Chapter 5

Tian Mi told her fourth sister, Pan Di, about the plan to catch fish and sell them.

After observing for some time, she found that although the little girl was young and often competitive, she was quick-witted and very smart. 

From certain perspectives, Tian Mi admired her; at such a young age, Pan Di already knew what she wanted. 

The saying “poor children grow up fast” was undoubtedly true. When Tian Mi was 13, she was still a clueless, carefree girl.

The reason she decided to share the fish-selling plan with Pan Di was after careful consideration. 

In this large family, unmarried children didn’t have any personal property. 

If she wanted to save money for her future while keeping it hidden from their parents, she needed a partner. 

The two of them could cooperate for mutual benefit: Tian Mi would catch the fish, and Pan Di would sell them, without Tian Mi feeling guilty about hiring child labor.

This was the early 1970s in the countryside, and one couldn’t judge it by today’s standards; a girl about to turn 14 was already considered a significant part of the labor force.

As for why she chose her younger sister Pan Di instead of their third sister, the reason was simple: Tian Di was too honest and had a natural fear of their parents, making it impossible to hide anything from them.

=

“This fish needs to be sold quickly; it won’t be worth anything once it dies.” The sisters had scouted the area in advance and arrived at their agreed meeting spot, where no one was around. Tian Mi, with a pale face, handed the fish to her waiting sister.

At this time, spices were limited, and compared to fish and shrimp, people preferred to eat meat. 

Moreover, Chaoyang Village was located at the junction of north and south, with many rivers, making it a genuine land of fish and rice, so they didn’t lack for fish or shrimp.

Fortunately, the few fish Tian Mi had caught were exceptional; they were large enough, and since no tickets were required, they still had a market.

Some people are born to do business, and Tian Pan Di was one of them. Ever since her elder sister mentioned the collaboration, she had already scouted potential buyers over the past few days.

The clever girl, under her sister’s guidance, firmly refused Tian Mi’s offer to accompany her and went alone to the homes of those hosting joyous events to sell the fish.

Although meat tickets were tight, having such a large fish at a feast would still be quite impressive.

Additionally, the timing was just right, as farmers were allowed to sell their agricultural products during the market day, so Pan Di could openly deliver the fish to the agreed-upon families to exchange for money, ensuring both parties felt at ease.

Upon seeing the fish, Tian Pan Di seemed to have already envisioned the money in hand, her round face breaking into a joyful smile. “Don’t worry, Er Jie! I’ll go right now. They won’t die on me!”

Just thinking about selling the fish and getting a 20% cut filled her with energy. She didn’t mind the weight as she stuffed all the fish, which weighed over thirty catties, into a snake skin bag. Then, with a quick toss over her shoulder, she bent slightly and was about to run off.

“Why don’t I go with you?” Although Pan Di wasn’t small, she was quite thin. Watching her carry such a heavy load made Tian Mi feel a bit guilty.

However, Tian Pan Di didn’t find it heavy; this was a hard-earned opportunity to make money.

The little girl firmly refused, as if she had just eaten a can of spinach, and carrying the snake skin bag, she dashed off like a gust of wind, leaving Tian Mi stunned.

“…”

=

Having been in this world for over twenty days, it was Tian Mi’s first time leaving the village.

Forced to wear the fashionable military uniform that her elder sister had sent back years ago and that their mother had kept hidden, with a few coins and some fabric tickets from Luan Hongmei in her pocket, she set off toward town, enduring the envious gaze of her third sister.

With other plans in mind, Tian Mi resolutely ignored Pan Di’s eager gaze, wanting to follow her.

Chaoyang Village was not far from the town, about five li away.

Tian Mi walked at a slow pace, taking around forty minutes to reach the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

When she arrived at the cooperative based on her memory, it hadn’t opened yet.

However, many people were already gathered at the entrance; a glance around revealed a sea of black figures. Tian Mi felt dazed—wasn’t this the entire town out here?

In the past, if she had seen so many people, she would have turned around immediately. Just imagining herself as one of the sardines, about to experience the hellish squeezing, made her scalp tingle.

Yet, when she thought of the red fabric that Madam Luan Hongmei had repeatedly reminded her about, she found that she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

In the end, she chose to stay, knowing it would be better to face a little discomfort than to be beaten up. 

After all, she was over twenty years old; getting beaten would be far too embarrassing.

=

The Supply and Marketing Cooperative was small, with only three storefronts.

Liu Xiangdong worked here, but he was responsible for purchasing, so it was unlikely he would appear at the sales point.

To avoid trouble, Tian Mi still wrapped her head and face tightly in a triangular scarf.

It was the favorite style of the local aunts, which had a unique charm… she was doing her best to avoid trouble.

At that moment, the nearby aunts who had been chatting loudly suddenly fell silent for a moment, and then with a “buzz!” they erupted into heated discussion, as if they had discovered a new continent.

The noise was so overwhelming that Tian Mi couldn’t catch everything, but she gathered that soldiers had appeared nearby, and the young men seemed quite spirited.

Curiosity got the better of her; she had never seen soldiers from this era, so she instinctively followed the crowd’s gaze.

Perhaps she was too slow to react, but she only caught a glimpse of a tall, slender figure, along with a trim waist held tight by a belt.

‘That waist is pretty slim. I wonder which noble man has come out to save the world…’ Amid the aunts’ enthusiastic compliments, Tian Mi found herself mentally joining in.

Suddenly…

As if remembering something, her eyes, hidden beneath the triangular scarf, sparkled.

The soldiers inspired her.

Perhaps she could consider marrying a soldier?

No matter the era, military families were respected.

Moreover, she had a natural advantage in wanting to marry a soldier, as her original self’s elder sister was a military wife, married to a Political Commissar.

From what Tian Mi knew, only those at the regiment level and above had Political Commissar titles, which meant her brother-in-law held a relatively high rank, and applying for family visits shouldn’t be difficult.

Taking a thousand steps back, even if she didn’t find a suitable match, it wouldn’t be a problem. She could just write to her sister explaining Liu Xiangdong’s character and her current predicament, asking her sister to take her away from Chaoyang Village to avoid Liu Xiangdong’s entanglement.

The feasibility of this plan was quite high. As long as her elder sister was willing to help, writing back to express her desire to take her to the military and introduce her to a partner would be enough.

She could manage her living expenses herself; even if she had to give her sister money, that was reasonable, as long as she could leave this place…

“Open the door!” Just as Tian Mi felt more and more convinced about her plan, someone shouted from ahead.

After that, she found herself caught in a passive situation.

The aunts around her were too helpful; she didn’t need to do anything at all. Following the push from the crowd, she turned around a few times and ended up confusedly entering the cooperative.

To give Madam Luan Hongmei an explanation and because her life was beginning to hold some hope, Tian Mi shook off her previous lethargy. With fire blazing in her almond eyes, she fought her way through the powerful aunts, snatching food from the tiger’s mouth… and successfully grabbed a piece of dark blue fabric with light blue woven checks.

The fabric wasn’t large, only about 1.2 meters long and 1.45 meters wide, barely enough to make a small jacket.

She didn’t like the current fashion styles, but it was rare to find a piece of fabric she was satisfied with. Tian Mi planned to make a doll collar style A-line coat with a short hem.

Actually, this fabric would look even better as a knee-length doll collar dress, topped with a loose sweater and complemented by her flowing curls. It would be artsy and sweet, perfectly suiting her temperament.

Unfortunately, her pockets were light, and with this little bit of fabric, she could only manage a small top, all thanks to her original self being slender enough.

Tian Mi let out a soft sigh, feeling the pang of her lost savings again, then carefully stuffed the fabric into her crossbody bag. She hugged it to her chest, putting in some effort, and finally managed to squeeze out of the crowd.

Once outside, Tian Mi adjusted her twisted clothes, exhaled a breath of frustration, glanced at the sky, and, guided by her memory, cheerfully headed towards the post office.

=

“Xiangdong, is that sister-in-law?”

“Is it really sister-in-law? Why didn’t she call us to help when she went shopping?”

“Exactly! What does she need to come herself for? Let Xiangdong deliver it to her house!”

“…”

Across the street, a few men dressed in flashy styles were playfully shoving a tall man towards Tian Mi.

Some laughed and teased, others whistled to stir up excitement, and a few eyed Liu Xiangdong’s potential bride with astonished and curious expressions.

The commotion was so loud that nearby pedestrians often leaned in to see what was happening.

The few who were the center of attention seemed to bask in it, raising their chins with pride and taunting even louder.

Tian Mi stopped and quietly watched them.

Since she had been spotted, she wouldn’t hide away unnecessarily. Tian Mi understood that the more they saw her panic, the more they would make a fuss and mock her.

On the contrary, her calm gaze fixed on them was the best way to suppress their arrogance.

Indeed, in just a moment, those who had been so reckless earlier either awkwardly averted their eyes or seemed flustered.

Such little courage… Tian Mi scoffed lightly, then shifted her gaze to Liu Xiangdong, who was standing in the middle, looking excited.

She didn’t know if it was just her luck or the inexplicable aura of the main characters, but she never expected that after buying the stamps and envelopes, she would run into Liu Xiangdong just a few steps out of the post office.

In her memory, this person had always been a vague shadow.

Clearly, the original self had an average impression of him, or perhaps even disliked and feared him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have had such an unclear recollection of his appearance.

Now, seeing him in person, there was no need for Tian Mi to verify further. From the depths of her memory, that blurry figure became vivid and three-dimensional.

One could only say that he lived up to being the male lead in a novel. Although he wasn’t so handsome that he would make gods and men angry, by the aesthetics of this era, he was indeed quite impressive.

Standing around 1.8 meters tall, with a square jaw and thick eyebrows, complemented by those bright, spirited eyes that gave off a sense of justice and reliability when he looked at others.

However, knowing what kind of person Liu Xiangdong really was, Tian Mi couldn’t help but internally scoff at his affectionate gaze, ‘Wretched!’