"Sister Shufen, aren't we buying too many kinds of vegetables?"
Lu Fangfang was conflicted.
But looking at the vegetables listed above, she wanted to eat them all and didn't want to give up any of them.
The troupe's location is so remote that if she doesn't grow her own food, she'll have to go to the commune or county to buy it, which is inconvenient. It's best to be self-sufficient.
"Girl, remember them all for now. Even the state-run seed store in the county town might not be able to buy them all. We'll see which ones to plant later."
"Hmm! That's true."
Lu Fangfang nodded, deciding to stop worrying about it for the time being.
Besides vegetable seeds, we also need to buy farm tools, such as hoes, shovels, and sickles...
As Wang Shufen spoke, Lu Fangfang took out a pencil and wrote it down in her notebook.
Vegetable seeds and farm tools are easy to find, but forget about fertilizer. In those days, even manure had to be bought with manure coupons, and it was only sold to collectives. It was more reliable to raise some livestock yourself.
When it came to raising livestock, Wang Shufen shared her plans.
If there are no chicks for sale in the county town tomorrow, she will buy some hatching eggs and incubate them herself using a heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed).
"Sister Shufen, you can even incubate eggs on a heated kang bed?"
Lu Fangfang was pleasantly surprised; this was an amazing skill.
"Hey, it's not difficult at all. I used to hatch chicks every year when I was in the countryside and sell them to other brigades. It's a pity that we can't sell them now. They say they're cutting off some kind of tail."
Wang Shufen smacked her lips, still feeling a little regretful.
If she could sell them, she'd like to do some side business and earn some money. "By the way, girl, do you want to hatch some chicks? Let's do it together."
Lu Fangfang quickly agreed, as she was worried about this very thing.
After thinking about it, she decided to raise two hens for the time being.
She's raising quails now that the grain hasn't been grown yet, but if she raises any more, there won't be enough grain to feed them.
"Sister Shufen, besides chicks, I'd also like to raise some quails. Do you know how to hatch quail eggs?"
Quail eggs?
Wang Shufen was taken aback. She hesitated and said, "I've never hatched one of these before, but it should be similar to an egg, right? I could give it a try, but sister, do you want to feed it to quails?"
Lu Fangfang nodded and briefly explained the advantages of raising quails.
Quails grow quickly and lay many eggs, sometimes two a day. Although they are small, they are still eggs. Moreover, quails are not prone to illness and eat little, so they are very convenient to raise.
Wang Shufen was stunned. "Are quail eggs good for children?"
"Yes, quail eggs are quite nutritious."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shufen was even more tempted, "Then I'll try raising a few quails too."
"Oh right, I also need to raise a few geese and ducks. There's a small river to the east of our residential compound, so they can find small fish and shrimp to eat in the river."
Lu Fangfang took a pencil and wrote down the names of goose eggs and duck eggs.
However, she doesn't plan to raise geese or ducks; quails will keep her busy enough.
After some discussion, Lu Fangfang and Wang Shufen realized that they actually had quite a lot to buy.
Thankfully, the seeds don't take up much space, otherwise the women in the family compound would be gossiping about them again tomorrow.
After agreeing with Sister Shufen, Lu Fangfang returned home.
She took out the money Zhuang Mingcheng had left her, counted it, and it was exactly forty-nine yuan and eighty cents.
In this day and age, money is practical. Lu Fangfang estimated that if she bought everything she had written down in her notebook tomorrow, it wouldn't cost more than ten yuan.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a ten-yuan note.
Afraid it wouldn't be enough, she simply took out her nine yuan and eighty cents in change as well.
She also put the five feet of cloth ration coupons into her pocket.
Lu Fangfang planned to go to the county to buy some cloth and make a jacket, as it wasn't right for her to always wear Zhuang Mingcheng's military uniform.
She wrapped the remaining money in a handkerchief and hid it in the wardrobe.
Looking down at her green military uniform, Lu Fangfang realized she had forgotten to ask Zhuang Mingcheng.
If Zhuang Mingcheng no longer wears this military uniform, she will alter it to a smaller size and use it as her own.
In this day and age, owning a green military uniform is the most fashionable thing to do.
"Zhuang Mingcheng is a battalion commander after all, so he shouldn't lack military uniforms."
Lu Fangfang murmured to herself, her heart fluttering more and more as she thought about it.
Wearing a military uniform that suits her is something she considers very cool.
Forget it, whatever. If Zhuang Mingcheng doesn't want to, she can just change it back.
Lu Fangfang took off her military uniform, changed into a new outfit, and then began cutting clothes with great enthusiasm.
The clothes she didn't cut weren't too tight, leaving some room for her to gain weight.
While cutting clothes, Lu Fangfang was very glad that she had learned a lot of handicrafts in her previous life, even though she was not very proficient in any of them.
Sigh!
Thinking back on it, she felt a little regretful.
After working all afternoon and finishing cutting the clothes, Lu Fangfang started to worry again.
She's good at cutting clothes, but sewing is a bit of a challenge for her.
It's not that I don't know how, but sewing such a long garment and keeping the same stitches is really difficult.
She's a perfectionist; she can't accept uneven stitching. It's best to sew it with a sewing machine.
After thinking about it, she realized that besides Sister Shufen, the only other person she knew in the family compound was Sun Manling.
She had a very good impression of Sister Manling when she washed clothes by the river.
"I wonder if Sister Manling's family has a sewing machine?"
Lu Fangfang thought for a moment and decided to take the clothes and go ask.
With so many women in the family compound, and the high salaries in the military, there must be sewing machines available.
"Third row, first house..."
Following the address given by Sun Manling, Lu Fangfang quickly found the place.
It was getting dark, and Sister-in-law Manling's door was unlocked. She knocked a few times and then called out twice.
A short while later, Sun Manling came out carrying the child.
Upon hearing Lu Fangfang's purpose for coming, she led Lu Fangfang into the house.
"My sewing machine is by the south wall, covered with a cloth. You can lift it up and use it, Fangfang. If you need any clothes sewn in the future, just come and do it. Don't be shy."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Manling."
Lu Fangfang took the cut-out clothes and walked over.
After loading the thread she brought onto the sewing machine, she stepped on the pedal and quickly became proficient at using it.
Sun Manling held the child and stood aside watching.
Thinking of the gossip she had just heard at noon, she asked with a smile, "Fangfang, I heard that Battalion Commander Zhuang brought the supply and marketing cooperative back, why didn't he buy a sewing machine?"
Lu Fangfang: "..."
Her foot paused on the pedal, and her face flushed slightly.
"Sister-in-law Manling, please don't laugh at me. Mingcheng just bought some everyday items. He can't afford the ones that require ration coupons. What do you mean he brought the supply and marketing cooperative back? That's an exaggeration."
Sun Manling was also amused.
Actually, she didn't really believe what outsiders were saying. If they really moved the supply and marketing cooperative back home, how much money would that cost?
Let alone the battalion commander, even the division commander's family couldn't afford to move it.
"Fangfang, tomorrow is the day we go to the county town. After breakfast, the car will be waiting at the entrance of the family compound. Don't forget."
Lu Fangfang responded and then started operating the sewing machine seriously.
It was getting late, and she needed to hurry up and finish sewing the clothes.
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