Chapter 34: The Poison of Capitalism

“Don’t look!”

Nan Jue reached out and turned Lin Sinan’s head, forcing him to face forward.

He was very reluctant.

“Why can’t I look? That woman is so exaggerated, even more than the foreign babes in my magazines…ah!”

Suddenly, Lin Sinan received a sharp blow to the head. He clutched his head, almost driving the car into a ditch.

“Why did you hit me?”

By this time, he couldn’t see her anymore because Wen Yanyan was already far away.

“Can’t you learn something better? Your mind is full of the poison of capitalism! Don’t forget, you’re a soldier!”

Nan Jue’s eyes were practically spitting fire.

“Why are you overreacting? She wasn’t naked, she was covered up. How is that the poison of capitalism? And what does it have to do with being a soldier? I said I didn’t want to look, that’s all.”

Lin Sinan corrected the car’s course, not noticing Nan Jue’s darkening expression, and continued talking to himself.

“Although hers are big, she’s a little fat. She’d be even better if she were thinner.”

“Better how?”

Nan Jue’s gaze was like a knife.

“More perfect, you know? I like women with big breasts. When I find a partner, I’ll definitely find one with big breasts. I’ll reject anyone with a flat chest, even if she’s as beautiful as a fairy.”

Lin Sinan’s mate selection criteria were taking shape.

“Cow-sized.”

Nan Jue retorted sarcastically.

“What are you talking about? It’s not the same thing! You don’t understand.”

Lin Sinan looked disdainful.

“You do understand! Just drive! Don’t think about such nonsense!”

Nan Jue’s temper was flaring.

“It’s okay, I drive this road all the time. I could drive it blindfolded.”

He was unconcerned.

…

Wen Yanyan ran to town, calculating the time; less than an hour.

She ran more than ten miles in about forty minutes. Not bad, faster than before.

She first went to the black market, where the atmosphere was lively, to see what the common people liked.

…

An hour later, Wen Yanyan came out carrying a full bag of chicken feet and a weighing scale.

The black market really did provide inspiration.

She had already decided that food is the most important thing; selling cooked food should be reliable.

She could make a series of cold dishes like spicy chicken feet, pickled pepper chicken feet, sweet and sour chicken feet, using 21st-century techniques to capture the stomachs of the people of the 1970s!

Another important factor that made her decide was the price of chicken feet here.

One pound  only cost five cents. Cheap, right?

Too cheap!

Because in the 21st century, chicken feet cost over twenty yuan a pound.

Although this is the 1970s, with its weaker purchasing power and low prices, it was still ridiculously cheap.

But she didn’t buy much, only five pounds.

Because she didn’t know if her products would be popular, she bought a small amount to test the market.

Then, she went to a department store and bought various seasonings.

Things like MSG, chili powder, scallions, ginger, and garlic, because making chicken feet requires a lot of seasonings.

Wen Yanyan also bought a pound of pickled peppers to make pickled pepper chicken feet.

Having bought everything she needed, she still had time. She asked a passerby if there was a bookstore nearby.

She wanted to buy a novel to pass the time.

The passerby told her to walk straight ahead, about three hundred meters, there was an intersection, turn right, and there would be a bookstore not far away.

After thanking the passerby, Wen Yanyan quickly found the bookstore according to the directions. The bookstore’s name was the Patriotic Bookstore, and there weren’t many people inside.

She temporarily left her things outside the bookstore; it was inconvenient to browse with them.

As soon as she went in, she saw a foreign classic on the shelf: Gone With the Wind.

Wen Yanyan was immediately attracted to it.

Because this foreign novel was later made into a movie, starring famous Hollywood actors Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

It was a sensation at the time.

She had seen the movie on her computer, but she hadn’t read the novel. It was worth a read; the book was well-written.

However, when Wen Yanyan picked up the book and looked at the price on the back.

She was immediately surprised. She thought, this book isn’t cheap. Are books this expensive in this era?

Five yuan?

Wen Yanyan touched the four yuan in her pocket. It wasn’t enough. She had spent a lot of money on seasonings; the money was from selling mushrooms last time.

Should she come back tomorrow?

Wen Yanyan was hesitating.

“Comrade, do you like this book?”

Someone spoke to her.

Wen Yanyan looked up and saw a tall, bespectacled, elegant young man.

“I like it, but it’s too expensive.”

She honestly expressed her feelings.

“Knowledge is priceless.” His smile was like a spring breeze.

“I know that, but may I ask who you are…?”

Wen Yanyan felt that he was well-educated; he spoke elegantly.

“I’m Wen Sihan, the manager of this bookstore. ‘Wen’ as in culture, ‘Si’ as in thought, and ‘Han’ as in Hanlin Academy. If you like this book, I can give you a 20% discount.”

He not only introduced himself but also offered a discount.

“Really?”

Wen Yanyan was surprised by his name and his business philosophy.

What?

Could you get a 20% discount in the 1970s?

“I never lie.”

Wen Sihan’s eyes were serious.

“Oh, okay, I’ll buy this book.”

Wen Yanyan decisively took out her remaining four yuan. “Thank you, Manager Wen.”

Although she left with the book, she thought his name was very special, Wen Sihan, very scholarly.

Manager Wen Sihan held the four yuan he had just received, watching her leave, admiration in his eyes.

Nowadays, girls who like foreign literature are rare.

…

Wen Yanyan was carrying a pile of things, with a thick book tucked under her arm, afraid of dropping it, so she couldn’t walk fast.

She wondered if she should wait for a bus to go back.

She was hesitating.

Suddenly, a military jeep stopped beside her. Wen Yanyan glanced casually, then widened her eyes.

Uh?

Nan Jue?

Why is he here?

How did he get here?