The beating had gone on long enough, and the leader finally shouted:"Throw some clothes at these shameless dogs and drag them back for public trial!"
When the pair was dragged out, a woman in the crowd gasped."Wait… isn't that the third son of the Sun family?"
Someone nearby asked, "You know him?"
She pointed."That boy—he lives near me! What a disgrace... I have to tell someone."
She bolted off before anyone could stop her.Though she claimed it was to "warn the family," her gleeful grin said otherwise.
As soon as she reached the street corner, she began pulling people aside, gesturing wildly as she relayed the scandal, spittle flying in excitement.
In no time, the news—"Sun Ruiming caught red-handed messing around with a woman in an abandoned house"—spread like wildfire.
Meanwhile, Chu Yunyi was in excellent spirits.
She launched into a buying spree, using her industrial coupons to purchase:– Two thermos flasks– Two enamel washbasins– Three aluminum lunch boxes
She used up all her fabric ration tickets for cloth, knowing well that rural supplies would be limited.
Then came the food:Malt milk powder, infant formula, milk candy, assorted sweets, brown sugar, peach biscuits, crackers…
Rubber shoes, soap, matches, work gloves—She cleared all the family's remaining ration tickets.
Even if she didn't need all of it, in the countryside, these things would be invaluable.
Once out of the department store, she found a hidden corner and stashed everything inside her personal space.
When she emerged again, she looked completely different.
She returned to the store, used the tickets she got from the Sun family the previous night to stock up even more, including high-end candy and cakes.
Next destination: the welfare home on the outskirts.
When she first returned to Beijing, her grandfather had taken her there.Some of the veterans living there were old comrades of his.Now, she decided to visit them herself.
By the time she got off the vehicle with bags big and small, it was nearly noon.
Seeing no one around, she slipped into a hidden spot and entered her personal space to revert to her original appearance.
Exiting the space, she pulled out the plain veggie buns she had prepared, planning to find a shady spot and eat before continuing.
The welfare institute was still about two li (roughly 1 km) away.Just as she was fretting about how to get there, she spotted a bullock cart slowly approaching in the distance.
Her eyes lit up immediately.
She quickly finished her bun and stood up to flag the cart down:"Uncle, I need to get to the welfare institute ahead. Can I get a ride?"
The old man looked at the pile of bags on the ground, then at the villagers already seated on the cart, glanced at the remaining space, and said:"One mao. Want to ride?"
This cart belonged to the village collective. Even locals had to pay to ride to town.The welfare home wasn't far—perfect for bringing in some revenue.
Yunyi nodded at once."Yes, I'll ride."
The old man turned out to be quite kind. Upon learning she was visiting old revolutionaries on behalf of her grandfather,he even helped deliver her things right to the front gate of the welfare institute—saving her quite a bit of effort.
Still, she was exhausted by the time they arrived and silently vowed:"Looks like I need to start working on my physical fitness ASAP."
The gatekeeper, upon hearing she was there to donate goods, went inside to notify the leadership.
Soon after, someone came out and was stunned by the pile of supplies on the ground.
"I'm the director of this welfare institute," the man said warmly."Thank you, comrade, for your kind donation. On behalf of everyone here, I sincerely thank you."
(End of Chapter)