CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 99: PURCHASING SEAFOOD ON BEHALF

"What’s wrong with you two?"

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask, seeing her two little brothers looking as wilted as eggplants hit by frost.

Su Jianwu pouted, "The family next door in the village, Wang Erzi, bought a radio. After school, all the classmates went to his house to listen to storytelling. We wanted to go too, but Wang Erzi mocked us for being poor and didn’t let us listen."

"People need face, just like trees need bark. If they don’t let you listen, then don’t. Look at you two acting so hopeless."

Liu Cuilan had the look of someone lamenting wasted potential.

"But we want to listen, almost all our classmates have heard it, except us."

Su Jianwen chimed in, "They’re telling ’Water Margin’ these days, and there are said to be 108 heroes in it, really exciting stuff."

"Mom, can we buy a radio too?"

All of a sudden, Su Jianwu looked at Liu Cuilan with bright eyes, filled with longing.

Liu Cuilan glared at him, "Look at the conditions of Wang Erzi’s family, then look at ours! A radio? You two must be dreaming."

Their mother rejected it without hesitation. With the current state of their household, having a full meal already seemed like a blessing—where would they find spare money for something as luxurious as a radio?

The light that had just appeared in the two boys’ eyes quickly dimmed.

Recently, the whole class had been discussing the stories in ’Water Margin,’ yet they hadn’t heard a single one, completely excluded from the class cliques.

At their age, pride was key, and their hearts were filled with resentment.

Today, they had thickened their skin to bum a listen at Wang Erzi’s, only to be chased away and lose face altogether.

Both boys now drooped their heads, even more deflated than when they returned earlier.

Su Xiaoxiao jokingly gave them each a smack on the head: "It’s just a radio, what’s the big deal? Wait until our village gets electrified, your sister here will just buy you a TV."

"A TV?"

There was a new spark of hope in Su Jianwu’s eyes.

Su Jianwen, however, was more rational: "Sis, don’t tease us. With our family’s financials, we can’t even afford a radio. How could we possibly buy a TV?"

After all, a TV costs five to six hundred yuan, several times the price of a radio, and you needed a TV coupon to buy one.

Their older brothers had been working for so long without ever getting a TV coupon; the fact that their sister had only recently started at the department store made it impossible.

Even if they had a coupon, they wouldn’t have that much money.

Five to six hundred yuan was several years’ worth of income for them.

Even Liu Cuilan thought her daughter was exaggerating: "Alright, stop teasing them, it’s time to set the table for dinner."

Her family’s attitude was something Su Xiaoxiao actually understood.

After all, a black and white TV was quite the luxury at this time. Nobody in their entire village owned a TV, and those who had radios were rare as hen’s teeth.

Forget it, maybe after they get electricity.

The TV she had bought was actually stored in the small warehouse, just waiting to be used someday when they had power.

As everyone sat down to eat, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered something important and quickly said to Liu Cuilan: "Mom, tomorrow a batch of seafood will arrive at the department store, should we buy some?"

Liu Cuilan paused with her chopsticks mid-motion: "Why didn’t you mention such a good thing earlier?"

Seafood was a rare treat inland like theirs, something they couldn’t buy often. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, they ought to buy some in preparation.

She abandoned her meal, going into the room to fetch some money coupons.

Shortly after, she returned with the money coupons, handing them to Su Xiaoxiao: "Get a little of everything, when we cure it, it’ll last till New Year."

Su Xiaoxiao originally intended to refuse, but after thinking about it, she accepted the money coupons—she hadn’t received her salary yet and still had to rely on family money for now.

The saying goes, wealth is not to be flaunted. Until crucial times arise, she had to be discreet with her money.

Otherwise, if anyone knew she had money, her cheap grandparents and aunt would surely come knocking, pleading poverty.

Early the next morning, Su Xiaoxiao rode her bicycle with a sack directly to the department store.

The night before, after dinner, she had gone for a walk and told several familiar elderly women about the seafood supply at the department store, so they each entrusted her to buy a little.

Su Xiaoxiao was naturally happy to do such things, as simply helping out allowed her to earn a fair amount of rebate in gold coins.

As soon as she put down her bike, she saw the long queue for seafood from a distance.

Many people had gotten the inside scoop on the seafood supply today, and a long line had formed at the department store entrance early in the morning.

Seafood being such a rare commodity, it wasn’t available often, so everyone who wanted to buy was there in droves.

Since Su Xiaoxiao worked at the non-food counter, keeping some stuff aside was easier for her than for other counter clerks.

As soon as she entered, Huang Mei eagerly approached: "Xiaoxiao, I heard your non-food counter will get some seafood today, could you save a bit of yellow croaker and ribbonfish for me?"

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, everyone wanted some seafood to show off when they had people over at their place.

Su Xiaoxiao had a good impression of Huang Mei and readily agreed, as it was an easy favor that also yielded a rebate—completely a win-win situation.

Huang Mei looked grateful as Su Xiaoxiao agreed: "Xiaoxiao, thank you, I’ll receive some flawed fabric soon, I’ll save you some pretty patterns when it arrives."

Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise; she was currently short on fabric.

In the store, only food and household appliances were available; for anything else, she’d have to rely on someone in the game world selling it.

She sincerely thanked Huang Mei: "Thank you, Miss Huang."

"Drop the Miss Huang! Training is over, we’re all colleagues now; just call me Sister Huang."

Huang Mei felt even warmer towards Su Xiaoxiao due to this exchange.

Speaking of which, she handed Su Xiaoxiao a golden orange: "Xiaoxiao, these are so sweet, take one home to eat."

Unwilling to accept without giving back, Su Xiaoxiao fumbled in her pocket and handed her some hawthorn candy: "Sister Huang, try these hawthorn candies."

Huang Mei’s smile instantly broadened, this young one was indeed sensible.

With a cheerful acceptance, they chatted amiably for a bit longer before returning to their respective counters.

The department store was about to open, so Su Xiaoxiao hurried back to her counter, standing ready to greet the first wave of customers, when a mocking voice suddenly came from beside her.

"Tsk, going to work as if you’re doing a big haul. Country bumpkin must get so excited over a bit of seafood."