Li Juanmei has the characteristics of a hamster; since she was little, she has liked to collect all the things she likes to eat, play with, and wear.
She doesn't necessarily eat or wear much, but she enjoys the pleasure of storing things.
Supply and marketing cooperatives often have some defective products. The sales staff will pick them out first and then sell them at a discount. Or some of these products will be distributed as welfare benefits.
Now that she's a sales clerk, she's perfectly enjoying this peculiar pleasure.
"I remember Comrade Xiao Ke really likes chocolate. Just the other day, my mother brought me a box of chocolates. I tasted them and they were pretty good. I was thinking of giving some to Comrade Xiao Ke so we could both try them."
"And this canned ribbonfish, it's very flavorful. Just pair it with some rice or steamed buns, and you can have a meal made from it..."
Well, the sales clerks weren't in a hurry to leave work anymore; they all glanced sideways at the unusual item that Comrade Li had pulled out.
Ke Yuanda had a headache. No wonder his grandmother and sister cared so much about Xiao Li's family.
The produce from our own land and mountains was practically free, but we ended up exchanging it for so much stuff from other people...
"That won't do. We just came back from your house and already received three boxes of fruit. We can't take any more, otherwise my sister and grandma will ask me to bring them a bunch of food when I get home."
Li Juanmei couldn't help but smile as she recalled the grandmother and grandson's enthusiastic greeting: "Grandma Ke and Comrade Ke really don't take any advantage of me. I don't even know how to reply."
Ke Yuan was embarrassed. Was this girl a little silly, being sold out and still helping the seller count the money?
However, thinking about his grandmother's ability to brainwash and deceive people, and the girl's confidence in turning black into white, he looked at Li Juanmei with some pity.
"The two families will have more interactions in the future, so let's leave it for next time, Comrade Li."
“My mother told me to watch you finish your meal so I wouldn’t have to bother emptying the bowl and washing the dishes twice.”
As he spoke, Ke Yuanda reached out and carried various dried goods and pickles into the display case, leaving only lunch for the afternoon.
He skillfully unfolded the bundle and laid it on the counter, spread out the food, handed her chopsticks and a soup spoon, gesturing for her to eat.
Having gotten used to serving girls, and then being trained in housework by a heartless girl for half a month, Ke Yuanda's movements became naturally skillful.
Li Juanmei was stunned again, then blushed and looked around. She received teasing glances from her colleagues, and her eyes welled up with tears. "Comrade Ke, you're watching here, how am I supposed to eat?"
Ke Yuanda was also taken aback, and then belatedly realized that the woman in front of him was not his sister.
He needs to be careful about the separation of men and women.
So he smiled and scratched his head, "Then you eat first, I'll go out for a walk and come back to clean up the dishes. I happen to have a few friends here, I haven't been in touch with them for a long time, I'll go say a few words to them."
As soon as the others left, Sister Yang, ever the busybody, peeked out from behind the counter. Soon, they all gathered around her, exclaiming, "Wow, this food is really plentiful! It's just as good as what you get at a state-run restaurant!"
"Look at the color, the aroma, it's so tempting..."
Li Juanmei felt the same way. An aluminum box contained warm, crispy, and oily scallion pancakes, a three-pack of aluminum boxes held three dishes, and a thermos of porridge.
People in this era often lacked oil and fat in their diet, but Li Juanmei, who never lacked meat at every meal, was different. She didn't have a big appetite, and this amount of food was enough for her for the whole day!
Li Juanmei looked at her colleagues expectantly, wanting to give way to them, but then thought that this was a kind gesture from the Ke family, and she shouldn't pass it on.
She could only smile and take out some of the things she hadn't given away earlier to distribute.
Everyone said they were embarrassed, but they still picked up the things without delay, and then added that they would bring her some rare things from home to try later.
Li Juanmei smiled and nodded, then returned to her seat and ate her meal slowly and deliberately.
The food at the Ke family's restaurant was indeed delicious; even after sitting in the lunchbox for a while, it still brought joy to everyone who ate it.
Both were exchanging things with her, but the Ke family grandfather and grandson were completely natural and comfortable. These older women, however, practically wanted to peek into her pockets and storage boxes; their greed and desire to take advantage were so intense they practically wanted to shout it out.
She didn't care about such things, and would occasionally slip some things out of her hands to maintain a semblance of harmony among her colleagues. Of course, she would enjoy the good stuff secretly, keeping it to herself.
Li Juanmei had never eaten this much since leaving home.
When Ke Yuanda returned from his stroll, he saw that only a third of the food had been eaten. He asked in bewilderment, "Comrade Xiao Li, is the food unpalatable?"
He calculated the time based on how fast the girl ate.
Li Juanmei smiled and quickly said, "It's delicious! Auntie's cooking is really good, much better than my mother's. It's just that I don't have a big appetite, and Auntie has filled the table too much. It's enough for me to eat for a whole day."
Ke Yuanda suddenly realized that his sister was no ordinary person; her appetite was comparable to his own!
"Comrade Li, you can keep that lunchbox here for now. I'll come back again before you leave work tomorrow afternoon."
Li Juanmei nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble Comrade Ke."
When Ke Yuanda returned home, he was stared at strangely by his mother.
He was puzzled for a moment, but as usual, he gulped down a mouthful of water and ate his rice in big mouthfuls. After he finished his porridge, he found that not only his mother, but also his grandmother and younger sister were watching him with a sinister look.
Ke Yuanda couldn't help but shudder. "Grandma, Mother, Little Sister, did I do something wrong? Please tell me what you have to say, otherwise I don't know what I did wrong."
Mrs. Ke said "Oh," and then asked, "Where's the lunchbox? Why didn't you bring it back? Were you being lazy and not watching people eat?"
"Mom, you treat everyone like a little sister, serving so much to others. If Comrade Li can't finish it, I'll tell him to go get more tomorrow afternoon."
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