Chapter 17: Second Sister

There was only one pickup truck in Yunzhou County, and it was never lent out. 

Wu Jianguo was still riding on Jiang An’an’s coattails, sitting in the truck nervously unsure of where to put his hands and feet. Looking at Jiang An’an’s calm and composed face beside him, he sincerely felt grateful for his decision yesterday, while also lamenting that he couldn’t compare to a young girl. 

Little did he know that Jiang An’an, who came from the 21st century, had taken planes and high-speed trains, so a pickup truck from the 1970s was nothing unusual to her; she even found it rather bumpy! 

More than half an hour later, they arrived at the Women’s Federation. 

Compared to other departments, the Women’s Federation had a modest entrance, and its office was located in an inconspicuous building at the corner of the street. If one didn’t pay attention to the sign on the side of the door, they might easily walk past it. 

Wu Jianguo knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time: “There are only three people in the Women’s Federation, and they’re probably all out on errands. I’m familiar with the county police bureau, so I’ll take you there first. We need to find a way to contact someone from the Women’s Federation to avoid making a wasted trip this afternoon.” 

Jiang An’an understood; the Women’s Federation had a heavy workload and often had to visit rural areas, sometimes being out all day. 

She had lived this way in her past life. 

“My second sister works at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town. The family prepared some mountain goods, and I need to deliver them to her.” 

“The supply and marketing cooperative isn’t far. Just walk to the end of this street, turn left, and then walk another street; it’s right across the road,” Wu Jianguo pointed out the route to her. “Which neighborhood does your second sister live in? I’ll pick you up at two.” 

“Hongxing Community.” 

Wu Jianguo silently noted it down, “Get in; I’ll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative first.” 

“No need, I’ll walk over myself.” The dried mountain goods weren’t heavy, and Jiang An’an planned to stroll around the county town. 

At this time, public security was very good, and the people were simple and warm-hearted, with police often patrolling the streets. Therefore, Wu Jianguo was not worried about Jiang An’an getting into any trouble and drove away with peace of mind. 

Once the pickup truck drove off, Jiang An’an threw the bag over her shoulder and walked toward the supply and marketing cooperative. From a distance, she could see a huge sign. It seemed there was a popular item, as the line stretched a full five or six meters long. 

As Jiang An’an got closer, she heard words like “hairtail fish” and “yellow flower fish,” and suddenly understood. 

Yunzhou County was located inland, and seafood was rarely seen, so it was no wonder it attracted such a frenzy. 

Jiang An’an set the bag down and picked it up with her right hand, tidying her clothes and hair before stepping over the threshold. After glancing around, she resolutely walked toward the second counter, a slight smile at the corner of her lips. 

“Second sister!”

Jiang Meizi had a stylish short haircut, looking spirited and lively, moving about with great energy. In the entire supply and marketing cooperative, her voice was the loudest, a strong presence that resembled her mother.

“An’an, how did you get hurt on your head?” Jiang Meizi exclaimed in shock.

Her younger sister’s cheeks were flushed, and tiny beads of sweat dotted her hairline, youthful and vibrant. However, the thick bandage on her forehead was alarming.

Without blinking, she handed an eight-mao-per-jin osmanthus cake to Jiang An’an: “Sit on the stool and eat something to fill your stomach. Later, I’ll take you to the state-run restaurant for braised pork.”

It was nearly noon, with ten minutes left until the shift change.

Jiang An’an obediently sat on the stool and took out a piece of cake, tasting it slowly in small bites.

The pastries of the time were laden with sugar, overly sweet, with the fragrant aroma of osmanthus mingling as she chewed.

“Meizi, your younger sister is so quiet and graceful even when eating, just like a young lady from the city.”

“She’s a beauty known across ten miles, and she’s a middle school student. Just look at her snow-white skin; she must not have done much work at home, spoiled by our parents.”

“Have you introduced her to any suitors? Do you want me to recommend some capable young men from the factory?”

…

Jiang Meizi was somewhat tempted but still firmly refused: “An’an’s marriage is the top priority for the Jiang family right now. My father plans to keep my sister for another two years to carefully choose.”

“Oh my! Won’t she become an old maid no one wants?” someone made a sarcastic remark.

“Slap!”

Jiang Meizi suddenly grabbed a rag from the counter and threw it at the person’s face, glaring angrily: “I advise you to clean up your mouth; I’m going to report your feudal mindset and belittling of women comrades. An’an, let’s go.”

The entire supply and marketing cooperative fell into a dead silence in an instant.

Everyone stared in shock as Jiang Meizi swiftly left the counter, took Jiang An’an’s hand, grabbed the leather bag on the floor, and rushed out of the cooperative, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

After a long while, someone broke the silence with a crying tone: “Jiang Meizi wouldn’t really report me, would she?”

Unfortunately, no one could answer her.

“Quick, hurry up! If we’re late, we won’t get any braised pork at the state-run restaurant.” Jiang Meizi walked briskly, showing no signs of anger on her face, happily asking, “Getting off work eight minutes early, isn’t that impressive?”

Jiang An’an nodded vigorously: “Impressive!”

When it came to slacking off, the Jiang family’s bloodline truly showed!

“Why did Mom let you come to the county town alone? What happened to your head? Is there trouble at home?” Jiang Meizi’s brows furrowed tighter.

Jiang An’an admired her sister’s sharpness and explained one by one: “Zhou Kang got a chance to return to the city and wants to divorce Eldest Sister. Dubao doesn’t want him either…”

As Jiang An’an recounted the situation regarding Eldest Sister’s divorce, Jiang Meizi’s anger flared, wishing she could take leave immediately and rush back to the village.

Later, when she heard that Jiang An’an had thwarted Zhou Kang and their uncle’s plot, she couldn’t help but applaud enthusiastically.

With a smile on her lips, she held her younger sister’s hand with pride: “An’an, you did wonderfully and explained it very well! Housewives are silent heroes, and the value they create is immeasurable; after all, hiring a nanny costs a lot of money every year.”

“By the way, weren’t you looking for Director Gao from the Women’s Federation? After we finish eating, I’ll take you to see her.”

This was truly an unexpected delight! Jiang An’an asked, “Second Sister, do you know Director Gao?”

Jiang Meizi’s expression was strange: “I guess I know her? After all, she often visits my in-laws lately. My sister-in-law just had another daughter and was kicked out by her husband, crying and causing a scene every day, making the house a mess and very annoying.”

Since her younger sister rarely came to the city, Jiang Meizi didn’t want to discuss those troublesome family matters. Just then, they arrived at the state-run restaurant.

It was mealtime, and the place was bustling with people. Steaming dishes were being served at the tables, emitting mouthwatering aromas.

It wasn’t easy for city folks to get meat either; besides the scarcity of meat coupons, the lines in the meat section were the longest. But the daily supply was the least, and everyone had to line up early to grab some.

Jiang Meizi pushed through the crowd and walked up to the counter, greeting the waitress familiarly: “Sister Liu, my younger sister is visiting me from the countryside. We’d like a bowl of braised pork, two bowls of white rice, and please pour a spoonful of the braised pork sauce over the rice.”