"Our side is a bit better. I heard back home the family planning policy is even stricter than last year. They've always promoted 'one is not few, two is just right, three is too many,' haven't they? But looking at how the policies change year by year, who knows what it will be like in the future. It's better to have children quickly."
Chen Lishu realized what she said when she heard her words. It was true, just as Lin Xiaoyue mentioned, family planning would be listed as a basic national policy in a few years. If they strictly enforced it then, many people would risk losing their jobs or positions to have a second child.
She remembered a skit called "The Over-quota Family" that was specially performed on the Spring Festival Gala one year.
In fact, at the root of it all, most cases of having more children than allowed were due to the preference for sons over daughters. After all, with thousands of years of tradition, it was indeed difficult to change people's thinking in just a few or a dozen years.
Chen Lishu felt that Gu Xingdong was probably not that kind of person, but just in case, it was better to ask him clearly when he returned.
"What a useless thing, acting like a sick chicken all day, barely alive. She gave birth to a money-loser and still has the nerve to covet what I have? Doesn't my son earn money easily? Why don't you just die of envy."
As the two were talking, an old woman's scolding voice suddenly came from the doorway. Chen Lishu and Lin Xiaoyue instinctively frowned.
"This old lady is Wang Yufen's mother-in-law," Lin Xiaoyue pouted, unable to find suitable words to describe her.
"I heard she specifically found someone privately to size them up. They say Wang Yufen's pregnancy is also a girl, and she's been giving her a hard time and scolding her every day since she found out."
Listening to Old Mrs. Wei's scolding every day, Lin Xiaoyue was so apprehensive that she didn't dare to ask her own mother-in-law to help look after her, fearing that if she gave birth to a daughter, both mother and daughter would have a hard time.
There were too many people who favored sons over daughters these days. Old Mrs. Chen was a typical example. Chen Lishu was already accustomed to it.
After talking with Lin Xiaoyue for a few more words, she got up to leave. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw an old lady in her sixties with slender eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes looking at her. Opposite her, standing with her head bowed, was Wang Yufen.
She had lost a lot of weight after not seeing her for several months. Chen Lishu's gaze instinctively fell on her belly. Perhaps it was because she was wearing thick clothes in winter, but only a slight bulge could be vaguely seen.
When Wang Yufen saw the two of them come out, tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she looked at them as if seeking help.
It was difficult for even an honest official to settle a family dispute, especially with someone as troublesome as Old Mrs. Chen. Chen Lishu pretended not to understand the meaning of Wang Yufen's gaze, nodded to her as a greeting, and turned to go downstairs.
"Wu family, whose daughter-in-law is that? Look at her thin arms and legs, she looks so frail. Clearly, she has no fortune, just like my unlucky daughter-in-law. She'll likely give birth to girls in the future."
Chen Lishu shook her head helplessly when she heard Old Mrs. Wei's words. This old lady was too reckless.
Her son was still serving in the brigade, yet she was talking such nonsense so carelessly. Wasn't she afraid of making enemies for her son?
Returning home, Chen Lishu wandered around her room and found nothing interesting. She put on her newly made down jacket, slung her bag over her shoulder, put on a scarf, hat, and gloves, and took a car to the city.
If school was to start, she would have to prepare her luggage and bedding herself. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to buy some fabric and cotton to make quilts.
She took a bus all the way to the city and then transferred to another bus to the commercial street.
It was cold in winter. Although she had a down jacket and was well-dressed, the buses back then didn't have air conditioning like they do now. As soon as the bus started moving, the windows would shake, and the cold wind would whistle in through the gaps in the glass.
Chen Lishu stomped her feet and looked out the window. Suddenly, she saw a crowd of people gathered at the entrance of a store. She quickly leaned closer and breathed warm air onto the car window a few times before finally making out that it was the Yimin Store.
Seeing the "long dragon" of people stretching far out the door, she knew there must be some event. As the ticket seller announced the stop, she quickly got up and got off the bus.
Chen Lishu glanced at the crowded entrance. She figured it would be a bit difficult for her to squeeze through with her build. After thinking for a moment, she grabbed a girl who was queuing and asked, "Comrade, what are you queuing up to buy here?"
"The store has a new batch of ready-made clothes, no tickets needed. They say there aren't many, and the event is only for these two days. It's a rare opportunity."
Upon hearing that it was ready-made clothing, Chen Lishu's interest was piqued. She looked at the crowd at the entrance again and, after some thought, went up the outdoor stairs on the other side to find Jiang Weiguo.
"Knock, knock."
Chen Lishu stood at the door and knocked twice. After a long time, she didn't hear anyone invite her in. After waiting for a while, she knocked again. Just as she thought the office was empty and was about to leave, she heard Jiang Weiguo's voice inviting her in.
Chen Lishu pushed the door open and saw that besides Jiang Weiguo, a woman in her thirties was sitting opposite him in the office. The woman had an ordinary appearance but was dressed quite fashionably with permed hair. When her eyes met Chen Lishu's, her face unconsciously blushed, and she awkwardly averted her gaze.
"Little Li, I know what you mentioned. Come back tomorrow, and we'll discuss it in detail."
Jiang Weiguo glanced at Chen Lishu, his eyes fixed on the woman opposite him.
"Brother Jiang..." The woman was flustered for a moment, but seeing Jiang Weiguo frown, she finally left with resignation.
"Manager Jiang, I saw that you're selling ready-made clothes downstairs," Chen Lishu said with a smile after the woman left.
Jiang Weiguo subtly appraised her before nodding towards the seat opposite his desk, motioning for her to sit down, and then said, "Little Chen, you want to buy some?"
Chen Lishu sat down and asked, "I don't know what kind of clothing it is this time, and what the unit price is?"
Jiang Weiguo heard her and handed her a price list.
Chen Lishu took it and glanced at it, noticing that many of the items were thick outerwear this time. It was winter, and they were already in the twelfth lunar month. If she bought them now, she could make a profit before the New Year. Her gaze moved down to the unit prices, and she unconsciously frowned.
Although the fabric was thicker than before, the price had increased quite a bit, with each piece costing between twenty and twenty-five.
At this price, apart from not needing tickets, it was almost the same as the market price.
After accounting for the money she had earned recently, the grain distribution at home, and the rent for her apartment in Beijing, she had less than a thousand yuan on hand. At this price, she could only buy less than fifty pieces of clothing at most.
Thinking of this, Chen Lishu said, "Manager Jiang, we've been cooperating for so long. Can you lower the price a bit?"
"Lower the price..."
Jiang Weiguo drew out the word, leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, and significantly shortened the distance between him and Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu was not accustomed to people getting so close to her, so she subtly shifted her body back to sit up straighter.