Despite being a reincarnated person with some reputation in "the community," Zhao Guihua's fame couldn't compare to the other elderly women in the courtyard. In their compound, Madam Zhou Li was always the most famous one.
That old lady was like a cockroach that just wouldn't die.
Whether it was good reputation or bad, she was the most notorious.
Next was Aunt Su, who originally didn't have much of a reputation. She was known for being good, but people generally thought of her as a poor, pitiful, yet strong old lady. There wasn't much else to say about her.
But now, things were different.
Because of the gossip about her and Old Man Bai, she had suddenly become a "celebrity" in their compound. Although everyone in their neighborhood knew that Aunt Su was hospitalized because of a dog bite, not because she was "pregnant."
However, the rumor had spread so widely, and Old Man Bai was so attentive to her, that people began to have strange suspicions. Could the dog bite story be just a cover-up?
Was it actually hiding the fact that she was expecting?
You see, that's how gossip works, especially when it has a hint of scandal to it. It can make people doubt even what they've seen with their own eyes.
So in their compound, someone like Zhao Guihua, who was simply known as a feisty old lady, couldn't even rank on their community's list of celebrities. And Zhao Guihua, unless provoked, was actually quite peaceful.
For instance, she knew that Bai Fendou was selling things at the ghost market, and she understood that dealing in antiques could potentially be a way to accumulate capital. But would she do it? Definitely not. She didn't have the expertise - such business required an extensive knowledge base.
Otherwise, relying on luck alone? You'd lose everything in no time.
There have always been counterfeits and fakes, and it's no different now.
It's not that this era didn't have them - quite the contrary.
As a native of old Beijing, Zhao Guihua knew this better than most and had seen plenty of it.
Zhao Guihua didn't understand it, so she stayed away from those murky waters.
Although this might seem like she was letting down the "reincarnation team," at her age, she could keep her composure. Even if she wanted to do something ambitious, now wasn't the time. After all, even when policies loosened in '79, there were still setbacks.
Those "Eight Kings" and such...
So, Zhao Guihua really hadn't planned on making big money through business in these years.
Because of this, even though she knew it would be more profitable to go with Auntie Lian to get more goods a few more times - even if she didn't resell them, it would still be profitable - Zhao Guihua didn't join in. Who knew when they would "cast the net"?
It could be today, tomorrow, or the day after.
But Zhao Guihua wouldn't gamble for just a few good items.
It wasn't until she saw people keeping surveillance that she suddenly realized - she had come back from decades in the future, knowing how times would change, that a market economy was inevitable, and that black markets weren't such a big deal.
But that wasn't true yet! One had to remain respectful and careful.
Times were different, and things were still very serious now.
If one was too bold, they would only hurt themselves.
This encounter with the double-cross and discovering factory surveillance had sobered Zhao Guihua considerably.
It made her much more vigilant.
So, Zhao Guihua deeply reflected on herself and became more grounded. She planned to lay low for a while and be a proper old lady.
Of course, activities that aligned with current policies were still acceptable.
For example, catching sparrows.
These were considered one of the Four Pests, after all.
Now, on this rare weekend, Zhuang Zhixi went to work overtime at his unit - yes, the propaganda department was incredibly busy. And his promise to take his niece and nephew sparrow hunting turned out to be as empty as air.
He had promised so earnestly, but never followed through!
In the end, it still fell to old Zhao Guihua. She had prepared early, buying a net - though you could borrow one, it wasn't good to keep borrowing day after day, so she bought her own. She took the two kids to find an open space.
Ming Mei came along to watch the fun.
As for Liang Meifen, she had gone back to her parents' home again, as her younger brother was getting engaged, and she needed to help out.
Zhao Guihua thought that Liang Meifen wasn't going back to help, but probably to cause trouble. She remembered that many years later, Liang Meifen and this sister-in-law would be like fire and water, their relationship extremely poor. Her relationship with this sister-in-law was even worse than with Ming Mei, her current sister-in-law.
It was clear they couldn't stand each other.
Zhao Guihua didn't care about their affairs. After all, even if Liang Meifen's family hoped they could help with the bride price, it would be impossible even if they went to see the King of Hell himself. Liang Meifen herself seemed to be avoiding the heat and didn't dare to bring it up this time.
So, in her previous life, she had been too kind, which made Liang Meifen think she could ask and possibly succeed.
But look at this life - this time Liang Meifen didn't dare to ask.
Liang Meifen's mother hadn't even dared to come asking for help.
Sometimes fighting isn't good, but sometimes it really can intimidate those who aren't thinking clearly.
Zhao Guihua and Ming Mei each carried one child, and Ming Mei asked curiously, "Why aren't we catching sparrows in the courtyard? I sometimes see sparrows flying there too."
Zhao Guihua replied, "With so many children in the courtyard, if you catch any, could you keep them to yourself?"
Ming Mei: "...No, we couldn't."
Zhao Guihua: "There are more sparrows in the suburbs than in the courtyard, and no one's eyeing them greedily. Isn't it better to come to the outskirts? Besides, it's good for the children to get out and about."
Ming Mei nodded.
Of course, they didn't go to their usual spot by the pond in the wasteland - that was too far. Although they were technically in the suburbs, if you looked carefully, it wasn't really that far out.
Zhao Guihua found a small grove and began setting up.
Ming Mei had never done this before and was watching for the first time. She couldn't help much, but the mechanism was very simple. Even children could understand it at a glance - there was nothing difficult about it.
Ming Mei huddled together with the two children on the side.
Zhao Guihua set up the trap and sprinkled a layer of grass seeds, saying, "Sparrows love these."
After everything was set up, they immediately crouched down nearby. Hutou chirped excitedly, "Grandma, do you think the sparrows will come?"
Xiao Yanzi also called out, "Roasted sparrows, roasted sparrows!"
She patted her little backpack - it was new! Shaped like a white rabbit, made by her grandmother!
In the little pocket, she had salt and soy sauce. The little girl contentedly patted her backpack and said, "Roasted sparrows!"
After speaking, she couldn't help but swallow.
Meat was just so delicious!
The little girl tugged at Ming Mei's clothes. Ming Mei asked, "What is it?"
Xiao Yanzi: "Auntie, have you ever eaten sparrow?"
Ming Mei shook her head and said, "No, no one took me sparrow hunting when I was little."
Hearing this, Xiao Yanzi proudly lifted her head and chest, saying, "Someone takes me hunting!"
She was so proud to have someone take her along, hehe!
Ming Mei put her finger to her lips and quietly shushed, saying, "Don't talk too loud, or you'll scare the sparrows away."
Xiao Yanzi quickly nodded and covered her little mouth.
Zhao Guihua looked back.
Ming Mei smiled and raised her eyebrows at Zhao Guihua, who turned back around speechlessly - youth was wonderful, being a bit childish wasn't bad at all.
She had scattered the grass seeds very evenly, and before long, they saw a flock of sparrows fly over. Like little fools, they dove straight for the delicious grass seeds, feasting away, completely unaware that this was a big trap!
If it could catch rabbits, what were sparrows?
Just one of the Four Pests!
Zhao Guihua pulled the rope, and the prepared "heaven and earth net" dropped down with a snap, instantly trapping a group of sparrows. The startled sparrows chirped and fluttered chaotically in the net, but Zhao Guihua quickly rushed over, saying, "Where's the bag?"
Xiao Yanzi quickly pulled out a mesh bag from her rabbit backpack, and Zhao Guihua caught the sparrows one by one, putting them in the bag and handing it to Ming Mei: "Hold this, I'll try for another batch..."
Ming Mei: "Alright!"
Hutou and Xiao Yanzi clapped and jumped around excitedly: "We caught them! We caught the sparrows!"
"Let's roast the sparrows! Roast the sparrows!"
The two children were so excited that they started drooling...
Zhao Guihua: "Wait a bit, no hurry. Let's catch some more."
"Okay!"
The children responded in their crisp voices.
Ming Mei was also very excited; this was her first time seeing sparrow catching. It looked so simple! She had never played this as a child! Of course, playing wasn't the important part - what mattered was that this was meat. It looked delicious!
Zhao Guihua scattered the bait again, and in no time at all, they had caught thirty to forty sparrows.
Sparrows were really abundant these days.
Zhao Guihua: "Alright, let's roast them."
"Yippee!"
"This is awesome!"
Zhao Guihua instructed the two children to gather firewood while Ming Mei started the fire, and she herself began plucking the sparrows. The plucking task was clearly beyond the capabilities of the other three. Fortunately, everyone completed their assigned tasks perfectly, and through their joint efforts, they quickly had the sparrows skewered.
Zhao Guihua sprinkled salt on the sparrows and instructed Ming Mei: "Watch the fire carefully. I'll go catch some more."
Though Zhao Guihua had a sharp tongue, she had a heart of gold. Even while out, she was thinking of the family at home - they couldn't just eat sparrows themselves without letting the folks at home have a taste.
The sparrows were small and roasted quickly, releasing a delicious meaty aroma.
Ming Mei's stomach growled audibly, while Hutou and Xiao Yanzi were practically waterfalling - with drool, that is.
Ming Mei: "Mom, here!"
Ming Mei was the first to hand a skewer of roasted sparrows to Zhao Guihua, who accepted it without hesitation, took a bite, and immediately made an appreciative sound, nodding in approval: "Delicious!"
These roasted sparrows tasted similar to roasted chicken - delicious!
"Auntie~" came the sweet childish voice.
Ming Mei: "Here you go!"
She handed one to Xiao Yanzi and another to Hutou.
The two little ones were about to stuff them straight into their mouths when Zhao Guihua quickly warned: "Careful, they're hot!"
"Okay~"
Ming Mei put four more skewers over the fire before starting to eat her own. This was her first time eating roasted sparrows, and she felt strange about it, but she definitely wanted to try them. She took a bite and her eyes immediately lit up as she nodded in approval.
They were truly fragrant.
Each skewer had five small sparrows, and while it didn't look like much, it was enough to keep them nibbling for a while. Ming Mei: "This is my first time eating these, I didn't expect them to be so fragrant."
Zhao Guihua: "Even a fly's leg is meat if it's small enough, and how could meat not be tasty?"
Ming Mei nodded in strong agreement. Indeed, it was true.
Was there such a thing as meat that wasn't delicious in this world?
Certainly not.
Hutou was happily gnawing away, his eyes fixed on the fire pit, and asked: "Auntie, can I have another skewer later?"
Ming Mei: "Of course, we'll eat all the ones we're roasting here."
Hutou's eyes disappeared into his smile as he said softly: "That's great, but, but, but, aren't we saving any for Grandpa and the others?"
Though he was a glutton, this child wasn't selfish - he was quite thoughtful.
Ming Mei: "We will! Isn't your grandmother catching more? We'll roast those when we get back home. If we took these pre-roasted ones back, they wouldn't taste as good. We'll make fresh ones for them at home."
Hutou let out an "Oh!" of understanding, and became extremely happy at the thought of getting to eat more.
Zhao Guihua looked at Ming Mei and then at the two children, all with dancing eyes, and she had to sigh - these days, being able to eat some meat was truly what made people happiest.
People's desires were all about food and drink. Unlike decades later, when food would be plentiful and people would earn more but wouldn't be as happy.
Though life was hard now, it was also simpler to find joy.
"I'll catch more, and we can make sparrow stew with potatoes tonight," Zhao Guihua announced with great ambition. Since happiness was so simple to achieve, of course they should catch as many as possible!
"Yay, yay!"
"Potato stew, potato stew!"
"Slurp~"
The two children were excellent cheerleaders.
Zhao Guihua smiled and felt her fighting spirit rise.
She might not dare to engage in trading and dealing, but surely she could catch some wild game?
If she couldn't even do this much, she'd be letting down all reborn people - even though she was an old lady, she could do it! Absolutely could!
Zhao Guihua: "Little sparrow chicks! Meeting me, Zhao Guihua, today is your doom!"
She shouted.
Ming Mei: "..."
Mother-in-law was so excited.
Was catching sparrows really that thrilling?
Ming Mei scratched her head, marveling at how extraordinary her mother-in-law truly was!
"Auntie, turn them over, turn them over," Hutou's sharp eyes noticed they needed rotating.
Ming Mei: "Right away."
Near the river, there were several people fishing who spotted them catching and roasting sparrows in the small grove. They became interested, particularly one elderly man who kept looking back several times until he made himself hungry.
After some hesitation, the old man picked up a fish and walked over to Zhao Guihua: "Young sister."
Zhao Guihua looked up: "Yes?"
The old man smiled and said: "I was just fishing over there, and I saw you catching sparrows. I was wondering if I could trade this fish for a skewer of roasted sparrows to try?"
Zhao Guihua: "Sure!"
She was a spirited old lady and didn't think twice about it, saying: "Alright, they're just about done roasting. You've come at the perfect time."
The old man gave a meaningful smile - would he admit that he'd been watching and waiting for just the right moment?
He curiously examined Zhao Guihua's small trap and said: "Sister, they say sparrows are very difficult to catch, very alert, but you make it look so easy. Do you have some secret?"
After asking, he felt it might be inappropriate and quickly added: "If you'd rather not say..."
Before he could finish, Zhao Guihua interrupted: "There's nothing secret about it. It's quite simple - the key is that my grass seeds are what sparrows love to eat. Look, this kind. Actually, there's no special technique to the trap. Any child who catches sparrows knows how to make one, but they usually don't have bait, so it's harder to catch them. With my bait, the sparrows love the smell. They just walk right into the trap."
Zhao Guihua wasn't keeping any secrets - she couldn't catch all the sparrows by herself anyway - so she gave him some seeds, saying: "Look, this kind."
The old man looked at the seeds and then at the trap, and sure enough, another flock of sparrows flew in. Zhao Guihua quickly pulled the rope, catching another group!
The old man nodded: "It really works."
Zhao Guihua: "Of course it does, though these grass seeds are rare in the city - you'll have to go to the outskirts to find them."
The old man thanked her and left contentedly with a handful of grass seeds and a skewer of roasted sparrows.
Zhao Guihua didn't immediately resume catching sparrows, but instead quickly cleaned the fish and started roasting it, saying: "Roasted fish is delicious too, you can try it in a bit."
"Okay~"
The children were overjoyed.
Perhaps because others saw the old man successfully trade for roasted sparrows, soon more people came to make trades. It was hard to say who got the better deal - everyone just wanted to try something different... By the time they headed home, they had not only caught sparrows but also acquired five or six fish.
Although these fish were notably smaller than those from the mountain pond, no one was complaining.
On the way home, Zhao Guihua felt very heavy-hearted.
When she went fishing, she never succeeded once!
Yet when she wasn't trying to fish, she somehow ended up with fish anyway - it was truly frustrating!
How depressing!
Could her fishing skills really be that poor?
She said: "Ming Mei, after we drop these two off at home, I'm planning to go up the mountain. Want to come with me?"
She needed to prove herself again.
Ming Mei immediately got excited: "I'll go!"
Of course she wanted to go, she loved it!
Ming Mei: "We can also gather more grass seeds while we're there, so we can catch more sparrows later."
Hutou: "Yay!"
Xiao Yanzi, either copying her brother or expressing her own feelings, also chimed in: "Yay!"
Ming Mei laughed and said, "This time, auntie will bring back more for you, so you can catch sparrows by yourselves in the future."
Hutou sat on the back of the bicycle, nodding vigorously.
The trap wasn't difficult; a little boy like him could understand and operate it at first glance. In fact, he was the one in charge of catching them later. However, while catching wasn't hard, the tricky part was having bait - auntie was going to get them some grass seeds.
Hutou felt he could fight alongside his sister for five hundred years!
The child happily said, "Thank you, auntie!"
Ming Mei replied, "Just don't forget about me when you're roasting sparrows."
Hutou nodded enthusiastically, "Hutou will never forget auntie. Auntie is the best!"
Ming Mei teased, "Better than your mom and dad?"
Hutou hesitated, he... he... he was stuck.
After thinking for a long while, the child fidgeted with his fingers and said shyly, "Well... maybe just a tiny bit less."
Ming Mei burst out laughing, "You little rascal!"
Hutou quickly added, "Auntie is just a tiny, tiny bit behind them."
Ming Mei: "Go on! Like I need your ranking! You little troublemaker!"
Little Hutou scratched his head, his cheeks turning rosy as he smiled.
"Auntie and uncle are equally important."
"Then who's more important, auntie or uncle? You must choose one..."
Hutou: "Ah..."
At such a young age, he had to face such difficult questions. Why were auntie's questions always so terrifying?
Xiao Yanzi hugged her grandmother tightly, feeling relieved that she was sitting on grandmother's bicycle. If she had been on auntie's bicycle, she would have been the one being questioned.
How scary!
Xiao Yanzi covered her eyes, not daring to watch her brother's predicament.
Auntie was so fierce and scary!
But then again?
Though the little one pretended not to look, she still peeked through her fingers, secretly enjoying the scene.
Zhao Guihua couldn't stand it anymore. Seeing her grandson scratching his head anxiously, she said, "Stop teasing the child."
Ming Mei justified herself righteously: "How am I teasing? I'm helping him learn early that life is full of choices."
She seemed quite philosophical, but Zhao Guihua wasn't buying it. This naughty girl was just stirring up trouble.
"Oh, come on, I know you too well!"
Ming Mei burst out laughing. As they were about to reach home, Zhao Guihua suddenly called out, "Auntie Lian!"
Auntie Lian, who was hurrying along her way, looked up when she heard the call: "Oh? It's you!"
She stopped and looked curiously at Ming Mei, then said, "You're..."
Zhao Guihua: "I went sparrow catching. What about you?"
She looked at Ming Mei and said, "You go home first, I need to talk for a bit."
She put Xiao Yanzi on Ming Mei's bicycle, now with one child in front and one behind. Ming Mei smiled, "Now you're both in my clutches..."
Xiao Yanzi: "Xiao Yanzi will be good!"
She sweetly said, "I'm very well-behaved, I love auntie the most, auntie is the prettiest!"
Triple flattery!
Hutou: "..."
He never knew his sister could be like this!
Xiao Yanzi: "Auntie is the best person in the whole world!"
Ming Mei laughed out loud, saying, "You're quite the opportunist!"
Xiao Yanzi didn't quite understand what "opportunist" meant, but she nodded obediently anyway, saying, "I'm very good."
Ming Mei smiled: "Alright, I'll reward you with a piece of candy."
Hutou: "Ah! Just like that, there's candy?"
Could the difference in treatment be this big?
He quickly said, "Auntie, I like you too, you're the best, the very best."
In the face of candy, principles were worthless.
Ming Mei: "That's more like it!"
She coquettishly asked, "Am I good?"
Hutou: "The BEST!!!"
Extra loud.
Ming Mei: "Then you get a piece of candy too..."
Zhao Guihua frowned: "Stop teasing the children and get going."
Ming Mei: "Oh."
She'd been shooed away.
Ming Mei stopped being nosy and rode away with the two children, disappearing in a flash.
Auntie Lian watched Ming Mei's cycling speed with a complicated expression: "That must be your daughter-in-law? Her cycling speed..."
She chose her words carefully and said, "She's as fast as a car."
Zhao Guihua darkened: "She's just showing off!" Not paying any attention to safety, how could this be okay! Did she think she was flying a plane?
But quickly, she came back to her senses and said, "It's good I ran into you here, I was planning to find you anyway."
Auntie Lian: "What is it?"
Zhao Guihua: "Those two old ladies you brought the other day, where were they from?"
Auntie Lian was startled, then spoke earnestly: "In my line of work, confidentiality is crucial. If I had a loose mouth like an elastic waistband, who would come to me in the future? I can't tell you about this. When others ask you, I won't tell them either. When you ask about others, I won't tell you. That's my principle of doing business."
Zhao Guihua nodded: "Fine, I respect your principles, I won't ask more. But the problem is, they're planning to rob people!"
"What!"
Auntie Lian was shocked.
Zhao Guihua: "They followed and chased after me. Fortunately, I ran fast and managed to hide. They brought four or five young men with them, I'm not sure exactly how many, but around four or five. They chased me trying to steal my goods. Auntie Lian, I know you're an honorable businesswoman, but don't let people take advantage of you. I just wanted to exchange some fabric to make clothes for my family. We're not rich people; if we were, we'd buy directly from the department store. It's because we're not well-off that we're looking for fabric remnants. But what if we encounter people like this? What if I got robbed? I was lucky this time, and I don't plan to go again. But you're in this business. If they can rob me today, they can rob others tomorrow. I wasn't robbed, so it's fine, I just won't go again. But if someone really gets robbed, I'm sure they'll come looking for you. Anyway, I'm telling you this as a warning, be careful."
Auntie Lian listened attentively, then narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Thank you for warning me about this."
Zhao Guihua: "I'm not finished yet."
Auntie Lian: "There's more?"
Her voice rose slightly, not directed at Zhao Guihua, but worried there might be more bad news. She had taken Zhao Guihua's words seriously and found them reasonable. If someone really got robbed, they would definitely come to her, since she was the one who brought people there.
Auntie Lian didn't doubt Zhao Guihua's words at all, because Zhao Guihua had no reason to lie about this.
She said: "Go on!"
Zhao Guihua: "I hid and avoided those people, but when I was heading back along the same route, I saw another group of people going in. I decided to hide again, and then I saw two men keeping watch at the factory entrance."
Auntie Lian was startled, then asked: "Were they with the same group? The ones planning to rob?"
Zhao Guihua: "I don't think so, because these people had paper and pens, taking notes about something."
It wasn't that Zhao Guihua was being particularly kind-hearted in telling all this to Auntie Lian.
Rather, since she had gotten her connection through Auntie Lian, doing her this favor would benefit herself as well. If Auntie Lian wasn't caught in the act, there shouldn't be major problems. If she wasn't arrested, she wouldn't need to implicate others.
Although she hadn't heard of Auntie Lian implicating anyone in her previous life, many things showed that this life was different from the last one, and what happened in the previous life wouldn't necessarily happen the same way in this one.
Moreover, even if things were the same, there might be other circumstances involved, so Zhao Guihua didn't rely entirely on her memories.
"We don't know what's going on, but sister, you should be careful, so you don't fall into a trap."
Auntie Lian was truly shocked, even more than by the news of the robbery, because according to usual practice, they would never arrange for two groups to collect goods in one night. Too many people would make it easy to get discovered, but clearly, Zhao Guihua said there was a second group going in.
Additionally, since there were some good materials inside, her heart began to feel uneasy.
This wouldn't do, something was bound to go wrong.
At this moment, she felt particularly grateful to Zhao Guihua. If it weren't for Zhao Guihua telling her, she would never have discovered these things. She shuddered at the thought of people coming after her or being caught in the act - it was truly chilling!
Auntie Lian gave Zhao Guihua a deep, earnest look: "Sister, thank you."
Zhao Guihua replied: "Oh, times are tough for everyone. We should help each other out."
Auntie Lian nodded: "That's true, but I really must thank you!"
Zhao Guihua: "Alright then, I'm leaving."
Auntie Lian: "If you need anything in the future, come find me. I can read birth charts, I'll take a look at yours sometime."
Zhao Guihua grimaced: "That won't be necessary!"
Her birth chart was already strong enough - how else could she live to be over a hundred?
She knew this without being told.
After Zhao Guihua left, Auntie Lian touched her back, realizing she was drenched in cold sweat. She felt incredibly fortunate to have met Zhao Guihua outside - it was as if heaven itself was helping her.
If she hadn't met Zhao Guihua, she would still be in the dark.
As a middleman, she would have certainly faced nothing but trouble.
But now... she turned around and started heading back.
She had originally planned to visit Old Wang to ask about the recent fabric situation - the quality was too good, and that made her nervous.
But before she could get there, this happened.
She decisively decided not to go.
Not only would she not go, but she planned to cancel all recent arrangements. If someone was watching, they would surely want to catch someone red-handed. She certainly couldn't voluntarily associate with Old Wang's place anymore. She needed to keep her distance.
She definitely wouldn't be going there anytime soon.
Zhao Guihua had no idea that her conversation with Auntie Lian had truly changed the latter's fate. Although rumors in the community painted Auntie Lian as an unscrupulous person who didn't mind free meals, silver bracelets, and operating sewing machines.
But in reality, who actually wants to go to prison?
Nobody does.
Auntie Lian was no exception.
Feeling terrified, Auntie Lian immediately started walking back. Just as she reached the alley entrance, she saw a familiar face. Remembering Zhao Guihua's words, she laughed coldly inside but maintained a friendly exterior: "Sister, what brings you here?"
It was Grandma Xu.
She was one of the two women Zhao Guihua had mentioned.
Auntie Lian acted as if nothing was wrong and asked about her business.
Grandma Xu pulled Auntie Lian aside and said: "Are you still taking people over tonight? Count me and my sister in. We'd like to buy some too."
They had noticed that the fabric was genuinely good quality.
Besides, their scheme to swindle others hadn't succeeded yet, so they couldn't stop now.
Auntie Lian shook her head apologetically: "That won't be possible."
Grandma Xu: "Why not?"
Auntie Lian: "When I used to take people there, we never dealt with fabric sales, just small cloth pieces. But this time I saw quite a lot of good quality fabric, and I don't know what's going on. I think we shouldn't take advantage of public property. Isn't this like stealing from socialism? So I've decided not to go for a while, at least until they sort out what's happening."
Grandma Xu looked at Auntie Lian in disbelief, thinking she must be crazy to pass up such a good opportunity.
What kind of logic was this?
She became anxious and quickly said: "I don't think you should look at it that way. When we have such a good opportunity, we should seize it! How can you back out now? You..."
Auntie Lian waved her hand: "No, no, I really don't dare. I definitely won't organize any more trips!"
Grandma Xu: "You!"
How could there be such a fool in this world!
Auntie Lian: "Don't worry about it, but rest assured, once this matter is cleared up, you can come with me again, and we'll collect fabric scraps together. Actually, buying small pieces and strips of fabric is good enough."
Grandma Xu: "Bah, who wants to buy scraps? If there's no profit in it, why would I bother going?"
Seeing how cowardly Auntie Lian was being, she cursed: "Useless waste! If you won't go, I'll take people there myself! I don't believe we need you for this!"
Auntie Lian: "...You, you, you, what kind of person are you?"
"Bah! Waste!"
Grandma Xu turned away, stomping off heavily, while Auntie Lian watched her departure with a cold expression. Zhao Guihua had been right - this person had no good intentions, and she was grateful to have found out early.
Otherwise, this person might have caused her serious trouble, and would probably have turned against her too.
If she could swindle others, dealing with her wouldn't be difficult either.
She felt both frightened and relieved!
Auntie Lian quickly began planning her next moves, as this matter clearly wasn't over...
Meanwhile, leaving Auntie Lian's situation aside, Zhao Guihua felt much lighter after warning her. She wasn't exactly a good Samaritan, but Auntie Lian was making a living on her own, which wasn't easy.
She hadn't done anything truly wrong, just dealing in goods, so Zhao Guihua was willing to warn her about small dangers.
Besides, they had connections anyway.
Zhao Guihua felt much more at ease as she cycled home. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she noticed the envious glares from Madam Zhou Li and Aunt Su. Their jealousy was so intense it seemed to spark in the air - clearly, they had seen the sparrows and fish.
These things obviously weren't bought with money.
Moreover, Hutou and Xiao Yanzi had already told their playmates that they were going to catch sparrows in the suburbs today.
Once the children started talking, how could the adults not know?
Initially, no one had taken it seriously, but they hadn't expected such a successful harvest.
And quite a substantial one at that.
This naturally sparked jealousy.
Especially from Aunt Su and Madam Zhou Li in the front courtyard.
The Bai father and son had seen it too, but they were fine with it. After all, both of them earned wages.
Besides, Bai Fendou had recently made some extra money, so they weren't short on cash.
They could even afford to buy meat.
So sparrows weren't a big deal to them.
But for Aunt Su and Madam Zhou Li, this was a significant matter.
Madam Zhou Li had money, but having lived through hard times, she was used to it and wouldn't spend money on herself. When buying meat, she'd get just two ounces, all for her son Zhou Qun - she and her daughter-in-law Jiang Lu wouldn't eat a bite.
It was the same with fried eggs.
In short, all the good things in the house went to Zhou Qun's stomach.
Madam Zhou Li watched Zhao Guihua with intense jealousy, hatred burning inside her.
Aunt Su beside her was even worse - her family truly struggled, with only her daughter-in-law working and three growing boys to feed. Sparrows were meat, the finest of delicacies. Her eyes were glued to them, unable to look away.
Seeing Zhao Guihua, Aunt Su quickly put on a smile and said: "Old Zhao, you're back! You had quite a good catch today! I see you got quite a lot - where did you catch them? These sparrows must be easy to catch."
How could Zhao Guihua not see through her intentions?
This Aunt Su was quite crafty.
Whenever she opened her mouth, she either wanted something or wanted to learn how to get it first for herself.
Zhao Guihua replied: "Don't you know whether sparrows are easy to catch or not? It's not that they're easy to catch, it's that I'm skilled! Aunt Su, let me tell you, you can't just stay at home all the time like an unmarried girl. If I can take children to catch sparrows in the suburbs, why can't you? You can't just think about your own comfort without considering your family, especially the children. The children are growing and need meat. As a grandmother, you should do more for the family, not rely entirely on your daughter-in-law - she has to work too. Wang Xiangxiu has it hard enough, working during the week, doing laundry and cleaning on weekends, and gathering vegetables. Look at you, acting like you're still in postpartum confinement. This won't do! Look at my family - we can't afford meat, so we find other ways. Tonight, we'll have sparrows stewed with potatoes. It's an excellent dish. The children can eat some meat and get some nutrition. It doesn't cost anything, just takes some effort, so why can't you do it? You can't just sit at the entrance watching others."
With these words, she cut off any chance of Aunt Su playing the sympathy card.
Block your path, leaving you nowhere to go!
Always playing the victim, it was truly annoying.
Zhao Guihua's speech left Aunt Su speechless.
Indeed, her usual way of asking for things was to play the victim, but once Zhao Guihua said that, she couldn't use that tactic anymore, which left her feeling quite stuck.
Besides, what did she mean by calling her an unmarried girl... and then suddenly switching to talking about postpartum confinement?
If you don't know how to speak properly, just keep that dog mouth shut.
What absolute garbage coming out of her mouth!
While she was left speechless, Madam Zhou Li felt quite pleased with herself.
That's just how Madam Zhou Li was, a genuine troublemaker who couldn't stand seeing anyone happy. She took pleasure in anyone's misfortune in the courtyard.
She was the type who hated seeing others succeed and loved seeing them fail.
Moreover, since Aunt Su was a widow just like her, the comparison made her hate Aunt Su even more.
She hated Zhao Guihua for having a complete family.
She hated Wang's wife for having both a husband and a "career."
In short, she couldn't stand anyone!
She delighted in others' misfortunes.
So naturally, she was thrilled to see Aunt Su being put in her place.
"Oh my, Zhao Guihua has a point," she said with exaggerated concern. "Look at you, living in such difficulty but not making any effort to improve. That won't do! Oh dear, it must be your bad luck. Look at my son and daughter-in-law, they're so filial, I never have to worry about such things. Hahaha..."
She burst out laughing while Aunt Su bit her lip, cursing internally while maintaining a pitiful expression on the outside.
Old Man Bai immediately emerged as her knight in shining armor: "What kind of talk is this? Sister Su isn't well physically. If she were healthier, why would she stay at home? Besides, she does plenty of work at home."
He continued, "Sister Su, just wait. This afternoon I'll go to the outskirts to catch some sparrows for you. They're just sparrows after all! I'll make sure the children have something to eat tonight."
Aunt Su immediately put on a gentle, vulnerable smile.
"Brother Bai, thank you!"
Old Man Bai replied, "It's what I should do! We're all neighbors in the same courtyard, as close as family. This is what we should do for each other. I'm not like some people who are cold-hearted and selfish."
Zhao Guihua let out a cold laugh and turned to go home, completely ignoring the old bootlicker.
But Madam Zhou Li wasn't so polite, immediately shouting, "Who the hell are you cursing at? You shameless old pest!"
"You, you, you... you shrew, talking nonsense and stirring up trouble!"
"Pah, you..."
And so they started arguing, once again, yet again.
Zhao Guihua commented softly, "They're just like bickering lovers!"
If this were a Taiwanese drama, they'd definitely end up together.
But reality isn't like television, after all.
Zhao Guihua shook her head and went inside.
As for Aunt Su, her heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Worried that they might actually develop feelings for each other through all this arguing, she quickly stepped forward: "Please don't fight..."
The three of them, with their combined age of well over a hundred years, got tangled up in the dispute.
Ming Mei watched from home, clicking her tongue as she came out to wash some chives and enjoy the show.
It was at this moment that Zhou Qun suddenly appeared, carrying a bunch of grapes to the water basin. He stood across from Ming Mei, washing them leisurely – not many families could afford grapes these days. His family was well-off. He was secretly showing off, feeling smug while maintaining a facade of nonchalance. Looking at Ming Mei's fair face, he took the initiative to ask, "Need any help?"
Ming Mei: "???"
Damn, she felt like hitting someone!
