Jiang Yuning smiled, "So, for a long time to come, I will be the one accompanying Gu Xingdong."
Looking at her provocative expression, Chen Lishu suppressed the urge to slap her directly. "So what?"
"Before, it was due to family pressure that you had an opportunity. This time, I will bravely pursue my own happiness and take back everything I've lost."
"People and things change. After this, who knows what changes will happen when I return? I'm really looking forward to it."
As Jiang Yuning spoke, she kept observing Chen Lishu's reaction. To her surprise, instead of becoming enraged, the other woman actually grinned.
"Some people are really..." Chen Lishu shook her head helplessly.
Jiang Yuning paused, "Really what?"
Chen Lishu didn't answer. Instead, she unceremoniously grabbed Jiang Yuning and slapped her hard, then followed with another backhanded slap. Jiang Yuning was completely stunned by the consecutive blows. Chen Lishu, however, didn't stop. She grabbed Jiang Yuning's hair and forcefully slammed her head against the wall.
She was already in a bad mood because Gu Xingdong was going to war. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuning had come to provoke her first thing in the morning. How could Chen Lishu tolerate it?
"If I don't show you a thing or two, you really think I'm a pushover. You want to join the contingent, fine, but don't you dare come here and provoke me. I'm not a good-natured person."
"Ah! Chen, you're crazy, stop!" After hitting the wall twice, Jiang Yuning's vision swam with stars. Tears streamed down her face from the pain. With her hair held tightly by Chen Lishu, she didn't dare to resist too much and could only shout desperately.
Chen Lishu said as she hit, "You can shout louder. It's best if everyone knows why I'm hitting you."
This statement successfully silenced Jiang Yuning.
Chen Lishu finally stopped after hitting her a couple more times. Jiang Yuning leaned against the wall, disheveled, with a swollen face, teary eyes, and a hateful, unwilling glare at Chen Lishu.
"Aren't you pathetic? There are so many single good men out there, why don't you go after them? You're an educated person, haven't you lost all sense of shame and decency?"
Jiang Yuning gritted her teeth, "I also have the right to pursue my own happiness."
Chen Lishu retorted angrily, "Your so-called happiness is built on the misfortune of others' marriages. This is against the bottom line of social morality!"
Jiang Yuning suddenly grinned, "Talking so much, aren't you just afraid? In terms of education, background, or appearance, what can you compare to me? My love for Xingdong is no less than yours. You are just a vulgar village woman. He will eventually recognize the reality and choose to be with me."
Seeing that she was still obstinate, Chen Lishu stopped wasting her breath. She opened the door and said coldly, "Too much confidence is arrogance. Our home does not welcome you, so get out. Also, in places where I am present in the future, you'd best stay at least three meters away, otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't beat you every time I see you."
"You will pay for everything you've done to me today!" Jiang Yuning said hatefully, turned, and left.
Chen Lishu slammed the door shut. Turning around, she saw Rui Rui standing at the kitchen entrance looking at her with concern.
Chen Lishu forced a smile and said casually, "That person just came to provoke me. Rui Rui, remember this: if anyone ever bullies you to your doorstep, don't be polite, fight back. Never indulge them."
"Yes, I understand, Mom."
The mother and son returned to the city after dinner.
On the day Gu Xingdong left, Chen Lishu specifically took leave to see him off. To her disappointment, she was told that the troops had departed in the middle of the night. Her mood became indescribably low, and she couldn't muster any energy for several days.
However, she didn't wallow in sadness for too long, as another matter soon shifted her attention.
As November arrived, the weather gradually grew colder. In mid-month, the first snow of winter began to fall, and the temperature plummeted. Consequently, the sales of clothing in the store drastically decreased.
The batch of jackets and woolen coats they had bought last time were out of season. With people now wearing padded jackets and overcoats, those shorter garments were simply not suitable to be worn over bulky winter clothes.
"Selling three to five pieces a day is already considered good. The jackets are completely unsellable." With the increase in wages, people's basic salary was 38.5 yuan. It was unrealistic for them to spend nearly a month's salary on off-season clothing.
Looking at the deserted shop, Wang Aixiang couldn't help but sigh, "If only we could get some padded clothes. Those would definitely sell well."
It was a pity that cotton production was low at the time, and even buying cotton required ration coupons. Not to mention which factory could mass-produce padded clothes to sell to individuals.
The county town had limited manpower and no capacity to produce extra clothing to be sent to the provincial capital.
Chen Lishu said, "Take stock of how many jackets are left, make a record, and then put them all into storage. Bring them out again next spring. Be careful during storage to prevent moisture."
Wang Aixiang nodded, "Okay, I'll go count them now."
After returning to school from the shop, Chen Lishu kept thinking about how to find a source of goods.
The next morning, there were no classes at school, so Chen Lishu decided to try her luck at the State Cotton Mill.
The State Cotton Mill was located on Jiangpan Road, not far from the river. Chen Lishu didn't have much of an impression of the State Cotton Mill before. She only knew that when the cross-river bridge was built in the Jiangnan and Jiangbei regions in the 1990s, the old site of the State Cotton Mill was demolished and ceased to exist.
Things did not go smoothly, as she had expected.
"This season is already very busy, and every factory's orders are overwhelming. My workers have to work overtime. Why don't you try looking elsewhere?" The leader of the factory office directly refused.
Although Chen Lishu had anticipated this, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She said, "Sorry to have bothered you," and got up to leave.
As she reached the stairwell, someone called out to her from the other end of the corridor, "Xiao Chen!"
Chen Lishu turned around and saw Han Shenglin walking quickly towards her.
"Uncle Han? What are you doing here?"
"Our Wool Textile Mill has business dealings with the State Cotton Mill. Since it's almost the end of the month, I came to take a look."
Han Shenglin had been extremely busy and stressed lately. Since tasting the benefits of exporting, the factory had made a lot of money, and his boldness had grown.
Currently, China's cashmere industry was underdeveloped, and the production technology for cashmere sweaters had long been monopolized by British and American manufacturers. Chinese cashmere was only exported as raw wool and semi-finished products to countries like Japan and Europe for 16 yuan per pound. Then, they had to watch as foreigners processed it and sold it back for nearly 200 yuan! Rather than letting others profit from this, Han Shenglin felt it was better to try it himself.