The Kitty Became a Cutie and Was Pampered in the 80s
Chapter 626: College Entrance Exam Top Scorer (13)_1

Chapter 626: Chapter 626: College Entrance Exam Top Scorer (13)_1

"Dad, Uncle Si, I’m full," Ruan Jiaojiao answered, curiously flipping through the ledger in front of Uncle Si, only to realize after opening it that it was a ledger for social obligations.

As she browsed through the ledger, Wu Le also came over from the main room, carrying a black hemp bag and a plate.

"Why is Jiaojiao sitting here? Aren’t you eating?" Wu Le also asked with a smile, as he began placing candies on the plate while Ruan Jianmin was unwrapping cigarettes and placing them on another plate.

"I’m full. Can Jiaojiao do this too? Jiaojiao can help with handing out the candies," Ruan Jiaojiao said, genuinely bored and looking for something to do.

"It’s so hot outside, sweetie, come inside, don’t get sunburned," Ruan Jianmin, just after unwrapping a few packs of cigarettes, immediately said with concern, "Your Uncle Si and Aunt have got things under control here, there’s no need for you to—"

"But Jiaojiao wants to help, Daddy," Ruan Jiaojiao batted her big eyes at Ruan Jianmin, who surrendered immediately, "Alright, alright, Jiaojiao can help with the candies, but if you get tired or too hot, you must go inside immediately, understand?"

Ruan Jiaojiao nodded eagerly.

According to Ruan Jianmin’s plan, each household was to receive two cigarettes and six pieces of candy.

Wu Le was in charge of the cigarettes, and she was to hand out the candies.

Ruan Jiaojiao didn’t have to wait long before people began coming over after finishing their meal, ready to give their gift money.

In the last two years, the economy had developed quite rapidly. Before, a salary of thirty yuan was considered a lot, but in the past couple of years, everyone’s wages had practically doubled, so the customary gift money had increased from five yuan to ten yuan.

The first to come and give gift money were the villagers, who generally gave around ten yuan. Those who were a bit wealthier or had some familial ties to the Ruan Family gave twenty yuan.

Xiu Family’s gift money was presented by Xiu Jianlin, with Liu Mei following far behind.

The disaster back then cost her the use of both her hands, it was said she spent over five hundred yuan, and after nearly a year in the hospital, she barely managed to cling to life.

Perhaps it was that calamity she had been through.

Liu Mei had become much more low-profile, no longer as haughty and domineering as she used to be. She often avoided the Ruan Family members when she saw them.

Now, as Xiu Jianlin came up to give gift money, she followed from a distance.

Ruan Jiaojiao looked again at Xiu Jianlin in front of her, and over the years, he seemed to have burned himself out like an oil lamp, withered away to the point of being unrecognizable.

She watched as he trembled, fishing out a small pouch from his dirty and tattered pocket. It was one of those pouches that had been used to hold table salt, rinsed and repurposed. From it, he shook out a pile of small change, in denominations of two and five fen, with the biggest being just fifty fen.

He counted for a while and managed to tally up three yuan. With a trembling hand and a look of embarrassment, he handed it to Ruan Jianmin, "Jianmin, here’s three yuan..." A crowd had gathered around, all waiting to give their gift money. He was illiterate, but he could recognize the numbers from one to ten, and seeing all the tens and twenties in there, his hand shook even more intensely as he held out the money.

Ruan Jianmin sighed deeply, wanting to say there was no need for gift money, but he knew that to say so would be the real insult.

He could only take the money, write down the name, and the amount of the gift.

Wu Le gave him two cigarettes, and when it was Ruan Jiaojiao’s turn to hand out the candies, she didn’t count them, just grabbed a big handful and passed them over with a sweet smile, "Uncle Xiu, these are for Xiu Cheng to eat. Could you bring them back to him for me?" Then she grabbed another big handful and passed it over.