Chapter 49: Fu Wenjing Was the Youngest

Upon hearing this, Su Ruanruan immediately understood.

Bartering!

Other than the Supply and Marketing Cooperative Department Store, private trading was not allowed anywhere else—not even for buying chicks.

Although selling was prohibited, people could still help each other out.

If one family had more green onions than they could eat, and another had an excess of ginger, they could exchange some—helping each other out. How could that be called a transaction?

The sister-in-law’s words reminded Su Ruanruan, and she nearly forgot about it. She quickly said: “You really reminded me, sister-in-law. I almost forgot. I’ll go pack some right now.”

Niu Guifang reminded her again: “Just use a small basin to hold it. Later, you can pour it out directly. Don’t use a cloth bag.”

In this era, everything was precious, even a grain sack. Every time people bought grain, they reused their sacks. Giving one away carelessly meant spending extra money to buy another next time.

Su Ruanruan agreed and used a small lunch basin to hold about a tael (50g) or a catty (500g) of corn grits. Then, she went out with Niu Guifang.

On the way, Niu Guifang explained to Su Ruanruan: “The family we are going to visit belongs to Company Commander Wang Aidang. His wife, Zhang Qiaoqin, is also very capable. You’ll know when you meet her.”

Getting familiar with a new place and the people in its social circle took a lot of effort if one had to figure it out alone.

But with Niu Guifang guiding her, Su Ruanruan could save both time and energy while quickly learning about the people living in this compound. It was impossible not to feel grateful.

She listened attentively, already thinking about how she could discreetly repay Niu Guifang.

However, since they would be neighbors for a long time, there was no need to rush.

After walking for about ten minutes, Su Ruanruan followed Niu Guifang into a small courtyard.

She didn’t know if all the courtyards here looked the same, but at least Fu Wenjing’s, Niu Guifang’s, and this one were identical.

Each had a main house with three rooms, a courtyard, and a dry toilet in the corner.

It was shortly after lunch, the hottest time of the day. The scorching sunlight flooded the courtyard, making the vegetables planted there droop lifelessly under the heat.

Unlike the quiet journey they had just taken, this courtyard was bustling with activity.

A few women were chatting and laughing, accompanied by the delicate chirping of baby chicks.

Before Niu Guifang even reached them, she laughed and called out: “You all came so early! Did you save a few for me?”

Her voice was crisp and clear. The women standing under the eaves turned their heads simultaneously upon hearing her.

“Guifang, you’re here?” A woman with her hair tied up in a bun smiled as she walked over. “Did you butcher your old hen for meat?”

“How could I? She lays eggs every day! What kind of family would be willing to kill their hen just for meat?”

“If you didn’t butcher it, then why do you need chicks?”

“I’m not getting them for myself.” Niu Guifang replied, stepping aside and pointing at Su Ruanruan. “Let me introduce you all. This is Comrade Su Ruanruan, the wife of Third Company Commander Fu Wenjing. She just arrived with Seventh Fu to join the military family housing and wants to raise a few chicks. So I brought her here.”

As soon as Niu Guifang finished speaking, all eyes fell on Su Ruanruan.

Being stared at by five or six people at once didn’t make Su Ruanruan uncomfortable.

Before she transmigrated, she had worked in sales, where being scrutinized was an everyday occurrence. She was already used to it.

Su Ruanruan smiled at them and said: “Hello, I’m Su Ruanruan.”

Niu Guifang then pointed to the woman beside her and continued introducing: “Ruanruan, this is Zhang Qiaoqin, the one I told you about. You can just call her sister-in-law.”

She then gestured toward the others. “And over there, that’s Wang Fang, Li Qiuju, Chen Lanlan, Zhang Erfeng… Just call them all ‘sister-in-law.'”

Su Ruanruan maintained her polite smile. Each time Niu Guifang introduced someone, she greeted them with a respectful “sister-in-law.”

By this point, Su Ruanruan had noticed something.

Among the officers’ ranks, Fu Wenjing’s position wasn’t the lowest, but he was definitely the youngest.

Since it was everyone’s first time meeting Su Ruanruan, their gazes carried curiosity and scrutiny.

She didn’t mind their looks.

After all, wasn’t it natural for people to be curious?

Zhang Qiaoqin, a warm and friendly person, grabbed Su Ruanruan’s hand and led her inside. “Since Guifang calls you ‘Ruanruan,’ I’ll call you that too! Ruanruan, you want to raise chickens, right? Everyone else has already picked theirs, but there are exactly four left. Go ahead and choose a couple!”

Su Ruanruan had come precisely for these chicks, so she naturally didn’t delay the main task. She immediately followed Zhang Qiaoqin to pick them out.

The remaining four chicks were enclosed in a small bamboo pen, chirping non-stop.

Their downy yellow bodies were plump and round, looking very healthy.

When chicks were still young, it was difficult to distinguish between males and females.

Some experienced hands had a good chance of picking out hens, but it was never a guaranteed success.

Afraid that Su Ruanruan wouldn’t know how to choose, Niu Guifang stepped in to help and picked out two for her.

Su Ruanruan didn’t hesitate further and placed them directly into her basket. “I’ll take these two, then.”

She had no experience in selecting chicks, and the original owner of her body hadn’t possessed that skill either, so she could only leave it to fate.

After securing the chicks and handing over the corn grits she had brought to Zhang Qiaoqin, Su Ruanruan left with Niu Guifang.

There was still plenty of work waiting at home, and she really didn’t have the time to linger.

Besides, there was no rush to get familiar with everyone—there would be plenty of time for that later.

Just as they stepped out of the courtyard, Su Ruanruan heard voices rising behind them.

And the subject of discussion was none other than herself.

“Ruanruan, don’t take it to heart. They’re just curious. You should know, it’s been ages since a new military wife arrived at our compound. Seeing you appear so suddenly, of course they’d have things to say.”

Su Ruanruan smiled and nodded, showing she understood. “It’s not just them who are curious about me—I’m curious about them too!”

“Exactly. Once you’ve settled in and finished tidying up your place, there’ll be plenty of time to sit down and chat.”

The two of them talked as they walked, and before long, they arrived back home.

The courtyard gate was locked, indicating that Fu Wenjing had already gone out.

Fortunately, Su Ruanruan had taken a key with her, so she unlocked the gate and stepped inside.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she noticed several farming tools leaning against the wall.

Niu Guifang saw them too and immediately wanted to help Su Ruanruan with weeding and tilling the soil. It took quite some effort for Su Ruanruan to convince her otherwise.

Niu Guifang was warm-hearted, but she also had three children at home. Su Ruanruan couldn’t take advantage of her kindness and let her neglect her own family’s needs.

The courtyard wasn’t large—she could start working on it little by little herself. Once Fu Wenjing returned, the two of them could clean it up together in an afternoon.

After sending Niu Guifang off, Su Ruanruan closed the gate. She didn’t rush to start weeding. Instead, she focused on settling the two little chicks first.