CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: SMALL-SCALE SCHEMING 2

"Great! But I still need to bring something to visit Grandma Chen!" Bai Xue prepared to take some items from the supermarket space.

"Why are you so nice to her?" Zhang Yuan asked.

"Because she’s the mom of the milk factory’s director! I saved her, and maintaining a good relationship with her is quite beneficial!" Bai Xue said justifiedly.

"You’re a girl who doesn’t get up early without a reward! But I like it!" Zhang Yuan chuckled. "Hurry and get the stuff! Then we’ll head off!"

Bai Xue thought for a moment, took out a pound of pork from the supermarket space, and also took out a pound of sugar.

People nowadays like to drink sugar water, and sugar is also a rare commodity.

"Let’s go!" She walked out of the courtyard with the items.

Zhang Yuan followed behind her, locking the door, and the two of them rode bicycles towards the clinic.

When they arrived, Chen Qiyue had just finished eating and returned from the cafeteria. Seeing Bai Xue, she joyfully greeted her.

"Xiao Xue, you’re here?"

"Yeah, I’m here to see Grandma. How is she? Is she feeling better?" Bai Xue walked up and asked.

"Much better. She can walk around now; it’s not as difficult as when she first arrived. Come, I’ll take you home!" Chen Qiyue grabbed Bai Xue’s hand.

Originally, Bai Xue’s fragrances sold to her already left a great impression on her, and after saving her grandma, Chen Qiyue liked her even more.

"Is she not hospitalized?" Bai Xue was led along, waved to Zhang Yuan behind, and asked Chen Qiyue.

"No! She insisted on recuperating at home. Xiao Xue, who is this good-looking person?" Chen Qiyue had long noticed Zhang Yuan because he was so handsome, but since he was with Bai Xue, she felt embarrassed to inquire.

With Bai Xue’s wave, she started the conversation in a low voice.

"He’s my boyfriend!" Bai Xue noticed Chen Qiyue’s admiration for Zhang Yuan and straightforwardly said.

"Oh..." Chen Qiyue’s face showed a hint of disappointment, but quickly returned to normal. "Your boyfriend is really good-looking! Let’s hurry, my house is quite far from here!"

"Sister Qiyue, can you go home now? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?" Bai Xue tried to make small talk.

"It’s lunchtime, so no problem! I actually need to go home to cook for Grandma. Oh, by the way, Xiao Xue, have you heard any news about the fragrances I talked to you about?" Chen Qiyue asked eagerly.

"How could it be that fast? My relatives live far away from here; I probably haven’t even received their letters yet!"

In this era, transportation was slow and communication even slower, so she couldn’t produce the goods too quickly. Otherwise, it would be like digging a pit for herself!

"Alright, I can wait!" Chen Qiyue said with determination in her eyes.

Chen Qiyue and Bai Xue walked ahead, with Zhang Yuan pushing the bicycle behind them, until they reached Chen Qiyue’s house.

At this time, only her grandma was at home. As soon as Chen Qiyue entered, she shouted, "Grandma! Look who I brought to see you!"

"Oh, Qiyue! Did you bring the little girl who saved me? Hurry, come in!" Grandma Chen’s voice came from the inner room.

It was a single courtyard with red brick tiles, similar to the one Zhang Yuan rented, also with three side rooms around the main house. In Pingyang Town, such a house was considered the best! It’s the kind that’s hard to buy.

After all, people in this era mostly lived in houses allocated by their workplace, without the concept of buying houses, and very few people sold houses.

"It’s me! Grandma! Are you feeling better? I came to see you!" Bai Xue replied, entering the inner room.

Grandma Chen was lying on the kang, unable to sit for long due to a tailbone injury, so she could only lie down.

"Oh, Xiao Xue, good girl, come sit down!" Grandma Chen smiled, her face full of wrinkles. "Who’s this young man? He’s really handsome! You too, young man, sit down and warm up!"

"Grandma, this is my boyfriend!" Bai Xue introduced.

Zhang Yuan sat down next to Bai Xue, nodding as a greeting!

Bai Xue noticed that Zhang Yuan’s attitude towards her and her family was completely different from his attitude towards outsiders.

"Oh, Xiao Xue’s boyfriend! So handsome, you two look perfect together! Good, good! Qiyue, go cook!" Grandma Chen sincerely praised Bai Xue.

"Grandma, we already ate at the State-Owned Restaurant, no need to bother cooking. I just was concerned about you, so I came to see you! Plus, I brought some pork for you to replenish, and this sugar for you to dissolve in water and drink, it’s very sweet!" Bai Xue handed the pork and sugar to Chen Qiyue, who was standing there.

"Oh, you child, you saved Grandma, and she hasn’t even thanked you yet, and now you’re bringing pork and sugar! Grandma feels embarrassed!" Grandma Chen couldn’t hide her smile.

Although her son was the director, pork wasn’t something you could frequently eat, and getting it was difficult.

"Grandma, it’s our fate that I could save you. You were seriously injured that day, and I kept worrying, so I came to see you! It’s nothing valuable, just some food, so don’t be polite with your granddaughter!" Bai Xue smiled, treating Grandma Chen as if she were her own, or perhaps better than her real grandma.

"This girl has heart, truly understanding. Young man, you’re lucky to be marrying our Xiao Xue!" Grandma Chen said to Zhang Yuan, then to Bai Xue, "Grandma will keep the pork and sugar, they’re rare finds. But the money, you must take it! I heard from our Qiyue that your father was also injured recently, and times are tough! Don’t be polite with Grandma! You must take this money, or I won’t feel at ease eating!"

"This..." Bai Xue looked at the money Grandma Chen handed over, unsure of what to do.

"Xiao Xue! Accept it! Grandma isn’t short of money; even with money, it’s hard to buy pork! If you have a way to get us some pork or fine grain, that would be best. All at black market prices!" Chen Qiyue happily took the twenty yuan from Grandma Chen and handed it to Bai Xue.

"That’s too much!" Bai Xue tried to return ten yuan to Chen Qiyue, refusing to take it.

She had come to build relationships today, how could she accept so much money from them?

"Pork on the black market is up to fifteen yuan a pound! It’s not too much!" Chen Qiyue tried to hand money to Bai Xue again.

Bai Xue felt startled, realizing how expensive pork was on the black market! No wonder ordinary people hardly ever smelled meat throughout the year; it was so expensive, who could afford it?

"Grandma, Sister Qiyue, I do have some connections to get some pork and fine grain. If you need it, I can get some for you, but the black market price is really too high." Bai Xue thought of a way to maintain a long-term relationship with the Chen family.

That is, she could occasionally sell them some good stuff, which would not only keep the connection going, but also make them value her. In the future, wouldn’t she be included in any good opportunities?

"Really? Yes, yes, we want it! It’s almost Chinese New Year, who doesn’t want to eat something nice? Xiao Xue, if you can get pork and fine grain, money won’t be an issue! My Grandma has money!" Chen Qiyue pushed her grandma forward.

She herself didn’t have much money left, as her monthly salary was held by her mom and couldn’t be spent freely, supposedly being saved for her dowry.