CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: BECOMING A TEN-THOUSAND-YUAN HOUSEHOLD

"Uncle, Auntie, I’m heading back!" Zhang Yuan said after helping tidy up the table post-dinner.

"Alright! Head back!" Bai Daliang responded.

Wang Cuihua also nodded with a smile.

"Xiao Xue! Come out with me for a bit!" Zhang Yuan glanced at Bai Ruxue, saying softly, his eyes gesturing.

"Sure! I’ll see you out!" Bai Ruxue understood the hint in Zhang Yuan’s eyes.

In the morning, when he went to Chen Qiyue’s house to retrieve his bike, there was a bag. He left the bag in the space, and Bai Ruxue felt that it surely contained either money or books, but since he didn’t mention it, she didn’t ask.

The two walked out, Zhang Yuan pushing his bike outward, stopping at the courtyard gate.

"Xiao Xue, I left the money there! Make sure to check it tonight!" Zhang Yuan said ambiguously, afraid of being overheard, so he didn’t say clearly, but Bai Ruxue understood.

Turns out he left money in the space. Has he already sold off all the supplies so soon?

"Alright, got it! Hurry along! It’ll get dark and the roads will be slippery soon! Get some rest!" Bai Ruxue waved her hand.

"Hmm!" Zhang Yuan pushed his bike and left, while Bai Ruxue rubbed her hands together and quickly ran back inside.

"Big Sis, what did Brother-in-law want with you?" Bai Ruxia came over to ask as soon as her elder sister returned.

"Mind your own business and sew your clothes! Kids shouldn’t meddle in adult affairs!" Bai Ruxue said with a laugh, pushing her.

She was itching to lie down and check the money.

"I’m not a kid anymore, I’m an adult!" Bai Ruxia protested.

"Third Sis, if you’re an adult, hurry up and find a partner, and don’t bother about what Big Sis and Brother-in-law were talking about!" Bai Rushan teased her.

"Hmph, fine, I won’t ask! I’ll help Second Sis with the clothes!" Bai Ruxia shot a glance at Bai Rushan, then quickly turned to the sewing machine.

By now, Bai Ruyun had already started sewing cotton clothes and pants for the siblings.

Fortunately, the candles were as thick as a baby’s arm and very long, otherwise, they wouldn’t be enough for them.

But now there’s no worry, as the supermarket replenishes supplies every week, with nine candles available, all can be put out, and when replenished, there’ll be ten more.

With the candles lit, there’s light in the room, and the two infants weren’t sleeping, babbling away. Bai Daliang and his wife played with the kids, Bai Rushan read a book under the candlelight, while Bai Ruchuan watched his two sisters sewing clothes beside them.

Bai Ruxue said she was tired and laid down early under the covers.

Closing her eyes, she immediately immersed herself into the supermarket space, eagerly opening Zhang Yuan’s left bag.

What greeted her were stacks of ten yuan bills; truly stacks, since the biggest notes at the time were ten yuan, a stack only amounted to a thousand, but Bai Ruxue calculated that the supplies she took out totaled a whopping sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty yuan.

She calculated according to fine grains for 1.5 yuan, coarse grains for 1.3 yuan, pork for 15 yuan, and pork bones for 13 yuan.

Initially, she intended to make some profit, considering she had the firsthand supply, but Zhang Yuan said there was no need, as even at this price, people were rushing to buy.

Suddenly becoming a ten-thousand yuan household, Bai Ruxue felt unprecedented reassurance; with money at hand, there’s no anxiety! Money is indispensable at any time.

Calculating her assets, adding the thousand yuan she managed to gather over the past few days, she had over seventeen thousand, five hundred yuan.

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Bai Ruxue stayed home knitting a scarf, Bai Ruyun and Bai Ruxia sat sewing clothes, while Bai Daliang took his two sons to collect firewood.

The injuries had healed, and it wasn’t good to idle on the kang anymore. Before having to start working, they quickly gathered more firewood, as there wouldn’t be much time to collect once work commenced.

Spring was still quite cold, not using the kang heating was out of the question, especially with two infants.

Everyone was fulfilling their duties, Wang Cuihua was busy attending to the two babies.

At that moment, the door was pushed open, Wu Zhaodi led Bai Ruyue inside, calling out even before entering the room, "Sister-in-law, I’ve come to see you!"

Afraid of startling Wang Cuihua, who was still in confinement.

"Zhaodi has come, come in quickly!" Wang Cuihua promptly responded upon hearing her voice.

Bai Ruxue placed down her partially knitted scarf and quickly got off the heatable brick bed.

"Second Aunt, come in and sit! Xiao Yue has come too? Sit on the kang!" She said and went out, soon returning with two cups of hot sugar water.

"Oh my, Xiao Yun can already use the sewing machine?" She exclaimed upon entering, noticing Bai Ruyun and her sister, surprised.

"Indeed! With Third Aunt teaching her, this kid learns quickly!" Wang Cuihua proudly responded, her face unable to hide her smile.

Bai Ruyue quickly placed her belongings on the kang and walked over, looking at Bai Ruyun with envy.

"Second Aunt, Xiao Yue, have some hot water to warm yourselves!"

Wu Zhaodi didn’t mind, casually taking a sip, realizing it was sweet sugar water.

"This kid, saving the white sugar for the two little ones, how come you made it for me?" She expressed mild disapproval.

"Have some, Second Aunt, there’s still more!" Bai Ruxue smiled.

Since Wu Zhaodi had already taken a sip, she didn’t refuse further, savoring it with each sip.

"Sister-in-law, how’s it going? Is the milk enough for the babies?"

"It’s enough! How come you have time to visit?" Wang Cuihua glanced at the two sleeping babies, her face full of tenderness.

"It’s not that; I’ve brought clothes for the kids! Delivered them a few days ago, just finished! Rushed hard!" Wu Zhaodi said, pushing the clothes she brought over, "Xiao Xue! Try them on the little ones! If it doesn’t fit, have Second Aunt alter them!"

"Alright, but if they don’t fit, Xiao Yun can also change them!" Bai Ruxue looked over, and upon seeing the fabric, she wasn’t impressed; it wasn’t as good-looking as what Zhang Yuan brought, nor was the quality as high, but for the kids going to school, it was fine to rotate.

"Indeed, with the sewing machine, it’s convenient; it doesn’t take much time to make an outfit!" Wu Zhaodi chuckled.

"Later on, when Second Aunt makes clothes, bring them over here to do! It’s fast and saves effort!" Bai Ruxue added.

"That would be great, although throughout the year, I might only make one!" Wu Zhaodi responded.

"Big Sis, I’ve sewn all the cloth bags! A hundred for five-pound bags, not quite a hundred for one-pound bags, only ninety-two! They’re all here! Count them!" Bai Ruyue, watching the sewing machine for a bit, returned and handed the cloth bags she’d brought to Bai Ruxue.

"Alright! Big Sis will pay you!" Bai Ruxue said, pulling out three yuan from her pocket and handing it to Bai Ruyue.

"Big Sis, you gave too much! It’s not even three yuan’s worth!" Bai Ruyue waved her hand.

"Take it, the difference is only a few cents! Xiao Yue sure counts well!"

Small bags cost one cent, large bags two cents, a hundred large bags equal two yuan, and ninety-two small bags only lack eight cents.

For someone in the tens of thousands, would she really mind these eight cents?

"Thanks, Big Sis! I can buy a red hairband now!" Bai Ruyue didn’t refuse, taking the money with a cheerful smile.

Bai Ruxue thought, a red hairband costs only eight cents? She hadn’t noticed them on her several trips to the supply and marketing cooperative. Next time she goes, she’ll get two for her younger sisters to wear! As for herself, she didn’t like them.