As the Three-Anti and Five-Anti Movements unfolded, the Si Jiu Cheng Department Store marked down nearly four thousand different items.
For example, Kou De Yi toothpaste was reduced from forty-seven cents to thirty-seven cents, and Black Man toothpaste from forty-two cents to thirty-eight cents.
The department store’s stockings were even sold at half price.
The Si Jiu Cheng Cooperative also advertised discounted goods, including bicycles, sewing machines, radios, and daily necessities.
Looking at these discounted items, Luo Xiao Qing did not hesitate to buy a bicycle.
She also bought a set of woolen dresses and little leather shoes for both Duo Duo and Guo Guo.
She also bought a set of Lenin-style clothes and cotton shoes for Luo Hui Zhen.
Of course, Luo Xiao Qing wouldn't neglect herself, and she bought two sets of cotton-padded jackets for herself.
One of them was a woolen Lenin-style jacket.
Luo Hui Zhen watched Luo Xiao Qing spending money like water, her eyes reddening with anxiety:
"Xiao Qing, that's enough. Don't buy anymore. You've had a hard time hunting!"
Luo Xiao Qing said, "Mom, trust me. Our family's life will only get better from now on.
Not to mention anything else, just the sewing machine, radio, and half-steel wristwatch.
From tomorrow onwards, we'll get one thing every day!"
Luo Hui Zhen couldn't stop Luo Xiao Qing, so she could only agree.
Soon, Luo Xiao Qing loaded up her bicycle with bags and packages, first went to the police station to have the bicycle stamped with its serial number.
Then, Luo Xiao Qing took Luo Hui Zhen to the cosmetics counter and bought Vaseline and almond honey for her.
Luo Hui Zhen repeatedly declined: "Xiao Qing, we can just use some pig pancreas soap."
Luo Xiao Qing said, "No way, Mom. You took care of me for three years.
From now on, I'll let you enjoy the good life too!"
The widow Luo wiped tears of joy. She knew she hadn't misjudged Luo Xiao Qing.
When she first took Luo Xiao Qing in, Yi Hai Zhong and others had all kinds of things to say, saying that adopted children were ungrateful.
They said she would surely regret it, but she didn't believe them. She saw right away that Xiao Qing was a good child.
Now, she could finally hold her head high and prove to everyone in the courtyard that her Xiao Qing was the best.
She was the most successful person in the courtyard.
Luo Xiao Qing, with Duo Duo and Guo Guo in their new clothes and Luo Hui Zhen carrying a big bag of stuff, returned to the courtyard.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Yan Bu Gui and San Da Ma saw the brand new bicycle and the bags and packages on it. Their eyes turned red with envy:
"Xiao Qing, where did you get that bicycle?"
"I bought it!"
"Bought it? That bicycle costs one hundred and sixty yuan!
Where did you get the money to buy it?"
Luo Hui Zhen said, "It's like this, yesterday Xiao Qing went hunting in the mountains and caught a wild boar.
She exchanged the wild boar for the money to buy the bicycle!"
Yan Bu Gui was stunned. "A wild boar? Xiao Qing, you actually caught a wild boar in the middle of winter?
And you exchanged it for enough money to buy a bicycle!"
Yan Bu Gui was sour. If he had known Luo Xiao Qing was so capable, he would have taken her in.
He wouldn't have starved her. He would have just given her a couple of grains of rice.
The widow Luo was a great return on investment.
San Da Ma envied her: "Old Yan, the widow Luo has finally gotten her luck!"
Yan Bu Gui's eyes twinkled, and he whispered, "Looks like we can't bully the Luo family like everyone else in the courtyard anymore.
We have to curry favor with them. Who knows, maybe we can borrow the bicycle to go fishing someday."
San Da Ma nodded. "Yesterday I heard that Yu Shui helped Duo Duo and Guo Guo a few times.
Luo Xiao Qing asked He Yu Shui to go to their house for dinner, with braised pork and white rice to fill them up!"
Yan Bu Gui swallowed. "I've never had my fill of white rice and braised pork in my whole life."
As soon as Luo Xiao Qing entered the middle courtyard, Da Ma, Er Da Ma, Qin Huai Ru, and Jia Zhang Shi were all gathered around the water pond whispering.
Their conversation was always about the Luo family.
"I say, Huai Ru is the smartest. She saw right away that Dong Xu was a potential winner!"
"Who says she isn't? Da Ye is an old fitter, and many people at the steel mill want to apprentice under him.
He earns seventy or eighty yuan a month. Jia Dong Xu can just learn from him, and he'll be able to easily earn forty or fifty yuan a month!"
Jia Zhang Shi said, "That's right. My Dong Xu is the most promising young man in this courtyard.
Right now, out of all the four big things, only my family has a sewing machine.
Who else has one?"
As soon as Jia Zhang Shi finished speaking, Luo Xiao Qing pushed her bicycle into the courtyard.
He Yu Shui ran over happily, "Xiao Qing Ge Ge, did you buy a bicycle?"
Luo Xiao Qing said, "Yeah, I hunted a wild boar in the mountains yesterday and sold it to the neighborhood committee. This is what I got with the money."
He Yu Shui said, "Xiao Qing Ge Ge, you're so awesome!"
Luo Xiao Qing pulled out two Mickey Mouse candies from his pocket and gave them to He Yu Shui.
"I saved them for you!"
It was 1952, and there were no Da Bai Tu candies yet. The candies were made after Britain’s and were wrapped in red Mickey Mouse paper.
This type of candy would be officially renamed Da Bai Tu candy in 1959 and become famous nationwide.
When He Yu Shui saw the candies, her eyes filled with excitement, "Thank you, Xiao Qing Ge Ge. Ge Ge, let me help you carry the things!"
He Yu Shui quickly took the big bags and packages from Luo Hui Zhen's hands.
After a long time, Qin Huai Ru finally snapped out of her stupor. "Xiao Qing, you used the money from the wild boar to buy a bicycle?"
Right now, Jia Dong Xu's salary would take at least a year of saving, without eating or drinking, to buy a bicycle.
Luo Xiao Qing didn't say anything, but pushed his bicycle towards the back courtyard.