Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder — I Rise to Female Lead Through Hard Work-Chapter 127: Impure Motives

That evening, Ding Ancheng rode his bicycle to the food factory to pick up Yi Weiliang, arriving just as everyone was getting off work, with a surge of people pouring out of the factory gate.

Ding Ancheng stood outside with his bicycle, creating a striking scene. Quite a few young women snuck glances his way, blushing but mustering the courage to take a closer look.

"Third Brother." Yi Weiliang emerged with bags in hand, and Ding Ancheng waved to him. Just as Yi Weiliang was about to respond, someone caught hold of him.

"Weiliang, who’s that? Your younger brother? He’s really handsome, isn’t he?" teased a colleague from the transportation department. Yi Weiliang was diligent, eager to learn, and friendly. Despite being a temporary worker, many colleagues liked him.

"Is he married? Do you want me to introduce him to someone?" Nearby, a group of young women perked up their ears.

"He’s my brother-in-law," Yi Weiliang replied, somewhat exasperated, to a chorus of brokenhearted sighs.

When Yi Weiliang arrived at his sister and brother-in-law’s house in the county town, he was quite taken aback by the spaciousness and the fact that they had prepared a separate room just for him.

That evening, Yi Weiliang got to taste Li Hongying’s cooking, which was worlds apart from his mother’s. He finally understood what his sister had meant before.

Also that evening, Yi Weiliang didn’t have to fall asleep amidst the smell of his colleagues’ sweaty feet or the sound of their snoring and teeth grinding.

Meanwhile, Yi Roujing and Ding Ancheng returned to the County First Middle School after dinner. After washing up and returning to their room, Yi Roujing was given three thousand yuan and a variety of tickets by Ding Ancheng.

"Why are there so many tickets?" Yi Roujing glanced at them: national grain tickets, cloth tickets, sugar coupons, cotton tickets, meat tickets, coal tickets, oil tickets, thermos tickets, sewing machine tickets... a thick stack, all spread out on their bed.

"The people buying herbs gave them to us. The price we sold at was already quite a deal, considering we wanted to establish connections with them. Since they offered tickets, of course, we didn’t refuse," Ding Ancheng explained.

Though Yi Roujing didn’t fully grasp the value of the tickets, she recognized that many of them, like the sewing machine ticket, thermos ticket, and national grain ticket without expiration dates, were hard to come by.

"Tomorrow, let’s go shopping. We’re going to start work soon, and we’ll need a few decent outfits." Yi Roujing was thrilled, excitedly preparing to take Ding Anmin and the others along the next day.

"No token of appreciation?" Ding Ancheng felt somewhat wronged when he saw Yi Roujing put away the money and tickets, then nonchalantly went to sleep.

Yi Roujing sat up, pulled Ding Ancheng’s head closer, and planted a kiss on his lips.

Of course, that wasn’t enough; Ding Ancheng kept at it until late into the night, leaving Yi Roujing exhausted. She regretted her decision to let Ding Ancheng persuade her into living in a couple’s quarters, suspecting ulterior motives.

The next day, with clear weather, Li Hongying got up before dawn to queue at the food station to buy meat. Although she arrived early, many were already waiting, but she managed to be near the front of the line.

Li Hongying got this information from chatting amiably with her neighbors over a plate of boiled soybeans the day before.

When it was her turn, she bought three pounds of pork belly, two trotters, two pork bones, and a set of pig intestines, filling a whole basket.

Quite a few in line were startled by Li Hongying’s selections. Who buys meat without picking the fattest cuts? Who wastes precious meat tickets on bones? Although a pound of meat tickets could buy three pounds of pig intestines, making it cheaper, meat tickets were not to be squandered so.

Li Hongying was simply thinking that Yi Roujing and the others liked nibbling on trotters and didn’t think that much. Of course, the most important reason was that she had tickets and wasn’t worried.

"Mrs. Li, why are you buying so many bones?" He Dahua, who had shared soybeans with her yesterday, couldn’t help but remind Li Hongying.

"The kids at home like them," Li Hongying replied, carrying her basket with a smile as she walked away. There was no need to buy vegetables just yet, but they were out of eggs, and she still needed to look into that.

Since she arrived early, Li Hongying managed to get eggs and tofu. Elated, she bought a few, carrying them in baskets in both hands. Fortunately, she was used to farm work, and the weight was manageable for her.

But once Li Hongying returned home and started sorting her purchases, she regretted it. Maybe people really do influence each other; she was getting a little too generous with spending her money and tickets.

"Mom, what delicious stuff are you making this morning?" Ding Anmin asked excitedly as she walked into the kitchen, brimming with various ingredients.

"Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know..." Li Hongying glared at her daughter and fell silent, unable to vent, "Start the fire."

For breakfast, Li Hongying prepared wild vegetable porridge, a few stir-fried greens, home-pickled salted vegetables, and a basket full of steamed sweet potatoes, waiting for Yi Roujing and Ding Ancheng to arrive.

After the meal, Li Hongying went to chat with neighbors in the alley, as they were the best source of information. Ding Weihe, restless, took a stroll into the county town.

Led by neighbor He Dahua, Li Hongying ventured into the neighboring alley to meet new people.

"Your son is a teacher? Then you must meet Ms. Yao; her future daughter-in-law is also a teacher." He Dahua led her to a neighboring alley, where they knocked on the door of the third courtyard.

Li Hongying noticed the size of this house was only about half of hers. In the courtyard, clothes were drying, and a woman with streaks of gray in her hair greeted them with a smile, inviting them in.

"Ms. Yao, this is Mrs. Li, who just moved in next door on Bright Alley," He Dahua introduced with a laugh. "Mrs. Li’s son also teaches at the County First Middle School, so I thought you and Ms. Yao might get along well."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Yao was briefly surprised but then warmly delighted, "Oh, please do come in, come in."

Meanwhile, Yi Roujing was preparing to take Ding Anmin and Xia Xingchen shopping.

"Sis-in-law, with you not staying at home, it feels like something’s missing," Ding Anmin remarked, feeling a bit unsettled. "Actually, brother and brother-in-law could share a room, and you two could stay here. It would be livelier."

"It wouldn’t be proper if the school found out we applied for a couple’s room but didn’t stay in it," Yi Roujing explained. "But you can sometimes come over to stay."

"Alright then," Ding Anmin replied, a bit listlessly.

"I’ll take you all to get a decent set; we’re heading to the department store," Yi Roujing said grandly, though her aching back was somewhat affecting her battle readiness for the day.

"I’m fine," Ding Anmin said, having no intention to buy anything.

Xia Xingchen also shook his head, "Sis-in-law, I have enough clothes."

Yi Roujing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The rest days flew by quickly. On Monday, May 27th, everyone went to work.

Yi Roujing, Ding Anmin, and Yi Weiliang all worked at the food factory and went together; meanwhile, Ding Ancheng would make a special trip to Bright Alley every day for breakfast before returning to school.

Ding Anguo needed to go to the county government office, located closest to home, taking only a ten-minute walk.

As they watched the house empty out all of a sudden, Ding Weihe and Li Hongying felt a bit at odds, still favoring the Dingping Production Team.