Go Back and Sell
“Six pairs?” The vendor hesitated for a moment, then agreed to sell them at two yuan each. After all, these shoes had been sitting in storage collecting dust; it was better to sell them at a loss than to keep them unsold.
“Alright, let me pick some,” Su Su said as she started browsing through the selection. Chatting with the vendor, she learned that these shoes were imported from the south, but due to unclear national policies, they were held up for some time. By the time they arrived, winter had passed, and they ended up sitting unsold for a year. Now, they were being cleared out at a discount.
The shoes were of good quality, and Su Su considered the possibility of selling them back in the village. Although villagers didn’t have much disposable income, a pair of sturdy cotton-padded shoes priced at two yuan might still find buyers—especially since they were better made than homemade ones.
However, carrying them all the way back wasn’t feasible, so she sighed and settled for six pairs, which she brought back to the guesthouse. That evening, she washed Lin Chuan’s new clothes since they were to be worn close to the body. She dried them by the stove overnight, and by morning, they were nearly dry. Packing everything up, she headed to the hospital.
When she arrived, Lin Chuan was already tidied up, and the swelling on his face had subsided, making him look much better than the day before.
Su Su noticed that the young soldier who had been assigned to assist Lin Chuan was still there. She handed over the new trousers she had bought and asked him to help Lin Chuan change into them, as well as the new set of thermal undergarments.
The young soldier, impressed by Su Su’s meticulousness, helped Lin Chuan change. Seeing him in fresh clothes, the soldier thought Lin Chuan looked even more handsome.
After sending the soldier off, Su Su entered the room and said, “I’m going to wash your clothes, so don’t move around.”
“You don’t need to. I’ll wash them when we get home,” Lin Chuan replied quickly. These were intimate clothes, stained with blood—he didn’t want his wife to wash them.
“What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not like I’m going to throw your clothes away,” Su Su said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed the basin and headed out. After washing the clothes and returning to the room, she found Lin Chuan chatting with Lin Donghe.
“Lin Donghe, you’re here too,” she greeted him and then hung the washed clothes to dry. She filled a spare cup with water for Lin Chuan, tidied up the bedside area, and even swept the entire ward with a broom.
Though Su Su wasn’t used to doing chores, her experience living in a dormitory meant she could handle this level of tidying up.
The cleaning lady, who came by to clean the ward, was pleasantly surprised to see the petite young woman already tidying everything. Smiling, she said, “Oh my, this young lady is so capable. She even did our work for us.”
“It’s nothing. The room wasn’t that dirty anyway; I just wanted to keep it tidy,” Su Su replied with a smile, chatting casually with the staff. After the cleaning ladies left, she noticed both Lin Chuan and Lin Donghe staring at her. Puzzled, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Chuan cleared his throat and turned his face away, while Lin Donghe chuckled, “Oh, we just didn’t expect you to be so down-to-earth.”
“What do you mean by ‘down-to-earth’? Back in university, I even visited the homes of some cleaning staff for meals,” Su Su replied casually. She had always been easy-going and got along with everyone, though her good looks and somewhat aloof demeanour often gave people the wrong impression.
Lin Donghe chuckled again, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. He was still dwelling on the events of the previous night. His rash behaviour at the guesthouse, his attempt to comfort Qin Yueyue, and how things spiralled out of control until they crossed a line he couldn’t take back. Now, he felt responsible and wanted to propose marriage, but Qin Yueyue had rejected him outright.
Lin Donghe couldn’t understand why. Though he didn’t hold a position in the military like Lin Chuan, his feelings for her were genuine. Why had she been so decisive in her refusal when they already had such an intimate relationship?
Su Su noticed the strange look on Lin Donghe’s face, and even Lin Chuan frowned and asked, “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing. I was just wondering how you’ll get back home,” Lin Donghe replied, hastily changing the subject.
“The unit might arrange a vehicle to send me back. Traveling by train would be too difficult in my condition,” Lin Chuan explained.
Su Su’s eyes lit up. “They’ll send a car for you?”
“Yes.”
“Can I bring some things with us?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course,” Lin Chuan replied, watching her enthusiasm with amusement. She looked adorable, her excitement bubbling over.
“Great! Let me tell you something, Lin Chuan. While shopping, I noticed some stockpiled shoes…” She excitedly shared her discovery about the discounted shoes and her idea of bringing them back to sell in the commune. “Would this count as speculation or profiteering?” she asked earnestly, still unsure about the regulations of this era.
Lin Chuan shook his head. “The country is now encouraging people to find ways to improve their livelihoods. No one will stop you for doing this. Besides, private shops are already operating in the commune, so it’s fine.”
Lin Donghe nodded in agreement. “The situation has indeed improved. Everyone wants a better life now. Back then, even dreaming about owning a sewing machine was impossible. But now, you could ask someone to bring a few back from the south, and it wouldn’t be out of reach.”
Su Su beamed at their reassurances. “This isn’t just about making money—it’s about benefiting the villagers too!” she declared with conviction. Though her motives weren’t entirely altruistic, she did see the potential to help. Fifty pairs of shoes might only net fifty yuan, but in a rural village, that was a significant amount.
“Don’t worry about money—I’ll have my allowance soon,” Lin Chuan interjected. “You don’t need to strain yourself to save. I can support us.”
“Alright, then I’ll use your allowance to buy supplements for you,” Su Su replied cheerfully. She was already imagining how to transport the shoes back, planning to head out again that evening to purchase them.
By the afternoon, Lin Chuan was able to get out of bed, though he needed support to walk. Being tall and heavy, Su Su wasn’t strong enough to assist him, so he firmly refused to let her try. He didn’t want to risk accidentally falling on her and causing harm.
Though Su Su didn’t understand his concerns, she didn’t argue. Since there were three of them in the room, the unit stopped sending someone to deliver meals, and Su Su took it upon herself to fetch lunch. Armed with ration tickets, she headed to the hospital canteen on the second floor. Not knowing how much the three men could eat, she filled all three lunch boxes provided by the unit with two large portions of food each. Fortunately, food didn’t require ration tickets—only grain did. Each man got two large steamed buns. She figured she wouldn’t be able to finish hers and could always share with them if needed.
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