Chapter 3

Women’s Federation Office.

The Women’s Federation in the military compound was an organization formed spontaneously by women, of a non-governmental nature. The responsibility of finding jobs originally should have been handled by the street office, but since the street office could not easily enter the family compound, the compound’s Women’s Federation took on the task.

Su Ye remembered Grandma Zhou’s words and immediately introduced herself, “I am Su Ye from the Guangming Brigade, Hongguang County, T City, Y Province. My husband is Xu Xiangqian, from the special forces of the XX regiment.”

By early morning, three female comrades were already at work in the office—one was cleaning, another was reading the newspaper, and the third was organizing files.

The female comrade in charge of arranging work for Su Ye folded her newspaper, took a list from the drawer, and handed it to Su Ye to fill out.

The list contained the latest recruitment information for government offices and factories, densely packed across a whole page, but unfortunately, most of the positions were crossed out. The crossed-out parts were the job openings that had already expired. Su Ye picked it up and studied it carefully, and her head immediately started to spin.

The street office was a good government unit, but they were only looking for street cleaners,

The textile factory was also a rare golden opportunity, but they were hiring night-shift inspectors,

The railway bureau was looking for railway maintenance workers, the coal mine bureau was hiring coal miners, and the electromechanical factory was seeking electricians—positions clearly unsuitable for women.

The remaining jobs included procurement officers for grain and oil stores, apprentices for photography studios, and ticket sellers for movie theaters… these were all relatively easy and decent jobs, but all of them had been coldly crossed out with a black line.

Su Ye immediately understood why the original owner had not found a job after a month.

It wasn’t that the original owner was lazy, but rather that there were simply no good jobs available.

Su Ye said, “Is this all that’s left in the whole city—street sweeping and night shifts? My education may not be high, but I’ve still been to school. Finding a job surely shouldn’t be harder for me than for someone who hasn’t studied, right?”

Her thumb slid across the list of job openings on the paper, the remaining ones were either poorly paid or had very strict conditions.

Su Ye didn’t believe that this entire compound, full of talented individuals, had to rely on those with secondary and college diplomas to compete for these few meager jobs.

The female comrade casually turned to another page of the newspaper, “So many jobs, and you can’t find one? The coal mine bureau job isn’t bad, nor is the one at the electromechanical factory or the railway bureau. Comrade Su Ye, this kind of mentality of avoiding hard work won’t do.”

Su Ye slammed the list on the table with a loud “thud.”

If the worst type doesn’t show its power, some people really won’t treat it as the worst.

Su Ye narrowed her eyes and said, “Yes, I can’t do these jobs. I want to file a complaint with your leader. I want to ask why you’re making things difficult for me. How come, after I’ve come to find work multiple times over the course of a month, I still can’t get a job? My husband is out there, bleeding and sweating on the frontlines, and this is how you treat his wife?”

“Li Hongli, what’s wrong with you?” another female comrade asked sternly.

The Women’s Federation could not afford the burden of intentionally making things difficult for a military wife.

Li Hongli spoke to Su Ye impatiently, “Comrade, don’t say things like that. I’m not making things difficult for you. With your qualifications, it’s really hard to find a job.”

“You’re new to the city, right? You don’t understand many things. Do you know how hard it is to find a job in the city? Do you think you can just get a steady job like it’s easy? The units that require at least a secondary education or a college degree—do you even have a chance to get into those? How am I supposed to introduce you to those?”

This time, Su Ye received a new list, and the variety of jobs on it made her mouth water.

Government office positions, factory engineers, technicians, accountants, salespeople at the supply and marketing cooperatives, chefs at state-run restaurants… any of these jobs would be enviable, ones that would make an entire family proud.

Su Ye shifted her gaze. These were indeed all jobs that required a certain level of education. With her elementary school education, “Su Ye” wouldn’t even meet the qualifications, no matter how high she tried to fly.

After reading through it, Su Ye remained calm. She put the job list down and said, “Don’t think you can intimidate me with this. I’m not picky, and I’ll do any work I can.”

“The fact that you’re stalling means you have an issue with me. Before I came here, I asked around. Other military wives are able to work as teachers at schools, in the canteen, or even selling tickets at the cinema. But when it comes to me, I have to sweep the streets?”

Su Ye dragged out her words coldly, “My husband—”

Li Hongli was left speechless, caught in a difficult position. In the end, she feared that Su Ye might really make a scene and report her, so she reluctantly offered a backdoor solution.

She said, “Wait a minute, I’ve heard some rumors from relatives. Some units are hiring through exams. Take a look at this, and if everything seems fine, I can help you sign up.”

She handed Su Ye a piece of paper.

On it, Su Ye saw listings for school recruitment, looking for several teachers for middle and primary schools, as well as high-level positions like factory chief engineers, mechanical designers, and engineers.

At least she still had a conscience.

These job listings wouldn’t appear on the office’s official list. Usually, factories or units would directly ask schools for graduates. Though they didn’t set strict qualifications, it was clear that these were jobs for people who were highly skilled—”^[1]“No diamond, no porcelain work” (没金刚钻，不揽瓷器活) is a Chinese idiom. It means don’t take on tasks you can’t handle without the right skills or abilities.no diamond, no porcelain work.”

Teaching middle school students surely required at least a high school education, right? And the chief engineer, designer, and engineer roles at the factories wouldn’t even consider someone without a secondary education or higher, right?

For the original owner, applying would be futile. But Su Ye wasn’t the original owner, she was a highly capable individual with big dreams and aspirations, shaped by 21st-century quality education. With determination, she quickly filled out the application form and signed up for the middle and primary school teaching positions.

Su Ye left the office feeling satisfied.

The live stream’s comments section started to light up.

‘Finding a job back then really wasn’t easy.’

‘Hahaha, I can tell this streamer is a bit shameless.’

‘The streamer is so narcissistic.’

‘So narcissistic +1.’

Ding—The streamer successfully registered for a job, and the reward is a pound of egg noodles.

“There’s a reward just for signing up? This is such a pleasant surprise!” Su Ye quickly rushed home after hearing about the reward.

Two bundles of egg noodles were neatly placed on the table. Golden yellow, as fine as cotton thread, with even texture, and they smelled fresh with a hint of wheat.

Su Ye swallowed hard, trying to keep her saliva in check. It had been so long since she’d had a proper meal with refined grains. Before coming here, Su Ye had never realized how deeply and passionately she loved fine food. Looking at these noodles, she suddenly had an idea.

Carefully, she wrapped the noodles in clean paper and placed them in her backpack.

Meanwhile, at the office, gossip was starting to stir.

“So, this comrade is the wife of Comrade Xu Xiangqian…”

It was a voice filled with meaning.

An honest comrade suddenly became angry. “Li Hongli, what are you trying to do? This person is at least the revolutionary comrade of Captain Xu. How dare you try to trick them with these subpar jobs?”

Li Hongli clicked her tongue lightly and started cracking sunflower seeds, a rare treat in the market.

“What do you mean, fooling people? I’ve been conscientious about this, haven’t I introduced her to a job as an elementary school teacher? Thirty pounds of grain and twenty yuan in salary a month—such a great deal.”

“You didn’t even tell her that five technical school graduates are competing for that job. What’s the difference between introducing it and not? You should hurry up and properly secure Su Ye’s job! Didn’t the street office say they need a clerk? And the city park is hiring ticket sellers, and the textile factory needs female workers. These are all jobs she could be introduced to.”

On the other side, only the crisp sound of cracking sunflower seeds could be heard.

—

Su Ye had secured a job and received a pound of egg noodles as a reward. She was overjoyed. Holding the egg noodles, she excitedly left the military family compound.

Su Ye was almost out of food. Although fine grains were delicious, they didn’t last long, and two or three meals could finish them. Eating the noodles was satisfying, but once they were gone, being without food again would be painful.

But the noodles could still be put to better use.

Su Ye went to the black market. The black market was a product of the planned economy era, where people often exchanged food. Su Ye, holding a pound of egg noodles, had to ask around for a while before wandering close to the black market.

She tightened her cotton coat and looked at the passersby on the street, hoping to find a buyer.

Most of the people on the street appeared pale and thin, each of them looking very lean. Su Ye looked around for a long time but didn’t see a single plump person. It was nothing like the future, where you could find a large number of overweight people just by walking around the streets, and half of them would claim they needed to lose weight.

She ignored the children and the elderly—one had no money to buy, the other was frugal and loved bargaining. After a while, her eyes suddenly brightened.

A woman was walking towards her. She was about thirty years old, meticulously dressed in a Zhongshan suit and wrapped in a white cotton scarf. Her appearance suggested she came from a middle-class family: financially stable, with a decent job and good benefits, and someone who paid attention to her image.

Before coming here, Su Ye had mentally prepared herself. Fortunately, she had thick skin and was bold enough to consider selling grain on the rumored black market. Given her identity, if she got caught selling grain on the black market, it would be a huge embarrassment.

Su Ye carefully brushed past the woman, casually revealing the fine grain in her backpack, and shot her a sharp glance.

The second time, she “accidentally” brushed past her again.

By the third time, when she appeared in front of the woman, the woman took the initiative, grabbing Su Ye and pulling her into a nondescript alley.

“How much of that noodles do you have in your bag? Are you selling it?” she asked in a lowered voice, swallowing her saliva after speaking.

Su Ye nodded. “I only have a pound. If you give me five yuan and two pounds of grain coupons, I’ll sell it to you.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Five yuan? Are you robbing me?”

She was trying to find some fine grain to give her sick child better nutrition, but usually, she wouldn’t splurge on such high-end food.

Grain was expensive on the black market, and the woman thought Su Ye’s price was outrageously high. Not only was she demanding money, but also two pounds of grain coupons.

However, fine grain was rarely available in the market, and even if someone had the money, they couldn’t get it. So, Su Ye’s price was actually quite reasonable.

In the past two years, grain production had drastically decreased, and the supply of fine grain had been seriously interrupted. As a result, grain prices on the black market were high, and during the worst times of famine, prices had soared tenfold, yet people still couldn’t buy it.

A bag of grain could save a life, and that was what they meant by famine.

Su Ye took out the noodles to show the woman. “This is different. These are egg noodles, made with eggs and flour, rich in nutrients. Eating them can boost immunity, and they taste great. Also, don’t think you can take advantage of me just because I’m not from around here. Five yuan is the market price. If you don’t want it, I’ll just keep it for myself.”

The phrases “egg noodles are rich in nutrients” and “help boost immunity” struck the woman’s heart directly, as if there were no finer, more cost-effective grain than the egg noodles Su Ye held in her hand. The woman’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light as she listened.

Su Ye turned to leave, saying nothing.

“Hey—don’t go, wait!” The woman chased after her, desperately blocking her path. “I’ll buy it! Is that okay? I’ll buy it!”

She quickly pulled out five yuan and two grain coupons, stuffing them into Su Ye’s hands, afraid that if she was even a second too late, Su Ye might change her mind.

She carefully unwrapped the packaging, inspecting the egg noodles. The noodles were uniform, flexible, and gave off a fresh, pleasant aroma—not the kind that would break apart at the slightest touch like expired noodles. She sighed in relief, satisfied, and quickly stuffed the noodles into her bag before leaving.

Excitement buzzed in the live stream—soon the streamer would have money!

The user “Patriot” tipped 10g of pork belly, commenting: “So this is a black market transaction, how refreshing.”

The live chat flooded with comments celebrating the big spender.

’10 planes equals 10g of meat. Oh my god, feeding the streamer some meat is almost bankrupting!’

Su Ye smiled faintly. The tip was an unexpected gain. The meat may be small, but when fried in oil, it would taste great and provide her with the calories she needed for the day.

Su Ye used the two pounds of grain coupons to exchange for one pound of cornmeal and three pounds of dried sweet potatoes at the supply and marketing cooperative store.

Sweet potatoes were abundant and cheap, one of the main food sources for people to fill their stomachs. The three pounds of dried sweet potatoes cost the equivalent of one pound of grain coupons.

Based on her experience buying cornmeal yesterday, Su Ye had roughly figured out a formula in her mind: one pound of grain coupon could be exchanged for one pound of fine grain, two pounds of coarse grain, or three pounds of dried sweet potatoes (rough grains). Because fine grains were so rare, people would line up for an entire day and night just to buy some rich and strong flour.

In addition to the cornmeal and dried sweet potatoes, Su Ye also spent 3.70 yuan to buy a stove, a clay pot, and two pounds of coal. The two pounds of coal coupons were bought from the black market, costing 50 cents.

With these items, Su Ye no longer needed to trouble others for cooking equipment.

People’s potential needs to be unlocked. In the past, Su Ye, who was too lazy to even open a bottle of mineral water, could now carry coal in one hand, grain in the other, and even hold the stove and pot in her arms.

Although her legs were wobbling from the weight, Su Ye felt extremely happy.

After getting off the bus, Su Ye carefully carried her things back to the residential building.

Although it was the middle of winter, with the cold wind howling, it didn’t dampen the children’s enthusiasm. They kicked a worn-out soccer ball around the playground, chasing after it.

In the distance, a loud voice rang out, “Tan Mingming, come back for dinner! Stop sitting on the ground all the time, I’ll make you spend the New Year without any clothes if you ruin them! Watch where you’re going, the ground’s icy, it’s slippery, be careful!”

As soon as that person finished speaking, the child fell flat on her face. Su Ye, not paying attention, also stumbled and fell when her foot missed a step, tumbling down the stairs.

Before she knew it, two green figures dashed over.

One of them caught Su Ye, and like a magic trick, he hooked the stove’s iron handle with one foot, while grabbing the grain with the other hand. The coal, however, spilled out and scattered across the ground.

What impressive skills! Even though Su Ye was scared white as a sheet, she watched in awe.

“Thank goodness for you, thank you, comrades!” Su Ye looked up at her saviors, but her words suddenly stopped as she stared blankly.

The man in front of her was exceptionally handsome. His dark, gleaming eyes, high nose, and well-sculpted brows gave him an air of refinement mixed with a touch of elegance. The taut line of his jaw exuded determination and strength.

“You’re welcome, serving the people,” he said, his gaze briefly sweeping over Su Ye. “Can you walk?”

Without thinking, Su Ye quickly replied, “Of course not.”

She had spoken too quickly and almost forgot her marital status. In this era, excessive interaction between men and women could be fatal.

“I mean, my foot is sprained, so I can’t carry anything, but I can still walk on my own.”

The other man, who had remained silent from the start, glanced at the time. “Captain, you take her home. We have ten minutes to gather, I’ll wait for you here.”

After speaking, he bent down to help Su Ye pick up the spilled coal.

The soldier silently took all the items and escorted Su Ye home.

He was tall and large, with long, straight legs wrapped in pine green military pants, his shadow completely covering Su Ye. The heavy stove seemed as light as a hair strand to him, and he could lift it with just one finger.

Watching his retreating figure, Su Ye couldn’t help but marvel at his looks, physical strength, and great physique. She thought to herself, ‘Good men are all given to the country.’

However, after indulging in a brief appreciation, Su Ye politely shifted her gaze away.

Finally reaching her doorstep, Su Ye took out her keys and opened the door, politely telling the soldier, “Comrade, you can just put them down wherever.”

The soldier seemed as though it was his first time here. He curiously surveyed Su Ye’s home, noticing the unmade bed, the half-finished book turned upside down on the table, and two cold steamed buns still sitting in the food container on the dining table.

Su Ye thought to herself, ‘This person is really inconsiderate. How could he just casually look around a married woman’s room?’

After a moment’s thought, she took out a package from her pocket and handed it to him as a token of thanks. The oil-paper package contained Su Ye’s rations: a few slices of dried braised pork, which she would eat to replenish her energy when she felt hungry.

The soldier furrowed his brow, a strange expression appearing on his face.

Su Ye pointed at the package of meat and said gratefully, “Thank you, goodbye.”

She didn’t ask the soldier’s name. After speaking, she closed the door.