After buying almost everything she needed, she found a place to store it all into her space. Then she restored her outfit from that morning and entered the department store again.
This time, only the big items were left.
A Shanghai-brand sewing machine cost 180 yuan, and Li Shulan didn’t even blink.
She left the sewing machine there for now, then went upstairs to the fabric section and bought two pieces of white cotton cloth, two pairs of leather shoes, and four thermos flasks. Only then did she return downstairs and have someone move the sewing machine onto the bus.
She didn’t wander around anymore and simply sat on the bus waiting for it to depart.
Li Shulan took out the wristwatch she bought for her daughter-in-law and looked at it—it was already one-thirty.
She also pulled out the two steamed buns she had packed that morning.
Whether they were cold or not didn’t matter; she simply began gnawing on them.
Her steamed buns were big and solid—each one was about the size of two fists, with a fist-sized chunk of filling inside. Anyone with a small appetite would be full after one. But after running around all morning, she had no trouble eating two.
She had just eaten half of the first bun when an old lady got onto the bus.
The old lady wore a dark blue jacket and brand-new black cotton shoes. Her conditions seemed quite good.
Li Shulan didn’t care at first, but when her eyes swept across the old lady’s face, her expression suddenly darkened.
It was that old widow!
At the same moment, the old widow also saw her.
No wonder she smelled the aroma of cured meat as soon as she boarded—someone was eating a meat-filled bun on the bus. Seeing that big mound of dark-red filling inside the white bun, Madam Hong swallowed and walked forward with a smile.
“Sister, are you also heading back to Yaolin Town? Which part are you from? I’m from the town. My son is the town commune’s broadcaster. And you?”
Li Shulan shot her a glare and continued eating, not answering.
Madam Hong froze.
This was the first time someone didn’t show envy or admiration after she mentioned being a town resident and having a broadcaster son.
Feeling displeased, but eyeing the other large, white bun in Li Shulan’s hand, she persisted.
“Sister, your bun smells so good. Could you give me half to taste? I haven’t had lunch yet.”
Li Shulan treated her as if she were farting—completely ignoring her.
Seeing no other choice, Madam Hong took out two cornmeal wotou from her bundle, turned toward the people behind, and began speaking to them loudly.
“Sister, I was busy shopping and missed the state-run restaurant’s lunch hour. I haven’t eaten yet. Otherwise, I would’ve ordered two meat dishes. I’ve been running around all morning, and now I’m dizzy with hunger. Sister, you look like a good person. How about I trade these two wotou for one of your buns? I just want a little grease, or I’m afraid I’ll faint on the road.”
While she was talking, a few more passengers boarded.
Li Shulan still ignored her, even turning her head toward the window while she continued eating, acting like she hadn’t heard a word.
Madam Hong’s expression darkened, but moments later, she let her tears fall dramatically.
A middle-aged man who had just gotten on saw her crying and hurried to ask, “Old lady, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Madam Hong shook her head. “No… I just wanted to trade food with the young lady behind me. I missed the lunch hour at the state restaurant… The cold wotou are too hard. I just wanted to trade for one of her buns. But…”
She didn’t explain further and just cried harder.
The middle-aged man assumed that Li Shulan had bullied the old lady and looked at her in dissatisfaction.
“Comrade, how can you bully a lady who’s about your mother’s age? If this were your mother being treated like this, wouldn’t you feel upset? And she’s using two wotou to exchange for one bun—you’re not losing anything! Our great leader said comrades should be harmonious and friendly. What you’re doing is improper!”
By now, Li Shulan had just finished her first bun. Madam Hong only dared to speak up after seeing her finish it—after all, people only knew she wanted to trade two wotou for a plain bun. That sounded like she was willing to lose out.
If they knew she wanted to trade for a meat bun, things would be very different.
In these times, who didn’t ration their meat into tiny pieces to stretch over several meals?
Trying to use coarse wotou to trade for a big meat bun—no one would agree.
Madam Hong assumed that by using moral pressure through others, the “little wench” would give in.
The girl’s clothes looked decent; her family probably had good conditions. Otherwise she wouldn’t be eating such a meat-heavy bun.
And wealthy women cared the most about saving face.
This tactic had always worked for her before.
As other passengers boarded and saw her crying, they too scolded Li Shulan.
“Everyone has elders at home. You’ll get old too one day. Aren’t you afraid this will happen to you?”
Li Shulan sneered coldly. “If I grow old and end up like her, I hope I get hit by a car the moment I step out—better to die than pollute the air!”
Madam Hong cried even harder.
“Sister, I just wanted to trade for one bun. If you don’t want to, fine, but why curse me?”
“You old lady really are something,” Li Shulan said sharply. “Putting on fancy airs, bragging as soon as you get on—‘Oh, I’m from the town, my son is a broadcaster!’ Then you stare at my meat bun, trying to either beg or trade your rotten wotou. And now you’re trying to rob me?”
Without waiting for the crowd to react, she tore open the bun in her hands, revealing the generous cured-meat filling inside. She pointed at Madam Hong’s wotou.
“My daughter-in-law used half a catty of cured meat to make this bun. And her wotou? You can smell the sour stench from half a mile away! I’m not an idiot. Trade with her? Trade your mother!”
She shoved the bun toward the crowd. “Would you trade? Huh? Would you?”
Smelling the rich meat aroma, everyone shook their heads quickly.
Trade their mother’s hammer!
Who on earth would trade two sour wotou for a meat bun? If someone suggested that, they’d kick the person away on the spot!
Seeing this, Li Shulan pulled back her bun and snorted.
“Some people don’t bother learning the truth before jumping in to play the saint. At your age, where have you put your brain and eyes?”
Then she looked at Madam Hong. “Some people learned how to whine and beg from men when they were young. Now old, they still use those tricks to make others speak up for them. Truly one trick to eat the world, huh? Isn’t that right, old lady?”
Hearing this, everyone finally understood.
So the old lady was just angling for someone else’s meat bun and pretended to cry.
The crowd looked at Madam Hong with open disdain. This time, she was crying for real.
She had never been humiliated like this.
But no matter how much she cried, no one paid attention now.
Even the man who had first defended her got off the bus in embarrassment and waited for the next one.
Once the seats were full, the bus departed.
When they reached town, it was already three-thirty.
As soon as the bus stopped, Madam Hong glared at Li Shulan and scurried away.
Since Li Shulan needed to unload the sewing machine, she was one of the last to get off.
Just as the worker set the machine down and she was about to ask him to help move it to the ox-cart area, a warm and pleasant male voice sounded beside her.
“Comrade, do you need help?”
Li Shulan’s body froze and trembled.
It was him!