Chapter 244: The '70s Treasure Appraisal System (18)

Xie Yang sighed with emotion, then packed two packs of cigarettes, one soy-sauce duck, one tin of Malt Extract, half a box of White Rabbit Creamy Candy, and one square scarf separately, intending to go to her maiden home tomorrow to help her sister-in-law settle her job.

She also packed an identical set to take to her in-laws' home in two days.

She left the remaining six packs of cigarettes for Qin Zheng; although he did not smoke himself, having cigarettes on hand made things easier to get done.

Especially these Wutaishan cigarettes, which cost fifty or sixty cents a pack, almost equivalent to two packs of Daqianmen.

She left the ham for now, waiting until the busy farming season to find a butcher to help cut it open, then she would send some to her maiden home and her in-laws' home.

She kept the two bottles of Moutai for their appreciation in value, and of the two cans of Canned Food, she kept one for herself to eat; the empty jar would be perfect for storing seasoned oil.

She planned to give the remaining can to the child who helped her call the police and watched her bicycle that day.

Besides the Canned Food, she also grabbed a handful of White Rabbit Creamy Candy and wrapped a few sandwich cookies in a clean handkerchief, following the route from last time to find the child's home.

"Beautiful Auntie, what did you say? Are these Canned Food, candy, and cookies all for me?"

Liang Junze was under the eaves sorting through cigarette shells and paper scraps he had picked up; hearing this, his little face was bewildered:

"Wh-why?"

"Because you did me a huge favor a few days ago," Xie Yang said with a smile.

"But you already rewarded me back then."

"That's right, that was a reward for you, but this is to thank you."

"……"

Xie Yang put down the items and rubbed the child's head.

On the way here, she had specifically inquired about the child's situation; only he and his grandmother, who was bedridden, were left to rely on each other, and with limited relief from the neighborhood committee, he usually relied on scavenging to survive.

A six or seven-year-old child shouldering the responsibility of a whole family—it was heartbreaking just to hear about it.

Xie Yang thought for a moment, and under the guise of going inside to visit the child's grandmother, she flicked a few drops of diluted Nutritional Agent into the chipped, broken-handled teapot the two were using to drink water.

She hoped the old woman's health would improve quickly so the two could support each other and keep their lives going.

……

Just as she entered the gate of the Family Building, Xie Yang was called out by Old Lady Fang on the first floor:

"Xiao Xie, where are you coming back from? By the way, I heard you had guests at noon today? What kind of people are they?" The emphasis was on the latter part.

"Does that even need asking? They must be very important! They brought so many good things!"

At dusk, the Courtyard of the Family Building was very lively, with people collecting laundry, washing clothes, rinsing rice, and chatting about daily life... and today, the most discussed topic was the Chen Family bringing big and small bags to thank Xie Yang.

Seeing the person in question return, everyone asked one after another.

Xie Yang explained with a smile: "I just helped someone with a small favor, and that family was polite and insisted on thanking me."

"You got so many things just for a small favor? That family really knows their manners!"

"Who's to say they don't! A whole ham! And two soy-sauce ducks."

"Didn't you see the Tobacco and Alcohol and the Malt Extract?"

"How could I not? I just hadn't had a chance to say it yet. My eyesight is the best in the whole workshop! No one sees further than I do!"

"Grandma, I also saw White Rabbit Candy."

"Yes, yes, yes! Our Dabao has sharp eyes too."

"……"

The neighbors, through guessing and deduction, had actually guessed the gifts Xie Yang received almost perfectly.

This was no surprise; gifts in this day and age rarely had packaging, either being bare or in mesh bags, so sharp-eyed people could see them clearly from far away.

While the discussion was in full swing, the second wave of gifts from the Chen Family arrived:

On the surface, it was a few fresh food items—

A bag of premium Fuqiang flour as white as snow, half a side of Pork, two Crucian Carp, a bucket of Peanut Oil, a bunch of golden-yellow bananas……

In reality, after they brought them upstairs and delivered them to her door without a word, they also stuffed a pair of imported couple's watches into her hands.

Xie Yang was truly confused now: "Didn't we already… at noon?"

"Noon was the intention of Xiaoyu's parents; these are the intentions of Xiaoyu's grandparents."

"……"

Besides this, they also left the Chen Family's address, telling her to come over if she had any trouble, or to go find Xiaoyu to play if she had nothing to do.

The neighbors in the Courtyard all forgot their chores, looking up toward 208, their faces filled with envy and their hearts with jealousy.

They thought to themselves, how does she deserve this!

That lazy woman, Qin Zheng's wife, sleeps until the sun is high every day, never goes out unless necessary, and when she does, it's either to shop or go to the bathhouse; such a lazy woman, just because she helped someone with a small favor, actually received so many gifts her hands are cramping.

Why didn't such a good thing happen to them?

Bai Xiuyuan sat on the balcony, watching the Chen Family once again carrying big and small bags to the neighbor's place; envy and jealousy could not express her current mood.

Unlike the neighbors arguing heatedly downstairs, she had seen with her own eyes Xie Yang carrying a girl who had fainted from heatstroke to the hospital.

The people coming to thank her must be that girl's family, right?

Helping someone to the hospital earned so many gifts; Xie Yang really had good luck.

But for some reason, she always felt that this good luck should have belonged to her.

If only she had gone out earlier that day, or walked a bit faster; but because she was pregnant, she didn't dare move too much or walk too fast, which made her a step slow, watching helplessly as the heaven-sent good luck was snatched up by Xie Yang. How frustrating!

Xie Yang worked non-stop for two days and finally finished processing the half side of Pork and the two large Crucian Carp sent by the Chen Family:

She made the pork tenderloin into meat floss; she set aside the pork spine to boil a rich broth; she took the ribs to make sweet and sour pork ribs for herself, and deep-fried the rest so they would keep for a few days.

She divided the remaining meat, which had a good mix of fat and lean, into three portions and salted them all.

Later, she would give one portion to each set of parents and keep one for herself; when Qin Zheng returned from his driving trip, she would steam eggs and make salted pork and bamboo shoot soup for him.

She scraped the scales off the two large Crucian Carp, removed the internal organs, rubbed them with Salt, and hung them on the balcony to dry into fish jerky.

Afterward, she visited her maiden home and her in-laws' home respectively.

On her maiden family's side, besides sending over goods, she also secured a job for her sister-in-law.

Once this news spread, the entire Tongling Brigade was in an uproar:

"Is it true or false? Did the youngest of the Xie Family really get a state-subsidized job for her maiden family? And a Formal Worker position at that?"

"How could this be fake! Xie Jun came to the brigade yesterday to transfer his wife's grain and oil rations to the Commune, saying his wife is going to work at the Women's Federation tomorrow; from now on, she'll be eating the public's rice."

"If the youngest of the Xie Family is really that capable, why didn't she get a Formal Worker job in the city for herself? Could it be that Xie Jun found the connection himself, and is just claiming it was his youngest sister's doing because he's afraid we'll come knocking to ask around?"

"That's really not it! My niece-in-law's cousin on her mother's side works at the Commune. I heard earlier that after the Women's Federation Director was transferred away, the Deputy Director was promoted to Director, and the vacant staff position became a hot commodity; who knows how many people pulled strings and used connections to get it. If the Commune Director hadn't saved this position for the leaders above, there might have even been a fight over it. I only heard from my niece-in-law yesterday that this Women's Federation staff position was actually reserved by the higher-ups for the youngest of the Xie Family, but she didn't want it herself and gave it to her sister-in-law. The youngest of the Xie Family even accompanied her sister-in-law to get the paperwork done."

"Looking at it this way, she remembers the kindness her maiden family showed her; otherwise, would she have given an iron rice bowl to her sister-in-law?"

"More than that, I also saw her bringing quite a few good things to her maiden family; just the meat alone was several jin."

"I remember she married a driver from the Mechanical Factory, just like the Bai Family's youngest daughter. No wonder she has the money and coupons to buy meat; a driver's benefits are truly good!"

"It also depends on the person. The Bai Family's youngest daughter has never once sent anything to her maiden family. Every time she comes, she only has a shriveled handbag, but when she goes back, her basket is full of wild vegetables and mountain goods. I used to hear people praise the Bai Family's youngest daughter for being diligent and generous, but I never saw it. Could it be that those things said in the past were all boasted by the Bai Family themselves? They really went to great lengths just to find a city son-in-law for their youngest daughter!"

"..."

Bai Xiuyuan, who was carrying her beloved handbag and returning to her maiden home to announce the happy news of her pregnancy: "..."

What is going on?

It's only been three months since she last returned to her maiden home, so why has the wind shifted so completely?

It's just that before, everyone basically praised her and belittled Xie Yang, so why is everyone praising Xie Yang and stepping on her now?

"Mother, has anything happened in the brigade recently?"

Arriving at her maiden home, she supported her waist and pulled over a bamboo chair to sit down.

The Production Team where her maiden family lives is truly in such a remote corner; after getting off the bus, one still has to walk for half a day. If it weren't for the fact that her morning sickness hasn't been as severe lately and she wanted to share the happy news with her maiden family, she really wouldn't have wanted to come back.

"Don't you and Xie Yang live next door to each other? Haven't you heard that she secured a Formal Worker position for her maiden family and arranged for her sister-in-law to go to the Commune Women's Federation?"

"What!!!"

Bai Xiuyuan was incomparably shocked.