In fact, when Chen Xiue returned earlier, she had already received congratulations from the neighbors. Still, she wasn't at ease until she saw it with her own eyes.
"This is wonderful! Now our family has three workers. Life will only get better from here! Your father has already gone to the post office to send letters to your brothers and sisters. Once they receive the news and learn that you don't have to go to the countryside, they'll definitely be happy for you!"
Hearing this, Su Yun's lips moved slightly, but she said nothing.
"Xiaoyun, you must be tired from your first day at work. Go rest for a while. I bought some of your favorite side dishes earlier, and I happened to run into Aunt Xia—she even gave me a piece of tofu. I'll go cook now!"
Chen Xiue said this as she picked up the vegetable basket and prepared to leave.
Su Yun quickly pulled her back. "Mom, to celebrate me finding a job, I bought some pork belly that doesn't require ration coupons. Since the He family is also stewing meat tonight, let's cook ours too!"
At the words "doesn't require ration coupons," Chen Xiue's eyes widened. "There's such a good thing?"
Su Yun's storytelling skills had grown increasingly smooth. "The aunt who sold me the job recognized me as her goddaughter. She showed me around all day and introduced me to some of her former connections. Among them, someone sells things without ration coupons. I bought it from him. It's very safe…"
With just a few sentences, Su Yun successfully convinced her mother.
Chen Xiue divided the two jin of pork belly into two portions. She salted and hung up one portion to preserve it, and used the other to make stir-fried pork. The four apples were locked away in the cabinet.
The afterglow of the sunset still lingered on the horizon.
Most families had finished cooking dinner. The smell of stewed meat drifted through the air. As usual, the children of the courtyard squatted outside Widow He's door, breathing in the aroma with envy.
Su Wenshan had already returned from the post office. When he saw Su Yun in her work uniform, though he wasn't as openly emotional as Chen Xiue, his eyes still reddened, and he repeatedly said, "Good, good, good."
In the courtyard, Su Baoguo skipped back home. Smelling the meat and seeing the He family's tightly shut door, he snorted disdainfully.
As he stepped into their main room with his satchel slung over his shoulder, he began complaining. "Widow He's family is eating meat again tonight. How strange. They used to be so stingy. Who knows what's gotten into them these past two days…"
Before he could finish, he saw Su Yun carrying bowls and chopsticks inside.
Instantly, Su Baoguo jumped high into the air, raising both hands in celebration. "Whoa! Second Sister is wearing a worker's uniform! Second Sister doesn't have to go to the countryside!"
Su Yun set the tableware down, smiling brightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Wenshan bent down and pulled out a small jar of white liquor from under the heated kang. He poured himself a cup with swift movements.
Chen Xiue followed in, shut the door behind her, removed her apron, and then scolded Su Baoguo with a smile. "Alright, your loud voice could lift the roof off. Look at how dirty you are. Instead of coming straight home after school, where did you run off to? Anyone would think you've been digging coal all day. Go wash your hands and eat!"
In front of his mother, Su Baoguo didn't dare misbehave. He quickly put down his satchel, washed his hands, and sat at the table. His eyes immediately locked onto the glossy plate of garlic sprout stir-fried pork belly in the center, along with the leftover half-basin of chicken soup from last night.
His eyes widened, and he swallowed instinctively.
Once the whole family was seated, Chen Xiue spoke. "Today is Xiaoyun's first day as an official worker. It's worth celebrating. She brought this meat back herself. She truly met a good person—the lady not only sold her the job but also helped her a lot. I think we shouldn't delay paying for the job. We need to repay her as soon as possible."
Turning to Su Wenshan, she continued, "Tomorrow, see if you can apply for three months' salary in advance from the factory. If we pool everything together, we should be able to come up with 300 yuan. At worst, we'll tighten our belts for the next few months."
Just as Su Yun was about to say it wasn't necessary, Su Wenshan nodded firmly. "That's the right way to do it."
"Alright then, let's eat!"
As soon as Chen Xiue gave the word, Su Baoguo swiftly grabbed his chopsticks and picked up a big piece of fatty pork for Su Yun. "Second Sister, you eat this fatty piece!"
He then served meat to Chen Xiue and Su Wenshan before finally taking some for himself.
With oily pork belly paired with white rice, Su Baoguo quickly finished a large bowl.
While refilling his second bowl, he took the opportunity to say to Su Yun, "Second Sister, lend me your uniform later so I can try it on. I've never worn a worker's uniform before. It looks so stylish. When I grow up, I want to be a worker too!"
Smack!
Before he finished speaking, Chen Xiue tapped him with her chopsticks.
"That's your sister's work uniform. You're so messy—what if you dirty it?"
Then she turned to Su Yun. "Xiaoyun, after dinner, take off your uniform. I'll alter it for you tomorrow. It's too big, and the pant legs are too long. They all need adjusting."
Su Yun nodded obediently. "Okay."
Su Baoguo buried his face in his rice bowl, looking aggrieved.
While the three of them chatted, Su Wenshan quietly savored his liquor on the side. Chen Xiue pretended not to notice and let him be.
After dinner, Su Yun returned to her room and packed some books into her old satchel, planning to study during breaks at the recycling station.
After washing up and lying in bed, she smelled the fragrant shampoo from the system store lingering in her hair. She couldn't help summoning the treasure-hunting system again and checking her balance.
Then she rolled back and forth across her bed in excitement, happily thinking about what she should buy next.
Ah, the troubles of being rich were truly simple!
The next morning, Su Yun woke from a beautiful dream. She happily put on an old set of clothes, tied her long hair into a ponytail, grabbed her soap and toothbrush, and went out to wash up.
Morning in the courtyard was lively. Every household was bustling, and the first task of the day was to empty the night soil at the public restroom.
While Su Yun was brushing her teeth by the courtyard water basin, He Hua deliberately approached her carrying a chamber pot.
A malicious look appeared on her face. She intended to "accidentally" splash the dirty water onto Su Yun.
However, in the next second, a basin of dirty water suddenly poured from the side—right onto her!
Splash!
He Hua flew into a rage and screamed, "Ah! I just changed into these clothes today! This is my only set without patches! Who? Who did this?"
Still brushing her teeth, Su Yun turned her head in surprise.
Short little Su Baoguo stood there holding a porcelain basin, laughing loudly. "Ugly freak! You had to block the way first thing in the morning. Serves you right!"
He Hua nearly exploded with fury.
She directed all her anger at Su Yun, pointing at her and shouting, "So what if you found a job collecting scrap? What's there to be arrogant about? Just wait—I won't let this go!"
With that, she ran back inside. Shortly afterward, she reemerged wearing a patched set of old clothes, holding the stained outfit to wash, her expression murderous.
Taking advantage of the moment, Su Baoguo made a face at her, turning her face green with rage and deepening her resentment.
Su Yun ignored her entirely. She finished washing up, ate breakfast, took the lunch Chen Xiue had prepared for her, and slung her satchel of books over her shoulder.
As she walked through the alley, she had not gone far when she heard someone shout from behind:
"Su Yun!"
The voice instantly made her entire body tense.