Seeing it was almost mealtime, Wen Ci walked over to the truck driver and asked, “Sir, would you like to go to the family compound cafeteria to eat, or should I bring the food to you?”
“Please bring it to me. I’m a bit afraid of the soldiers with guns.”
Wen Ci smiled. “There aren’t that many soldiers in the family compound.”
The truck driver kept shaking his head.
‘Alright then.’ Wen Ci didn’t press further. She planned to go home to get the lunch boxes. Before she even entered the courtyard, she heard Huo Jingyuan’s voice.
“Just running to lose weight isn’t enough.”
“No, brother-in-law, I really can’t take it anymore.”
Wen Ci walked into the courtyard at a leisurely pace, her gaze falling on the two of them. Wen Yaozu was on the ground doing push-ups, his clothes already soaked with sweat.
Immediately, she frowned.
Weight loss should be gradual; you can’t start with high intensity right away.
Hearing the noise at the gate, Huo Jingyuan looked up and saw Wen Ci. A pleased smile touched the corners of his eyes and brows. “You’re back?”
Wen Ci walked over to them and said, “Take it easy with him. If he’s exhausted from training all day, how will he have any energy left to study?”
“He still needs to study?”
Wen Ci nodded emphatically.
Wen Yaozu currently not only needed to lose weight but also had to start learning from the beginning. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even get into high school, couldn’t get into a factory job, and with his current mind, he’d just be drifting aimlessly.
Sprawled on the ground, Wen Yaozu said, word by word, “I’d rather exercise than study.”
“If you don’t study well, you won’t find a wife either.”
“Huh?” Wen Yaozu mustered his strength and got up from the ground, sweat streaming down his face. He said miserably, “Do I have to do both exercise and study?”
Wen Ci didn’t say anything more.
Just then, the soldier who delivered their meals knocked on the gate. Wen Ci quickly ran to the kitchen to get the lunch boxes. “I’m selling clothes at the family compound entrance. I have to go now.”
·
Meanwhile.
While getting his meal in the family compound cafeteria, Jiang Chen heard many family members talking about clothes being sold at the entrance by the jin, said to be the latest styles from the South.
Jiang Chen asked, “How much are they?”
“I think it’s five yuan, but that price is only for today.”
Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s eyes widened. He used to buy new clothes for his sister at the department store every month when he got his salary, so he had a good idea of clothing prices there.
“Will the quality be very poor?”
“Minister Jiang inspected it himself. The quality is supposed to be very good.”
Jiang Chen nodded. He’d go take a look after lunch.
The soldiers Minister Jiang had his subordinates notify were those with families living in the compound. Jiang Chen, being a bachelor, wasn’t included in the notification.
Returning home, Jiang Chen saw only his sister was in the house. Taking off his shoes, he said, “I heard from the families in the compound that there are clothes being sold at the entrance, five yuan per jin. Do you want to buy some?”
Jiang Ye, drowsing at her desk, immediately perked up at her brother’s voice. “Five yuan per jin? What does that mean?”
“They’re not selling by the piece, but by weight.”
“Five yuan per jin?” Jiang Ye pursed her lips. Summer clothes are thin. Clothes this cheap must be of terrible quality. She didn’t want to wear shoddy clothes. She taunted,
“Clothes for five yuan… they didn’t pick them out of a trash bin, did they?”
She clearly remembered that in later years, there were many vendors who bought second-hand clothes. They would take apart the fabric from clothes acquired at low prices and then sell it as new.
“Brother, you shouldn’t buy that kind of clothes. It’s easy to get sick from them.”
Jiang Chen frowned. “It can’t be that bad, can it? I heard them say Minister Jiang inspected it himself, and the quality is good. The original price was eight yuan per jin; it’s five yuan as a benefit for the family compound.”
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