Chapter 7 007 Shameless
Seeing that there was still time, Qin Xiaoxiao didn't go to the educated youth office first, but went to the state-run store, where she spent her liquor and cigarette coupons and bought four bottles of Moutai, one bottle of Wuliangye, and a pack of Dashengchang liquor.
The purchase of alcohol is rationed; each person can only buy two bottles of Moutai. Qin Xiaoxiao had to spend one yuan to ask someone to help her buy them.
Exchanging one yuan for Moutai is worth it; Qin Xiaoxiao doesn't feel the pinch at all.
After leaving the state-run store, Qin Xiaoxiao went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
The supply and marketing cooperative was converted from a large warehouse. It was quite spacious inside. Qin Xiaoxiao walked around and found that most things required ration coupons. The staff here were just like those described in the book, looking down on people and acting all high and mighty.
Qin Xiaoxiao didn't care about the service attitude; she had to spend all the tickets she had.
After wandering around the supply and marketing cooperative for half an hour, Qin Xiaoxiao walked out of the cooperative with satisfaction and then went to the nearby grocery store.
Fruit candies, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, fruit pastries, and various meats are all sold in the grocery store. Qin Xiaoxiao wanted to buy some candies and pastries, but she found that there were also apples. Qin Xiaoxiao quickly bought two pounds of apples.
Fruit is hard to come by these days.
After spending all the other coupons, Qin Xiaoxiao only had coal coupons, grain coupons, meat coupons, bath coupons, and a few industrial coupons left. She decided to go to a state-run restaurant to broaden her horizons.
The state-run restaurant was not far from the supply and marketing cooperative. She found an empty alley, put all her things into her space, and then turned a corner to go to the state-run restaurant. As soon as Qin Xiaoxiao entered, she felt how popular state-run restaurants were in this era.
Because it was lunchtime, the spacious hall of over 200 square meters was packed with people, with all twenty-odd tables occupied. The restaurant was so noisy that it hurt people's ears.
Qin Xiaoxiao really wanted to turn around and leave, but then she smelled the delicious aroma of braised pork.
Qin Xiaoxiao frowned deeply.
Braised pork is delicious, and she wants to eat it, but she can't. This place is close to both her home and the coal mine. If her neighbors or Qin Min's colleagues see her eating meat, who knows what they'll say about her later.
It's a shame we can't eat the meat here.
She can't eat or buy meat, so she has to find a way to sell her meat coupons. She also has to deal with her coal coupons, otherwise she won't be able to take the coal with her!
With such a large target, how is she going to store it in her spatial storage?
They can buy coal from the coal shed at home, but outsiders don't know how much coal her family has, so they can't buy any more; everyone's watching.
While pondering who to sell the coal and meat coupons to, he walked to the window and glanced at the small blackboard in front of him.
The blackboard listed the staple foods and dishes available that day. Qin Xiaoxiao ordered a bowl of green pepper noodles and a bowl of scrambled eggs with chives. After paying and giving her food coupons, she found a place to sit down.
Soon the waiter called her number, and Qin Xiaoxiao quickly went over to get the food. After sitting down, she took a bite of the noodles and, to her surprise, they were really delicious. The noodles were chewy, the green peppers were flavorful, the chives were fresh and tender, and the eggs were perfectly cooked, with the heat just right.
Qin Xiaoxiao ate the whole big bowl of green pepper noodles with gravy, and even the stir-fried eggs with chives were all gone. She was so full.
Looking at the remaining food coupons in her hand, Qin Xiaoxiao decisively ordered twenty vegetarian steamed buns and five catties of dumplings.
The waiter watched her curiously without moving. Qin Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "I'm going to the countryside soon, and I want to have one last family reunion dinner with my family, but I don't know how to cook, so..."
The waiter didn't ask any more questions, but gave Qin Xiaoxiao a complicated look, concealing the sympathy in her eyes.
Not long after, Qin Xiaoxiao left the state-run restaurant carrying the packed buns and dumplings.
Having witnessed how popular the state-run restaurants were, Qin Xiaoxiao lost interest in shopping and decided to go to the neighborhood committee to complete the procedures for going to the countryside.
When she arrived at the street office to register, she was instead ushered into the director's office.
Pushing open the door, a distinguished middle-aged man looked up from behind his desk. Upon seeing Qin Xiaoxiao, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Qin Xiaoxiao, right? You've finally arrived. If you hadn't come, I would have gone to your house to look for you."
Qin Xiaoxiao realized something was wrong. "What's wrong? It's me, Qin Xiaoxiao. Did you call for me? Is there something you need?"
Director Liu of the Youth Affairs Office pushed up his glasses. "Do you know someone named Huang Yuan? Just now, he and his mother came to register you for the rural program. I happened to run into them. Since I know your name and that you've already decided to go to the countryside, I had them chased away."
Xiaoxiao, your Uncle Li and I have been neighbors for many years, and I'm practically your elder. I've heard about what's going on in your family. As an elder who cares about you, I'd like to remind you of some things. If I say anything wrong, please forgive me, or you can pretend you didn't hear it. You can decide for yourself how to handle it.
Xiao Xiao, you need to be careful when making friends. Don't trust people so easily. If it weren't for me, you would have decided to go to the countryside too. Have you thought about the consequences?
What if we accept their application, but you never even considered going to the countryside? Would you then have no choice but to go?
What about your house and your job?
What if we assign you to the most difficult place after you go to the countryside? Can you endure that kind of hardship?
Little one, you're all grown up now, be more mindful. That's all I have to say; whether you listen or not is up to you.
Qin Xiaoxiao was so angry after hearing this that she almost cursed out loud.
What a shameless family!
You bastard Huang Yuan, you actually waited for me here!
Luckily, I decided to go to the countryside and found someone to go to my hometown. I was also lucky that you ran into Director Liu, otherwise I would have fallen into your trap today.
Qin Xiaoxiao never expected that Huang Yuan had such a trick up his sleeve, daring to harm her.
Qin Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, smiled, and thanked Director Liu.
"Thank you for your help this time, Director Liu. Here's what happened."
Qin Xiaoxiao explained her relationship with Huang Yuan, and also revealed Huang Yuan's scheme with his mother.
Want to stay out of trouble? No way!
Anyone who dares to harm her must bear the consequences.
I'm leaving, but you won't have it easy either. Forget about your reputation; consider it compensation for me.
After arriving home, Qin Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and then went to her neighbor Grandma Cheng's house, where she sold all the coal and meat coupons she didn't need to Grandma Cheng.
Afterwards, Qin Xiaoxiao borrowed a bicycle from the Cheng family and took all her belongings to the cotton-fluffing place.
Six cotton quilts were fluffed into two thick double quilts and one thin quilt, plus a thick mattress, costing a total of five yuan.
After agreeing to pick it up in three days, Qin Xiaoxiao packed up other household items at home, preparing to mail them back to her hometown along with her bedding in three days.
Qin Xiaoxiao's trip to the countryside was scheduled for ten days later. During these days, she explored every street and alley of this fourth-tier city. She didn't intend to find a black market; she just wanted to see what a city was like in the 1970s and, incidentally, secretly record some photos with her phone as a memento.
As for the junkyard that all transmigrated women go to, Qin Xiaoxiao didn't go. She knew that there were always smart people in every era. Didn't she see that the big shots who ranked high in the country in later generations all made their fortunes in this era? Qin Xiaoxiao didn't have the confidence to compete with them for things, and she also felt that she didn't have the luck.
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