Chapter 15: Debt Collection (2)

Chapter 15: Debt Collection (2)

After the initial surprise, the woman remembered that Su Taotao mentioned they were visiting relatives. After scrutinizing them for a moment, she still couldn’t recall which relatives they were. She finally asked, “The relatives you’re visiting wouldn’t happen to be our family, right? And you are…?”

Su Taotao smiled and said, “It’s just a pretext. We’re actually here to see Chen Sihai.”

The woman had a sudden realization. “Oh, you’re here to see my son. Come on in. Sihai, come out quickly! Someone’s looking for you.”

The woman had a good impression of this family. Usually, people who came to her house unexpectedly to ask her son for favors would be turned away before they even got to see Chen Sihai. She rarely treated visitors so warmly. “Sit for a while. Let me get you some water.”

Su Taotao didn’t hesitate. After thanking her, she led everyone to sit on the bench confidently.

Zhou Linglan sat down beside Su Taotao, looking a little uncomfortable.

It must be said that Zhou Linglan knew how to raise her children well. Despite being their first time in such a communal apartment building, the two children only looked around curiously. Chenchen sat obediently in his younger uncle’s arms without running around or touching things indiscriminately. Even the candy dish on the table, filled with various sweets, didn’t catch his attention.

“Who’s looking for me…?”

A tall, sturdy man in his forties stepped out from the room. He paused when he saw Su Taotao and the others. Frowning, he asked, “And you are…?”

Su Taotao stood up, introduced herself, and handed him Cao Guohua’s personal letter. “Take a look at this first.”

After reading the letter, Chen Sihai’s expression became very emotional. He hurriedly asked, “Where is Teacher Cao now? How is he? Is he doing well?”

Su Taotao nodded and said, “Teacher Cao is currently in our production team, and everything is fine. You can rest assured.”

Chen Sihai then asked which production team they were referring to and some specific details about Cao Guohua. Su Taotao wasn’t very clear on the details, so Zhou Linglan answered most of the questions.

Chen Sihai nodded, relieved. “That’s good.”

"Mr. Chen, Teacher Cao mentioned something about it..."

Chen Sihai slapped his forehead and carefully examined the promissory note and photo in his hand before saying to Su Taotao, "Yes, there is indeed such a matter. I'll go get it for you."

Chen Sihai then went to his room and came back with a package. "Inside this is three hundred yuan, along with some extra ration coupons of mine."

Su Taotao was surprised by how smoothly things were going and started to protest, saying she only needed two hundred and fifty yuan.

Chen Sihai interrupted her by raising his hand, "Let me finish. Two hundred and fifty yuan is the debt. Once I take your promissory note and photo, we'll be even. The other fifty yuan is an imposition I hesitate to ask, but I know Teacher Cao well. Ever since he went to the countryside, he has refused to contact us. If you hadn't come today, I wouldn't have known how he's doing. Teacher Cao mentioned in his letter how you've been taking care of him.

I’ve met Mr. Fu a few times, so I feel comfortable asking you to check in on Teacher Cao from time to time. It wouldn’t be too much trouble, right? Just when you're improving your meals, if it's convenient, send a portion over to Teacher Cao. If he encounters any difficulties, inform me. As for those ration coupons, use them if you find them useful and if it's convenient to bring something for Teacher Cao, do so. If it's not convenient, feel free to ignore this request. The coupons will remain here, and you might find them more useful. In any case, thank you."

Hearing Chen Sihai's words, Su Taotao understood that he and Cao Guohua shared a deep relationship. She shook her head and said, "You're overthinking it, Mr. Chen. There's not much we can do, but Teacher Cao and my father-in-law were comrades-in-arms. We'll definitely help where we can. You can count on us."

Chen Sihai's face lit up with joy, "Thank you so much. I'm currently the director of the meat processing factory, so it's convenient for me to get meat. If you ever need to buy meat in the future, feel free to come to me."

As they prepared to leave, Chen Sihai handed Su Taotao a piece of meat, about a pound and a half. It was a choice cut of pork shoulder. Chen Mama also insisted on giving Su Taotao a piece of fabric with a small defect and kept stuffing candies into the two children's hands.

Fu Yuanhang was so frightened that he repeatedly declined, but in the end, he could only reluctantly accept two candies. Chenchen's small pouch, embroidered with a peanut patch, was stuffed full.

Su Taotao also insisted on leaving all the remaining mountain goods with them, which they accepted happily. Chen Mama even made an agreement with Su Taotao that if she had any more mountain goods in the future, just send them over, and if there was anything she needed to exchange, just let her know. With her wide network of acquaintances, she would help Su Taotao exchange them.

Su Taotao thanked them profusely but declined the Chen family's invitation to stay for a meal.

Even though they had only just met, the Chens had already gone above and beyond. To ask for more would be inappropriate.

The entire family was courteous and knew their boundaries. The way the children were raised showed that this was a family worth getting to know better.

Su Taotao never expected that a trip to the county seat to collect a debt would bring such a huge unexpected gain. Not only did she recover the money owed, but she also earned a significant favor. It seems that living in the 1970s has brought her some good luck after all.

The family of four stepped out of the Chen family's house. Zhou Linglan was still in disbelief. "Taotao, is it really true that we not only got the money back but also received so much meat in exchange?"

Before Su Taotao could reply, Fu Yuanhang, who was floating on cloud nine from the candy, eagerly nodded. "It's true, Mother. I saw a thick stack of money with my own eyes, and there was a lot of meat in the basket!"

Since his older brother left, Fu Yuanhang had forgotten how long it had been since he last saw meat, except for the occasional fish and meat distributed by the village leaders during festivals.

Before they successfully collected the money, Su Taotao's heart had been in suspense. It was only now that she finally relaxed. She nodded. "Yes, we can at least have a meat dish every day from now on so that you and Chenchen can grow tall and strong. Isn't that right, Chenchen?"

Chenchen, perched on his uncle's shoulder, nodded. His mouth was full of candy, his big eyes wide and his cheeks puffed up. Caught up in the joy, he also smiled widely.

After coming out, the family of four found a small park to sit in and finished the dry rations they brought along. After eating, Su Taotao checked the time. There were still a few hours before the tractor would return to the village.

Chen Sihai had given them quite a few fabric tickets (tickets used to buy fabric), so Su Taotao decided to take them to the state-owned store first.

Upon arriving at the store, Zhou Linglan said, "Taotao, I'll just wait outside and watch the baskets."

Su Taotao thought for a moment. It would indeed be inconvenient for Zhou Linglan to carry the baskets inside, and she might end up not wanting to buy anything.

"Alright, you take a rest outside for a bit. We'll be out soon. Yuanhang, you must be tired too. Let your mother hold Chenchen for a while."

Chenchen, who was no longer resistant to Su Taotao, actively reached out to her.

Fu Yuanhang actually wanted to say he wasn't tired, but when he saw Su Taotao's expectant look, he swallowed his words.

Su Taotao was delighted to hold the little boy, cherishing him dearly.

"Chenchen, how about you pick a set of clothes and a pair of shoes for yourself later?"

Chenchen, tilting his head, found the question a bit beyond him. This was his first time in a state-owned store, let alone buying clothes and shoes.

After confirming the route, Su Taotao headed straight for the children's clothing section.

Clothes from this era didn't have many fancy styles, and the colors were not very vibrant. The most popular were the green military uniforms.

It was also Fu Yuanhang's first time in a state-owned store. The variety of goods was overwhelming to him. He looked down at his own worn-out liberation shoes, which were too big and had been stepped on the heels. His older brother bought them for him before he left, and he only dared to wear them during the New Year. The shoes had a hole in them, and he shyly pulled back his toes, contemplating whether to wait outside with his mother.

However, the opportunity to be inside the state-owned store was rare, and he couldn't help but want to continue looking, so he followed Su Taotao with a stiff upper lip, keeping his distance from the new clothes and shoes, not daring to touch anything for fear of soiling them.

"Yuanhang, pick a set of clothes for yourself too," Su Taotao said, shifting through the clothes and looking back at him.

Fu Yuanhang was startled, quickly waving his hands and shaking his head. "No need, no need, Sister-in-law. I don't need any. Just buy for Chenchen."

Fu Yuanhang knew that the money they recovered was from the savings Su Taotao brought with her when she married into the family. Before leaving, his mother had instructed him not to spend Su Taotao's money if possible.

Su Taotao really wanted to pat this child on the head. The admiration and expectation in his eyes were impossible to hide, yet there was no greed or gloom. He was a sensible child who made her heart ache.

"Yuanhang, look at these two sets of clothes. The larger size for you and the smaller size for Chenchen cost almost the same. But think about it, when you outgrow the larger size, Chenchen can still wear it. One set of clothes for two people. Aren't we getting a good deal?"

Fu Yuanhang blinked, finding her logic somewhat convincing but also feeling like something was off. Before he could react, Chenchen's small hand had already pulled on a green military uniform. "This one, Uncle..."

Su Taotao smiled, giving Chenchen a kiss. "Chenchen, you have great taste. I like this set too. We'll buy these two sets, the larger one for Uncle and the smaller one for Chenchen."

Chenchen nodded, his big eyes curved, looking very happy.

A nearby saleswoman, who had been picking her teeth, had overheard their conversation and had been giving them a look of indifference since they entered. But now, she spoke up. "These ready-made clothes are pricey and require fabric tickets. Can you even afford them?"

Su Taotao didn't even look at her, handing two large bills and good fabric tickets to Fu Yuanhang. She pointed to another young female clerk who was smilingly introducing clothes to an old man dressed in rags. "Yuanhang, wait over there. When that sister is free, tell her we want to buy these two sets of clothes."

Fu Yuanhang had never seen so much money and fabric coupons in his life and was so flustered that he almost dropped them. He hesitated and said, "Sister-in-law, I..."

Su Taotao put Chenchen down and took his small hand. Bending down to meet Fu Yuanhang's eyes, she said, "Yuanhang, you're such a good student. You must remember our great leader's advocacy of 'equality for all.' People aren't divided into classes or ranked by status. Workers and farmers, leaders and employees are just different divisions of labor in society. Of course, there are differences in quality and upbringing among people. Like some people who judge others based on appearances, but we shouldn't let that bother us." Su Taotao patted the child's back and said, "From now on, hold your head high and walk with confidence."

Fu Yuanhang's chest swelled with emotion. He nodded heavily, pursed his lips, and seriously said, "Yes," before striding forward with his head held high.

These days, most clerks acted like they were above everyone else and didn't care about customer service. Hearing Su Taotao's words, one of them couldn't hold back and stood up, glaring at her. "Who are you calling someone who looks down on others?"

Su Taotao couldn't be bothered with fools. She pointed to a banner hanging on the wall and said, "Can't read? Let me read it for you: 'Serve the People.' Do you think you're here to be a master?"

The clerk didn't expect someone with a dirty face and simple clothes to have such a strong backbone. She didn't dare to respond further and just stood there silently, her face dark.

As long as the clerk didn't provoke her, Su Taotao wouldn't engage.

Fu Yuanhang had already brought another salesperson back. The little boy beamed with excitement and confidence, feeling like he'd accomplished something big.

Su Taotao was very pleased. She had been worried that Fu Yuanhang's previous environment would make him timid and weak, which would be a shame for such a good child.

Su Taotao bought each of them a new outfit and a pair of sandals. Seeing that there were still some fabric coupons left, she also bought a piece of clothing and a pair of sandals for Zhou Linglan and herself.

These days, polyester was in fashion, but Su Taotao felt that pure cotton was more comfortable to wear.

The sandals were chosen by the two boys together, or more accurately, by Chenchen. Standing in front of the shoe cabinet, they whispered, and Fu Yuanhang, who doted on Chenchen, thought everything Chenchen pointed to was good, so he bought them accordingly.

While money went further back then, there were still shortages, and everyone needed to buy essentials for the whole family. In just a short time, all the fabric coupons were spent, and nearly twenty yuan were gone. Su Taotao never thought there would be a day when she'd feel heartache over spending ten or eight yuan.

This reminded her of the string of zeros in her bank account from her previous life. How nice it would be if she could bring that money here to spend.

After reuniting with Zhou Linglan, she was scolded. Zhou Linglan wanted to return the clothes and shoes bought for her.

Su Taotao firmly refused, her face showing how much it pained her. "I should have gone in with you. That was the money set aside by your father for you. You shouldn't spend it on me and Xiaohang."

Only then did Fu Yuanhang remember this. He touched the new green military uniform and shoes he had just received, reluctantly handing them back to Su Taotao. "Sister-in-law, maybe..."

Su Taotao looked at them seriously and said, "Do you see me as an outsider?"

Both mother and son shook their heads and said in unison, "No!"

Su Taotao said, "I’ve already said that from now on, I’ll handle all family matters. I know what I’m doing. I almost forgot to tell Dad. It's too late to write a letter now, so I’ll send a telegram to him."

After saying that, Su Taotao put Chenchen back on Fu Yuanhang's back. "Walk slowly to the supply and marketing cooperative and wait for me there. I'll catch up after sending the telegram. If we get separated, just go directly to the tractor parking spot. I'll be there before 5:00 PM."

The agreed meeting time was 5:00 PM.

Sending telegrams was really expensive these days. The telegram Su Taotao sent to Comrade Su Donghan had only seven words, not wasting even a punctuation mark: "Debt collected, safe, don't worry."

After sending the telegram, Su Taotao hurried to the supply and marketing cooperative. It was still packed with people at this time.

When she arrived, Zhou Linglan and the others were already waiting at the door.

Su Taotao told them not to go inside and crowd around. She put all the things in a basket and carried the empty basket inside to hold the space.

Seeing her like this, Zhou Linglan looked worried but didn't say anything more.

When Su Taotao came out, the empty basket was almost full!

Zhou Linglan's heartbeat became irregular seeing this, but she didn't ask anything.

When they returned to the tractor meeting point, it was already 4:50 PM.

Su Taotao felt like this trip was like a battle, almost exhausting her.

The team members who came with them kept looking at their full basket, and some even asked what they had bought. Su Taotao deflected them all with a mix of firmness and softness. This was also thanks to Zhou Linglan's experience, who had covered the basket tightly with a bamboo lid, making it impossible to see, and others didn't dare to lift it.

Thus ended a busy and fulfilling day trip to the county, walking back to the small mountain village under the setting sun.