Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 118 - 115 deluxe gift monthly ticket plus 360 additional - s

Chapter 118: 115 deluxe gift monthly ticket plus 360 additional Chapters

Lu Xun then briefly talked about the child abduction and how they searched. In fact, the child wasn’t lost in the county where Li Xianglu lived, but about a hundred kilometers away, near Guanzhong, in another province known for its coal production.

Upon hearing this, Li Xianglu frowned slightly and unconsciously murmured, "Could it have been done on purpose?"

Qin Xi suddenly turned her head and yanked the person who’d spoken without thinking.

But the comment had already been overheard by everyone present.

Qin Xi laughed it off, "This girl listens to too many spy radio dramas, she loves making wild guesses." Then she patted Li Xianglu’s head with her large hand.

Li Xianglu blinked, hee-hee’d foolishly and said, "Yeah, yeah."

But everyone who heard it had a very solemn expression, especially a young woman named Xi Yunmei, one of the couple, who touched her child’s cheek with a bitter look on her face.

Seeing this, Mr. Li realized that the girl might have guessed right and jovially said, "Come on, have some water, I’m cooking right now. Let’s have a basin of water-mutton at noon. We’ve got some lamb at home."

Everyone hurriedly shook their heads. The young man, Lu Xun, chuckled, "We’ll have to leave tonight, I’m afraid we won’t have time. We won’t trouble you today, maybe some other time."

Mr. Li didn’t insist, and Xi Yunmei pointed to a row of gifts and told Mr. Li and Li Xianglu, "Here are some snacks and fabrics, not much, just a little token of our appreciation. Old Xiangxiang, don’t think it’s too little."

Mr. Li laughed and said, "You guys are too polite. The incident has passed, just be more cautious in the future."

Lu Xun stepped forward to shake hands with Mr. Li again and chatted for a while, while Xi Yunmei, holding the still sleeping child, exchanged some pleasantries with Li Xianglu, meaning that she would write back when she returned and hoped to stay in touch.

Qi Minjun and his wife asked for the address and then said goodbye and left with the others, as it wasn’t convenient to reveal their relationship with these people in a crowd.

After seeing off everyone, nobody went to look at the gifts; they all rushed to the kitchen. Li Xianglu greedily watched as her grandfather put a good amount of meat in her bowl, her eyes lighting up.

Qin Xi said irritably, "You perk up at the mention of food, but where were you just now?"

Li Xianglu pouted, "That whole thing sounded fishy to me, how could a child go missing with a guard there? It had to be planned, I was just saying it offhand, who knew it’d turn out to be true."

Mr. Li put the sliced meat and vermicelli into the soup pot. Once the hot soup was poured over them, he scooped them into a bowl using a strainer, topped it with lamb soup, and handed it to Qin Zhen, who was serving the food.

In no time, everyone was sitting down with a bowl of basin mutton. Li Xianglu was eager to add some chili oil, but Qin Xi kept a close watch, and she could only use a bit of vinegar for flavor.

Guanzhong’s basin mutton dates back to the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty. Its essence lies in the delicious soup base, with slices of lamb to choose from between fat and lean, paired with pancakes that can be used to wrap vegetables, ensuring one won’t feel cold even in winter.

Those who like spice add a spoonful of chili oil to the soup, turning it instantly red and giving a sweaty warmth with each sip.

Li Xianglu had tried basin mutton in the Northwest during a trip in her previous life, by then it had become a chain restaurant. The taste was basically the same, but somehow it tasted particularly fresh and fragrant now, whether because the lambs at that time didn’t eat feed, or because she was just so eager for meat.

There was not much meat left on the lamb shank bones after being cooked. Each person got merely a few ounces. Qin Zhen wasn’t satisfied after finishing, having two more bowls of soup and two pancakes before finally settling with a full belly.

Qin Xi shook his head helplessly at the sight of his brother’s lack of ambition and rose to clean and wash the dishes.

Li Xianglu went to the side hut to change her sanitary pad before coming out to wash her hands and head to Grandfather’s room to carry those items towards the kitchen.

Qin Zhen ate too much, and now his stomach was as swollen as a balloon, round and taut, rendering him unable to move. Seeing Li Xianglu bringing in so many things, he wanted to get up, but his stomach ached, so he dared not move.

Li Xianglu looked disdainfully, then placed all the items on the big dining table and turned to her grandfather, who was helping tidy up, and said, "Grandfather, this family seems to be quite well-off."

Mr. Li nodded and said, "That’s right, your Uncle Xie holds a high position in the provincial administration. They’ve come all the way to accompany us, that young couple must be children from a prestigious family in the capital."

Mr. Li never avoided discussing such matters with his granddaughter. The child was astute, and considering her relationship with Qin Xi, he had intentions of encouraging their match. After all, Qin Xi was not someone who would stay unnoticed forever; he was bound to make a name for himself someday.

For a man who wants to achieve great things, one can climb the ranks without relying on in-laws, but at the very least, the woman behind him should be intelligent, familiar with interpersonal relationships, and know how to advance her interests while avoiding harm. He didn’t mind if you came from a modest background, but feigned cleverness was a concern.

Li Xianglu nodded and opened a thick, soft package, finding inside four pieces of cloth – one black, two blue, and one khaki – all made of wool. Li Xianglu pressed her nose against them, detecting a faint sheep’s wool scent. These were such precious fabrics.

These fabrics couldn’t be bought with money or cloth tickets; they were made by weaving together fine wool and cotton thread, thick and warm. Ordinary families couldn’t afford to wear them; they probably could only be purchased with Foreign Exchange Vouchers.

They couldn’t wear such items at the moment, so Li Xianglu planned to keep them until the situation stabilized.

Then she opened the largest roll of paper and her eyes widened in amazement – it was silk, roll after roll of it, eight in total.

Mr. Li washed his hands and came over, took a roll, looked at it with a smile and said, "This is top-quality silk, quite expensive indeed. But the good thing is, it doesn’t require cotton tickets. We don’t have any satin fabric at home, or I’d let Old Xue make you a satin jacket, which would be warm and light to wear."

Li Xianglu, who was well aware of her grandfather’s relentless affection for her, smiled and nodded, "Then let’s each have one piece."

Mr. Li smiled and shook his head, "No need, such good stuff is just fine for girls to wear. What would an old man like me do with it? Didn’t you buy me a new cotton jacket this year? I’m already wearing it."

Then everyone started to unwrap the gifts. Out of the eight packages, besides cloth and cotton, the rest were edibles and items for use, including two tubs of lactose, powdered milk, and upscale snacks like twisted fried dough and other treats.

At this moment, Qin Zhen was so full his stomach was bulging and couldn’t eat a bite, only watching enviously as Li Xianglu sampled a bit here and there, almost popping his eyes out in frustration.

The food Li Xianglu hung up in a basket on the beam in the kitchen so it could be easily taken whenever they liked, while all other items were taken back to her room.

Thus one year passed, and it was not until the fifteenth day of the New Year that Li Xianglu and her grandfather borrowed a mule cart from the team to go to the county and bring back the money. She also received two letters.

One from the capital.

One from the province.

ps: Now that we are holding at eighth place, let’s not make any moves. Don’t aim too high. There are RMB players above us; we can’t compete with them. It’s good as it is, and I can keep up with the updates.

Also, I heard that there might be a small reward for the one in eighth place at the end of the month. I’ve never received it, but if it’s true, all of you, especially the monthly ticket holders, remember to check in the group. Let’s go for a big package and have some fun.

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