The bookstore manager, hearing what his son said, immediately asked Lin Shu curiously, “What ointment is it? Where did you buy it? How much is it?”

Lin Shu quickly pretended to be naive and inexperienced, waving her hand nervously. “I’m not selling ointment. This was made by my father.”

Hearing that she wasn’t selling ointment, the man became even more eager to buy it.

Lin Shu repeatedly explained that it was just something her father-in-law made for the family, that they couldn’t make more without the ingredients, and it wasn’t for sale.

The bookstore manager’s attitude changed dramatically, doing a complete 180. “Are the ingredients hard to find? I know the head of the county hospital’s medicine procurement department. I can buy some from him. Could you ask your father to make a few jars for me?”

Seeing Lin Shu’s troubled expression, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the labor. I’m the bookstore manager, after all; I wouldn’t cheat you.”

Lin Shu shook her head. “No, no, we don’t dare to engage in speculation and profiteering; we’d get arrested and sent to labor reform.”

At that time, the city was cracking down on speculation and profiteering.

During the early spring and early summer, when food was scarce, there was always a famine in the countryside.

Some people would bring their own eggs and chickens to the city to exchange for food stamps and money.

If they were lucky, they could get what they wanted.

If they were unlucky, they would be caught by the city management committee.

The lightest punishment was confiscation; the severe ones were sentenced to speculation and profiteering crimes and sent directly to labor reform farms.

The bookstore manager smiled and whispered, “You folks from the countryside don’t understand. This law is just to target those who don’t know better.”

After saying that, he lit a cigarette, looking mysterious and waiting for Lin Shu to ask for advice.

Lin Shu didn’t ask.

Instead, she turned to Fang Dihua, who had gone to buy ice cream. “Mom, weren’t you going to buy books?”

Fang Dihua was torn between buying a two-cent popsicle or a six-cent ice cream.

Since she had given her daughter-in-law two yuan, she didn’t need to buy her anything.

But seeing her looking at books without any intention of buying ice cream, Fang Dihua felt a bit reluctant to spend the money but also thought she should buy a popsicle for her daughter-in-law on behalf of her son.

She noticed the bookstore manager squinting at Lin Shu with a lecherous look, which made her frown.

She walked over briskly. “Buy.”

Lin Shu smiled. “Mom, do you want to eat a popsicle? If you want it, just buy it.”

Fang Dihua: I’m not that greedy!

The bookstore manager originally wanted to coax the pretty young woman into giving him the formula.

But when he turned around and saw her mother-in-law, he was taken aback.

Wow, this old lady is tall and solid, even taller than him.

He immediately took a step back, feeling overwhelmed by the imposing aura of the old lady.

Lin Shu and her mother-in-law went into the store to buy the necessary books first.

Fang Dihua and Old Lu wanted to buy a complete set of Mao’s Selected Works and another set of Das Kapital.

Upon hearing this, the bookstore manager was surprised.

It seemed the woman knew quite a bit, perhaps even more than he expected.

Was she a village official?

To be friendly with her, he became exceptionally enthusiastic. “Auntie, is your husband a village official or a barefoot doctor? He can make ointment and reads such advanced books—he must be a village official!”

Fang Dihua wasn’t pleased with his attitude and was even less pleased about spending money.

She kept a stern face. “Neither.”

The bookstore had plenty of copies of Quotations from Chairman Mao. Fang Dihua bought the remaining four volumes that matched the one at home, each costing 0.72 yuan.

It wasn’t cheap, but Fang Dihua didn’t blink an eye.

Das Kapital wasn’t available.

Lin Shu said, “It shouldn’t be the case. Sir, could you check again?”

The bookstore manager checked the inventory list and smiled. “We do have it. But it’s been unsold and is stored at the bottom of the stock.”

He and the store clerk struggled to pull it out from under the boxes.

It wasn’t a plain edition but an annotated 1963 version, a three-volume set priced at 3.60 yuan.

Fang Dihua thought, the Ma Daxian is really expensive.

It’s pricier than the books by our leader and far more expensive than inviting the Kitchen God or Door God books.

But these books could last a lifetime, while the Kitchen God needs to be invited every year. So, it’s not too costly in comparison.

She gritted her teeth and paid.

Lin Shu subtly pulled her aside and told the bookstore manager, “Oh, these books are damaged. Look, the covers are water-damaged, yellowed, and moldy. The spines are even cracked.”

In reality, the covers were yellowed due to dampness, not ruined, and there were a few cracks in the spines but not completely broken.

When buying items, it’s always good to point out flaws to negotiate a better price.

Lin Shu examined all five books and exaggerated the issues.

Fang Dihua was amazed.

Was this still the timid young woman who used to be afraid to speak, let alone haggle?

It seemed that the lessons she had in her dreams were very effective.

Fang Dihua suddenly wanted to attend such classes herself.

The bookstore manager initially thought Lin Shu was just a pretty, inexperienced countrywoman, but now he was dizzy from her well-informed bargaining.

For the 3.60 yuan books, he gave Lin Shu a discount, charging only 1.20 yuan.

Fang Dihua looked at Lin Shu with a proud gaze and decided to treat her to an ice cream later—one of the most expensive kinds!

After buying the main books, Lin Shu picked out some picture books for the children.

In this era, the most popular themes for children’s picture books were anti-espionage stories, with titles such as Plain Guerrilla, Tunnel Warfare, Mine Warfare, and Gunfire.

Lin Shu selected a few less rigid ones and also picked a set of classic tales like The Monkey King and Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, totaling twenty books.

Each picture book cost 7 cents, making the total one yuan and forty cents.

Lin Shu noticed a few children’s books that had been torn by kids, some newspapers, and some damaged, scribbled-on magazines.

She asked the bookstore manager, “Boss, since we’re buying so many, could you throw these in for us?”

The bookstore manager didn’t refuse.

After all, the damaged ones could only be sold as scrap paper.

Fang Dihua knew they had scored a great deal.

In the countryside, even getting hold of a piece of paper with writing on it was difficult, let alone fresh-looking magazines.

Fang Dihua stuffed the books into her large cloth bag and strode over to the old lady to buy Lin Shu the most expensive cream ice cream, costing 6 cents!

She returned and handed it to Lin Shu.

Lin Shu looked at her in surprise.

Her mother-in-law, usually so stingy, who wouldn’t spend a penny if she could help it and refused to go to the hospital even when her eyes hurt, was being so generous as to buy her an ice cream?

Six cents!

That’s enough to buy an egg and still have a penny left.

Fang Dihua: “It’s melting!”

Lin Shu quickly took a small bite.

Wow, it was so sweet and fragrant, with a rich creamy flavor!

It tasted just like the cream ice cream her grandmother used to buy her as a child!

Despite having eaten many expensive and exquisite ice creams in her past life, Lin Shu felt that this ice cream her mother-in-law bought, just like the one her grandmother bought her as a child, was the best she had ever tasted!

She smiled brightly, her eyes clear, and after a few small bites, she bit off a piece and held the remaining two-thirds out to Fang Dihua. “Mom, I can’t eat too much; my stomach will hurt.”

Fang Dihua: “Then eat it slowly.”

Lin Shu: “It’ll melt!”

Seeing that she really wasn’t going to eat it, Fang Dihua took it and started eating it, crunching away, while thinking that she should have bought the two-cent popsicle instead.

Eating such a big ice cream herself seemed wasteful.

The bookstore manager watched as the rustic mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo ate an ice cream and continued talking to them about the purple herb ointment.

By now, the kids had stopped scratching, proving it really worked.

The bookstore manager was also a state employee.

In the small county town, state employees like him had a network of connections.

He had relatives in the city management committee and, through them, knew other friends.

He often used the bookstore as a cover for speculation and profiteering to make money.

The bookstore manager, realizing that Lin Shu and Fang Dihua were steadfast and suspicious of any schemes, tried to find a compromise.

He believed that Lin Shu’s purple herb ointment was more effective than the floral water and saw an opportunity in this.

Fang Dihua, visibly upset, said sternly, “Why are you always trying to make a profit off us? You have ulterior motives!”

Seeing her anger, the bookstore manager quickly waved his hands in denial. “Auntie, it’s nothing like that. Please don’t be angry. Look at these kids,” he said, pointing to the children. “They’re being bitten and suffering every day. If your family has such a good remedy, it would benefit everyone to share it.”

Fang Dihua replied curtly, “You should go to the hospital for that.”

The bookstore manager persisted, “The hospital doesn’t have anything like this. Even if they did, it wouldn’t work as well as yours. If you sell it, people will get relief from itching.”

Despite his attempts, Fang Dihua remained firm.

She was cautious about selling the ointment herself, as it could raise suspicion of profiteering.

Even if she gave it away for free, she wasn’t willing to do so, questioning why she should.

Finally, the bookstore manager proposed, “How about this? I’ll go with you to the hospital and speak with the director. Maybe the hospital can commission you to make the ointment. That way, it won’t be seen as profiteering. The hospital might even pay for your labor.”

He knew that Fang Dihua was stubborn and reluctant to take risks or give away the ointment for free.

Therefore, he figured that involving the hospital might make it more acceptable to her.

In this way, he planned to get a share of the proceeds from selling the ointment.

His idea was to sell a few bottles at the hospital as a sample, but mostly to sell them privately at a higher price.

In the countryside, many good medicines were unavailable.

Common antibiotics were tetracycline or chloramphenicol, and for fever and pain, people had to rely on aspirin or similar drugs with significant side effects.

Modern alternatives like ibuprofen and acetaminophen were only available in the city.

Fang Dihua remained unimpressed.

Lin Shu, trying to persuade her to go to the hospital for an eye check-up, whispered, “Mom, let’s at least give it a try.”

Fang Dihua responded, “It won’t bring in much money and will be a hassle. If it delays our work and food rations, it’s not worth it.”

To Fang Dihua, securing enough food was the top priority.

Lin Shu continued softly, “At least we’ll have the ointment for ourselves in the future.”