"Sister Wu..." Bai Xue squeezed into the crowd and called out.
Wu Yuxia, who was busy, heard the voice and looked up, seeing Bai Xue raising her hand to show the pork she had.
She quickly let her into the counter, leaving behind a large group of people wanting to buy clothes, and took Bai Xue into the warehouse.
"Aren't you worried about all those people waiting outside?" Bai Xue followed and asked lightly.
"There were lots of people today, and not many clothes. Even if they wait, it's in vain. They'll be sold out soon." Wu Yuxia said, her eyes never leaving the pork in Bai Xue's hand. "Girl, you got the pork?"
"Isn't this it! Three pounds of pork, just as you said, with more fat!"
"Good, good! Girl, you're really capable!" Wu Yuxia chuckled happily, taking the pork. "Here! Black market price, five yuan per pound of pork! Here's fifteen yuan!"
Bai Xue took the money and stuffed it into her pocket. She got this pork more for building a good relationship with Wu than for the money.
"Sister Wu, why are those people outside grabbing like they don't need a ticket? Are the ready-made clothes really free?" Bai Xue asked curiously.
"It's practically like they cost nothing, isn't it? No ticket needed, and only ten yuan per adult set, eight yuan per child set, they're the kind of clothes city folk wear! Only they have some defects! They're just what's approved from the textile factory!" Wu Yuxia hid the pork, can't let those colleagues see it again, last time the smoked chicken got noticed, and they insisted on taking half, which ended unpleasantly.
"Sister Wu, have you finished preparing for the New Year at your house?" Bai Xue suddenly asked nonchalantly.
"Prepare what? Wanting to buy but nowhere to buy from. But this year is not bad; with this pork and the smoked chicken you sold me last time, we can have a hearty New Year." Wu Yuxia was happy; her family had about ten people, but even three pounds of pork with cabbage could make a good meal of dumplings, enough for the whole family.
"Sister, I also have fish here!"
"What did you say?" Wu Yuxia, who was about to walk out, quickly came back after hearing Bai Xue's words.
"However, you'll have to sell me a few more clothes!" Bai Xue looked at the baited Wu Yuxia and smiled slyly.
In the end, she successfully bought seven sets of clothes with few defects, bought a set for each family member, and also got two lengths of fabric tickets to buy fabric for clothes for her newborn younger siblings.
This cost her seventy-five yuan, and adding the fifteen yuan Sister Wu just gave her for buying pork, she had only thirty-some yuan left.
Money doesn't last, but she had to buy; looking at her parents and younger siblings, and the worn patched clothes she had on herself.
"Girl, I've sold you so much, you see those people outside, they've started cursing me. You can't just sell me one fish and be done!" Wu Yuxia said resentfully, watching Bai Xue, who packed up the seven sets of clothes.
It was all her fault for being greedy for that fish, agreeing to sell to this girl, but this girl had such a big appetite, buying seven sets at once. There were so many people in line outside, only ten sets of clothes left. She delayed going out, and the people outside started getting impatient and angry.
"Sister Wu, you go check outside! Don't worry, I'll get you the fish, and also a few apples and sausages! But not too much more, my family is large too, and I can only spare you so much!" Bai Xue pretended to be distressed.
Wu Yuxia knew her family was large, seeing as she just bought seven sets of clothes.
"Alright! I'll be here waiting for you! Hurry up, okay!" With that, she walked out, and Bai Xue followed her out.
The crowd waiting to buy clothes saw the salesperson come out, and didn't have time to care about Bai Xue, as they clamored around, speaking all at once.
Bai Xue, carrying a sack of clothes, sneaked away.
Actually, these ready-made clothes weren't that great, and they were very thin. The men's were black, women's were light gray, but they were passable over thermal wear.
Bai Xue walked a distance, and when there was no one around, quickly put the sack into the market space and took out the apples, fish, and sausages promised to Wu Yuxia.
She took eight large, red apples, a four-pound fish, and two sausages, then headed towards the supply and marketing cooperative. She had to finish all this and get back near the health clinic in case Zhang Yuan got impatient and came looking for her.
In the time she went back and forth, the ready-made clothes were already sold out, the crowd dispersed, some left cursing unhappily, some looked disappointed, and some didn't care and went to buy other things.
"Sister Wu, finished selling so quickly?" Bai Xue approached the fabric-selling counter and asked.
Wu Yuxia glanced at the sack Bai Xue was holding, then cheerfully said, "Such good things, how could they not sell? The ones who didn't get any are disappointed. Girl, you're quick to leave and come back! Hurry and come in with your sister to warm up!"
Bai Xue knew Wu Jie was saying this for the benefit of the colleagues, and obediently followed her inside.
"Sister Wu, look! This is all I could get for you! This is worth way more than those few defective clothes!"
Wu Yuxia quickly checked the sack, her eyes widened at the sight of the contents, excitedly looking over it. In the end, without Bai Xue needing to say anything, she voluntarily took out thirty yuan and handed it to Bai Xue. "Girl! No need to give change! If you have any good stuff in the future, you must think of your sister! Your sister will leave some for you too!"
"Sister Wu, that coarse linen..." Bai Xue drew out her words.
"Fine! Your sister will give you ten feet of coarse linen, and you'll need thread and needles too, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Sister Wu, you are the best to me!"
Bai Xue knew Wu Yuxia was momentarily excited and forgot to think, once she calmed down, she would surely wonder how a person who could get so much good stuff couldn't even get a bit of coarse linen?
Bai Xue had it planned, this would be the last time, next time she would never buy it herself.
Finally, Bai Xue gave the contents of the sack to Wu Yuxia, and took the cloth and thread back.
Once everything was done, she didn't plan to deliver goods to Uncle Wang today, so after leaving the cooperative, she found a hidden spot to take out all the ready-made clothing and put the coarse linen and thread into the same sack, then took six pairs of family-sized snow boots from the supermarket and stuffed them into the sack.
But she chose only the black ones, to avoid drawing attention.
This time she couldn't carry the thermal wear, there were too many things, the sack couldn't hold any more, but luckily she went to the town every other day, no rush, she had to bring Bai Daliang to dismantle the line tomorrow anyway.
She carried the large sack, slowly moving towards the health clinic.
Just as she was about to reach the clinic, an old lady ahead slipped and fell on her butt. "Ouch," she exclaimed, Bai Xue looked around her and found no one was there.
She had no choice but to brace herself and approach, secretly complaining to herself that she indeed told too many lies; she had just made up a story for her family about saving an elderly lady who slipped near the clinic, and now there really was a slipping old lady here for her to rescue.
"Grandma, are you alright? Let me help you! Can you stand up?" Bai Xue ran over, put the sack to the side, and supported the old lady's arm to ask.
The old lady raised her head, her wrinkled face full of pain, probably not a light fall.
"Good child, grandma feels like she may have broken her tailbone..."