17. Mission Accomplished

Since the beginning of this year, urban residents have needed ration tickets to purchase grain. Jiang Ruo wasn’t sure if seeds required the same system; her memories on this matter were sparse, so she could only rely on luck.

Jiang Ruo’s beauty made her stand out even in the plainest clothes. Her luminous, fair skin caught the eyes of many passing young women and wives, who couldn’t help but glance at her with envy.

As soon as she entered the supply and marketing cooperative, a clean-cut young man approached her before she could speak, his eyes brightening noticeably upon seeing her.

“Comrade, what would you like to get?” he asked, his tone much lighter than when addressing the elderly man beside her, who stared in disbelief.

Jiang Ruo was still pondering how to inquire about seeds when he eagerly offered assistance. She nodded quickly. “Comrade, do you have seeds here?”

She adapted to the local custom by smoothly using the term “comrade.”

Upon hearing she wanted to buy seeds, the young man nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, comrade. What kind of seeds do you need?”

His eyes involuntarily swept over her clear, fair face, then flushed and quickly looked away.

Having worked in the town for months, he was surprised to discover such a beautiful girl there. Her moist eyes made it impossible to meet her gaze directly.

This was good news, and Jiang Ruo smiled.

“I’d like a little of each common seed variety,” she said.

“Uh… sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you say it again, comrade?” Zhou Wangzu thought he must have misheard and felt embarrassed.

“I want a bit of every kind, if possible.”

“Of course…”

“Excuse me, buying seeds doesn’t require ration tickets, does it?” Jiang Ruo interrupted politely.

She thought it best to clarify first to avoid wasting effort.

“No, but the price varies for different seeds. Are you sure you want every kind?” Zhou Wangzu double-checked.

“Absolutely,” Jiang Ruo nodded eagerly, fearing that if she hesitated, he might change his mind.

“Rice seeds, wheat seeds, sorghum seeds, corn seeds, millet… five jin of each…”

Jiang Ruo took out her purchase plan and began reading.

Zhou Wangzu was dumbfounded and hurriedly interrupted, “Wait… wait a moment…”

Not only Zhou Wangzu but also those nearby buying seeds were stunned.

While some did prepare seeds in advance, this was indeed early; after all, the autumn harvest hadn’t even begun.

Moreover, grain seeds were typically purchased collectively by the village chief or team leader, who had to present a commune approval slip.

Individuals could buy seeds but in limited quantities; vegetable seeds had no such restrictions.

Everyone’s eyes converged on the young girl as if she were crazy. It was obvious she had never bought seeds before. Her delicate skin and tender appearance suggested she did not farm, and no one knew whose daughter she was. Her family must be quite trusting to let her buy seeds alone.

Their expressions were hard to read, and Jiang Ruo, not naive, saw it clearly. Had she said something wrong?

She soon found out.

“Comrade, you’re not asking for vegetable seeds?” Zhou Wangzu’s eyes showed some embarrassment.

It wasn’t his fault; most who came to buy seeds at this time were seeking vegetable seeds, so he naturally assumed this young woman was the same.

He hadn’t confirmed and now felt awkward and a little apologetic.

Jiang Ruo nodded. “I want both vegetable and grain seeds.”

“Grain seeds aren’t supplied here?” Zhou Wangzu asked cautiously, glancing at the man behind the counter with a slight frown.

The man behind the counter looked as if not supplying grain seeds would be a grave offense.

However, rules were rules; they couldn’t be broken just because the buyer was attractive. Otherwise, Zhou Wangzu wouldn’t keep his job long.

Having thought it through, Zhou Wangzu gave the beautiful young woman an apologetic look. “We do supply them, but individual purchases are limited depending on the seed.”

As long as she could buy something, it was better than nothing.

“Please, then, give me the maximum amount allowed for each kind according to the rules.”

Zhou Wangzu could only nod in agreement.

In the end, she received two jin of rice seeds, two jin of wheat seeds, two jin of corn seeds, one jin of millet seeds, one jin of sorghum seeds, and half a jin each of various bean seeds. The rest were assorted vegetable seeds.

All together, it weighed quite a bit, yet it was incredibly inexpensive.

One had to admit that prices in the 1950s were astonishingly low, so much so that even with her modern knowledge, Jiang Ruo would need time to fully adjust.

Altogether, the seeds weighed over ten jin, and the total price was less than three yuan.

It was the first time she truly understood the purchasing power of money in this world.

At least she hadn’t come away empty-handed. No matter the quantity, she had bought what she needed; otherwise, she might have had to sneak some from her grandmother.

After paying and collecting her items, she thanked the young man. Just as she was about to leave, an elderly woman blocked her path, eyes shining.

“Such a pretty young lady! How old are you? Where are you from? Have you been married yet? I have a fine match for you—a good man working at the town government. Handsome, tall, with a house and a car. Many are lining up to marry him! You’re beautiful, and I like you. Should I introduce you?”

Jiang Ruo was speechless.

She looked at the enthusiastic older woman with a blank expression. If the woman’s eyes hadn’t been so genuine, Jiang Ruo might have thought this was some scheme to trick an inexperienced girl.

“Matchmaker Jin, you scared the poor girl. Who acts like this when making matches…”

“That’s right, she’s too young to be matched off…” an elderly man chimed in.

Matchmaker Jin realized she had overstepped, but being straightforward, she admitted her mistake without excuses.

“Sorry, young lady. I just can’t help myself when I see a pretty girl. Please don’t be angry…”

Jiang Ruo was a little displeased but, seeing the woman’s honest apology, she didn’t hold a grudge.

“It’s okay. I can’t help being good-looking. No blame on you.”

Her words stunned everyone into silence, and they only reacted after she had left.

Someone who seemed familiar with Matchmaker Jin nudged her, “This girl’s cheek is as thick as yours…”

“What are you talking about? This young lady calls it confidence,” Matchmaker Jin retorted with an eye-roll.

The more she looked at the girl, the more she liked her, though it was clear the girl didn’t want to talk much.

Several other women shared Matchmaker Jin’s thoughts and approved her judgment.

Truly, such a beautiful young lady was rare. The problem was she was so delicately raised, and perhaps influenced by Matchmaker Jin, some of them couldn’t help but entertain certain ideas!

Zhou Wangzu, who had hoped to help the young lady out of this situation, was disappointed. She wasn’t fazed at all, her gaze fixed on the door.

After everyone left, Zhou Wangzu still couldn’t tear his eyes away, prompting a colleague to poke him with his elbow.

“What are you looking at? So captivating?” the colleague teased, seeing Zhou Wangzu stretch his neck, fully understanding his gaze was filled with playful envy for the rare sight of such a beautiful comrade.