The first sum of money was not easy to come by, and he couldn't spend it carelessly. He had already thought about what to buy.

So after selling the soap, I ran to the supply and marketing cooperative immediately.

This supply and marketing cooperative is very large and a little dim inside. There are many people coming to buy things, and there are also many children following their adults. The boys' eyes are fixed on the colorful candies or various electric fireworks on the counter, while the girls are looking at beautiful floral fabrics and the like. Few of them make a fuss about asking for anything because they know that making a fuss is useless.

The cloth counter was full of people. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the supply and marketing cooperative had just received a batch of cloth, which had become damp and moldy due to poor storage. Now the price was reduced to half the usual price.

No wonder so many people flocked here; the prices of goods at the supply and marketing cooperatives never dropped year-round. Even though the cloth was damp, the skilled housewives would find a way to avoid it.

Price cuts happen only once every ten years.

He didn't join in the fun because the money he earned today was not enough to spend on such things.

Qin Huai went to a salt counter and bought five pounds of salt.

At 1.3 cents per pound, five pounds of salt cost 65 cents.

The salesperson issued a receipt, put the money and the receipt given by Qin Huai in a bag, clamped it on a clip, hung the clip on the wire, and swung it hard. The clip slid along the wire. Following the direction of the clip's sliding, Qin Huai saw an old accountant who was in charge of collecting money raised his hand to take off the clip, took the money, stamped the receipt neatly, put the change away together, and slid it back to the salesperson's side.

The salesperson collected the ticket, handed the change and salt to Qin Huai, and the transaction was completed.

Qin Huai had forgotten this primitive model and was dazzled by the extremely smooth movements of the salesperson and the old accountant. It felt really fashionable.

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, he went straight to the vegetable market.

The vegetable market was not what he had imagined. It was very small, with only a grocery store and a butcher's shop. In that era, all supplies were state-owned. When he walked to the butcher's shop, there were several people lined up in front of him. Pork was supplied with meat tickets at 35 cents per pound, and 70 cents without tickets.

No one is willing to spend half the money on meat.

Many people bought half a catty and a half ounces of pork. The butcher selling pork said obscene words, and the housewife who bought the meat said nice things to him, hoping that he would cut some good ones for her.

When it was Qin Huai's turn, there was not much meat left. He thought he heard someone calling him, but turned around and saw no one. The butcher said impatiently, "Country bumpkin, why are you joining in the fun? Can you afford it?"

This service attitude made Qin Huai unhappy, but he quickly suppressed his dissatisfaction. Butchers were all city dwellers who were paid and ate food from the government. It was normal for them to look down on him for his tattered clothes.

"Give me three pounds, something fatter."

The butcher said, "Three pounds? Do you have money?"

"Yes." There was no point in getting angry, so Qin Huai casually took out the money from his pocket.

The butcher was surprised and said, "You didn't steal it, did you?"

No matter how good-tempered Qin Huai was, he couldn't help but say, "What's so great about you, you dead pig butcher? If I steal money and go to jail, it's none of your business. When I buy pork, I'm not buying your meat."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people in the queue behind him all spoke up for the butcher: "How can you talk like that, kid? Master Hu can't even ask you a question? Where did a country boy like you get the money? I think we should arrest you and ask you about it."

This is to curry favor with Hu the butcher.

Qin Huai had already been unwilling to get angry, but when he saw these city people ganging up on him, he also got angry. He turned around and said, "Anyway, we're all waiting. If you don't sell it to me, no one else will buy it."

Butcher Hu stood up with his knife in hand and said, "This is my territory, and you're still so arrogant? Get out of here, little thing."

Qin Huai leaned forward his chest, pointed at his heart and said, "You bastard surnamed Hu, if you have the guts, come here. If you don't dare to make a move today, you will be my son."

He cursed and kicked over the butcher block, and pig liver and other things rolled to the ground.

Hu the butcher had wanted to scare him, but he didn't expect Qin Huai to be timid like an ordinary rural kid. Seeing the fierce look in his eyes, Hu the butcher was embarrassed, but he didn't dare to really hit him. Qin Huai came closer and said, "If you don't sell your meat, I'll go to your house and smash it up."

The arrogant are afraid of the stupid, and the stupid are afraid of the desperate. Although Hu the butcher is arrogant, he is not young after all. He has elderly parents and young children to take care of, so he is already timid in his heart.

Those who joined in did not dare to speak again under Qin Huai's gloomy gaze.

Hu the butcher tried to save face by saying, "You're so young, but you have such a bad temper. I can't even ask you a few questions."

Qin Huai refused to let him go, and said viciously, "Ask your mother?"

Hu the butcher was in a dilemma. He leaned over to help with the butchering, but Qin Huai stepped on him and said, "Cut the meat for me first."

He had no choice but to say, "Okay, how much?"

"Are you fucking deaf or just old and confused? Can't you hear three pounds? Cut it off for me."

Hu the butcher was so embarrassed that he had to use his knife to cut the meat. He was very measured and helped Qin Huai cut a lot of fat. Judging from the perspective of that time, it was indeed good. Qin Huai picked up the meat and threw down the money and said, "Change."

After he had duly given the change, Qin Huai took the meat and cursed him again, "If you want to sell meat, then sell it properly. I'm a poor peasant for eight generations. If I steal something, I'll steal from your mother."

Hu the butcher was extremely humiliated, but he dared not say a word. Boys of Qin Huai's age were full of energy and had amazing destructive power. If he continued to argue, he would only suffer.

Qin Huai bought the meat and turned to look at the people who had just joined in the discussion. They all looked up at the sky and didn't dare to look at him. Qin Huai sneered and said, "A bunch of people who bully the weak and fear the strong." After cursing, he left.

He doesn't care what these people say about him behind his back after he leaves.

Qin Huai walked a short distance and heard a woman's voice say, "Qin Huai, wait a moment."

When he looked back, he saw his adoptive mother Li Lan walking towards him with a complicated expression. In the past, she had always looked down on Qin Huai and didn't bother to say a word.

"What's up?"

"I saw you bought three pounds of meat? Where did you get the money?"

She knew clearly what she bought. She must have been in the crowd just now. I don't know why I didn't see her. But since she knew that I bought meat, she should know about the argument I had with Hu the butcher just now. She didn't stand up then, but now she stands up. What should she do?

Thinking of this, Qin Huai's face turned ugly and he said, "I stole it."

Li Lan never expected that her adopted son, who used to be so obedient to her, would now dare to speak harshly to her. Her fear of him was instantly swept away. She said, "You eat and drink all you want, and don't care about your parents at home. Qin Huai, if you really have a conscience, give me the meat. Your father and I haven't seen meat for half a month."

Qin Huai laughed heartily and said, "A mother wouldn't say such things. You haven't eaten meat for half a month, and we've been starving for years, yet you never cared about us."

Li Lan cursed angrily, "You are such a heartless beast, such an ungrateful bastard."

Qin Huai said with a cold face: "I told you that the last time I came to see you was the last time. From now on, we will not have any contact with each other. You can be your lady in the city, and we can be our country people in the countryside. We will pretend that we don't know each other."

Li Lan looked at his figure and didn't dare to stop him.