Chapter 10: The Ladies' Stationery Shop

Under the brilliant sunshine.

Deaf Granny squinted, scrutinized Li Aiguo for a moment, and pursed her lips. "Li boy, this business with Shazhu was wrong, but you’ve already got your money. Can’t you let him off the hook? Young man, one must know when to advance and retreat; always leave a margin for error in your dealings."

"Hey, hey, hey, Granny, that doesn't sound right."

"It was Shazhu who realized his mistake, felt the weight of his own sins, and voluntarily turned himself in at the police station. He is turning over a new leaf, starting life anew. Yet you are here trying to pull him back—are you trying to ruin him?" Li Aiguo chuckled.

"...What a sharp tongue!" Deaf Granny was so choked by the retort that she could barely breathe. After catching her breath, she pouted.

"I thank you for your kind words, but I have things to attend to, so I won't chat further."

With the grand plan of driving a train on his mind, time was precious. Li Aiguo had no patience to idle with an old woman with one foot in the grave, so he turned and walked into his room.

Watching Li Aiguo’s retreating figure, Deaf Granny felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her chest. What was even more frustrating was that she couldn't truly blame Li Aiguo for this; if anyone was to blame, it was Shazhu for being foolish and Yi Zhonghai for being too cunning. Deaf Granny clutched her chest, her frame appearing even more hunched than before.

...

When Li Aiguo went to make breakfast, he discovered the coal stove was black and cold; the coal briquettes had gone out. He slapped his forehead, remembering he had forgotten to replenish them last night. This old-fashioned stove could hold three briquettes; every time a meal was finished, the bottom one needed to be replaced, otherwise, once it burned out and extinguished, relighting it was quite a chore.

It was common for the coal fire to die out when adding briquettes. Li Aiguo fetched some waste paper and dry kindling from behind the house, carried the stove outside, and prepared to light it.

Lighting a fire is a technical job. First, he lit the waste paper with a match and shoved it into the lower air vent, then fed the paper into the stove sheet by sheet, adding small twigs until tiny flames flickered on the kindling. After that, he added larger pieces of wood and, holding a palm-leaf fan, fanned the air vent—a process known as "fanning the flames." Under the influence of the fanning, the wood crackled and burned, and thick smoke billowed from the stove. Only then was it time to add the coal briquettes.

Adding the briquettes also required skill; there had to be enough space between them to ensure smooth airflow so the fire would burn vigorously. As they say, "One must be solid, but the fire must be airy!"

...

Seeing faint blue flames emerging from the holes of the coal briquettes, Li Aiguo straightened his back, set down the fan, and prepared to put on the kettle. As he looked up, he saw a face with a chin like a shoe-horn emerging from the neighboring room—it was Xu Damao, the temporary projectionist at the rolling mill.

"Oh, Brother Damao, heading to work so early? You’re quite diligent," Li Aiguo greeted with a smile.

Xu Damao was taken aback. He had been neighbors with Li Aiguo for over a decade, and Li Aiguo had never once taken the initiative to greet him. However, Xu Damao was a man who knew how to handle social situations; once he recovered, he nodded quickly.

"Starting a coal fire, Aiguo?"

"Yeah, I was too tired yesterday and forgot to add more coal."

Mentioning yesterday’s events piqued Xu Damao’s interest. He glanced toward Deaf Granny’s room and took a few small steps toward Li Aiguo. "You’re a sharp one, sending Shazhu inside. I heard the police station intends to handle his case strictly."

He tilted his chin toward Deaf Granny’s room. "That old lady is trying every trick in the book to get him out!"

Li Aiguo frowned slightly and, while fanning the fire, asked, "What exactly is Deaf Granny’s background? Even if someone is in the police station, can she really pull them out?"

"Bah, even my old man can't figure her out. We only know she’s very close with the leaders of the rolling mill and the neighborhood committee; she carries quite a bit of weight." Xu Damao looked regretful. "If it weren't for Deaf Granny, it would be great; Shazhu definitely wouldn't be getting out this time."

Logically, having lived in the same courtyard for over a decade, they should have known everything about each other, yet they were ignorant of Deaf Granny’s background. It seemed her status was truly a mystery. Li Aiguo didn't press for more details and instead shifted the topic. "I heard your mother introduced you to a girl."

"...Just an ordinary girl, nothing’s set in stone yet!" Xu Damao, being a cautious man and fearing someone might snatch his Lou Xiaoe away, gave a vague excuse and hurried off. Today was his first date with Lou Xiaoe, and he couldn't afford to be late.

...

With the coal fire burning and breakfast finished, the sun hung high above the treetops. Li Aiguo gathered all his dirty clothes, piled them on the heated bed (kang), pulled a bar of soap from the drawer, and set it beside the laundry. Only then did he strap on his canvas bag and head out, planning to go to the stationery and sports store to "farm" some skill points.

There was a Xinhua Bookstore near Nanluoguxiang, though it wasn't called that; it was called the Women’s Stationery and Sports Store. The reason for the name wasn't that only women were allowed in, but simply because the plaque featured calligraphy by Bing Xin—the author of "The Little Orange Lamp."

...

Arriving at the front courtyard, he knocked on Yan Fugui’s door and told the Third Aunt that he was going out, asking if she could wash the clothes piled on the kang.

"Is this for your exam? Go on then, I'll come over once I've finished washing the pots." The Third Aunt agreed and retreated into the kitchen with her dishes.

Asking the Third Aunt to wash his clothes meant owing the Yan family a favor, but Li Aiguo had no qualms. The best way for people to interact is by exchanging favors—owe a favor, then return it. Through this cycle of giving and taking, a strong relationship is built.

...

The Li family originally owned a bicycle, but to pay for his father’s medical treatment, the previous owner had sold it to Liu’s repair shop. He had to walk. By now, the golden sun had climbed to the third-floor windows of the dormitory building, casting golden light across the capital as the temperature began to rise.

Fortunately, the Women’s Stationery and Sports Store wasn't far, located at the northeast corner of Nanluoguxiang. Next door was an oil shop; in this era, many families in the capital still used kerosene lamps. Early in the morning, a long queue had already formed outside the oil shop, with residents carrying bottles to buy kerosene.

In contrast to the bustling activity at the oil shop, the Women’s Stationery and Sports Store was quiet and deserted. Pushing the door open, Li Aiguo discovered that there were actually quite a few people inside. While not crowded, it was comparable to the supermarkets of his past life.

Squeezing into the crowd, Li Aiguo scanned the shelves and knew he had come to the right place. Over a dozen rows of shelves were filled with all sorts of books: philosophy, art, sports, literature... thousands of volumes in total. He couldn't help but gulp. These books were all skill points.

Wait... what was this?

On a shelf near the door, Li Aiguo found a strange contraption resembling an air rifle. It had a barrel, a stock, could be loaded with pellets, and when the trigger was pulled, one could feel compressed air erupting in the barrel. Well, it was indeed an air rifle, and its kinetic energy definitely exceeded 1.8 joules. It was displayed openly on the bookstore shelf, with ammunition placed right next to it. This era was truly passionate.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm talking to you! If you aren't buying, don't touch!"

The shop assistant, who had called out twice without a response, was now angry. She widened her eyes and raised her voice. Li Aiguo glanced at the banner on the wall that read "Do not beat customers without reason," then looked at the dozen air rifles hanging nearby, smiled, and put the rifle back.

Well, as they say, keep an open mind and a broad outlook.