work or left school, and the military unit still did not send any notification.
It wasn't until they finished their meal that Wei Guodong and He Da drove over to personally invite Qing Xuanzi.
Upon seeing Qing Xuanzi, the two immediately stood up straight and saluted him. Wei Guodong said, "Master, thank you for donating so much food to the soldiers. On behalf of all the soldiers of the 65th Division, I thank you."
Qing Xuanzi waved his hand: "Compared to you all risking your lives for the country, what is this little bit of grain?"
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