In her previous life, Ai Zhi was a lady from a wealthy family.
She did not go out of the mansion often.
Even when she went out to socialize, she went out to admire flowers and attend banquets.
She was always with the ladies in the courtyards of the mansions.
Occasionally, when she went out shopping, she was surrounded by people.
A group of maids followed her.
She did not need to interact with people herself.
Even when she came to this world, other than when she was in the Ai family, Gu Dong was in front of her.
But now, it was gone. Everything was gone. She was the only one left.
In an unfamiliar town, there were people in twos and threes on the streets. Their expressions were serious.
Their footsteps were hurried. There were no shops on both sides of the street.
The storefronts facing the street.
Either the doors were tattered.
The fences were slanted, and the cobwebs were clearly visible.
Or they had become residents with children bustling around and old people dozing in front of the door.
Early winter arrived.
The cold wind blew.
The fallen leaves and waste paper swayed.
Ai Cao tightened her oversized coat.
She was still wearing Gu Dong's coat.
She did not have any thicker clothes. During the autumn harvest,
Gu Dong had told her before.
When the money was distributed, he would think of a way to get some cloth coupons, then buy some cloth for her to make two winter clothes.
What about now? It was almost impossible.
Gu Dong had already spent all the money at home when he was sick. Moreover, they were still in debt. She did not have the heart to think about whether to prepare winter clothes for her.
All she wanted to do now was to get a set of clothes for Gu Dong, thicker clothes.
Back then, there were only two sets of thick clothes that could be worn in autumn at home. Gu Dong gave her one set, and he happened to wear the other set when he was injured in the forest.
Because there was too much blood, Ai Cao secretly threw it away when they were in the hospital.
What Gu Dong was wearing now was a set of thin clothes.
The weather was getting colder and colder. Ai Cao was afraid that Gu Dong would not be able to withstand it. She could not take out the winter clothes at home to wear now.
Although she knew from her memory that it would snow at the end of this month, it was only October. If she wore the thickest clothes now, what would she do when it was the coldest in the remaining two months?
If one wasn't in charge of the household, one wouldn't know the cost of daily necessities. If one wasn't a married woman, one wouldn't know that one had to consider so many trivial matters in life.
In her previous life, her mother had to manage the entire Duke's Public House. Not only did she have to worry about the family's food and clothing, but she also had to manage the shops in Zhuangzi and maintain relationships with the various families in the capital. It must have been very tiring.
Standing alone in the cold wind on a strange street, he missed his mother and thought of the happiness of his family in his previous life. At this moment, the Ai Cao's eyes turned red.
Ai Cao took a deep breath and raised his head to look at the vast gray sky. He didn't allow his tears to fall.
Her mother had taught her that as a wife, she had to shoulder the responsibilities of a wife. She believed that she could support this family, this family of hers and Gu Dong's.
Unknowingly, the Ai Cao had arrived at the door of the supply and demand cooperative in the western district of the county.
It was a crossroad and there were many people coming and going from the supply and demand cooperative. It was obvious that this place was more lively and lively than the streets they had just passed by.
The Ai Cao hesitated at the door for a moment before stepping in.
There was a dazzling array of goods everywhere. The only thing that could be seen was a festive red basin and a thermos with the word "happiness" printed on it and a picture of mandarin ducks playing in the water.
Standing in front of the counter, the Ai Cao looked at the beautiful colors and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. His mood inexplicably improved.
It wasn't a big deal. There would always be a way.
"You want to get married? What do you want to choose? " The salesperson behind the counter took the initiative to ask when he saw the Ai Cao looking at the goods on the shelves for a long time without saying anything.
The Ai Cao waved his hand and said with a smile, "I'll take a look." He couldn't buy it now, so he just wanted to take a look.
"What are you looking at? Is this a place to join in the fun? If you don't have the money, go away. Don't be the person behind this! " The salesperson behind the counter immediately changed her attitude when she heard that the Ai Cao wasn't buying. She became arrogant and raised her chin so high that it could poke the roof.
The Ai Cao was in a good mood and didn't argue with her. He just shook his head slightly and felt that the world was degenerating. If it was in the past, if a waiter treated a customer like this and was found out by the owner, his legs would be broken.
Before buying something, one had to look at it and understand the price. The Ai Cao looked at himself and asked what he needed to ask. In any case, it was fine as long as he could get what he wanted. As for these people's attitudes, arguing with them would only make things worse for him.
After looking around for about 15 minutes, the Ai Cao came back. He walked along the main road to the east and wanted to return to the hospital.
She was afraid that if she was out for too long, Gu Dong wouldn't be able to find her if he needed her.
Mugwort, who was walking at a brisk pace, hadn't gone far when a man suddenly appeared from the side and stopped him at a road with fewer people.
The man was about 17 or 18 years old. Although his clothes were old and washed white, they looked very clean and tidy. He smiled at the Ai Cao and looked a little sly. However, judging from his clothes, the Ai Cao felt that he shouldn't be a big threat for the time being.
"What's the matter?" The Ai Cao calmly looked up and asked him.
"Um, I noticed that you stayed in the shop for a long time, but you didn't come out with anything. Are you short of tickets and coupons?" When the man said the last sentence, his eyes looked around as if he was alert of something.
This person? The Ai Cao thought about it and asked him, "Do you sell tickets and coupons?"
The man didn't expect the Ai Cao to say it so bluntly. He was a little anxious and wanted to cover the Ai Cao's mouth. Men and women were different, so he didn't dare to do it.
"Shh, shh. Be quiet!" The man looked around vigilantly and then signaled to the Ai Cao with his eyes. He said softly, "Come here and talk." As he spoke, he walked towards a remote corner not far away.
To follow or not to follow? The Ai Cao only hesitated for a moment before following him.
This man was about the same age as Gu Dong. He looked a little shrewd and tactful, but he didn't give off an annoying feeling. The Ai Cao's first impression of him was quite good.
"What kind of tickets do you want to buy? I only have two kilograms of food coupons with me right now. If you need anything else, tell me and I'll find a way to get it." The man didn't waste any time and directly told the Ai Cao what he wanted as soon as they reached a place where there was no one else.
"Do I look like I can afford it?" The Ai Cao looked at him and asked in return.
The man looked at the Ai Cao and his face turned slightly red. He stuttered a little and said, "You … you don't look like you can afford it. You're dressed like a villager. But … but you have a good upbringing, so you shouldn't be short of money. "
He had been on the streets for a long time and had seen a lot of people, so he had a good eye for people. The man knew that sometimes, he couldn't just judge people by their clothes.
If it was just the mugwort of the past, he would definitely be a country bumpkin with obvious characteristics when he walked out. However, the Ai Zhi had become the Ai Cao. Even if she was the Ai Cao, the Ai Zhi's inner qualities were still engraved in her bones. Some things came from the inside out.
"If … if you don't have money, you can have other things too. Calligraphy, paintings, gold, and silver jewelry are fine. I can help you pay back the money and exchange the tickets." The man guessed that the Ai Cao might be someone who had fallen on hard times from the Ai Cao's impression. However, she must have come from a good family in the past.
This kind of rich family was actually the easiest to deal with. Perhaps he could catch a "big fat sheep" and make a lot of money.
Seeing the man's eyes darting around, the Ai Cao felt that this person was quite interesting. He shouldn't be too bad, but he had his own thoughts.
"What's your name? Where can I find you if I need help? "The Ai Cao asked him seriously.
When the man heard the Ai Cao's words, he was stumped for a moment. He stuttered and gestured with his hands. In fact, he really didn't want to say. What he did wasn't a good thing. No one was willing to reveal their background.
"You can call me Sanshui. If you need tickets, coupons, or anything else, you can find me. Over there, in the alley next to the supply and demand cooperative. I come here every few days. "In the end, he wasn't familiar with Jiang Yuan, so he didn't tell the truth.
"I don't want tickets or coupons. I don't have money." The Ai Cao said honestly. She wanted to, but she couldn't afford it now.
When he heard the Ai Cao's words, the man's face fell. Was he going to be busy for nothing again today?
"But I don't have a letter of recommendation. Can you help me find a place to live? It has to be safe and quiet. It's best if there's a kitchen. If the house is suitable, I can use food to pay the rent. "The Ai Cao asked tentatively.
When he heard the word food, his dimmed eyes immediately lit up. Jiang Yuan asked a little excitedly: "How many days will you live here? What kind of food can you produce? How much can you produce?"
These days, there was a fixed supply of food every month in the city. Jiang Yuan's family didn't have a job. He worked as a temporary worker in the paper factory, making boxes. His monthly income wasn't even enough for him to eat. Moreover, he wanted to help Zhuang Yan, so he took the risk to do such a dangerous thing.
When the Ai Cao mentioned the house requirement, he immediately thought of the Zhuang Family.
The Jiang Family and the Zhuang Family lived in the front yard and the backyard. The two families lived in a courtyard similar to a courtyard house. The Jiang Family lived in the main house in the front yard, while the other two families lived in the east and the west.
The backyard was smaller than the front yard. There was only the main house, but there was a separate kitchen on the east side. In the past, Zhuang Yan and her crippled father lived there. Later, in order to take care of his son, her father went to the Zhang Family in the south of the city and became the son-in-law of a woman who didn't want to remarry for the sake of her three sons.
Jiang Yuan was originally a worker in the mine like his father. Later, he felt that it was too boring, so he dug the mine all day long. Other than eating, he just worked. It was too boring to see the sun all year round, so he left the mine after half a year.
When he said that he didn't want to work, his mother slapped him and cried for a long time. She said that he had no conscience and was useless. She said that raising him was worse than raising a dog. A dog could even guard the door. He had been raised for so long, so what could he do other than eat? He didn't want to do a proper job and fooled around. Did he want to go to heaven?
He didn't know whether he wanted to go to heaven or not. Anyway, two months later, his father, who had been working in the mine for almost ten years, went to heaven.
He was buried in the gas explosion. Half a month later, his body was dug out.
His father's death was tragic enough. However, his life didn't seem to be tragic enough. It could only be worse. Less than a month after his father was buried, his mother took his sister and took his father's pension to remarry another old miner in the same factory, Niu Si.
Before she left, she only said one sentence to him: "You're all grown up. I can't control you anymore. I'll leave the house for you. You can live your own life in the future."
Jiang Yuan once asked his mother if it was okay if she didn't remarry. He could take over his father's work and go back to work properly to support her and his sister.
However, his mother said to him: "In this world, it's hard for a woman to take care of two children. Your sister is only nine years old. Your Uncle Niu is a bachelor. If you marry him, we'll be better off. You won't have any burden. "
Haha, no burden. She said it as if she was thinking for him and didn't want him to support the family.
However, the truth was that his father's work position didn't fall into his hands. Instead, his mother gave it to Niu Si's nephew to curry favor with her new husband's family.
When Jiang Yuan's father died, Zhuang Yan's father didn't want her anymore. The two of them were in the same boat. In addition, they were about the same age, so they had a good relationship.
This year, Zhuang Yan went back to school again. His tuition fees and living expenses were earned by doing odd jobs for others after school. However, Jiang Yuan occasionally helped her when she had more money.
Now that she heard the Ai Cao's question, Jiang Yuan felt that it was a good opportunity.
"Corn, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and wheat flour. What do you want?" The Ai Cao frowned as she thought about the things in the warehouse in Zhuangzi and asked softly.
"Okay! Okay! I'll take you to see the house. Let's go now! " Jiang Yuan originally thought that it would be sweet potatoes or corn. She didn't expect the Ai Cao to say wheat flour. She immediately said excitedly that she could take the Ai Cao to see the house now.
His joy and anger could be seen clearly on his face. Mugicao felt that this person's thoughts were not bad, and he should be able to work together.
"My family is still in the hospital. I have to go back to see them first before I can go with you to see the house." The Ai Cao didn't want to stay any longer when she thought of Gu Dong.
She had been out for almost an hour. It was long enough. She had to go back quickly.
"Okay, no problem. I can go with you. I'll take you to see the house after you're done." Jiang Yuan was in a good mood. She added, "You're not from the city, right? I am. I'm familiar with many places in the city. If you need any help, just let me know."
"Okay, thank you." The Ai Cao thanked her politely. Then, she turned around and led Jiang Yuan to the hospital.
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