When Lin Chun heard that his younger sister had not just picked one Lingzhi mushroom but had found five in total, and was planning to sell them in the provincial city, he was extremely shocked. "Xiaoxia! Why didn't you tell us the truth when you came back that day?"
He found that he really couldn't understand what his eldest sister was thinking every day.
Lin Xia patiently explained, "Big brother! Wasn't I just afraid of attracting unwanted attention? Let's not talk about others, you know what the people at Eastern House are like.
Once I've sold these things, I'll bring back some scarves to sell! Big brother, you didn't see the scarf that Sister Hongmei was wearing, everyone at our factory wants to buy one!"
Lin Chun was about to let his eldest sister's words get the better of him with frustration, but he also knew that he had to speak slowly about serious matters, in case he irritated her and she ran off. What then?
So he calmed down and spoke more gently, "Alright! Xiaoxia! Being cautious is good! But how can I feel at ease with you, a young lady, going to the provincial city by yourself?
We may not have money now, but that doesn't mean you have to run so far away, to a place where nobody knows you, to sell things!
And then to bring back goods to sell, isn't that just being a middleman? Why ever since you recovered from your illness have you stopped thinking about properly going to work, and instead keep thinking of these odd jobs?
Xiaoxia, you've already taken two days off this month, if you ask for leave again, the leaders at your workplace will have something to say! Do you still want your job or not?"
In Lin Chun's eyes, not going to work and messing around with this stuff was all nonsense!
Lin Xia didn't want to tell her big brother before, because she guessed he would say these things.
And his views weren't wrong, it's just that he hadn't experienced the changes of later times, and didn't understand that her job wasn't all that important!
Moreover, the first bucket of gold for those wealthy people who had lived through that era was often made by buying and selling goods during this period.
"Big brother! I'm not getting into mischief with this, you'll understand later!" Lin Xia couldn't explain what the future would be like to him just yet, so she changed tack, "I'm doing all this for the good of us all! I want us to have a better life, to have a little more money in our pockets!"
Lin Chun frowned, "Xiaoxia! Maybe I'm outdated, but don't we all have jobs? Now that Xiaoqiu is in school, why are you still causing trouble?"
Lin Chun felt that he really couldn't understand her, but as the elder brother, he thought he had to try to persuade her, "Listen to your big brother's advice. Keep the Lingzhi aside for now, we can sell it later when someone wants it, right? Xiaoxia, focus on your job, and stop thinking about those other things."
Lin Xia wore a helpless wry smile, "Big brother, like you, I have a job, but who gets to keep their salary?
We haven't received our wages yet, and I'm sure dad is coming down from the mountain soon!"
Furthermore, even if the salary stayed in her own hands, Lin Xia didn't think it was enough. She had too many things to do, and where would the few tens of yuan she earned every month be enough?
Lin Chun suddenly had nothing to say; his dad, Lin Aiguo, was indeed like that.
Lin Xia continued, "Dongzi is going to high school next year. Haven't you ever considered whether dad will let him go? How can he take the college entrance exam if he doesn't go to high school?"
Her little brother would be going to high school next year, and that time would arrive in the blink of an eye, wouldn't it?
Even if the school fees were low, boarding and meals would still cost money.
After being brought back to life, she had already arranged Xiaoqiu's job, and she couldn't bear to watch her brother suffer when the time came.
Depending on others simply wouldn't work! Relying on anyone else is not as good as relying on oneself!
Lin Chun looked up to argue, "How could dad not let Dongzi go to high school? He's such a good student!"
Nowadays, college graduates get job placements right away. If a family has something decent going on and their child is good at studying, who wouldn't let them continue with their education?
Lin Xia calmly looked at him, "That's not certain! There's someone at Eastern House who is still in high school! So, big brother, think about it. If there really comes a day when we don't have the money, are we going to just stand by and watch as our little brother finishes junior high and not continue to school, ending up like us working in the factory?"
The more she reminisced about the past, the stronger her desire to make money became!
Lin Chun moved his lips, and after struggling to swallow his saliva, he finally spoke, "Xiaoxia, actually, Dad is not like what you imagine. I think our little brother... Dad can't..." He was aware of how their father treated them, but still, he refused to believe it.
Lin Xia scoffed with irony, "Big brother! Over the years, you've been aware of what Dad is like; you just don't want to believe it.
But if what I've said about our little brother really happens one day, I don't want us to be unable to help because we have no money and then be guilty and regretful for the rest of our lives!"
In the end, Lin Chun was persuaded by Lin Xia, and he even pulled out a one yuan and ten-cent bill from his pocket.
The next day, Lin Xia boarded the train to the provincial city...
Listening to the "clang, clang" of the train, Lin Xia endured a whole night and finally arrived at the provincial city in the morning. Carrying her large bag and following the flow of people off the train, the bag was not heavy as it was just filled with mushrooms for show, while her Lingzhi was kept in the Jade room at home.
All along the trip, she stayed low-key and quiet. When fellow passengers tried to strike up a conversation, she simply said she was here to visit relatives.
Lin Xia looked back at the green train that would stop at each station for more than ten minutes. Thinking about having to ride it all night on her return journey, she truly longed for the long-distance buses of the future.
But for now, she had no choice.
Lin Xia, hungry, left the train station and asked around for the nearest farm products market. Identifying the direction, she headed that way.
What she had to do first was to find a way to sell the Lingzhi mushrooms.
If she couldn't sell them, she wouldn't be able to do anything else, as the money in her pocket was only enough for some food and a train ticket back home.
Then, if she thought about leaving again next time, her big brother Lin Chun would definitely not agree, and there were still many things waiting for her at home.
As Lin Xia walked, she observed the buildings along the street and the clothes of the passersby.
The big city indeed had a lot of people on the streets.
At this time, it must have been the rush hour for work. People were riding bicycles; men in crew cuts and Zhongshan suits, some of them wearing forward caps.
While many women had short hair or wore braids, there were already quite a few with perms, wearing clothes that were much more fashionable than what she saw in her home county.
Finally, Lin Xia found the farm products market. Before she even reached the place, she saw quite a few people.
Unable to resist her rumbling stomach, she bought two flaky pastries, eight cents each, spending a total of sixteen cents.
Lin Xia consumed them quickly, then found a secluded corner to take out the four Lingzhi mushrooms from the bottom of her large bag and covered them with the mushrooms.
After searching for a while, she finally found a fairly large empty space next to an old lady selling chickens.
Lin Xia opened her large bag, took out the plastic sheet she had prepared at home, spread it on the ground, then put a pile of mushrooms on it, carefully placing a Lingzhi mushroom next to it.
But watching the bustling crowd, having never sold anything before, she really didn't know what to do next.
She didn't have anything to weigh the mushrooms with, so she used her hands to separate them into several small piles.
A short-haired middle-aged woman carrying a cloth bag passed in front of her, "How much are you selling these mushrooms for?"
Lin Xia quickly stood up and replied with a cheerful smile, "Auntie, three mao for a pile!"
Actually, the price she set was just a guess, not knowing if it was too high or too low, making her feel somewhat uneasy.