"I heard your boyfriend works at the county machinery factory, right? That's a really good job, you couldn't find one even with a lantern! Not only is the salary high, but the benefits are great too! How did you meet your boyfriend, young lady? Was it through a blind date? Are there any other unmarried young men working at his factory? My aunt has a daughter who's both beautiful and lucky, and she's looking for someone with a job in the city—"
"Pah, young lady, don't listen to her! Her daughter isn't even a fraction as good as you. Do you have any unmarried brothers? I have a daughter too, the most diligent, capable, and virtuous woman imaginable—"
...
Xu Ningyan's lips twitched as she listened from behind.
Needless to say, Xu Zhenzhu regretted her decision to act virtuous by doing the laundry at this crucial moment.
Isn't it nice to be all lovey-dovey with Brother Lu in the hospital room?
I had no intention of washing the clothes; I just gave them a quick scrub and then got up to pick up the basin and leave.
A small stone in Xu Ningyan's hand rolled perfectly to Xu Zhenzhu's feet.
Caught off guard, she stepped on a stone, slipped, and landed hard on her bottom on the stone slab. The basin and clothes in her hands fell into the river and floated downstream.
Ignoring the excruciating pain in her hip bone, Xu Zhenzhu rushed into the water to grab her clothes and basin.
Fortunately, the river wasn't deep, and with the help of several older women nearby, they managed to retrieve the clothes and basin after a flurry of activity.
His clothes were completely soaked and clung tightly to his body, making him look quite disheveled.
The commotion had already attracted the attention of the surrounding people, and many gathered around to watch the excitement.
Xu Ningyan concealed his merits and fame, retreating into the crowd and pretending to watch the excitement.
Xu Zhenzhu didn't dare to straighten up. It was the old lady next to her who suggested that she wrap herself in Lu Kai's washed clothes and use a basin to shield herself. Only then did she lower her head, feeling ashamed and sad, and go to Lu Kai for comfort.
At that moment, in the pharmacy by the river in the hospital, a pair of eyes witnessed everything.
From the moment Xu Zhenzhu and Xu Ningyan entered the hospital one after the other, to the small stone that Xu Ningyan inadvertently threw away, nothing was missed.
Those around him, seeing him gazing absently at the riverbank, couldn't help but stand up and glance at the river too, asking with some surprise, "When did you become interested in these kinds of spectacles?"
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at Xu Ningyan, who was still standing in the crowd, then looked away and said calmly, "Alright, you keep an eye on things here. Make sure nothing goes wrong. It's rare for me to get out of here, and I still have to go to the county town."
After saying that, he got up and left in a hurry.
Xu Ningyan and the others only started walking out of the hospital after most of the crowd had dispersed.
Looking up, I saw a familiar figure flash by at the corner of the hospital entrance. Why did it look so much like the boss? Is the boss sick? He was perfectly fine this morning! Could he have suffered some internal injury?
Xu Ningyan involuntarily jogged a few steps and chased after him. People were coming and going at the hospital entrance, but she couldn't find that familiar figure.
I must have misread it. After all, the big boss was demoted to the Unity Brigade. How could he be allowed to leave without the brigade leader's approval?
Sigh, I'm so obsessed with becoming a big shot's lackey, I'm practically delusional! I can even misjudge people in broad daylight!
Patting his head, Xu Ningyan stopped thinking about it and went to the police station to transfer his household registration.
When they arrived, the police officer in charge of household registration hadn't left work yet. Seeing the letter of introduction and the certificate for signing the household registration issued by the brigade that Xu Ningyan took out, they checked them briefly, didn't ask any more questions, and quickly completed the procedures.
The name on the new household registration was also changed to Xu Ningyan.
From this day forward, there will only be Xu Ningyan in this world, and no more Xu Siya.
It was almost noon when I came out of the police station.
Xu Ningyan originally planned to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy daily necessities.
After walking a few steps from where I came out, I overheard two women whispering to each other: "You'll cover my shift for a bit later. I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative at the machinery factory. They have some bed sheets and duvet covers that came in from the provincial capital today. I need to buy two sets for my daughter! Is there anything else you need me to bring? I'll get it for you!"
"Really? That's good stuff! Get me a set too! I heard that the machinery factory's supply and marketing cooperative has more and cheaper stuff than our commune, and some things are even specially supplied, not even available at the county department store. Is that true?"
"Of course! If my sister-in-law didn't work at the machine factory, how would I know this inside information? Anyway, I need to go home to get the money; I still need to catch the last bus to the county this morning—"
...
The two older women didn't mean anything by it.
Xu Ning's words resonated with the listener.
Does the machinery factory's supply and marketing cooperative have good stuff? And a complete selection? Should she go there?
Buying things in the commune is too crowded and confusing, so it's better to go to the county where no one knows her and it's easier to do things there!
Xu Ningyan made the decision on the spot and turned to walk towards the commune station.
Hongxing Commune is only twenty or thirty miles from Jingshan County. If we take a bus there now and catch the last bus back in the afternoon, it won't delay our business.
The commune station was just an open space with a large shed, and a few scattered vehicles.
Xu Ningyan arrived not too late and even managed to snag a spot.
The woman who spoke earlier was probably a little late getting her money from home, and there were no seats left on the bus, so she had to sit on the cover between the driver and the front passenger seat.
That's already considered lucky.
As the bus left the station, many people tried to flag it down halfway out of the commune. When the bus stopped, they swarmed onto it.
If people can't squeeze in, the people below should push them in as hard as they can, and if they can't push them in, they should kick them.
The ticket seller was still standing inside, shouting, "Move to the back, there are still seats available."
Only when the bus doors creaked and could only be closed manually did the driver step on the gas and drive shakily toward the county town.
The road from the commune to the county town was a dirt road, but the potholes were filled with gravel and cinders, making it feel like a rocking horse.
With the weather getting warmer and the bus becoming more crowded, some people even brought live chickens, ducks, and geese onto the bus, making the smell quite pungent.
Halfway there, someone else vomited from the shaking of the car, and the smell was truly unbearable.
Fortunately, Xu Ningyan was sitting in the second-to-last row by the window. With the window open, as she walked, the yellow dust was kicked up and covered her head and face.
Xu Ningyan would rather have her face covered in dust than close the window, for fear of being suffocated by the fumes.
This stretch of road to the county town was the most arduous journey Xu Ningyan had ever taken.
Upon arriving in the county town, as soon as the car came to a stop, Xu Ningyan didn't even have time to get out of the car; she simply jumped out of the window.
I walked quite a distance before I felt alive again.
She boarded the bus with the woman who had leaked the information, and listened to her boasting to the people next to her the whole way. She then learned that it wasn't so easy to go to the machinery factory's supply and marketing cooperative to buy things.
Jingshan County is located in the central part of Jing Province. Due to its terrain, it has coal mines, gypsum mines, and factories of all sizes.
The most famous factory is the machinery factory, which is one of the top factories in the province.
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