16. White Stripe Town

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One must say, she truly is a fortunate girl. Had she belonged to a greedy family, this golden child would likely have been picked clean to the bone.
No wonder her grandparents adore her so much, showering her with love wherever she goes.
Beneath that was a piece of red cloth wrapping jewelry—several pairs of bracelets made from different materials, along with necklaces and rings, all left behind by her mother.
Just when it seemed to end there, beneath the red cloth lay rows of small goldfish-shaped ornaments—fifty in total.
Her brother left none for himself; he handed everything over to his sister.
Though she lacked nothing, the sense of security these treasures provided was immense, especially the cash, instilling a deep, fulfilling happiness—they all symbolized the love of her family.
Though her parents passed away early, both her maternal and paternal grandparents had given her ample love and security.
Perhaps this was why the young girl could never let go of her family, and why she had appeared here.
Thinking of the girl, she sighed, took out fifty yuan from inside, locked the wooden box again, and was about to put it into the Starry Watch when she paused. After some thought, she retrieved a one-jiao banknote, a piece of jewelry, and one small goldfish ornament, placing these three items inside the white jade space.
After a morning of exploration, she had gained much—not only discovering her affinity as a thunder-element spirit but also acquiring the white jade space.
Whenever she focused, her mind was filled with a unique sea of consciousness, shimmering with flashes of lightning and thunder, where the space floated within the stormy electric depths.
This felt safer than the Starry Watch on her wrist, for no one could seize this ethereal sea of awareness.
The Starry Watch, if energy ran low, was no different from an ordinary watch; its hidden functions aside, it could be stolen if someone had ill intentions.
Of course, running out of energy was nearly impossible, as it drew power from the stars—so long as the night sky existed, energy would flow endlessly.
But the white jade space, which she could enter freely, was truly a blessing.
As for other aspects, those remained to be tested.
Looking steadily at the three items now safely inside the space, her anxiety lessened by half. Yet when her eyes landed on the thermos on the desk, a flicker of hesitation passed, and she poured herself a cup of hot water before putting it away.
The remaining half of her worries depended on whether there were any time limits or restrictions.
She glanced once more at the thatched cottage—a locked room that could not be opened. What purpose did it truly serve?
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Shaking her head, she withdrew her consciousness.
In the eastern room, both Old Woman Liu and Old Man Jiang, lying in bed, suddenly felt their bodies lighten greatly, falling asleep almost instantly. Their once-heavy breathing grew lighter and lighter. When they woke, they were filled with vigor, and without much thought, they assumed it was simply the effect of a good rest.
They got up and called the family to rise—it was time to go to the fields!
With autumn harvest approaching, the workload was indeed heavy. These days, Old Woman Liu decided to take her daughter-in-law along to the fields, as it was crucial for their upcoming food supply—no room for error in the fields. Household chores would be rotated among the daughters-in-law.
Jiang Ruo, lying in bed and having fallen asleep unknowingly, was awakened by the loud voice of her grandmother. When she stepped outside, everyone except Third Aunt was already in the fields.
She told Third Aunt she was going to town, then rode out on the family’s only prized bicycle.
“Ruo Ruo, be careful riding—don’t fall…”
From afar, Third Aunt’s worried voice could still be heard, along with a few envious gazes from villagers and the sounds of children chasing after her.
“It’s a 28-inch bike…”
“When will my family ever afford such a bike? I’d laugh myself awake just dreaming about it.”
“Tell me about it. Just looking at it commands respect…”
The speakers’ envy was plain to see, even their footsteps paused as they gazed toward the village entrance.
“Enough dreaming—there’s work to do in the fields.”
Before the dream had even begun, the woman beside them ruthlessly shattered their hopes.
Better to get to work in the fields early than waste time daydreaming when there’s barely enough to eat. The woman gave her husband a sharp look and silently planned to gather some wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain after finishing the chores.
Half-Kidney Village belonged to Baitiao Town under Mosha City in Heilong Province, northeastern China. It nestled close to a great mountain range but was not remote—only about half an hour by bike from the town.
Now, Jiang Ruo was pedaling hard, speeding toward Baitiao Town.
Her legs burned with effort; the initial excitement had long since faded. Sore and weary, she glared bitterly at the 28-inch bike she was sitting on—her backside nearly bruised flat from the bumpy ride.
Dirt roads were a curse, full of potholes one after another.
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Though the space contained plenty of travel tools, they were all out of reach—only to be admired but never used, which was nothing short of heartbreaking.
Unless she wanted to scare someone to death or be captured as an alien.
Resigned, she continued peddling. Thankfully, time passed steadily, and the destination drew ever closer.
It wasn’t easy to get to town even once. Thinking of her sore backside, she vowed to buy enough goods to make it worthwhile—otherwise, the suffering would be for nothing!
Especially with the planned economy soon to be fully implemented, many goods wouldn’t be available simply by wanting them. This thought rekindled her buying desire, and she even felt that fifty yuan might be insufficient—but that was no problem; she could always retrieve more later.
As her patience waned, Baitiao Town finally appeared before her. Politely put, it was a town; less politely, it was just a large village, with slightly better buildings lining the streets, mostly brick houses, with only a few multi-story buildings.
The road was decent—a fairly wide gravel street, lined sparsely with shops. Whitewashed slogans promoting hope and vigor adorned the walls near the roadside.
“Long live the victory of socialism!”
“Develop the collective economy, consolidate the people's power!”
“…”
“Labor is the most glorious; the working class is great!”
“Do not forget class suffering; remember the blood and tears of past hatred!”
Just reading these, Jiang Ruo felt the villagers’ passionate hope for a better future.
Passionate horn blasts startled her until she realized they came from a large loudspeaker mounted on a utility pole.
The street was bustling with people, though no small vendors were in sight—a fact that didn’t surprise Jiang Ruo given the current national situation.
Taking in the unfamiliar scene, she lingered briefly before heading toward the supply and marketing cooperative next to the grain depot, her first stop.
Not far away, the largest building on the street was the grain depot, adjacent to the supply and marketing cooperative and a grocery store—all in one row. If she remembered correctly, further down was a barbershop, then a state-run restaurant, with a paper mill and a canning factory beyond that. All had transitioned from private to public ownership, operating under a state-run planned economy system, along with the post office, school, and town hospital.