Su Tian sorted through the items that viewers in the livestream comments wanted to buy. The moment she heard it was food, she immediately perked up. The livestream camera shifted straight to the snacks and treats section, where all kinds of old-era pastries brought back waves of nostalgia. In no time, everyone wanting snacks started leaving comments to place orders.
Su Tian kept talking nonstop while placing orders with the sales clerk—peach cookies by the jin, small twisted fried dough, rice crackers, red dates, melon seeds, peanuts, orchid beans, and fish-skin peanuts. Besides these, there was also candy, all of it candy from this era. Some viewers spotted White Rabbit milk candy and said they wanted a jin of it, curious to see whether it tasted the same as the White Rabbit candy sold back home. In addition to White Rabbit, there were corn candies, peanut soft candy, nougat, and sour jujube candy.
The sales clerk was so busy that she was sweating profusely and asked, “Are you really buying all this by yourself?”
Su Tian smiled and nodded. “There’s a happy event at home. We need a lot of candy and biscuits. Sorry to trouble you, big sister!”
When people in the livestream heard that, they couldn’t help teasing:
【Miss, you’re really good at making excuses. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re getting married!】
【No way, miss belongs to all of us. We can’t let someone else take her!】
【Miss, look at me, I’ll steal batteries to marry you!】
【I’ll carry bricks to support you!】
【Stop dreaming, guys. How could such a pretty miss not already have someone? I’m right here, aren’t I? Hehe!】
Su Tian ignored the teasing. Seeing that the livestream countdown was almost over, she immediately reminded everyone, “Time’s almost up. Those who want to place orders, hurry up. Once the stream ends, you won’t be able to order anymore.”
“Orders placed will be shipped after the stream ends. Thank you all for your support. Everything is guaranteed authentic. Don’t worry about expiration dates—they’re absolutely fine to use. And if you’re allergic to peanuts, don’t eat peanut products!”
【Wow wow wow, sister is so gentle. Buy, buy, buy—my life is yours!】
【Miss, I want a pair of sandals. My grandma likes wearing them, about size 36.】
Just as she saw that comment, the livestream ended.
Su Tian: “……”
Although the livestream had ended, there were still quite a lot of orders. For those that were already paid, Su Tian asked the supply-and-marketing cooperative staff to help deliver them to the door. She followed the customers’ orders, continuing to pack, weigh, and carry items to the entrance, saying someone would come to receive them. In reality, whenever no one was watching, she delivered everything directly to the customers.
After finishing the last sandal order, she thought about how summer was almost here. Both she and her mother needed sandals, and she bought a pair for Father Jiang as well. Each member of the family got a comfortable pair.
She took out some extra White Rabbit milk candy and shared it with the sales clerks who had helped her. The clerks thought they were eating wedding candy and all offered their congratulations. Su Tian didn’t explain, just smiled without saying anything. Everyone enjoyed the milk candy, and then she left the cooperative.
Thanks to her alone, the cooperative’s sales performance had been greatly boosted. Looking at the emptied shelves, the clerks felt a strong sense of accomplishment. They had thought they wouldn’t sell much today, but instead everything had been bought out by one person. Whoever married such a beautiful and generous girl would surely be blessed.
Su Tian didn’t know that even though she didn’t yet have a partner, he was already being praised.
After all the goods were shipped out, Su Tian felt completely relaxed. Wanting to eat something tasty to reward herself, she walked along the street and then realized that it was now 1980. The market had only just opened up, and there weren’t many self-employed vendors. Naturally, small restaurants, noodle shops, and cooked-food stalls were basically nonexistent. It was already dark, and most people were at home. There were no late-night food stalls at all.
With an empty stomach, Su Tian could only eat peach cookies, small twisted dough snacks, and White Rabbit milk candy. Compared with later versions, the White Rabbit candy of this era had a stronger milk aroma and was chewier. Anyone with bad teeth would probably get them stuck.
After sweating a lot, Su Tian used the towel she had just bought, fetched some hot water, and wiped herself down. She didn’t dare go alone to the public bathhouse—no one would be guarding her, and she was afraid a man might barge in.
Before going to bed, Su Tian lightly tapped to check today’s ten-minute livestream earnings. She didn’t know what to expect, but one look shocked her. It was even more than what she earned selling salted duck eggs. Even after deducting costs and commissions, she still had more than four yuan left.
Su Tian: “I made money. I should do this kind of livestream more often.”
“Xiao Ba, what do you think about me developing things in the city? Rural supplies aren’t abundant. In the city, I could visit supply-and-marketing cooperatives more often, and even check out the Friendship Store.”
Xiao Ba: 【It’s your choice. I won’t provide suggestions.】
Su Tian pouted. “Then I’ll arrange things at home and come to the city. I’ll rent a place and live on my own. Occasionally I’ll go to the countryside to collect salted duck eggs. My mom will definitely be happy to make salted duck eggs wholesale.”
The more Su Tian thought about it, the more excited she became. Thinking about having to catch a ride early tomorrow morning and buy breakfast for Qin Yan, she started counting sheep to fall asleep…
Over on Qin Yan’s side, when he got home, Qin’s mother had already prepared the meal. Only one stir-fried vegetable was left to cook. During dinner, Qin’s mother cut two salted duck eggs. She and Qin’s little sister shared one, while the other was given to Qin Yan. The family couldn’t afford meat, but salted duck eggs could be eaten once in a while.
Qin’s mother brought up the matter of Old Lady Li next door. “Today Old Lady Li came by and asked whether we wanted to sell our Monkey stamps. One yuan per stamp. She said someone is buying them and the price is pretty good. She sold hers already and suggested we sell ours too.”
Qin’s little sister asked curiously, “Someone’s really buying them?”
Qin’s mother nodded. Qin’s little sister looked at her older brother. “Brother, are you going to sell?”
Qin Yan shook his head. He had a complete set in his hands. Earlier this year, while running freight routes, he had seen quite a few people buying them. He had some spare money at the time and decided to gamble a bit, so he bought a full set. Although Qin’s mother didn’t say much, Qin Yan knew she didn’t believe they would make money and had always wanted him to sell them.
At his mother’s hinting gaze, Qin Yan decided to go ask about it after dinner. When he bought them, each stamp cost ten fen. A complete set had eighty stamps, costing eight yuan total. Now, at one yuan per stamp, eighty stamps would be worth eighty yuan—no wonder his mother was tempted.
Qin Yan went to find Old Lady Li. She had just finished feeding her paralyzed son some porridge. Hearing the siblings’ purpose, she thought that besides earning two mao per stamp as a middleman’s fee, selling five yuan for four stamps would still let her earn an extra yuan. Eighty stamps would be twenty yuan. The thought made her excited, and she immediately said warmly, “It’s true. Mine and Old Lady Liu’s have both been sold. This is the money from selling the Monkey stamps. Why would I lie to you? That girl paid very straightforwardly—cash on the spot, money for goods.”
Qin Yan focused on one key point. “A girl? A female comrade?”
Thinking of something, Qin Yan asked, “Was she a fair-skinned girl with braided pigtails, wearing a bamboo hat and a white short-sleeved shirt?”
Old Lady Li was startled, her eyes flickering a few times. If Qin Yan sold his Monkey stamps to that girl, wouldn’t her profit from the price difference be exposed? To protect her own interests, Old Lady Li lied. “No. It was a girl with a mole on her neck, dark-skinned, with short ear-length hair. Definitely not a braided girl.”
Qin’s little sister believed her and concluded they were talking about two different people. Qin Yan, however, could tell that Old Lady Li was lying. What he said was correct. That girl—no wonder she didn’t want him to mention seeing her. She probably didn’t want her aunt and cousin to know she was collecting Monkey stamps.
One yuan per stamp—she really spent generously. As far as he knew, even though Monkey stamps had risen in price, they had only gone from ten fen to thirty or forty fen. Paying one yuan each meant she had definitely been taken advantage of.