Chapter 14 (Catching Bugs)
How could Liu Ailing not notice the changes in Zhou Jiani? But she couldn't figure out what was wrong, and she didn't like the changes in Zhou Jiani, and even felt a sense of uncontrollable irritation.
She pulled her arm out of Zhou Jiani's hand, shook her head, and said with a hurt look on her face, "Jiani, you weren't like this before. Tell me honestly, do you regret coming here? I was the one who helped you get to the countryside back then. If you blame me, I have nothing to say, but we can't let this affect our relationship. We used to be so close. You always stood by me and helped me with everything. You were the one who responded most actively to everything I said, but now you... I feel like there's a distance between us."
Strange and inscrutable.
Although she was still acting coquettishly, Zhou Jiani's tone used to be full of the natural arrogance of being spoiled by her family, which she couldn't hide at all.
Unlike now, it is full of traces of performance.
Zhou Jiani sighed secretly, Liu Ailing was good at speaking.
"I regret coming here" makes people feel that she does not like the call to go to the countryside.
"I helped you go to the countryside... blame me... I have nothing to say", emphasizing the word "I helped you" while also using a tactic of retreating to advance.
Zhou Jiani sorted out the cause and effect and attributed her idea of going to the countryside to Liu Ailing's unilateral and continuous brainwashing of her. After she revealed her family's thoughts, Liu Ailing said indignantly that the Zhou family should not stop Zhou Jiani from making progress and directly dragged her to sign up.
But Liu Ailing would describe this incident as a glorious deed, helping a poor little girl who wanted to respond to the country's call but was obstructed by her family to achieve her wish.
After all, Zhou Jiani could not and dared not admit openly that she did not like this policy.
Therefore, we cannot blame others for this matter now, and we have to hold back our resentment.
Not long after she secretly registered, the whole dormitory and even the factory knew about it. Zhou Jiani vaguely recalled the incredulous expressions of her parents and the finger of her grandmother poking her forehead with disappointment, and her heart ached.
As for Liu Ailing's subsequent statement, it is even more subtle - if you don't get along with me in the future and don't stand on my side in everything, you are blaming me for helping you go to the countryside, and you blame me for helping you go to the countryside because you don't like this policy.
It seems to be circulating again.
Zhou Jiani suppressed her gloom and looked over with a slightly raised eyebrow. Liu Ailing was indeed good at observing her words and expressions, but what could she see from her changes? She couldn't go back to the same path she had in her previous life. As long as Liu Ailing was willing to perform in front of others, she would accompany her.
Zhou Jiani laughed out loud, then said cheerfully, "Ailing, what's wrong with you? Did you faint and haven't recovered yet? Why are you always thinking about nonsense? How come I didn't realize you were so complicated before?"
There's a hint of irony hidden in there.
As soon as these words fell, Liu Ailing's face changed.
Zhou Jiani and her sister patted her shoulders affectionately, then reached out to pinch her face, laughing heartily as they said, "Aren't you tired of worrying so much? You should smile more, be more sunny, and be brighter."
She raised her hands to her mouth and said playfully, "Come on, curl your lips with me and smile——"
Liu Ailing: ...
Not far away, Bai Haoyang tugged at Qiu Zeming's clothes with a twitch in his mouth. "Hey, was it really that little bastard who stopped my cousin that day? My cousin should be safe living with her, right?"
He tiptoed over, calling Yu Wanxia over with a hissing sound, and whispered, "Is Diadia in her right mind?"
Yu Wanxia kicked him angrily and said in a low voice: "You are the one who is mentally ill. Jiani is so cute." She was amused to death by her just now.
She kicked Bai Haoyang again and warned him, "If you give Jiani a nickname again, I'll write a letter and tell my second aunt."
Bai Haoyang limped back and said helplessly: "Silly girl, I loved her in vain."
Qiu Zeming glanced at him and said, "Serves you right!"
The plastic friendship lasted for a day, and Zhou Jiani saw a feeling of frustration on Liu Ailing's face, as she was extremely angry but couldn't do anything about it.
But she still admired Liu Ailing very much. Despite so many unpleasant things happening in the morning, she still went to find Zhao Weiguo and others after work in the evening.
In fact, everyone finished work at the same time, but she pretended to be in a hurry to help, which greatly warmed the hearts of Zhao Weiguo and others.
After working for seven consecutive days, Zhou Jiani discussed with Sun Ping and others to ask the team leader for a day off.
The autumn harvest has not yet ended, so it is definitely not appropriate to ask for leave together, but we can take turns to rest.
Yu Wanxia was happy to do it, but Sun Ping was a little hesitant. She said, "The work is pretty easy now, and not that tiring. I'll ask for leave in a few days."
She was also exposed for what happened that day, and she still feels guilty about it.
Zhao Weiguo and his men were still carrying manure. Yesterday, they ran into a rival. A gust of wind blew over, bringing with it the strong smell of the pasture.
Sun Ping shuddered and said, "You guys take a break. I'll perform for a while longer."
Zhou Jiani said with a smile, "Okay, I'll ask the captain for leave later and go to town tomorrow. Do you want me to take the letters you wrote home and mail them with them?"
They both nodded: "Yes, I'll give it to you tonight."
After work, she went to Zhang Baosheng to ask for leave and a letter of introduction. Zhang Baosheng approved it with a pleasant face and said, "Those girls working with you, whoever wants to take a day off can take a day off. Don't worry, girl, I'm not unreasonable."
He is easy to talk to and negotiate with, but he cannot cause trouble.
Zhou Jiani said with a smile, "Captain, I will definitely pass it on, but we must take turns to rest so as not to delay the progress of the work."
Zhang Baosheng nodded, handed over the letter of introduction, and said, "Tomorrow there will be an oxcart going to the county town to pick up some goods. They will pass through the town. If you don't mind going early, you can ask them to give you a ride. You can agree on the time of return."
Zhou Jiani quickly thanked him because she didn't expect such a coincidence to happen.
After dark, Zhou Jiani asked Zhao Mei for a woven bag and went to Zhang Laosi's house to pick up the goods. It would be easier to do the work after dark.
I paid the money last time, so this time I can just pick up the goods directly.
Carrying them out, Zhou Jiani took advantage of the night to put away most of the goods, leaving only a few in the bag to pretend that there were a lot.
When they reached the entrance of an alley, Zhou Jiani was about to turn the corner when someone came out first. She was so frightened that she took a few steps back and screamed, "Who?"
The person opposite was also stunned: "Zhou Jiani?"
Zhou Jiani held her heart, which was about to burst out of her chest, and said, "Qiu Zeming, you scared me to death."
Qiu Zeming was holding a cloth bag in his hand. No one knew what was in it. It looked quite heavy and was obviously sagging.
Seeing Zhou Jiani looking terrified one moment and then tilting her head to look at what she was holding the next, he couldn't help but laugh and whispered, "I traded some wheat with a fellow villager. To express my apology, I can give you three pounds. I don't need your ticket."
Zhou Jiani felt a little embarrassed. They weren't trying to scare her, but the temptation was too great. She quickly said, "I'll pay you the price without a ticket. If you keep exchanging, I can give you tickets. I can buy both coarse and fine grains."
There are two prices for people with and without tickets. If people are willing to share the cost, she will make a profit. It is impossible for her to take advantage of people in other ways.
Are you going to eat him?
In the darkness of the night, Qiu Zeming's eyes were filled with an indelible smile as he said, "Don't hold your hopes too high for fine grains, but coarse grains are still easy to come by."
"clear!"
The two of them accidentally reached a cooperation at the entrance of the alley.
To show her friendship, Zhou Jiani lifted the bag in her hand and said, "I asked Fourth Uncle to weave a few baskets and plan to send them home. If you want any, you can go find Fourth Uncle."
Qiu Zeming was not interested in this, and the two said goodbye.
At five o'clock the next morning, their eyes met beside the ox cart at the village entrance. Qiu Zeming smiled and said, "Good morning, Comrade Zhou. Are you going to town?"
Zhou Jiani was stunned for a moment before she said, "Yeah, are you taking a day off today too?"
Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?
Qiu Zeming pointed at Uncle Zhang, who was driving the cart. "I'm not going to rest. I'm going to the county town with Uncle Zhang to pick up some stuff." He glanced at the woven bag she was holding up, pretending to have forgotten what he had said last night. "Are you going to..."
Zhou Jiani climbed onto the car using both hands and feet, put the woven bag away from Qiu Zeming, and placed a woven basket between them. She said calmly, "I'm going to the post office to mail something, and then go for a walk in town."
Qiu Zeming took in all her little movements and said with a smile, "Comrade Zhou, can you do me a favor?"
Seeing Zhou Jiani looking over, he pulled out three parcel slips with stamps on them from his pocket and said, "If our trip goes smoothly, we'll be back around 4:00 PM. But I'm worried that if we're late we'll be late and the post office will be closed. So, could you, Comrade Zhou, help me get the parcels out before they close?"
He raised his hand to indicate a number and mouthed two words.
Zhou Jiani immediately understood the codeword, which meant that the wheat she was promised would grow from three catties to five catties. She mouthed back, "Don't you want a ticket?"
Qiu Zeming nodded, and the document in his hand was taken away.
After the codeword ended, Zhou Jiani resumed her normal conversation and said, "Don't worry, you won't be afraid that I'll lose it for you."
Uncle Zhang, the driver, slapped the shaft of the cart and said, "Puh, girl, please say 'Puh' a few times. Don't talk nonsense."
Zhou Jiani made a few obedient "Pooh" sounds, then stared at Qiu Zeming. Qiu Zeming twitched his lips twice and turned his head away uncomfortably: "Pooh!"
Uncle Zhang took her directly to the door of the post office, and decided to meet there in the afternoon before leaving in a car.
The post office was closed at this time and the streets were deserted except for the sanitation workers cleaning. Zhou Jiani identified the direction and walked towards the state-owned restaurant.
She didn't bring any dry food from home, and now that she's in town, why shouldn't she improve her food?
First, he found a corner and scanned the contents of the woven bag into the warehouse. Then he put away the package list given by Qiu Zeming, prepared the change and food coupons, and went to have breakfast with the empty basket.
I ordered a bowl of wontons and two meat buns. The wontons were 1.6 cents a bowl plus one or two taels of food coupons; the meat buns were 1.7 cents and one or two taels of standard flour for two; and 1.8 cents and one or two taels of refined flour.
Zhou Jiani didn’t pursue that, she pursued meat, so she ordered the standard powder.
It’s not convenient to buy things these days, but the ingredients are definitely sufficient. When you bite into the meat buns, your mouth is full of oil, and the aroma of wheat flour mixed with the aroma of meat, swallow it in one bite, and your internal organs will feel relaxed.
After eating and drinking, Zhou Jiani went to the counter, put on a smiling face, and said, "Comrade, give me ten steamed buns. I don't have any tickets."
When she was paying just now, she asked, a 2-liang steamed bun costs 2-liang coupons and 4 cents, and without food coupons it costs 8 cents each.
She has to be frugal with her food coupons and avoid using them if possible.
It costs eight cents each, and she sells it in bulk at 40 or 50 cents each, so the profit is quite good.
This was the thought that suddenly came to me last night when I was planning to go to the town to eat at a restaurant. I thought that steamed buns could also be group-fed.
The main purpose of going to town is to purchase goods.
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