Chapter 33: A Fuller Purse (Part 2)

By the time they were close to the commune, the discussion had shifted to daily brigade gossip. The father and daughter had chattered the entire way.

The supply and marketing cooperative was busiest in the morning because many items were in limited supply, and getting them depended purely on luck.

If you were unlucky and couldn’t grab what you wanted, you’d have to wait for the next restock.

Although fountain pens weren’t necessities, many wealthy families in town still bought them. Afraid they might have come for nothing, Mu Mian dashed into the cooperative the moment her father parked the bicycle.

Fortunately, her luck was as good as ever. There were still two fountain pens left, priced at twenty yuan each. Mu Mian picked one she liked and took out twenty yuan along with her industrial ticket.

This ticket had been sent by Mu Zhuo. Before leaving in the morning, Comrade Liu Shuangcui had given her the one specifically for buying the pen.

After leaving the cooperative, the father and daughter didn’t go anywhere else. They packed the pen and letter into the parcel for Mu Zhuo and headed straight for the post office.

Familiar with the process, Mu Fugui quickly got everything sorted.

Just as they were about to head home, a voice called out behind them. It was the postman, Xiao Zhang. “Hey, Brother Mu! You’re here? Perfect timing, I’ve got another letter for your family.”

Mu Mian’s eyes lit up instantly. “Uncle Zhang, is it for me?”

Xiao Zhang had a stack of letters to deliver that day. He picked up the one on top. “Let me see. Qingfeng Brigade, Mu Mian. Yes, it’s yours.”

Mu Mian reached out eagerly and beamed. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang! Wishing you a smooth day at work!”

Her bright smile was as warm as the morning sun, making Xiao Zhang smile in return. “No need to thank me. It’s my duty to serve the people.”

Xiao Zhang was busy, so after exchanging a few words with Mu Fugui, he left. They weren’t particularly close, just acquaintances.

Holding the letter, which felt about as thick as the last one, Mu Mian excitedly pulled her father out of the post office.

With the bicycle parked by the roadside, the father and daughter crouched down beside it. Mu Fugui was even more excited than his daughter. “Hurry, open it! Is it the same as last time? Did they send a book and a remittance slip?”

Mu Mian was confident. “Definitely!”

Normally, if a manuscript wasn’t accepted, they wouldn’t send a reply.

Sure enough, as soon as she tore open the envelope, the first thing she saw was a sample magazine.

Mu Fugui leaned in closer, filled with pride. “My daughter is so talented!”

She had only submitted two articles, and both had been accepted.

Which meant…

His daughter had published two books!

This was incredible. He should visit his father’s grave when they got home—just in case his ancestors had really blessed them.

While Mu Fugui was flipping through the sample book in fascination, Mu Mian continued searching through the envelope. Instead of reading the reply letter first, she looked at the remittance slip.

Eighteen yuan!

Mu Mian’s eyes curved into a smile as she held it up for her father to see. “Dad, eighteen yuan! Hehehe~”

Although it was four yuan less than last time, it was still a good amount. Her empty pockets were instantly filled again!

Mu Fugui was overjoyed.

His daughter was making so much money! It was starting to put pressure on him as a father.

Standing up, he scooped his daughter up as well. “Come on, let’s go home and show your mother and grandma!”

Mu Mian quickly climbed onto the back seat of the bicycle. The two rode back, so happy they looked like they had found money on the street, but they kept their excitement restrained in public.

At home, however, there was no need to hold back.

As soon as they stepped through the door, Mu Fugui’s face lit up with excitement. “Wife, come see what our daughter brought back!”

Liu Shuangcui was busy and only glanced at them before replying casually, “What is it? Did you two pick up money on the road?”

Mu Mian grinned, “It’s almost like finding money. Another publishing house also sent me a letter. There’s another eighteen yuan~”

Liu Shuangcui couldn’t sit still after hearing that, and even the old lady, who had been busy inside, put down her work. The three adults sat in the courtyard, marveling at it for a good while.

Liu Shuangcui said, “This is incredible. Adding it all up, it’s more than your father’s monthly salary.”

As soon as she said that, Comrade Mu Fugui showed a thoughtful expression. Then, he turned to his daughter and asked, “Do you think your dad should pick up a pen and start writing too?”

No wonder everyone wanted to be educated. Having knowledge really made a difference—earning money seemed so much easier for them.

The moment Mu Fugui finished speaking, Mu Mian immediately pictured her father writing letters, where each character took up two whole lines. She smiled sweetly and said, “The book says there are three hundred and sixty trades, and every trade has its master. Dad, I think you’re the top master in pig slaughtering!”

She put it very tactfully, but Mu Fugui understood her meaning. He let out a “hey” and said, “You’re making fun of your dad, aren’t you?”

Then, he couldn’t help but show off, “But to be fair, in the ten-mile radius around here, if we were to rank the best pig butchers, your dad would definitely be on the list.”

Mu Mian nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, of course! Just like how in this whole area, the most handsome man is also on the list—it’s you, Dad!”

That flattery was music to his ears. Mu Fugui grinned so wide that his teeth showed, while Liu Shuangcui and the old lady exchanged looks that said they couldn’t bear to watch.

Mu Fugui was too happy to care about his wife and mother rolling their eyes at him.

He glanced at the sample book in the old lady’s hands and said, “I’ll take this up the mountain later to show Dad. I think Fifth Brother made a good point the other day—maybe my father’s grave really has brought us good luck.”

Hearing such nonsense again, Zhao Meihua raised the book and gave Mu Fugui a light smack on the back. Then, realizing that she might have mistreated the book, she quickly pulled it back and carefully dusted off an imaginary speck of dirt from the cover.

That little bit of force was nothing more than a tickle to a burly man like Mu Fugui. He didn’t even blink and cheerfully discussed with his daughter when they should visit the old man’s grave.

Mu Fugui was a man of action. When he said he’d go, he meant it.

That very afternoon, Mu Mian accompanied her father up the mountain. Naturally, the old man’s grave wasn’t actually “blessed” or anything, but the father and daughter still took the time to clear away the weeds around it.

Then, Mu Fugui stood before his father’s grave and talked for a long time—mainly to boast about how great his daughter and son were.

—

Time passed quickly, and in just over half a month, it was already late September. The weather was still quite hot, only slightly better than the scorching summer months of July and August.

Over in Ningzhang City, it was even hotter. Being in the south, the humidity made the heat unbearable throughout the summer.

At this moment, however, Mu Zhuo didn’t have the time to worry about the heat. He had just received a package from home and was happily sharing the hazelnuts and other dried goods with his comrades.

Afterward, he took off his training uniform and changed into his one and only dress shirt. Since there was no training today, there were no strict dress codes to follow.

Dong Chai, who shared the dormitory with Mu Zhuo, was lazily cracking hazelnuts when he saw him changing and asked curiously, “Why are you changing? Are you heading into the city?”

As far as he remembered, Mu Zhuo hadn’t submitted a request for leave. Without approval, he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the base.

Wen Zhanwas in the next dormitory and just happened to come over to visit. Seeing Mu Zhuo all dressed up, he was also surprised. “Going on a blind date? Did sister-in-law Zhang set you up?”

The wife of their battalion commander was a warm-hearted person who loved matchmaking for the soldiers whenever she had the chance.

Faced with two questions in a row, Mu Zhuo shook his head. “I’m not going out, and I’m not going on a blind date. I’m changing to match my new fountain pen!”

As he spoke, he clipped a brand-new fountain pen onto the pocket of his shirt, looking very pleased with himself. Then, he grinned and asked everyone, “So, what do you think? Do I look like a cultured man now?”

Dong Chai and Wen Zhan: “…….” 

This was the first time they had ever heard of someone dressing up just to match a pen.

Dong Chai was blunt. “Not really. You look like you’re pretending to be a cultured man.”

He knew that Mu Zhuo had graduated from high school.

However, Mu Zhuo’s appearance was deceiving. He looked more like someone who had grown up doing manual labor than someone with a scholarly air.

Dong Chai then asked, “Did your family send it?”

He had the same type of pen himself, and it wasn’t cheap—it cost twenty yuan.

Dong Chai couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly. Even though Mu Zhuo came from the countryside, his family’s financial situation seemed pretty decent. They regularly sent him packages, and from the looks of it, they were a close-knit family.

Almost as soon as Dong Chai finished his question, Mu Zhuo immediately showed a smug expression, as if he had been waiting for someone to ask. “Hehe, my little sister sent it to me. She earned money writing articles, and she spent her first payment entirely on this pen for me.”

Dong Chai, who was still eating hazelnuts, and Wen Zhan, who was helping himself to some as well, both paused for a moment. The other dormmates started talking excitedly, asking all sorts of questions.

In the midst of the chatter, Dong Chai suddenly asked, “Your little sister is really only eight years old?”

Could it be that Mu Zhuo had left out a number? Otherwise, how could such a young girl be this capable?

Mu Zhuo straightened his collar and said proudly, “My little sister is about to turn nine. As for how old your little sister is, I have no idea.”

Dong Chai immediately caught the underlying meaning.

“…Seriously?”

Was he implying that just because he didn’t have a sister, he couldn’t relate?

…Damn, he really didn’t have one.

Just like Wen Zhan, his family was full of men.