After finishing her conversation with Zhang Junyi, Li Shuying did not hurry back to Shitou Village.
Now that she finally had money in her pocket, there were many necessities she needed to purchase for home. Before coming to the county, she had already brought the required ration coupons, so today she intended to buy everything she could.
With that thought in mind, she headed straight toward the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Although it was Sunday, the cooperative remained open as usual.
In these years, weekends held little meaning for most people. Under the slogans of the new era, labor was regarded as the greatest honor, and many work units operated almost every day. Rest days existed in name more than in practice.
The cooperative was therefore only moderately busy. A handful of customers wandered around the cloth counter and the industrial goods section, while several others lingered outside the entrance, chatting beneath the shade.
Li Shuying paid them little attention. She stepped through the entrance and immediately surveyed the rows of wooden counters enclosed behind waist-high partitions.
Before long, her eyes settled upon the condiment counter. She walked over quietly and stood waiting for a sales clerk.
As her gaze swept across the shelves, she couldn't help but pause.
The counter looked unsurprisingly empty. Only a few bottles of soy sauce, jars of chili paste, fermented bean paste, blocks of fermented tofu, coarse salt, and several packets of star anise remained on display.
Yet what truly caught her attention was something else. On the upper shelf sat several neatly arranged trays of mung bean cakes and steamed red date cakes.
Li Shuying blinked in surprise. The condiments remaining unsold made perfect sense. Grain itself had become increasingly precious. Most households could barely fill their stomachs, so very few families were willing to spend money on seasonings beyond the bare minimum of salt.
But pastries? Especially mung bean cakes and steamed red date cakes? Those were genuine delicacies. In ordinary times, people would have rushed to buy them the moment they appeared.
Her eyes gradually brightened. She suddenly wanted to taste them.
In both of her lifetimes... Such sweets had always been luxuries beyond her reach.
In her previous life, she had only heard older people reminisce about them. By the time she was finally released after serving her sentence, they had long become ordinary snacks sold everywhere, yet those old people would always say, "it just doesn't taste like that anymore."
Now... Seeing them displayed right before her... She couldn't help feeling a little tempted. Her fingers subconsciously tightened around the thick bundle of money hidden inside her pocket.
Perhaps... She could finally indulge herself today. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. She patiently stood before the counter, waiting for a sales clerk to come over.
One minute passed, then another. Still no one came.
Not far away, several sales clerks noticed the plainly dressed village girl standing alone.
They exchanged glances. Then, almost in unison, they deliberately looked away.
A woman in her early thirties curled her lip in disdain, "Another countryside girl. I truly don't understand these peasants. They come all the way here without a single yuan in their pockets, yet they still expect us to serve them."
The woman beside her lazily fanned herself with a woven bamboo fan. She rolled her eyes, "Aiya, Sister Mu, don't you know? They aren't here to buy anything. They simply want to see what the Supply and Marketing Cooperative looks like. It's probably the only chance they'll ever have to broaden their horizons."
Several clerks burst into laughter.
Sister Mu snorted, "I don't care why she's here. I'm not serving her. I've been moving stock all morning. My legs are about to break. If any of you want to entertain her, be my guest."
The others immediately shook their heads.
One younger clerk deliberately raised her voice just enough for her Li Shuying to hear, "I'm not going either. Just look at the clothes she's wearing. That coarse cloth, it looks as though it was woven from hemp or fireweed. What could someone like her possibly afford here?"
The woman with the bamboo fan chuckled mischievously, "Oh, don't be so harsh. She's only thirteen or fourteen at most. Still just a child." Her eyes suddenly sparkled, "I've got an idea."
Everyone immediately looked toward her.
Sister Mu frowned, "What idea?"
The woman leaned forward with a grin, "Let's have a little fun. When one of us finally goes over, we'll simply quote her the prices." She casually took several one-jiao coins from her pocket and placed them on the counter, "I'll wager twenty fen. The moment she hears the prices, she'll be frightened away. I bet she won't even last a minute."
The group immediately laughed. Several pairs of eyes lit up. Now this sounded interesting.
Sister Mu's mood visibly improved. She crossed her arms and nodded thoughtfully, "I don't think she'll run that quickly. She'll probably ask about two or three more things first. I say... Five minutes." She also tossed several coins onto the counter.
One after another, the remaining clerks joined in, placing their bets while cheerfully arguing over how long Li Shuying would remain here.
Finally, one of them glanced toward Li Shuying again before asking, "Fine... But who's actually going over to serve her?"
The group of sales clerks exchanged glances. Yet not a single person made any move toward the condiment counter.
At last, Sister Mu's gaze landed on a young woman sitting quietly in the corner. She sat with perfect posture, absorbed in a thick foreign-language book, completely detached from the commotion around her.
Sister Mu's expression immediately darkened, "Han Meifang!" Her sharp voice echoed across the cooperative, "What are you doing? Reading during working hours?"
She let out a mocking laugh, "Who exactly are you trying to show off? If you've got so much free time, then go serve that customer."
Only then did Han Meifang slowly raise her head. Her movements were unhurried. Her dark, tranquil eyes quietly settled upon Sister Mu.
They were calm... Almost too calm. For some reason, Sister Mu felt a chill crawl down her spine. Her throat tightened involuntarily.
But the feeling lasted only a brief moment before pride quickly overcame it. Straightening her back, she barked even louder, "What? Why are you staring at me like that? Don't forget who you are, only a temporary worker. Whether you become permanent or not depends on the opinions of us senior clerks. So stop pretending to be educated and do as you're told."
Han Meifang neither argued nor defended herself. She silently closed the book. Carefully placing it upon the table, she stood up and calmly walked toward the condiment counter.
Behind her, Sister Mu snorted triumphantly, "Hmph. Couldn't even finish high school, yet she's always carrying around those foreign books. What a pretentious woman."
The surrounding clerks immediately burst into laughter.
Li Shuying had heard every word and also witnessed the entire exchange. Yet she simply remained silent. In this era, there was hardly any concept of customer service.
Especially inside Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. The sales clerks there often behaved with astonishing arrogance. After all, obtaining even a temporary position in these state units was considered an iron rice bowl in the eyes of ordinary people.
As the old saying went, "The cooperative clerk holds the key to the oil jar." Who would dare offend someone who controlled the distribution of daily necessities? Most people simply endured whatever attitude they received.
Han Meifang stopped before the counter. Her expression remained as indifferent as before, "What do you want?"
Li Shuying looked up at the young woman before calmly replying, "I need soy sauce, chili paste, fermented bean paste, salt, vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, cassia bark..." She paused briefly before pointing toward the pastries displayed on the upper shelf, "three mung bean cakes, as well as last remaining steamed red date cake."
Han Meifang looked at her for several seconds. Her gaze slowly swept over Li Shuying's coarse homespun clothes before returning to her face.
A faint crease appeared between her brows, "Are you certain? They're quite expensive."
Li Shuying nodded without hesitation, "I'm certain."
Han Meifang's brows furrowed slightly deeper, "You should think carefully. Once they're weighed and sold, they can't be returned. I think it would be better if you discussed it with your parents first."
Before Li Shuying could answer, Sister Mu's impatient voice rang out from across the hall, "Han Meifang! Why are you wasting so much time? Just tell her the prices. Once she hears them, she'll leave on her own. Stop wasting our time."
Others immediately nodded impatiently, they all waited expectantly. Waiting to see the village girl's frightened expression.
Li Shuying naturally understood exactly what they were expecting. Inside, she could only sigh. She had truly not expected a group of grown adults to amuse themselves with something so childishness. Betting on how long a customer would remain standing before the counter... It was both ridiculous and strangely fitting for this era.
Still she chose to pretend she knew nothing. After all, there would be plenty of time to surprise them later.
Han Meifang however remained silent for a long moment. Her calm eyes quietly studied the young girl standing before the counter, carefully searching for even the slightest trace of hesitation or uncertainty.
Although she had only recently begun working at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, she was not so naïve as to believe that every customer who approached the counter genuinely intended to buy something.
Every day, countless people wandered in simply to ask about prices before leaving empty-handed. Some came out of curiosity, while others merely wanted to satisfy their longing by looking at goods they could never afford.
It happened so often that even Han Meifang had grown weary of it.
The girl before her appeared no older than thirteen or fourteen. Her coarse homespun clothes had been patched more than once, making her look like any ordinary village child.
No matter how she looked at her... She simply didn't seem like someone capable of purchasing everything she had just requested.
Han Meifang secretly hoped the little girl would reconsider and leave on her own. That way, she could return to her book in peace.
Li Shuying let out a faint, helpless sigh. She was just about to speak again when a shrill voice suddenly echoed from the entrance.
"Li Shuying! What are you doing here?" The voice dripped with undisguised ridicule, "This is the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative. It's not a place for a country bumpkin like you. I don't believe you can afford a single thing in here."
Li Shuying's brows immediately knitted together. She recognized that irritating voice almost instantly. Turning around, her gaze landed upon Tang Yulan standing proudly near the entrance.
Standing beside her was a richly dressed middle-aged woman with carefully styled hair and an expression filled with superiority.
The moment Li Shuying saw that face, she immediately recognised that face. Fan Meizhen, Tang Yulan's mother and the very woman who had made Tang Chunlan's life a living nightmare.
A cold light flashed across Li Shuying's eyes before disappearing just as quickly. The corner of her lips slowly lifted into a faint smile. She looked calmly at Tang Yulan and said,
"And why is that any concern of yours?" She deliberately paused before continuing with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Whether a country girl like me can afford something, surely isn't your family's responsibility to worry about."
She slowly swept her gaze over Tang Yulan from head to toe before adding leisurely, "Or..." She tilted her head innocently, "Have you started working here already? Looking at the way you are standing at the entrance, glaring at me..." She pretended to think and than said, "...you look like a dog kept to guard the entrance."
"I wasn't aware the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had begun hiring dogs to sniff the people based on their ability to purchase."
The entire cooperative instantly fell silent. Even the sales clerks who had been watching the spectacle froze for a moment, even several customers turned their heads toward Tang Yulan and couldn't supress their laugh.
The sarcasm in Li Shuying's words was impossible to miss.
Tang Yulan's expression immediately stiffened, "you..." Her face alternated between red and white. Her chest rose and fell violently.
She had only intended to humiliate Li Shuying before everyone present. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that the village girl would retaliate with such razor-sharp words, reducing her to a laughingstock instead right Infront of her mother.
Her eyes swept across the cooperative. Several customers had already stopped browsing. Even the sales clerks were secretly exchanging glances. A few people had even lowered their heads, clearly struggling to suppress their laughter.
The more Tang Yulan noticed it, the hotter her blood burned. Her pretty face flushed crimson, "You little bitch!" She pointed angrily at Li Shuying, "who are you calling a watchdog?"
Before Li Shuying could answer, another voice hurriedly interrupted, "Madam Tang! Comrade Tang! Welcome, welcome!" Sister Mu almost trotted over, her face blooming with a sycophantic smile that seemed capable of squeezing out honey.
Compared to the indifference she had shown Li Shuying moments earlier, her current attitude could not have been more different.
She bowed her head slightly toward Tang Yulan, "Please don't be angry, Comrade Tang. I'll throw her out immediately."
Only then did she turn toward Li Shuying. The flattering smile instantly disappeared, replaced by open contempt, "You... Get out. And don't ever come back to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative."
Her eyes swept over Li Shuying's patched clothes before she sneered, "I already know you can't afford anything here. So stop pretending..."
Before she could finish speaking, Li Shuying suddenly laughed. The crisp sound instantly interrupted her, "Don't be ridiculous." Her voice was calm, "Your wager is still on the table, isn't it? You all just finished betting how long I'd remain standing here. I believe you wagered I'd last at least five minutes." She tilted her head slightly, "So now... You want to throw me out before the wager is settled? That's rather strange."
Li Shuying slowly looked toward the other sales clerks, "Wouldn't that mean you're causing everyone else to lose their money?" Her smile widened innocently, "Or... You simply want to keep all the winnings for yourself?"
Silence fell and Sister Mu's expression froze instantly. She subconsciously turned toward her colleagues and sure enough, every one of them was staring at her suspiciously. The atmosphere became awkward in an instant.
Sister Mu's face alternated between red and white. She had never expected the country girl to be so sharp tongued. Embarrassment quickly turned into fury, "You country bumpkin!" She shouted so loudly that half the cooperative echoed, "Mind your tongue! Do you know where you are? If you know what's good for you, leave immediately!"
Her finger pointed toward Tang Yulan, "You've already offended the daughter of the deputy director of the Steel Factory. If you've got even a little sense, you'll get out before making things worse!"
Then she turned sharply toward Han Meifang, "What are you standing there for? Have you turned into a wooden post? Throw her outside! Can't you see we have distinguished customers waiting?"
"Wait." A calm yet authoritative female voice suddenly sounded. Everyone instinctively turned to Fan Meizhen, who slowly stepped forward from behind Tang Yulan.
She looked at Li Shuying from head to toe with unconcealed disdain, as though observing something filthy. Her lips curled into a cold smile, "She insulted my daughter right in front of me. And you expect me to let her leave so easily?"
She snorted, "A little muddy laged country girl, yet such a sharp tongue."
Tang Yulan immediately stepped beside her mother, "Mother. This is the very girl I told you about. The one who keeps helping that little bastard Tang Chunlan. Not only that, she even slapped me in front of my entire class."
The moment Fan Meizhen heard those words, her expression darkened completely. She turned sharply toward her daughter, "Xiao Lan! Why didn't you tell me earlier? If I had known, I would've taught this little bitch a lesson long ago."
Her cold eyes settled upon Li Shuying, "You dared strike my daughter for that little bastard? Who gave you such courage? Do you know who my daughter is? Are you tired of living?"
Tang Yulan folded her arms proudly, "Hmph. I'm sure she's no better than Tang Chunlan. Those two spend all day together at school. Birds of a feather flock together. Her own sister told me everything, she lives with nothing but her mother and three useless brothers. As for her father..." She deliberately paused before sneering, "Who even knows where he is? I suppose she is grown tired of living like a poor peasant. So now she is trying to latch onto some boy from school. Just like Tang Chunlan, that shameless little vixen"
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere inside the cooperative grew noticeably colder.
Standing beside her daughter, Fan Meizhen gave Li Shuying another careful look and the more she looked, the more uncomfortable she became. This little girl should have been sunburnt country girl with rough features.
Instead, she possessed delicate eyebrows, bright eyes, clear pale skin, and an indescribably graceful bearing. It was the kind of appearance that naturally drew attention. An involuntary trace of jealousy flashed across Fan Meizhen's eyes.
She gave a disdainful snort, "The apple never falls far from the tree. I'm sure your mother must have seduced your father first. But she was only a mud-legged village woman. So naturally he abandoned her and married someone better."
She looked Li Shuying up and down again before speaking with thinly veiled malice, "And judging by you, I doubt you're any respectable either."
Li Shuying's fingers slowly tightened beneath her sleeves. Her eyes cooled by several degrees. She knew perfectly well where Tang Yulan had heard those poisonous rumors. There was no need to guess. It could only have come from Zhao Hongmei.
Yet, instead of becoming angry, the corners of Li Shuying's lips slowly curved upward.
She smiled and that somehow made Tang Yulan instinctively uneasy.
Li Shuying lightly tapped a finger against her chin as though deep in thought, "That's strange, the story you just told... Why does it sound so familiar?"
She pretended to ponder for another moment before suddenly looking directly at Fan Meizhen, "Oh, I remember now." Her voice remained gentle. "Wasn't that exactly what happened between you and Deputy Director Tang?"
The smile on Fan Meizhen's face froze.
Li Shuying continued unhurriedly, "The only difference is, he already had a wife, yet you still became involved with him, and before long his original wife was driven from her home while carrying his child. You, on the other hand, stepped into her place and became Madam Tang."
Every sentence landed like a hammer and the cooperative instantly fell silent.
Fan Meizhen's face turned deathly pale. She stared at Li Shuying in disbelief.
How... how could this village girl know about those affairs?
Li Shuying looked at her with unconcealed disdain. Then she spoke the final sentence slowly, each word crisp and unhurried, "As the old saying goes... 'Your heart is full of ghosts, so everywhere you look, you see ghost.' You judge everyone by your own conduct. So naturally... You assume everyone else is just like you."
The last trace of color drained from Fan Meizhen's face.