Chapter 44: Return to the Brigade

Xiao Weiguo saw his superior and immediately went over to greet him. Spotting a suitable opportunity, he called out, “Good morning, Lin. What a coincidence to see you here.”

Shiguang Lin turned to see Xiao Weiguo and replied with a cheerful smile, “What a coincidence indeed! Here to see the world a bit? What are you planning to buy? I’ll ask the manager here to give you a good deal.”

“I’m buying some things to bring home for a family visit. I was just about to buy some coarse cloth, but it’s just sold out. It’s all right, Lin; I still have cloth coupons. Once I’ve made my purchases, I’ll head back to the village,” Xiao Weiguo replied.

After hearing this, Shiguang Lin called out to someone who was just about to head up the stairs, “Wenchang, come here a moment.”

When the man approached, Shiguang Lin pointed at Xiao Weiguo and said, “This is my man, Xiao Weiguo. Help him get some coarse cloth.”

Then, turning to Xiao Weiguo, he continued, “This is Li Wenchang, my childhood friend. He’s now the department head at the department store. He’ll sort it out for you.”

Li Wenchang sized up Xiao Weiguo and said, “A friend of Lin’s is a friend of mine. Comrade, how much do you need? I’ll have someone bring it straight from the warehouse for you, but you’ll have to pay the regular price. That’s just how it is.”

Xiao Weiguo was delighted. He quickly considered how much cloth his family would need, calculating that each adult garment would require about seven or eight feet of cloth. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Director, could I have a hundred feet?”

That would cost twenty-two yuan, but it was enough to make more than a dozen sets of clothes—much more economical than buying ready-made garments.

Li Wenchang nodded, then waved over a sales clerk in the distance. The clerk hurried over respectfully.

“Go to the warehouse and fetch a hundred feet of coarse cloth for this comrade,” Li Wenchang instructed, then turned to Xiao Weiguo, “How should we split the cloth between men’s and women’s material?”

Xiao Weiguo hadn’t thought of that, but the leader was thorough. He replied at once, “Thirty percent men’s material, seventy percent women’s, please. Sorry to trouble you.”

“You heard him. Please take care of it,” Li Wenchang told the clerk.

“Wait here,” Shiguang Lin told Xiao Weiguo. “We have some business to discuss upstairs. If we need you later, we’ll bring you up.”

“Thank you, Lin, and thank you, Wenchang,” Xiao Weiguo replied, expressing his gratitude.

After a while, the sales clerk returned with a large bag and handed it to Xiao Weiguo, his tone eager to please. “Comrade, you can check it if you want. I selected it according to your instructions. If there’s any issue, I’ll go back and exchange it.”

Xiao Weiguo took the bag without even looking inside. “Thank you, big brother. I trust you, no need to check. Here’s the money—please count it.”

He didn’t believe for a second that, with the leadership’s involvement, the clerk would dare slack off, so there was no need to check—and it wouldn’t do to press his luck. He knew he was probably getting tomorrow’s allocation, sold to him today.

“All right, deal done. Hope you’ll come again, comrade,” the clerk said after counting the money and finding no issue.

Carrying two large bags, Xiao Weiguo struggled toward the entrance of the department store, feeling he’d had a very successful day.

Suddenly he heard someone calling him from behind. Turning, he saw it was Shiguang Lin.

“Nearly missed you! Come, you’re heading back to the village today, right? Take two bottles of liquor for your parents. Let them have a good time at home.” With that, Shiguang Lin handed him two bottles of Xifeng liquor.

“Lin, this…”

Xiao Weiguo was surprised; in these times, liquor was the best gift for a visit. Shiguang Lin’s gesture deeply moved him.

“Oh, just take it, don’t refuse. When you come back, we’ll work together properly!” Seeing Xiao Weiguo hesitate, Shiguang Lin shoved the bottles into his bag and patted him on the shoulder before heading back inside.

Watching Lin’s retreating figure, Xiao Weiguo was filled with emotion. Lin truly treated him well; one day, he would make sure to repay him.

Xiao Weiguo didn’t think of simply working under someone. After all, he possessed a unique space; his way of thinking was always a cut above the rest. Deep down, he believed there was no one in this world he dared not face—it was only a question of whether he felt like it.

He knew this was a dangerous mindset, so he often reminded himself to be clear about his true wishes. After much consideration, he set his guiding principle for this world:

Let those dearest to him, and those who treated him well, have enough to eat and wear, and live as well as possible in these times.

Nothing more.

Struggling with his two large bags, Xiao Weiguo finally found his bicycle outside the department store and paid the caretaker two fen as a management fee. He placed one bag in the front basket, tied the other to the rear seat, and wobbled off.

Riding to a deserted spot, he quickly stowed both bags into his personal space and then sped up.

From the capital to his brigade, walking would take at least five or six hours without stopping, but by bicycle, he could get there in about an hour.

Judging by the sun, it was around ten o’clock. He’d reach the brigade by eleven, just in time to prepare lunch. Today, he was determined to treat his grandfather, grandmother, brothers, and sisters to a feast.

With excitement in his heart, Xiao Weiguo pedaled his heavy-framed bicycle like the wind.

The sun was blazing, and soon his work shirt was soaked with sweat. He ignored the discomfort and kept riding.

About half a mile from the brigade, when there was no one around, Xiao Weiguo found a secluded spot, entered his space with both himself and his bicycle, and freshened up—wiping off sweat and tidying his clothes so they looked neat.

He sorted through his things, picking out what to bring home and packing them on the bicycle: the malted milk, canned meat, canned fruit, and brown sugar from Quan Linglan’s family, the two bottles of Xifeng liquor from Shiguang Lin, all for his grandparents.

There was also the hundred feet of coarse cloth to bring home.

For his sisters, each received a box and a bag of Snowflake Cream.

He added two chickens, two rabbits, ten pounds of pork, and a bag of rice.

A barrel of peanut oil.

A big bag of White Rabbit candy and assorted sweets.

That seemed about right. Xiao Weiguo had a vague sense he’d forgotten someone’s gift, but couldn’t think of it, so he let it go.

He strapped the selected items onto the rear seat of his bicycle and slowly rode toward the brigade.