This day, an unexpected visitor barged into the barracks.
"Such a tiny thing, it can't be more than a few days old, can it?"
"This little guy is too skinny, is it starving? I can hardly hear its cries, not much louder than a mosquito."
"..."
"Are you all that idle, not training and just watching a spectacle?"
Gu Xingdong, just back from reporting work, walked in and saw his subordinates huddled together, talking about something, and his face immediately darkened.
Upon hearing his voice, everyone stood up straight, clearing the space in the middle. Soon, a palm-sized kitten was revealed.
Gu Xingdong frowned, "Where did it come from?"
"Report, Battalion Commander, it came in by itself," Li Weimin reported loudly.
"You have time to get distracted during training? What, you're all getting cocky after achieving a little success in the actual combat?"
As Gu Xingdong spoke, he bent down and picked up the huddled kitten from the ground. It was as light as a ball of cotton in his hands.
As if sensing danger, the kitten weakly kicked its limbs and meowed twice. Hearing the sound, Gu Xingdong's heart stirred; it sounded too much like someone else's grumbling.
Seeing his actions, everyone looked at the little creature with concern but dared not utter a word.
Animals were not allowed in the barracks, but in such cold weather, sending it out would surely mean its death.
"What are you looking at me for? Everyone gets three hundred deep squats, three hundred sit-ups, and then pairs for combat training! Li Weimin, keep a record."
Gu Xingdong's sharp gaze swept across the entire hall, finally settling on Li Weimin. After seeing him acknowledge the order, Gu Xingdong, holding the kitten, strode out.
As soon as he exited the barrack, a group of soldiers immediately gathered.
"Our Battalion Commander won't really be heartless enough to throw it away, will he?" a young soldier worriedly said.
"Who knows," another sighed.
"Hey, hey, look! The Battalion Commander is heading towards the mess hall. He's not planning to stew the kitten, is he? It's so small, is the Battalion Commander really that cruel?"
As soon as Wang Dazhu finished speaking, his back of the head was roughly slapped. "What are you thinking about all day? Is our Battalion Commander that kind of person? Besides, cat meat isn't tasty."
As soon as Li Weimin finished speaking, he felt over a dozen gazes on him. Li Weimin frowned, "What are you all staring at me for?"
"Company Commander, you're too cruel," a young soldier voiced everyone's thoughts.
Li Weimin choked and quickly explained, "What are you all thinking? I heard that from the elders in my hometown. People would eat anything when they were starving in the past."
The crowd remained unmoved by his explanation.
Li Weimin grew anxious, "What are you looking at? Have you forgotten the task the Battalion Commander just assigned? Get back to training immediately, or I'll double your punishment."
Thinking of Gu Xingdong, they all got scared and immediately ran back to train.
Meanwhile, Gu Xingdong, after turning the corner of the barracks, held the kitten in his hand. Feeling it shiver, he thought for a moment and then tucked it into his coat pocket.
"Battalion Commander Gu," a young mess hall attendant called out as he entered.
Gu Xingdong nodded and handed over the kitten from his pocket, "Leave it with you for now. I'll pick it up tonight."
The attendant was stunned for a moment, then quickly took the kitten.
"I think it must be hungry. Get it some water and food," Gu Xingdong added before leaving.
...
On the day of delivery, Zhou Bin came early to pick up the thirty sets of clothes. Chen Lishu looked at the remaining twenty-two sets and decided to try her luck at the black market.
Packing the work clothes into her bag and taking a small piece of denim fabric, Chen Lishu locked her courtyard gate and headed straight for the black market.
Perhaps due to the cold weather, and the heavy snowfall a couple of days prior, the black market appeared rather deserted.
With unfamiliar faces, people quietly kept their hands in their sleeves, either squatting or standing. A few customers who came to browse were also in a hurry, leaving immediately after the transaction.
Chen Lishu knew it was cold and was dressed warmly. To stay warm, she wore her thickest padded jacket and pants, her headscarf wrapped around her head and face, leaving only her eyes exposed.
"Comrade, what are you selling?" As soon as she placed her bag on the ground, a customer approached to inquire.
"Selling work clothes," Chen Lishu said, taking out the piece of fabric she had prepared earlier.
The man was very interested when he heard she was selling work clothes. He touched the fabric she offered and found it thick, asking, "How much are they?"
"Eighteen yuan per set, plus five feet of cloth coupons. If bought individually, it's ten yuan for a set, with three feet of cloth coupons for the jacket and two feet for the pants."
The man hesitated upon hearing the price, "Can I get a discount for buying more?"
Chen Lishu nodded, "Five sets or more are sixteen yuan per set, plus five feet of cloth coupons."
For every set purchased over five, he would save two yuan.
The man pondered for a moment, then suddenly walked over to a man selling at a nearby stall and whispered a few words. Chen Lishu saw him point in her direction, and then the man at the stall nodded.
Soon, the man walked away to a few more stalls and then returned, directly asking for five sets of work clothes.
Chen Lishu then realized he had gone out to recruit people.
After receiving the payment and cloth coupons for the five sets of clothes, Chen Lishu counted out five sets according to the dimensions provided by the buyer.
Chen Lishu was overjoyed to sell five sets of clothes right at the start, and it also boosted her confidence, feeling that the remaining twenty-plus sets would be sold out soon.
However, she was still too optimistic. She stood there until noon. Excluding the initial five sets, she had only sold two jackets and one pair of pants.
Standing outside for a long time, despite wearing many layers, her feet had gone numb from the cold.
Seeing that it was almost mealtime, Chen Lishu simply picked up her bag and went home to eat.
As she exited the alleyway and was about to cross the street, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walking towards her.
Tall and thin, wearing a Zhongshan suit, with fair skin and metal-rimmed glasses, it was Nan Haitao, the manager of the department store.
Since they had only met once, Chen Lishu subconsciously pulled her scarf higher, not wanting to greet him.
Just as she was about to pretend not to know him and pass by, she noticed two people following him diagonally behind him. One of them was holding something resembling tweezers, the size of a palm, and was slowly reaching towards Nan Haitao's pocket, while Nan Haitao seemed completely unaware of any of this.
Seeing the actions of the two people, Chen Lishu knew it was a group theft. If the victim discovered the theft and resisted, they would be immediately restrained by the two, turning the theft into blatant robbery. If they resisted fiercely, they might even get stabbed.
Not wanting to greet him was one thing, but he was someone she knew and had previously helped her buy a sewing machine, so Chen Lishu couldn't stand idly by.
Seeing that Nan Haitao had already passed her, and the perpetrator behind him had already inserted his tool into his pocket, Chen Lishu stopped and pretended to have just realized, saying uncertainly, "Manager Nan?"