Chapter 31: Going to the city to inquire about Jiang Meizhi’s lover; selling vegetables to city people
Jiang Daguo walked into the bedroom, took out a stack of food coupons and some crumpled cash from his arms, and placed them on Liu Xihua's dressing table.

Liu Xihua widened her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Daguo quickly waved his hand, signaling her to be quiet, and pointed in the direction of the outer room.

It turned out that in the outer room, Jiang Meizhi was happily discussing with Aunt Jiang whether it was necessary to add sugar when making braised pork.

Seeing this, Liu Xihua understood what her husband meant and stopped talking.

She pursed her lips silently and put the stack of food coupons and two ten-yuan bills into the drawer.

Locked it carefully.

Jiang Daguo comforted his sister Jiang Meizhi, and the family sat around the table and had a reunion dinner. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

After dinner, Jiang Meizhi got up and prepared to leave.

Aunt Jiang quickly grabbed four meat buns, wrapped them in fresh lotus leaves, and put them in the bag on Jiang Meizhi's bicycle. She said, "Come back often when you have time, and remember to bring Xiao Shengzi with you."

"I know, Mom!" Jiang Meizhi nodded. She got on her bike and turned back before leaving, waving at Jiang Daguo and reminding him, "Brother, don't forget what you promised me just now!"

After saying that, she stepped firmly on the pedals of the bicycle with her high-heeled shoes, got on the bike with swift movements, and left in style.

Aunt Jiang had a smile on her face. She watched Jiang Meizhi's figure completely disappear from her sight before she slowly turned around.

When his eyes fell on his son and daughter-in-law, who were standing at the gate and looked dusty and poor, his originally gentle face instantly turned gloomy.

"You two, learn from Meizhi! She is several years younger than you and knows how to find a way to develop in the city. Look at yourselves. When will you be able to find a job in the city so that I, an old woman, can look at you with new eyes!"

Aunt Jiang glared at Liu Xihua fiercely, and then cast a look of dissatisfaction and disappointment at Jiang Daguo.

Her son is honest and simple by nature, even a little cowardly, and his wife is not very smart. Looking at the couple in front of her, Aunt Jiang's anger grew.

She just couldn't understand why her son and daughter-in-law were so disappointing and had no ambition at all.

"Mom, I think there might be something wrong with Meizhi's job..." Jiang Daguo said with a frown.

Hearing this, Aunt Jiang's face changed instantly.

You know, she loves her eldest daughter the most! Who dares to say anything bad about her precious daughter? Even her own son!
Aunt Jiang said angrily: "What do you know from staying in the countryside all day? Don't make trouble for no reason and say nonsense to slander your sister!"

After saying that, she walked into the main room with a cold expression on her face.

When he passed by Liu Xihua, he said, "Xihua, go wash those dishes! I have a severe headache, go lie down for a while."

She went into her bedroom without looking back.

Liu Xihua rolled up her sleeves and tried to go into the kitchen, but was stopped by Jiang Daguo, "Let me go, you go see Xiaoxiao."

Liu Xihua nodded and went into the bedroom.

Jiang Daguo washed the pots and dishes and went into the bedroom.

Liu Xihua held Jiang Xiaoxiao in her arms, glanced at the bedroom door, and whispered to Jiang Daguo, "Meizhi came home to borrow money, didn't she?"

Jiang Daguo touched Xiaoxiao's head and sat down on the chair opposite Liu Xihua. "Well, you know?" "I guessed." Liu Xihua sighed and told Jiang Daguo about her encounter with Jiang Meizhi on the road that day. "I think the people Meizhi knows are unreliable. Mom loves her and will definitely ask you to lend her money. It's not good not to lend her money. Daguo, do you have any idea?"

After being rejected once, Jiang Meizhi is determined to not give up until she gets the money.

"I want to find out whether the man Meizhi mentioned actually works at the Civil Affairs Bureau," said Jiang Daguo.

Liu Xihua frowned. "It would be best to find out clearly, but we don't know anyone in the Civil Affairs Bureau, how can we find out?"

Jiang Daguo sighed, "Even if you don't know him, you have to ask. It shouldn't be difficult to find out his name. Just ask more people and someone will tell me."

Jiang Xiaoxiao listened to their discussion and knew that the couple no longer believed Jiang Meizhi's lies.

The man Jiang Meizhi knew was a liar, but in order to make Jiang Meizhi give up completely, she had to find out who that man was.

City A is the provincial capital, and the Civil Affairs Bureau of City A is no small place. For country folks like Jiang Daguo and Liu Xihua, who have only been to the city two or three times in their lives, it is indeed difficult to find someone in a large government agency.

But she thought of someone.

[Dad, you can ask Uncle Hu Qingsong for help. He works at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Oh, Hu Qingsong is the young man who dropped the document bag.]

[Uncle Hu Qingsong has been transferred from the A City Radio Station to the Civil Affairs Bureau, where he is the director. He is a good man. If you go find him, he will definitely help you find the man that your aunt mentioned.]

Jiang Daguo looked at his daughter, who was grinning and playing with bubbles.

Looking for the noble person you met that day?

This method is feasible.

Jiang Daguo slapped his thigh and said to Liu Xihua, "I remember now. Didn't we help someone pick up a file bag that day? Ask him for help."

[Mom, the vegetables in our farm are fresh. We can pick some and bring them to the city. Maybe a company cafeteria will take a liking to them, and we can do long-term business with them in the future.]

Liu Xihua was thinking that a trip to City A would cost a lot of money, and was hesitating whether to let Jiang Daguo go. When she heard her daughter's voice, her eyes lit up.

"Daguo, when you go to City A, bring some vegetables to sell there. It's a loss to go there empty-handed. The vegetables of city people are not as fresh as those in our countryside. The last time we went to City A, there was someone on the bus carrying a load of vegetables. He was probably going to sell vegetables." Liu Xihua said.

Jiang Daguo slapped his thigh and said, "I remember now. When we went to the hospital that day, I did see someone carrying vegetables on a cart. I thought they were sending people off, but it turns out they were going to sell vegetables."

"The vegetables in City A are much more expensive than those in the countryside. Since we're just going there alone, why not bring more with us?" said Liu Xihua.

"Well, the beans, cucumbers, green beans and eggplants in the field are growing well. I'll pick some and take them with me. We'll set off tomorrow morning," said Jiang Daguo.

That afternoon, Jiang Daguo and Liu Xihua went to the vegetable field in Canal No. 1 and picked a woven bag of vegetables.

At night, Jiang Daguo placed the woven bag in a hanging basket in the well and submerged it in well water. When he took it out after one night, it was still fresh and juicy.

At four o'clock the next morning, Jiang Daguo got up, took the four eggs that Liu Xihua had cooked for him, carried a kettle and a bag of vegetables, and rushed to the roadside, waiting for the bus to City A.

(End of this chapter)