Chapter 82 : No one wants such a good cotton-padded jacket?

Song Shiwei was surprised. “Oh? Leader, tell me what it is. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you!”  

Zhou Cheng and Zhou Lin also looked curiously at the uncle beside them, who seemed quite kind.  

Gu Changrong appeared a little embarrassed and hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. “I would like to ask you to cook a few meals for my wife! She was just discharged from the hospital a few days ago, and her health is very poor. I’m busy all day and can’t take care of her at all. Our only son has also joined the Construction Corps!”  

“Maybe it’s my fault. I was the one who insisted that he go. My wife was so angry that she fell ill. Although I have never regretted my decision, I feel guilty towards her and Xiaolei!”  

As he spoke, Gu Changrong’s eyes turned slightly red.  

“So, I’m begging you to help me prepare some meals for her to aid in her recovery. She has lost her appetite recently and can’t eat anything. Whatever she eats, she throws up. I can’t bear to watch her grow thinner day by day, it’s unbearable for me!”  

Hearing this, Song Shiwei felt a pang of emotion.  

It turned out that even the family of a high-ranking leader had their own struggles.  

No mother wants to be separated from her child. After all, she carries the baby for ten months and gives birth with great joy. Men cannot truly understand this feeling. As fathers, they don’t experience the same physical pain, so how could they fully grasp a mother’s emotions?  

She figured that his wife must have known that, as a leader, he had no choice. That was the policy of the time, and he had to set an example.  

If even the leaders were unwilling to let their children support national construction, then ordinary people would be even less willing!  

Watching Gu Changrong silently wipe his eyes, Song Shiwei sighed softly in her heart.  

Even so, she understood that as a father, his love for his child was no less than that of a mother. He also felt pain and distress.  

But given his position and responsibilities, he had no other choice.  

Perhaps you can’t have everything in life.  

If you desire greater power, you must be prepared to pay the corresponding price.  

Song Shiwei thought about Zhou Tingyue joining the army, could this be one of the reasons?  

Otherwise, given Mr. Zhou’s status, why would he come to this remote island to endure such hardships?  

Maybe he was reluctant at first, but after serving in the military for so many years, Song Shiwei could sense that Zhou Tingyue genuinely loved this life. He was proud of being a soldier!  

“I believe your son will not resent you,” she said gently. “As the years go by, he will grow up and gradually understand your perspective. At the same time, I think the army is an excellent place for shaping people. Your son should be proud of being a soldier now! He should feel grateful to his father for choosing this path for him, helping him become someone valuable to the country and the people, a responsible and honorable man!”  

Gu Changrong was visibly surprised by her words.  

“You… really think so?”  

Song Shiwei smiled and nodded. “Yes!”  

She turned to Xiao Zhang and asked, “Xiao Zhang, do you regret joining the army?”  

Xiao Zhang chuckled and shook his head vigorously.  

“I don’t regret it!”  

“Leader, I used to be upset with my parents because they didn’t send my brother to the army but insisted that I go. I thought they were unfair to me. But after so many years in the military, I am now grateful for their decision. It has shaped me into a different person! If possible, I would love to stay in the army for the rest of my life!”  

Gu Changrong smiled.  

“Good! Good! You are all good kids!”  

Seeing that he had seemingly let go of some of the burdens in his heart, Song Shiwei also felt happy.  

“Leader, I am willing to help take care of my sister-in-law’s health! Don’t worry, I will make sure she eats well. Food is the most important thing for people. As long as her appetite improves, I believe she will recover soon!”  

Gu Changrong’s eyes instantly turned red again.

“Thank you, thank you so much, Xiao Song! I really appreciate it! Don’t worry, I won’t treat you unfairly. Just tell me what you want, and I will do my best to make it happen. Whether it’s money or a job, as long as it’s within my ability, I will help you get it!”  

Song Shiwei hadn’t expected him to say that. “Leader, you’re being too polite!”  

Gu Changrong said seriously, “If you don’t ask for anything, I’ll feel embarrassed to trouble you! How about this earlier, I saw you asking Sun Zeyan for a lot of cotton-padded clothes, and I also heard that you wanted to exchange cotton and cloth coupons with him. I still have a lot of coupons here. I’ll give you some of each. If there’s any specific type you need, just let me know, and I’ll find a way to get them for you!”  

When Song Shiwei heard this, she was instantly delighted.  

What did she need most right now? Tickets, of course!  

In this era, having money wasn’t enough you needed ration tickets to buy things. Many items couldn’t be purchased without them. Tickets were even more valuable than money.  

You needed sugar coupons to buy sugar, cloth coupons to buy fabric, grain coupons to buy food, industrial coupons for daily necessities, and sometimes even meal coupons just to eat at a restaurant.  

She once heard a cleaning lady joke about how, when she was a child, her family needed a “steamed bread coupon” and even a “cubic meter of manure coupon”!  

Back then, she thought it was just a joke, and she laughed along.  

But now, living in this era, she finally understood just how important these tickets were.  

Even national food coupons and local food coupons were different, and some people even resold national food coupons on the black market.  

So when Gu Changrong offered her various ration tickets, it made her happier than receiving money.  

“Thank you, Leader!”  

Since her birthday was tomorrow and the children had been looking forward to a barbecue, she arranged with Gu Changrong to start cooking for his wife on September 1st.  

Gu Changrong wrote down his home address and phone number for Song Shiwei and asked her to come when the time arrived.  

Song Shiwei nodded and carefully put away the note.  

When she arrived at the factory, the moment she stepped out of the car, several other leaders gathered around her.  

They all expressed their desire to have her cook for them in the future if they ever needed help.  

She could name her own price.  

But remembering her promise to Gu Changrong to take care of his wife, Song Shiwei politely declined.  

The leaders all sighed in disappointment.  

Afraid that she might feel awkward, Gu Changrong smiled and explained that he had already asked her to help cook for his wife.  

With that, there was nothing more to say.  

Of course, the big leader’s needs took priority!  

However, each of them had their own ideas. Since she would be coming to Qing City regularly, they figured that if an opportunity arose, they could invite her over.  

Sun Zeyan also felt a little disappointed, he had wanted to invite her to work in the factory kitchen.  

The food in the factory cafeteria was so terrible that he didn’t even want to talk about it.  

Many workers had complained, but they still hadn’t found a suitable head chef.  

But after hearing what Gu Changrong said, he had no choice but to set his thoughts aside for now.  

He figured he would wait and see if another opportunity arose later.  

Director Zheng led the leaders to continue their work inspection.  

Meanwhile, Sun Zeyan took Song Shiwei to the warehouse at the back.  

He had promised to give her seven cotton-padded jackets, and he was a man of his word. Besides, these cotton coats were leftover from last year no one wanted them, not even when they were offered as part of workers’ wages!  

Since Song Shiwei was willing to take them, he was more than happy to give them away.  

When the warehouse door opened, Song Shiwei was surprised to see a mountain of cotton-padded clothes piled inside.  

“Are all these leftover cotton coats?”  

Sun Zeyan nodded helplessly. “Yes, these styles are too outdated to sell in the market. The department store counters are filled with the latest fashionable designs. Many of these were returned from various stores!”  

Zhou Cheng and Zhou Lin were shocked that no one wanted these cotton coats.  

“No one wants such good cotton jackets? If this were Qilian Island, every household would be scrambling for them!”  

Hearing this, Song Shiwei’s eyes lit up. “Director Sun, what do you plan to do with all these cotton coats?”