Chapter 66: Sixty Farm System (32)

It was just as Lai Zhaodi had guessed; the Brigade Leader approved the leave requests for everyone who had asked over the past two days, but he only made one demand:

During the upcoming summer harvest, everyone must give it their all! If you can earn full work points, try your best to earn them! If you can't earn full points, try your best not to fall behind!

Those who went to ask for leave naturally agreed to everything—

"Yes, yes!"

"Brigade Leader, I will definitely listen to you!"

"Don't worry, Brigade Leader, I will definitely work hard during the busy farming season!"

In short, they just wanted to get their leave slips approved first.

However, when Xie Yang went to ask for leave, the Brigade Leader didn't say anything, readily agreeing, and instead chased after her to ask:

"Is one day enough? Do you want me to approve two days for you? Once the mobilization meeting starts, you won't have time even if you want to ask for leave."

Xie Yang: "..."

Other Educated Youth: "..."

Look at this differential treatment!

On the way back with her leave slip, the eye-roll Yang Qingqing gave Xie Yang was almost level with the heavens.

Xie Yang couldn't be bothered to pay her any mind; she returned to the Youth Hostel and began to pack the things she needed to mail at the Post Office tomorrow.

She wasn't sure if her aunt had written to her during this time, so after putting the written letter paper into an envelope, she didn't seal it shut and also brought a few extra sheets of blank letter paper, planning to see how things were once she arrived at the Post Office.

If her aunt had written a letter and asked about her situation in it, she could add some content on the spot before mailing it out.

Besides the letter, she naturally also had to mail a package.

She packed three strips of smoked pork belly, a string of nine sausages, and two dried salted fish into a sewn linen bag one by one.

The fish were sent by Fu Rongrong, who said that her two older brothers had gone to the Lianhu Brigade at their grandmother's place to help dig a reservoir for three full days; every laborer who participated was allotted five catties of fish, so the Fu family ended up with ten catties, and remembering Xie Yang's kindness, they specifically sent three catties over to her.

This fish was the most common "red-tail" in the local area; the meat was thick and delicious, but it had many tiny bones, so it was suitable for salting and drying into dried fish to eat.

After Xie Yang heard from Fu Rongrong how to do it, she rubbed the fish bodies with Salt, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns, marinated them for a day and a night, and then hung them in a ventilated place to air-dry.

During those few days, she was still making simple furniture like doors, windows, tables, and chairs for Song Shuhe and his grandson, so she just happened to hang them under the back eaves of the stone house, where the sun couldn't reach them but the mountain wind could, and they were air-dried in just a few days.

On the day Song Shuhe and his grandson "moved into their new home," she also steamed one for herself; she sliced wild ginger dug from the mountains into thin shreds, spread them over the dried fish, and steamed it. It tasted salty, fragrant, and appetizing, and was especially good with rice.

This time, she would also mail two to her aunt to taste.

"Xie Yang? The Educated Youth who joined the Yuewan Brigade?"

The Post Office staff took the package Xie Yang handed over for weighing, saw the return address, looked up to size her up, and asked.

Xie Yang: "I am."

"There are two packages for you."

"Two?"

"Yes! Wait a moment, I'll go get them for you."

Because the Yuewan Brigade was located in a remote area, in the past, any letters for the village were usually brought back by Brigade Cadres when they went to the Commune for meetings.

Moreover, such situations were rare; there weren't many letters throughout the year, let alone large items like packages.

It wasn't until the Educated Youth went to the countryside that the letters and packages sent from all over the country to the various brigades began to increase.

The Post Office had also been frequently holding meetings recently to discuss perhaps sending a mail carrier to specifically run the route of Commune—Majia Gully—Qianjin Brigade—Yuewan Brigade, to deliver letters and package slips to the brigades along the way.

However, if it were really to be implemented, it would likely have to wait until the second half of the year; in the first half, the Educated Youth would still have to come to the Post Office to pick them up themselves.

Xie Yang listened to the staff's explanation while taking the two packages handed over by the other party, and signed in the receipt column.

Only then did she discover that one of the packages was sent by Lin Xi.

And she didn't know what was inside, but it was especially heavy.

As for the one sent by her aunt, it was light and soft; one touch and she knew it was either clothes or Fabric.

She used scissors to cut open one side, reached in and rummaged around, and sure enough, pulled out a letter.

To save on postage, her aunt was in the habit of sending letters along with packages.

But in fact, this had a drawback: if the package was intercepted by someone, the letter wouldn't be received either.

Therefore, Xie Yang always kept letters and packages separate, and she would list the supplies in the package in the letter so her aunt could verify if everything had been received.

She unfolded her aunt's letter and browsed through it at a glance, discovering that besides answering her confusion in the previous letter about "why her cheap father would remit 5 yuan to her," the whole letter was chiding her for being extravagant.

"... Yang Yang, we are in the city, and it is very convenient to eat whatever we want. Life in the countryside is not easy for you. Since the militia of your brigade was lucky enough to surround and capture a wild boar and allotted you quite a bit of meat, then keep it and eat it slowly.

Although spring plowing is over, there is still the summer harvest and autumn harvest ahead... In these busy days, make yourself a good meal. Your body is the capital of the revolution; never wrong yourself when it comes to eating.

If you are short on money, write to your aunt and tell her. Remember not to send us anything else! Just write a letter every month to talk about your current situation...

As for your father remitting money to you, although your aunt doesn't know the situation, since he remitted it to you, just accept it with peace of mind.

He is your father, not an outsider; he has the obligation to support you. If he had told me beforehand, I would have wanted him to remit more to you! What can 5 yuan do in the countryside..."

Xie Yang: "..."

5 yuan can do quite a lot in the countryside, my aunt!

"Xie Yang? Is Xie Yang still there?"

Just as Xie Yang pulled out her own letter that hadn't been mailed yet, intending to add a few sentences to the end, she heard the Post Office staff calling her name from behind the counter.

"I'm here!"

She raised her hand to signal.

"Good that you're here! There is also a remittance slip for you! Come and go through the procedures to collect it."

Xie Yang:???

After getting the remittance slip and looking at it, it was the same as last time—

Amount: 5 yuan.

Remitter: Xie Zhaohua.

"..."

Is this cheap father planning to remit 5 yuan to her every month?

Yang Qingqing and several other fellow Educated Youth who hadn't received any packages saw that Xie Yang not only received a package, but two of them! Not only did she have packages to collect, but she also had a remittance to pick up! Their gazes of envy and jealousy were almost turning into something tangible!

Xie Yang packed the packages one by one into the bamboo basket she had brought and walked out of the Post Office.

She came to the Commune for two reasons: first, to send letters and packages, and second, to keep an eye on Zhao Wanqing.

Now that the first Task had been successfully completed, the next step was to follow Zhao Wanqing.

Zhao Wanqing was still distressfully pondering how to shake off Yang Qingqing.

But Yang Qingqing was like sticky candy, following her wherever she went.

With no other choice, she could only pretend she needed to buy something and head to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative first.

Arriving at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, while Yang Qingqing, Lu Jieqiong, and the others were crowded in front of the daily necessities counter looking at vanishing cream and Scented Soap, she pretended to have an urgent need for the restroom, quickly slipped out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and headed straight for the Black Market alley.

It was just bad luck this time; the Black Market alley was undergoing an inspection.

Inspectors wearing red armbands on their arms were stern-faced, checking suspicious individuals entering and exiting the Black Market alley one by one:

"What are you here for? Visiting relatives? Which household are you visiting? What is the house number, unit number, and name?"

"And you? What are you here for? Just browsing? Do you think this is a park? Be honest! Don't think about leaving until you explain clearly!"

"And you..."

Zhao Wanqing was so frightened that she hurriedly turned and left.