Back to the 1970s: Building My Fortune Through Time Trading-Chapter 288: The Sewing Machine Can’t Be Sold Anymore
Skinny’s hair was a mess, and one arm was wrapped in thick bandages, hanging from his neck. Behind him, Liu Dadan had his foot similarly bandaged, using a thick branch as a crutch.
Their clothes were tattered, looking as if they had just escaped from a disaster.
"What’s up with you two?"
After not seeing them for a few days, how did they end up looking like this?
Su Xiaoxiao looked them up and down for a moment and couldn’t help but speak.
"It’s that shameless..."
Liu Dadan started angrily, only to be interrupted by Skinny.
"Forgot what we came here for?"
He glared at Liu Dadan, signaling now wasn’t the time to vent; there was proper business to attend to.
Liu Dadan shut his mouth with a sullen look, cheeks puffed out, seeming a bit aggrieved.
With a serious expression, Skinny said to Su Xiaoxiao, "Comrade Su, don’t sell your sewing machine these days."
"Why not?"
Su Xiaoxiao sensed something was wrong. Though she wasn’t close with the two, they came despite their conditions to warn her, something she had to appreciate.
"A few days ago, when we were selling a sewing machine, Scar’s men from the black market noted us. We got into a fight, but rest assured, we didn’t divulge even a word about you. I’ve heard he’s been looking into the source of the sewing machines all over recently. You have to be careful; he’s not a good person."
"We’re planning to lay low for a bit and just came to say goodbye. You take care of yourself."
As he spoke, two curious little heads suddenly popped out from the courtyard gate.
Skinny glanced over and met two pairs of wide, curious eyes staring at him.
After a moment of silence, Su Jianwu took out half a cornbread from his pocket, handing it over: "Here, for the beggars."
Skinny: "..."
Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but reevaluate the pair once more. Honestly, they did look a bit like something out of the Beggar Gang story, no wonder the fifth sibling misunderstood.
She coughed lightly and said, "Thank you, I’ll be careful. It’s getting late, you two should head back as well."
The two waved goodbye to Su Xiaoxiao, limpingly supporting each other as they left.
Su Jianwu looked at the cornbread in his hand that wasn’t taken, puzzled: "Third sister, why did the beggars leave? Don’t they like cornbread?"
Su Xiaoxiao: "..."
That evening, after the family had dinner, Su Xiaoxiao returned to her room, thinking about what Skinny had told her, slightly furrowing her brows.
Looks like she couldn’t sell the sewing machine for now. It was a shame, especially when business was just picking up.
After sitting on the kang for a while, she remembered she hadn’t used her lottery chance. Rubbing her hands, she opened the game interface.
With a thrill of excitement, she boldly pressed the button.
The prize wheel spun rapidly. She stared at it, hardly daring to blink.
Moments later, the spinning stopped, and the pointer trembled to a halt at a certain spot.
Seeing it, Su Xiaoxiao laughed. A refrigerator—she had actually won a refrigerator! Though it was just a 180-liter small double-door fridge, she was content.
Really, it was as if whatever she thought about came true. With this little fridge, she could stock up on more goodies in the future.
The current dilemma was finding an excuse to bring out the fridge.
Fridges in those days were more luxurious than televisions.
A fridge required five to six hundred yuan and dozens of industrial coupons.
Ordinary workers could only earn a few industrial coupons a year, so it would take years of saving just to buy a fridge.
No one in their surrounding villages had one.
Most rural families still dug cellars for storage during this time.
Sigh, she finally had some good fortune, but she could only watch, not use it. It was frustrating.
Feeling discouraged, Su Xiaoxiao lay on her bed, pondering how to find a chance to bring out the fridge, and soon fell asleep.
Her sleep quality was excellent; she usually slept through the night until morning.
She hurriedly got up and washed, seeing several steaming bowls of rice porridge on the table in the main room.
It was mixed with corn grits, neither too thick nor thin, and smelled delicious.
It had been a long time since Su Xiaoxiao had rice porridge. Swallowing hard, she quickly washed up and took a big sip from a bowl.
With that sip, warmth spread through her stomach, comfortingly.
There was also a plate of sliced pickled radish on the table.
Obviously fried with oil, it was fragrant, crispy, and appetizing, just perfect with the rice porridge.
Sipping the porridge with the pickled radish, she finished a bowl and comfortably patted her stomach. Having a bowl in the morning was way better than eating hard cornbread.
After breakfast, she rode her bike to the department store, pondering the fridge matter along the way.
Approaching the entrance, she noticed Zhang Yulan walking ahead from afar.
Paddling faster, she caught up, about to greet her, when she noticed Zhang Yulan’s reddened eyes.
Her face was wet, and there was a bit of chapping at the corner of her mouth, as if she’d just been crying.
In a moment of confusion, Zhang Yulan glanced at her, quickly turning to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, forcing a smile, "Xiaoxiao, morning."
It was the first time Su Xiaoxiao had seen her like this. In her impression, Zhang Yulan had always been quite strong-willed; she’d never seen her this vulnerable.
Unable to help herself, she asked, "Sister Zhang, what’s happened to you? Did something happen at home?"
Mentioning home, Zhang Yulan’s expression visibly soured but quickly returned to normal, forcing a smile: "No, I just accidentally got sand in my eyes earlier while wiping them."
Seeing she didn’t want to talk, Su Xiaoxiao didn’t press further.
There must be boundaries between people; if someone doesn’t want to share, no matter how close, she shouldn’t insist.
"That’s good. Sister Zhang, just so you know, if you need my help, you must speak up. Otherwise, you’re not treating me as a friend." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
As long as Sister Zhang was willing to ask, she would do her best to help.
In the time she’d spent at the department store, Sister Zhang had helped her a lot, especially when she was new and clueless; it was Sister Zhang who helped her get acquainted quickly.
To Su Xiaoxiao, Zhang Yulan was both a mentor and a friend.
"Alright, I won’t stand on ceremony."
Zhang Yulan said, suddenly realizing that Su Xiaoxiao usually arrived right on the minute for work, hurriedly asking, "Xiaoxiao, what time is it now?"
"Seven twenty-eight."
As soon as Su Xiaoxiao spoke, both of them quickened their pace.
Work started at seven-thirty; they only had two minutes left.
Chen Meilan encountered them on her way, already used to how Su Xiaoxiao always cut it close, but was surprised to see Zhang Yulan.
Zhang Yulan was an old employee, always among the earliest to arrive. What happened today?
A second look at her face, with faint dark circles under her eyes, indicated she hadn’t slept well.
"Sister Zhang, what’s the matter?"
Concerned, she couldn’t help but ask; after all this time, they had become quite familiar.
Zhang Yulan shook her head, "Director Chen, I’m fine. I’ll head to work."
"Alright, go ahead."
Seeing it was already time, Chen Meilan didn’t ask further. After all, they weren’t that close yet.
Su Xiaoxiao had just dashed to the counter when a clearly unfriendly voice called from behind her.
