Chapter 65: Xu Qingqing Came Looking for You

The gathering was held in the residential compound behind the textile factory, where there was an empty courtyard house. It had once belonged to a landlord, but after some tragic events occurred there, with several people dying inside, the house was confiscated and redistributed to factory staff. However, every new tenant suffered misfortunes—children crying through the night, adults plagued by nightmares. Remembering the deaths that had occurred, everyone eventually moved out, and over time, the place was left deserted.

After hearing about what had happened in the house, Lin Jingyue couldn’t help but twitch her lips. “They’re quite bold, aren’t they?”

“Oh, what’s there to be afraid of? It’s broad daylight and there are so many people,” Zhou Mingxue replied nonchalantly.

She pulled Lin Jingyue along, and just as she was about to knock on the door, it swung open from the inside.

“Comrade Zhou.” The man who was about to step out brightened at the sight of Zhou Mingxue. Then, noticing Lin Jingyue beside her, he paused—an unfamiliar face.

“Comrade Xia, this is my future sister-in-law,” Zhou Mingxue introduced with a smile.

Hearing she was one of their own, the wariness in the man’s eyes faded. “Hello, comrade.”

“Hello,” Lin Jingyue nodded in greeting.

Comrade Xia’s look toward Zhou Mingxue was certainly not ordinary.

“Comrade Xia, are you leaving? Then hurry on home, we’ll take a look inside,” Zhou Mingxue said, worried that the good items would be gone if they waited any longer. With that, she pulled Lin Jingyue through the door.

The spacious courtyard held several stalls, each quite large—one stall per factory, it seemed.

“Comrade Zhou!” Everyone greeted Zhou Mingxue when they saw her.

There were quite a few people browsing and selecting items.

After exchanging a few words with acquaintances and introducing Lin Jingyue around, Zhou Mingxue finally led her off to shop.

“Jingyue, take your time and pick whatever you’d like.”

Lin Jingyue glanced around and said, “I’ll wander about for a bit. You can come find me later if you need to. Go ahead and take care of your own things.”

She had already noticed two girls by the main house door beckoning to Zhou Mingxue.

“Don’t wander off too far then. I’ll come look for you in a bit.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a child,” Lin Jingyue replied with a smile.

Zhou Mingxue thought about it and agreed, leaving to join her friends.

Lin Jingyue paid her no mind, strolling through the stalls on her own. She started at the textile factory’s stand.

There were still some fabrics left, mostly Dacron and fine cotton. They were labeled as seconds, but the flaws were minor at best—a bit of damage at the corners or uneven dyeing.

“Comrade, do you have any thicker fabric?” Lin Jingyue wanted to make a couple of winter outfits.

She had two new padded jackets left from before, but no woolen coats.

The textile factory staff saw she’d come with Zhou Mingxue and exchanged a glance. “Are you looking for wool?”

“Yes, do you have any?”

“There’s one piece, just enough for a single outfit, and it’s flawless—so the price is a bit steep.”

Mainly, since no coupons were needed, the price would be even higher.

Lin Jingyue knew the going rate for wool fabric—a foot could fetch ten yuan or so, and it was always in demand.

A single coat would run to at least several dozen yuan.

“What does it look like?” she asked, interested.

One of the girls took out a bundle, unwrapping it to reveal the woolen fabric inside.

It was a grey-pink plaid, with both colors soft and understated—not showy but not dull either. It was reminiscent of the grey-blue one Jiang Xun had given her before.

“How much?” Lin Jingyue examined the cloth—it was barely enough for one outfit.

“Sixty yuan. Don’t be put off by the price, comrade. There’s over two meters here. If you went to the supply and marketing cooperative, they’d measure it out to you bit by bit and require ration coupons…” The woman hurried to explain, afraid Lin Jingyue would think the price too high.

She made a fair point.

Woolen fabric was rare, especially in county towns where few could afford it, so the price always stayed high.

A piece of fabric over two meters would easily cost seventy yuan or more—equivalent to over two months’ wages for a worker.

What a luxury.

Lin Jingyue nodded. “All right, I’ll take it. And this yarn as well—I’ll take both.”

How could she not prepare woolens for winter?

The last batch, sent from Anshi, had gone quiet after she mailed it back.

It had been on her mind ever since—she’d need to get to the bottom of it when she had the chance.

“I can give you a bit of a discount on this…” The girl immediately broke into a broad smile when she heard Lin Jingyue would take both.

Lin Jingyue crouched down, carefully picking out a few more items, and at last chose a piece of blue fine cotton.

She took seven large bills from her space and handed them over.

Another woman quickly accepted them and handed her a five-yuan note in change. Lin Jingyue took her fabrics and moved on to other stalls.

At the shoe factory’s stand, she bought a pair of liberation shoes for mountain walks and a pair of black leather shoes for rainy days.

There were no cotton shoes available, so she planned to get those next time.

The canning factory had yellow peach preserves, and she bought five jars in one go—she just loved yellow peach preserves.

She bought a few other odds and ends as well, spending over a hundred yuan in total.

When Zhou Mingxue returned and saw her laden with goods, she was left speechless.

She finally understood why Lin Jingyue had the confidence to refuse Jiang Xun’s money—she was well off herself.

“Let me help you,” Zhou Mingxue offered, taking the jars from Lin Jingyue, since she only had a bolt of fabric in her own hands.

They left the house together.

“It’s getting late. Let me walk you to the station,” Zhou Mingxue said at the end of the lane. “Next time will be in half a month. If you want to come, just look for me.”

Lin Jingyue smiled brightly. “We’ll see when the time comes. The station’s quite near anyway—no need to bother.”

“What do you mean ‘no need’? If Jiang Xun found out I left you halfway, he’d have a fit,” Zhou Mingxue teased.

She’d witnessed Jiang Xun’s temper firsthand.

Lin Jingyue had no choice but to say nothing more.

At the station, Zhou Mingxue didn’t relax until she saw Lin Jingyue board the bus.

She stood outside, waving vigorously.

The bus rattled all the way to the commune. Lin Jingyue, burdened with bags, got off, and once she reached a quiet spot, she took out her bicycle, strapped her things on, and finally felt some relief as she pedaled away.

Her hands were nearly chafed raw.

Back at the brigade, everyone gawked enviously at her armfuls of parcels.

They’d heard she’d received another royalty payment—no wonder she was spending so freely.

Lin Jingyue ignored all the assorted looks and headed straight back to the educated youth dormitory.

Jiang Xun was cooking. He’d made braised rabbit, and the savory aroma wafted outside.

Hearing her arrival, Jiang Xun came over, helped her push the bike, and carried her things inside.

“Xu Qingqing stopped by for you today,” Jiang Xun said, fetching her some water to wash her hands.

Lin Jingyue, holding a bar of soap, paused. “Did she say anything?”

She’d promised Xu Qingqing she’d visit, but never found the chance.

“No, she just left when you weren’t here.”

“I see.” Lin Jingyue made a note to find time to visit.

But before she could make arrangements, Xu Qingqing came by at noon the next day.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her whole demeanor exhausted. Lin Jingyue’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pulled Xu Qingqing inside.

She made her a cup of malted milk.

Xu Qingqing’s heartache overwhelmed her, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. She hung her head, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

Lin Jingyue stayed quietly by her side, offering silent company. She wasn’t good with words of comfort, but she could be there.

After a long while, Xu Qingqing finally calmed down. She sniffed, lifted her head—her eyes rimmed with red—and looked at Lin Jingyue. “Jingyue…”

Her voice caught again.

Lin Jingyue patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Take your time.”