Chapter 77: Providing Supplies for the Teacher

Shen Chuning was lucky today; the supply and marketing cooperative had just received a batch of cotton.

The saleswoman gave her the full twelve jin she requested.

This was because the supply and marketing cooperative received cotton early this year, the autumn harvest and planting hadn’t ended yet, and the people hadn’t had time to buy winter supplies.

If they waited until after the autumn harvest and planting, and the production teams distributed grain and money, the cotton in the supply and marketing cooperative would be impossible to get.

For the quilt cover fabric, Shen Chuning chose light gray twill, bright but not frivolous, just right for the teacher’s personality and age.

She chose an ordinary porcelain basin with a rich and auspicious flower pattern, and a tin water bottle with the same pattern.

Shen Chuning spent a total of thirty kuai and four mao, twelve jin of cotton coupons, thirty chi of cloth coupons, and two industrial coupons.

Luckily, she had bought some cloth coupons and cotton coupons from the black market when she saw someone selling them.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have enough coupons to buy these things.

Shen Chuning went to the food section and bought five jin of sponge cakes, dividing them into five portions, one each for the teacher, her father, her parents-in-law, and herself. She planned to give the remaining jin to the Zhou family children.

After the last incident, the eldest sister-in-law shouldn’t make trouble again.

There was no meat supply in the supply and marketing cooperative today, but there was tofu, so Shen Chuning bought a piece of tofu.

She also asked if they had any milk powder or malted milk.

The answer was that malted milk was only supplied by supply and marketing cooperatives in big cities, not in small places like this.

As for milk powder, there was occasionally a supply, but not now.

Zhou Yubai had given her two milk powder coupons, she originally wanted to buy a can of milk powder for the teacher because he wasn’t in good health, but since there wasn’t any, she could only give up.

Peng Kaiyuan’s fainting last time wasn’t a serious illness, it was just long-term vegetarianism in the canteen, leading to malnutrition and overwork, and his age made his body unable to cope.

Just as Shen Chuning was about to leave the supply and marketing cooperative, the saleswoman, taking advantage of the absence of others, mysteriously walked to her side, “Little comrade, do you want to buy malted milk and milk powder?”

Shen Chuning, having been to the black market, understood the saleswoman’s implication.

“Big sister, do you have milk powder and malted milk to exchange?”

Hearing Shen Chuning use the word “exchange” instead of “sell,” the saleswoman knew she was smart.

She immediately smiled, “Yes, relatives sent them during the New Year, and I haven’t been willing to eat them. If you need them, Big sister will exchange them with you.”

“Okay, thank you, Big sister.”

The saleswoman looked at her watch, “Little sister, I have an hour left before I get off work, can you wait for me?”

Shen Chuning calculated the time and agreed, “Okay, I’ll take the cotton to get it processed and come back to find you, Big sister.”

Shen Chuning took the cotton to the cotton-processing place and paid one kuai for the labor fee.

She had the cotton processed into two quilts, one seven jin and one three jin. The three-jin quilt was suitable for spring and autumn, and the seven-jin quilt was suitable for early winter. For the coldest days, the two quilts could be layered.

When Shen Chuning returned to the supply and marketing cooperative, the saleswoman had just gotten off work and came out.

She instructed Shen Chuning, “Little sister, my house is in the food factory family courtyard, just follow me on your bike.”

Shen Chuning was wary of the saleswoman.

The saleswoman probably saw this and directly gave her address before leaving.

When they arrived at the family courtyard, the saleswoman went home to get things, and Shen Chuning waited outside the courtyard for a while.

Soon, the saleswoman came out with a nylon bag.

When they reached a secluded corner, the saleswoman’s bag contained a can of Great Wall full-fat milk powder and a can of Shanghai malted milk.

“Little sister, we’re old acquaintances. Big sister won’t charge you a high price, the milk powder is fifteen kuai, and the malted milk is eighteen kuai, no coupons needed, what do you think?”

Although Shen Chuning hadn’t bought milk powder and malted milk in reality, in her dream, when Chen Ziyun was preparing for the college entrance examination, she had tried every means to get malted milk and milk powder for him to supplement his nutrition.

The price the saleswoman gave her was even lower than the price her second brother got from the black market in her dream, it was a fair price.

Shen Chuning readily gave thirty-three kuai and took both the milk powder and malted milk.

Riding her bicycle back, she felt a little heartache.

She had saved two months’ worth of grain and only sold it for five hundred kuai, thinking it was a lot.

But today, she spent more than sixty kuai.

Money was really easy to spend but hard to earn!

No wonder Second Brother and Third Brother always said she didn’t know the hardships of life.

Shen Chuning returned to the commune and went straight to the staff dormitory.

Peng Kaiyuan was reading with his reading glasses on, and heard the bicycle bell outside.

He didn’t care, thinking it was Yin Linjiang returning.

After a while, he heard rustling sounds outside his room.

And the aroma of fried tofu wafted in.

He quickly put down his book and went out to see Shen Chuning busy around the stove outside.

Shen Chuning flipped the fried tofu and greeted Peng Kaiyuan, “Teacher, wash your hands, we can eat soon.”

Peng Kaiyuan was very pleased, but his face showed some reproach, “You girl, you have a day off, why are you busy here?

I’m telling you, the time to collect public grain is coming soon, you won’t have time to rest then.”

Shen Chuning put the fried tofu on a plate, added some sauce to the pan, and poured the fried tofu in to coat it.

Soon, a plate of coated tofu was ready.

She had already fried poached eggs and cooked cabbage soup, and the rice was also steamed.

Putting the tofu on the table, she called Peng Kaiyuan to eat, “Teacher, don’t worry, I’m not tired. I’m young and energetic, it’s time to contribute to the construction of the motherland, how can I be tired so easily!”

Hearing this, Peng Kaiyuan was even happier and laughed, “Good, good, since you’re energetic, I’ll give you more work tomorrow.”

“Okay, I accept the challenge and guarantee to complete the mission.”

The teacher and student discussed learning and work while eating, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

As soon as Yin Linjiang entered the courtyard of the commune staff dormitory, he smelled a strong aroma, and he couldn’t help but sniff.

He and Old Peng usually ate in the commune canteen.

On rest days, the commune canteen didn’t cook, and he and Old Peng basically ate dry food with plain water.

Occasionally, they would cook together.

But their cooking skills were limited.

The last time such a strong aroma wafted from the courtyard was when Shen Chuning came to cook crucian carp and tofu soup at noon that day.

Peng Kaiyuan’s room faced the courtyard gate.

At this time, he and Shen Chuning had a small table set up in the room to eat, he was sitting facing the gate, so he saw Yin Linjiang as soon as he came back.

He politely greeted him, “Comrade Yin, you’re back. Have you eaten? If not, come and eat together.”