When Feng Qingxue was stopped by Old Lady Cao, she didn’t get upset. Instead, she courteously answered, "Absolutely speak your mind, Old Lady Cao. If it’s something my husband and I could assist with, we’d gladly do so in the service of the people! But I hope you’ll understand if we’re unable to help." Her words tactfully prevented Old Lady Cao from making an excessive request.
Lu Jiang gave a slight smile without uttering a word. It was clear that he wholly agreed with his wife’s sentiments.
"Of course, of course, I wouldn’t insist if it’s something beyond your capabilities," Old Lady Cao, holding Feng Qingxue’s hand, hesitantly said, "Comrade, you must be married to a military officer, he looks so gallant. I heard that military officers have Grain Tickets for military personnel. Would you allow me to exchange our local Grain Tickets for those? My son is going to Shanghai for a business trip soon, he’ll be gone for at least a month. If it wasn’t for the difficulty of getting a national Grain Ticket, I...I wouldn’t boldly pose this request in front of you two!"
After expressing her request with a heated face, worried about their refusal, she quickly added, "I’ll assure you it’s a fair trade — I’ll give you thirty pounds of local Grain Tickets, and you only need to give me twenty-five pounds of those for military personnel in return!"
Feng Qingxue hastily said, "Oh no, we couldn’t do that. We should have an equal exchange, pound for pound. We can’t capitalize on others’ desperation."
A glimmer of surprise lit up Old Lady Cao’s eyes, "So you mean..."
"I agree to exchange with you, if it’s not too urgent, we could make the trade the day after tomorrow when we come over for the last acupuncture massage session. I’ll bring the Grain Tickets then." Even if most of Feng Qingxue’s Grain Tickets were kept in her space, she wouldn’t mention it.
When Old Lady Cao had halted her, a few eyes around the courtyard were stealthily watching their direction.
Everyone understood the importance of Grain Tickets.
If word got out that she carried such a significant amount of Grain Tickets, she would undoubtedly invite malicious intentions.
In this era, there are as many good people as there are bad.
Good and evil in people doesn’t change with the era; otherwise, the saying "you can change the world, but not one’s nature" wouldn’t have been passed down through generations.
So, Feng Qingxue added, "My husband will soon be returning to his unit, and he needs to take a train journey that lasts between ten to fifteen days. So, I could at most exchange fifteen pounds of Grain Tickets with you, no more than that." She was aware of the significance of military Grain Tickets and wouldn’t casually exchange them for local or national Grain Tickets. The latter was nowhere near as useful as the former.
The meaning between local and national Grain Tickets was quite clear. Local Grain Tickets could be subdivided into tickets designated for an entire province or a city, only valid in specific regions. The local Grain Tickets that Old Lady Cao was referring to were probably exclusive to their city. National Grain Tickets, in contrast, were universally accepted.
Her statement forestalled Old Lady Cao’s intention to exchange more and also deterred others from seeking her out for the same purpose.
"Fifteen pounds? Only fifteen pounds?" Old Lady Cao was disappointed that her goal wasn’t met, but she recognized the importance of the military Grain Tickets. It was better to get some than none, so she gritted her teeth and said, "Then fifteen it is. If need be, I can find other ways to get more national Grain Tickets. My son is leaving the day after tomorrow. Comrade, could we make the exchange tomorrow? I’ve already prepared the local Grain Tickets."
Feng Qingxue thought it over, "Alright. I’ll bring them to you tomorrow."
Old Lady Cao’s bold request served as a reminder for Feng Qingxue. She needed to prepare food and dry rations for Lu Jiang, who was about to return to his unit.