Chapter 43 Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Here I Come!
After listening, Xu Zhili snapped her fingers crisply, then made an OK sign with her thumb and forefinger, smiling brightly, "Got it! Wait for my good news!"
Lu Yanchen and Bai Linlin looked at the strange gesture and exchanged bewildered glances.
Bai Linlin subconsciously mimicked the gesture, then looked at Lu Yanchen. Both of them shrugged in confusion and spread their hands—completely unaware of what the gesture meant, only thinking that Xu Zhiqing was up to some new trick they didn't understand.
Xu Zhili did not explain further.
She solemnly placed An'an's little hand into Lu Yanchen's broad palm and gently patted An'an's head to comfort her.
Then, she stepped back a few paces and stood at the edge of the crowd.
She didn't rush in immediately, but instead narrowed her eyes slightly, as if aiming at prey, or as if sensing the flow of invisible "qi".
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, her eyes instantly becoming sharp as a hawk's. An invisible aura seemed to gather around her, and she didn't look like she was about to go on a shopping spree, but rather like a warrior about to launch a charge, with a clear goal and imposing presence.
Lu Yanchen and Bai Linlin exchanged another surprised glance as they watched her sudden, powerful preparatory stance.
Even Lu Yanchen couldn't help but reveal a helpless, somewhat absurd, bitter smile on his face—this Xu Zhiqing was truly strange and...powerful in every way today?
The next second, Xu Zhili moved!
"Supply and Marketing Cooperative, here I come!" A clear, sharp shout rang out, carrying a do-or-die spirit.
She darted into the surging crowd like a nimble silver fish or a swift bolt of lightning!
Instead of recklessly charging in, she leaned slightly to the side, her steps light and precise.
In the seemingly impenetrable crowd, her hands moved with ghostly speed, not with rough shoving, but with a peculiar rhythm.
The left hand seemingly casually touches and pulls the outside of a burly man's elbow, while the right hand gently guides an older woman's shoulder.
Her movements were minimal, yet remarkably effective.
Those who are "touched" by her often only feel their bodies being pulled by a clever force, their center of gravity slightly off balance, and they involuntarily sway half a step to the side, revealing a gap just big enough for her slender body to pass through!
"Ouch!"
"Who is it? Why are you pushing... Huh?"
"Don't push... huh?"
Who am I? Where am I?
A series of low gasps and complaints rang out behind her.
Those who were "pushed aside" by her often only saw a blurry figure slip past them. By the time they stood up, bewildered and looking around, Xu Zhili had already slipped away like a slippery fish, silently disappearing several meters into the crowd.
Only those who were "borrowed" stood there, scratching their heads, looking bewildered, as if asking, "What just happened?"
Lu Yanchen held An'an tightly, his gaze following Xu Zhili's figure, which was appearing and disappearing in the crowd. His astonishment and inquiry deepened in his eyes.
Bai Linlin covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, completely stunned.
Is this... is this really the Xu Zhili they know?
How could such a tiny person unleash such amazing power?
Just as Xu Zhili finally managed to squeeze near the counter selling daily necessities, a piercing yet familiar voice stabbed her like an awl.
Zhuangzhuang's mother had somehow squeezed in again, her face bearing a forced, unsettling smile mixed with resentment, and her voice was shrill and sour.
"Hey! Isn't this some pampered city girl? What are you doing squeezing into this crowd, competing with us country bumpkins for these measly scraps? You city folks have all sorts of good stuff, why would you even look at our shabby stuff from this poor backwater?"
Xu Zhili paused, then slowly turned around.
Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were like icy knives, piercing Zhuangzhuang's mother with precision.
The surrounding noise seemed to subside instantly, and many people recognized the educated youth girl who had "become famous overnight" on the oxcart, casting curious, gloating, or worried glances at her.
Xu Zhili's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the surrounding noise, carrying a cold sarcasm.
“Zhuangzhuang’s mother, the supply and marketing cooperative’s doors are open for all members. Buying things is a matter of course, so how can you say it’s ‘robbery’?”
She narrowed her eyes slightly, took half a step forward, and that invisible sense of oppression spread out again.
"But you, the matter of your son throwing a tantrum and hitting people on the oxcart, and your unreasonable behavior, we haven't settled the score yet!"
The words "throwing a tantrum and hitting people" and "being unreasonable" were like a red-hot branding iron, instantly distorting and shattering the fake smile on Zhuangzhuang's mother's face.
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, she jumped up suddenly, her face flushed and her neck thick with anger, her voice rising sharply to an ear-piercing level, trying to use the volume to cover up her guilt and anger.
Zhuangzhuang's mother was spitting everywhere, her fingers almost poking Xu Zhili's face.
"You're talking nonsense! Stop spewing filth here. It's clearly you who bullied my Zhuangzhuang. Those candies were so precious, and you wouldn't even share one with my child with that little kid."
"Who has it easy these days? We just survived the famine, and life is still tough. You city people eat government-supplied grain and wear nice clothes, can't you understand our hardships as country folk and give us a break?!"
She attempted to reignite the conflict between "city dwellers" and "country folks," using the potential empathy of the surrounding villagers to isolate Xu Zhili.
Xu Zhili's lips curled into an extremely cold smile, devoid of any warmth, but instead carrying a sharp insight into people's hearts.
Instead of retreating, she took a small step forward, her eyes blazing, her voice suddenly rising, carrying an undeniable sense of power that clearly resonated throughout most of the counter area.
Xu Zhili spoke each word clearly and forcefully: "Consideration? Giving in a little? Ha!"
"We come from all over the country, but we have come together for a common revolutionary goal."
Xu Zhili's voice was clear and powerful, quoting this weighty directive, instantly silencing the noisy supply and marketing cooperative.
"We must all listen to the organization's teachings, unite as one, think in the same direction, and work together like a revolutionary family to contribute to the construction of socialism. Workers and peasants are all class brothers, so how can we distinguish between city dwellers and country people?"
But you, on the other hand, always talk about "city people" and "country people," and all you ever think about is how to harm others for your own benefit, how to take advantage of the collective, and how to make everyone cater to you and give you all the benefits of the collective. This kind of individualistic thinking, selfishness, and undermining of revolutionary unity is unacceptable and must be reformed!
This sudden, stern criticism, full of quotations and allusions, was like a bucket of ice water poured over the scene, instantly silencing everyone.
Zhuangzhuang's mother opened her mouth, her face flushed red, and she made "uh uh" sounds in her throat, but she couldn't utter a single word. She only felt a chill rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her hands and feet felt weak.
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