Chapter 45 Eating in the Cafeteria
Jinran followed Shen's father to the canteen. Because it was mealtime, the canteen was crowded. It was similar to canteens in later generations, with long tables and chairs, and every seat was taken.
Wang Cuifen spotted Jinran with her sharp eyes.
The loud voice shouted, "Nini, damn Nini!" and everyone turned to look at Jinran.
Jinran thought, "This is the epitome of a social disaster."
Father Shen responded excitedly, "Wife, our daughter is here. Hurry up and finish your work, come on over."
Jinran: "Is there really no one going to do anything about this?"
Finally, the three of them sat down at the table together. Wang Cuifen and Shen's father watched with smiles as Jinran introduced them to the delicious food she had made.
"Mom and Dad, I made this myself. It looks like it will last me about a week. I'll bring you some more next time. We have so many vegetables growing!"
Shen's father told Wang Cuifen about Jinran delivering things to her brothers and Tuantuan's family. Wang Cuifen choked up and said, "I never expected that our Nini would grow up so much and become so sensible. Your father and I have been away from home for so long, and you have really held the family together. I really don't know what to say."
Father Shen had already begun to shed tears.
Jinran: "Is she really that great?"
Actually, she's doing very well, especially in terms of food.
Yesterday, Doujin and Fugui even showed off a lobster as thick as an arm. She ate two of them and was so full that she kept gagging.
Looking at the dazzling array of pickled vegetables and meatballs on the table, Father Shen began to silently shed tears again.
Jinran was bewildered. "???" Wasn't this a steel factory? Why did it feel like she'd entered the Grand View Garden? Had her father become Sister Shen?
There was a tiny bit of disdain, but it was his own father, so there was nothing he could do but turn a blind eye.
Wang Cuifen praised the food as she ate, and even specially prepared a meat dish for Jinran, urging her to eat it. The two of them ate with relish, even with the pickled vegetables.
After finishing her meal, Jinran was about to leave. Wang Cuifen slipped Jinran a ten-yuan note and instructed her, "There's a market in the village. Buy whatever you want to eat. Your father and I are living a life of comfort here. You have a hard time at home. You're still too young. Wait a couple of years until you go to high school."
Jinran nodded as well.
Shen's father kept nagging, which basically meant he couldn't bear to part with her. In the end, Jinran hardened her heart, turned around, and left.
After walking a long way, Jinran looked back and could still see her parents waving to her.
Jinran suddenly felt like crying. She had never experienced such intense family affection. She had always been independent and strong, shouldering everything on her own, and had entered the workforce at a very young age.
She has seen all kinds of people and all kinds of dirty things. She always keeps her distance from others. Whenever she sees other girls with close female friends, she can't do the same.
The director said this was a common problem among the children in the orphanage.
But now she wants to try to accept everything about this era and slowly reconcile with herself.
Jinran waved her hand with a smile through her tears, then turned and left.
Since we're already in the county, let's take a good look around. We'll also check out the scrap metal recycling station later; maybe we'll stumble upon something amazing and make a big profit.
She went to the supply and marketing cooperative first. At this time of day, there weren't many people there. Only a few people were asking about prices, and the sales clerks were indifferent to them.
She has that air of a luxury goods saleswoman.
Jinran looked around but didn't buy anything, so she left.
A salesperson, cracking sunflower seeds, spat and said loudly, "These days, there are so many people just browsing around without buying anything. If you don't have money, you might as well stay home."
Upon hearing this, the buyers all looked displeased, but none of them said a word.
The salesperson became even more arrogant.
Jinran was completely unaware of this little incident. After asking a passerby for directions to the scrap metal recycling station, she happily headed there.
She now has eighteen yuan and thirty-eight fen, and with the ten yuan her mother gave her, she can be considered a wealthy person.
However, Jinran didn't plan to spend the money. She was thinking of buying two piglets and chicks to raise, and then slaughtering them for food in the winter. This way, she could also smuggle some meat out of her space.
She dared not go up the mountain to hunt wild boar again; the last time had terrified her. Besides, she discovered that wild boar meat didn't taste as good as domestic pig meat.
She shook hands and went back to begin her aquaculture business.
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