Chapter 99 - 34: "Wherever the Red Star Shines is Fervent Land

Chapter 99: Chapter 34: "Wherever the Red Star Shines is Fervent Land

Lin Zhao rolled her eyes. The woman with the inverted-triangle eyes across from her clearly hadn’t expected her to be so defiant, and her face twisted in anger.

At eight o’clock sharp, a brass bell went CLANG.

In an instant, a human tide surged in, carrying with it the sour smell of sweat.

Several hands clutching ration tickets slapped onto the glass countertop.

"Comrade! Comrade! Here’s the money and cloth coupons. Cut me three feet of fabric first." A girl with pigtails leaned halfway over the counter, her blue cloth coupons stained dark with sweat.

Next to her, a woman in a patched jacket with a crying child tucked under her arm was even louder. "I was here first! I want a bar of soap! Here’s the money and the coupon!"

"There’s a child here, stop pushing!" someone at the front yelled.

"Comrade, get me five meters of hemp rope!"

...

Lin Zhao had already memorized the locations of the goods. Plus, having witnessed such scenes before, she wasn’t flustered at all. She collected money, retrieved items, and gave change, her movements as smooth as flowing water.

She was well-educated and had a good memory. She knew the placement of everything in her two sections of the counter like the back of her hand. When it came to serving the people, her efficiency was off the charts.

The other new girl had arrived late and didn’t know anything. When the crowd suddenly surged toward her, the wave of urgent voices forced her into a corner between the shelves. The hem of her white shirt was clutched into a wrinkled mess.

She was completely at a loss. Her lips moved, saying something, but unfortunately, with loud voices coming from all directions, no one could hear what she said.

"Comrade, why are you standing so far away? I need a can of fruit and a towel. Hurry up, I have to get to work!"

The person at her counter urged impatiently.

The county’s supply and marketing cooperative had just been expanded. It wasn’t small, with about ten counter sections.

Some counters were crowded. The heavier-set, older employee was stationed at the seed counter, which wasn’t as busy. But she didn’t come over to help, instead watching the struggling girl make mistake after mistake with a cold, mocking smile.

Li Fen was a warm-hearted person and couldn’t bear to see a pretty young girl in distress. After finishing with her own customers, she lent a hand, teaching the girl as she helped.

In that short time, Lin Zhao got a clear picture of her colleagues’ personalities.

There was the warm-hearted Sister Fen, and two others who didn’t seem so pleasant.

’It didn’t really matter.’

A salesclerk job was an iron rice bowl; no one could really do anything to anyone else.

Director Jiang, worried about the two new comrades, had arrived early. She stood in the shadows of the grain and oil section, hands clasped behind her back, her gaze sweeping over Lin Zhao’s perfectly neat braids.

This military dependent even tied the hemp rope into a beautiful figure-eight knot, looking as if she’d been working at the co-op for a decade.

Seeing that Lin Zhao was even more skilled than a veteran and that the other girl was also trying her best to adapt, she nodded to herself and left without a sound.

Lin Zhao and the others were busy for nearly an hour before the number of people flooding the co-op finally began to dwindle.

Li Fen was used to this level of intensity. She bent down to find her towel, wiped the sweat from her face, and smiled at the two new girls. "How’s it going? Are you adjusting okay?"

Beads of sweat had formed on Lin Zhao’s forehead, and the loose strands of hair were a little damp. "It’s alright. Just really hot."

"It really is hot. Just hang in there. In another two months, it won’t be like this," Li Fen said comfortingly.

She looked at the other new girl and asked with a smile, "I don’t think I caught your name."

"...My name is Wang Ju." Her reply was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz; with the slightest background noise, you couldn’t make out what she was saying.

Li Fen had a direct, forthright personality and didn’t really like dealing with timid girls, afraid that she might scare them into tears if she spoke too loudly.

"Oh, oh." Li Fen awkwardly let out two "Oh’s" and gave a polite smile. "Welcome, welcome. I’m Li Fen."

"Sister Fen," Wang Ju called out softly, then added her thanks. "Thank you for helping me earlier, Sister Fen."

Li Fen had to strain her ears to hear her.

The straightforward older sister waved her hand. "It’s nothing, it’s nothing. We’re all colleagues, so it’s only right that we help each other out.

"When I first started, I didn’t know anything either. A senior staff member had to show me the ropes for several days before I figured things out.

"You should get familiar with your counter as soon as you can. Try to memorize where everything is. It’s fine if you’re not used to it at first. After half a month or a month, you’ll know where the goods are with your eyes closed."

Wang Ju was so nervous she didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet.

"What if I can’t remember?"

’This...’

Li Fen didn’t know how to respond.

’It’s just a few things. All you have to do is get familiar with them. What’s so hard to remember?’

Lin Zhao chimed in, "Just try first. If you really can’t remember, you can write it down in a notebook."

’It was true that some people’s minds went blank when they got nervous.’

Wang Ju’s eyes lit up. She looked at Lin Zhao and thanked her in a small voice, "Thank you."

Li Fen shook her head inwardly. ’How can you be a salesclerk when you’re this timid? The customers can’t even hear you speak.’