While Yang Wenping went to cook, Yang Yuan sat down to sort through the family’s ration coupons.
It was truly an eye-opening experience.
There were coupons issued at every level—from the national government down to the rural communes.
Every imaginable kind existed.
Food.
Clothing.
Daily necessities.
There seemed to be a coupon for everything.
Grain coupons and cloth coupons were understandable enough. She merely glanced at them to familiarize herself with their denominations.
But…
Menstrual belts required coupons too?
What kind of inhumane system is this?
Among the soap coupons, thermos coupons, meat coupons, pastry coupons, and coal briquette coupons…
She suddenly discovered another one.
A urine coupon.
A urine coupon!
“What the hell…”
Yang Yuan stared at it in disbelief.
“Do you need a coupon just to use the bathroom now?”
“Is there any justice left in this world?”
Then another coupon caught her eye.
It was a cloth coupon labeled:
1 City Inch
She instinctively began converting the measurement.
One Chinese inch is about 3.3 centimeters…
She pictured the length of a one-inch photo.
Her eyes widened.
That’s such a tiny scrap of fabric.
What could anyone possibly make with that?
And how would the shop even cut it?
“Thinking about buying new hair ties again?”
Yang Wenping carried over two bowls of noodles.
He also shredded two salted radishes, drizzled them with sesame oil, and placed them on the table.
Yang Yuan blinked.
Hair ties…
Then it clicked.
Of course.
A finger-length strip of cloth was exactly what people used to make hair ties.
“So what’s this one?”
She held up the urine coupon.
“This is my first time seeing something like this.”
“What is it for?”
“Going to the toilet?”
Her question made Yang Wenping burst into laughter.
“How could that be?”
“If using the toilet required rationing, even the old landlords wouldn’t have squeezed people that hard.”
“It’s no wonder you’ve never heard of it.”
“This kind of coupon is extremely rare.”
“If you do see one, it’s usually issued by county or commune agricultural supply stations in poor regions.”
“It has nothing to do with bathrooms.”
“It’s for collecting urine to use as fertilizer.”
“If there’s no denomination printed on it, it’s generally understood to mean one thousand jin.”
After laughing, he became a little curious himself.
Where did Mom get something like this?
Their city had absolutely no use for it.
Even nearby communes simply gathered fertilizer locally.
Only remote, impoverished regions occasionally issued these unofficial fertilizer coupons.
Yang Yuan was already slurping her noodles.
Who would have thought…
That after arriving in this era, even a bowl of plain wheat noodles had become a luxury?
Yang Wenping chuckled.
It wasn’t as though the family had been starving recently.
Although they hadn’t eaten noodles for quite some time…
The Lunar New Year had only just ended.
There had been dumplings.
Steamed meat bowls.
Mother had fried meatballs and made aspic.
And this year, they’d even been lucky enough to get a fish.
Father had personally cooked braised fish.
When had his little sister ever lacked meat?
Yet here she was, savoring plain noodles like they were some priceless delicacy.
He simply couldn’t understand it.
Yang Yuan first passed Song Can three hundred yuan over the courtyard wall.
Then she and Yang Wenping walked around to the Song family’s front gate and headed together to the textile factory.
Her second brother-in-law had already spoken to the necessary people.
They simply needed to show up.
Yang Wenping waited outside while Song Can and Yang Yuan entered the Personnel Office.
The department director also happened to have the surname Yang.
Since he’d clearly been informed in advance, he greeted them with a warm smile.
“Have you thought it through?”
“Once I make the changes, there’s no going back.”
“The position will officially belong to Yang Yuan.”
“We’re a large state-owned factory.”
“This isn’t something you can change whenever you feel like it.”
Song Can nodded firmly.
“Thank you, Director Yang.”
“I won’t regret it.”
“From now on, the job belongs to Yang Yuan.”
The recruitment list hadn’t yet been posted publicly.
Nor had the new employees begun work.
All they needed to do was remove Song Can’s file from the internal personnel records and replace it with Yang Yuan’s.
Yang Yuan’s introduction letter would then be attached.
Later, these personnel files would also be submitted to the labor union.
“Come report for work next Monday.”
“Remember to bring your household registration booklet and your grain and cooking oil ration documents.”
“We’ll process everything together then.”
After leaving the factory, Yang Wenping handed Song Can a paper-wrapped bundle.
Inside was a stack of cash…
And another stack of ration coupons.
“Cotton is in short supply right now.”
“It’s hard to get.”
“You’ll have to wait a few more days.”
“If you really can’t wait…”
“We’ll make you a quilt instead.”
Song Can accepted it gratefully.
“Thank you, Fourth Brother Yang.”
“The Educated Youth Office hasn’t notified me yet.”
“I don’t know exactly when I’ll leave.”
“But it’s usually around ten days.”
She and Yang Wenping had known each other since childhood.
They simply hadn’t interacted much after growing older.
Suddenly, Yang Yuan remembered something.
In the original novel…
Song Can’s first love had once entrusted the original Yang Yuan with a letter.
Instead of delivering it…
The original owner had burned it.
Now that she and Song Can were getting along reasonably well…
The matter weighed heavily on her conscience.
She swallowed.
Then made up her mind.
“Song Can…”
“I need to tell you something.”
Meeting Song Can’s eyes made her inexplicably nervous.
Even though it hadn’t been her who’d done it.
“When I was buying New Year’s supplies…”
“I ran into Liu Quanzhi.”
“He gave me a letter and asked me to pass it on to you.”
“I…”
“I bought too many things that day.”
“I lost it.”
“I was too embarrassed to tell you.”
“I’m sorry.”
She simply couldn’t bring herself to say she’d deliberately burned it.
Although that had indeed been what the original Yang Yuan had done…
She intended to rebuild her reputation now that she was here.
Time for a clean slate.
The moment Song Can heard that explanation…
She understood.
Knowing Yang Yuan’s personality, there was no way the letter had merely been “lost.”
Still…
Whether she cared about Liu Quanzhi’s letter or not was beside the point.
She couldn’t let Yang Yuan casually cross her boundaries.
“Yang Yuan.”
“If you don’t want to help next time…”
“You can simply refuse.”
“But if you agree and then lose my letter…”
“That’s no way to treat people.”
Her clear eyes fixed steadily on Yang Yuan.
Under that gaze…
Yang Yuan couldn’t even straighten her back.
“You’re right.”
“I was wrong.”
“In the future, if I don’t intend to help, I won’t agree in the first place.”
“My mom has already criticized me for always meddling in other people’s business.”
“I really am sorry.”
Now that the money and job had changed hands…
Whether Song Can suffered in the countryside…
Or went on to achieve great success…
Neither outcome had anything to do with Yang Yuan anymore.
By clearing up this matter now…
Their accounts were settled.
From now on, each would simply live her own life.
Song Can hadn’t intended to remain cold.
She simply didn’t want Yang Yuan treating her like someone easy to bully.
Still…
Yang Yuan’s attitude was much better than before.
One question continued nagging at Yang Yuan.
The novel had described Liu Quanzhi as Song Can’s first love.
So why…
Did Song Can seem utterly indifferent?
She appeared far more annoyed about the missing letter than about Liu Quanzhi himself.
After getting off the bus, they weren’t far from home.
Thinking they probably wouldn’t have many opportunities to talk again…
Yang Yuan couldn’t suppress her curiosity.
“So…”
“Were you really dating Liu Quanzhi?”
Song Can froze.
She hadn’t expected Yang Yuan to ask so directly.
In the past…
Yang Yuan could never have mentioned Liu Quanzhi in such a casual tone.
After all, she’d had a crush on him herself.
Simply because Song Can had once been close to him…
Yang Yuan had secretly mocked and picked on her more than once.
“Liu Quanzhi’s mother came to see me.”
“She said I was dreaming if I thought I could marry above my station.”
“After that…”
“We never met again.”
“I’ve never dated him.”
“And I’m not interested.”
The unspoken meaning was obvious.
So whatever you think… that’s your business.
With an expression full of disdain, Song Can calmly walked home.
Yang Yuan remained standing where she was, sighing inwardly.
The power of destined love really is incredible.
The heroine’s true romance was always waiting for her in the countryside.
No wonder she couldn’t care less about the flowers growing by the roadside.
Following behind, Yang Wenping’s face darkened.
Without the slightest mercy, he flicked Yang Yuan hard on the forehead.
“Ow!”
Clutching her head, she jumped several steps away and glared at him.
Hands tucked into his pockets, Yang Wenping asked coolly,
“Who’s Liu Quanzhi?”
“Just a classmate.”
“Just a classmate?”
He snorted.
“Listen carefully, Yang Yuanyuan.”
“If you dare start dating someone without permission…”
“I’ll break your legs.”