Chapter 24: I bought a set of golden nanmu furniture

Jiang Li entered the scrap yard alone. There were many items. She found many usable old furniture pieces.  She was lucky; she found a set of Phoebe nanmu (Chinese rosewood) furniture. 

She guessed it belonged to a wealthy family that had been purged.  The furniture was not only made of valuable wood but was also exquisitely crafted.  She couldn’t carry the whole set on her bicycle, so she hired someone to transport it to the Shengli Production Brigade.

After choosing the furniture, Jiang Li went to the book section to find newspapers.  She also found several rare ancient medical books.

As a cultivator, Jiang Li’s medical skills were excellent.  She put the books into her spatial storage.  She then went to pay the gatekeeper.

 The gatekeeper looked at Jiang Li with a complex expression. She had excellent eyesight; she had chosen the Phoebe nanmu furniture.  The price was low; she bought a table and chairs, a wardrobe, and a desk for only a dozen yuan. She was satisfied; this furniture would be valuable in the future. She hired someone to transport the furniture to the Shengli Production Brigade for eighty cents.  She marveled at the low labor costs. 

She then went to the supply and marketing cooperative. She bought a coal stove and some coal briquettes.  The coal briquettes were difficult to transport by bicycle, so she asked the delivery man to take them.  She also bought a pot and other cooking utensils, seasonings, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. 

She had some things delivered and carried the rest herself.  She found a secluded spot and took out her bicycle, securing her belongings to the back.  She then rode back to the production brigade. On the way, she met Liu Yulan and Sun Wenwen. Seeing Jiang Li’s bicycle, they were jealous. Liu Yulan asked, “Jiang Li, where did you get that bicycle?” Jiang Li, knowing she was jealous, said, “I bought it. I didn’t steal it.

”  Liu Yulan was even more upset. Jiang Li rode away. Liu Yulan stamped her foot angrily.  Mu Jingxun and Bai Ziyong also bought bicycles and collected their packages from the post office. They rode towards the Shengli Production Brigade.

Liu Yulan and Sun Wenwen saw them. Sun Wenwen wasn’t surprised; they had bought bicycles in her past life. But Liu Yulan was irritated. Why could they afford bicycles, but she couldn’t? Jiang Li arrived at the Shengli Production Brigade in half an hour.  A bicycle was rare in the countryside; her arrival caused a stir.

The villagers discussed how wealthy Jiang Li must be to afford a bicycle.  She was pretty and could hunt; she would be a good wife. Wu Meixia interrupted, “Stop dreaming. Look at your sons; are they worthy of Jiang Zhiqing?  Someone like her can’t be married to a country bumpkin.”  Wu Meixia thought Jiang Li was naive and might be easily deceived; she would warn her to be careful of the villagers.

 Regardless, Jiang Li had helped them, and Wu Meixia didn’t want her to be taken advantage of. Soon, Mu Jingxun and Bai Ziyong also arrived on bicycles. The villagers were shocked again.  The new educated youth were all wealthy!

 But it was good; they wouldn’t be a burden on the production brigade. The village women started thinking about introducing their daughters to Mu Jingxun and Bai Ziyong.  Mu Jingxun and Bai Ziyong returned to the educated youth center.

 Jiang Li had bought many things and needed to organize them. She would clean the new pot and cook her own meals.

She didn’t want to eat with the old educated youth; their cooking skills were poor. If it weren’t for the food in her spatial storage, she would have starved.