"It can't be," Chen Lishu laughed. "We've worked with this person before. He's the manager of the store. If it wasn't reliable, I definitely wouldn't do it."
Hearing her words, Wu Chunmei nodded. "Alright, after dinner, when it gets dark, I'll have your father go and get some fabric."
"What do you want me to get?" Chen Mandun entered from outside as they were talking. He was also happy to see Chen Lishu had returned. "Lishu is back."
Seeing him come in, Wu Chunmei asked, "Did you finish delivering the grain?"
"I'm done. With this task completed, this year's work is finally mostly finished. Now, we just have to wait for the grain distribution."
Chen Mandun said, patting the dust off his clothes and casually taking off the hat on his head to place it on the cabinet. After sitting down by the kang, he asked again, "What do you want me to get?"
"Lishu got some fabric from the provincial capital," Wu Chunmei replied, then roughly recounted what Chen Lishu had told her to Chen Mandun.
Chen Mandun nodded. "Alright, I'll go when it gets dark."
"Dad, how was the harvest in the team this year?" Chen Lishu asked, thinking of something.
Seeing her ask about the harvest, a smile spread across Chen Mandun's honest face. "It's good this year. After paying the public grain, I estimate that each household should get an extra thirty to fifty jin of grain compared to last year."
Hearing this, Chen Lishu also smiled. "Dad, after this distribution, let's start the grain purchasing business we did last year again."
Last year, in just a few days before the Lunar New Year, she had earned over two hundred yuan. With more than two months still before the new year, she was sure she could earn a lot of money.
Upon hearing that she wanted to deal in grain again, Chen Mandun's head shook like a rattle, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't you remember what happened with your grandmother and the others last year? How can you still have this idea?"
Chen Lishu persuaded him, "Dad, look at who, when they have a perfectly good life, spends twenty-four hours a day watching other people? Besides, we won't be buying from our own brigade. As long as we go further away, and now that I've rented a place in town, after you buy the grain, you can bring it directly to my place without going home. No one will find out."
She had much more money now than last year, so she could buy more grain, and naturally earn more money.
However, after Chen Lishu had spoken earnestly for a long time, Chen Mandun remained unmoved. He even tried to persuade Chen Lishu in return. "Daughter, life is pretty good now, isn't it? We've built a house, and as long as your mother and I behave ourselves and work in the team, our family will get plenty of grain. Why do you need to be so anxious and trouble yourself? You must have earned quite a bit making clothes. Listen to your dad, it's enough for a girl like you to eat and drink. It's more important to have a child with your husband soon."
Chen Lishu's enthusiasm waned significantly upon hearing his words, but she still wanted to try to persuade him. "Dad, there are six mouths waiting at home. The grain you and Mom get from the team is not enough. Besides, my younger sisters are growing up and need to go to school. We probably don't have much money at home now, do we?"
Before Chen Mandun could reply, Wu Chunmei interjected, "I can still take on some work from you. It's fine to earn a little. Don't let your father take risks. What if your grandmother finds out and causes trouble again? As for Liyuan and the others' schooling, they can go for now if they can. If we really can't afford it, then they'll have to come out and work."
Wu Chunmei had always believed that it was useless for girls to study too much. Finding a good husband and having many children was all that mattered. As long as they didn't end up like her, they could live a good life.
"Okay, Dad, Mom. I'll head back then." You can't force a cow to eat grass if it doesn't want to. Although she was a little disappointed, Chen Lishu said no more, got up, and left.
When Chen Lishu returned to the Gu family, Gu Shoufu and Gu Xingguo had also returned, and they were all gathered in the main room talking.
"When it gets cold, the pigs don't want to grow meat either. It's a waste of grain to keep them. I think it's better to slaughter them soon," Gu Shoufu said to his sons from the side of the kang.
"I agree with Dad," Gu Xingguo said.
Gu Xingmin and Gu Xingye also had no objections.
Seeing that everyone had no objections, Gu Shoufu looked at Chen Lishu, who had just come in. "The third daughter-in-law is more familiar with the town. Next time you go to town, ask around. If there's anyone buying, we'll slaughter the pigs as soon as possible."
Chen Lishu smiled and nodded. "Okay, Dad. I'll go and inquire about it as soon as I get back."
Hearing that she would be leaving soon, Li Xiulan frowned. "It's almost time for dinner. Why don't you stay the night and return to town tomorrow?"
Chen Lishu smiled and shook her head. "I ride my bicycle fast, and I've already promised them, so I have to keep my word. It wouldn't be good if I can't deliver the goods on time."
Seeing that her mind was made up, Li Xiulan got off the kang and went to the storeroom in the outer room to get a cloth bag full of patches. She returned it to Chen Lishu. "Your elder sister-in-law and I went into the mountains when we had time to collect these. Everyone says eating these is good for the brain. You're always reading and working, so take them back and stir-fry them with Xingping. They can be a snack."
Chen Lishu took the bag and opened it. She found that besides chestnuts and melon seeds, there were also quite a few walnuts. She immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, Mom."
Afterward, Chen Lishu returned to her own room, found two thick clothes, packed them into her bag, informed her family, and then rode her bicycle back to town.
By the time she arrived in town, it was already dark. Chen Lishu glanced at her watch; it was past five o'clock. Gu Xingping must have finished dinner by now, so she wasn't in a hurry to go back. She rode her bicycle directly to the state-run restaurant to find Liu Yong.
"What wind blew you here?" Liu Yong smiled and teased her. "If you had come any later, I would have been off work."
Chen Lishu smiled. "Then it seems I've come at the perfect time."
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the entire dining hall. There was only a young girl in the distance cleaning up. She lowered her voice and said, "I'm here this time to ask if you, Brother Liu, are buying pork."
When Liu Yong heard her mention pork, his eyes immediately lit up. "I knew you'd come to me with something good, sister. Tell me, how much per jin are you selling it for?"
Chen Lishu smiled. "Brother Liu, how much do you want to buy it for?"
Liu Yong narrowed his eyes. "Sister, how much do you have?"
"Around a hundred jin." Because she wasn't sure how much meat the family would keep, Chen Lishu only gave a conservative estimate.
Liu Yong's heart beat faster, purely out of excitement. "How about one yuan?"
Chen Lishu smiled and shook her head. "Brother Liu, you're not being honest. The black market is selling it for one-fifty now." Although she hadn't been to the black market recently, she knew the previous prices were around one-twenty to one-thirty, and she thought it would be even higher before the Lunar New Year, so she directly quoted one-fifty.
Hearing her say one-fifty, Liu Yong frowned. "One-fifty is only in very rare cases. Besides, they buy small amounts. Only I, Fatty Liu, can eat so much at once. To avoid other unnecessary trouble, and for your peace of mind, sister, one-thirty. I haven't budged at all. What do you think, sister?"