"Director Li?"
Su Xiaoxiao was a bit surprised to see the visitor—it was Director Li from the neighboring city’s at processing plant.
"Comrade Su, long ti no see."
Li Jianjun greeted her warmly, "I heard you were on a business trip to our city recently, why didn’t you stop by the factory? It’s perfect, I’m free today, let treat you to a al."
"No need, Director Li, I’ve already arranged to et soone today, maybe another day I can treat you."
Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly refused, as she had things to do today.
Li Jianjun didn’t insist, they exchanged a few pleasantries before he bid farewell and left.
After he left, Su Xiaoxiao was about to go inside to find Chen ilan, and as soon as she entered, Zhang Xiaohong spotted her from afar and enthusiastically called out to her.
"Sis, you’re here, what would you like to eat? Order whatever you want, it’s on ."
Zhang Xiaohong pulled her along with great enthusiasm, "That Lao Gan Ma you asked Tieshan to bring yesterday was really good, today I must treat you to a nice al, otherwise I’d feel bad always letting you spend money."
At this mont, Su Xiaoxiao already spotted Chen ilan sitting not far away and quickly said to Zhang Xiaohong, "Sis, next ti for sure, today I’m with a friend."
Zhang Xiaohong looked a little disappointed, "Alright, then next ti don’t be polite with , we’ve already agreed."
"Definitely, then you go ahead and get busy, my friend is over there."
She pointed to where Chen ilan was sitting, "If you like that Lao Gan Ma, I’ll get you a couple more bottles next ti."
"You little girl, that stuff doesn’t look cheap, don’t spend too much."
Zhang Xiaohong quickly waved her hands, thinking her little sister was too generous, sending things every few days.
Su Xiaoxiao pretended to be angry, "Sis, between us, if you keep being polite to , it ans you don’t want to recognize as your sister."
"Alright, alright, I won’t be polite, you go ahead and take care of your things, co find for a al when you have ti."
Zhang Xiaohong smiled.
When Su Xiaoxiao left, a nearby waitress spoke enviously, "Sister Zhang, you’re really lucky, your sister just beca the sales manager at the departnt store, I heard."
Simply recognizing soone as a sister, not only are rare things sent every day, but she’s already a manager at such a young age—who wouldn’t envy Zhang Xiaohong’s luck?
"Of course, it’s my sister after all!"
Zhang Xiaohong felt proud upon hearing the news, initially it was just because she took a liking to the girl, realizing she hit the jackpot.
Thinking of Su Xiaoxiao eting with a friend, she hastily looked over, worried her good sister might be tricked by so man, she wanted to keep a good watch.
Chen ilan still unaware she was mistaken for Su Xiaoxiao’s "wild man," nervously fixed her hair and asked Su Xiaoxiao, "Xiao Su, do you think my hairstyle is alright?"
She styled her hair according to Su Xiaoxiao’s suggestion yesterday, with loose curls held with a yellow floral hairband, looking youthful and energetic.
Su Xiaoxiao sized her up for a mont, and exaggeratedly gave her a thumbs up, "Perfect, absolutely perfect, Director Chen, you look stunning even to soone like , a girl."
Chen ilan blushed deeply at her unreserved complint.
The corner of her eye suddenly caught a glimpse of a man striding towards them, she quickly signaled Su Xiaoxiao with her eyes.
Su Xiaoxiao understood, soon noticing a tall male comrade approaching.
He seed to be over 1.8 ters tall, quite rare in this era.
The male comrade nodded at her, cheeks flushed, and sat beside Chen ilan.
"Comrade Chen, sorry, I was delayed by sothing with the team."
"No problem, no problem, we just arrived."
Chen ilan responded with a blush.
Seeing them like this, Su Xiaoxiao felt like she was nothing but a glaring third wheel, the brightest sort.
Apparently, she wasn’t needed to ease the mood here, their eyes were practically interlocking.
No point for a single like her to remain.
With a few light coughs, she spoke, "Sister Chen, I just rembered sothing, I should get going."
Saying this, she secretly signaled Chen ilan.
Chen ilan nodded with a red face, "Okay, Xiao Su, go ahead if you have things to do, I’ll treat you to a al soti."
After bidding farewell, Su Xiaoxiao turned and left the state-run restaurant.
With still so ti left, thinking of where to wander about, just as she mounted her bicycle, she suddenly heard a loud bang, nearly startling her off the bike.
What was that, an earthquake or an explosion?
Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a group of excited kids gathered in a circle, eyes shining.
In the center of the crowd was a hunched old man.
The old man was bent over, pouring sothing out of a sooty, gourd-shaped contraption.
Su Xiaoxiao instantly realized it was a 1970s-style popcorn machine.
Kids had few treats in this era, and popcorn, an old school snack, was a favorite among them.
Typically, every household would co out when they heard the popping sound, without needing separate solicitation.
The cost was very cheap as well, buyers brought their own corn and bags, just one di per batch.
This thod of popping popcorn has been obsolete in recent tis; people like Su Xiaoxiao’s generation had only seen it in videos.
She quickly went over, curious.
Watching the old man’s skilled hand rotating the popcorn machine over the fire, and when the mont was right, the bystanders stepped back in unison.
Soon, accompanied by a loud bang, the group of kids jumped around cheering brightly-eyed.
Su Xiaoxiao found it amusing, but then the corner of her eye caught a familiar figure.
She waved and called out eagerly, "Sister Zhang, Sister Zhang."
But the crowd was too noisy, and the person seed too anxious to notice her.
What was Sister Zhang up to? Normally at this ti, she’d be eating at the unit’s canteen, wouldn’t she?
Su Xiaoxiao felt a strong intuition that Zhang Yulan was facing sothing.
Thinking of the troublemaking aunt who once stord the departnt store, she hesitated only a mont before chasing after on her bike.
Sister Zhang was on foot, no matter how fast, couldn’t outpace a bicycle, Su Xiaoxiao caught up soon.
Seeing her turn into a nearby alley, Su Xiaoxiao quickly followed suit.
She kept a not-too-far, not-too-close distance, soon arriving at the front of a vintage tube apartnt.
Noticing Zhang Yulan heading into the building, she hurriedly parked and locked her bicycle, catching up fast.
Luckily, Zhang Yulan wasn’t ascending quickly, Su Xiaoxiao easily followed her to the third floor.
The stuff strewn across the hallway was chaotic; so households even had their pots and pans out on display, making the passage unusually cramped.
Zhang Yulan walked for a while, stopping at a door at the end of the third floor, not opening it imdiately, but seed to be listening closely to the inside.
Suddenly, whatever she heard made her face turn grimly pale.
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