The two large white rabbits were eventually placed in Su Xiaotian's hands.
After thanking them, Su Xiaotian watched the repair shop workers clang and hammer, finding it very novel.
Director Wang then got down to business, carefully tallying the number of damaged farm tools and writing a note.
Su Laosan took the note and carefully put it in his pocket.
His solemn demeanor made one think it was a cash check.
"Let's go, Tiantian, Dad will take you shopping!" With official matters settled, Su Laosan felt very cheerful. He stretched out his large palm, about to scoop up his little daughter.
"Dad, I can walk myself!" Su Xiaotian said quickly.
Seeing that his daughter really didn't want to be carried, Su Laosan compromised with regret.
"Uncle, we're leaving now, goodbye!" Su Xiaotian waved goodbye obediently.
This action made Director Wang, whose family only had three rowdy boys, extremely envious, and he repeatedly said how good it was to have a little girl.
There wasn't much to see on the street, and Su Xiaotian lost interest after only a few glances.
Seeing his little daughter's lack of enthusiasm, Su Laosan was puzzled, finding it hard to coax children.
He tentatively asked, "Then shall we go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy meat? I wonder if there's any meat today."
Su Xiaotian remembered that this was the planned economy era, where meat and other items were rationed. If it was sold out, it would be truly unobtainable.
She could only hope her luck was good enough to still buy meat.
The father and daughter soon arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. The large three-room establishment was filled with dazzling goods.
There was everything from the food section to farm tools and daily necessities.
Moreover, the divisions between sections were unclear, which would probably result in a fine in later times.
No one greeted them, unlike modern supermarkets where someone would follow you in to recommend products.
"Dad, the meat is over there!" Su Xiaotian's big eyes scanned around, and she quickly spotted it, saying to her father.
"You look so shabby, do you have money and coupons?" The sharp voice was not low. Su Xiaotian followed the sound to look.
The speaker was a middle-aged woman knitting yarn, about forty years old, fat and dark, with a cadre's hairstyle, her temples pinned back with small black steel clips.
Such a hairstyle made her look even older. If this woman changed her hairstyle, she would probably look ten years younger.
"This Grandma, we have money and coupons," Su Xiaotian said to the woman with a bright smile.
Being called Grandma, for a woman who was only thirty-three years old, was a real slap in the face.
The middle-aged woman's face darkened further, and she glared fiercely at Su Xiaotian.
But after all, she was an adult and it was really embarrassing to argue with Su Xiaotian.
An adult arguing with a child, whether they won or lost, would be undignified!
At this moment, a man stood up from behind the counter. He had intended to speak for the middle-aged woman, but before he could, he realized the person in front of him was an acquaintance.
"Oh, Third Brother, why are you here?"
Su Xiaotian looked over and did not miss the fleeting complex emotions and shyness on the man's face.
Her uncle-in-law was looking down on his poor relatives.
"Hello, Uncle-in-law!" Su Xiaotian said politely, mischievously thinking, "He dislikes poor relatives? I'll call out loudly."
Hearing Su Xiaotian call him, Kang Rende, fearing that his poor relatives would get close to him, immediately said, "Third Brother, are you looking for me? Is something wrong at home? But you see, I'm busy with work here and can't help much..."
"Uncle-in-law, we're here to buy meat!" Su Xiaotian interrupted him immediately, not wanting to listen to him talk endlessly.
"Buying meat, that's good... Third Brother, do you have money and coupons?" the man said casually, then remembered this.
He couldn't possibly subsidize the meat coupons and money himself, could he?
How poor his father-in-law's family was, he, as a son-in-law, should know.
Throughout the year, they rarely got to eat meat. Even during the New Year, they couldn't have dumplings with meat. How could they buy meat during non-festive times?
"You child, how can you speak carelessly? Uncle-in-law tells you, children cannot lie. If you lie, you'll become ugly."
He genuinely hoped this little girl would become ugly. She was about the same age as his own daughter, but she looked much prettier than his daughter.
Why was she so hateful?
During the Dragon Boat Festival, she had made his daughter angry and cry.
If it weren't for outsiders, he really wouldn't bother talking to them.
Su Laosan didn't think much of it at first, as his brother-in-law was always like this.
But when he heard his brother-in-law slandering his daughter like this, he became unhappy.
"I'm buying three catties of meat today. The child isn't lying, and we're not asking you for anything!" Su Laosan said sternly, which was rare.
Did he not know? This brother-in-law was a snob who looked down on people. For years, he had never thought highly of their poor Su family relatives.
Throughout the year, they only visited his home for ten minutes on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and never came to their door at other times.
When his elder brothers visited during festivals, this one wouldn't even lift his backside.
"Third Brother, I know you all dote on this girl, but we must act within our means. We can't pretend to be rich when we're not!"
Kang Rende lectured with a seemingly earnest tone, as if he were giving earnest advice.
Su Laosan's face grew darker and darker. He repeated heavily, "I'm buying three catties of meat!"
"Meat? Third Brother, you're really buying meat?" Kang Rende never expected that this shabby brother-in-law would actually buy meat to eat.
When he saw Su Laosan leave with three catties of meat and two catties of candy, it still felt unreal.
How could they afford to buy meat? And buy two catties of candy at once? Where did the money come from? Where did the coupons come from?
Could it be that something good had happened to them recently?
When he got home that evening, he would tell his wife to visit tomorrow.
Not taking advantage of a good opportunity was foolish. They couldn't miss out on any good fortune!
Come to think of it, their family hadn't eaten meat in a while! If they could get a catty or two of this meat, it would be even better!
As Kang Rende was daydreaming, he was woken up.
"Xiao Kang, is this your relative?" The speaker was the woman knitting yarn.
"Sister Liu, it's my relative, a distant relative." Remembering Su Xiaotian's offense to Sister Liu just now, he quickly added.
"They look shabby, but I didn't expect them to be able to afford meat," Sister Liu snorted coldly.
Kang Rende guessed that Sister Liu was angry and couldn't help but curse Su Xiaotian and her father dozens of times in his mind.
They rarely came to the supply and marketing cooperative, and when they did, they caused trouble for him!
He would have to talk to them later and tell them not to come to the supply and marketing cooperative to embarrass him again!
He obsequiously said to Sister Liu, "Sister Liu, they are just country bumpkins who don't understand the rules. Please don't bother with them!"
Sister Liu's elder brother was the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. He could afford to offend anyone but Sister Liu.
After Kang Rende said many nice words, Sister Liu's mood finally improved. She began to knit yarn seriously again, ignoring Kang Rende, who looked like a grandson.