B5SB -Chapter 246 The Struggle for the Radio

Accounting Office

Wang Guixiang noticed Gu Yihan take the lunchbox from her bag and place it in the drawer.

Surprised, she asked, “Xiaohan, you’re not taking your lunchbox home?”

Hearing this, Gu Yihan looked up and gave Wang Guixiang a slight smile. “I need to free up some space, or else the things I bought won’t have anywhere to go.”

Wang Guixiang remembered that Gu Yihan had come in empty-handed earlier. She then smiled and asked curiously, “What did you buy?”

Gu Yihan heard the tone of curiosity in Wang Guixiang’s voice and smiled, knowing she was overthinking.

She took a radio coupon from her pocket, placed it on the desk, and said, “I’m getting a radio for home.”

Wang Guixiang exhaled in relief. She had been worried that Gu Yihan had secretly bought something to show Hu Shan.

She stood up and walked over to Gu Yihan, looking at the radio coupon on the desk. “Xiaohan, radios are scarce. The local supply-and-marketing cooperative might not even have one. You might as well wait for the weekend and go to the department store in the city; you’ll have more options to choose from.”

Sister Min, watching the conversation between Gu Yihan and Wang Guixiang, pursed her lips and said, “It’s not that expensive. Do you really have to be so cautious?”

Gu Yihan raised her eyes to Sister Min, a trace of confusion flashing across her gaze.

Radios in this era were considered big-ticket items, their rarity rivaling that of bicycles. How could Sister Min casually call it “not expensive,” as if it were an ordinary item?

Gu Yihan entered the supply-and-marketing cooperative and walked straight to the counter selling daily necessities.

She looked at the slightly large radio in the display case.

Raising her eyes, she smiled at the saleswoman. “Comrade, could you please take this radio out so I can have a look?”

The saleswoman noticed Gu Yihan pointing to the only tube radio in the display.

She paused, then kindly explained, “Comrade, this is a tube radio, not a transistor radio.”

Gu Yihan blinked, then smiled and asked, “What’s the difference?”

The saleswoman patiently explained, “Tube radios are large, with better sound quality, and they cost more than transistor radios. This one is 145 yuan.”

She then pointed to a smaller radio next to it. “This one is a transistor radio; it’s only 45 yuan.”

Gu Yihan laughed after hearing this. She was buying it for her grandmother at home, so of course she wanted the best one.

Shaking her head with a smile, she said, “Comrade, I’ll take this tube radio.”

Seeing Gu Yihan’s insistence, the saleswoman guessed that her family must be fairly well-off and no longer tried to dissuade her.

She took a key from her pocket, unlocked the glass case, and lifted the radio onto the counter.

“Comrade, after you pay, I can test it for you right here.”

Hearing this, Gu Yihan took out the money, smiled at the saleswoman, and said, “Comrade, please issue the receipt.”

The saleswoman glanced at her actions, filled out a three-part receipt, and handed it over.

Gu Yihan took the receipt and approached the cashier, a young girl.

Smiling, she handed over the 145 yuan, the payment voucher, and the receipt. “Comrade, here’s the payment.”

The cashier carefully checked the money and then stamped the receipt with the cash received and voucher verification stamps, handing Gu Yihan the customer copy as a pick-up slip.

Gu Yihan thanked her, then walked back to the saleswoman and smiled. “Could you please test the radio for me?”

She hadn’t used a radio from this era before, so she wanted the saleswoman to demonstrate its operation first. Later, she could show her grandmother how to use it.

The saleswoman switched it on, and the radio emitted a low “humming” sound.

Gu Yihan looked at the saleswoman in surprise and quietly asked, “Why does the radio make noise?”

The saleswoman smiled at her and explained, “After switching on, the radio tube needs about half a minute to warm up.”

Afterwards, she checked the tuning dial, set it to a local station, and the radio played the song of the Red Detachment of Women.

“Comrade, the sound quality is fine too.”

Gu Yihan smiled and nodded, reaching out to take the bulky radio. “Thank you, com—”

“Is this radio still available?”

Before she could finish, a voice behind her startled her.

Turning around, she saw it was Secretary Jiang, frowning.

“Secretary Jiang, don’t you know it’s rude to suddenly speak loudly behind someone?”

Jiang was in a bad mood and didn’t care about manners.

He walked straight up to Gu Yihan and said to the saleswoman, “Give me the same radio she has.”

The saleswoman glanced awkwardly at Gu Yihan. “Sorry, comrade, this radio is sold out. You could look at the transistor radios instead.”

Sold out?

Jiang’s brows furrowed. He and Zeng Xiao both worked at the textile factory and lived nearby.

They had agreed not to buy the “three-turns-one-ring” set yet and fold the money into the bride price. But Zeng’s father went back on his word and insisted that before the wedding banquet, the full set must be bought.

Everything else was fine, already purchased in the city, except for the radio—Zeng’s father insisted on a tube radio from Shanghai.

But the city had none in stock.

“Comrade Gu, can you transfer that radio to me?”

Gu Yihan looked up at Jiang and coldly said one word: “No.”

She lifted the radio and turned toward the cooperative’s exit.

Jiang clenched his teeth and chased after her, grabbing her arm. “Gu Yihanshi, I really need that radio.”

Gu Yihan held the radio with one arm, glared at him, and forcefully pushed him away.

Coldly, she said, “Just because you need it, does that mean I have to give it to you?”

Jiang rubbed his temple, then softened his tone, looking at her with a pleading expression.

“Gu Yihanshi, I can give you an extra ten yuan.”

Gu Yihan was not fooled by his staged weakness. She sneered. “Who cares about your money?”

She strode toward the bicycle parking area.

“Gu Yihanshi, I’m getting married tomorrow. I need a radio for the banquet. Please, for the sake of us being colleagues, give me the radio.”

Gu Yihan paused but didn’t look back, coldly refusing: “No.”

“You can’t get a radio for your wedding, but that’s not my responsibility. Why should I give it to you?”

Jiang glared at her. Even being this humble, she remained indifferent.

Suppressing the urge to snatch the radio back, he turned and went back to the cooperative, hoping to at least buy a transistor radio as a placeholder.

“Comrade, I’ll take this radio.”

Standing at the counter, he began to take out money.

The saleswoman stopped him. “Comrade, that radio has already been sold.”

Jiang looked up sharply, staring at the empty display case.

His teeth ground together. “Only five minutes, and it’s already sold?”

The saleswoman nodded apologetically.

Fuming, Jiang nearly turned inside out with anger. Before leaving, he kicked the display case hard.