roccoschili Chapter 324 - 322: Workshop Disbanded? No, We’ll Do Something Even Bigger After the New Year!
Chapter 324 - 322: Workshop Disbanded? No, We’ll Do Something Even Bigger After the New Year!
The last batch of down jackets was exchanged by a few female classmates who came from afar for two hams and a half-new bicycle.
The yard, piled high with fabric, was finally emptied.
Sister-in-law Liu cut the last thread and let out a long sigh of relief.
"It’s finally done."
"Yeah, these past two months, I’ve done more work than I have in my entire life."
"But we’ve earned a lot!"
A few military wives chattered and laughed, their faces filled with the joy of harvest.
Lin Wan Yi clapped her hands, quieting the yard.
"Ladies, thank you for your hard work."
She paused.
"Starting tomorrow, our little courtyard workshop will be temporarily closed."
The laughter in the yard came to an abrupt halt.
Sister-in-law Liu’s wrinkles stiffened.
"Stop... stop working?"
"Why, Wanyi? Weren’t we doing well?"
Zhang Family’s Sister was also anxious, rubbing her hands fiercely on her apron.
"Is it something we did wrong? Tell us, we’ll change!"
"Yeah, Wanyi, you can’t leave us!"
The bustling yard suddenly dropped to freezing point.
Everyone panicked.
The good days of seeing eggs and meat tickets daily had just started—were they already ending?
Lin Wan Yi didn’t explain.
She turned to Sister-in-law Liu.
"Sister-in-law Liu, give out our last wages to everyone."
Sister-in-law Liu nodded stupidly and brought out a large basket from the house.
Inside were neatly stacked eggs and a pile of thick meat and cloth tickets.
"Zhang Family’s Sister-in-law, you did the most this month—twenty eggs and two pounds of meat tickets."
"Little Chen, your hands are the deftest—fifteen eggs, a pound and a half of meat tickets, and two chi of cloth tickets."
...
The items were distributed to each person’s hands.
Heavy.
But everyone’s hearts were heavier.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a farewell party.
"Wanyi..." Sister-in-law Liu held her share, her eyes red.
Only then did Lin Wan Yi speak.
"It’s almost New Year—everyone go home and rest, spend time with your children."
She looked around at the people.
"Also, the incident with Zhao Jian Country just happened—we need to lay low."
"Most importantly..."
She stepped forward, her voice reaching everyone’s ears clearly.
"After the New Year, if we’re going to work, we’ll do something bigger."
"By then, just relying on us, a few people, and a few sewing machines won’t be enough."
The yard was silent for a few seconds.
Then, like boiling water, it suddenly burst into excitement.
"Bigger?" Sister-in-law Liu’s eyes lit up.
"Wanyi, you mean..."
"Exactly," Lin Wan Yi nodded. "So everyone rest first and gather up energy."
"As long as I, Lin Wan Yi, call, are the sisters still willing to come?"
"Willing!"
"Of course willing!"
"Wanyi, we’ll follow you in the future!"
Sister-in-law Liu stuffed the eggs and meat tickets into her arms and thumped her chest in assurance.
"Where you point, we will fight!"
The earlier disappointment and anxiety vanished, turning into endless anticipation for the future.
After sending off the satisfied military wives, Gu Lan came out, holding an account book.
"Sister! Sister! Look quickly!"
She slapped the account book onto the stone table, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Even after paying wages, we have so much left!"
She pointed at the account book, her voice fluttering.
"National grain tickets, three hundred and twenty jin!"
"Pork tickets, fifteen jin!"
"Cloth tickets, thirty chi!"
"Industrial Tickets, twelve pieces!"
After Gu Lan finished reading, she hugged those colorful tickets and dashed into the house.
Lin Wan Yi followed her inside.
Gu Lan dumped the tickets onto the bed and threw herself onto it, rolling around like a happy puppy.
"We’ve struck it rich! Struck it rich!"
"Sister, we can buy a TV now! No, two TVs!"
Lin Wan Yi laughed at her childishness.
She pointed to a few large burlap sacks piled in the corner.
"What about those things?"
Inside the sacks were nuts, red dates, two hams, and even a few rock-solid frozen fish brought by the students.
However, these things wouldn’t last long.
Gu Lan climbed out of the ticket pile, scruffling her hair.
"We’ll eat them! We’ll eat them every day!"
"Can’t finish them," Lin Wan Yi shook her head.
In this era, supplies were precious, but they also attracted attention.
Suddenly having so many things at home would inevitably raise suspicion.
"Come with me, let’s exchange these for things that can last."
Half an hour later.
A woman wearing a patched blue cloth jacket, her face covered with a gray cloth scarf, pushed a junky big bike, leaving through the Gu Family’s back door.
On the bike’s rear seat, sat a similarly dressed "country girl"—Gu Lan.
The bike basket and rear seat were covered with worn burlap sacks.
The two of them meandered to the outskirts of the city, near an abandoned brick kiln factory.
This was the black market.
Lin Wan Yi parked the bike in a hidden corner.
She didn’t rush in.
"Lanlan, see that kid playing marbles by the wall?"
Gu Lan looked in the direction she pointed and nodded.
"Go, give this to him."
Lin Wan Yi handed Gu Lan a paper package with several fruit candies inside.
"Tell him to take the fish in our basket to the guy wearing the fur hat and exchange it for money or grain tickets. Let him take a cut."
Gu Lan was puzzled.
"Sister, can’t we just exchange it ourselves?"
"We’re too conspicuous," Lin Wan Yi lowered her voice. "In places like this, one more pair of eyes is one more layer of security."
Gu Lan went ahead, somewhat understanding.
Soon, the kid took the fish and dashed into the crowd.
After about ten minutes.
The kid returned, clutching a wad of money and some grain tickets, excitedly handing them to Gu Lan, while carefully taking away his share.
Lin Wan Yi nodded.
"Continue."
The whole afternoon.
They used this method, employing the child as a middleman to exchange batches of easily perishable food.
Finally, Lin Wan Yi had the kid convey a message to exchange all the money and tickets for a few things with the fur hat.
When the kid handed Lin Wan Yi a heavy fabric package, it was almost dark.
The two quietly left.
Back at home.
Only then did Gu Lan dare open the package.
Three golden small yellow fish lay quietly inside.
Gu Lan’s breath stopped.
"Sis... Sister, this..."
"Keep them safe," Lin Wan Yi took off her cloth jacket and reverted to her usual clean and neat appearance.
"This is our confidence."
In the yard, Gu An donned a dark blue small-sized down vest, his hands behind his back.
"Little Grey, turn left!"
Little Grey obediently turned.
"Attention! Patrol!"
Little Grey elegantly walked around the yard wall, quite dignified.
Watching her son’s mature demeanor, Lin Wan Yi felt both soft and full within.
She must work harder.
To provide the children with a stable, prosperous future no one could snatch away.
In the evening.
Lin Wan Yi slipped into the space.
The fog of the Spiritual Spring steamed.
She shed her clothes, immersing her entire body in the warm spring water.
The water washed away the fatigue of the day.
She looked at the face reflected in the water.
Her skin was like top-quality goat fat jade, flawless.
The space had expanded again, and the herb seeds previously planted were lush and green.
This was her other confidence.
The next afternoon, the postman shouted at the door.
"Comrade Lin Wan Yi! There’s an urgent telegram for you!"
Telegram?
Lin Wan Yi’s heart skipped a beat.
In this era, urgent telegrams usually meant big news.
She quickly walked out, took the thin piece of paper.
Opened it.
On it was the familiar handwriting of Gu Yanshen, strong and firm.
Just a few words.
"Returning in three days. Also, promoted to Deputy Commander."