The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

Zhang Haiyan went out and asked around, and finally found out: "Jiang Furong, you're so lucky! The deputy squad leader of the kitchen squad is going to the provincial capital tomorrow on some business. I asked for you, and he said you could go with him."

The shuttle bus from Xinzhuo County to Liuzhuang Town passes through Xiaogou Village where the compound is located.

If the cadres and soldiers of the army are not dealing with urgent and important matters, taking a long-distance bus is also one of the ways to travel.

"Great!" Jiang Furong could hardly believe her good luck and jumped high on the spot.

Follow those in military uniforms, it will be super safe on the road.

Zhang Haiyan laughed heartily. "Look how happy you are. By the way, the bus to the provincial capital leaves at 8 o'clock, and they should leave at 6:30. You have to come here and wait for them after 6 o'clock in the morning."

As long as she could get a ride, even if she had to leave at three in the morning, Jiang Furong would still be there waiting for her: "Okay."

"I forgot to ask the deputy squad leader's name, but I told them you're from Deputy Section Chief Jiang's family, and your name is Jiang Furong." Zhang Haiyan added sheepishly, "He was just riding his tricycle back to the cafeteria, and I was so anxious to tell you that I forgot about it."

Jiang Furong was already very satisfied: "You have helped me a lot, I don't know how to thank you yet. Then I will go home first, my grandma's sleeping place has not been cleaned up yet."

Zhang Haiyan waved her hand considerately: "Go quickly, you have things to do."

Jiang Furong was smiling all the way out of the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Xiao Jiang, what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?" The chief's wife's voice came from behind the courtyard gate: "Where are you going now?"

Jiang Furong then realized that she had unknowingly walked to the small path in the courtyard.

She looked at the chief's wife and smiled even more brightly: "Hello, Auntie! I came here specifically to ask you something."

The chief's wife raised her eyebrows: "Oh?"

Neither responding nor refuting, just giving you a chance to continue speaking.

Jiang Furong spoke frankly, "Auntie, I want to ask you if we need to deal with those tables, chairs, and benches? My family has relatives coming over, and we don't have enough supplies, so I came to ask you."

Jiang Furong knew very well that crying poor was the best way to ask for things from others, no matter whether they were good things or rubbish.

Some people would rather throw things away than give them to you.

If she wanted the strange wife of the chief to believe her, she had to not only tell him the real purpose of wanting the things, but also cry poor. Besides, the Jiang family was really penniless now, and all the furniture was shaky and could not withstand being examined.

The leader's wife's eyes changed when she looked at Jiang Furong.

She has seen many people who fawn and flatter when asking others for favors, and she has also seen people who are too concerned about face and pretend to be rich. She knows how to deal with both types of people.

It's just that a seemingly innocent little girl can make such a high-sounding excuse for asking for rags.

"These pieces of junk are no longer usable. We're going to chop them up and use them as firewood." The chief's wife replied indifferently.

The meaning is very clear, no.

Her unspoken subtext was, "You took some junk from me and used it as furniture, then told your relatives I gave it to you, and I'm using it like this? Don't I have any dignity?"

Jiang Furong would never take such words as a rejection. She had already seen hope in this answer:

First, the chief's wife's words confirmed that the pile of tables, chairs and benches were broken and were waiting to be thrown away.

Secondly, the chief's wife has softened her stance and is willing to talk to people. If she doesn't want to talk to people, she can just shake her head and say "it's still useful" to shut them up.

How could Jiang Furong miss such a great opportunity? "Auntie, could you give this pile of firewood to my family for emergency? My dad went on a mission yesterday, and my grandma will be here tomorrow. We don't have any gas at home, so some firewood can help. My mom has Sunday off, so we'll go to the woods and pick up some branches and bring them back to you."

If you borrow something, you must repay it. It’s not difficult to borrow again.

The chief's wife's eyes changed again, and her tone softened: "Now that you put it that way, I have no choice but to give it to you, right?"

This is what I mean by giving.

But I wasn’t happy with the reward, and felt a bit overwhelmed.

Jiang Furong quickly lowered her head and admitted her mistake: "Auntie, I know I was wrong."

That's right, I became interested in the junk piled in the yard and tried every means to get it back.

The chief's wife was lenient and waved her hand: "Take a look at it. If you can use it, take it."

Jiang Furong smiled happily: "Thank you, Auntie. I'll go back and push a cart to get it."

It's such a huge pile! She can only move one stool at a time, and can't move small cabinets or anything like that. A bicycle would be much more convenient.

Jiang Dapeng was not at home, and his bicycle was parked in the patio behind the kitchen, so it came in handy at this time.

Jiang Furong excitedly took a rope and a basket from the small dark room and pushed her bicycle to "move furniture."

For Jiang Furong, that pile of junk was like a windfall.

There was a lame office chair, a cracked bench with holes in it, a small cabinet with a broken glass door, two four-legged stools that had fallen apart, and a basket filled with a yellowed mosquito net, a blackened kettle, a rusty ceramic cup, old towels and clothes that were so broken that they could not be lifted, and even a tattered marching blanket and a military raincoat with a big hole in it.

Since they are being taken away as junk, of course we have to accept them all.

It took Jiang Furong five trips to transport all the things back home. The last trip was to transport the small cabinet. Before leaving, she cleaned the yard and stacked the small pile of broken bricks scattered on the ground neatly against the wall.

The chief's wife was quite satisfied: "Xiao Jiang, I didn't expect you to be so young, but you are so good at finding solutions."

One person, one bicycle, one rope and a small wooden board, and the whole thing looks like a big truck.

Before leaving, he cleaned up the yard.

This little girl is not only sensible, but also capable.

Jiang Furong was already happy to receive the gift, and now she was praised before leaving. She had a very good impression of the chief's wife. She had no way to repay her, so she could only return the favor: "Auntie, I'm cleaning the house today and going to pick up my grandma tomorrow. I'll be free the day after tomorrow. Then I'll come over to turn this soil over and put some fertilizer in it so we can plant vegetables in the spring."

The chief's wife was surprised: "What fertilizer are you burying?"

Jiang Furong smiled and said, "I made this fertilizer myself." Seeing the chief's wife's even more surprised expression, she quickly explained, "I made this fertilizer myself by fermenting cabbage leaves, potato peels, and sweet potato rinds at home. It's very useful for growing vegetables and flowers."

She has participated in environmental protection research and development, from large-scale solar cells for cars to small-scale four-season greenhouse systems for growing vegetables at home, and she understands all the details.

The technology of energy storage batteries cannot be used here, and fermenting some organic fertilizer is just a small matter.