Chapter 73

The saying “military and politics are inseparable” held true. Although Gu Xiangqian wasn’t particularly fond of socializing, his work inevitably brought him into contact with government officials. Moreover, he happened to have a few classmates working in government, so arranging for Su Ye to have dinner with their wives wasn’t too difficult.

—

Weekend, Qiaotou Alley.

Su Ye dressed in a new outfit to meet the wives of municipal committee members. She specifically reserved several seats at the Tuanyuan State-Owned Restaurant and invited the ladies to dine.

Spending three catties of ration coupons, she ordered two catties of steamed white flour buns to warmly welcome the wives.

Liu Yu was the wife of Su Hai, the Municipal Organization Minister, and also Su Ye’s relative by marriage. When Su Ye saw Liu Yu, she paused briefly but calmly shifted her gaze away.

What a small world! Liu Yu was none other than Ms. Fang’s sister-in-law.

The other two women were Mrs. Ning and Mrs. Ding—one with an oval face, the other with a round face. Both appeared ordinary but carried an air of propriety. Before even beginning the meal, they had already assumed a lofty demeanor.

Liu Yu typically looked down on such dinner invitations, but since her family had some connection with Commander Gu’s family, she reluctantly attended. The two families seldom interacted and weren’t close enough to be dining together. Liu Yu had only come out of obligation.

Before coming, she had already resolved that no matter what, she couldn’t allow Commander Gu’s wife to ^[1]“Foot the bill” means to pay for something, usually a meal or an expense, especially when the cost is significant.foot the bill.

What’s the big deal about a few catties of premium grains? There’s no need to lose face over it.

—

Su Ye, fully prepared for this meeting, treated the women as tools to achieve her goals. She smiled and entertained them with dinner, steering clear of any controversial topics. She chatted about the latest happenings in the city and discussed fabrics for clothing.

Fortunately, Fang Xiulian, the “socialite” of tea parties, often talked to Su Ye about trendy things. Otherwise, Su Ye might have struggled to keep up with these high-ranking officials’ wives.

Casually, she pulled out a small item gifted by Fang Xiulian and said, “This is Chanel’s rosewood lipstick. Wearing it makes you look a few years younger.”

The three ladies, still youthful and graceful despite their simple daily attire, couldn’t help but be intrigued. Their private love for such things was undeniable, and they leaned in closer, their interest piqued.

Su Ye, still smiling, took out a bottle of moisturizer and said, “This is Olay. Just using Snow Cream isn’t enough. Snow Cream is thick and heavy—good for winter but far too greasy in the summer. Olay, on the other hand, is lighter and more elegant. I guarantee you can’t find this anywhere in City C. It’s an imported brand, only available in Hong Kong.”

She applied a little bit and rubbed it onto the hands of the women. The texture was light, and the fragrance pleasant. The women’s eyes indeed flashed with interest.

Mrs. Ning and Mrs. Ding soon noticed that Su Ye seemed quite knowledgeable about these matters, and gradually, they began chatting with her.

Su Ye continued with a smile, “I’ve heard that young people in Shanghai and Hong Kong love to wear polyester fabric. It’s durable, stylish, and elegant, and the country is actively promoting it. Have you managed to get any? If not, it’s okay—I just happen to have a piece.”

Su Ye glanced sideways and noticed the bold scrutiny from the table next to them. The person sitting at the next table was none other than Yu Fuda’s mistress—Liao Qing.

Su Ye continued speaking confidently, drawing the three women’s full attention.

The ladies eagerly extended their wrists, ready to try Su Ye’s Olay, but after Su Ye applied some to herself, she put her items back one by one and happily began eating her steamed buns. The women were left confused, staring at her in disbelief.

Liu Yu lightly coughed and said, “Mrs. Gu, did you… bring this to give to us?”

Su Ye widened her eyes and asked in surprise, “Why would you think that? Of course not. If I did that, it would be ‘bribing’ you, wouldn’t it? Doesn’t the country advocate thrift and frugality?”

She continued, “These are treasures my sister-in-law gave me. They’re hard to come by and very fashionable. But as a simple schoolteacher, I don’t have a use for these things. So, I thought I’d ask my husband to find a few ladies to sell these at a fair price.”

Mrs. Ning and Mrs. Ding froze, their enthusiastic smiles fading, while Liu Yu relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

Liu Yu asked, “How much is this lipstick?”

Su Ye smiled and replied, “Chanel lipstick is five yuan per stick, Olay is two yuan, polyester fabric is five yuan, and the cologne is ten yuan…”

The items were indeed at their original prices, no markup at all, but still, Su Ye didn’t make a profit. However, such rare items weren’t sold for black market prices, and the ladies happily smiled again, praising Su Ye’s abilities in obtaining these things. They promised to come to her next time she had something good.

Although they had only eaten a simple meal of steamed buns, as they left the state-owned restaurant, they linked arms and walked out like close sisters.

After leaving the state-owned restaurant, Su Ye glanced at the table next to them and then walked into the neighboring barbershop.

Yu Fuda’s mistress, Liao Qing, was getting her hair cut at the barbershop. According to Wang Hu’s careful investigation, every month on this day, Liao Qing would have a meal at the Tuanyuan Restaurant, then head to Shunlifa Barbershop for a haircut.

As soon as Liao Qing walked into the barbershop, she noticed Su Ye, the young woman who had been dining and chatting with the wives of the city committee earlier at Tuanyuan Restaurant. Now, she was getting her haircut.

Liao Qing, who followed Yu Fuda, was used to scheming and trying to find ways to interact with these government officials. The women, whom she could barely even get close to, were laughing and chatting with this young woman. The wives treated her with respect, calling her “Mrs. Gu.”

Liao Qing’s mind couldn’t quite wrap around it—was this the same Mrs. Gu? Meanwhile, the other Mrs. Gu was chatting with the barber about everyday matters.

Su Ye had been waiting for Liao Qing in the barbershop for a while, casually chatting with the barber, gradually steering the conversation towards “Changyou Oil Factory.”

The barber enthusiastically said, “When it comes to oil, of course, the best is from Changyou Oil Factory!”

Su Ye asked casually, “Which Changyou?”

The barber laughed and replied, “Which other Changyou? There’s only one in the whole city! Everyone in C City knows that factory! The workers there have great benefits—it’s said to be so rich, the oil it makes is incredible!”

Seemingly remembering something, Su Ye said, “Oh… so it’s that Changyou. I see now. But it’s not as good as you say. It’s nowhere near as good as it used to be.”

She paused, then continued, “Don’t look at me like that—I know the wives from the City Committee XX department… I just spoke to the wife of a YY committee member. They’ve all had meals with me. The deputy director of Changyou is a huge parasite, a public enemy of the people, and has already drained the oil factory. I’ve heard there’s going to be big trouble. You might not believe me, but if you’re not in a hurry, just wait and see the drama unfold. I guarantee the deputy director of Changyou will be done for in half a month. If he doesn’t fall, the whole factory will collapse.”

She added, “Fortunately, his wife never registered their marriage. If all his crimes come to light, his wife might end up in prison for life too.”

Liao Qing was sweating profusely, nearly grabbing the young woman’s hand to ask what she meant by all this.

The young woman finished cutting her bangs, paid fifty cents, and walked out of the barbershop, getting into a small car.

Not only had she eaten with the wives of the city committee, she had a car, and she also knew that Yu Fuda hadn’t registered his marriage with his wife…

Liao Qing was completely distracted, her hair still unfinished, beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead.

Once Su Ye got into the car, she happily kissed Gu Xiangqian and cheerfully counted the money in her pocket, saying, “I made fifty-two yuan today. Xiulian really put in a lot of effort with those things.”

Saying this, she stuffed the fragrant money into Gu Xiangqian’s pocket, “Master Gu, this is for you. When we get home tonight, will you give me a foot massage?”

Gu Xiangqian couldn’t help but cough, one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressing down on Su Ye’s head.

“Not serious at all. Sure, I’ll wash your feet. But later, you need to tell me what you did today.”

Su Ye had Gu Xiangqian stop at the post office. She got out of the car, took an envelope from her pocket, bought a five-cent stamp, stuck it on, and handed it to the courier at the window.

After returning to the military family compound, Su Ye cheerfully went to the canteen to pick up two pounds of pork belly.

While others only got half a pound of pork each month as a treat, Su Ye was getting two pounds of pork belly in one go. The head chef in the canteen was used to it and calmly wrapped the meat for her.

But others were not so indifferent… Every time they saw her, they were shocked. Especially at the other counter for pork, where a long line was already forming before meal time.

The woman beside Yao Chunyu shook her sleeve and enviously said, “Hasn’t the wild boar that Gu Lian caught taken so long to finish? How come we always see Su Ye coming to the canteen for pork?”

Yao Chunyu, who was in line, bit her lip upon seeing this scene, a hint of disdain in her cold eyes.

She said softly, “No need to envy her. A wild boar, it will be eaten eventually.”

Could the heroine of a lucky story always have everything go smoothly? Not necessarily. While such people might gain small advantages in trivial matters, they won’t necessarily succeed in bigger things. Picking up some rabbits, ducks, and wild boars—what’s so enviable about that? It’s just taking advantage of the famine.

In a year, when the national grain production recovers, will Su Ye’s halo still shine as brightly among this new generation of powerful families? Yao Chunyu didn’t think so. The more high-profile Su Ye was now, the harder she would fall in the next ten years.

Yao Chunyu and her friend each bought a few slices of pork and left the canteen.

On the way out, Su Ye happened to run into Fang Xiulian. Remembering that she had sold the items Fang Xiulian had given her today, for the first time ever, she felt a pang of conscience and called out to her.

Su Ye smiled and said, “Xiulian, where are you going, looking so happy? I picked up two pounds of pork belly today. I can’t finish it, so take a pound home to try.”

For the first time, Fang Xiulian felt like the heavens were favoring her. She looked up at Su Ye in disbelief.

She smiled broadly and quickly said, “Thank you, sister-in-law, I won’t be polite then!”

Yao Chunyu’s friend stared blankly at the white, fatty pork belly for a long time, murmuring, “Although everything has an end, it’s better to have it than not. How can this not make people envious…”

Yao Chunyu’s heart tightened for a moment after hearing this, and her eyebrows furrowed. “Stop talking, Comrade Yu, your thoughts are dangerous! Enduring hardship is also a form of cultivation.”

This scene deeply pierced the eyes of those around them.

What’s a pound of pork? Yao Chunyu tried to convince herself that her current circumstances were good enough for her to fly abroad, where she could eat a pound of pork and throw another pound away, indulging in ham, roasted chicken, and steaks until she got bored. But her carefully planned bright future, her ambition, wasn’t just about this little bit, she couldn’t just walk away so easily.

In Yao Chunyu’s heart, Gu Xiangqian was a deep regret. She would never forget how he looked in his military uniform, with a five-pointed star and pine branch on his collar, handsome and dazzling. It was a silhouette that would never fade in her dreams.

If only Gu Xiangqian had noticed something wrong with Su Ye earlier…

Yao Chunyu knew full well that Su Ye had issues but hadn’t said a word. She would have to be crazy to tell others about the golden finger that only existed in novels.

—

On Sunday, Su Ye, in a good mood, brought a portion of pork belly to visit Zhou Honghan.

Zhou Honghan shared some good news with her. “After a few days of discussion with some old colleagues, we’ve finalized the design draft for the improved oil press! Theoretically, it’s feasible, now it just needs to be tested. If the improvement works, the oil yield could increase by another three percentage points.”

This was truly wonderful news!

Su Ye’s heart soared with joy. If Lu Siyuan, Factory Director Lu, heard this news, she could only imagine how happy they would be. In just a week, this good news had arrived, and the scientists of this generation were really dedicated! Su Ye felt a deep admiration welling up inside her.

Smiling, she opened a can of milk essence, prepared the drink, and handed it to Zhou Honghan.

“You’ve worked hard these days, Grandma Zhou!”

Zhou Honghan smiled and said, “It’s not hard, whatever the difficulty or exhaustion, it’s all worth it. That’s hundreds of thousands in foreign exchange! Speaking of which, I should thank you as well. You young people have so many ideas. Your minds are certainly more flexible than ours, and you pinpointed the key issue. If it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t even know when we’d get this oil press fixed.”

“You have contributed to this success!”