Chapter 364: Must Have It

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Liu Xing observed Jiang Xia and Xiao Li, who seemed hell-bent on getting what they wanted, and suddenly felt as though he’d been tricked and was now under their thumb.

Despite everything, he wasn’t obligated to trade pickles with Jiang Xia and Xiao Li. How did their combined efforts make it seem like he had no other choice but to get pickles from them?

Reflecting on this, Liu Xing realized the main reason was his aversion to hassles. He could acquire the five jars of pickles he needed over the span of half a month from various sources, but that would be quite time-consuming.

People from the neighboring villages who could deliver five jars of pickles in half a month were few and far between. Initially, Liu Xing doubted Jiang Xia and Xiao Li could gather that amount, but seeing their confident demeanors and hearing about their village contacts made him believe they could deliver the jars together in half a month, sparing him a lot of effort.

What Liu Xing dreaded most was any inconvenience. He wished he could spend only a few hours a day at the supply and marketing cooperative and then hurry home to spend time with his pregnant wife and their unborn child, who was already kicking. Enjoying the soup his mother made for him brought immense joy. Who would want to waste away their days at the cooperative, especially during the bitter cold?

But with the current state of the cooperative and the pickle exchange, his presence was indispensable.

There might be those who prefer to exchange their pickles when fewer people are around, leading to missed opportunities. So Liu Xing had to stay the whole day, waiting for potential trades.

It had been about a week since he received the directive from above to collect pickles. He had been waiting here daily and had only managed to gather four jars so far. Xiao Li’s significant contribution the previous day had been a great help, but spending every day at the cooperative wasn’t ideal.

He heard that the cooperative in the neighboring town had a set schedule, operating only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing the rest of the day for rest at home. Who wouldn’t envy such a setup?

Collecting a large amount of pickles was time-consuming, but not just anyone could take on this task. Without pulling some strings, this job wouldn’t have fallen into Liu Xing’s lap. It might have been assigned to the county or another town’s cooperative.

The benefits of this task were evident by the extra charcoal at Liu Xing’s house.

He glanced at Jiang Xia again, frustrated at how cunning she was.

However, he quickly came to terms with his feelings.

He wasn’t an ungrateful person. He clearly understood that the reason he had the opportunity to exchange for pickles was due to Jiang Xia.

Because Jiang Xia was smart. She told the Shen family that if they wished to contact her, they should look for Liu Xing. This led him to get acquainted with the Shen family.

Things are interconnected, and the origin of this matter stemmed from Jiang Xia. Since Jiang Xia helped him, he felt it was fine to be slightly lenient in this situation.

However, what finally made Liu Xing relent was his recognition of the Jiang family’s capabilities.

He had heard bits and pieces about the Jiang Chuan family.

They started from scratch after leaving the old Jiang family and had been doing so for about six months. Their living conditions visibly improved. Initially, they would visit the supply and marketing cooperative to barter items, but now it’s said they seldom visit the town, often trading in the city instead.

The family’s status kept getting better, which was evident from Jiang Xia’s appearance. This young girl was becoming more and more radiant, wasn’t this proof that their household’s conditions were improving?

Furthermore, when Liu Xing interacted with Jiang Chuan, he felt that Jiang Chuan was extraordinary and would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future. That’s why he always facilitated things for their family.

Most importantly, Xiao Wu and Xiao Li, who had close ties with the Jiang family, were also prospering day by day. Being close to this family surely had its benefits. Giving charcoal to Jiang Xia can be considered as a goodwill gesture.

Once Liu Xing had come to this realization, he repeatedly stressed to the two of them, “This charcoal is state-controlled. Even 1 can’t casually exchange it for vegetables. You must keep this a secret. No matter who asks, you mustn’t say a word! When using the charcoal, be cautious and don’t let others discover it. In short, be very, very careful!”

Only after both of them assured him did his expression soften..