Liang Hu took out a stack of money and some coupons from his pocket, handing them to Ruan Sui’an.
“This is 2,000 yuan, and the rest are coupons. Count them to make sure it’s correct.”
Ruan Sui’an unceremoniously took them, counted them carefully, and then smiled at Liang Hu.
She quickly counted the money in her hand and found it was exactly right—not a cent more or less.
As for the specific value of the coupons, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she still trusted Liang Hu, even though the two of them weren’t familiar with each other.
“Perfect! Well, Brother Hu, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll head off now. For tomorrow’s batch of goods, we’ll meet here again at 1 p.m. Don’t be late—I have to catch a train tomorrow,” Ruan Sui’an said.
She was taking the afternoon train and couldn’t afford to be delayed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be here on time. But could you tell me roughly how much and what kind of goods there will be? That way, I’ll know how much money and coupons to prepare.”
As expected, his hunch was right—this little girl’s connections were definitely not ordinary.
Ruan Sui’an stared at Liang Hu, counting on her fingers as she spoke: “There’s 1,000 jin of rice, 1,000 jin of millet, 1,000 jin of flour, and 1,000 jin of cornmeal. If you can take it all, it’s yours.”
Hearing there was so much, Liang Hu was delighted: “Yes, of course I can take it all. Don’t worry, no matter how much there is, I’ll buy it all.”
“Great, see you tomorrow.”
Ruan Sui’an was so pleased with the money she’d received that she forgot to disguise her voice and used her natural tone.
After saying this, she waved and left, her retreating figure looking remarkably carefree.
Liang Hu watched Ruan Sui’an’s back, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Had the little girl not realized she hadn’t disguised her voice just now?
Just as he’d suspected, this person was a woman, and quite young at that—probably only seventeen or eighteen.
Her voice was clear and pleasant, unmistakably that of a lively young girl.
But even knowing she was a young girl, Liang Hu didn’t underestimate her because of it.
Anyone who could get their hands on so much grain had to be quite capable.
He absolutely had to build a good relationship with her.
The few underlings who had come with Liang Hu had also heard Ruan Sui’an’s real voice.
A man with a scarred face stepped forward and whispered to Liang Hu, “Boss, that person just now seemed to be a girl.”
Liang Hu glanced at the scarred man and nodded, then turned to everyone present with a serious expression. “Keep everything that happened today to yourselves. Don’t breathe a word of it to anyone. Don’t let the fact that she’s a young girl fool you—she’s definitely not someone to mess with. All of you, stay in line. Understood?”
Everyone present nodded. Even without their boss’s warning, they knew what should and shouldn’t be said.
They weren’t fools—how could they look down on the young girl from earlier? Anyone with the ability to procure such a large amount of grain was clearly no ordinary person.
They were just small-time players and couldn’t afford to offend people recklessly.
Ruan Sui’an left the dilapidated small courtyard and slipped into an empty alley, where she entered her Space.
This time, Wanzi didn’t bark wildly. He merely lifted his head to glance at her before lying back down to sleep.
Ruan Sui’an returned to the room in the small western-style building, went to the bathroom to remove her disguise, took a shower, dried her hair, and simply moisturized her skin.
She quickly tied her hair into a ponytail and put on a new dress her Grandmother had bought for her.
Then, she slipped out of the Space.
She headed straight for the state-run restaurant. At this hour, there weren’t many people inside.
After all, the peak dining period had already passed. Walking up to the service window, Ruan Sui’an beamed with a smile and sweetly called out to the middle-aged woman behind the counter.
“Sister, do you still have braised pork?”
Ruan Sui’an’s voice was clear and pleasant, making even the female attendant feel a soft warmth.
She looked up at the young girl smiling at her from the other side of the window. The girl had a sweet appearance, with large, dark, and bright eyes.
Like a playful and innocent deer, she brought joy to anyone who saw her.
She had a delicate little nose, fair skin, and rosy lips.
She wore a pale yellow dress covered in countless tiny red flowers.
Her hair was tied up high, giving her an overall youthful and vibrant look.
She seemed like a well-behaved child at first glance.
The attendant, who had been expressionless, immediately broke into a smile.
“Young lady, I’m already forty. You shouldn’t call me ‘sister’—you should call me ‘auntie,’” the attendant said with a laugh, unable to hold back.
This girl really knew how to sweet-talk. She was clearly the kind of child people would dote on.
Ruan Sui’an smiled sweetly, looking sincerely at the attendant. “Sister, you look very young, not at all like you’re forty. You seem just over thirty.”
Of course, Ruan Sui’an could tell the woman was around forty, but when you’re out and about, it’s always good to say something nice.
It makes people feel better and makes things easier for yourself.
Of course, she wouldn’t blindly flatter others—this was just a tactic.
In short, it was about adapting to the situation.
Hearing Ruan Sui’an’s words, the attendant felt very pleased, and her smile grew even wider.
Who doesn’t want to be told they look young? Who doesn’t enjoy hearing things they like to hear?
“Hehehe… you really know how to talk, young lady. You’re making me blush. Tell me, what would you like to eat?” the attendant asked, her face full of smiles.
The customers still eating couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. When they had ordered, the attendant hadn’t given them a single smile.
In fact, she had even given them a cold look. How could the difference be so stark?
If the attendant had heard their thoughts, she would have been tempted to retort: “Well, you all acted like starving ghosts. How could you compare to this sweet-talking girl?”
“Sister, I’d like two servings of braised pork, two servings of rice, five large meat buns, and two servings of vinegar-glazed shredded potatoes,” Ruan Sui’an said sweetly.
The attendant asked in surprise, “That’s a lot. Can you finish all that, young lady? It’s not right to waste food.”
She had just thought this girl was well-behaved and lovely—how could she waste food?
“Sister, one of the servings is for me to take home to my family. I can’t just eat well outside while my family goes without at home. That wouldn’t sit right with me,” Ruan Sui’an explained with a smile.
Of course, she was lying. One of the servings was meant to be stored in her Space, saved for when she boarded the train.
The attendant nodded understandingly, still smiling. “You’re quite filial, young lady. Girls really are more thoughtful.”
“Sister, it’s only right,” Ruan Sui’an replied with a smile, not feeling the slightest bit guilty.
“Alright, go find a seat first. I’ll bring your order over in a bit,” the attendant said to Ruan Sui’an.
"Alright, sister, thank you, sister." Ruan Sui'an turned and went to sit at an empty table in the corner.
The saleswoman smiled as she watched the little girl's retreating figure. This little girl really was something—she had already said she was forty years old, yet she still called her "sister."
The food arrived quickly, and the saleswoman personally brought it over on a tray.
"Here you go, little one. This is your braised pork, steamed buns, and spicy and sour shredded potatoes," the saleswoman said with a smile as she arranged the dishes on the table one by one.
This was a treatment no one else had ever received. The people still eating in Guanyin Restaurant were incredibly envious.
But they knew envy was useless—who could blame them for not having such a sweet tongue?
They could only stare helplessly.
"Thank you, sister. You're so kind," Ruan Sui'an said sweetly.
The saleswoman smiled even more happily. "Little one, take your time eating. I’ll head back to work now."
The more she looked at this little girl, the more she liked her. She wondered whose family had raised such an adorable child.
It was truly enviable. Thinking of her own lack of a daughter and only having a naughty boy, the saleswoman frowned.
That boy was already fifteen, yet he was always getting into fights and running wild. When he wasn’t in school, he was nowhere to be seen all day.
Girls really were better—they were their mothers’ little comforters.
Just as the saleswoman turned to leave, Ruan Sui'an tugged on her sleeve. She pulled out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from her pocket—actually taken from her Space.
These were given to her by her Grandfather and Grandmother. Before she left, they had stuffed several pounds of them into her bag.
They were afraid she wouldn’t have any sweets to eat in the countryside. In truth, her Space was filled with all kinds of candies—fruit candies, lollipops, bubble gum, milk candies, brown sugar, white sugar—she had them all.
But she couldn’t tell her Grandfather and Grandmother about it.
"Sister, these candies are for you. They’ll sweeten your mouth."
The saleswoman stared wide-eyed at the handful of milk candies in her hand. White Rabbit milk candies were a real treat.
She was genuinely tempted, but these belonged to the little girl. How could she, as an adult, take a child’s things?
"Auntie won’t eat them. White Rabbit milk candies are too precious. You keep them for yourself," the saleswoman said, reluctantly trying to return the candies.
Ruan Sui'an didn’t give her the chance. She stood up and gently pushed her away.
"Sister, keep them. Otherwise, I’ll be upset," she said before walking back to the table to resume her meal.
The saleswoman looked at the little girl and finally had no choice but to tuck the candies away and return to the counter.
The mutual kindness between the two left everyone else feeling sour inside, to the point that even the braised pork in their bowls didn’t seem as delicious anymore.
Ruan Sui'an stared at the full bowl of braised pork, unable to resist drooling. She picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of braised pork into her mouth.
The pork was fatty but not greasy. The amber-colored sauce coated the square pieces of meat, glistening with a honey-like sheen.
The sauce first bloomed on the tip of her tongue with a warm blend of sweetness and saltiness—so fragrant it felt like she could bite her own tongue off.
It was absolutely delicious—one bite of rice, one bite of meat.
Of course, she occasionally added a chopstickful of spicy and sour shredded potatoes, and the combination was simply perfect.
Finally, she mixed the remaining sauce into the white rice, coating every grain with an amber glow. As she swallowed it down, her entire body felt warm and content.
And so, Ruan Sui'an finished the entire bowl of rice, the bowl of braised pork, and the plate of spicy and sour shredded potatoes.
After the meal, she let out a small, satisfied burp.
Since drinking the Spirit Spring Water, Ruan Sui'an felt her appetite had grown.
Satisfied after a hearty meal, she packed the remaining food into a lunchbox and picked it up.
She then walked to the counter and sweetly bid farewell to the attendant.
"Sister, I'm finished eating, goodbye." She even playfully waved to the attendant.
The attendant smiled warmly and said, "Goodbye, girl."
Neither asked for the other's name; if fate allowed, they would meet again.
After leaving the state-run restaurant, she had no intention of returning to the guesthouse. Instead, she headed straight for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Although there were plenty of supplies in her Space, many were too modern.
She could eat them discreetly, but taking them out was somewhat inconvenient.
She could only go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy some items from this era. After all, she had plenty of money.
Upon entering the cooperative, she saw three salesclerks lazily sitting on chairs behind the counter.
There were only two or three customers inside.
When she walked in, the three salesclerks didn't stand up; they merely glanced at her with a slight lift of their heads.
Ruan Sui'an wasn't angry. She knew that those who worked in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative often felt superior to others.
Unlike service staff in later generations, who were polite and knew their boundaries.
The cooperative wasn't very large, and its goods weren't particularly comprehensive—just everyday items for ordinary people.