Over an hour later, Cheng Hui and Gao Zhi returned to the Gaojiatun Production Team.
Cheng Hui touched her thoroughly frozen cotton pants—still too thin.
Unfortunately, she had no money to buy cotton, nor did she have any cloth coupons.
The little money in her pocket had more important uses and couldn’t be touched.
She took Gao Zhi directly to Gao Qishan’s home.
It was already the twelfth lunar month. In the Northeast, all the crops had been harvested. Although there were still various tasks in the fields, work could end a bit earlier every day.
Both Gao Qishan and his wife were at home.
Seeing Cheng Hui enter, Gao Qishan immediately stood up: “Something else?”
Cheng Hui smiled. She quite liked this Small Team Leader—he was upright, had no ill intentions, and had taken good care of her in her previous life.
“There is something,” Cheng Hui said, making herself at home as she sat on the kang. “This morning, I went to the Commune Food Factory and found a job.”
The tobacco leaves in Gao Qishan’s hand fell.
Beside him, Sun Tiemei, who was sewing a cotton jacket, accidentally pricked her finger.
She exclaimed, “You found a job? At the Commune Food Factory? So you’ll be earning a salary from now on?”
How are you so capable!
Cheng Hui’s expression remained calm, but behind her, Gao Zhi’s chin was practically raised to the sky.
Not only had her sister-in-law found a job, but she had one too!
However, Cheng Hui had warned her on the way back: under no circumstances could she let it slip that she also had a job, or else her wages would have to be handed over to the Gao family.
That was why Gao Zhi managed to hold back her urge to boast.
Cheng Hui nodded and took five yuan from her pocket, placing it on the kang.
“The Commune Food Factory is facing some difficulties right now—they don’t have enough eggs. They’re in a hurry to produce and can’t wait for the county to deliver more, so they want to buy some directly from our Production Team at 8 cents per egg.”
She turned to Sun Tiemei and said, “Although I’ve been in the Production Team for almost a year, I don’t actually know many people. I was wondering if I could trouble you with this matter, Auntie. I’m just not sure if you have the time?”
Sun Tiemei immediately replied, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Her family kept a few chickens, and they never dared to eat the eggs themselves—they always sold them to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
She knew the egg market all too well. At most, eggs sold for 7.5 cents each, and most of the time, they went for just 7 cents.
At 8 cents apiece, she could make a profit!
But she wasn’t sure if it was allowed… She glanced at her husband.
Gao Qishan was also hesitant.
Their area was strictly regulated—there were no markets or agricultural trade fairs. Farmers who wanted to sell their agricultural byproducts had to go to the black market and sell secretly.
Selling products from one’s own household was one thing, but buying from others to resell for a profit—that was a serious matter.
It fell under speculation and profiteering.
But as the saying goes, fortune favors the bold, and the timid go hungry. Was everyone really that obedient? Impossible.
Cheng Hui said leisurely, “Technically, our Commune Food Factory isn’t allowed to procure raw materials privately, so I won’t mention this matter to anyone outside, and I certainly won’t disclose the purchase price.”
This left them room to maneuver.
Sun Tiemei’s eyes lit up even more.
Gao Qishan took another look at Cheng Hui. This Educated Youth was different from what he had originally thought.
Suddenly, Cheng Hui looked a bit embarrassed. “Of course, I can’t do all this for free.”
She patted her belly. “The baby will be here in two or three months, and I still haven’t prepared any little clothes or blankets for her. So, for every egg, I want 0.5 cents.”
Gao Qishan and Sun Tiemei were completely put at ease.
They didn’t want to owe anyone favors—they’d rather pay.
Cheng Hui smiled inwardly. She didn’t care about the 0.5 cents anyway; she only said it to make them feel more comfortable.
Once the money was collected, they were all grasshoppers tied to the same string—no one would betray the others.
Gao Qishan suddenly looked at Gao Zhi.
Gao Zhi immediately closed her eyes and covered her mouth: “I didn’t see anything! I won’t say a word!”
Cheng Hui smiled: “Don’t worry, I trust Gao Zhi. She knows what’s important. I’ve also found her a job at the Food Factory. For now, we’ll need Uncle Team Leader to help keep it quiet and smooth things over.”
Gao Zhi’s job couldn’t be hidden from her own father, but it couldn’t be kept from Gao Qishan either, because if she didn’t show up for work, he would come looking for her.
Gao Qishan nodded, understanding now.
He had watched Gao Zhi grow up. She wasn’t overly clever, but she wasn’t naive either—when it came to her own interests, she could be shrewd as a fox.
Cheng Hui pushed the 5 yuan forward again: “Then I’ll trouble you, Auntie. Please take these 5 yuan for now. It would be even better if you could help us deliver everything to the Commune Food Factory tomorrow morning.”
Sun Tiemei immediately replied: “Of course, of course! What time tomorrow morning? I’ll take the Production Team’s horse cart and personally escort you there!”
Cheng Hui smiled: “Since we have the horse cart, leaving at 7 a.m. should be fine.”
This was another advantage of bringing Gao Qishan into the fold.
Although anyone in the Production Team could borrow the horse cart for emergencies, it couldn’t be borrowed every day—and besides, she didn’t know how to drive it!
Now, not only did they have a cart, but they also had a free driver.
After leaving Gao Qishan’s house, the two returned to the Educated Youth Spot.
Before even entering, Cheng Hui asked Gao Zhi: “How about you move out and live with me? We can share the empty room they left behind.”
“Great, great!” Gao Zhi nodded repeatedly.
The Educated Youth Spot was the only brick-tiled house in the village!
It had been built with specially allocated funds back when the policy was first implemented.
It was much better than the Gao family’s earthen house. As an unwanted stepchild, her quilt was especially thin, and she slept at the edge of the kang, waking up frozen every morning.
“But we don’t have any firewood,” Gao Zhi added.
Even in a brick-tiled house, without heating the kang, they’d still freeze.
Cheng Hui took out another 10 cents and handed it to her: “Find a way to buy a bundle of firewood—just enough for one day. We’ll worry about tomorrow when it comes.”
Gao Zhi clutched the 10 cents without saying a word. It wasn’t that she thought it was too little, but she was stunned by how quickly Cheng Hui spent money.
Last night, they had snatched 18 yuan, 35 cents.
At the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, they spent 7 yuan on a hat and scarf, 40 cents on Caozi Cake, then gave Guo Dajun 4 yuan, and just now took out another 5 yuan to buy eggs.
Earlier, buying envelopes and stamps had cost a few more dimes.
By now, she probably had just over 1 yuan left!
Cheng Hui smiled. The remaining 1 yuan and change was for buying train tickets for a few people tomorrow—otherwise, she would have used it all to buy eggs just now.
“Don’t worry about the money. As long as you stick with me, I promise you won’t go hungry or cold,” Cheng Hui said.
Gao Zhi nodded immediately: “Okay.”
But why did that sound a little strange?
Cheng Hui sent her off to find firewood while she entered the Educated Youth Spot to discuss the room situation with the female Educated Youth in charge.
As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Su Xiao sitting on the kang, wiping her tears while talking to someone beside her.
The other female Educated Youth no longer looked at her with as much disdain.
It seemed she had worked hard all day to win them over.
Cheng Hui scoffed softly and suddenly said: “Su Xiao, I went to the Commune this morning and wrote a letter home. I also asked my stepmother to check on your mother’s condition. Is she feeling better?”
Su Xiao’s expression instantly froze.
Her mother wasn’t sick at all!
If her family found out she had lied using this excuse and borrowed money… she’d be finished!
“What’s with that expression? Don’t you want to know about your mother’s condition? Or are you afraid your lies will be exposed and they’ll demand money from you?” Cheng Hui said.
Su Xiao’s parents were truly something else—extremely patriarchal, she had gone to the countryside in place of her brother.
If they knew she had money, they would definitely find a way to take it, no matter how she had obtained it.
Su Xiao took a deep breath, suppressed her expression, and said with feigned emotion, “No, it’s just that I never expected you’d still help me. You’re truly my best friend. I was wrong before, and from now on, I…”
“From now on, remember to pay me back,” Cheng Hui said. “Let’s settle the accounts now. How much money have you borrowed from me over the years?”