Chapter 83: So Sour It Hurts Your Teeth
“Xiyue, look! We managed to trade for a ’28-bar’ bicycle — and it’s almost brand new. Going to the town market will be so much easier now.” Liu Yao patted the bicycle seat with a face full of joy.
“It really is nice. Much more convenient — you two are so lucky.” Ning Xiyue circled the bicycle, inspecting it. It looked sturdy enough to last over ten years.
“This bicycle belongs to both Yechu and me,” Liu Yao leaned closer and lowered her voice. “It was really Yechu’s luck. He happened to stumble across it — and they didn’t even want a ration ticket for it. So the two of us pooled together and got it.”
“That is lucky. Bicycle ration tickets and industrial coupons are hard to get.” Ning Xiyue gave a thumbs-up. “This bike looks practically new. A great deal.”
In fact, Ning Xiyue already had an idea of how the bike had been acquired. Judging from what she knew of Chen Yechu’s dealings on the black market, she could pretty much guess the story.
What she hadn’t expected was how sly Yechu could be. To avoid drawing attention when they returned to the team, he’d even pulled Liu Yao in as a “partner.” That way, they could share the risk and the blame — and if someone they didn’t like asked to borrow the bike, they could just push the responsibility off on the other person. The two could play dumb back and forth.
“Congratulations on your brand-new 28-bar bike,” Ning Xiyue said, clasping her hands in mock salute.
Chen Yechu smiled. “It was just luck. Xiyue, if you ever need to use a bicycle, feel free to borrow ours.”
Liu Yao nodded eagerly. “Yes, Xiyue, we can lend it to you anytime.”
“Thank you in advance. I’ll check with my family to see if we have a spare bicycle ticket or some extra industrial coupons. If so, I’ll try to buy one myself.”
Ning Xiyue remembered she still had a bicycle tucked away among her three-piece set — she just needed to find the right opportunity to bring it out. Today’s conversation was a good setup for that.
Off to the side, Wang Mengmeng twisted the corner of her shirt with her fingers, green with envy — envious that Liu Yao had been pulled in by Chen Yechu to co-own a bike, and also envious that Xiyue was being offered the chance to borrow it.
When would she ever get along that well with them?
She regretted how she had spent all her time orbiting Xia Zhipeng before, missing out on so many new friends.
Wang Mengmeng’s heart was filled with remorse — why had she been so obsessed with a man who didn’t even like her? And one who didn’t keep himself clean at that. Her mother had been right to scold her. She really should write a letter to her mother and tell her she’d finally come to her senses.
Ning Xiyue had noticed Wang Mengmeng standing shyly off to the side for a while now. Who would’ve thought that once her “love-brain” was cured, she’d turn timid and reserved?
Seeing her emo-ing alone, with a pitiful expression on her face, Ning Xiyue — who was not one for sympathy — glanced at her once and then looked away.
But Wang Mengmeng was quick to seize an opportunity. When she saw Xiyue look away, she took it as a sign and eagerly stepped forward. Pulling a few large, bright-red hawthorns from her bag, she said, “I bought some hawthorn from the agricultural by-products stand. They’re sour and sweet — really tasty. Do you guys want one?”
Under Wang Mengmeng’s hopeful gaze, Liu Yao was the first to take one.
Seeing that, Wang Mengmeng happily handed the rest to Ning Xiyue, Chen Yechu, and Yu Zhiyu, who had been silently carrying their things.
“Hiss—”
The moment it entered her mouth, Ning Xiyue was hit by the sourness of the hawthorn — so sour her teeth ached.
“Tasty, right?”
When Wang Mengmeng turned around and looked at her, Ning Xiyue quickly wiped the pain off her face and forced a smile.
“It’s quite appetizing. Perfect as a pre-meal snack. If it were just a bit sweeter, it’d be perfect.”
Then she turned away, her face twisted from the sourness, and with great difficulty swallowed the hawthorn.
If she’d known the gift would be that sour, she never would’ve accepted it.
“Right? I think so too. I’ve never eaten them before.” Saying that, Wang Mengmeng grabbed another hawthorn, wiped it on her cloth bag, and popped it into her mouth — crunch, crunch, gone in two bites.
The others forced themselves to say, “Not bad.”
From everyone’s expressions, it was obvious — Wang Mengmeng genuinely found them delicious, while the others were suffering from the same sour assault.
With a taste for sour like that, Wang Mengmeng’s family must be from northern Shaanxi.
Feeling a bit excited to finally be part of the group, Wang Mengmeng enthusiastically held the bag forward. “Want another?”
“No, thanks. I just remembered I need to meet up with the aunties at the grain delivery site. You guys go back first, I’ll head over.” Ning Xiyue turned and left — she couldn’t handle any more of Wang Mengmeng’s enthusiasm.
“Hey, Xiyue—” Liu Yao called after the disloyal deserter.
But Xiyue didn’t look back. She just raised her hand high and waved goodbye.
“Better you than me,” she thought. Seriously, who would stick around to eat more tooth-melting hawthorn? Her teeth were still trembling. Clearly, those hawthorn were the type the procurement stations bought back for hospital medicine — sour enough to kill.
Feeling the lingering sourness in her mouth, Ning Xiyue fished out a fruit candy and popped it in, letting the sweetness wash over her until her face finally relaxed again.
“Now this is what I should be eating.”
When she reached the grain delivery site, it was still a sea of people. More and more teams hauling grain were lining up behind them.
She’d arrived just in time — their Daliu Brigade was up first, just starting the grain inspection and grading.
The team leaders and members all held their breath, waiting for the verdict.
“Daliu Brigade — First-class public grain. Quality: Excellent.”
As soon as the words landed, the whole team broke into smiles, their faces glowing with joy.
“Ah, Xiyue, our grain’s first-class, quality excellent — that’s amazing, hahaha!”
Wu Guifang was so happy she jumped up and grabbed Xiyue, spinning her in circles. Anyone watching would’ve thought she was the team leader.
Aunt Yangliu let out a relieved laugh. “Now we can finally relax — no need for rework.”
“Yes, thank goodness all our hard work these past few days paid off.”
Although Ning Xiyue had already guessed the result, the official announcement still made her heart race.
She could feel the farmers’ joy at the harvest — the satisfaction of seeing the grain you’d worked so hard on being recognized.
All their grain had been rated first-class.
Everyone was buzzing with excitement and happiness. Smiles never left their faces — especially Wu Guifang and Zhao Jianshe, whose grins were downright manic.
Ning Xiyue shook her head with a small smile and joined the team in pushing their grain over to the assigned storage bins.
With so many hands, they worked fast. Before the captain and Uncle Anguo even finished the paperwork, they were done and standing off to the side with their empty carts, waiting.
Aunt Yangliu patted the cart, motioning for Xiyue to sit and wait. “We’ll get to ride the ox cart back this time.”
“I’ve never ridden one before.” Ning Xiyue looked at the ox ahead, munching on grass. It wasn’t the big water buffalo that had picked them up before, but a large yellow ox — slightly bigger than the buffalo. She wondered what riding it would feel like.
“Hahaha, ride it a few times and you might not want to anymore,” Aunt Yangliu laughed. “And remember to wrap your face with a scarf later, or you’ll end up with a mouthful of dust.”
“Got it. Good thing I brought one.” Ning Xiyue pulled out a bright red floral scarf and waved it.
Seeing Ning Xiyue and Aunt Yangliu chatting happily, Wu Guifang hurried over to join the conversation. After some small talk, she tentatively asked the question that was most on her mind:
“Auntie, since our public grain was rated first-class, do you think our team has a shot at being named an Outstanding Collective? The evaluations should be starting soon, right?”
