Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 487 - 488 Sister Flowers Educated Youth 5_1

Chapter 487: Chapter 488 Sister Flowers Educated Youth 5_1

After a good lunch, Shen Jie helped the old lady with some handiwork before she started to process the ingredients.

Although the family doted on the young lady, the household chores that needed to be done were still her responsibility, such as her cooking skills which were quite impressive.

The only thing Shen Jie was not accustomed to was the pitifully small amount of oil used for frying, provided by the supply system.

God knows she was really worried when using oil, afraid of using too much when brushing the pan with cheesecloth.

Luckily, controlling oil consumption seemed to be etched in the bones of the original body’s owner and was always well managed.

It was just unclear whether, after arriving in the Northeast, it would be possible to find a way to get some cooking oil, whether for sending it back or for personal use.

She really disliked the taste of boiled vegetables; it was not a time when one needed to watch their figure and avoid greasy foods.

The old lady used to help out occasionally or even take charge herself, but now she let her granddaughter do all the work.

At home, adults could lend a hand, but who would there be to help after arriving in the Northeast?

Watching Shen Jie work efficiently, the old lady expressed great satisfaction, "Once you get there, if someone bullies you, don’t confront them head-on."

"But you can’t let others bully you at will, anyway, if it comes to it, we can just come back," the old lady said, giving her granddaughter plenty of confidence.

If the policy had allowed, the old lady really would not have wanted her granddaughter to go to such a remote place.

Although not widely spread, there were still some rumors, such as some women marrying local youths being reluctant to do so.

The old lady knew that this time the choices for enlistment were either the Northeast or the Northwest, or the South, and she was very anxious.

Fortunately, it was now decided to go to a farm, which relieved the old lady, as at least safety was guaranteed. It would be even better if they could keep some distance from Shen Yuan.

For lunch, since it was just the two of them, they ate something simple, but dinner was a family meal and clearly could not be taken casually.

While it’s said not to be taken casually, there weren’t really many dishes to choose from due to the shortage of supplies.

Shen Jie already had a plan, "Grandma, when I get to the Northeast, I’ll go to the mountains to pick mushrooms and wood ear fungi. After drying them, I can send them back by mail."

If she could catch some small animals, that would be great too, though she suspected her tiny arms and legs might not be up to the task.

But when it came to mushrooms and black fungus, there was absolutely no problem.

Now was the time when everyone was preparing dinner, and as they walked through the corridor, they heard Shen Jie talking about going to the Northeast.

"Xiao Jie, did you sign up at the street office?"

"Have you decided to go to the Northeast?"

Among the neighbors, there were those who wanted to go to the countryside as educated youth, but everyone hoped to wait and see if they could find a job to avoid going as educated youth.

When Shen Xiaohui found a job, everyone wondered if the Shen family would continue to spend money to buy a job, since the eldest son worked in the army and the couple earned a good salary, and the old lady had her pension.

To everyone’s surprise, the young girl registered without a word, which really astonished everyone.

"Yes, I registered with my classmates today, and the street director confidently said we’re going to the Northeast," she replied.

"It’s for the Construction Farm." Only she and Feng Dan had been there for the registration, but there were several staff members present. Wouldn’t they talk after work?

No longer a secret, there was no need to hide.

"To the Construction Farm?"

"Doesn’t that mean you’ll get a salary?" a middle-aged woman exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, if you go to the farm, you won’t live on work points but will get a salary."

"Though it’s far away, it’s almost like having a job, which is better than being an educated youth in the countryside."

Everyone felt that going to the Construction Farm could be a good choice.

"Xiao Jie, do you know if I can still get to the farm if I register tomorrow?" Someone quickly made the decision to let their child become an educated youth, as it was too good an opportunity to miss, and they didn’t know when the next one might come.

"I don’t know. The director indicated that they need people urgently this time, which is why they came here to recruit in the South."

"If nothing unexpected happens, we’ll have to leave the day after tomorrow or the day after." Shen Jie really didn’t know much about the whole thing.

What she did know was that those who signed up as educated youth this year, like Feng Dan and a few others, were distributed to the Construction Farm, while the rest were sent to various rural areas.

"That’s so soon!" A parent, previously tempted, began to waver.

After all, their family was still holding out hope for finding a job for their child and decided to wait, as the middleman had suggested a high likelihood of success.

"Yes, they urgently need people over there." Shen Jie simply clarified the situation; how they chose was up to them.

Unable to get more information, everyone returned to their respective tasks, either cooking or discussing with their families back home.

When Shen Jianshe returned home, he ran into Shen Xiaohui and Zhang Yamei, who had just gotten off work.

They worked in the same place, and a retired employee’s children were all out of town, planning to join their children after retirement, so there was no one to take over the job. Zheng Yamei knew this and bought a job from that person.

"Dad," Shen Xiaohui greeted Shen Jianshe and followed his parents home.

Along the way, they overheard the discussions about going to the Northeast Construction Farm to become educated youth. Shen Xiaohui’s eyes lit up, "Dad, I think it’s a good idea for my sister to go to the Construction Farm in the Northeast."

Shen Xiaohui did not have a good impression of Shen Yuan; whenever he saw her, she was either playing the victim or the victim, always managing to get something from Shen Jie.

He was really worried that if Shen Yuan started playing the victim again in the Northeast and deceived Shen Jie out of food and drink, it could leave Shen Jie hungry. What then?

But the annoying cousin insisted on saying that when the cousins arrived in the Northeast, they could look after each other.

Naturally, Shen Jianshe was tempted, "I... didn’t I promise our cousin to let your sister and Xiao Yuan register together?"

After thinking it over, he considered asking Shen Jiansheng for his opinion. If agreed, they could go register tomorrow morning.

A neighbor happened to overhear this father and son conversation, "Your Xiao Jie has already registered."

"Thanks to her, we wouldn’t even know that the farm is recruiting."

This neighbor had made up her mind to have her daughter register first thing the next morning for a safe job at the farm.

As for packing and shopping still undone, those weren’t issues. At worst, some money would be wasted; it was possible to make purchases here and ship them there.

And with the Northeast’s cold winters, she had to figure out where to get cotton to make a thick quilt; she couldn’t let her child freeze.

Realizing all this, she understood she was very busy, indeed. She couldn’t delay taking a couple of days off; otherwise, she wouldn’t have time to get everything done.