Chapter 5: Selling the Job, Ma Liu

Before long, Director Niu and her family arrived.

Her husband, surnamed Gao, wore a pair of black-framed glasses and greeted Ming Dai warmly.

Behind him stood a young girl, around seventeen or eighteen years old, with two braided pigtails. She looked at Ming Dai curiously.

Avoiding the crowd, they moved to a secluded spot. Director Gao asked Ming Dai what supplies she needed before pushing a cart and heading inside.

Meanwhile, Director Niu took Ming Dai and her daughter to the administrative office building.

Thanks to her extensive connections, it didn’t take long for her to complete the necessary procedures. Once she received the official paperwork, she finally felt at ease. The pigtail-braided girl was so happy that she giggled non-stop.

After sending her daughter home, Director Niu took Ming Dai to Director Gao’s office.

By then, Director Gao had already gathered everything Ming Dai requested. He even found an old, paint-chipped medical kit for her, making it look more official.

“Ming Dai, here’s 750 yuan. You’ve really helped Auntie Niu a lot. Please take this money!”

Ming Dai hadn’t expected Director Niu to be so generous, giving her an extra 50 yuan.

She initially wanted to refuse, but Director Gao also persuaded her to accept it.

Realizing their good intentions, Ming Dai swiftly took the money and the medicine box before leaving.

Director Niu watched the young girl’s efficient movements with a hint of admiration. If only her own daughter had this level of awareness and wit, she wouldn’t have to worry about whether she’d have to go to the countryside or not. These past few days had been exhausting for her.

Director Gao took a sip of tea and said, “Our daughter has parents to rely on. Why would she need to think so much?”

Director Niu stood up and smiled. “You’re right. I was overthinking it. Alright, now that everything’s settled, I’m going to take a break. You go ahead with your work.”

Ming Dai stepped out with her medical kit and found a public restroom. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was around, she discreetly placed the kit into her personal space.

She then took her savings book and withdrew all the money. Using her backpack as a cover, she quietly stored the cash away.

Inside the small cloth pouch her father had left for her, there were still quite a few ration tickets. Since these tickets were limited by region and expiration dates—and she had no plans to return in the short term—she decided to use them all.

Her next stop was the supply and marketing cooperative.

At this hour, most people were at work, so the store wasn’t crowded.

She walked up to each counter, handing over the tickets one by one.

“Two enamel basins.”

“Two enamel mugs.”

“Three jin of White Rabbit candy!”

“Nine feet of cotton fabric!”

By the time she walked out, her hands were full of large and small packages. She had practically cleared out the store’s cotton supply.

The place where her aunt had registered her was in her hometown—a place where a foolish son was waiting for a bride. Naturally, she had no intention of going there.

She planned to head to Hei Province. Though the province was freezing cold, it was far from the central authorities, had looser policies, and was rich in resources.

But before leaving, she had to take care of her house. She had already decided who she would give it to.

Carrying her bags, she returned home. Just as she stepped into the courtyard, she was blocked by a crowd.

The neighbors who weren’t at work were gathered under a tree, chatting idly. When they saw her return, they quickly surrounded her, curious about her purchases.

“Ming Dai, why did you buy so much cotton?”

Ming Dai lowered her head, pretending to be heartbroken. “The place I’m being sent to is Hei Province. I’m afraid I’ll freeze to death, so I bought extra cotton.”

“Hei Province? That far? Your aunt is truly ruthless!”

“Exactly! Ming Changjiang’s family is shameless. Are they trying to make sure she has no way out?”

“Ming Dai, how much money did your father leave you? With all this shopping, do you even have any left?”

Ming Dai shook her head. “Not much. After this shopping trip, it’s almost all gone.”

The neighbors chattered amongst themselves, their voices filled with curiosity and gossip. One old woman even reached out, trying to rummage through her things.

Without hesitation, Ming Dai grabbed her bags, put on a sorrowful expression, and rushed back into her room.

These people… Ever since her father passed away, they saw her as an easy target—a helpless young girl with no one to protect her. One neighbor would steal her broom, while another would dump used coal briquettes at her doorstep. They all believed she had no one to rely on and took every chance to bully her.

Now, they weren’t here out of concern; they were just watching the drama unfold, hoping to get something out of it.

Ignoring the chatter outside, Ming Dai turned her attention to the room.

It was the largest room in the courtyard. Originally, a curtain had divided it into two sections, but now the curtain was gone.

The previous owner had fled overseas due to some issues, and the house had been confiscated by the government.

The authorities had taken possession of it, split it up, and resold it.

Ming Dai’s father had just retired from the military when he returned to find that there was no home left for him. On top of that, he had picked up an abandoned baby girl, which only made his family resent him more. Arguments erupted every few days, with minor disputes happening every three days and major ones every five.

He had been deeply hurt. After all, he had joined the army in his elder brother’s place.

In the end, he took young Ming Dai with him, used his military retirement allowance, and bought the largest room here. From that day on, he never returned home.

Because their room was the biggest in the courtyard and they were only two people, many larger families wanted to exchange homes with them. However, Ming Dai’s father refused. He knew his daughter needed her own private space, so he didn’t agree to any exchanges. Because of this, their neighbors were neither friendly nor hostile toward them—just indifferent.

Now that she was leaving, she had no doubt that these neighbors would be very interested in her house.

But she had no intention of selling it to them. They wouldn’t offer a good price anyway.

She planned to clean up the house first, take everything she could, and store it all in her personal space. That way, she would have peace of mind.

First were her textbooks and school materials—those were a must. Based on her knowledge of this world’s historical development, university entrance exams would eventually be reinstated. She needed these books to prepare and to maintain a cover.

Next were her and her father’s clothes.

She carefully packed her father’s clothing into a rattan trunk, unwilling to part with them.

She also gathered all her own clothes. Her father had never been stingy with her, so the quality of her clothes was good, though the colors were quite dull.

That was to be expected. In this era, almost everyone wore blue, gray, or black. Even military green fabric was hard to come by.

Despite the shortages, her father had still managed to prepare two bundles of military green fabric for her—intended for her dowry.

She carefully stored away all of her father’s heartfelt preparations. Then, she collected all the scattered household items, piling up a massive collection. Her philosophy was simple: if she could take it, she wouldn’t leave it behind.

By the time she was done, the entire room was completely empty—cleaner than if a band of robbers had ransacked it.

It was already afternoon. Ming Dai slipped into her personal space, took out a steak, and cooked some pasta for herself. After enjoying a delicious meal, she treated herself to an afternoon nap.

When she woke up again, it was already 7 p.m.

She stretched lazily—how comfortable!

She wasn’t hungry yet, so she decided to take care of the house issue now. The day after tomorrow, she would be leaving for the countryside. Settling this matter early would give her peace of mind.

After tidying herself up, she exited her personal space, locked the door, and—still carrying her small bag—lowered her head and rushed out of the courtyard.

Leaving the courtyard, she walked along the alley for a few minutes before turning into another narrow street.

This place was even messier. The ground was covered in murky water, and shirtless men sat at doorsteps with bowls in their hands, slurping thin porridge while eyeing the unfamiliar face walking in.

Ming Dai scanned her surroundings carefully and found the house at the very end.

Before she could knock, she heard the sound of an argument coming from inside.

She listened to the hurried footsteps approaching and quickly stepped aside.

The next second, the door was kicked open, and a blond-haired man stormed out, cursing under his breath with a furious expression.

This was the person she was looking for—Ma Liu.