Back to the 1970s: Building My Fortune Through Time Trading Chapter 99: Purchasing Seafood on Behalf

"What’s wrong with you two?"

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask, seeing her two little brothers looking as wilted as eggplants hit by frost.

Su Jianwu pouted, "The family next door in the village, Wang Erzi, bought a radio. After school, all the classmates went to his house to listen to storytelling. We wanted to go too, but Wang Erzi mocked us for being poor and didn’t let us listen."

"People need face, just like trees need bark. If they don’t let you listen, then don’t. Look at you two acting so hopeless."

Liu Cuilan had the look of soone lanting wasted potential.

"But we want to listen, almost all our classmates have heard it, except us."

Su Jianwen chid in, "They’re telling ’Water Margin’ these days, and there are said to be 108 heroes in it, really exciting stuff."

"Mom, can we buy a radio too?"

All of a sudden, Su Jianwu looked at Liu Cuilan with bright eyes, filled with longing.

Liu Cuilan glared at him, "Look at the conditions of Wang Erzi’s family, then look at ours! A radio? You two must be dreaming."

Their mother rejected it without hesitation. With the current state of their household, having a full al already seed like a blessing—where would they find spare money for sothing as luxurious as a radio?

The light that had just appeared in the two boys’ eyes quickly dimd.

Recently, the whole class had been discussing the stories in ’Water Margin,’ yet they hadn’t heard a single one, completely excluded from the class cliques.

At their age, pride was key, and their hearts were filled with resentnt.

Today, they had thickened their skin to bum a listen at Wang Erzi’s, only to be chased away and lose face altogether.

Both boys now drooped their heads, even more deflated than when they returned earlier.

Su Xiaoxiao jokingly gave them each a smack on the head: "It’s just a radio, what’s the big deal? Wait until our village gets electrified, your sister here will just buy you a TV."

"A TV?"

There was a new spark of hope in Su Jianwu’s eyes.

Su Jianwen, however, was more rational: "Sis, don’t tease us. With our family’s financials, we can’t even afford a radio. How could we possibly buy a TV?"

After all, a TV costs five to six hundred yuan, several tis the price of a radio, and you needed a TV coupon to buy one.

Their older brothers had been working for so long without ever getting a TV coupon; the fact that their sister had only recently started at the departnt store made it impossible.

Even if they had a coupon, they wouldn’t have that much money.

Five to six hundred yuan was several years’ worth of inco for them.

Even Liu Cuilan thought her daughter was exaggerating: "Alright, stop teasing them, it’s ti to set the table for dinner."

Her family’s attitude was sothing Su Xiaoxiao actually understood.

After all, a black and white TV was quite the luxury at this ti. Nobody in their entire village owned a TV, and those who had radios were rare as hen’s teeth.

Forget it, maybe after they get electricity.

The TV she had bought was actually stored in the small warehouse, just waiting to be used soday when they had power.

As everyone sat down to eat, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly rembered sothing important and quickly said to Liu Cuilan: "Mom, tomorrow a batch of seafood will arrive at the departnt store, should we buy so?"

Liu Cuilan paused with her chopsticks mid-motion: "Why didn’t you ntion such a good thing earlier?"

Seafood was a rare treat inland like theirs, sothing they couldn’t buy often. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, they ought to buy so in preparation.

She abandoned her al, going into the room to fetch so money coupons.

Shortly after, she returned with the money coupons, handing them to Su Xiaoxiao: "Get a little of everything, when we cure it, it’ll last till New Year."

Su Xiaoxiao originally intended to refuse, but after thinking about it, she accepted the money coupons—she hadn’t received her salary yet and still had to rely on family money for now.

The saying goes, wealth is not to be flaunted. Until crucial tis arise, she had to be discreet with her money.

Otherwise, if anyone knew she had money, her cheap grandparents and aunt would surely co knocking, pleading poverty.

Early the next morning, Su Xiaoxiao rode her bicycle with a sack directly to the departnt store.

The night before, after dinner, she had gone for a walk and told several familiar elderly won about the seafood supply at the departnt store, so they each entrusted her to buy a little.

Su Xiaoxiao was naturally happy to do such things, as simply helping out allowed her to earn a fair amount of rebate in gold coins.

As soon as she put down her bike, she saw the long queue for seafood from a distance.

Many people had gotten the inside scoop on the seafood supply today, and a long line had ford at the departnt store entrance early in the morning.

Seafood being such a rare commodity, it wasn’t available often, so everyone who wanted to buy was there in droves.

Since Su Xiaoxiao worked at the non-food counter, keeping so stuff aside was easier for her than for other counter clerks.

As soon as she entered, Huang i eagerly approached: "Xiaoxiao, I heard your non-food counter will get so seafood today, could you save a bit of yellow croaker and ribbonfish for ?"

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, everyone wanted so seafood to show off when they had people over at their place.

Su Xiaoxiao had a good impression of Huang i and readily agreed, as it was an easy favor that also yielded a rebate—completely a win-win situation.

Huang i looked grateful as Su Xiaoxiao agreed: "Xiaoxiao, thank you, I’ll receive so flawed fabric soon, I’ll save you so pretty patterns when it arrives."

Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise; she was currently short on fabric.

In the store, only food and household appliances were available; for anything else, she’d have to rely on soone in the ga world selling it.

She sincerely thanked Huang i: "Thank you, Miss Huang."

"Drop the Miss Huang! Training is over, we’re all colleagues now; just call Sister Huang."

Huang i felt even warr towards Su Xiaoxiao due to this exchange.

Speaking of which, she handed Su Xiaoxiao a golden orange: "Xiaoxiao, these are so sweet, take one ho to eat."

Unwilling to accept without giving back, Su Xiaoxiao fumbled in her pocket and handed her so hawthorn candy: "Sister Huang, try these hawthorn candies."

Huang i’s smile instantly broadened, this young one was indeed sensible.

With a cheerful acceptance, they chatted amiably for a bit longer before returning to their respective counters.

The departnt store was about to open, so Su Xiaoxiao hurried back to her counter, standing ready to greet the first wave of custors, when a mocking voice suddenly ca from beside her.

"Tsk, going to work as if you’re doing a big haul. Country bumpkin must get so excited over a bit of seafood."