Sister Hu thought that firstly, these neighbors were all people she knew well and weren't the type to gossip, and secondly, since it was a trip along the way, Xu Ningyan could also earn some money.
She probably knew more about Xu Ningyan's background than Li Jianguo did.
After all, Sister Hu had witnessed the whole thing—how Xu Ningyan turned against her biological parents that day.
She knew that Xu Ningyan had no family to rely on and that because of gossip spread by her grandmother, uncle, and other relatives, she had no choice but to get engaged to a member of the "Five Black Categories."
Just by listening to her, you can tell that this girl is having a hard time. Earning more money is always better than having no money at all.
Xu Ningyan roughly guessed what Sister Hu was thinking, and after thinking about it, she didn't refuse.
It was something she did easily, not to make money, but to make a good impression on her colleagues and their families at the department store.
Therefore, he readily agreed and thanked Sister Hu.
Sister Hu gave her two hard-boiled eggs to eat the next morning before letting her go.
The next morning, Xu Ningyan dragged the large bag of rags and newspapers out of the yard. The gatekeeper saw her and insisted on taking her and her belongings to the bus station on his bicycle before turning back.
Xu Ningyan got into the car first, stuffed her things under the seat, and then sat down.
Not long after, Sun Zhou rushed over, carrying two tightly packed bags. He even pointed out to Xu Ningyan which one was for Gu Zhiyuan and which one contained various foods for Xu Ningyan.
After leaving his things, Sun Zhou said he had to go first, and with an apologetic look on his face, he waved and walked far away before Xu Ningyan could even react.
Xu Ningyan had no choice but to pack everything up and put it aside, thankfully it didn't take up too much space.
When Xu Ningyan returned to the commune, she was still worried about how to bring all these things back to the Tuanjie Brigade.
After getting off the bus, I saw the brigade's oxcart in the yard, with two people sitting on it: a brigade leader and Gu Zhiyuan.
Why did they get here?
Xu Ningyan was quite surprised.
Gu Zhiyuan had been keeping an eye on the bus and spotted Xu Ningyan immediately. He waved to her, signaling her not to move.
He rushed to her in two strides, first throwing the bag of scraps of cloth onto the oxcart, then carrying the bundle that Sun Zhou had packed, and helping Xu Ningyan onto the oxcart before handing her the two bundles in his hand. His tone was somewhat self-reproachful, "You must be tired from carrying so much stuff, right? It's almost time, let's have lunch at the state-run restaurant and treat ourselves!"
Xu Ningyan didn't refuse. She had only eaten two boiled eggs that Sister Hu had given her that morning, and hadn't eaten a single bite of rice yet, so she was naturally very hungry.
The brigade leader wanted to say something, but Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan had already made up their minds. Without even asking the brigade leader's opinion, they drove the oxcart toward the state-run restaurant.
It was lunchtime, and Gu Zhiyuan ordered three meat dishes without blinking an eye, and even wanted to order a vegetable dish, but was stopped by the captain and Xu Ningyan.
Even so, the three of them were quite full.
On the way back, the captain finally found a chance to speak.
The day before yesterday afternoon, the Party Secretary returned to the production team with rubber bands and scraps of cloth. He had already told a few of the more discreet women to look at the hair ties that Xu Ningyan had taken out.
For these aunties who have spent their lives mending clothes and shoes, they understood just by looking at their hands.
However, the color scheme is still a bit uncertain, since the samples Xu Ningyan brought out were all pink and delicate, with various pink plaid patterns and small floral prints.
If we were to match colors according to their style, it would definitely be bright red and bright green, which would be more festive, wouldn't it?
I did another calculation to see how many strips of fabric I would need to make one hair tie.
After calculating the results, the brigade leader and the party secretary held a production team meeting yesterday morning.
It was officially announced that Xu Ningyan, representing the production brigade, had established a relationship with the county department store. From now on, their Tuanjie Brigade would also have a sideline income, and they would no longer have to listen to gossip or sit on the sidelines.
The people in the production brigade immediately became excited.
There has been much speculation and rumors lately, but now that we have received confirmation from the brigade leader, who wouldn't be happy to earn an extra penny?
This enthusiasm made it easy for the rules and regulations announced by the brigade leader and the branch secretary to be implemented smoothly.
Everyone has taken the rubber bands and scraps of fabric home to sew according to their own abilities and needs.
Last night, some skilled craftsmen had already made seven or eight.
Now we're just waiting for Xu Ningyan to go back and check if there are any problems, and then distribute the remaining strips of cloth.
Xu Ningyan felt relieved after hearing the captain's explanation, which seemed quite reasonable.
Upon arriving at the Unity Brigade, they unloaded the scraps of cloth and placed them at the brigade headquarters. The two then carried the rest of their belongings and went home.
The lackey stood guard at the door, and when he saw the two from afar, he wagged his tail and came to greet them.
Xu Ningyan took out a few rice strips from her bag and stuffed them into the dog's mouth. The two of them and the dog then entered the courtyard.
After packing her things and coming out, she saw two bamboo reclining chairs under the camphor tree. She sat down and lay down, the chairs rocking back and forth gently. A cool breeze blew in from the back mountain. With her eyes closed and smelling the fragrance of the camphor tree leaves, Xu Ningyan relaxed completely.
No wonder the ancients said, "There's no place like home."
Since she and Gu Zhiyuan moved in, they have been repairing this little courtyard whenever they have free time. Although it looks unremarkable now, it is more comfortable to live in than ever before.
Gu Zhiyuan also tidied up the things Sun Zhou had brought him, including a letter.
After reading the letter, Gu Zhiyuan rubbed his temples. He hadn't expected that the people who had attacked him last time had run to the next county, and Sun Zhou and his group were too late in chasing after them; the clues had gone cold again.
Now, there's absolutely no clue how to verify that matter.
The only consolation is that Sun Zhou's side has made some progress.
He recently found a new supply channel with some in-demand goods, and by using these goods, he has opened up a new avenue for business.
With this new route, we were able to get inside, so at least it was a gain.
Gu Zhiyuan closed his eyes and told himself not to rush things!
After he calmed down, he looked at the things he had asked Sun Zhou to prepare in his letter.
A plum blossom-patterned women's watch, understated and elegant.
Two pink and blue plaid polyester shirts, seven or eight hair clips, a large red tulle bow, and a large green tulle flower are the most eye-catching, while the other styles and colors are much more understated.
Gu Zhiyuan looked at the hair clips with patience. What was Sun Zhou up to?
These things are actually popular in Shanghai? When did Shanghai's aesthetic standards drop to this level? Or are they just trying to fool him?
After hesitating for a moment, Gu Zhiyuan thought that although he was most likely to think that Xu Ningyan would not like the two hair clips, one red and one green, what if the girl liked them?
After spending a long time in the Unity Brigade, he realized that most of the country girls liked bright red and green colors.
I wonder if Xu Ningyan will be able to resist the trend.
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