Chapter 34: “where The Red Star Shines, There Lies Fertile Soil”
Lin Zhao rolled her eyes. The woman with the inverted triangle eyes across from her clearly hadn’t expected her to be so tough, her face twisting in anger.
At exactly eight o’clock, the copper bell clanged loudly.
Instantly, the crowd surged in, carrying the sour smell of sweat.
Several hands clutching receipts slapped on the glass counter.
“Comrade! Comrade!! Here’s money and cloth coupons, give me three feet of cloth first.” The girl with sheep horn braids leaned half her body into the counter, her blue cloth coupons stained dark with sweat.
Beside her, the woman in a patched jacket had a crying child under her arm and an even louder voice, “I came first, I want a bar of soap, here’s money and coupons!”
“There’s a child here, don’t squeeze!” Someone up front shouted.
“Comrade, get me 5 meters of hemp rope!”
…
Lin Zhao had noted the positions of the goods in advance, and having been lucky enough to witness such a scene before, she stayed completely calm, taking money, fetching goods, and giving change with movements as smooth as flowing water.
She could study, had a good memory, knew exactly what was where on her two sections of counter, and served the people with remarkably high efficiency.
The other girl had arrived late, knew nothing, and suddenly so many people surged toward her, the waves of urging voices forcing her into the corner between shelves, her white shirt hem wrinkled like pickled vegetables.
She was utterly at a loss, her lips moving lightly as she said something, but unfortunately, with big voices from all directions, no one could hear what she said clearly.
“Comrade, why are you standing so far away? I want a can of fruit and a towel, hurry up, I’m rushing to work!”
The people at her counter urged impatiently.
The county Supply and Marketing Cooperative had just undergone expansion, it wasn’t small, with about ten sections of counters.
Some counters had lots of people, the counter where the plump old employee sold seeds had fewer people, but she didn’t come to help, instead sneering coldly at the frequently erring little girl, her face full of mockery.
Li Fen was a warmhearted person, couldn’t bear to see a pretty little girl in distress, finished her own work and helped her out, teaching her as she went.
In a short time, Lin Zhao had figured out everyone’s temperaments at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
One warmhearted big sister Li Fen, and two who seemed to have less pleasant personalities.
It didn’t affect anything.
Salespeople all had iron rice bowls, no one could do much to anyone else.
Director Jiang was uneasy about the two new comrades, had come early, standing with hands behind back in the shadows of the grains and oils area, gaze passing over Lin Zhao’s perfectly neat braids.
This soldier’s wife even tied hemp rope into a neat figure-eight knot, as if she’d been immersed in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative for ten years.
Seeing Lin Zhao more skilled than the veterans, and the other little girl working hard to adapt, he nodded inwardly and left quietly.
Lin Zhao and the others were busy for nearly an hour before the crowd in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative gradually thinned.
Li Fen was used to this work intensity, bent down to get her towel, wiped the sweat from her face, and smiled at the two new girls: “How about it? Adapting okay?”
Lin Zhao had sweat beading on her forehead, her scattered hair on her forehead a bit damp, “Not bad, just too hot.”
“It is hot, hang in there, in two more months it won’t be this hot.” Li Fen comforted her.
She looked at the other new girl and smiled, asking: “Still don’t know your name?”
“…I’m Wang Ju.” The reply was like a mosquito buzzing, with so much noise it was impossible to hear what she said.
Li Fen had a straightforward personality, didn’t really like dealing with shy girls, afraid a slightly louder voice would scare her to tears.
“Oh, oh.” Li Fen awkwardly uttered two “ohs” in a row, forcing a polite smile, “Welcome, welcome, I’m Li Fen.”
“Sister Fen.” Wang Ju called softly, then thanked her, “Thanks for helping me earlier.”
To hear her speak, Li Fen had to perk up her ears.
The straightforward big sister waved her hand, “No big deal, no big deal, we’re all colleagues, helping each other is what we should do.
When I first came, I didn’t know anything either, it took several days of guidance from seniors to figure things out.
Get familiar with your counter quickly, note a bit where things are placed, it’s okay to be unskilled at first, after half a month or a month, you’ll know where the goods are even with your eyes closed.”
Wang Ju was very nervous, didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.
“What if I can’t remember?”
This…
Li Fen didn’t know how to respond.
It was just that little bit of stuff, get familiar and it’s fine, what was there to not remember.
Lin Zhao chimed in, “Try first, if you really can’t remember, you can write it in a notebook.”
Indeed, some people get so nervous their brains go blank.
Wang Ju’s eyes lit up, she looked at Lin Zhao and thanked her softly, “Thanks.”
Li Fen shook her head inwardly, how could someone so timid work as a salesperson, customers couldn’t even hear her speak.
The Supply and Marketing Cooperative work hours were from eight in the morning to three in the afternoon.
Lin Zhao just padded her stomach at noon, and as soon as it was time to get off work, she immediately packed up and went home.
As soon as she left.
Liu Chunhong threw her rag on the counter, grumbling, “What attitude, as expected of a connected person, no eye at all, the senior hasn’t left and she runs off first, outrageous! Simply outrageous! Don’t know if they hired a salesperson or an ancestor, if it were my daughter coming in, she wouldn’t act like that.”
Li Fen had a good impression of Lin Zhao, so she said: “It was already off-work time, they didn’t leave early.”
“If you really want to find a job for your daughter, just give her your job. Don’t bully the young comrades, at least act like a senior.”
After leaving a few words, Li Fen left directly.
She really hoped Liu Chunhong would think it through, the two new female comrades had overcome great difficulties to come in, and directly as formal workers, what did that mean? It meant they had big backers!
If it really came to conflict, who would suffer wasn’t certain.
Liu Chunhong knew Li Fen’s words made reason, but she still sullenly scowled in anger.
“Who bullied the young comrades? How am I not acting like a senior?! I can still work, how could I give away my job, give it away then what would I do!? A job has value only if you hold it in your own hands, Li Fen talks so reasonably, why doesn’t she give her job to her sister!?”
“It’s those two showy Lin Zhao and Wang Ju… who snatched my daughter’s job, the moment I heard the news I went to the director, the director clearly said it wasn’t decided yet, I thought my daughter had a chance, went everywhere pulling connections, spent so much money and ration coupons in between, and in the end got nothing, how could I not blame them?”
She hadn’t tripped them up already being pretty good.
The more Liu Chunhong thought, the angrier she got, staring in the direction of Lin Zhao’s counter, her eyes turning fierce.
“I know you’re aggrieved, but they’ve already started work, let it go.” An old employee friendly with Liu Chunhong comforted her.
Liu Chunhong said no more.
Couldn’t let it go.
Her family couldn’t suffer this loss in vain.
Her daughter’s swollen crying eyes appeared before her, Liu Chunhong resolved not to let those two new ones have it easy.
It had been bright sun in the morning, now it turned overcast, with wind, blowing on the face, dispelling the stuffiness.
Lin Zhao walked unhurriedly, first went to the post office to mail the letter, then asked the person at the counter, “Comrade Liang, any letter for me?”
Liang Yi said: “Yes, arrived this morning, wait a bit, I’ll find it for you.”
With that, she half-squatted and started rummaging.
Moments later, she stood up, holding a letter in hand, “Here, your letter.”
“Starting today I’m working at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, no need to send letters to the village anymore, I’ll come pick them up every few days.” Lin Zhao said with a smile at the corners of her mouth.
Liang Yi widened her eyes in surprise: “You became a salesperson?!”
“Yeah, started today.” Lin Zhao replied.
Liang Yi stepped forward half a step, body leaning against the counter, grabbed her hand, lowered her voice: “Congrats! Comrade Lin, if there are any defective products in the future, don’t forget me, I absolutely won’t let you suffer a loss.”
“Of course.” Lin Zhao agreed, “Help each other, you’ve helped me a lot these years, I remember it all.”
Liang Yi beamed with joy, wanted to say more, but someone came in, so she swallowed the words.
Lin Zhao winked at her, waved the letter in her hand, and strolled out of the post office.
Once outside, she eagerly tore open the envelope.
The letter today was quite thick.
She casually found a place to sit, unfolded the letter paper.
Inside were two tickets, one bicycle ticket, one watch ticket.
“!!”
Lin Zhao froze, her fair fingers pinching up the two tickets, holding them under the sun to check, before coming back to her senses.
Real tickets!!
A look of surprise appeared on her face, her eyes curving in a smile.
Lin Zhao carefully put the tickets into her shoulder bag and began reading the letter.
【To Comrade Lin Zhao:
Peace of mind upon reading.
Your letter received and read, greatly pleased.
Learning you will soon take up post at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, I am much relieved. Have written to inform Mother to care for the children on my behalf, so you may devote yourself to socialist construction with peace of mind.
Considering the brigade is quite far from the county Supply and Marketing Cooperative, specially entrusted comrades to obtain two tickets via connections: one Permanent brand bicycle ticket, one Shanghai brand watch ticket. The former solves commuting troubles, the latter aids punctuality at work, hope wife makes good use.
These two items are essentials for production and life, advisable to promptly go to the county department store to purchase with tickets. Enclosed remittance slip for three hundred yuan whole（Remittance number: Ge Zi No. ****）.
Though separated by distance, wherever the red star shines is hot soil, hope you take great care.
Best regards,
Revolutionary salute,
Gu Chenghuai
June 20, 1966, some night】
Lin Zhao read the short letter several times, the smile at the corners of her mouth never fading.
Soon after, she returned to the post office.
Mailed Gu Chenghuai a bottle of meat sauce and a can of meat.
Liang Yi looked at her with a smile, eyes teasing.
Lin Zhao kept her composure, watched her pack the items, then left.
A bicycle was a big item, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative sold them but needed advance order, she planned to tell procurement tomorrow and ask him to help order one.
As for the watch, simple, could buy it tomorrow!
With plans in mind, Lin Zhao headed straight to the state-run restaurant and bought several meat buns to take away.
Haven’t seen the cubs for a day, as their mother she missed them terribly, walked very fast.
Da Zai and Er Zai missed their mother too, had been waiting at the village entrance early, Tie Chui saw Da Zai and Er Zai not playing, stayed at the village entrance with them.
Three little friends, one big and one small two dogs, sat at the village entrance quietly waiting.
“Woof—” Da Huang suddenly stood up, barked once, and ran forward.
Er Zai abruptly stood up, shouting: “Da Huang! Da Huang where are you going, come back!!”
Da Huang stopped, stood in place, saw the little master not moving, barked once more toward the end of the road.
Da Zai thought of something, took off running, Amber followed him running, the quiet dirt road suddenly lively.
“Mom!” Da Zai’s excited voice rang out.
Lin Zhao sped up her steps, reached Da Zai in a few strides, “Why are you here?”
“Came to pick up Mom.” Da Zai lifted his little face, clear eyes blinking unwaveringly at Lin Zhao, brightly reflecting her figure, like a fledgling guarding the nest, waiting for the returning hen.
“Mom, I missed you.”
He was an introverted shy little friend, first time saying he missed his mom, Lin Zhao felt her heart melt, said softly: “Mom missed you all too, missed you all day.”
At these words, Da Zai who had been a bit shy smiled at the corners of his mouth.
“Mom, how was your day?” he asked.
“Good, and you, were you all good?” Lin Zhao said.
“Good too, this morning milk steamed egg custard for us, mixed milk powder for San Zai and Si Zai, at noon milk cooked thick rice porridge for us, with Mom’s little pickled vegetables, so delicious, Er Zai and I drank a big bowl.” Da Zai answered Mom’s questions one by one, then asked back: “Did Mom eat?”
He meant at noon.
“Ate, just something casual.” Lin Zhao said.
Da Zai took the net bag from Mom’s hand, “Mom working is hard, Er Zai and I are big friends now, we can do things at home, Tie Chui helped us too, Mom work well, don’t worry about home.”
The last half sentence he learned from Gu Mu.
The little friend’s hand was soft, with rough patches on the finger pads, traces from always helping with work.
Lin Zhao’s heart softened, looked down at her good eldest son, touched his little face.
“How could I not worry.” Such an understanding cub.
“Don’t wait here in the future, you play your games, I’ll come back when I should, when I get back I’ll come find you, what if a big truck passes on the main road, you’re short and squatty, driver up in the cab can’t see you, so dangerous.”
Da Zai explained, “We didn’t wait on the main road, we waited at the village entrance, milk told us to, Da Huang suddenly ran and barked, I knew it must be Mom coming back, that’s why we ran over.”
“I know you’re good.” Lin Zhao softened her voice.
Her gaze passed over Da Huang squatting there and Amber circling her ankles, her eyes gentle.
“Da Huang and Amber are good too.”
Er Zai saw his brother helping Mom carry the cloth bag, nothing for him to carry, so he said: “Mom, I’ll carry your bag for you?” Eyes expectant.
Lin Zhao took off the bag and gave it to him, Er Zai imitated Mom slinging it over his shoulder, the green shoulder bag nearly dragging on the ground, Da Zai quickly tugged it so it didn’t touch.
“Er Zai you have to hold it like this, don’t get Mom’s bag dirty! Mom has to carry it tomorrow!” He taught his brother seriously and sternly.
“I know.” Er Zai said loudly, then walked forward holding the bag just like that.
Tie Chui followed beside him, grinning happily.
Entering the village entrance, Lin Zhao said: “Tie Chui, thanks for helping Da Zai and Er Zai with work, playing with them, Aunt will treat you to buns.”
Before Tie Chui could speak, Er Zai’s eyes suddenly brightened, voice clear: “Mom, you bought buns again?!”
“Yeah, saw you being good, bought you meat buns.” Lin Zhao said.
Er Zai ‘whooped’ and twisted around to pounce into Mom’s bosom, little head burrowing straight into her bosom, laughing so hard his whole body shook, “Thanks Mom, I like eating meat buns.”
What don’t you like eating.
Lin Zhao laughed.
Tie Chui licked his lips, gaze affectionately on Third Aunt, obediently thanked: “Thanks Third Aunt.”
Back home, after washing hands for the three cubs, Lin Zhao gave each one a bun.
“You eat a bun first to pad your stomachs, in a bit I’ll make cold noodles, okay?”
Er Zai gnawed on the meat bun, cheeks bulging, “Good, everything Mom makes is delicious.”
After saying that, he went to the village to play with Tie Chui.
Da Zai sat on the small stool nestled beside Mom, Amber circling at his feet.
“Why didn’t you go out?” Lin Zhao put her arm around Da Zai’s shoulders, his body still on the skinny side, small in her arms, eating very carefully, unlike Er Zai who always got it all over his face.
