Zhao Cuifeng’s loud voice echoed through the supply and marketing coop, shaking the flame inside the hurricane lamp on the counter.
Lin Baozong wiped his snort-filled nose, his eyes fixed greedily on the cash box behind the counter. To him, it didn’t just hold loose change; it held his future of easy living.
Lin Baozong took a step forward and reached out to push open the counter’s side gate.
“Big Sister, get out here quickly. This spot belongs to me now!”
Lin Wanshuang stayed put inside the counter, her hands pressed tightly against the countertop.
“Baozong, this is a state-owned counter. Outsiders aren’t allowed inside.”
Zhao Cuifeng rushed forward, shoved Lin Baozong aside, and pointed right at Lin Wanshuang’s nose, cursing:
“What ‘outsiders’? You signed the paper and pressed your thumbprint! This job belongs to Baozong now!”
As she yelled, she pulled the piece of yellow straw paper from her bosom and brandished it in the air.
“Everyone, take a look! Lin Wanshuang lacks filial piety. She voluntarily gave up her job to her younger brother, and now she’s backing out!”
The surrounding villagers immediately started whispering among themselves.
Director Wang stood behind Zhou Jiting, wiping sweat off his brow in a panic. Zhao Cuifeng is a absolute fool! Blatantly yelling about trading public jobs right in front of the Military Region chief—is she trying to get me fired?!
Just as Director Wang was about to step in and put a stop to it, he saw Zhou Jiting raise his hand slightly.
Zhou Jiting stood in the shadows, his gaze sweeping over the yellow straw paper in Zhao Cuifeng’s hand. The blue handwriting on it had indeed faded a bit more, the edges starting to blur.
He then looked toward Lin Wanshuang behind the counter.
Lin Wanshuang’s face was filled with panic, her eyes glinting with tears, and her body quivered slightly. Yet, her hands hidden beneath the counter were operating with extreme dexterity, pulling out a heavy black padlock.
“Mom, this won’t do!” Lin Wanshuang cried out with a sob in her voice. “The supply and marketing coop belongs to the state! Every single cent and every single coupon is state property!”
With a sharp clack, she snapped the heavy padlock onto the iron chain of the side gate, locking it tight. The crisp sound of the shackle snapping shut echoed loudly through the quiet shop.
Seeing the cash box locked away inside, Lin Baozong panicked.
“Lin Wanshuang! Why did you lock the door? Open it right now!” He raised his foot and kicked hard against the wooden counter panel.
BANG!
The wooden panel shook violently.
“Baozong, are you trying to rob state property?!” Lin Wanshuang screamed, shrinking back as her voice resounded through the entire hall. “Director Wang! Militia comrades! Lin Baozong is trying to rob the supply and marketing coop’s cash box!”
Hearing the screams, the two militia guards on duty outside immediately gripped the wooden batons at their waists and marched inside.
Director Wang’s face turned livid. He pointed at Lin Baozong and roared:
“Stop! Lin Baozong, what do you think you’re doing? Smashing up a state supply coop in broad daylight—do you want to end up in prison?!”
Startled by the militia’s intimidating presence, Lin Baozong pulled back his foot and hid behind Zhao Cuifeng.
“Mom, look at her! She won’t let me in!”
Zhao Cuifeng shielded her son, craning her neck to yell back at Director Wang. “Director Wang, don’t listen to her nonsense! We have a transfer agreement! This position belongs to Baozong—how is he robbing anything by entering his own counter?”
Lin Wanshuang held onto the counter as tears finally spilled over, though her voice remained crystal clear:
“Mom, I’m doing this for Baozong’s own good, and for the good of our whole family!”
She looked at Zhao Cuifeng, her tone filled with sorrow.
“Baozong can’t even recite his multiplication tables, let alone read an ledger! The coop’s accounts must be balanced every single day. If we’re off by even a single cent, that’s embezzlement of state assets! If he messes up the public accounts, he could be charged with hooliganism or sabotaging the socialist economic order!”
Hearing the terms “hooliganism” and “sabotaging the economic order,” the watching villagers’ expressions changed instantly. In this era, being tagged with either of those charges meant your life was ruined forever.
A few members of the Lin clan who had originally intended to chime in silently took a few steps back.
Zhao Cuifeng also felt a surge of panic, but looking at the paper in her hand, she plucked up her courage again.
“Stop trying to scare people! If others can do this job, why can’t my son?”
“Mom, I’m not scaring you.” Lin Wanshuang pointed at the portrait of the Great Leader hanging on the wall and said loudly, “Embezzlement and waste are severe crimes! If Baozong loses the state’s cotton or cloth, or accepts expired grain coupons, that constitutes counter-revolutionary sabotage! When that happens, our entire family will suffer for it, and big-character posters will be pasted all over Lin Family Village!”
Lin Baozong turned pale with fright and tugged at the hem of Zhao Cuifeng’s shirt. “Mom… how about… how about we don’t go in for now? Those charges sound terrifying.”
Zhao Cuifeng smacked him, furious at his lack of backbone. “Useless coward! Don’t listen to her farting around!”
She turned to look at Lin Wanshuang, her eyes dripping with resentment. “Lin Wanshuang, you just don’t want to give up this job! You ungrateful wolf—we raised you for nothing!”
Lin Wanshuang shook her head, looking deeply aggrieved. “Mom, I already signed the paper. Why wouldn’t I want to hand it over? I’m just worried that without training, Baozong will mess up and our family won’t be able to bear the consequences. As long as the commune leaders agree to stamp it—proving Baozong is capable of taking over—I won’t stand in his way for a second.”
The moment her words landed, Zhao Cuifeng felt as though she had caught a lifeline.
“Right! The stamp! We’ll get the Director to stamp it!”
Zhao Cuifeng clutched the transfer document tightly. As long as it bore the red ink seal of the commune, the job transfer would be set in stone, and nothing Lin Wanshuang said would matter.
She raised her head to glance at the wall clock. The minute hand had just passed twelve; it was exactly three o’clock in the afternoon.
Over an hour had passed since Lin Wanshuang signed the paper.
Zhao Cuifeng felt her heart thumping wildly. The paper resting against her chest seemed to be radiating heat. She didn’t dare delay any longer.
“Baozong, let’s go! Follow Mom to the commune compound to get the Director’s stamp!”
Zhao Cuifeng pulled Lin Baozong and rushed straight out.
Before leaving, Lin Baozong gave Lin Wanshuang a fierce glare. “Just you wait! Once I come back with that official stamp, see if I don’t smash this lock to pieces!”
Father and son—mother and son sped out into the wind and snow, hurrying past the doors of the supply and marketing coop.
Silence returned to the hall.
Standing behind the counter, Lin Wanshuang unhurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Watching the mother and son’s departing figures, a subtle smirk curled at the corner of her lips.
Three-five PM.
The writing on that paper should be turning into a smeared puddle of blue ink by now.
“Lin Wanshuang.”
A deep voice suddenly sounded in front of the counter.
Lin Wanshuang snapped back to reality, meeting Zhou Jiting’s profound eyes.
Unnoticed, Zhou Jiting had walked up to the counter and was staring at the heavy iron padlock in her hand.
“Chief, is there anything else?” Lin Wanshuang asked respectfully.
Zhou Jiting withdrew his gaze, his voice devoid of emotion. “Nice lock.”
Lin Wanshuang lowered her eyelids. “State property must be kept locked tight, lest thieves start eyeing it.”
Zhou Jiting turned around and walked toward the entrance. “Back to the commune.”
Director Wang and Secretary Li hurriedly caught up, disappearing into the wind and snow at a jog.
Meanwhile, on the main road to the commune, Zhao Cuifeng was dragging Lin Baozong as they sprinted through the snow.
“Mom, slow down! Snow got into my shoes!” Lin Baozong whined behind her.
“Shut up and move faster!” Zhao Cuifeng gritted her teeth, her hand clutching her chest tightly. “We must get this stamped today!”