"Malted milk isn’t cheap, a can costs seven or eight bucks. Do you want to buy it?"
Xiwang gritted her teeth and pulled half the money she had just received, stuffing it all to Lin Xiang, "Can you buy a can of malted milk? Granny’s health hasn’t been great lately, and I want to help her recuperate. I heard malted milk is really good stuff, and Granny will surely get better after drinking it."
Lin Xiang held the money in her hand, feeling a bit uneasy.
This grandparent-grandchild bond, indeed, is moving.
"Xiwang, let be honest with you. Compared to malted milk, given Granny Yang’s health condition, drinking milk powder is actually more beneficial. Besides, milk powder is cheaper, a bag only costs about two bucks, and with the extra money, you can exchange so eggs and fine grains in the village. Both you and Granny can eat well, ensuring you’ll both be healthy this winter."
at requires at tickets, and since Xiwang surely doesn’t have them, Lin Xiang suggested she buy so eggs instead.
"Will milk powder really be more effective?"
Lin Xiang nodded earnestly, "The factory director told so. A director wouldn’t lie to , right?"
"Alright, could you help buy a bag of milk powder, then?"
Xiwang took out three one-yuan bills and shoved them to Lin Xiang, "Consider the remaining change as your trouble fee."
"Hey, you kid..." Lin Xiang raised her hand to ruffle Xiwang’s boyish hair, "So young, and yet you talk and act like an adult? Your Sister Niu here can at least earn her own money now, how could I take such a little trouble fee from you? Wait, I’ll bring you the milk powder tomorrow!"
After going ho, Lin Xiang counted fifty cents from her money bag and then took five rabbit skins to find Fifth Aunt.
After handing the salary to Fifth Uncle, Lin Xiang handed the rabbit skins to Fifth Aunt, "My mom and I have similar foot sizes, this slightly smaller rabbit skin will be just right for making two pairs of insoles for us."
"This scorched one can be used to make two pairs of insoles for Lin Yun, although not very pretty, it won’t affect the comfort while wearing."
"For the remaining three skins, I’d like to make three pairs of gloves."
Fifth Aunt imdiately agreed, "Sure, I’ll make them for you tomorrow. Speaking of which, Lin Yun has been in the military for more than half a month, and apart from the call on his first day, why hasn’t he been in touch with the family at all?"
"The military isn’t like the outside. There are many restrictions inside, and calling isn’t sothing you can do anyti. But he should have written a letter, it just takes a while to arrive due to the long distance."
"That makes sense. Now that he’s gone, you and your mom will have a harder ti. If there’s anything at ho, co to your Fifth Uncle and . Don’t tough it out yourself, okay?"
"Got it, Fifth Aunt. If anything cos up, I certainly won’t hesitate to ask for your help."
The next day, Fifth Aunt finished the insoles and gloves.
After returning from the market, seeing it was still early, Lin Xiang planned to borrow a bike from the community team.
"What are you going to town for this ti of day?"
"The insoles and gloves are done, I want to send them to my brother early so he can use them soon."
Mrs. Lin frowned, "He’s in the army; he’s not lacking in food or clothes, why make such an effort?"
Though Lin Xiang kept assuring her she had no other thoughts about Lin Yun, Mrs. Lin felt more and more suspicious.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a big deal spending so much money on rabbit skins to make insoles and gloves for Lin Yun.
"Three yuan apiece for rabbit skins, and you actually spent it! I bought fresh cotton to make coats for you two, and it only cost five yuan."
"My brother’s rabbit skin only cost one dollar and two cents, I kept the good ones for us."
"Is that the point of what I’m saying?"
Spending so much money on rabbit skins for insoles and then on postage for sending them to Lin Yun, it fundantally seed off.
"Mom, I can’t talk to you right now, or the post office will be closed!"
Just as Lin Xiang stepped out, she bumped into the postman.
"Comrade, is this the residence of Lin Xiang, Comrade Lin?"
"I am Lin Xiang."
The postman took a letter and a money order out of the bike’s bag and handed them to Lin Xiang, "Comrade Lin Xiang, this is a letter and money order sent from Beijing. To withdraw the money, you’ll need to take the money order to the post office, preferably before 12 noon tomorrow."
"Thank you, Comrade, I appreciate it."
Holding the envelope with Lin Yun’s personal signature, Lin Xiang turned back ho.
Mrs. Lin was sitting on the stool peeling potatoes. Seeing Lin Xiang back, she glanced up, "Weren’t you heading to the post office?"
"Mom, Lin Yun sent a letter."
"So what if he sent a letter? Should I set off firecrackers to celebrate?"
"Along with the letter, there was also a money order."
"A money order?" Mrs. Lin tossed the potato aside, wiping her hands on her apron, then dashed to Lin Xiang and snatched the money order, eagerly checking the amount.
"Thirty yuan? Lin Yun hasn’t even been in the army for a month; has he been paid already?"
She’d told Lin Yun to send back two-thirds of his allowance, and since he sent thirty, his full allowance must be forty-sothing, right?
That’s more than city workers earn!
Lin Xiang didn’t understand how military allowances worked in that era, so she let Mrs. Lin revel in her joy over the money order while she sat down on the stool to read the letter.
The letter was brief; aside from the initial greetings, it recounted what had happened since he joined the military.
The letter was sent a week ago, when Lin Yun had just settled into the military.
"Mom, my brother ntioned, this money isn’t from the allowance but an initial grant of fifty yuan issued by the military. Since he’s just joined and needs to buy so things, he spent part of it and sent back thirty yuan."
"Did he ntion how much the monthly allowance will be thereafter?"
Lin Xiang replied helplessly, "He just got there, how could he inquire about the allowance? Anyway, the money order’s here, just hold onto that."
Lin Xiang read the letter again, confirming it contained no other important information, then asked Mrs. Lin, "Do you want to see the letter?"
"What did he say? Just read it to , I won’t look."
Lin Xiang had no choice but to read Lin Yun’s letter aloud.
"I won’t be setting up the stall tomorrow, as the postman ntioned, the money order needs to be cashed by noon tomorrow, I’ll send the stuff to him on the way."
Mrs. Lin had no objections to this.
Compared to the money order, having cash in hand was the most important.
Anyway, she knew how to cook the rice noodles; whether Lin Xiang was there or not didn’t matter.
At night, mother and daughter lay in bed.
Just as Lin Xiang was drifting off, Mrs. Lin suddenly spoke, "Girl, I want to discuss sothing with you."
"What is it? Just say it directly."
"I’ve been thinking, your brother isn’t young anymore, sooner or later he’ll have to get married. When he does, it’s customary to give the bride’s family a wedding gift, otherwise, which good family would be willing to let their daughter marry into our family?"
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