Ji Meiling was still crying and screaming outside about not wanting to go to the countryside, which naturally earned her a scolding from Lin Xiumei.
Her daughter was simply too foolish.
Ji Shuyu couldn’t be bothered to listen to the wailing and scheming of the mother-daughter pair outside her door.
She changed her clothes and deftly slipped out through the window.
Fortunately, the Ji family lived in a two-story Western-style house with some pipes nearby that could serve as supports.
Getting down from here was a breeze for her.
Ji Shuyu had a clear destination in mind: a quiet courtyard in the western part of the city.
This was where Uncle Zhang, her late mother’s former superior, lived.
Uncle Zhang had been very kind to them back in the day. Although he had later been transferred to the district, their bond remained.
“Uncle Zhang!”
Uncle Zhang was surprised to see her. It seemed that since Su Wanning passed away, Ji Shuyu hadn’t kept in touch much.
Had she run into some kind of trouble now?
Thinking this, Uncle Zhang’s face filled with concern. “Shuyu? Come in, come in. Goodness, child, how have you gotten so thin?”
Ji Shuyu’s eyes reddened slightly, her voice choked with emotion. “Uncle Zhang, things haven’t been good at home. That Auntie Lin, the woman my dad remarried… you know about her. Now… now they want me to go to the countryside in my sister’s place.”
“What?!”
Uncle Zhang frowned deeply. He hadn’t expected Ji Guodong to treat her like this after Su Wanning passed away.
“But aren’t you already married? What about your husband?”
Ji Shuyu tearfully shook her head, cutting him off.
“I’ve already sent my husband a telegram. I plan to join him at the army base on the island. But before that, he had someone arrange a salesclerk job for me at the department store.”
“I’d like to transfer it to Sister Zhang Wei. Hasn’t she always wanted to work at the department store? I’m willing to give it up and transfer it to her.”
Uncle Zhang was stunned, then felt a surge of delight. “Shuyu, this… this won’t do. Your husband must have gone to a lot of trouble to get this job for you.”
Hearing Uncle Zhang’s words, Ji Shuyu put on a understanding smile.
“Even if I kept it, I wouldn’t be able to hold onto it. Lin Xiumei and the others are watching like hawks—sooner or later, it would end up in Ji Meiling’s hands. Rather than letting them benefit, I’d rather give it to Sister Zhang Wei. She’s capable and will definitely do well there. It’s just…”
She appropriately revealed a hint of embarrassment.
After all, nothing in this world comes entirely for free.
Ji Shuyu was willing to transfer the job, but Uncle Zhang would have to offer something in return.
“Shuyu, if you have any difficulties, just tell me. If there’s anything I can do to help, I definitely will!”
Uncle Zhang immediately assured her. Having been a senior leader for so many years, he was well-versed in social niceties.
His daughter being able to take over a permanent position at the department store was a tremendous opportunity—he had been worried about lacking connections.
“Lin Xiumei and the others are pressuring me hard. I was thinking that when I go to the island, I’ll need some resources to fall back on… Uncle Zhang, do you think you could… lend me some money? Or perhaps you have any vouchers that could be exchanged for cash? Once I get settled there, I’ll find a way to pay you back.”
She carefully avoided mentioning selling, framing it only as a loan. This preserved Uncle Zhang’s dignity and made him feel even more obliged.
How could Uncle Zhang not understand?
This “loan” was essentially a gift. But compared to a permanent job at the department store, what did a little money matter?
He immediately made a decision. “Shuyu, don’t talk about borrowing. You’re helping Zhang Wei so much—I can’t shortchange you. Wait here.”
He turned and went into the inner room, soon emerging with a thick envelope. He also pulled out several industrial vouchers, fabric ration coupons, and grain coupons, handing them all to Ji Shuyu.
“Here’s 150 yuan. It’s all the cash I have on hand for now. Take these vouchers too—they’ll come in handy when you need to buy things over there. If it’s not enough, write to me later.”
Uncle Zhang spoke with deep sincerity.
Ji Shuyu politely declined a few times, but under Uncle Zhang’s insistence, she reluctantly accepted, her face full of gratitude.
“Uncle Zhang, thank you so much. I will always remember your kindness. Regarding the job, I’ll go back and complete the transfer procedures immediately so Sister Zhang Wei can report for duty as soon as possible.”
[Conversion successful! Points obtained: 1500!]
The system prompt sounded in Ji Shuyu’s mind.
She was inwardly overjoyed, but her face still wore an expression of profound gratitude.
After bidding farewell to the exceedingly grateful Uncle Zhang, Ji Shuyu walked home with light, brisk steps.
She had gotten 150 yuan in cash, kept 50 for herself, gained more points, and even managed to exchange a troublesome job for a favor and practical benefits—it was simply perfect.
Now, all that was left was to wait for Lin Xiumei to deliver what she had promised.
But those two would definitely be watching her closely to ensure she signed that consent form for the countryside.
Ji Shuyu thought for a moment, then opened the points mall to see if there were any tools similar to a “smoke and mirrors” type of trick.
Finally, her gaze settled on a tool called an “Erasable Pen.”
When using the Erasable Pen to sign, the ink would automatically disappear after three hours.
It could be used three times but cost 20 points.
Ji Shuyu decisively chose to exchange for it. Three uses was quite a bargain.
Meanwhile, the Ji household was shrouded in gloom and misery.
Lin Xiumei was as restless as an ant on a hot pan.
Three hundred yuan was no small sum. Even if she used all her private savings, it wouldn’t be enough, and she didn’t dare touch the family’s savings—if Ji Guodong found out, he would skin her alive.
Besides, she couldn’t ask Kang Yong for more money—she hadn’t even filled the three-hundred-yuan gap yet.
Ji Meiling’s eyes were red and swollen from crying as she tightly guarded her small wooden box containing a few pieces of jewelry.
“Cry, cry, cry! Is that all you know how to do?”
Lin Xiumei was agitated and shot her a fierce glare.
“This is all because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut!”
She looked at her daughter’s jewelry box, her heart bleeding.
Inside were a few items from her own dowry, heirlooms from Ji Shuyu’s mother, and some pieces she had saved for Ji Meiling—all worth a bit of money.
“Meiling, I know you’re upset…”
Lin Xiumei gritted her teeth and softened her tone.
“But right now, if we don’t send that jinx Ji Shuyu away, do you want to go to the countryside yourself?”
She shuddered, not daring to think further.
“Mom, do you really have to sell my things?”
Ji Meiling’s face was full of disbelief.
“It’s just pawning them for now!”
Lin Xiumei quickly coaxed her. “Once this blows over, I’ll redeem them for you. The most important thing now is to get rid of Ji Shuyu. Once she takes the money, signs the form, and goes off to the countryside, this family can finally have peace, and you can keep your job!”
Thinking of her job at the department store, Ji Meiling wavered.
In the end, under Lin Xiumei’s mix of coaxing and intimidation, she watched tearfully as her mother took away her most treasured gold bracelet and a pair of silver earrings.
Lin Xiumei took the jewelry and secretly went to a pawn shop. After some haggling and enduring heart-wrenching pain, she exchanged them for 120 yuan.
Adding that to the 80 yuan she had scraped together from her private savings, she finally managed to gather the 200 yuan in compensation for Ji Shuyu.
She didn’t dare mention 300 yuan anymore, insisting that the original agreement was only for 200.
Any more, and she truly didn’t have a single cent.
Once she had gathered everything, Lin Xiumei immediately went to find Ji Shuyu. With a livid face, she slammed a cloth bundle on the table and lowered her voice.
“Two hundred yuan, plus the food and fabric coupons you wanted. It’s all here. Sign the consent form for the countryside tomorrow—immediately.”
She wasn’t even pretending anymore.
Ji Shuyu leisurely opened the cloth bundle, carefully counted the money and coupons, and confirmed everything was correct.
She looked up at Lin Xiumei’s pained and barely suppressed anger, feeling incredibly pleased inside.
“That’s not right—wasn’t it supposed to be three hundred?”
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