Chapter 41

Aside from the five yuan spent on dysentery medicine, Liu Yu still had five yuan left in her pocket.

With the twenty pounds of national grain tickets that Guo Dan had given her, Liu Yu went back to the grain store. The store was crowded, and the shelves were almost empty, with only a few types of grain still available.

After waiting for a long time, it was finally Liu Yu’s turn.

She originally intended to buy some fine grain to help her family’s treasure pot produce more fine grains, but when she asked the clerk, she found out that there was no white flour, no rice, and no Fuxiang flour either! The only grains available now were corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and potatoes—coarse grains.

Something was better than nothing, so Liu Yu spent ten pounds of grain tickets to buy three pounds each of sorghum, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Coarse grains were cheap, and she was able to buy them for less than fifty cents.

After leaving the grain store, Liu Yu went to a convenience store. Since she didn’t have other tickets, she had no choice but to buy some snacks.

Bean paste-filled rice sticks were sixty cents per pound, costing her six pounds of grain tickets for one pound. Liu Yu bought three pounds in one go, then also bought three pounds of peach crisp for fifty cents per pound.

Finally, she bit the bullet and bought a two-cent large round white bread. After that, Liu Yu was left with just enough money for her bus fare home.

Her small basket was packed to the brim, and Liu Yu went to the bus station. Wang Changping, a tall and lean man in a green outfit, stood out in the crowd like a leek, easy to spot. Liu Yu almost immediately saw him.

They reunited at the station, and Liu Yu took out the large white round bread wrapped in oil paper, handing it to Wang Changping. “This is for your bus fare!”

In these times of material scarcity, a white bread wasn’t something that could be easily given away.

Wang Changping shook his head. “I don’t need it. You should eat it.”

But Liu Yu wouldn’t agree. She stretched her hand long and looked quite stubborn. She didn’t like owing people, and even though she was using the bread to settle the fare, it still felt like she was taking advantage of him.

Wang Changping came up with a solution. “Then let’s split it in half.”

Liu Yu agreed, and she tore the bread into two halves. The bread looked big, but once squeezed, it shrank.

Wang Changping took his portion. The bread had Liu Yu’s fingerprints on it, along with the warmth from her hand. He sat in the car, eating slowly, piece by piece. Even though it was only a small portion, it didn’t take long for him to finish it.

They returned to the village together and parted ways at the village entrance.

Before going home, Liu Yu stored all the items she bought in her space, making sure not to let Chen Shi or Liu Jianmin notice anything.

As she entered the house, Nie Xiaocui asked where the shoes were. That’s when Liu Yu realized she had forgotten them. But it wasn’t a big deal; she could use the excuse of buying them next time to go to the county again!

“Mom, I’ll bring them next time! Look what I got!”

Liu Yu took out the piece of pork she had hidden behind her.

Even though it was only a small piece, it was a precious commodity in an era with scarce fat and oil.

Seeing her daughter bring things home while she hadn’t gotten anything for herself, Nie Xiaocui wasn’t happy. “Son, where did you buy this meat? I didn’t give you any meat tickets, and besides, I told you to go to the county and have a good time with the money. Why are you bringing meat back?”

Liu Yu smiled sweetly, “The butcher said that two dimes of meat didn’t need a ticket, so I bought two dimes’ worth!”

Though happy, Liu Yu didn’t forget her main concern. “By the way, did Grandma give us our rations? Has she handed them over yet?”

Nie Xiaocui nodded, went into the house, and pulled out a cloth bag from under the bed, placing it in front of Liu Yu. “She did, she did! I even went to the team’s office to weigh it with a big scale! Forty pounds, not a pound less!”