Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Ideals are Plump, Reality is Skinny Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Ideals are Plump, Reality is Skinny Upon reaching the area that sold large items, they asked for a sewing machine which, in addition to the ticket, cost another one hundred and fifty yuan—an amount that truly pained one’s heart, but since they had come to buy a sewing machine, there was no point in dwelling on it any further.
After having the sales clerk issue the receipt, Luo Qiao handed over the money and receipt and asked their moving master to deliver the item to the alley behind.
The master, upon hearing that someone would come for it later, couldn’t help but ask, “Why not wait at the department store entrance?”
Luo Qiao answered with a smile, “That entrance is too conspicuous, and I have no idea when my family could get here. I’d rather not be gawked at like a monkey, so I arranged to meet here.”
The master thought about it and agreed that the sewing machine was indeed a large item, bound to catch several glances from people coming and going. It was normal for the young lady to feel embarrassed due to her shyness.”
So, after delivering the item, he didn’t say much more and left with a hint of envy.
Luo Qiao stood guard over her things until two groups of people passed. After ensuring no one else was around, she quickly stashed the item into her space and hurried away from there.
There was another pressing matter, which was to find a place to sell fish. After finding a spot, she changed back into her original clothes, because dressing too finely while wandering the streets made her fear drawing unwanted attention.
Considering her clothes only had two patches, she didn’t stand out at all in the crowd. Carrying her basket on her back, Luo Qiao walked through streets and alleys. By noon, she still hadn’t found a suitable place to collaborate with.
She might have been too naive. She visited two state-owned restaurants only to find that they required fish every day, but the issue was, firstly, they already had regular delivery people, and secondly, they insisted on door-to-door delivery.
The larger markets, now run by state-owned enterprises, were willing to come and collect goods, but required proper documentation from a collective farm to prove the origin and ownership of the products.
Luo Qiao stood in a corner, watching the busy street and thought of a saying from the future, “Ideals are beautiful, but reality is skeletal.”
Her stomach was growling with hunger, so she found a quiet spot and used her basket as cover, taking out a two-layered bun from her space, along with a pickled radish strip, and made do with a makeshift meal.
After drinking some water from a bamboo container, she realized she would miss the midday transport, so she decided to catch the afternoon ride home instead.
She got up and asked several passersby before finally finding the waste station. It was slightly out of the way but still larger than the one at the commune, as you’d expect in the city. Luo Qiao told the gatekeeper auntie that she was looking for high school textbooks.
The auntie, whose daughter was near Luo Qiao’s age and also in school, perhaps moved by compassion, even gave her a few tips. Luo Qiao thanked her with a smile before making her way inside.
She first headed for the room with books, which were piled high. After some searching, she found the specific books she wanted, along with some exercise books, and picked out some of the better ones to put in her basket.
Then she thought of checking the other warehouses to see if there was anything else she might like. At the very back, there was one full of old furniture, most of which was missing arms or legs.
Just as Luo Qiao was about to leave, she noticed two Taishi Chairs against the wall. They were obviously antiques, and there was a small table nearby that seemed to be part of a set, made of the same type of wood.
For some reason, Luo Qiao suddenly felt the urge to take these quaint, ancient-looking pieces of furniture with her, especially considering that aside from one Taishi Chair which had a broken leg, the rest looked undamaged.
She thought that with some repairs, they could still be used, not to mention to serve as collectibles. Unexpectedly, the broken leg turned out to be resting on top of a nearby broken cabinet, which gave her a sense of finding something that was once lost. Finding someone skilled to restore it later, it should be hard to tell it was ever damaged.