Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Coupons and Tickets, Silly Wan Xiang

After the experience of being ridiculed for staring at paintings before, Li Huaihua didn’t delay too long this time. She quickly controlled her emotions, lifted her head, and smiled at Ling Chengyan with reddened eyes: “I’m sorry to make you laugh, let’s go!”

Even though she already knew that the district department store was better than the county supply and marketing cooperative, Ling Chengyan was still pleasantly surprised by the abundance of goods on the shelves, and Li Huaihua was left staring in awe.

The county only had one kind of milk powder, and that wasn’t always available, but the grocery counter at the district department store had three kinds of milk powder and a canned condensed milk. You could buy as much as you wanted with money and coupons, no limits. Ling Chengyan regretted not bringing more grocery coupons, only enough to buy four bags of milk powder and a can of condensed milk.

Besides milk powder, the grocery counter had many snacks and candies not found in the county. Ling Chengyan also saw dried goods like black fungus and red dates, which were also grocery items. However, she just looked and didn’t buy any.

No more coupons.

Li Huaihua didn’t buy anything from the grocery section. After seeing Ling Chengyan finish shopping, she said she wanted to check out the fabric and textile counter.

Seeing her eyeing those brightly colored sheets and blankets, Ling Chengyan suddenly had a spark of inspiration and whispered, “Have you set the date?”

Li Huailhua was taken aback, then blushed and nodded: “It was originally set for March 6, but the militia training was postponed to autumn.”

Ling Chengyan congratulated her with a smile and helped her choose sheets and blankets. After a long time of picking, Li Huaihua finally chose a pink sheet printed with peonies and double happiness symbols.

Li Huaihua asked about the price, and the woman with permed hair at the sales counter replied indifferently, “Eleven yuan and three, plus two coupons.”

Li Huaihua secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Then please write up the bill.”

The woman at the counter, with her eyelids drooping, scrawled a note and clipped it overhead, then swiftly shoved it toward the cash register.

Li Huaihua was stunned for a moment. Ling Chengyan pulled her along, and they went to the cashier to pay.

“Eleven yuan and three, two coupons!” the cashier called out without lifting her head.

Li Huaihua hurriedly passed the prepared money and coupons through the small window, but they were immediately thrown back at her. The small fabric coupon fluttered and fell directly to the ground.

It’s not easy for rural folks to save a few fabric coupons, so Li Huaihua quickly squatted down to pick it up, while Ling Chengyan asked for her: “Is there any problem?”

“Eleven yuan and three, two coupons!” the person repeated, coldly and even with disgust.

Ling Chengyan frowned slightly, but thinking quickly, she immediately realized one key word: the clerk and cashier both said ’coupon,’ not ’ticket.’

She asked again: “Industrial Coupon?”

The middle-aged woman in the small window raised her head to glare at Ling Chengyan without speaking, but her meaning was clear: you knew and still asked?!

It turned out, the sheets were textile goods, but they required two Industrial Coupons instead of fabric tickets.

Li Huaihua also picked up the fabric ticket to stand up again, her face showing a trace of disappointment when she heard it required Industrial Coupons.

“Sister Yan, let’s go!” she said softly, reaching out to pull on Ling Chengyan’s wrist.

Ling Chengyan patted her outstretched hand, smiling as she fished out some Industrial Coupons from her satchel, handing two to Li Huaihua: “I just happen to have some, use them first.”

“This…” Li Huaihua was preparing for marriage and was very fond of the sheet she’d carefully chosen, hoping to buy it for her dowry.

However, Industrial Coupons weren’t given to members; only wage-earning workers received them. If she borrowed them, how could she pay it back?

Seeing her hesitation, Ling Chengyan directly took the prepared money from her hand, along with two Industrial Coupons, and handed them into the small window.

Soon, the change was handed back, and the receipt slid along a wire to the counter clerk.

Li Huaihua bought the sheet she liked, a smile blossoming on her face.

Ling Chengyan lost the desire to shop further, and together they left the department store, heading back to the front of the courtyard.

Only Zhang Hanchao was sitting at the reception room door chatting with an old man, in front of a pile of over ten net bags containing washbasins, thermoses, and enamel mugs—all prizes from the district-wide competition.

The first prize was a three-piece set of washbasin, thermos, and enamel mug, the second prize was a thermos, the third prize was a washbasin, and the rest received a participation prize of a large enamel mug each.

Seeing them return, Zhang Hanchao looked at his watch with a smile and said, “Just four o’clock, why didn’t you shop a bit more?”

Li Huaihua was shy, especially afraid to speak to the team leader.

However, Ling Chengyan was relaxed and natural, smiling as she replied, “We bought what we needed.”

Zhang Hanchao glanced at the net bag in Ling Chengyan’s hand and said, “For the baby milk powder, didn’t you get some glucose?”

Ling Chengyan was a bit puzzled, froze for a moment, then shook her head, “I haven’t exchanged white sugar.”

“It’s not white sugar, it’s glucose, to be mixed with water separately for the baby to drink, it’s nutritious,” Zhang Hanchao explained, adding, “My wife is a doctor, she says so. Hahaha, my two kids are all under her care.”

Always shy, Li Huaihua quietly added, “Glucose is hard to buy outside, seems like it’s only available at hospitals.”

Zhang Hanchao and Ling Chengyan were both dumbfounded, exchanging a glance before Zhang Hanchao laughed heartily, “Oh, I see, then I’ll let my wife know to buy a couple of packets for you and you can pick them up from my office in a few days.”

Ling Chengyan didn’t refuse, smiling as she thanked him.

As they were chatting, people began to return one after another. Zhang Wanxiang and Wu Qingyun came back swinging their arms.

Zhang Hanchao smiled at them and said, “You’ve come all the way to the district, aren’t you buying something to take back?”

Although Zhang Wanxiang and Wu Qingyun had known Zhang Hanchao for many days, they hadn’t talked much, and they were a bit caught off guard and shy from the sudden question.

Zhang Wanxiang, the carefree one, blushed slightly but responded quickly: “Heh, Qingyun bought…”

Not expecting this betrayal by his brother, Wu Qingyun was taken aback and interrupted this unfaithful friend, hurriedly saying, “Just got a few small things.”

Zhang Hanchao smiled and didn’t press further, while a few older militia members chuckled and said, “Bought it for your little sweetheart, right?”

“Come on, tell us what you bought, we’ll help you check if it’s good. Don’t buy useless stuff and upset your girl!”

Wu Qingyun remained unmoved, but Zhang Wanxiang’s expression turned serious and nervous as he said, “I bought a silk scarf, is that okay?”

No one expected such a twist, especially the militia members who immediately perked up, surrounding Zhang Wanxiang with smiles and a barrage of questions.

“Come on, tell us where your sweetheart is from, what’s her temperament like…”

“Yeah, if you don’t tell, how can we give you advice? Come on, tell us, and we’ll really help you out…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep