"Excellent!" Fu Wenwen's eyes lit up. She stood up and saluted Xu Lin. "Thank you, Comrade Policeman."
"We're all here to serve the people!" Xu Lin smiled and returned the salute.
"Comrade Policeman, I need to go to the post office first to mail some grain to my parents. Could you wait for me?" As Fu Wenwen stood up, she saw the grain next to her and remembered she had to mail it. She quickly asked.
"Of course, I'll go with you!" Xu Lin's impression of Fu Wenwen improved. He hadn't expected her to remember her family in the city even during this time of grain shortage.
Fu Wenwen, holding Lin An and carrying the grain, followed Xu Lin to the post office. With Fu Wenwen accompanying Xu Lin, who was in uniform, everyone quickly made way for her.
When they reached the counter, the postal worker's initially relaxed demeanor became much more serious at the sight of Xu Lin.
"Hello, I want to mail some grain to this address," Fu Wenwen said to the woman behind the counter.
"Mailing grain?" Hearing that Fu Wenwen was mailing grain, the woman immediately stood up and asked sternly, "Where did you get this grain?"
"I saved it by being thrifty. My parents are sick at home and have no food," Fu Wenwen quickly explained, holding up a handful for the woman to see. "Look, comrade, it's all broken grains, and I borrowed some from the village."
Hearing Fu Wenwen's explanation, the woman relaxed. "It's not cost-effective to mail it back! With this much grain, you'll definitely be overweight, and it'll cost at least three yuan!"
"Three yuan for this postage is more expensive than the grain itself," Xu Lin, who was standing nearby, reminded her when he heard the price.
"But I don't have any grain coupons left," Fu Wenwen said helplessly.
She took out three yuan from her pocket and handed it to the woman. "Please help me mail it, comrade! This is the only thing I can do for them."
Fu Wenwen's words shocked both of them. Xu Lin hadn't expected that Fu Wenwen, who was struggling to feed herself, would still be thinking of her family.
"...Comrade, don't worry, I will definitely deliver it to your home completely intact!" The woman looked deeply at Fu Wenwen and assured her.
"Thank you so much!" Fu Wenwen smiled sincerely.
Fu Wenwen watched as the woman packed the grain for her, affixed many stamps, took Fu Wenwen's three yuan, and gave her a receipt.
"Next time, it might be better to trade for grain coupons and mail those back," the woman whispered to Fu Wenwen.
Fu Wenwen's head drooped sadly. "I'm unfamiliar with this place."
"If you want to trade for grain next time, come find me! My name is Chen Fang," Chen Fang whispered, looking at Fu Wenwen.
Fu Wenwen was taken aback and looked at Chen Fang.
"Don't worry, it's legitimate," Chen Fang smiled at Fu Wenwen. "My mother works at the grain station."
"Then thank you so much! My name is Fu Wenwen, and I'm from Honghe Village," Fu Wenwen said with a smile. "This is my son, Lin An."
"You're already married?" Chen Fang asked in surprise. She hadn't noticed Lin An just now, and Fu Wenwen didn't look like she was from the village; she seemed more like an educated youth.
"I'm an educated youth sent down to the countryside. I married Lin An's father," Fu Wenwen explained.
Chen Fang nodded and said to Fu Wenwen, "Your paperwork is all done, don't worry! It should arrive in about a week. Did you write a letter? If you have one, you can mail it with the grain."
Fu Wenwen's eyes brightened. She took out the letter she had written and handed it to Chen Fang. "Then thank you so much!"