Chapter 21: Who Says I

The Supply and Marketing Cooperative of Wan Gou Zhen, of red bricks and gray tiles, stands at the busiest crossroads of the town, an undisputed landmark of this land.

In this era where everything is lacking, this place almost carries all the imagination of people within dozens of miles about "good stuff."

In front of the door bicycles, handcarts and horse‑drawn wagons jam together, the air mingles with sweat, tobacco and the distinctive smells of various goods, noisy and bustling, full of life.

Lu Qingshan tightened the bundle in his arms, inhaled a breath of air mixed with soap and fabric dye, and stepped into the crowd‑packed Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Inside it was even more bustling, a dozen long counters arranged in several looping shapes, each counter packed so tightly that no water could flow through.

Customers shouted, the sales clerks wore uniform blue outfits and blue caps, most wore stern faces, looking indifferent.

Lu Qingshan's goal was clear; he walked straight to the fabric counter.

He wanted to make thick cotton coats and quilts for Yue E and Xiao Xue, so buying fabric and cotton was the most important purpose of this trip.

"Comrade, what do you want to order?" a sharp, scathing voice rang out, thick with impatience.

Lu Qingshan looked up, his movement paused slightly.

Standing behind the counter was no one else but his lofty‑minded brother‑in‑law, Lin Yue'e's own younger brother—Lin Yueqiang.

Lin Yueqiang also recognized Lu Qingshan; the impatience on his face instantly turned into unabashed disgust and contempt, his mouth corners exaggeratedly drooping, and he sneered in a mocking tone:

"Yo! Who do you think I am? Isn't this our Shanwan village's famous Lu, the leprous one?"

"What's the matter, hands itching again? Come to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to fish or to 'borrow' something?"

He deliberately elongated the words "leprous one," his voice neither loud nor soft, just enough for the surrounding crowd to hear clearly.

Sure enough, a variety of glances immediately fell on him—curious, contemptuous, and purely for the spectacle. Whispered murmurs buzzed.

"Lu the leprous one? The leprous one also comes to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy stuff?"

"Probably here to buy on credit, look at his miserly look!"

"How can the Supply and Marketing Cooperative do credit?"

"Hey, you don't know? This guy is the brother‑in‑law of Little Lin behind the counter."

"Alas, the Lin family got such a leprous brother‑in‑law, truly eight lifetimes of bad luck!"

Lu Qingshan's complexion darkened, his fist instinctively clenched, knuckles whitening. The humiliation and disgrace of his past life surged to his heart.

He forced down the anger; for Yue E, he could not cause a scene here.

"I'm here to buy fabric, to buy cotton." His voice was low, as calm as possible.

"Buy fabric? Buy cotton?" Lin Yueqiang seemed to have heard the biggest joke, snorted, pointed at Lu Qingshan with his finger, and shouted to the crowd:

"Everyone listen! Lu the leprous one says he's here to buy fabric and cotton! What can he pull out of his pocket besides mouse droppings? He probably thinks the Supply and Marketing Cooperative is his own hearth, trying to take things for free?"

He grew more fervent, spitting stars: "Lu the leprous one, let me tell you, our Supply and Marketing Cooperative is state territory, not a place for you to run wild!"

"Scram quickly! Don't be an eyesore here!"

The surrounding uproar grew louder.

Lu Qingshan's gaze suddenly turned cold, like the ice of a waning moon.

He stared fixedly at Lin Yueqiang, speaking slowly, word by word: "Lin Yueqiang, for Yue E's sake, I'll call you brother‑in‑law. But if you keep spewing filth, don't blame me for being impolite!"

His voice wasn't loud, yet carried a chilling intimidation that froze Lin Yueqiang's smile on his face.

"You… you still dare threaten me?" Lin Yueqiang bristled, his anger outward, fear inside, "Do you have tickets? Money? Show them! If you can't produce them, scram quickly!"

Lu Qingshan stopped the chatter. In full view of everyone, he slowly unwrapped the bundle in his arms.

"Wham—"

A stack of ready‑made, thick Great Unity worth a full 150 yuan was heaved onto the counter, producing a dull thud!

Immediately after, a pile of red and green assorted tickets scattered beside the money!

One‑person vouchers, cotton tickets, fabric tickets, thread tickets, kerosene tickets… everything imaginable!

The entire Supply and Marketing Cooperative seemed instantly frozen by a stasis spell!

All sounds abruptly ceased!

Everyone's gaze was fixed on that heap of cash and tickets! Eyes bulged, mouths opened wide enough to fit an egg!

150 yuan in cash! And that huge stack of hard‑currency tickets!

This… how is this possible?!

Lin Yueqiang's arrogant, contemptuous expression froze, then like a palette—red, white, cyan, purple… shifting unpredictably!

His eyeballs bulged as if about to pop out of their sockets, staring rigidly at the money and tickets on the counter.

His trembling finger pointed, stammering, incoherent: "This… this… you… where did you get it?!"

Lu Qingshan's mouth curled a cold arc, with unabashed sarcasm.

He faced Lin Yueqiang's ghost‑like stare, his voice clear and resonant, echoing through the quiet Supply and Marketing Cooperative:

"Stolen? Robbed? Lin Yueqiang, do you think I'm you!?"

"The money and tickets are here, genuine and fair. Now, can you give me the fabric and cotton?"

"Or are you saying your Supply and Marketing Cooperative opens its doors for business, yet with money and tickets still won't sell anything?"

Those words landed like a loud slap, striking Lin Yueqiang's face—burning hot pain!

His complexion drained of color, both angry and frantic, he shouted in a shame‑filled rage: "You… you're talking nonsense! Who knows if your money is clean! I won't sell! Our Supply and Marketing Cooperative won't sell to people of such dubious origin!"

He tried to incite the other clerks: "Ignore him! He's a child of the black five categories! He…"

"What's all the fuss! Treating the Supply and Marketing Cooperative like a vegetable market?!"

A voice full of authority suddenly rang out, cutting off Lin Yueqiang's shouting.

The crowd turned, seeing a middle‑aged man in a Zhongshan suit, glasses, a big side part, eyebrows knit, walking over—it was the newly appointed Supply and Marketing Cooperative director Liu Jiànshè.

Liu Jiànshè's sharp gaze swept around, finally landing on the flushed‑necked Lin Yueqiang, his complexion darkening.

"Lin Yueqiang! What are you doing again?!"

"During work hours you gather a crowd, make trouble for customers! Undermining the image in the people's hearts that the Supply and Marketing Cooperative serves the people wholeheartedly."

Deduct this month's bonus in full! If it happens again, I'll have you roll up the shop and get out!

Lin Yueqiang instantly looked like a toad whose tendons had been pulled, wilted, his face turned death‑pale, his lips trembling as he shouted, "Dir…ector…"

He didn't even dare to let out a single fart.

Liu Jianshe hummed and ignored him.

He turned his head toward Lu Qing Shan, put on a businesslike expression, and his tone softened considerably.

"Comrade, I am Liu Jianshe, the newly appointed director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. I apologize for the inconvenience; our management has been lacking. May I ask what you need to purchase?"

Lu Qing Shan was a little taken aback, and after glancing at the large red‑ink sign on the shelf behind Director Liu that read "No beating or scolding customers," he felt a bit dazed.

But since the director asked that way, Lu Qing Shan didn't even look at the wilted Lin Yueqiang, simply nodded at Liu Jianshe, and his tone returned to its previous calm.

"Director, please."

"I need sixty jin of cotton, thirty chi of fine cloth and thirty chi of cotton fabric, the fabric should be a darker color, for my wife and child to make winter coats and bedding. Also four spools of sturdy white thread, two jin of kerosene, and ten jin of rice."

He spoke with clear logic, neither servile nor arrogant, his gaze open, completely unlike the "unknown origin" "leper" that Lin Yueqiang had called him.

Liu Jianshe sized up Lu Qing Shan a few times and nodded to himself.

Although his clothes were shabby, his eyes were steady, his bearing extraordinary, far from an ordinary person.

Seeing the pile of money and vouchers on the counter further confirmed his judgment.

He had just taken office, and today Lin Yueqiang ran into the line of fire, giving the town's Supply and Marketing Cooperative a chance to set some rules.

He turned his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over the death‑pale Lin Yueqiang who seemed ready to crawl into a crack in the ground. His voice was low but carried an unquestionable command: "Lin Yueqiang! What are you still standing there for? Didn't you hear that Comrade wants to buy something? Hurry to the warehouse and bring out the cotton and fabrics! Move quickly!"

"I—" Lin Yueqiang trembled all over, his face instantly drained of color, humiliation, anger, resentment… a swirl of emotions flashing in his eyes, yet he dared not defy the director's order, especially after his entire month's bonus had just been deducted.

Under Liu Jianshe's cold stare, Lin Yueqiang clenched his teeth, lowered his head, and like a bereaved dog, moved reluctantly toward the back warehouse.

That silhouette was filled with an indescribable sense of frustration and embarrassment.