Chapter 39 Uncle Niu Exchanges Furniture
Only a few new educated youth remained in the courtyard.
Meng Haozi and Li Weiguo looked at each other, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet, their eyes filled with bewilderment and helplessness as newcomers.
The novelty of yesterday had worn off, and the harsh reality and the conflict they had just experienced were like a bucket of cold water poured over them, making them truly aware of the problems of survival in the countryside.
They looked at the empty courtyard, then at each other, their Adam's apples bobbing, but they couldn't utter a single word, like two lost quails.
Just then, Xu Zhili deftly took Xu Yi'an's hand and, without the slightest hesitation, walked out of the courtyard.
Her actions were swift and decisive, with a clear objective, standing out from the bewildered atmosphere around her.
Bai Linlin, with her sharp eyes, noticed it immediately.
She was also panicking and didn't know what to do. When she saw Xu Zhili's actions, she subconsciously felt that following her would be the right thing to do.
She quickly tugged at Lu Yanchen's sleeve and whispered urgently, "Oh no, she's gone!"
She immediately abandoned all pretense of modesty and jogged after him, her words carrying a hint of spoiled arrogance as she tried to conceal her "following" him: "Hey! Xu Zhili! Wait a minute! Where...where are you going?"
Xu Zhili stopped in her tracks upon hearing the sound, turned her head, and the morning light outlined her slender yet upright figure.
She glanced at Bai Linlin, who had caught up with her, then at Lu Yanchen, who was silently following a few steps away. Raising an eyebrow, she asked directly, "I'm going to take care of something. What are you following me for?"
His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Bai Linlin was taken aback by her question, feeling a little embarrassed. She raised her chin, habitually using arrogance to cover up her dependence and guilt.
"Hmph! Do you own the road? I can go wherever I want! It's none of your business!" She spoke toughly, but her feet followed closely behind Xu Zhili.
Lu Yanchen always lagged behind by one or two steps, like a silent shadow.
He neither asked questions like Bai Linlin did, nor did he respond to Xu Zhili's questions.
He walked quietly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the low mud-brick houses on both sides of the road, the piles of firewood, and the vast but desolate black earth in the distance, as if silently measuring and assessing the environment that would soon trap their youth.
His silence was more profound and enigmatic than any words.
Xu Zhili withdrew her gaze and said no more.
She remembered that Shen Qingyang had mentioned that if she needed furniture made, she should go to the carpenter Niu, who was the seventh household from the left at the east end of the village.
She tightened her grip on Xu Yi'an's small hand, took a step, and walked resolutely in that direction.
Behind him followed a haughty companion who said one thing but meant another, and a silent, enigmatic observer.
Niu the carpenter's house.
A typical farmhouse courtyard, with a slightly crooked fence, piles of semi-finished wood and wood shavings in the yard, and the air filled with the scent of pine and a faint smell of tobacco.
Tools scattered in the corners revealed the owner's livelihood.
Xu Zhili stood outside the creaking fence gate and called out in a clear voice, "Uncle Niu! Is Uncle Niu home?"
A moment later, the curtain to the main room was lifted, and a lean, dark-skinned man of about fifty years old strode out.
He was wearing a faded old jacket, his trousers rolled up to his calves, and he was barefoot in straw sandals.
He was holding a gleaming copper pipe and puffing away, the pungent smell of cheap tobacco wafting over as he moved.
He walked into the courtyard, squinted at the newcomer, grunted, and spat a thick wad of phlegm precisely onto the muddy ground.
Uncle Niu recognized them as several unfamiliar young people, and especially noticed the little boy next to Xu Zhili. He understood what was going on. His voice was a little hoarse and murky from long-term smoking.
"Hey, the new educated youth? What do you want?"
His gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Xu Zhili's face with a hint of scrutiny.
Xu Zhili smiled appropriately, stepped forward with neither arrogance nor servility, and took out a brand new pack of cigarettes with a red box printed with the golden double happiness character from her pocket, handing it over with both hands.
"Hello Uncle Niu! We are new educated youth. My name is Xu Zhili. I heard from Educated Youth Shen that you have excellent cooking skills, so I came to visit you. This is the famous 'Double Happiness' from our hometown. Would you like to try it?"
They specifically emphasized "educated youth" and "famous hometown" to create a sense of connection and clarify their purpose.
Uncle Niu's eyes lit up instantly. He took the cigarette case, his rough fingers stroking the smooth wrapping paper. He then brought it to his nose and took a deep sniff. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, revealing a smile with a missing front tooth.
"Oh! Double Happiness! This is really good cigarette! Thank you so much, Educated Youth Xu."
He carefully tucked the cigarette into his pocket, his attitude noticeably warmer. "You've come to see me, probably to exchange some furniture? There's some in the storeroom, come and take a look!"
He turned and led the way, his pipe swaying behind him.
The warehouse was dimly lit and piled high with all sorts of wooden items: rough benches, sturdy wooden crates, half-new tables, and even unfinished cabinets. The air was thick with the smell of wood and dust.
Xu Zhili's gaze swept quickly across the area, already having made her plans, and she pointed to a corner of the warehouse.
"Uncle Niu, I want a sturdy desk and a chair. I also want a large wooden chest with a lock, and... two wooden washbasins."
She was meticulous: the desk and chair were for planning her studies, the lockable box was for storing valuables and books to prevent people from rummaging through them, and the washbasin was a daily necessity.
Bai Linlin immediately chimed in excitedly, her voice clear and bright, "Yes, yes, yes! Uncle Niu, I also want a desk, a chair, a wooden box, and a washbasin!" She curiously touched and looked around.
Lu Yanchen nodded steadily and said succinctly, "I'm the same as Bai Zhiqing."
Uncle Niu rubbed his calloused hands, his eyes darting over the items Xu Zhili had selected, and held up two fingers.
"Xu, the items you ordered... Here's the arrangement: the desk is 3.5 yuan, the chair is 1.5 yuan, the large wooden chest with a lock is a bit more expensive, 3 yuan, and the two washbasins are 1 yuan each, making it 10 yuan in total."
He paused, then emphasized, "I used only the best materials, pine wood! It's very sturdy! This price is absolutely fair for the surrounding area! It's all hard-earned money, made by my own hands, one plane and one chisel at a time."
Xu Zhili quickly calculated in her mind: In 1968, this price was indeed not outrageous, especially considering the wood and the craftsmanship.
She readily nodded: "Okay! Uncle Niu is an honest man, this price is reasonable."
As he spoke, he carefully took out a brand-new ten-yuan note from his inner pocket and handed it to Uncle Niu.
Uncle Niu took the money, examined the watermark carefully against the light at the warehouse entrance, and then put it in his pocket with satisfaction.
But he rubbed his hands together, a look of embarrassment and earnestness on his dark face. "Xu Zhiqing... I want to discuss something with you?"
He lowered his voice, "Look... could you exchange your cloth coupons for some money? My daughter is getting married this spring, and we need to buy cloth for her wedding dress, but we really don't have enough cloth coupons! We have money but no coupons, so the supply and marketing cooperative won't sell to us! I know cloth coupons are valuable... you see..."
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of barely perceptible tension, the plight of someone struggling to afford cloth ration coupons for his daughter's wedding was very real.
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