The 1960s: The Story of a Country Girl's Journey to the City

In winter, everyone stays at home to hibernate. Their brigade is close to the city, so they don't need a letter of introduction if they don't need to go to the government office for business.

Lin Chuxue goes to the city every day and nobody knows. It's fine if she doesn't look for him, but now that she's come looking for him, that's a different story.

"No, Bao Ya, you've misunderstood. I just came to the city to visit a friend. It's not what you think. How could I do such a thing?"

Lin Chuxue panicked a little. She hadn't expected Lin Baoya to be so stubborn. She was worried that if Lin Baoya really went to tell the brigade leader, she would never have a chance to come out again.

No matter what she said, Bao Ya stared at her with a suspicious look, as if she wanted to bore a hole through her.

Lin Chuxue felt that Lin Baoya was unconvincing and didn't intend to waste any more time with her, so she gave a few perfunctory replies and left.

He picked up the basket on his back at the door, then went to get the basket that held the eggs. The basket felt strangely light. He reached inside and found that all the eggs were gone.

"Baoya, where are the eggs in my basket?"

Lin Chuxue looked at Bao Ya in disbelief. This person was dishonest and had actually stolen her eggs.

Bao Ya blinked her innocent big eyes and asked her in confusion:

"Weren't these things meant for me?"

As he spoke, his eyes glanced at the basket on her back. It was as if he meant that she should put down the things inside as well.

Bao Ya was determined to make her bleed a little, to see if she would dare to provoke her again.

"you……"

Lin Chuxue was furious at her shamelessness. What did she mean by bringing it for her? Did she deserve it?

"You always go to other people's houses empty-handed? That's not right. If it wasn't a gift for me, was it really something you were selling?"

Peach Blossom, you can't make a mistake. No, I'll go back and talk to my uncle tomorrow...

Bao Ya went from being puzzled to suddenly understanding, and then began to persuade Lin Chuxue, as if she were persuading a lost sheep about to commit a crime.

She felt that her acting skills were worthy of an Oscar.

Lin Chuxue's face grew increasingly grim. She wanted to say something sarcastic to Bao Ya, but hearing her say she was going back to tell the brigade leader, she could only suppress her resentment and changed her words:

"Bao Ya, don't misunderstand, I just brought this for you. I wanted to ask if you put it away properly. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

Before Bao Ya could say anything more, Lin Chuxue, carrying a basket on her back and holding a small container, ran outside. She was afraid that if she was too slow, this idiot would also take the contents of her basket.

Bao Ya walked to the door, still calling out to her retreating figure:

"Peach Blossom, come visit often when you have time. You're too kind. Don't bring so many things next time."

Lin Chuxue, who had walked away, was furious when she heard Bao Ya's words. Those were fifty eggs! She had gone to great lengths to bring them into the city, only to have them fall into the laps of this shameless woman.

One egg costs five cents, so fifty eggs would cost two dollars and fifty cents. She might not even earn two dollars and fifty cents from this whole trip.

Lin Chuxue was already mentally flipping through Lin Baoya's family tree and cursing. No, the original owner of this body and Lin Baoya shared the same ancestor.

Bao Ya watched her walk away, pouted, and turned back into the house.

There were fifty eggs in that basket, enough to last for a while. Having learned his lesson, Lin Chuxue probably wouldn't dare come looking for him again.

If she dares to come again, I'll leave all her belongings behind.

Jiang Yuan had a day off the next day, and Bao Ya planned to go home to pick up a pot of braised offal and some New Year's goods. She would send some meat over during the New Year.

The two walked home after breakfast. It was so windy that Bao Ya was wearing a newly made cotton-padded jacket, her head completely covered. Even her own mother probably wouldn't recognize her.

Jiang Yuan was also fully armed, covering half his face with a scarf, and riding his bicycle against the wind.

There weren't many people on the road, except for a donkey cart that passed them from the opposite direction. The people on the donkey cart were also wrapped up tightly, so they couldn't tell who they were.

However, Bao Ya recognized the donkey and felt it belonged to someone from her village.

Bao Ya didn't pay attention. Many people go to the city to buy things at the end of the year, and they might even be acquaintances.

When they arrived home, Jiang Yuan put Bao Ya down and went to deliver some things to his parents. He would come back in the afternoon to pick Bao Ya up and take her back to the city together.

"It's so cold, why did you make the trip? You can just ask the village's donkey cart to bring them back later."

Grandma Su tidied up the things on the kang (a heated brick bed), told her to sit on the kang, and even pulled out a quilt to cover Bao Ya.

"I missed you and wanted to come back and visit. Grandma, try on the vest I made for you and see if it fits."

Bao Ya handed the newly made vest to Grandma Su.

"Why are you still making this for me? I'm so old, it's a waste."

Grandma Su complained, but as she touched her new vest, she couldn't stop smiling. Bao Ya was still thinking of herself.

"Grandma, it won't be a waste if you wear it. Try it on quickly."

Bao Ya urged Grandma Su to put on her vest and handed another flawed piece of cloth to her aunt.

"Aunt, here you go. It's a flawed piece of cloth that I traded with someone for some mountain produce. You can make something out of it."

Auntie looked happily at the cloth in her hand. Cloth coupons were scarce in the village, and the family's total coupons were enough to make a set of clothes.

"This piece is so big, it's enough for me and your second aunt to each make one."

"Sister, sister, grandma, where's my sister?"

When Gou Dan heard that his sister was back, he ran back barking all the way. When he got into the house and saw Bao Ya, he kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Sis, when did you get back? Why didn't you come to see me? Niu Dan went to his parents' house in the city. He was waiting to see you..."

Dog Egg's mouth never stopped as soon as he came in, listing all the children in the village until Bao Ya stuffed a piece of milk candy into his mouth, finally giving him some peace and quiet.

Bao Ya took out the crumbs of biscuits she had brought back and gave them to Gou Dan. With food to eat, Gou Dan stopped thinking about his friends and sat obediently on the kang (heated brick bed) eating the biscuits.

Bao Ya handed her adoptive mother a pair of newly made pants. It was a piece of fabric left over from making a vest for Grandma Su. She added a piece of other fabric to the waistband, which made a perfect pair of pants.

"Baoya, your grandparents went to town this morning. Did you see them?"

Su Ruyi put away her new pants and said to Bao Ya.

"My grandparents? Just the two of them?"

Bao Ya had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

"And your eldest uncle and aunt. Your second uncle said that Xiaoquan came back last night."

It seems Lin Xiaoquan has come back for reinforcements; trying to renege on his debt won't be so easy. Bao Ya continued calmly, asking:

"Did they say when they'd be back?"

"They didn't say, they just said they were going to stay in the city for two days."

Bao Ya nodded, "Let them stay for two days then. I'll stay home for two days too, to give them a chance to reunite."

Bao Ya then called out to Old Lady Su, who was heating the kang (a traditional heated brick bed) outside:

"Grandma, I'll stay at home for a few days."

Grandma Su handed the fire poker to her daughter-in-law, wiped her hands, and went inside.

"What about Jiang Yuan?"

"He's working the night shift next week, so he can come over after work."

"Okay, I'll take the blankets from that room out to air them."

Grandma Su nodded. Jiang Yuan would come home after get off work during the day, and he didn't live far away.

Bao Ya hadn't stayed at home for a long time, so she told Su Ruyi to air out the quilts and tidy up the west room while she was at it.

Old Man Lin and his wife, along with two others, arrived in the city and headed straight for the meat processing plant's residential compound.

They thought that no one in the village could control Bao Ya, so she couldn't lose face in the city.

If Bao Ya insists that Lin Xiaoquan repay the money, the four of them will stay at her house and not leave. She doesn't believe she can kick her grandparents out.

They just didn't expect to find nothing at the meat processing plant's residential compound.

I asked around among the neighbors and found out that Bao Ya had left early in the morning. Some said she was going to her parents' house, others said she was going to her husband's house, but she wasn't there.

They waited at the door until dark, but no one returned. The four of them were cold and hungry, so they had no choice but to ask around and go to the machinery factory to look for Lin Xiaoquan.