The group chatted about everyday things along the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived in the county town.
An Moxue went to the state-run restaurant first. She arrived a little late, and there were only five fried dough sticks left. She bought them all and a bowl of soy milk. She took out white sugar from her bag and put in a big spoonful. Luckily, there weren't many people eating at this time, or she would have been scolded for being a spendthrift.
She ate all five fried dough sticks. The waiter looked at her with surprise, wondering how such a thin girl could eat so many big fried dough sticks. Anyway, no matter what others thought, she was completely satisfied with her meal.
After leaving the state-run restaurant, I strolled over to the post office and collected this month's allowance.
She then wandered over to the bookstore, which at that time was full of popular books. An Moxue bought a stack of newspapers to keep reading slowly and to use as wallpaper when she moved.
Disappointed, I left the bookstore and went to the junkyard to see if I could find any usable furniture. Once I found a place to live, I'd need furniture too.
When we arrived at the recycling station, the gatekeeper was an old man who was missing an arm, leisurely reading a book in his hands.
When An Moxue arrived, the old man didn't even glance at her. An Moxue cheerfully said to him, "Grandpa, I'd like to find some usable tools, is that alright?"
"Go inside, and weigh it when you come out. It's two cents a pound. Just don't make a mess of it."
As she spoke, she took out five orange candies and placed them on the table in front of the old man. "Thank you, sir."
Once inside the courtyard, all the items were neatly categorized and placed together, and An Moxue examined them one by one.
I went over to the woodpile and took a look; it was usable for starting a fire.
I went back to the paper section and looked around in the newspaper and book categories, but I couldn't find what I wanted, so I gave up.
Why not ask the old man? Walk back to the door and stand next to him, then ask, "Grandpa, where can I get some cheap furniture? Just something usable."
The old man replied, "You don't seem like someone who can't afford furniture. Just buy new ones, the old ones are all broken and tattered."
"I was just trying to save some money. New clothes last three years, old clothes last three years, and then patched up for another three years. I'm an educated youth sent to the countryside, so all new clothes would be too conspicuous. As long as they work, that's fine."
What do you want?
"A dining table on the kang (heated brick bed), a small stool, a bench on the ground (a long bench is fine if there isn't one), a cabinet on the kang (a heated brick bed), a cupboard (a chest is fine if there isn't one), and a dish rack cabinet in the kitchen."
"There are quite a few, are you in a hurry?"
"No rush. Even if it's there today, we won't take it. If not, we'll just wait."
"Okay, come with me."
Well, there are good and bad grades. The ones from outside are obviously unusable and have to be recycled. Luckily, I asked one more question.
Finally, An Moxue picked out a stool and a box, carried them outside to be weighed, and found that they cost five cents per pound. She spent two yuan, including a ten-cent deposit, which she could pick up within a month.
An Moxue paid the money and gave her a receipt, and the furniture was moved to another room.
She wanted to leave some money for the old man to keep an eye out for furniture, but he refused, saying he would save it for her if he found any, and she could take it without paying first. An Moxue then took five pieces of candy and put them on the table. The old man raised his eyebrows, glanced at her, and she replied, "Thank you for your trouble, sir." She then turned and left the scrap yard.
There are only a few main streets in the entire Anping County, and there's really nothing worth visiting.
After surveying the terrain, An Moxue went to the Anping County Supply and Marketing Cooperative. She looked at each counter and felt there was nothing worth buying. Unwilling to give up, she took out the coupons she had received that day and looked at them again. Finally, she took out a pound of pastry coupons and bought a pound of roasted fruit, which cost her 45 cents. An Moxue said she had never eaten this before.
It was almost noon when we found Old Ma. He was lying leisurely on his cart, and the mules were eating fodder. This area was a designated parking spot for mule carts, not far from the train station.
Old Ma entrusted the mule and cart to an uncle driving a cart next to him, and then went to the state-run restaurant with An Moxue.
An Moxue arrived early at noon today. The menu was complete. After asking Old Ma, she finally ordered a crispy pork belly, a braised pork belly, and a spicy tofu. She also packed another portion of crispy pork belly and spicy tofu to go, along with rice. The total cost was one and a half jin of meat coupons, which came to five yuan and thirty cents.
After finishing her meal, An Moxue felt like she had come back to life and could go back and keep jumping around for a few more days.
But her good mood ended there. After leaving the restaurant, An Moxue didn't have anywhere she wanted to go. She just wanted to stay at the parking lot with Old Ma. When she got to the train station, a familiar figure disappeared around the corner not far in front of her. As the man turned the corner, An Moxue was able to see his profile clearly. It was the square-faced man from Kyoto who was over 1.8 meters tall.
An Moxue couldn't help but wonder if this was a coincidence or something deliberate. If she hadn't encountered this today—thinking about it made her realize she couldn't let her guard down; one must always be strong enough to succeed.
Once I become strong enough to outdo those shameless bastards, that's when I'll start my counterattack.
An Moxue told Old Ma that she thought she saw a familiar face ahead and wanted to go and take a look.
By the time she caught up with him, the man had vanished. After searching around without success, she had no choice but to give up.
An Moxue had no choice but to go to where the mule cart was parked. Da Wa's sister-in-law was already there, and an unfamiliar woman was sitting next to her, the two of them talking quietly.
When Old Ma saw An Moxue return, he called her over and introduced her to several people present, all of whom were elderly men who couldn't get out of bed. One of them was from the same town as them, and they lived a short distance apart, but closer to each other.
A few people were chatting about recent events in the village, many of which were related to the educated youth. An Moxue didn't say anything, just listened quietly. The more she listened, the more she realized what was going on. Wasn't this the news hub of the entire county?
And sometimes, if you think about it carefully, it's quite interesting. For example, the old man called Skinny Monkey by Old Horse Head said, "Recently, a family in our village had a relative come to stay for three months. It's a young man in his twenties who just wanders around the village, asking around, asking about the old wealthy family, where they are now, where their ancestral graves are, and sometimes he even goes to other villages. Since he came, this family's meals have obviously improved. What kind of family doesn't work or go to work for months and still eats well? They don't seem to want to leave. I've never heard of them having such a relative before. It's like he's popping out of the grass. It's as obvious as a lice on a bald man's head."
"Has it been reported to the government?"
"It's been reported. They suspect grave digging and have them kept an eye on us. We can't do anything rash. They suspect there's a gang involved. Do they think we mountain folks are stupid?"
"I need to tell the village chief about this when I get back, and to be more vigilant."
"It's necessary." Several people chimed in, one after another.
"Anyone else suspicious?"
“Every village has a few people who run around, especially strangers, who may infiltrate the educated youth.”
She had a feeling that these old men were all quite extraordinary.
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