Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the overly excited Shen Guoqing came knocking. Shen Banyue squinted at the window and grumbled discontentedly, "This is way too early," before closing her eyes to shake off the sleep for a moment, then finally got up.

The room she shared with Xiao Dizi originally belonged to Shen Aizhen. When Shen Aizhen's family moved out, they took all their bits and pieces with them, so now the room contained only a bed, a long bench, and two small chairs.

Even during the apocalypse, Shen Banyue had never felt the phrase "a house as bare as a hanging jar, so poor one has no place to stick an awl" so profoundly.

But wait, she had savings now.

After getting dressed and putting on her shoes, Shen Banyue casually ran her fingers through her messy hair and hastily tied it into a bun with a rubber band. Then she picked up the bag made from scrap cloth from the small chair.

Inside were the bonus and candy from the commune, along with various "supplies" she had casually collected since crossing over: stuff like razor blades, matchboxes, glass marbles... Anyone who had lived through the apocalypse knew there were no useless supplies, only incompetent people.

Xiao Dizi, probably learning from her, had also collected a pile of odds and ends. Wang Guizhi had used scrap cloth to make her a small bag, which had now become a treasure trove—it not only contained money but even a gold bead.

Shen Banyue routinely checked both bags, took out the money to tuck into her inside pocket, then carefully placed the bags back on the small chair. She patted Xiao Dizi's cheek to wake her up and, while the girl was still half-asleep, deftly dressed her and put on her shoes.

Come to think of it, her efficiency in taking care of children stemmed from her time in the orphanage two lifetimes ago, where she had looked after many younger children.

Running an orphanage wasn't easy, and there wasn't much money for staffing, so the older kids practically acted as half the staff.

Shen Banyue felt that her ability to adapt so quickly to life as a child was probably connected to that experience as a sort of junior caretaker from her life before last.

Shen Guoqing first fixed a bowl of malted milk for each of the two girls, then hurriedly cleared the burning sticks from the stove and dumped them in the ash pit. By the time Shen Banyue and Xiao Dizi finished their malted milk and wiped their mouths, Shen Guoqing had already frantically placed three bowls of noodles on the table.

His cooking skills were average, but noodles were a luxury in those days, falling into the "hard to mess up" category. Especially since Shen Guoqing had extravagantly added lard, sprinkled chopped scallions, and sliced egg strips... Luckily, Shen Dechang wasn't up yet, or he probably would have sighed again.

After breakfast, Shen Guoqing went into his room, changed out of his old, heavily patched clothes, and put on an unpatched Mao suit. Slinging a military-green satchel over his shoulder, he instantly looked completely refreshed.

He tugged at his clothes nervously and asked, "How do I look?"

Shen Banyue gave him a thumbs-up: "Exceptionally sharp!"

Shen Guoqing immediately grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "Let's go, let's go, we need to hurry, or we'll miss the bus to the county."

Missing the bus was impossible—it was still far from departure time. But Shen Banyue completely understood Shen Guoqing's mood. In her previous life, she had been just as nervous on her first day at the internship company.

Shen Guoqing had clearly made thorough preparations. As soon as they left home, he headed straight for the production team leader Shen Zhenxing's house. A few minutes later, he rode out of Xiaodun Brigade on Shen Zhenxing's prized bicycle, with the two little girls in tow.

At the village entrance, someone fetching water early in the morning saw Shen Guoqing pedaling like the wheels were on fire and muttered curiously, "Isn't that Dechang's youngest son? Where's he going so early in the morning?"

Another joked, "Couldn't be going courting this early, could it?"

Remembering the village rumors, both laughed. Guys in their twenties, they're just not steady enough. So what if a girl didn't fancy him?

Unaware that his reputation was taking another hit, Shen Guoqing sped along like a streak of lightning, reaching the commune in just over half the usual time. Not only was the bus not about to depart, there wasn't even a sign of it yet.

Shen Guoqing scratched his head sheepishly: "Well, perfect timing. Let's put the bike away first."

As they rode into the commune compound, they happened to run into Dai Xianghua at the gate. He looked surprised: "Why are you here so early? Did you hear some news? Wait, if you'd heard news, you should have brought those two kids..."

Shen Guoqing was also surprised: "What news?"

Dai Xianghua realized his mistake: "Oh, right, the brigade hasn't held any meetings these past two days. Where would you have heard that? Well, you're here just in time. That Quan Bin—yes, Quan Bin's parents rushed over. They arrived in the county town yesterday. I was just going to pick them up today. Oh, and also, Zhang Xiaowei's parents have been found. They can make it to the county town today. I'll bring them back together."

This barrage of information left Shen Guoqing momentarily stunned. It took him a while to process: "Ah, Xiao Zhuzi's parents are here? Xiao Wei's parents have been found too?!"

"Exactly," Dai Xianghua said happily. "Zhang Xiaowei's family has been looking for him all along. Right before he was kidnapped, his family happened to take him for a photo. His parents have been writing letters and sending photos everywhere, including to our province. So the information matched. His family is in the neighboring province, so they can get here quickly, arriving around the same time as Quan Bin's parents."

He sighed: "I've been so busy. I originally planned to visit your brigade the day before yesterday, but then I got a call saying they'd arrive today, so I figured I'd just pick them up first."

Shen Guoqing also sighed: "The kids' parents must be wishing they could fly here."

"No kidding." As they talked, they entered the compound. Dai Xianghua fetched a briefcase from his office. Coming out, he finally remembered to ask Shen Guoqing, "Oh, right, where are you taking these two girls?"

Shen Guoqing cheerfully explained about the job.

Dai Xianghua slapped Shen Guoqing's shoulder in surprise: "You lucky rascal!"

He and Liao Chengze weren't very close—they had known each other before but didn't interact much. It was only after catching the old woman this time that they became more familiar.

Even so, he couldn't help but remark: "Brother Liao is a good man. A fine bamboo shoot from a bad clump of bamboo. His family are a real piece of work." He left unsaid the thought that it served them right for having the job snatched away.

As it turned out, they could all go together.

Back at the bus stop, Liao Chengze was already waiting. Unlike others who traveled with large and small bags, he only had a satchel and a travel bag.

After exchanging greetings, Shen Guoqing remembered and handed Liao Chengze a cloth bag: "My mother made this herself. The dried meat can last quite a while, so you can save it. The dried vegetable cakes were made last night. The weather's cool now, so they should keep for at least three to five days. Don't let them sit too long."

Liao Chengze was surprised: "Auntie even made cakes for me? That's too much trouble for you all."

Shen Guoqing waved his hand: "What trouble? The old lady is really good at making these. She said if you like them, she'll dry some and send them to you later. Dried, they can last a long time."

He turned to Shen Banyue and Xiao Dizi: "We'll make more tonight. We'll have some when we get back from the county town."

Liao Chengze had initially thought about sharing them, but upon hearing that Dai Xianghua would also be going to Xiaodun Brigade later, he didn't stand on ceremony. He rolled up the cloth bag and stuffed it into his satchel.

After waiting a while longer, the bus finally arrived.

By then, a large crowd had gathered. As soon as the bus stopped, everyone surged forward in a rush to board.

Shen Guoqing, probably afraid the two children would get trampled, took Xiao Dizi from Shen Banyue. Immediately after, Liao Chengze picked up Shen Banyue.

Shen Banyue had actually been contemplating the feasibility of climbing in through the window. Liao Chengze, noticing her gaze fixed on the window, immediately understood. He walked to the window, lifted her up with both hands, and Shen Banyue reached the window ledge. With a bit of effort, she nimbly climbed into the bus.

Then, leaning out the window, she stretched out her arms, and Shen Guoqing obligingly handed Xiao Dizi up to her.

Once the two children were on board, the three men weren't in a hurry anymore. They brought up the rear and boarded the bus.

The bus was packed. Shen Banyue and Xiao Dizi occupied one seat, and they gave the other seat to an elderly woman. The woman carried a bundle with her. According to her, her youngest daughter had married into the county town and just had a baby. She was going to help out after the birth.

She only mentioned it in passing, as there wasn't much to chat about with two little kids.

As soon as the bus started moving, it rocked and swayed, rivaling an oversized cradle. Having gotten up so early, Xiao Dizi quickly fell asleep clinging to Shen Banyue's clothes. Shen Banyue was also drowsy and simply closed her eyes to nap.

At one point, Shen Banyue suddenly felt a sensation of being watched. Her eyes snapped open, and she turned her head, her eyes meeting the gaze of the elderly woman next to her.

The old woman was taken aback, then smiled gently: "You two little ones shouldn't sleep sitting up like that. If the bus brakes suddenly, you'll smack your heads on the seatback in front. Better call an adult over to hold you."

Smacking her head was naturally impossible—she was holding on tight. But the other meant well. Shen Banyue smiled and pointed toward Shen Guoqing and the others standing in the aisle near the front: "They're over there. Can't squeeze through."

The old woman glanced at the three tall, sturdy men and nodded: "That's true. Well, be careful then." She didn't say more, seeming exhausted herself. Soon, she also closed her eyes and began to doze.

Shen Banyue gave her a once-over, leaned back against the seat, hugged Xiao Dizi, and continued resting with her eyes closed.

Due to various constraints, the speed of vehicles in this era was painfully slow. Shen Banyue felt like she had been swaying in the stuffy bus for about a century when it finally came to a gradual stop.

She waited until most passengers had disembarked before helping Xiao Dizi off the bus.

Dai Xianghua still had to wait for Xiao Wei's family at the bus station, so the two groups parted ways at the station entrance.

Liao Chengze was quite familiar with the county town and led them to wait for the bus across from the station.

At that time, Shanxi County had only one bus route. However, the County Machinery Factory was a major workplace and naturally had a stop. After waiting a while longer, the bus finally arrived. Fortunately, the bus wasn't crowded at this hour, so they all found seats.

The roads in the city were naturally much smoother. Apart from hitting the occasional pothole, the bus ran pretty smoothly.

Shen Banyue took the opportunity to take in the sights of this small county town in the early 1970s.

It was much larger than Yunling Commune, with much wider roads. On both sides of the streets, there were no more mud-brick houses; instead, there were brick houses with tiled roofs, some five or six stories high.

It couldn't compare to the skyscrapers of the future, but in this era, it was already the "city" that country folk longed for and admired.

After another long, bumpy ride, passing a good ten stops, they finally arrived at their destination.

Someone was already waiting at the entrance of Shanxi County Machinery Factory—a thin, pale-faced woman. Liao Chengze introduced her as Gao Xiaoqin, the widow of his comrade-in-arms. He had contacted her earlier and arranged to come today to handle the formalities.

Gao Xiaoqin smiled at the group, patted her pockets, and said apologetically, "I didn't know there would be children along. I didn't bring anything with me..."

Shen Banyue fished two milk candies from her pocket and handed them to her: "Auntie Gao, I heard you have a younger brother at home. These are for him. I hope he stays healthy and grows up big and strong." Too bad she was just a kid and couldn't be of more help. All she could offer was candy and her good wishes.

Here she was, empty-handed for the kids, and now a child was giving *her* candy. Gao Xiaoqin felt too embarrassed to accept. But upon hearing the little girl's words, "healthy and grow up big and strong," she hesitated instinctively.

Liao Chengze smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, please take them. This child is healthy and quick-witted. If our little Jian eats the candy she gave, he'll surely grow up healthy and strong."

Xiao Dizi grinned, showing her tiny teeth: "Eat eat, grow big fast!"

Gao Xiaoqin's eyes reddened, and she nodded: "Mm."

The formalities went smoothly. As they were walking out after completing the procedures, a male comrade in work clothes and glasses hurried up to them: "Excuse me, which one is Comrade Shen Guoqing?"

The group stopped. Shen Guoqing asked, puzzled, "I'm Shen Guoqing. And you are?"

The male comrade smiled and said, "I'm Chen Yucheng, head of the Technical Department. A few days ago, while on a training course at Jiangcheng Machinery Factory, Master Shen Guoqiang asked me to bring something back." He took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Shen Guoqing: "Master Shen trusted me. I've been carrying this all the way back on pins and needles. Now that I've handed it to you in person, I can finally feel relieved of this heavy burden!"

Shen Guoqing suddenly understood.

His brother had said the money would definitely arrive today. He had just been wondering how it would "arrive," especially since Comrade Liao was about to leave.

He had to admire his brother's idea—having someone from the County Machinery Factory bring it back. Thinking about it, it made sense. He had to come to the factory to handle the formalities anyway. Having someone give it to him right at the factory ensured it would definitely reach him.

Still, it was such a large sum of money. One dared to ask someone to bring it, and the other dared to bring it. Shen Guoqing was impressed.

But then he thought again and felt he was worrying too much. A department head wouldn't embezzle his money, would he? Five hundred was a huge sum to him, but to someone else, it might not be considered a lot of money at all.

With mixed feelings, Shen Guoqing took the envelope, counted the money in front of Section Chief Chen, and thanked him repeatedly.

Chen Yucheng shook his head and smiled: "Master Shen and I are old acquaintances. No need to be so polite. You should start work next Monday, right? If you encounter any difficulties with work or life later on, you can always tell me. Even if I can't help directly, I can offer some advice."

Shen Guoqing naturally expressed his gratitude again.

Shen Banyue, watching from the side, thought Comrade Shen Guoqiang was indeed more astute than his younger brother. Asking Section Chief Chen to bring the money involved some risk, but actually, the risk wasn't that great. They were in the same industry, old acquaintances who probably knew each other well and trusted each other's character.

But this way, he seamlessly facilitated contact between Shen Guoqing and Chen Yucheng. This was much more natural than if Shen Guoqiang had introduced them himself. Shen Guoqing, this greenhorn, wouldn't have to worry about being completely in the dark when he first arrived.

After leaving the machinery factory, the group first saw Gao Xiaoqin back to the residential compound.

As a martyr's widow, although her job had been transferred, the factory hadn't reclaimed the housing. It was still allocated for her and her son to live in. The neighborhood committee would also assign her some work later, like assembling paper boxes or pasting matchboxes, so she could earn a little extra on the side.

Afterward, the group went to the post office.

Besides the money in the envelope, Shen Guoqing also gathered a wad of bills from several places on his person—there were ten-yuan notes and small change. Finally, he handed it all to the counter staff and had them issue a remittance slip for Liao Chengze.

Liao Chengze was unlikely to return easily. Withdrawing money from a bank across provinces was inconvenient, so remittance was better.

After handling the remittance, the group hurried to the bus station.

Liao Chengze needed to take a bus to Jiangcheng first, then transfer to a train to the military base.

Before boarding, Liao Chengze rubbed Shen Banyue and Xiao Dizi's heads, feeling a surge of emotion. He said, "When you have time, write to Uncle. When I get to the base, I'll send you some delicious treats."

Xiao Dizi blinked her big eyes: "Yummy, Xiao Dizi eat."

Liao Chengze laughed: "Yes, I'll send them for you to eat, and for Xiao Yue too, and the other children."

Shen Banyue asked with a smile: "If I write more letters, will Uncle Liao send us more delicious treats?"

Liao Chengze laughed heartily: "Of course."

After a pause, he added: "If you find your family, let Uncle know too."

Shen Banyue nodded earnestly: "Of course, I'll write and tell Uncle Liao everything. Uncle Liao, take care, stay healthy and safe."

Liao Chengze joked: "How come I don't get any candy?"

Shen Banyue, as if performing a magic trick, opened her palm to reveal two creamy White Rabbit milk candies. She said with a smile: "Everyone gets some, everyone. Uncle Liao gets some too."

Liao Chengze chuckled, didn't refuse, accepted the two milk candies, picked up his travel bag, said "Goodbye," and turned to board the bus to Jiangcheng.

The bus soon closed its doors and started. As it turned, the handwritten cardboard sign on the front windshield reading "Shanxi—Jiangcheng" first drew near, then gradually receded into the distance until it was finally out of sight.

The bus back to Yunling Commune was still a while away. Shen Banyue had noticed earlier that there was a supply and marketing cooperative just over a stop away from the station. She strongly insisted on going to visit the county town's co-op.

With a major task accomplished, Shen Guoqing's anxious heart finally settled. Even though his pockets were empty, he was filled with the joy of becoming a worker big brother. With a wave of his hand, he said: "Let's go! Uncle will buy you candy!" Well, he still had enough money for a few pieces of candy.

Yes, just a few pieces. Not a single one more.

The county town's co-op was naturally larger than the commune's, with a greater variety of goods.

Shen Guoqing, who originally intended to buy only a few pieces of candy, finally gritted his teeth and "spent his last penny" to buy a *jin* of freshly arrived pastries.

Shen Banyue didn't browse much, mainly because her funds were insufficient. She was afraid if she looked around too much, she'd want to buy everything. She had a clear goal. As soon as Shen Guoqing finished buying the pastries, she dragged him straight to the counter selling fountain pens.

"You want to buy a fountain pen? No, Xiao Yue, buying a fountain pen requires industrial coupons." Shen Guoqing indicated that he currently had no money, let alone industrial coupons.

Shen Banyue smiled and pulled a few industrial coupons from her pocket: "I have them."

Shen Guoqing's eyes widened: "Where did you get industrial coupons?" The industrial coupons in their family were all obtained by his brother. They had been used up when Shen Aimin got married and bought things. Shen Guoqing was certain even his own mother shouldn't have any industrial coupons left.

Shen Banyue smiled: "I exchanged them with Uncle Liao."

It was more like a semi-purchase, semi-gift. Liao Chengze only symbolically charged her fifty cents. Shen Banyue planned to remember this and later, when she got her hands on something good, send him something as a return gift.

Shen Guoqing: "..."

He hadn't even noticed when the little girl had exchanged industrial coupons with Liao Chengze.

Strictly speaking, the little girl was now richer than him. Shen Guoqing thought about it and felt that a child wanting to buy a fountain pen showed she was eager to learn and should be supported. So he said: "Then you buy it first. When Uncle gets his salary after starting work, I'll pay you back."

Shen Banyue casually agreed, kindly refraining from reminding Shen Guoqing that he was now officially indentured to his job—every hard-earned penny he made would go toward repaying the "loan" for buying it.

At that time, the main pen brands were Hero, Yong Sheng, and Xin Hua. Since her nickname was "Xiao Yue the Hero," she naturally chose the Hero brand. However, with limited funds, she couldn’t afford the ones costing ten or twenty yuan. After looking around, Shen Banyue finally settled on the Hero 616, which cost two yuan and eighty cents.

"Nine pens would be twenty-five yuan and twenty cents, right? I have thirty yuan here, sister. Can you give me back four yuan and eighty cents? How many industrial coupons? Four and a half? Oh, I have five coupons here, sister. Please give me back half a coupon."

After making her selection, Shen Banyue promptly produced the money and counted the coupons. The saleswoman at the counter couldn’t help but laugh and said, "Sweetie, your arithmetic is really fast. I haven’t even calculated it yet, and you’ve already figured it out."

Shen Banyue blinked. "Actually, I already had it figured out."

The saleswoman laughed even more heartily. "That’s still impressive."

Shen Guoqing sputtered, trying to stop her. "No, Xiao Yue, why are you buying so many pens? One is enough for us!" What kind of kid does this? Twenty-five yuan—almost a month and a half of an apprentice’s wages—and her ladyship here was about to spend it without batting an eye!

Shen Banyue said seriously, "Well, since we're already buying them, everyone should have one. Let’s buy one for Shen Wendong and Zhao Xuehai too."

Shen Guoqing counted and recounted, then pointed at Xiao Dizi. "She’s so little. Does she need a pen too?"

Xiao Dizi looked at him in confusion, then pouted after a moment. "Xiao Dizi, want!"

Shen Guoqing: "..."

Shen Banyue smiled. "Uncle, don’t judge a book by its cover. Xiao Dizi can’t use it now, but she’ll be able to in a couple of years."

Shen Guoqing muttered, "Then buy it in a couple of years!"

Shen Banyue replied, "But I want to engrave everyone’s names on them. That way, no matter where everyone goes in the future, they can keep them as a memento." In a previous lifetime, the old director of the orphanage had done the same—giving each child a pen engraved with their name before they left. It might not have been worth much money, but it served as a keepsake and a blessing.

At least she had kept that pen with her long after leaving the orphanage.

Shen Guoqing opened his mouth, thinking of Xiao Zhuzi and Xiao Wei, who had already found their parents. Finally, he nodded with finality. "Buy them!"