Chapter 40 White Rabbit Candy Causes Trouble
Xu Zhili pondered for a moment. Cloth coupons were indeed important, but furniture was a necessity at the moment, and Uncle Niu's needs were also practical.
She quickly weighed the pros and cons and nodded: "Uncle Niu has had a tough time, and his daughter's marriage is a big deal. Okay, I'll swap some with you."
She took out a small cloth bag from her inner pocket again, carefully counted out a few cloth coupons and the corresponding change, and handed them to Uncle Niu with both hands.
Please order.
Upon seeing this, Bai Linlin and Lu Yanchen immediately expressed their willingness to use some of their cloth coupons to offset the cost.
Bai Linlin was still haggling with Uncle Niu with a smile: "Uncle Niu, can you give me a discount on this washbasin? I'll give you more of the cloth coupons I save."
Uncle Niu grinned and eventually gave him a small discount.
The three quickly completed the transaction, each selecting furniture that was in relatively new condition.
Xu Zhili specifically checked whether the locks on the wooden box were secure.
Uncle Niu (carefully counting the cloth coupons and money, smoothing them out one by one, his face beaming with joy, patting his chest to guarantee it).
"Great! The kids are all so agreeable! Don't worry, this afternoon at the latest! I'll have my eldest son hitch up the cart and deliver the furniture to your educated youth settlement! If you need anything else, just let me know and I'll call you!"
The three thanked him repeatedly and led Xu Zhian, who had been quietly following beside them, curiously watching the wood, out of the Niu family's courtyard.
Xu Zhili looked up at the sun and estimated the time: "Educated Youth Lu, Educated Youth Bai, it's still early. I want to go to the commune's supply and marketing cooperative to buy some daily necessities. Are you going?"
Lu Yanchen nodded in response: "Perfect timing, I also need to buy some things."
Bai Linlin walked forward excitedly: "Let's go! I heard the commune sells face cream! Let's go take a look!"
The group walked quickly toward the village entrance.
From afar, you can see an old oxcart parked there, with three or four women carrying baskets and a seven or eight-year-old, dark-skinned, thin boy sitting on it.
An old man driving a cart, with a pipe in his mouth, squinted as he waited for passengers.
When the old man driving the cart saw the group of educated youth approaching, especially since there were unfamiliar faces among them, he raised the tip of his whip and spoke in a loud voice.
"Hey! The new educated youth? Going to the commune? Perfect, everyone's here! Hop on! Hold on tight!"
The oxcart was small, and the planks were worn smooth.
Xu Zhili first carried Xu Zhian into the car, then nimbly climbed in herself, found a seat on the side, and held her younger brother in her arms.
Lu Yanchen and Bai Linlin also squeezed in.
The three middle-aged women moved over to make room for the newcomers, and looked them over with curiosity.
The little boy stared at Xu Zhian with wide eyes and curiosity.
Everyone was packed together, knee to knee and arm to arm.
The air was filled with the smells of sweat, tobacco, soil, and cows.
The old man driving the cart shouted "Giddy up!" and cracked his whip in the air.
The old ox strode along at a leisurely pace, its wooden wheels creaking rhythmically as they rolled over the dirt road.
The oxcart swayed and rocked, carrying a load of people and their own worries, heading towards the commune.
Dust billowed up behind the wheels, blurring the outline of the educated youth settlement as it receded into the distance.
Xu Zhian clung tightly to her sister's clothes, her little face showing a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.
Xu Zhili smiled and patted An'an's head. On the bumpy oxcart.
Dust was flying everywhere, and the sunlight was a bit dazzling.
Xu Zhian nestled in her sister's arms, her little hands rummaging in her pockets, finally pulling out a milk candy with a blue and white rabbit printed on it.
He carefully unwrapped the candy, and the sweet aroma of the milk candy wafted enticingly through the earthy smell of the air.
But the boy across from her, named Zhuangzhuang, had his eyes fixed on the milk candy like hooks.
His throat bobbed violently, and saliva flowed uncontrollably.
Watching Xu Zhian slowly put the candy into his mouth, he instantly exploded like a firecracker, pointing a sharp finger at Xu Zhian with a shrill and domineering voice.
"Hey! Give me the candy! Give it to me now!"
Xu Zhian was startled by the sudden roar and almost dropped the candy.
He instinctively shrank into his sister's arms, his mouth tightly shut, his little face full of fear and grievance, but there was also a hint of stubbornness in his eyes, he just wouldn't look at her.
When Zhuangzhuang saw that his commands were ineffective and he didn't get the candy, he started crying and making a fuss.
He suddenly opened his mouth and burst into a deafening wail, his face covered in tears and snot, his chubby little legs kicking wildly on the cart floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Waaaaah! He won't give me candy! Mom! I want candy! I want candy!!"
Zhuangzhuang's cries were extremely penetrating, making people's eardrums tingle.
Zhuangzhuang's mother immediately hugged her son with heartache, clumsily wiping his snot and tears with her rough hands, while glaring at Xu Zhili with dissatisfaction, her voice loud and sharp, carrying her habitual accusation.
"Hey! You city girl, why are you so stingy? My Zhuangzhuang just wanted a piece of candy, why couldn't your kid give him one? Look how much he's crying! Aren't you city people supposed to be the most cultured? You can't even understand this simple thing? You have no manners!"
She emphasized the words "uncivilized," which were the most "urban" derogatory terms she could think of.
Xu Zhili's brows furrowed instantly, and her eyes turned cold.
She didn't immediately refute him, but instead gently patted Xu Zhian, who was trembling in her arms. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly drowned out Zhuangzhuang's cries, carrying an undeniable coldness.
"The candy belongs to my brother. He can give it to whomever he wants, and if he doesn't want to, that's perfectly reasonable. No one can order him around. Your son's tantrum won't change anything."
She deliberately used the word "throw a tantrum," precisely hitting the essence of Zhuangzhuang's behavior.
Zhuangzhuang's mother choked for a moment, then became furious and raised her voice even higher, almost spitting out saliva.
"Hey! You've got a sharp tongue, girl! What are you fussing over? It's just a piece of candy, is it worth getting angry with a child?"
Bai Linlin's face was already flushed with anger. She couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly leaned out from beside Xu Zhili, her finger almost touching Zhuangzhuang's mother's nose. Her voice was crisp and sharp, full of righteous anger.
"You, as the mother, are the one who should discipline your child! If the child wants something, can't you just say it nicely? You come up to him crying and grabbing, and if you don't get it, you knock the candy out of his mouth!"
She pointed at Zhuangzhuang's tantrum and said, "Look at this! This is the kind of son you raised! Unreasonable, like a bandit! This is what you call truly ill-mannered! He's a disgrace to our Xiangyanghong Brigade!"
Zhuangzhuang's mother was bombarded with Bai Linlin's rapid-fire accusations, her face turning from red to purple. She became utterly enraged and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing at Bai Linlin and Xu Zhili and cursing them out.
"Bullshit! You pampered city girls don't know anything! What do kids know? What's wrong with letting him have his way? You think a piece of candy is so precious! You're so stingy, you deserve to suffer in the countryside! Let's see who pays attention to you in the village from now on!"
She habitually tried to threaten these educated youths with means such as isolation. She knew in her heart that many of them were thin-skinned, easily influenced, and easily swayed by others.
In the past, every time he used this move, he almost always succeeded easily.
But this time, she ran into a snag. The two female educated youths she encountered were different from others; they dared to confront her head-on without any fear.
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