Chapter 17.2

When Shu Qingyao arrived, there was already a long line at the supply and marketing cooperative.

She was sweating profusely. Looking at the line that stretched out of sight, she thought for a moment and decided to eat breakfast first.

She found a restaurant and ordered…

They ordered three bowls of braised noodle soup. When it was time to pay, Xie Hezhang took out three crumpled one-cent coins from his pocket and handed them to the restaurant owner.

Before Shu Qingyao could react, the young man put his hands in his pockets, looking cool, and said, “I’ll go stand in line for you.”

Then he turned and walked out.

Shu Qingyao could only wait for Xie Xiaoqian to finish eating.

It was Xie Xiaoqian’s first time eating braised noodle soup. She drank all the broth. Shu Qingyao smiled and touched the little girl’s thin and bony back, which was like a skinny kitten, “If you like it, next time come to my dormitory, and I’ll ask the canteen uncle to make some for you.”

Xie Xiaoqian looked at Shu Qingyao with bright eyes. In her life, she had never met anyone so beautiful and so kind to her.

A thought even surged through her small chest—

As long as it made her happy, there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her.

…

Many people had been queuing up since the early morning, so by the time it was Shu Qingyao’s turn, there wasn’t much pork, beef, chicken, or duck left.

The remaining pork was all lean meat.

Shu Qingyao liked lean meat, but in those days, people liked to choose fatty meat when buying pork. This was not only because it was cheaper, but also because fatty meat could increase fat and calories. Fatty meat didn’t make you hungry as quickly. Back then, people would render the fat from fatty meat into lard, and the oil from the rendered fat could be used for cooking.

Shu Qingyao picked and chose, buying all the lean meat, “Wrap all this meat for me. And I’ll take all the remaining chicken…”

It wasn’t easy to come out once, especially since there was a porter with a basket standing next to her. Shu Qingyao didn’t hesitate and bought all the five kilograms of pork, three kilograms of chicken, and one kilogram of beef from the stall.

She bought things so quickly that even the butcher couldn’t help but look at her a few more times. Shu Qingyao smiled and explained, “It’s a holiday today, and I’m here to buy some meat for my friends who are educated youths.”

Not many people could buy nine kilograms of meat at once in those days.

Shu Qingyao didn’t want to make people think too much.

After buying the meat, Shu Qingyao went to the supply and marketing cooperative to queue up and bought Ovaltine, pig fat candy, sour plum powder, and Golden Rooster biscuits.

But she encountered a problem when buying flour and eggs.

Flour and eggs were both popular items. It was Sunday, and most people were off work. By the time it was Shu Qingyao’s turn, there were only fifteen eggs left, and only five kilograms of flour.

Even the rice that Shu Qingyao wanted to eat the most was only available in two kilograms.

How could she feed a family with this little amount?

Shu Qingyao took the things the salesperson handed her and put them in the bamboo basket Xie Hezhang was carrying. She shook her head and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” The man, who had been silent all along, couldn’t help but ask when he saw her like this.

Shu Qingyao touched the renminbi in her pocket, which was still half-spent, and sighed, “Even a clever woman can’t cook a meal without rice…”

Xie Hezhang, carrying nine kilograms of meat and seven kilograms of flour, “…”

Did she know that the money she spent on the things she bought today was enough for an ordinary family to eat for several months?

Plans never go according to plan. Shu Qingyao was dejected as she hurried back.

When she reached the street, an old man wearing a hat that covered most of his face walked over stealthily, “Little girl, didn’t you buy enough?”

“Get lost!”

As soon as Xie Hezhang saw him coming, he immediately pulled Shu Qingyao behind him and glared fiercely at the old man.

The skinny old man, seeing his reaction, didn’t dare to say anything more. He turned around dejectedly and was about to leave.

Before he could turn around, he was stopped by Shu Qingyao.

“Old man, I didn’t buy enough. Do you have any way?”

Xie Hezhang was stunned. He walked around to Shu Qingyao’s front, his young and arrogant face furrowed as he looked at her, his expression full of reproach.

Shu Qingyao just glanced at him and pushed him aside. She smiled at the old man, “Old man, I want to buy two kilograms of eggs.”

The old man swayed his head and glanced at the fierce-looking young man standing next to Shu Qingyao.

Shu Qingyao pushed Xie Hezhang behind her, “Don’t mind him!”

Xie Hezhang, standing behind Shu Qingyao: “…………!!!”

Since she discovered that the jade pendant could bring things from her dreams to reality, Shu Qingyao had been wanting to find the black market here.

Now that someone was leading the way, she couldn’t miss this opportunity.

She stuffed a yuan into the old man’s palm and said with a tired and helpless expression, “My husband and I just came to the countryside last week. The food we were assigned by the team isn’t even enough for one mouth. We finally got a holiday and came to town to buy some things, but they’re all sold out. Oh, luckily I met you.”

The old man glanced at the skinny Xie Xiaoqian, “You brought your sister to the countryside too?”

“My relatives at home are busy, and no one can take care of her, so I had to bring her along. Look how hungry the child is. I hope I can buy some more eggs to make her stronger.”

Xie Hezhang, with a black face, listened to Shu Qingyao chatting with the old man.

The old man clearly had a grudge against him. After listening to Shu Qingyao’s words, he glanced at him and said slowly, “Your husband is quite fierce.”

Xie Hezhang glared at him.

Shu Qingyao pursed her lips and chuckled, “He’s okay, he’s very gentle to me.”

Xie Hezhang fell silent and didn’t say anything.

In a roundabout way, Shu Qingyao was finally led to a black market street.

Compared to the spaciousness of the main road outside, it was much more crowded here. The alley was only about a meter wide, and it was difficult for two people to walk side by side.

Shu Qingyao saw a simply dressed young woman selling eggs in a corner. She was about to go forward to buy them when she was stopped by Xie Hezhang.

The young man frowned, hesitated, looked at her, and said sternly, “Shu Qingyao, do you know what you’re doing?

He didn’t understand why Shu Qingyao, an educated youth from the city who didn’t lack money or food, would come here to buy things.

According to his background, when he saw the scalper, he should have left Shu Qingyao and taken Xie Xiaoqian away.

But he couldn’t leave Shu Qingyao alone, afraid that she would be cheated.

Seeing her going to buy eggs, Xie Hezhang finally couldn’t help himself.

“I’m buying eggs.” Shu Qingyao said confidently, “We don’t have enough eggs.”

“Isn’t all that meat and eggs enough?”

“Not enough!”

Xie Hezhang pursed his lips, stared at Shu Qingyao for a while, and said in a low voice, “Give me the money, I’ll buy them for you!”

He thought simply.

Shu Qingyao was an educated youth. No matter what, she couldn’t get into trouble;

He was already in this situation anyway. If anything happened, he would just take the blame.

Shu Qingyao looked at his face, moved her lips, took out five yuan from her pocket and gave it to him. She watched Xie Hezhang go and talk to the young woman about the eggs. When he was about to hand over the money, Shu Qingyao snatched it back and took out more money from her pocket and handed it over.

“You…!”

Xie Hezhang frowned and glared at her.

Shu Qingyao took the change and said calmly and gently, “Xie Hezhang, don’t worry, we’re in the same boat.”

How could I let you leave me and take the risk alone.