Jiang Lin sighed: "There are several old ladies in our village who have a hard life for some reasons. They don't have enough food to eat or warm clothes to wear. I think they would do this..." She first played the emotional card and acted pitiful. Women are more likely to sympathize with poor strangers so that they won't bargain too hard.
Sure enough, Li Yuegui showed a look of pity on her face, "How pitiful." Needless to say, she knew what was going on. If the family background was not good, the children would draw a clear line and there would be no one to take care of them in their old age. How pitiful it would be.
As long as they are not those activists who are only trying to climb up the ladder through the movement, ordinary people are mostly sympathetic.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Lin took out some embroidery works, including handkerchiefs and small wallets, with patterns of lotus, plum blossoms, orchids, etc. Yan Runzhi's embroidery work was done carefully and uniquely, and she was always striving for perfection even for the work that was not handed in. As soon as Jiang Lin took out the work, it attracted the attention of several people, and even the chef in the kitchen came to take a look.
Li Yuegui picked it up and turned it over and over again, unable to let go. She was very happy with each one, "Big sister, how much is one?"
Jiang Lin followed the price of the supply and marketing cooperative. Yan Runzhi earned a lot of money by embroidering for the supply and marketing cooperative and the brigade. She said, "The old ladies get 70 cents for handkerchiefs and 80 cents for purses. I help run errands. I come here by car and have to eat. I earn the money for running errands. 80 cents for handkerchiefs and 90 cents for purses. But Sister Li is an acquaintance, so I'll just treat it as a gift to you and not make any money from you."
The price is certainly not cheap, but she has a small supply and can make a profit from each sale.
And how tiring is embroidery? It is reasonable that it is more expensive.
There are some thin and small printed handkerchiefs in the city now. They are very ugly, but they cost more than 30 cents.
She was afraid that Li Yuegui would find it too expensive, so she stopped talking about the price and instead picked up a light blue handkerchief embroidered with a bunch of small flowers and tied it around her hair. "Sister Li, do you think it looks good? It's neat and cool."
Her hair reached her shoulders and was not braided. She looked particularly pretty when she tied it up with a scarf. The chef was so tempted that he wanted to buy some to braid for his own wife.
Cheng Xiaobao clapped his hands: "Mom is so pretty!"
Cheng Dabao also kept looking at it.
Li Yuegui smiled and said, "It looks really good on your head. But it's not the same for us, with our frizzy, dry, yellow and thin hair." As she said that, she glanced at the master chef.
The master chef immediately thought of his wife's sparse hair, it was true.
Li Yuegui thought it was a bit too expensive, but when she heard Jiang Lin said that she would not make money from her, she was very tempted. Now that Jiang Lin looked good wearing it, she wanted to buy it even more. She thought that if she wore such a handkerchief, wouldn't she be the most beautiful girl in the hotel? Then she would definitely arouse the envy of her female friends.
She said, "I want to buy a handkerchief and a wallet."
The chef also bought a handkerchief and said to Li Yuegui, "Don't tie your hair with it, just use it to wipe your face."
The fabric of the handkerchief is slightly thinner and sweat-absorbent, while the fabric of the wallet is thicker and wear-resistant. The wallet is also simple to make, just sew it into a cylinder, then put a rope on the end and tie it up with a pull.
Jiang Lin took the money and bought a bun for Dabao and Xiaobao respectively.
Li Yuegui asked her, "Do you have anywhere to go?"
Jiang Lin: "I want to try the train station. Sister Li can also tell me a place."
Li Yuegui immediately laughed and said, "You don't understand. There are so many people coming and going at the train station, who has time to buy this? You can go to the hospital, the entrance of Lianzhong School, or near those factories. You can go there."
Jiang Lin hurriedly thanked him.
Seeing her sincerity and her willingness to learn, Li Yuegui was more willing to say, "Looking at the market managers in blue uniforms and red armbands, you don't have to be afraid. The city is not so strict now, and there are many small stalls at the street corners. They usually scare people from the countryside who come to exchange for food coupons, and then confiscate their things after they scare them. In fact, all the money goes into their own pockets. Just be tough, they will think you are a city person and dare not do anything to you."
Those people like to bully the uneducated and worldly-wise old farmers, but they are polite to city people.
Jiang Lin thanked her again and again, then said goodbye to Li Yuegui.
Dabao and Xiaobao waved their hands towards Li Yuegui and said together, "Thank you, Aunt Li."
"Oh, they are two good kids." Li Yuegui's heart was melted.
Jiang Lin led the two children out of the house, walked to a place where they were not surrounded by people, and gave them a thumbs up, "Dabao and Xiaobao, you are polite!"
Cheng Xiaobao was in high spirits, and although Cheng Dabao didn't smile, there was a smile in his eyes.
Jiang Lin: "Let's eat the buns. After that we'll go to the compound over there and take a look."
Rather than going to the factory, Jiang Lin would rather try her luck in the government compound.
At that time, workers had money, but the people with intellectuals were naturally the fastest and earliest to accept exquisite things. Many people in the Revolutionary Committee compound had received higher education, and except for a few activists who had the style of Miejue Nun, most of the others loved beauty.
Especially now, in the late Cultural Revolution period, when places are more free, more and more young women are getting letters of introduction, queuing up to perm their hair, wear skirts, and dress up.
She let Dabao and Xiaobao eat the steamed buns, and she also ate the noodles she brought. At this time, there was not much fat in her stomach, and she was young and had a fast metabolism, so she was hungry before noon.
Xiaobao asked her to eat his buns, while Dabao took the initiative to eat her cakes.
Jiang Lin smiled and said, "Just eat it, we won't have to worry about food when we sell it for a lot of money." The more she looked at the two children, the more she admired them. Yan Runzhi had educated them very well. Although she loved them, she didn't spoil them at all. It was already amazing that such a big child could understand humility and not cry.
After finishing the meal, Jiang Lin took her two sons to the government compound.
Along the way, men and women were attracted by their gazes, and many people turned their heads to look at them. However, they were all appreciating their beauty, and no one asked about the embroidered handkerchief, which made Jiang Lin a little disappointed.
She also met a country woman who took out eggs to exchange for food coupons. She thought she and Dabao were rich people from the city who wanted to exchange eggs for food coupons. She was just about to ask how to exchange, but two people in blue uniforms and red armbands came. The woman carried a small basket and ran away in a flash. Her posture was obviously professionally practiced.
Jiang Lin: ...Won’t this break the eggs?
The red armbands glanced at her and Dabao and Xiaobao, and they didn't look like profiteers, so they left without even asking any questions.
Jiang Lin was even bolder this time, and took her two children for a stroll on the street in front of the government. As they were walking in the opposite direction, a fashionable young woman holding an oil-paper umbrella came over. She was wearing a floral dress and had fluffy permed hair. Seeing Jiang Lin and the two children, she couldn't help but stop and said, "Hey... this comrade."
Jiang Lin also looked at her, "Is there anything wrong?"
"What's that on your head?"
"This?" Jiang Lin took out a new headband from her bag. "Headband."
The fashionable young woman took it and said in surprise, "Why haven't I seen it before?" She looked at the handkerchiefs on the twins' necks and exclaimed, "The embroidery is so beautiful, and the little people are even more handsome!"
Cheng Dabao felt a little embarrassed, but Cheng Xiaobao was so happy that he stood on tiptoe and puffed out his chest, asking people to take a good look and buy two more.
Seeing his younger brother like that, he was just about to ask the other person if he wanted to buy it for 10,000 yuan. Cheng Dabao quickly used his little hand to nudge Xiaobao and told him not to go too far.
Jiang Lin: "I'm from the provincial capital, and I'm a university teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts..." She didn't need to finish her words, the other party could imagine it.
Sure enough, the young woman was very interested. "Do you have any more? Can you sell it to me?" She gestured to Jiang Lin to go to the small park next to the government to talk.
On the way, the two people introduced themselves. The young woman was Zeng Hongjie, an educated youth who had been sent to the countryside from the city. She was now in charge of art work at the county cultural center.
Jiang Lin knew that she had connections. She didn't need to go to the countryside to farm, but could directly get a job at the county cultural center. This should be a big deal.
Even in the most austere times, female artists in big cities still dressed up young and beautiful, which was their privilege. So it is not difficult to understand why Zeng Hongjie was more fashionable than others but had nothing to do.
Jiang Lin took out all the embroidery pieces from her bag and gave them to Zeng Hongjie to choose.
Zeng Hongjie picked out the ones he liked and tried them on Jiang Lin's body and head, or on Dabao and Xiaobao, and then put the good ones aside.
While gesturing, she asked curiously, "Jiang Zhiqing, are these two children yours?" The two children were really adorable. The eldest brother was obviously a child but he tried hard to act like an adult, and the younger brother's innocent smile made people feel soft.
Jiang Lin nodded, and Cheng Xiaobao rushed to say, "My biological child!"
Cheng Dabao: “…”
Zeng Hongjie smiled with her hands covering her mouth, "What a cute couple." She reached out to touch Dabao's head, but Dabao immediately frowned and puffed up his face to avoid her, but Cheng Xiaobao took the initiative to let her be touched.
Zeng Hongjie couldn't stop laughing, "Why is it so cute?"
Cheng Dabao glanced at his brother: “…”Silly roe deer!
He picked up a wallet embroidered with peony flowers that Zeng Hongjie had put down and said, "This one is beautiful." When grandma was embroidering, she also told them the story of the Peony Fairy.
Zeng Hongjie smiled and said, "They are all beautifully embroidered, but I like smaller flowers, not big ones like this." She pointed at the scarf on Jiang Lin's head and said, "Look, isn't a big flower not as good-looking as a small one?"
Some people like bright red and green and big flowers, but many girls like the fresh and clean series, which suits their literary and artistic temperament.
Cheng Dabao looked at what she had picked, looked at what he had in his hand, and then looked at Jiang Lin's head, thinking that the big flower was the best looking!
Cheng Xiaobao took out all the grass insects and the like, "These are good."
Zeng Hongjie: "All good, all good." She had already picked out several items, and because Cheng Xiaobao pushed hard to sell them, she picked out a few more. When they finally counted the money, the total was 11.8 yuan.
Jiang Lin was stunned. She had learned about the prices in detail in the past few days. Anyone who could casually take out ten dollars must be a wealthy person.
What a rich woman!
Jiang Lin saw that she was wearing white nylon socks, leather sandals, and a faint fragrance on her body. If it had been a few years ago, she would have been criticized for her petty bourgeois style.
She waited for Zeng Hongjie to bargain, but she didn't, so Jiang Lin asked, "So many, do you want all of them?"
Zeng Hongjie: “Yes, I want them all.” This is not enough to share. As long as she buys them back, her colleagues and classmates will want them too. She won’t lose anything if she gives them the original price.
Jiang Lin: "Then I'll give you a discount of 30 cents, just 11.5 yuan."
Zeng Hongjie smiled and said, "No need, the two babies are so well behaved, buy them some snacks."
Cheng Xiaobao immediately said sweetly: "Thank you, beautiful auntie, your skirt is so beautiful."
Zeng Hongjie was even happier and wanted to bring them back to the office to show them off. She loved pretty children the most.
After Zeng Hongjie finished shopping, she inadvertently glanced at the Kun watch on her left wrist. It was already past 11 o'clock. "Oh, I have to go." She paid the money, put the embroidery pieces into her schoolbag, said goodbye to Jiang Lin and the other two, and left in a hurry.
Jiang Lin stared at her slender back and the army green schoolbag, and whispered, "She still needs a nice bag."
Cheng Xiaobao: "The skirt is so beautiful, mom should buy one too."
Cheng Dabao also nodded, "It looks good."
Jiang Lin laughed at what they said, but she felt warm in her heart. The two little brats even knew how to dress up for their mother. "We can make cotton-padded clothes and quilts first if we have money, and then we can think of other things." She touched Xiaobao's head and smiled, "As long as we are smart and hardworking, and have a little luck, we can definitely live a good life."
She packed up the rest and continued to take her two children out for a walk to try her luck, but she didn't get any business after that. She even saw a few well-dressed women and asked them, but they didn't show any interest.
After all, this thing is so expensive, unless you are rich, beautiful, a little vain and know what's good, you basically won't buy it. But she used to earn more than ten yuan, which is also a lot of income, and a pound of pork is only about 65 or 70 cents.
Jiang Lin was in a good mood. The money was enough to buy cloth and cotton. She had even more respect for Yan Runzhi. What a capable old lady!
She thought that she didn't need to come to the county tomorrow, and she would go home to make something more high-end, and she would definitely make more money by selling it in the provincial capital later. She took the two babies to visit the original owner's parents and let them see their grandson. Of course, because the original owner and them were too upset, she had to make long-term plans, and she didn't want to be scolded for nothing.
On the way, Jiang Lin saw a fruit farmer pushing a cart of Guoguang green apples to sell. At this time of year, they were not fully ripe yet, so the fruit farmer was reluctant to pick them and collected the fallen apples to sell at a low price. The fallen apples were relatively sour, so they were sold at a low price of only four cents per pound.
At noon, when the factory was getting off work, many people gathered there to pick things. Jiang Lin was afraid that the children would be squeezed, so she asked them to hold hands and wait aside.
Jiang Lin went to pick apples and suddenly felt someone touching her butt. She turned around and saw a young man walking towards her. He was tall and upright and looked like a bad guy. She glanced at him suspiciously and turned around to continue picking apples.
She made her choice and reached out to take out her wallet, but there were too many people and it was a bit crowded. After trying for a while but failing, she squeezed back to a more empty place to look for her wallet. She glanced at the person next to her and wondered why he was holding her wallet.
She quickly snatched it back, "This is mine!" Fortunately the strap was tied and she didn't have time to untie it.
The young man looked at her face, his expression a little dazed, "You..."
Jiang Lin: "What? You look decent, but you are not good at doing things." He is a handsome young man, why don't you do something else? Some people have good conditions, but they have a kleptomania. What if he has it?
When the young man saw that she had misunderstood, he immediately turned around to look for the pickpocket he had caught. The guy was as slippery as a loach and slipped away when Jiang Lin's face was distracted.
He turned back to explain to Jiang Lin, but saw that she ran faster than the thief!
Of course Jiang Lin has to run!
He actually wanted to get close to her. What if he got angry and slapped her? She couldn't afford that! He was very powerful and could not be compared to a weakling like Qianbo.
Jiang Lin led Dabao and Xiaobao into the alley, and the two brothers immediately felt that she was nervous.
Cheng Dabao: "What's the matter?"
Jiang Lin: "It's okay, someone just tried to steal my wallet."
The two children immediately stood nervously on her left and right to protect her. They used the money they had earned with great difficulty to make quilts and cotton clothes for their family, and they couldn't let anyone snatch it away.
Seeing how nervous they were, Jiang Lin felt relieved. She smiled and said, "It's okay. There are militia patrols and no one dares to rob. Come on, mom will buy you some popsicles."
In front of me was a primary school. At the intersection, an old lady was pushing a white wooden box with wheels underneath. On it was painted red with the words "Big Ice Cream". At that time, a big ice cream cost 10 cents, and a sweet popsicle cost 5 cents. Compared with the current food prices, it was quite expensive, and cream ice cream had no cream at all, but it was cool, sweet and refreshing, and was the favorite of children in summer.
What’s more, country children can’t even eat it, let alone have seen it.
Jiang Lin thinks, how can a child’s childhood be without candy and ice cream!
Must buy! Buy it at any price!
Dabao and Xiaobao had only heard of it, but had never seen or eaten it. Now they actually saw real ice cream. The two little ones stood on tiptoe, holding onto the edge of the wooden box with their little hands, and looked at the big wooden box with curiosity.
The old lady opened the lid of the box, and immediately a burst of cold air came out, which vaporized into visible steam when it collided with the heat wave, causing the two children to exclaim. When she lifted the quilt, more cold air came out, and the two children shivered at the same time. It was so magical! The old lady took out a fat ice cream and a long popsicle wrapped in paper from under the quilt.
"Wow, popsicle, covered with a quilt!" Cheng Xiaobao was very surprised.
Cheng Dabao pursed his lips and was also very curious, "Is it hot under the quilt? Will it melt?" They only cover themselves with quilts in winter, but not with ice cream in summer. Aren't they really not afraid of the heat?
The old lady selling popsicles laughed out loud, "They will melt if you don't cover them with a quilt. If you cover them with a quilt and keep them out of the sun, they won't melt."
Jiang Lin took the popsicles and briefly explained to them why they were covered with quilts. She then went to eat the popsicles in the shade of a nearby tree. She peeled off the ice cream wrapper and popsicles and let the two brothers each have one. They took turns eating when they were halfway through.
Both children handed it to her first, "Mom, you eat first."
Jiang Lin took a small bite of the ice cream from a corner and said, "You guys eat it."
Although it is frozen with sweet water essence, there is nothing delicious to eat at this time. Eating one under the scorching sun is sweet and refreshing, which is the ultimate enjoyment.
It was the first time for the two brothers to eat it, and neither of them was willing to eat more.
Cheng Dabao took a small bite and held it in his mouth, then handed it to Jiang Lin and asked her to take another bite.
Cheng Xiaobao would just lick it every time and then narrow his eyes contentedly, "Wow, it's so cold, mom, my stomach is frozen!"
Jiang Lin smiled and said, "It's okay. If you're frozen, why don't you go out in the sun and get some sun?"
The two children thought, it's true. Dabao took a bite of the ice cream and held it in his mouth, then let Xiaobao take a bite. Xiaobao stuffed the popsicle to Jiang Lin, and the two ran to the sun to dry.
Wait until it melts, then each person takes a bite and holds it in their mouth, then continues to dry in the sun.
The two little brothers enjoyed their meal very much, and Dabao’s laughter was as loud as Xiaobao’s.
Jiang Lin was so happy to see their childish behavior that she had the illusion that this was her own son. When the sweet water from the melted popsicle dripped onto her legs, she shuddered: Oh, Jiang Lin, you are crazy, this is your own son, stop it!
"Try this popsicle again, and then we'll go eat."
When they arrived at the restaurant, they found that all seven or eight tables inside were occupied, and there were two more tables set up at the door.
Jiang Lin took a quick glance and saw a young man eating noodles in the corner who was very eye-catching. He had a shaved head and a widow's peak in the middle of his forehead. His long legs could not stay under the table, so they stretched out diagonally in the aisle.
It was the man who took her wallet!
Oh, you're eating out, you're so rich! What a narrow road for enemies!
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