RYEY – Chapter 134 The Approval Slip

Li Huan carried the slip to the supply and marketing cooperative. As soon as Qiu Min saw him, she came over with a smile, congratulating him on becoming the village head.

Li Huan smiled back and handed her the slip. When Qiu Min saw it, she couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up. This was an approval slip from the commune—getting one was no easy feat.

“Here you go, two buckets of black paint. The paint doesn’t cost money, but you’ll have to buy brushes. Five cents each. How many do you want?”

“How many? Of course just one. Five cents is still money.”

“And chalk—ten sticks for a dime. Take ten sticks.”

Li Huan chuckled and pulled out fifteen cents from his pocket. To his surprise, Qiu Min handed ten cents back and took out a cracked wooden-handled brush from a corner.

“Defective piece, two cents for this one. And broken chalk, a whole box for three cents.”

Li Huan laughed. The village had too many things that needed doing, but most required either money or favors. Whatever he could save, he saved. Suddenly, he leaned in close to Qiu Min’s ear and whispered: “Qiu Min, during lunch break, tell Skinny Monkey that I managed to get two wild boars and a roe deer a while ago. Have him find someone this afternoon to take them away.”

“Li Huan! In this freezing weather, you dared to go up the mountain to catch wild boars? Do you have a death wish? Does Cheng Qiao know about this?”

“I didn’t go up the mountain. I just set a few traps, and I got lucky. Didn’t come back empty-handed. Cheng Qiao’s pregnant now, I need money, but I can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

Qiu Min nodded. She wanted a child too, but after marrying Skinny Monkey and paying off debts, all their savings were gone. They didn’t dare think of having a baby yet.

Li Huan hung the paint buckets on his bicycle handlebars and headed to the primary school. A few minutes later, Cheng Qiao and Li Le came out.

“Lele, your second sister-in-law and I have something to do today. You go eat at the canteen.”

Li Le obediently nodded and went back. Once she was gone, Li Huan quickly had Cheng Qiao get on the bike, and they went to the house in town.

“Qiao, is work tiring? If it’s too much, don’t keep doing it.”

“No, I like teaching. Seeing them recite Tang poems and Song verses makes me happy.”

“As long as you like it. Skinny Monkey will be coming this afternoon. Get those wild boars ready. And today we need to send supplies to your father—I’ll go later.”

“Li Huan, if you dare to go into the mountains again to set traps without telling me, I’ll divorce you.”

“No, I won’t. Next time I’ll go with you, alright?”

Cheng Qiao rolled her eyes. She knew Li Huan didn’t want to use the supplies from her space, thinking it was shameless for a man to rely on a woman’s things. So he’d rather take risks.

She flicked her arm, and two three-hundred-jin wild boars and a roe deer appeared. Then she went into the next room and brought out the items prepared for Cheng Liguo.

Li Huan looked them over and nodded with a smile. The supplies weren’t much, but all were necessities: twenty jin of rice, a jar of lard, ten jin of cured meat, several pens and writing paper, twenty yuan with ration coupons, and two packs of cigarettes.

“Let’s eat.”

Cheng Qiao then took out from her space two bowls of rice, a bowl of steamed pork with rice flour, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, pork bone soup, and chicken stewed with mushrooms.

“Qiao, your treasure is amazing. These are New Year’s dishes, yet they’re still hot when you take them out now.”

Cheng Qiao smiled. They had eaten all the New Year’s food long ago. She often cooked dishes when she had time and stored them in the space shop, which was kept at a constant temperature.

Just as they finished eating, a familiar knock came at the door. Cheng Qiao slipped into her space, clearing the table as she went.

Li Huan wiped his mouth, smiling as he went to open the door. As expected, Skinny Monkey arrived with three familiar faces. Having worked together for years, they had a tacit understanding.

The two boars and the roe deer fetched a total of 420 yuan. Li Huan gave Skinny Monkey forty-two yuan—his first income since getting married.

“Brother Huan, when are we going to the mountains again? I can’t just rely on my wife’s wages. And that guy from before came looking for you at the black market, but couldn’t find you.”

“What did he say?”

“He can’t get goods anymore. Instead, he wants to get them from us.”

“What does he want?”

“Everything—grain, eggs, sugar, pork, daily necessities.”

“Alright, let me think of a way. I’ll let you know in a few days.”

Skinny Monkey was overjoyed. He knew Cheng Qiao had supplies. That huge batch of grain and goods last time had all come from her.

After he left, Cheng Qiao came out of the space, and the two decided they’d wait half a month before the next deal—otherwise the timing wouldn’t match. After sending her back to school, Li Huan went to mail the supplies.

Then he wandered around town until it was time for school to end. The three went home together, and Cheng Qiao brought out another bicycle from her space for Li Le to ride on her own.

Li Huan carried the two paint buckets back to the village committee. Jiang Guangrong was already waiting. When he saw the paint, brushes, and chalk, he was so happy he showered Li Huan with exaggerated praise.

“You’ll be in charge of painting the blackboard. Classes start in two days. Exams will be the day after next month’s first day. Give me a list of the words you want for class, and I’ll use them for the test.”

“Village Head Li, Zhang Yuefang and I will teach the women, the male educated youths will teach the men, and Xiaofang, Xiaoqin, and Xiaoping will teach the children.”

Li Huan nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Wang Qin shouted: “You’ve all chosen your roles, what about me?”

“It’s not us choosing, it’s the villagers choosing us. No one wants you to teach, and we can’t change that.”

“You… It’s because you all bad-mouthed me in front of these peasants. Otherwise, how would they know I don’t get along with Cheng Qiao?”

Wang Qin blurted the truth in her panic. By the time she realized it, it was too late. She quickly looked at Li Huan, but he only gave her a cold glance. That single look filled her with dread.

Li Huan and Cheng Qiao had been waiting to see if Wang Qin would write to Xia Fen. But ever since her first letter to the Huizhou Steel Plant compound was returned, she hadn’t written again.

When Li Huan returned home, he found Cheng Qiao studying medical books seriously, occasionally poking at an acupuncture model with silver needles. He shook his head helplessly.

“Qiao, you teach during the day and study medicine at night. Aren’t you tired? You should rest when you can.”

“I’m not tired. I like medicine. I feel like learning this gives me a lifesaving talisman.”

Li Huan thought back to that first time in the cornfield. He couldn’t agree more. If not for his ruined reputation back then, Xu Laidi wouldn’t have come to him, and Cheng Qiao wouldn’t be his wife now.

“Li Huan, Li Huan, are you home?”

A frantic knock sounded outside, followed by Qian Longkun’s anxious voice calling. Li Huan frowned. Before he could reach the door, his mother had already opened it.