Chapter 58: Filling the Space

Liu Chuxue caught up on her sleep within her space before finally emerging.

Seeing that it was still early, she didn't rush to the hospital. Instead, she asked around to find out where she could buy wooden buckets.

Following someone's directions, she found Carpenter Xue's house in an alley about a mile and a half away from the hospital: "Young lady, who are you looking for?"

"Ma'am, excuse me, is this Carpenter Xue's house?"

The woman sized Chuxue up from head to toe: "It is. What can I do for you?"

Liu Chuxue smiled faintly. "I'm looking to exchange for a wooden bucket. I was wondering if you have any ready-made ones?"

Hearing that business had come knocking, the woman became much more enthusiastic: "Come on in. We do have a few finished ones at home. I'll have someone take you to see them in a moment."

As she walked into the courtyard, she shouted toward the rooms, "Old man, we have a guest!"

The door to a room in the main house creaked open. "Coming."

The elderly man who stepped out nodded to Chuxue.

The woman standing in the center of the courtyard said, "This young lady wants a water bucket. Take her over to pick one out."

Carpenter Xue also nodded to Chuxue. "Follow me."

In the side room, various small items like finished wooden basins, water buckets, and small stools were laid out on the ground. "Miss, everything is here. Pick what you like."

Thinking that the items in her space were unsuitable to be brought out, she selected two wooden basins, a small stool, and two wooden buckets. Noticing a lounge chair further in, she asked, "Grandpa Xue, how much is that lounge chair?"

Upon hearing her ask this, Carpenter Xue's eyes lit up. "Miss, I won't beat around the bush with you. That lounge chair was originally custom-made for someone, but they ran into some trouble later and couldn't come to collect it. If you like it, I'll give it to you at a discount."

Liu Chuxue still asked for the price: "Please tell me the price so I can see if it's acceptable."

Carpenter Xue glanced at her. "If you really want it, I'll give it to you at cost—eleven yuan. I can't go any lower."

The price wasn't actually that high. Thinking that she could make up the deficit by selling fish later, she steeled herself. "Alright, I'll take the lounge chair. How much is everything in total?"

A smile spread across Carpenter Xue's face. "I'll give you the basins for two yuan and sixty cents each. The buckets are a bit more expensive, so four yuan and eighty cents each. For the small stool, just give me eighty cents; that's just a courtesy."

Chuxue counted out the money and handed it over. "Grandpa Xue, I'll have to trouble you to help me deliver these to the entrance of the next alley. Someone will come by later to pull them away."

She had scouted the location before coming; it was a dead-end alley with only three households. As long as no one from inside came out to wander around, no one would notice.

Carpenter Xue naturally had no objection. After counting the money, he said, "Alright, I'll have the youngsters in the family deliver them to you right away."

After shouting toward the main house, several teenagers emerged. "You boys, help this lady deliver these items to the entrance of the next alley."

Perhaps because they were used to such chores, none of them complained.

Once the items were delivered, the group left together.

Liu Chuxue waited for a while, and after using her spiritual power to confirm it was safe, she collected everything into her space.

She even used her willpower to soak one of the buckets in the fresh water within her space, so that it wouldn't look too brand new when she took it out later.

Passing by the state-run restaurant, she bought six large meat buns, which used up a small portion of the meat coupons she had obtained yesterday.

She had wanted to get soy milk or wontons, but since she didn't have a lunch box, she had to give up on the idea.

Looking at the coupons in her hand, she thought that if her father didn't have any special circumstances this afternoon, she would have to make another trip to the moat. At the very least, if anything happened in the future, she could claim the coupons were exchanged for fish there, providing cover for her future actions.

(Note: Dear readers, Chapter 55 was missed earlier; I just discovered it today and am making it up. If you are interested, you can go back and read it.)

(End of Chapter)