Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder — I Rise to Female Lead Through Hard Work-Chapter 18: Receiving the Vouchers

"Since you and Anguo want to find a job, why didn’t you ask Ding Ancheng?" Yi Roujing couldn’t resist asking.

"Mom and Dad said, big brother has only been a teacher for a short time, it’s not easy for him, let us not ask." Ding Anmin replied honestly, "Besides, big brother is in the county town, going there requires a two-hour bus ride, it’s too far away, if my second brother and I leave, there will only be Mom and Dad at home."

"Why not bring everyone there," Yi Roujing replied.

Ding Anmin looked at Yi Roujing like she was an idiot, "Do you think anyone can just go to the city? What’s the city like, even eating vegetables costs money, there’s no place to earn work points, it’s hard to make a living, if we all go, wouldn’t we starve to death."

"Finding a job would be good," Yi Roujing said, "When I find a job, I’ll think of ways to help you and Anguo, then we can all go to the city."

Of course, Ding Anmin just let those words go in one ear and out the other; it was all just daydreaming.

Still, it was a small goal Yi Roujing set for herself.

When Yi Roujing and Ding Anmin returned home, Ding Weihuo, Ding Ancheng, and Ding Anguo had already come back. The three of them were washing their hands in the yard, and Li Hongying had already prepared lunch: white flour mantou, steamed sweet potato with braised peas, stir-fried bamboo shoots, cold-tossed bracken, and a bowl of egg drop soup.

After lunch, Li Hongying started helping Ding Ancheng pack his luggage: a jar of pickled vegetables, a bundle of white flour mantou, and plenty of boiled eggs.

"Mom, you should keep them to eat, the school meals are pretty good," Ding Ancheng said.

"How good can they be, take them, otherwise Mom won’t be at ease," Li Hongying replied without turning her head.

The loving hands of the mother, richly clothes the wandering child; watching the scene of maternal love and filial piety stirred something in Yi Roujing’s heart. After all, she had never enjoyed these things before, so it was inevitable that she watched a bit longer.

"Ancheng, you and your wife go sit inside, once you go back this time, come home whenever you have free time," Ding Weihuo, seeing Yi Roujing’s fascinated look, once again displayed fatherly affection, and then Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing sat inside alone.

Yi Roujing twisted her hands together, embarrassed, and regretting it, feeling she was being foolish, with nowhere to place her eyes, fearing misunderstandings.

Yi Roujing sat with her head down by the edge of the bed, until a thin stack of banknotes appeared in front of her, prompting her to curiously lift her head and look at Ding Ancheng.

"Take it," Ding Ancheng said concisely.

Yi Roujing hadn’t looked closely just now, but upon hearing it was for her, she earnestly took it and examined it, for the colorful tickets were ones she had never seen before. Once she realized they were grain coupons, cloth tickets, sugar coupons, and others, she felt a sense of clarity.

Right now, you couldn’t buy things just with money unless you paid high prices at the black market.

Besides the tickets, Ding Ancheng also gave Yi Roujing two banknotes below, this twenty yuan was quite valuable in this era’s purchasing power.

"Is this for me?" Yi Roujing asked curiously, "Or am I supposed to pass it on?"

"Do I need you to pass it on?" Ding Ancheng laughed, his smile slightly irritating.

"If it’s for me, forget it, I..."

"If it’s for you, then take it," Ding Ancheng frowned, "But don’t go to the county town by yourself again; if you really want to go, let Anmin and Anguo accompany you next time."

Yi Roujing was somewhat surprised by Ding Ancheng’s attitude, "You, don’t you dislike me? Yet you’re letting me see you?"

"I’m not letting you see me," Ding Ancheng said plainly, "And since you have self-awareness, don’t do things that annoy people in the future."

Yi Roujing was rendered speechless, fire rising in her eyes, his words were infuriating, but her position was compromised first, so she could only endure.

Ding Ancheng, looking at Yi Roujing, was well aware that she was upset, her eyes were exceptionally bright, she appeared rather lively, quite different from his previous impression. Now, seeing her all huffy, thinking she’s being fierce, he found it amusing inside, but didn’t show it on his face, instead getting ready to leave.

"Hey, I don’t want what you’re giving..."

"Then whose do you want?" Ding Ancheng turned back, his eyes becoming sharp.

"I don’t want anyone’s, I’ll earn it myself," Yi Roujing said with ambition.

"Well then, earn it and return it to me."

"I..." Yi Roujing angrily glared at Ding Ancheng’s back for a long time. Considering she never had to worry about money, now she found herself in a position needing support, which was unacceptable. This couldn’t continue; she needed to make money.

"Sister-in-law, big brother is leaving, let’s go see him off." Yi Roujing heard Ding Anmin’s call from outside the house, interrupting her surging emotions, and she got up and went out.

"What were you doing in there..." Ding Anmin’s words stopped abruptly when he saw the money and tickets in Yi Roujing’s hands, glancing back and forth between Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing, tilting his head with a nonchalant expression, except for the occasional covert glances.

Yi Roujing was too angry to remember to put them down; she wasn’t flaunting it, and seeing Ding Weihuo’s constant smile, she felt the Ding Family had misunderstood again. Her relationship with Ding Ancheng wasn’t that close, she wasn’t showing off affection.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Yi Roujing nervously turned back into the house, putting down the money and tickets before coming out, now without much confidence. She wanted to throw them in Ding Ancheng’s face, but he was right; after earning, she could return them. Considering her plan to go to the county town, she couldn’t lack these, she decided to borrow them for now, later repaying several times over.

Ding Ancheng clearly saw Yi Roujing’s change of expression, finding her now cuter and more genuine than before. But this thought didn’t last long, before he pushed it from his mind.

Yi Roujing and company saw Ding Ancheng off onto the tractor heading out from the brigade, and only when the tractor disappeared from view did they go to work.

On March 16th, Yi Roujing received the consent from Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying to go to the county town, but she had Ding Anmin alongside her, since earlier she fell into the water, they were not at ease letting Yi Roujing go alone.

The two of them walked for a full hour and a half before reaching the commune, Tongxian Commune.

A row of low brick and tile houses, with many walls bearing slogans in red.

Development of economy, ensure supply, this was the location where the most people gathered, the Tongxian People’s Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative; no wonder, for a commune below had seven brigades, so many buying things would come to the cooperative. Listening to the laughter and complaints inside demonstrated who got good items.

"I think your chances of finding work in the county town are less than here at the commune," Ding Anmin whispered, "Big brother is a teacher in the county town, knows more people than us, might have some pathway or connections, and working as a temporary worker in the commune has relatively greater prospects."

"Although the wages aren’t high, there aren’t any benefits or tickets, but it’s easier than going to work," Ding Anmin said, "If you’re interested, when we get to the county town, we can talk to big brother."

"Ay, how come I didn’t think of this when big brother came last time?" Ding Anmin said regretfully, "Otherwise, we could have saved the expenses of this trip to the county town."