Chapter 40: Next Time, I’ll Definitely Avoid These Four

Lu Huaishen spoke up, “Mr. Huo, I’ve long heard of your great name.”

Mr. Huo chuckled, sizing up Lu Huaishen from head to toe, his gaze filled with satisfaction.

Zhou Ye asked, “Jinshan, have you and Mr. Huo eaten yet?”

“We already ate,” Xu Jinshan replied. “What about you guys?”

Zhou Ye nodded. “Yeah, we’ve eaten.”

“Then let’s find another place to discuss business.”

“Alright.”

…

The four of them moved to a different location and sat down.

Lu Huaishen got straight to the point. “Mr. Huo, we invited you here to prescribe a formula.”

Mr. Huo glanced at both Lu Huaishen and Zhou Ye. “For the two of you?”

Lu Huaishen said, “The person isn’t here.”

Mr. Huo’s gaze landed on Lu Huaishen. “Kid, I may be good at treating illnesses, but I’m not so good that I can prescribe a remedy out of thin air.”

“Diagnosis requires seeing the patient in person. Without that, I can’t prescribe anything.”

“Either you bring the person here, or, since I quite like you, I can make a trip myself.”

Lu Huaishen pressed his lips together. “We can’t bring him here, and you can’t go there.”

“His identity is rather sensitive. Right now, he’s in Niu—”

He stopped there.

Mr. Huo: “…”

Xu Jinshan: “…”

The four exchanged glances, no one speaking.

The room suddenly fell silent.

After a long pause—

Mr. Huo finally spoke again. “Which brigade?”

“Guai Zi Wo.”

Mr. Huo frowned. “Guai Zi Wo?”

Xu Jinshan: “…”

If he remembered correctly, that educated youth named Song Yue was also in Guai Zi Wo brigade.

Mr. Huo turned to look at Xu Jinshan. “That girl from earlier, is she from Guai Zi Wo?”

…

At the supply and marketing cooperative, Song Yue ran into the four of them again.

This time—

Lin He insisted that it was unsafe for her to be alone in an unfamiliar place and that she might get lost. Using this as an excuse, he forcibly dragged Li Xinyue along, while Zhao Zirui spoke up and suggested Song Yue go with them too.

They said they would head back to the village after finishing their shopping at the cooperative.

But by the time they finished shopping, it was already around noon, and their stomachs were growling.

They didn’t feel like going back to the educated youth spot to cook, especially since there wasn’t anything good to eat there.

So, the four of them went to the cafeteria again and even packed dinner to take back.

Liu Wei hadn’t planned on packing dinner, but seeing the other three do it, she didn’t want to lose face—so she got a meat dish as well.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill—

It was time to head back.

Everyone grabbed their belongings.

Song Yue traveled the lightest, having only bought a pack of biscuits and some eggs.

To her surprise, Liu Wei had actually bought a few things too—a basin, some towels…

Lin He had also bought a basin, a thermos, and a few other items.

Of course—

The ones who bought the most were Li Xinyue and Zhao Zirui. They had everything: quilts, thermoses, basins, towels… A whole pile of miscellaneous things.

The two of them had even wanted to buy meat, but Lin He talked them out of it.

After finishing their meal—

Song Yue picked up her two items and got up.

Zhao Zirui and Li Xinyue struggled with their load.

Liu Wei eyed Li Xinyue’s things, her eyes darting slyly. She stepped forward and offered,

“Xinyue, you have so much stuff. If you can’t carry it all, I can help you with some.”

Li Xinyue was delighted. “Weiwei, thank you!”

“We’re good friends. No need to thank me.”

Liu Wei smiled and went up to help, only to realize she couldn’t carry much.

She turned to Song Yue. “Comrade Song, could you also—”

Song Yue simply stared at her.

A chill ran down Liu Wei’s spine, and she quietly shut her mouth.

Song Yue spoke indifferently, “If last night’s compensation wasn’t enough to keep you quiet, next time, the price will make sure you’ll never dare provoke me again for the rest of your life.”

Liu Wei’s face stiffened.

Li Xinyue frowned. “Song Yue, Liu Wei didn’t even say—”

Song Yue walked away directly, not bothering to listen to any nonsense.

Lin He cut in, “Li Xinyue, are you sure you’ve got all your things?”

Li Xinyue instinctively replied, “Yes.”

Lin He: “Then let’s go.”

With just two sentences, the topic shifted.

Li Xinyue had taken a few steps before she realized—wait a minute, she hadn’t finished what she was saying!

But since the matter had already passed, bringing it up again felt inappropriate.

Her impression of Song Yue grew even worse.

Outside the cafeteria, Song Yue suddenly thought about taking a bath.

She needed a big basin.

A wooden basin was too heavy, and emptying it after bathing would be a hassle.

Earlier, she had seen an extra-large aluminum basin at the supply cooperative—big enough for her to sit inside and bathe.

She paused, then turned back to the four people coming out behind her. “You guys go ahead. I forgot to buy something.”

Lin He asked, “What is it?”

The other three also looked at her.

Song Yue spat out three words, “A big aluminum basin.”

Leaving those words behind, she turned and headed back to the cooperative.

The four stood in place, confused.

They looked at each other.

“???”

Zhao Zirui glanced at Lin He. “What did she say?”

Lin He thought for a moment, his tone uncertain. “I think… she means one of those big wash basins?”

Then—

“!” Lin He suddenly realized something, and his face changed. “I need to get one too.”

The other three: “?”

Seeing their puzzled looks, Lin He reminded them, “You guys better get one too.”

Liu Wei didn’t want to spend more money.

Her family had only given her fifty yuan for this trip.

And that was after she threw a fit to get it.

Last night, that damn Song Yue had taken ten yuan from her. Today’s purchases had cost another ten or so.

If she bought more, she’d only have a little over twenty yuan left.

Her so-called “loving” but secretly rotten-to-the-core father, who favored sons over daughters, definitely wouldn’t send her any more money.

She had to figure out how to make money on her own.

Liu Wei bit her lip and was just about to say that the educated youth spot already had wash basins, so there was no need to buy another—

But—

Li Xinyue spoke up first. “Lin He, don’t we already have wash basins at the educated youth spot?”

Lin He shot her a look. “This basin isn’t just for washing clothes—it’s for bathing too.”

Li Xinyue’s eyes lit up. “I want one too!”

After spending a whole day and night on the train, plus another night—

She felt grimy all over.

But compared to the stench of the public toilets… her own odor was nothing.

If she could bathe, she was definitely buying one!

The four of them rushed back to the supply cooperative.

By this time, Song Yue had already bought her oversized aluminum basin.

Price: 15 yuan + 1 industrial coupon.

Just as she stepped out of the cooperative with her basin—

Lin He and the others arrived.

“Comrade Song!”

Song Yue: “…”

Next time she went out, she was definitely avoiding these four.