She Only Cares About Cultivation

The accountant saw that the village chief didn’t recognize the value and didn’t say much more, just patted him on the shoulder.

"You should go maintain order, I need to go home and let these words dry."

The accountant left with the writing, and the village chief saw someone in the line saying bad things about Xiao’an, so he kicked him.

"Damn it, you want her to write but have so many complaints, who do you think you are, some kind of big shot? Say one more word and I’ll kick you to death, now you’re penalized to the back of the line!"

"Village chief, I’ve been in line for two hours," the person protested in dissatisfaction, and the village chief aimed another kick, but this time the person was prepared and evaded it.

"Does it matter to me how many hours you’ve queued? Xiao’an has been writing for two hours, why don’t you mention that? Quickly, move to the back, or I’ll make her go home and rest right now."

This statement incited discontent, and people from the front and back dragged him away.

"Go, go, no more nonsense, who told you to talk badly about her? Queue up at the back! Serves you right for having a big mouth!"

Noon, at eleven, An Yi stretched her sore neck and arm and threw a line to the people at the back.

"Come back at three in the afternoon, at noon I need to nap with my daughter."

Finishing, she nodded to them, picked up the restless An Ran, and went out the door, leaving the people behind exchanging glances without daring to say anything, because indeed it was noon, time for lunch, and the child was hungry. What right did they have to complain when she’d been writing for over three hours?

Hence, the queue behind sighed, "Let’s go, come back in the afternoon."

Someone just uttered a ’tch’ sound and was promptly shoved by a companion: "Shut up, don’t want her to write, then write it yourself!"

The sentence silenced the person. It was a joke, if they could write, would they be in line here? This was deliberately poking fun at him!

Thus, An Yi wrote consecutively for three days. Later, when someone came for her writing, she declined using discomfort in her hand and needing to prepare New Year’s treats as excuses. The village secretary and accountant were forced to help for two days, until all households had red Spring Festival couplets pasted, and those with white events used white paper with black characters or green paper with black characters.

On New Year’s Eve, after the reunion dinner, the sisters went home, not before giving Little Anran anti-evil money wrapped in red, an old tradition passed down, regardless of the amount, it’s symbolic.

In those days, with no entertainment activities, chatted for a while, and each went home, who would wait until the midnight?

The red envelopes contain ten thousand each, if fifty thousand were equivalent to fifty yuan nowadays, then ten thousand is like ten yuan, not too little.

She stored the money in her space as a keepsake, knowing she’d never spend it in this life, but keeping it at least proves it once circulated, just like stamp collecting in later times. She plans to buy an album-like booklet to store these bills; meanwhile, she possesses at least hundreds of thousands.

She kept some Japanese bills too, awaiting the Reform and Opening to see if her daughter could exchange more in Japan for appreciation, no loss!

Domestic ones still have room for appreciation, let’s not talk about these Japanese bills.

The clock of 1954 thus rang in. Early on Chinese New Year’s Day morning, everybody donned new clothes to exchange New Year greetings. An Yi didn’t give out bills. If children come for New Year’s wishes, she gives each a piece of cheap mint candy, ten yuan buys a small pack in 2020, not expensive in this era. As for milk candy, she’d keep those for her own child.

And villagers expecting to gain money by sending their children for greetings, are bound for disappointment, yet each child left happily.

They knew if money was handed out, it wouldn’t end up with them, but the candy is different, ready to eat right away; reaching home it’s already gone, no one can snatch it, thus all came happily and departed joyously.

Their family An Ran never thought to freeload at others’, yet unexpectedly, so many people came to freeload off them.

Luckily, Qiuxia and Caihua stayed all day. Blessings were given together, candies distributed together, and she stated beforehand only one bag of candy is available, asking the children to inform those coming later, once the candy’s out, it’s gone.

But she underestimated the allure of candy. Some kids heard that saying one auspicious word here earns a candy, and dashed over in droves, leading to not just one bag being opened, but two, three bags were gone, prompting snickers from Caihua and Qiuxia.