A few days later, Xu Nuo began giving lectures in Lu County.
She stood at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, carrying her little schoolbag, waiting for Xu Yan. Lin Xiaofeng, a staff member of the supply and marketing cooperative, remembered Xu Nuo. Lu County was so small, and Xu Nuo used to be a frequent customer, buying things like glutinous rice strips and chicken cakes almost every few days.
In this era of supply falling short of demand, salespeople are all very arrogant. They might not even acknowledge you if you try to buy something. But Lin Xiaofeng noticed that Xu Nuo was generous and well-dressed. Once, she heard Xu Nuo mention that her father was a leader in the county government, and Xu Nuo treated her much better than others.
Over time, their faces became familiar.
"Comrade, it's been a long time since I've come to buy anything." Lin Xiaofeng didn't recognize who it was at first, but thought the girl at the door was really pretty. After taking a few glances, she realized it was Xu Nuo, who hadn't been here for a long time. She had fair and delicate skin and crescent-shaped eyebrows and eyes.
Xu Nuo assumed Lin Xiaofeng was a friend of the original owner, so she went in and greeted her: "Hello, comrade. I broke my leg and stayed at home for a long time."
No one was at the supply and marketing cooperative at the moment, so Lin Xiaofeng took out a piece of candy from the drawer and gave it to her. Looking at her fair and delicate skin, she said enviously, "So that's how it is. I was just thinking that I haven't seen you in a long time. But you've changed so much this time. You've become... beautiful."
She had always thought Xu Nuo was pretty, but now her whole demeanor was different; she looked as beautiful as someone from a magazine.
Xu Nuo happily accepted the candy and asked, "Really? Has she really changed a lot?"
Lin Xiaofeng nodded: "Really."
Xu Nuo said, "My aunt brought me some moisturizing oil before, and after using it for more than a month, I felt that my skin had become a bit whiter."
Upon hearing that the moisturizing oil was so good, Lin Xiaofeng asked excitedly, "What kind of moisturizing oil is it? It's so good!"
“My great-aunt brought it to me from Shanghai. It was made by one of her friends who is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.”
"Ah...you bought it in Shanghai. Do you have any more?"
"That's all, mine's almost used up too."
Disappointment flashed in Lin Xiaofeng's eyes, so Xu Nuo said, "But my great-aunt is coming to Lu County soon, I can have her bring it for me. What, do you want one too?"
Lin Xiaofeng certainly wanted it, but she asked first, "How much does it cost?"
“My great-aunt said it’s four yuan a bottle, look, it’s this big of a bottle,” she said, pointing to a small jar.
Lin Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment. Four yuan was really not cheap, but when she saw Xu Nuo's face, she gritted her teeth and said, "I want a can."
Her aunt told her about a soldier she would meet when he came back to visit her next time. Her skin was rather dark, and if she could use that moisturizing oil, her skin would definitely be much better than it is now.
"Okay, I'll bring it to you then, and you can pay me back then."
Lin Xiaofeng was delighted to hear that she could take the goods first and pay later. She took two more pork candies from the drawer and stuffed them into her hand. Just then, Xu Yan and a few others came over, along with Luo Chen, Lu Xueyun, and several other educated youths.
Since the vegetable ball incident, Lu Xueyun has been at odds with Xu Yan. Seeing Xu Nuo now only made her angrier. She walked in with her head held high, pointed at the counter and said, "I want a pound of glutinous rice strips and a pound of steamed egg cakes."
Lin Xiaofeng said, "You can only get half a pound of sponge cake, and you need two tickets."
Lu Xueyun regretted asking for two tickets, but seeing Xu Nuo standing to the side, she gritted her teeth and said, "Okay."
Lin Xiaofeng weighed the items for her, took the money, and then told Xu Nuo, "Just come find me when the time comes, I'll be right here."
“Okay.” Xu Nuo pulled Xu Yan over and introduced her to Lin Xiaofeng: “This is my sister, Xu Yan.”
Lin Xiaofeng noticed that Xu Yan was also pretty, though not as delicate and cute as Xu Nuo, but she was still pleasing to the eye. She said, "You sisters are really beautiful. By the way, does your sister also use moisturizing oil?"
Xu Nuo, wanting to promote the product, nodded and said, "Yes, I also brought some for my great-aunt when she came from Shanghai."
Xu Yan applied the moisturizing oil for half a month, and her skin visibly improved a lot. Although it was not as fair as Xu Nuoningzhi's, the freckles that she had developed from working and being exposed to the sun had faded a lot, and her skin had become fairer.
Only then did everyone realize that Xu Yan was so much whiter than the other educated youth.
The educated youth next to Xu Yan said, "I knew Xu Yan had become prettier, her skin was so much whiter, it turns out she was using moisturizing oil."
Xu Yan was born with delicate features and a refined, elegant beauty, like bamboo. However, due to hard work and sun exposure, her skin had become somewhat dull and developed sunspots. Now, the herbal water is slowly restoring her skin, and she looks much better.
Everyone started asking about the Shanghai-made body oil. Lu Xueyun glanced at Xu Yan and said suspiciously, "Auntie in Shanghai? I've never heard Comrade Xu Yan mention it before. Besides, I'm from Shanghai, and I've never heard of this kind of body oil. Is it some kind of scam?"
Lu Xueyun was indeed from Shanghai, and the Lu family had a certain background there. Before she went to the countryside, she used all sorts of good products. Now that she heard it was a skincare oil from Shanghai, she thought of asking what brand it was so that her family could send it to her.
She also noticed that Xu Yan had become much paler in the past two weeks.
Xu Nuo said with a half-smile, "They're just relatives from Shanghai. Who would bring them up on purpose? Just like Comrade Lu, you're from Shanghai, you certainly wouldn't bring it up often, right? There's nothing to talk about."
Seeing Lu Xueyun's face turn bright red, she had emphasized to others more than once that she was from Shanghai, and because of this, she had always looked down on the educated youth who had gone to the countryside with her. Now, Xu Nuo's words were truly humiliating and left her speechless. Xu Nuo was too lazy to argue with her, and said, "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. This moisturizing oil was made by my aunt's doctor friend. No one else can buy it."
The implication is clear: stop nagging, this is something you need connections to buy, and someone like you without connections wouldn't even have heard of it, let alone buy it.
Lin Xiaofeng was even more tempted. She took Xu Nuo's hand and said, "Remember to trouble your aunt. Bring it to me when it arrives. I definitely want it."
Another educated youth pulled Xu Yan aside and said, "Xu Yan, I want one too, can you get one for me?"
The other educated youth were also tempted, but four yuan was really too much. Some rural people could only earn seven or eight yuan a year, and four yuan was not a small amount for an ordinary family.
Xu Yan pointed at Xu Nuo: "She's Aunt Xue's relative, you'll have to ask Nuonuo."
Xu Nuo had already agreed: "No problem, I'll have my aunt bring some next time. But I can only say that I find it works great for me; if it doesn't achieve the effects you're looking for..."
She paused for a moment.
Lin Xiaofeng and another female educated youth quickly replied, "We know, we know, it's fine if you can help us bring them."
Seeing the changes in Xu Yan, the female educated youth thought that even half of the results were worthwhile.
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