I emptied my family's possessions to join the army, and my abstinent superior doted on me.

Chapter 25 Personal Shopping in the 1970s

Gu Hanchuan endured the massage as if he were being tortured until it ended, his clothes already soaked with sweat.

"Commander, I've been exercising for half a day, how come you're sweating more than me?" Qian Lai looked at him and smiled, knowing that he was just too nervous.

"Let's call a male caregiver tomorrow." Gu Hanchuan still couldn't face it; the process was too unbearable.

Seeing that he was soaking wet, Qian Lai brought hot water and wiped him down.

"Does the commander think I'm not using enough force, or that I'm not pressing the acupoints accurately?"

"You! You know that." Gu Hanchuan's cheeks flushed again.

"Or is it because men and women are different?"

He nodded.

"Then I'll dress up as a man tomorrow."

"You! Aren't you deliberately trying to upset me? I know it's you, and that's why I feel bad."

"Since you've chosen me to take care of you, please get rid of your feudalistic remnants as soon as possible. Only in this way can our rehabilitation training proceed smoothly. Always being so hesitant and overthinking will slow down the progress. Unless you have ulterior motives towards me."

Qian Lai stood tall and righteous, like a little cheetah resisting provocation, both cute and fierce.

In her eyes, Gu Hanchuan was an excellent experimental subject. She hoped he would reach a perfect experimental state as soon as possible.

"I have no improper thoughts about you whatsoever." Gu Hanchuan was startled when he heard the words "improper thoughts".

"Then stop your nagging. I'm a woman, and I don't mind, so why should you?"

After saying that, Qian Lai picked up a basin of dirty clothes and left without looking back.

She put all the dirty clothes into the washing machine in the space for a thorough wash, and then carried all the utensils contaminated by the medicine to the special water room for cleaning.

Just as they were getting to work, a middle-aged woman carrying a dish tray walked into the water room.

"Hello, I'm Wu Mei, the wife of Lü Daxin, who's in the ward next to Deputy Division Commander Gu. Are you Deputy Division Commander Gu's fiancée?"

The eldest sister-in-law looked to be in her forties, with a gentle face.

Qian Lai politely replied, "I am his distant sister. My name is Qian Lai, sister-in-law."

Oh! My sister, a distant relative~
Perhaps the young lady is too embarrassed to admit she's his fiancée.

Wu Mei pursed her lips and smiled knowingly.

Then, staring at the pink rubber gloves on her hands, he asked curiously, "Excuse me, where did you buy these gloves? I've never seen them in a department store before."

Of course I've never seen them before; these gloves are from later generations.

"Does your sister-in-law like these gloves?"

Wu Mei sighed and said, "I always have to help Lao Lü with the washing and cleaning. Look at my hands, they're cracked and sore. Now I wash these medicine bottles three times a day, and I'm really worried about the side effects of the medicine getting into my body."

"Yes, sister-in-law. I had the same concern. These gloves are indeed very useful. They are thin and flexible to use. You should try them."

Qian Lai deftly took off her gloves and let Wu Mei put them on. After trying to clean a few bottles and jars, she praised them highly.

“The military issued some rubber gloves before. They were fine for washing vegetable dishes, but for delicate tasks like this, they were too thick and big, and I couldn’t use my strength at all. Where can I buy these? How much do they cost? I want to buy a few pairs.”

Qian Lai's mind raced, and an idea came to him: "Sister-in-law, we don't have these gloves locally. The rubber isn't ordinary, and the manufacturing process is also unusual. I bought them from out of town. If you want them, I can buy them for you."

"Purchase agent?"

“I’ll buy it for you. Tomorrow, we can also ask other family members if they have the same need. If everyone wants to buy it, we can do a group purchase together.”

"Group buying?"

"The more people there are, the more you can bargain. I bought a pair for six yuan, but if there are more people, I might be able to get it down to five yuan, or even less."

"Oh my god, that's great. I'll help you compile the list and give it to you."

Unexpectedly, Wu Mei was incredibly efficient. In just one day and one night, she had contacted all the families in the two buildings in front of and behind the retirement home.

To Qian Lai's surprise, the total demand was 230 pairs. "Qian Lai, some people missed out this time, and others want to wait and see. This is the first wave of buyers."

"Look, how about we do a group buy? Oh, by the way, I've agreed to charge everyone six yuan a pair, and we'll add shipping and your handling fee at the end, with refunds or additional charges as needed. Is that okay?"

"Two hundred and thirty pairs, six yuan per pair, a total of 1380 yuan. Can you check if the count is correct?"

Qian Lai took the thick wad of RMB and gave Wu Mei a thumbs up.

"No need to order, sister-in-law, you're so capable. I trust you, you're so reliable. The goods have arrived, so you deserve your reward for your hard work."

Wu Mei was overjoyed; she never expected that she could earn extra money just by running an errand for someone.

Qian Lai never expected that she would get involved in purchasing agents in the 1970s.

If the products arrive this time, then diapers, waterproof pads, and other similar products can open up new markets here in the future.

Wu Mei is outgoing and has sales potential. Observe her character further, and she might become a valuable assistant in the future.

"Sister-in-law, I'll contact my friend today and ask her to ship the goods to us as soon as possible."

"Also, I noticed your hands were cracked yesterday. I brought some hand cream that I made myself, you can try it." She placed the cream mixed with the divine spring water into Wu Mei's hand, scooped out a little and applied it to the back of her hand, gently spreading it.

The "added" cream moisturizes the hands instantly.

Wu Mei exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder your hands are so fair and delicate. You have so many good things! How much is it? I'll buy it."

"This bottle is for your sister-in-law. If she finds it useful later, I'll buy you another one."

The two women were chatting happily, but Gu Hanchuan in the ward was extremely worried.

Tan Yunhai searched the entire courtyard for Qian Lai, and finally found the two men plotting something big in the central garden.

"Oh my goodness, Xiao Qian, what are you doing here? Deputy Division Commander Gu has been asking me where you are eight times this morning!"

Qian Lai slapped her forehead; she had completely forgotten about Gu Hanchuan.

He quickly pocketed the money, stood up, and ran into the building: "The commander is looking for me, is it urgent?"

"What could possibly be wrong? I think he's just afraid you'll disappear. His eyes made it clear. We've all been through this, I understood immediately."

But he wouldn't admit it, he was stubborn. This morning, the nurse brought him breakfast, but he didn't eat a single bite, he just waited for you. I think he can't live without you now!

Qian Lai ran breathlessly to the door of the ward, which was very quiet inside.

She tiptoed open the door and, filled with remorse, peeked through the crack.

Just then, they saw Gu Hanchuan struggling to move his body from the bed to the wheelchair.

With sufficient upper body strength and the wheelchair properly secured, he could theoretically move successfully.

If he succeeds this time, it will greatly boost his confidence. Therefore, this step is crucial for him.

Qian Lai stood motionless by the door, holding his breath, his heart pounding along with his.

Gu Hanchuan first adjusted the wheelchair to the correct position, then propped himself up with both hands and moved to the bedside.

With his arms supporting him on either side of the wheelchair, he pushed off from behind, and his upper body was completely off the bed.

By this time, he was covered in sweat. After all, it was his first time trying it, and his movements were still unfamiliar; every step was a new exploration.

At the critical moment, the wheelchair that was supporting his upper body shifted slightly, and it looked like he was about to push the wheelchair away, causing him to fall heavily to the ground.

In the nick of time, Qian Lai lunged forward and braced herself against the wheelchair that was about to be swept away, allowing Gu Hanchuan to fall into his seat just in time.

This is an epic leap forward.

Although there are still some flaws, with more practice, smooth transitions will be achieved soon.

"Sir, are you in a wheelchair looking for me?"

Qian Lai was happy for him and couldn't help but tease him mischievously.

(End of this chapter)