Chapter 5: The Plan

Only then did the stone in Ying Sisi's heart settle. She took out a pack of cigarettes and stuffed them into the man's hand. "Thank you, Big Brother. It's just a small token of my appreciation; I hope you will accept it."

The man took the cigarettes, his attitude becoming much kinder. He cautioned, "Once you go in, if you hear people outside shouting to run, no matter whether you've bought anything or not, you must run toward the east."

"Okay." Ying Sisi thanked him and stepped into the market.

Rice, flour, grain, oil, meat coupons, non-staple food coupons, books, stationery, daily necessities, and more could all be exchanged at equal value.

After wandering around for a while, Ying Sisi finally walked up to a noodle stall.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her arm, causing her to stumble several steps to the side.

"Sorry, sorry!"

Ying Sisi steadied herself and looked back. An older woman was bowing her head in apology, and an open book of stamps lay scattered on the ground.

They were colorful and beautiful.

The buildings and scenery on them looked exactly like the landscapes described by the educated youths.

She remembered the youths saying that stamps had immense collection value, and those from long ago were rare treasures that could not be sought if one did not encounter them.

If one met someone who knew their worth, they could be worth a thousand gold pieces.

She was instantly captivated.

The older woman looked up, and seeing Ying Sisi staring at her stamps, she immediately said, "Girl, want to buy some stamps? These are all old items from sixty or seventy years ago. There are over a hundred in a book, and they're only eight yuan."

"Can things from sixty or seventy years ago still be used? You actually dare to ask for eight yuan? If you took them to a scrap recycling station, they wouldn't even bother giving you two cents," the nearby stall owner said.

The older woman snapped back, "I didn't ask you to buy them; I'm asking this girl."

Ying Sisi really wanted them, but the price the woman offered was too high; she couldn't scrape together eight yuan from her entire person. "Can I take a look first?"

"Of course you can. These were my family's private collection. If it weren't for an absolute necessity, I wouldn't be willing to sell them at all."

Ying Sisi flipped through them page by page, confirming they were indeed old items. "Would you be willing to part with them for three yuan? I only have three yuan on me."

Ying Sisi honestly pulled out all her spare change; these were the amounts she had secretly skimmed off while buying groceries for Song Hanmei on a daily basis.

The middle-aged woman looked conflicted.

The noodle stall owner said, "Girl, looking at your clothes and appearance, you don't seem like a wealthy person. Spending three yuan to buy something you can't eat or drink to take home—won't your family beat you to death?"

Hearing this, Ying Sisi began to waver. All her knowledge came from the educated youths in the village.

If she couldn't turn the stamps into money, then the things she bought would be no different from scrap.

"I..."

Fearing that Ying Sisi would change her mind, the older woman stuffed the stamps into her arms. "Three yuan it is, then. I'll take a bit of a loss."

The noodle stall owner said, "Girl, think carefully. Don't let yourself be cheated."

Ying Sisi considered it solemnly. "I've thought it through." She handed the money to the auntie.

The middle-aged woman was both happy and regretful. "We've collected these for decades, and to think they're only worth three yuan in the end."

"Or maybe..." Ying Sisi touched her empty wallet, a sudden sense of regret washing over her.

To save this money, how many times had she engaged in a battle of wits and courage with Song Hanmei?

Now that her capital was gone, what was she supposed to do next?

"I have things to do, I'm leaving." The middle-aged woman walked away in a hurry.

Ying Sisi had already shot the arrow; there was no turning back. She tucked the stamps away and walked back.

Unknowingly, she returned to the Li family home.

As soon as she entered the door, she was called out by her father, Li Junlu, who was home from work. He questioned her gloomily, "So you know how to come back? You went out with your mother without saying a word, making your mother and sister look for you for half the day. Is this how a daughter and an older sister should behave?"

"I—"

Li Yuwei answered ahead of her, "Dad, it's the New Year, let it go. Sister didn't do it on purpose."

(End of Chapter)