Looking at the items Jiang Rou listed, the clerk glanced at her sideways and said, "Comrade, you're buying so much stuff. Having just money and grain coupons isn't enough; you also need a grain and oil rationing booklet."
Jiang Rou pulled the booklet out from her bosom and handed it to the clerk.
The clerk flipped through the booklet, smiled, and made small talk. "Buying so many everyday items, are you getting ready to get married?"
"That's right, yes." Jiang Rou didn't blush and her heart didn't race as she lied smoothly. "My husband is a soldier, so I had to come by myself. There's nothing at home right now, so I have to buy all sorts of things from scratch. That's why I'm buying a bit more."
With that, she grabbed a handful of candies from her purchases and handed them to the clerk. "Here, please have some wedding candy."
The clerk took the candy while handing the items over to Jiang Rou.
Soon the check was finished, the goods were selected, and the payment was made.
"Sorry to trouble you."
"No trouble at all, this is my job." Delighted to receive the candy, the clerk offered a reminder, "Since you're setting up a household, what about a thermos, bedsheets and quilt covers, a washbasin, quilt and mattress..."
Prompted by the clerk—or perhaps unleashing her true nature—Jiang Rou went on another buying spree.
Of course, everything she bought was necessary, and soon she had spent a hundred and fifty yuan, plus all sorts of coupons.
The clerk's hands were actually shaking as she counted the money.
You must remember this was the 1960s and 70s, when purchasing power was extremely strong.
Stepping out of the supply and marketing cooperative, she pushed the small cart delivered by the store and walked away.
Twisting and turning through one alley after another, she shook off those ill-intentioned tails and finally stopped in a deserted alley entrance. Making sure it was safe, she transferred all her purchases directly into her Portable Space.
Only then did she finally relax.
Having time-traveled from the future, she had some understanding of what conditions were like during this period.
Moreover, having integrated the original owner's memories, she had an even deeper comprehension of the current era.
The supplies she now possessed were more than enough for her to live very comfortably during the initial period of her going down to the countryside, without even needing to take out what was inside her space.
***
When she returned home, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.
Walking into the courtyard, she joined the neighborhood aunts in shelling vegetables and chatting while preparing dinner.
As for the factory workers and school children, it would soon be time for them to get off work and school.
Jiang Rou had no interest in their gossip.
Pushing open the door and going inside, she found that no one from the family had returned yet.
Seeing this, Jiang Rou walked into the inner room.
Jiang Rou walked into the inner room, her gaze sweeping rapidly over everything inside, a wave of retaliatory thrill surging in her heart.
She didn't hesitate for a moment before springing into action. First, she shoved all of the original owner's shabby and worn-out clothes from the wardrobe into her Portable Space; although these garments were old and tattered, they might still come in handy in the countryside, even if just to use as rags.
Next, she went to the kitchen and collected the remaining rice and white flour from the rice crock, along with a small jar of lard in the corner.
She didn't even spare the bowls and chopsticks on the stove, figuring that when she got to Beidahuang, there was no telling when she might be short of such things.
Her gaze fell on an old photo frame hanging on the wall containing a family portrait of the original owner's family. Jiang Rou sneered, reached out to take down the frame, and with a "snap," pulled the photograph out, tore it to shreds, and tossed it casually into the air, letting the pieces flutter to the floor.
As for the frame itself, she tossed it straight into her Portable Space; it might come in useful as firewood later on.
In the corner of the room stood a dilapidated wooden chest, where the original owner used to keep some precious little trinkets.
Jiang Rou opened the wooden chest. Inside were a few old books—textbooks the original owner had used in school—along with some worthless little gizmos.
She packed these things into her Portable Space as well; perhaps she could flip through the books to pass the time during her leisure moments.
She then went into the master bedroom and searched frantically through chests and cupboards. Soon, she discovered a small iron box under the bed. Opening it, she found some loose cash and a few grain coupons inside.
The corners of Jiang Rou's mouth curled up in a smug smile as she pocketed all of this money and grain coupons.
When she finished all this, Jiang Rou looked around the house—which had been cleaned out as thoroughly as a swarm of locusts or invading soldiers, leaving behind nothing but a urine bucket and a sputum spittoon—and felt a wave of exhilarating satisfaction.
After finishing all this, Jiang Rou had a thought.
To deal with Jiang Jianguo and the others when they came back...
Jiang Rou picked up a brick from the doorway and, hardening her heart, smashed it fiercely against her own forehead.
Then she collapsed onto the floor.
When Jiang Jianguo and Zhou Hong returned and saw the front door wide open, they blew their tops immediately, paying no attention to Jiang Rou, who lay knocked out flat on the floor.
"Oh my lord! We've been robbed!" Zhou Hong's shrill scream instantly drew the neighbors from all over the courtyard.
Four or five households lived in the courtyard, and since it was peak commuting time, most people were at home preparing dinner.
Hearing Zhou Hong's scream, they were instantly drawn over, dropping whatever they were doing in their hands and rushing over to watch the excitement.
"Jiang Jianguo, looks like your family is getting ready to move."
"Yeah, when did you get cleaned out?"
A neighbor teased them with schadenfreude.
Furious, Zhou Hong glared fiercely at the person. "Did you steal it?"
Hearing that, the neighbor was not happy. "You went to work, and I went to work too. How could I have stolen it?"
They had seen people getting robbed before, but getting robbed clean like this was a first.
Even a thief wouldn't leave empty-handed, but being stolen from to this extent—even a mouse would probably leave behind two grains of rice out of pity.
Everyone chattered and discussed Jiang Jianguo's newly emptied home.
Auntie Shen spoke up at this moment, "Didn't your girl come back this afternoon? Where is she?"
Only then did the crowd notice Jiang Rou lying on the floor, knocked out, with a red brick broken into two halves right beside her.
All eyes focused on Jiang Rou, and an immediate buzz of discussion arose. Someone hurried forward, gently patting Jiang Rou's cheek and calling out anxiously, "Girl, wake up! Wake up!"
After quite a while, Jiang Rou slowly opened her eyes, groaning weakly, her eyes filled with terror and bewilderment.
Seeing this, Zhou Hong immediately lunged forward, grabbed Jiang Rou by the collar, and demanded angrily, "Where's the stuff in the house? Did you collude with thieves and pull this stunt?"
Jiang Rou's eyes reddened with grievance, and her voice trembled as she said, "I... as soon as I came back, someone hit me over the head from behind. When I woke up, it was like this, I don't know what happened either." With that, tears streamed from her eyes, making her look utterly pitiful.
"Nonsense! You must have been dissatisfied with your dad's and my decision and sought revenge by colluding with outsiders to empty out the house!" As she spoke, Zhou Hong seized the opportunity to swing at Jiang Rou.
Uncle Zhang from the brickyard saw this and stepped forward to block her. "A thief broke into the house—why are you blaming the child?! You're an adult and you didn't even know, why take it out on the kid!"
"Exactly! What would a child who's not even home all day know? Besides, she was even knocked out from behind by the thieves."
"Why don't you think about whether you went too far and brought this retribution upon yourselves, or if you offended someone outside and they brought the revenge right to your doorstep?"
Sister-in-law Wang, standing nearby, couldn't watch any longer. "What the hell are you yapping about? What kind of person Xiao Rou is—don't we neighbors in the same courtyard know? You couldn't squeeze a sound out of her with a firecracker. If you want to take your anger out on the kid, at least find a proper reason."
Auntie Shen stepped forward at this point. "What on earth could make you think Xiao Rou would team up with outsiders to empty out the house? If you can't give a good reason, you'd better watch out—we'll charge you with false accusation, have the police take you in, and lock you up for a few days."
Auntie Shen was the director of the neighborhood committee for this area, so her words carried authority. Coupled with the fact that everyone had long been sick of Zhou Hong, the stepmother, constantly picking on Jiang Rou, they all demanded that she cough up an explanation.
"Go on, speak!"
"Hurry up and explain, or we'll report you for false accusation!"
Seeing this, Zhou Hong's temper flared up as well. "Hmph, it must be this little wretch being dissatisfied with her dad and me for making her give up her job, so she teamed up with outsiders to pull this stunt!"