Chapter 92 "Art Troupe"
"If you don't have any, they sell it on the first floor. It's the counter at the corner of the stairs."
"Okay, thank you. How much is this cloth?"
"Three feet of cloth requires three feet of tickets. This cloth is cotton, so the price is higher than processed cloth. It costs 20 cents per foot. Do you still want it?"
"Yes."
After giving the money neatly and getting the cloth wrapped in oil paper, Lu Miao went downstairs to buy needles and thread. At that time, he felt inexplicably emotional.
Whether it is cloth, food, or various resource issues, city dwellers and rural people are facing two completely different situations.
City dwellers eat commercial grain, have a chance to get a stable job in the city, and have a better chance to save money, but the reality is that they have to face a situation where it is difficult to get material supplies through formal channels.
What about the countryside?
Either they were short of money or they were short of tickets. After saving this and that, it would take an old farmer a year or two to scrape together enough money or tickets to buy two or three feet of cloth. The cloth or other supplies, which were originally in short supply, became "surplus".
Lu Miao didn't know whether to call this situation sad or ridiculous.
But fortunately, such days will not last for a few more years...
Just as I was daydreaming, Geng Xiaoyun's voice suddenly came from behind me:
"I found you. Everyone is ready to eat."
Geng Xiaoyun approached Lu Miao and wanted to ask her if she had finished shopping. However, when she saw Lu Miao carrying a lot of bags, the words on her lips changed to another one:
"Hey, why are you buying so much? Are you planning to move this Yanji Department Store to our place?"
"How can it be so exaggerated? I just bought some nuts and daily necessities."
Geng Xiaoyun didn't really listen to what she said. She took the thing from her hand and noticed that the bottom of the big woven bag was covered in dust. She was surprised and helpless:
"You dragged this bag along with you all the way?"
Lu Miao opened his lips and racked his brains to think of a response, "There are so many things, it's hard to carry, and this is heavy..."
"Okay, stop talking. I understand."
Geng Xiaoyun threw the woven bag over her shoulder, scratching her forehead in worry, not knowing what to say.
Gu Ying and a few others were just coming down the stairs. Seeing them, Gu Ying was very surprised: "Hey, Lu Miao, what did you buy? Why so much?"
"Nothing, just some daily necessities like toilet paper. We shouldn't be too busy on vacation, right? It's a rare trip, so I bought a little extra to use slowly when I get home."
Although Gu Ying felt that Lu Miao bought too many things, she understood in her heart, so she nodded and said:
"Please take good care of your things when you get back. The tides are strong in the south, so don't let them get ruined."
"Yeah, yeah!" Lu Miao nodded like a little chicken.
The female educated youth gathered together and headed towards the agreed-upon state-owned restaurant. Yang Xiaojing and Ren Bingxin walked slowly behind them. Looking at the bulging woven bag on Geng Xiaoyun's shoulder, Yang Xiaojing muttered:
"This is good now. When I go back to the bathroom, I won't see any shit. It'll be all toilet paper."
Ren Bingxin gasped and looked at her with a grin, "Why are you suddenly saying something so disgusting? I'm eating hawthorn slices!"
"What's wrong with eating hawthorn slices? It's not like you're eating shit, why are you in such a hurry?" Yang Xiaojing didn't care and said to Ren Bingxin, "Give me some."
Ren Bingxin was completely convinced. Yang Xiaojing was so disgusting! She spoke without knowing the context of the situation, and it made her almost unable to eat her hawthorn slices.
She tore off some hawthorn slices and stuffed them into Yang Xiaojing's hands. Ren Bingxin really couldn't bear to stay with her even for a minute. She rolled up the hawthorn slices in her hand and put them away. Then she trotted to catch up with Lu Miao in front of her.
Seeing that she was unhappy, Lu Miao asked, "What's wrong?"
Ren Bingxin shook her head, smiled and joked: "It's okay, I just came to you because I like being with you."
Lu Miao gave her a reproachful look, then looked away. The group continued walking along the street, chatting and laughing.
When they were about to arrive at the state-owned hotel, a long queue in front of a three-story building on the street attracted the attention of several people.
Lu Miao muttered curiously: "What is this for?"
Gu Ying felt it was a good idea to say, "They should be queuing up to buy something, right?"
"I don't think so." Ren Bingxin raised her chin. "Haven't you noticed? Those in line are all young women."
“Really…”
"Oh, don't guess anymore. Wait here for me. I'll go over and take a look!"
Unable to resist her curiosity, Ren Bingxin left a message and quickly ran away.
When she came back a short while later, Ren Bingxin leaned on her knees, panting, and recounted the news she had heard: "It was said that a leader from the county had come, and it seemed like some art troupe was recruiting artists!"
Gu Ying wondered, "Why would the art troupe come here to recruit people? Aren't they usually recruiting people from the PLA Academy of Art?"
Ren Bingxin argued, "Not entirely. My second aunt's sister-in-law's cousin's wife is from the art troupe. I heard that she joined the troupe by privately asking someone during a performance."
"What do you want to ask?" Lu Miao asked.
Although she didn't know how to join the art troupe, nor did she quite understand the relationship between Ren Bingxin and her sister-in-law's cousin's wife, these did not stop her from being curious.
Ren Bingxin said with a "tsk". "You're usually quite smart, why are you so confused now? What else can you ask? Just ask if they are short of people and whether they are hiring!"
Lu Miao asked again: "So just ask that and you'll go in?"
"What else?" Ren Bingxin asked, and after a while she said excitedly, "I just heard that if you're selected, the monthly salary will be very good!"
She gestured with her hand: "The monthly salary is twenty-three yuan, and other allowances, besides the odd bill, there are still six yuan!"
Although I gradually adapted to life in the production team, there were better options before me, so why not choose the better one?
This income was no worse than that of a junior regular worker in a state-owned factory. Ren Bingxin had heard before that the salary of the art troupe increased annually, with a raise of six yuan per year.
For example, the salary is 23 yuan a month in the first year, and 29 yuan in the second year, plus the monthly additional allowance, it is really not a small amount.
Ren Bingxin was very tempted. Seeing that everyone was hesitant, she kept lobbying:
"Let's go and participate too, what if we get selected?"
Lu Miao shook his head and said suspiciously, "We are educated youth, not native-born local members. Can we participate? If we are selected, will the team let us go?"
"this……"
Ren Bingxin was stunned and suddenly felt a little uncertain.
Yang Xiaojing stepped forward at this moment and said, "It should be possible. I saw a familiar face in the queue just now. It was one of the educated youth who went to the countryside with us before, but he was assigned to a different team..."
"If they can do it, why can't we? Besides, the county art troupe is a legitimate department, and they have the support of the state. Why wouldn't the captain let them go? Does he dare not let them go?"
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