Chapter 11: Not One to Take Things Lying Down

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The moment the door had opened, he had clearly smelled fried eggs coming from inside!

She had such good food and still refused to give him any? Su Xiaoyun definitely had money left!

Without a few banknotes, how could she have traded with the villagers for eggs that big?

He was so hungry that his face had grown noticeably thinner. And yet Su Xiaoyun, that woman, had suddenly started playing hard to get, actually trying to cut ties with him!

“Hah. Just putting on an act. Does she think I’ll come crawling back to her?”

“Without five kilograms’ worth of meat coupons, she can forget it!”

Zhou Xuejun spat viciously to one side, then flung his sleeves and went back indoors.

…

Meanwhile, the two women had already climbed onto Old Xu’s ox cart and were on their way to town.

It cost only twenty cents per person.

“What a beautiful day…”

After slapping Zhou Xuejun and enjoying a hearty meal, Su Xiaoyun was in the best of moods.

She hummed a cheerful little tune all the way, while Feng Wanqing, sitting behind her, could not help worrying.

After hesitating again and again, Feng Wanqing finally caught hold of her and asked uncertainly, “Xiaoyun, are you all right? If you’re upset, just cry. I won’t laugh at you.”

“After all, anyone who went through something like this would…”

“What would I be upset about? I’m over the moon!” Su Xiaoyun turned toward her in confusion, then broke into an even wider grin.

She still had one hundred and thirty yuan on her.

On top of that, she had the eight eggs she had just obtained that day, and she had not touched her meat coupons.

If she was frugal, she would not have to worry about food for several days at least!

She was short of supplies in every area of life now and could not afford to be without necessities.

Especially essential goods—she had to buy some at the supply cooperative first.

The original owner had been so blinded by love that even if she had possessed half a piece of candy, she would have offered it to Zhou Xuejun like a priceless treasure.

Old Xu was not a talkative man. He pulled the ox’s reins tight with a stern expression.

They reached the county town in a little over half an hour.

“Uncle Xu, we’ll be back soon. Please wait for us!”

Su Xiaoyun jumped down from the cart, took Feng Wanqing by the hand, and strode into the supply cooperative.

A stout older woman inside was cracking sunflower seeds. When she saw the two young girls, she gave them a sidelong glance.

“What are you buying?”

Su Xiaoyun pointed with one finger. “Half a kilogram of peach pastries, one flashlight, a pair of rubber shoes, and two pairs of wool gloves!”

She was practically choosing only the essentials.

Farm work in the fields was exhausting, and there was rarely enough time to eat properly.

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In a sense, both she and Feng Wanqing had been cast out into the countryside by their families and could not easily return to the city.

The physical labor was grueling, and they often became dizzy and hypoglycemic while working in the fields.

Keeping a couple of peach pastries on hand would at least give them something to fill their stomachs.

The woman at the supply cooperative studied Su Xiaoyun in surprise, but soon lowered her eyes and began wrapping the pastries.

“Girls should learn to spend their money carefully.”

“That comes to four yuan and twenty cents.”

The crisp, fragrant pastries were placed on the scale, and half a kilogram was measured out.

When Su Xiaoyun received them, she could still smell their sweetness through the greaseproof paper.

“All right.”

Without the slightest hesitation, she pulled a ten-yuan bill from her pocket.

She happened to have no smaller bills on hand. Since she was buying things at the supply cooperative anyway, she might as well get some change.

Seeing her produce yet another ten-yuan bill, Feng Wanqing had no time to be astonished. Her first reaction was to feel happy for her.

At least it was clear that Su Xiaoyun was not completely destitute.

The two women linked arms and walked toward the village.

Su Xiaoyun took a bite of peach pastry. It was crisp and sweet without being dry, and she narrowed her eyes in enjoyment.

“Food without all those nasty additives really does taste better.”

Feng Wanqing was holding half a piece herself. Seeing Su Xiaoyun puff out her cheeks like a hamster, she twitched the corner of her mouth.

“You’ve been muttering all sorts of things lately that I can’t understand.”

“What technology? Who’s being vicious? You’re not talking about that local bully from the neighboring village, are you?”

Feng Wanqing’s face went white with fright.

A gleam of amusement flashed through Su Xiaoyun’s bright eyes.

“It’s nothing. I read it in a book once.”

“By the way, I heard the women’s director say a few days ago that the drought is getting worse. Are the rice paddies in the south really cracking like an old woman’s heels?”

The comparison made Feng Wanqing laugh. She took an unhurried bite of pastry and replied helplessly, “If Heaven refuses to send rain, there’s nothing anyone can do.”

“But I’ve noticed that every household has been storing water lately. We still haven’t figured out what we’re going to do.”

The well at the educated youth compound was merely decorative. It had been dry for ages, and even the stalks of grass growing at the bottom stuck straight up above the rim.

There was only one water jar, and four or five educated youths had to share it.

Ordinarily, no one wanted to fetch water, let alone now, with the drought worsening.

Su Xiaoyun thought for a moment.

“If things get really bad, we can buy a small water jar from one of the villagers and use it just for the two of us.”

“Two or three yuan should be enough.”

She could afford that amount easily—more than easily, in fact!

Feng Wanqing poked her hard on the forehead.

“Even if you have money, you can’t spend it like water. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

“Oh, and don’t let that rotten scoundrel know you have money. Who knows what sweet lies he’ll use to trick you again?”

With that, she rolled her eyes fiercely.

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Clearly, when it came to dealing with Zhou Xuejun, Feng Wanqing’s trust in Su Xiaoyun was nonexistent.

Su Xiaoyun’s lips twitched.

“Don’t mention him anymore. He’s bad luck!”

Laughing and chatting, the two women returned to the village entrance.

The noon break had just ended.

A few scattered households were carrying hoes toward the fields to resume work.

The sun was climbing higher, scorching everything beneath it.

The two women quickened their steps.

Once they had put away their purchases, they would have to hurry to work as well.

They had not yet finished weeding those several plots of land…

“Well, where have you two been slacking off this time? Our farming people just can’t compare with city girls, can we? Born to enjoy an easy life, you are!”

“Put a little red on those lips, and a whole pack of men will rush to help you.”

“I can smell that filthy stink of yours from way over here. Hmph!”

Before the two women could make their way around the cornfield, a shrill, grating voice like an old duck rang out.

It was so piercing that it raised gooseflesh along Su Xiaoyun’s arms.

She turned around and, sure enough, saw Wu Guifen, the mother of the village ne’er-do-well.

Su Xiaoyun remembered her. The old woman was sharp-tongued and mean, always looking to take advantage of others!

The slightest thing displeased her, and she would plant her hands on her hips and curse at the village entrance for an entire day and night without stopping.

Seeing Su Xiaoyun halt, Feng Wanqing quickly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Don’t stoop to that old hen’s level. She spits out whatever comes into her head.”

“We’ll only get ourselves covered in filth for no reason. Let’s go.”

With the principle that avoiding trouble was better than seeking it, Feng Wanqing pulled her forward.

Unfortunately, Su Xiaoyun had never been the type to swallow an insult.

“You old hag, try cursing me one more time!”

Feng Wanqing: …

How was she even more foulmouthed than Wu Guifen?

Wu Guifen stood frozen at the edge of the field, unable even to swing the hoe in her hand.

“You—you little brat! Don’t think that just because you’re an educated youth from the city, I don’t dare say anything to you!”

“Labor is glorious! Growing grain and tending the fields are a farmer’s duty. The two of you do nothing but loaf around and wander aimlessly. What kind of behavior is that? You’re clearly suffering from some kind of—”

She thought for a long while, but could not come up with the word.

Su Xiaoyun nodded several times with an earnest expression.

“Auntie, you’re absolutely right. Go ahead and say whatever you like. I’ll leave the rest to karma.”