"The area of the private plot is divided according to the number of people in the family, right? Now that I have brought my two children with me to join the army, can I get more private plot?"
"Yes, that's right. I'll have someone allocate some more land to you later."
"That's great, Director. You are truly my benefactor. I will always come to you when I need help!"
The flattered director of the Women's Federation said: "This is nothing."
"I feel relieved when you say that! There is one more thing..."
Director of the Women's Federation: "...You tell me."
"It's the yard that my husband Zhou allocated to me. The front yard is so big. I wonder if I can grow some vegetables myself?"
"Okay, you can do it yourself."
"I want to raise two chickens. Director, do you know where I can buy chickens?"
"These days, old hens that refuse to lay eggs are slaughtered and eaten by their owners. Not many families can afford to feed hens. You've asked the right person." The director of the Women's Federation said, "When my hens hatch, I'll give you a few."
Why not two chicks? Because the survival rate of chicks is very low.
"Okay, thank you very much, Director." Qiao Yu raised his hand and looked at his watch. "Director, I have to go back first. I still have to cook for the children. They will be out of school soon."
"You go ahead."
When he got home, Qiao Yu didn't turn on the stove except for the sweet potato cakes. He rinsed the rice flour and wild vegetable balls with hot water. He washed the sweet potato skins that he cooked in the afternoon, cut them into pieces, and threw them into the pot to mix after they were cooked.
As for that two kilograms of cabbage... there was really no room in the black box to put it. Seeing that a lot of rabbit and bacon had been copied, but there was no reason to take them out and cook them, I temporarily made room for the cabbage.
Let's copy the cabbage for a few days first.
When the children came back, they saw that the food was already on the table. Just as they were about to start eating, Qiao Yu slapped them on the back of their hands and said, "Wash your hands first!"
The children didn't ask why and went to wash their hands one by one.
Wash before eating.
When asked about the sweet potato pancakes, Qiao Yucai said, "I went to visit someone this afternoon. I couldn't go empty-handed, could I? I made extra. You guys can try them."
After eating, the children smacked their lower lips.
The sweet potato cakes are delicious, and the big stew made of sweet potato skins mixed with rice flour and wild vegetable balls... is very filling.
Zhou Wu was the most friendly one among the children, and he asked what they were thinking: "Auntie, when can we eat this sweet potato pancake again?"
Qiao Yu was just making maltose for them. Hearing this, he laughed angrily, "You wish! There's sugar and milk powder in this, how can it withstand what you guys do? Hurry up and finish the maltose and go to bed!"
"oh……"
That's a pity.
Zhou Wen had just finished washing the dishes when Yadan, the daughter of the Women's Federation director, came to his house with a clean aluminum lunch box and two heads of corn.
"Auntie, my grandma said thank you for the sweet potato cakes and asked you not to spend money next time and save them for your brothers to take care of themselves."
Yadan is a girl, about the same age as Zhou Jun. She is dark-skinned but looks healthy. She probably ran over here, with a patch of red on her face.
Qiao Yu liked it very much, so he took out two fruit candies and stuffed them into his mouth, "Hey, okay, thank you. Keep these candies to sweeten your mouth. By the way, what's your name?"
"Auntie, my nickname is Duck Egg."
"Good! Nice name! Easy to raise!" Qiao Yu praised her beautiful features and good complexion again!
Yadan felt embarrassed by the compliments and left in a panic.
Corn...well, one was stuffed into the black box and the other was placed in the master bedroom.
One night passed.
Qiao Yu slept until noon.
When I woke up, I saw Xiaoyong sitting beside the pillow playing with his fingers as usual. I was no longer frightened like the first time, and I picked up Xiaoyong skillfully and helped him wash up.
She weighed Xiaoyong and asked, "Have you gained some weight, boy?"
Xiaoyong nodded and laughed, "I've gained weight."
After washing up and checking her watch, she was about to cook when there was a knock on the door.
She was suspicious for a moment, then carried Xiaoyong to open the door.
It’s Wang Zhaodi.
"Sister Qiao, I'm going to take a boat to the island tomorrow to exchange some things with the members of the nearby production team. Do you want to go?"
"Change something? What?"
"Exchange the money for some seafood. Don't worry, those seafood are very cheap."
In 1960, private business was not allowed, and everyone was very careful about what they said. "Exchange money for things" was used to avoid being criticized. In a few years, when the crackdown was launched, no one dared to mention "Exchange money for things".
Forget about it.
She is in the coastal area, so she has no shortage of seafood!
"Okay! Tomorrow, sister-in-law, call me and we'll go together!"
"Okay. I'll be home now. I still have to cook for the kids."
"I won't send you off."
Wang Zhaodi waved her hand.
Qiao Yu carried Xiaoyong on a small stool and placed him in the kitchen, away from the stove, before going to the main house to get something through the space.
The meals prepared for the children were all copied from a black box.
Today's lunch: a big pot of stewed corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and a head of cabbage!
You can still put some soybean oil in it. Oil provides fat. Some of it will be produced every day anyway. Why not save it for the New Year if you don’t eat it?
As for cured meat, save it for the children once every half a month. After the famine is over, give it to the children once a week.
Zhou Jun and his children used to run to the cafeteria after class. They ran very fast for fear that if they were too slow, there would only be some soup left in the cafeteria.
Nowadays, we eat at home and run fast, mainly because the food is glutinous.
Eating at home is much better than eating in the cafeteria!
After dinner, while Dawei was washing the dishes, Qiao Yu asked Zhou Jun, "I want to save that bag of cereal and grind it up to feed the chickens at home. Do you know where to grind it into powder?"
"You have to go to the cafeteria, where you can find a millstone. But how much labor fee do you have to pay to the cafeteria if you let someone else do the grinding? I don't know either, so you have to ask it yourself."
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"Oh, sure."
Qiao Yu thought for a moment and said, "Take Xiaoyong to school this afternoon? The director has allocated some more land to our family. I have to go and take a look. Tomorrow I have to leave the island with Wang Saozi and exchange some dried seafood with the members of the nearby production team."
Zhou Jun nodded without saying anything.
After taking the children out, Qiao Yu waited until the director came before he carried the hoe and went to the private plot.
The director of the Women's Federation said: "Do you have the guts? Just go out with a hoe on your shoulder."
Qiao Yu: ???
Oh, she has no seeds.
She said something was wrong!
It's not her fault.
As a member of the millennial generation, she was spoiled and pampered... Well, ever since her net worth skyrocketed, she had long forgotten how she had gotten through the hard times.
It's not painful to wear it.
At Zhou Ze'an's home, Zhou's sister-in-law and Zhou's mother were cooking, and she was busy getting supplies.
After joining the army, she... was only responsible for cooking? Xiaoyong was handed over to Zhou Jun every other day, and he didn't have to wash the dishes or clothes himself.
I guess, from now on, I will only wash my own underwear?
It is normal for her to do such a shameless thing as planting with a hoe but no seeds.
You can understand that, right?
Seeing this, the director of the Women's Federation pinched her brows and asked, "What do you want to plant?"
"I grow vegetables in the front yard and corn in my own plot."
"Let's go to my house and get some seeds."
"Hey! Director! After coming here, I realized that there are still many good people! Director, I hope you will be healthy and live a long life..."
"Shut up."
"Okay." Qiao Yu said obediently.
The director of the Women's Federation not only gave her seeds, but also showed her the designated plots of land and helped to irrigate the fields with water.
Good guy.
Qiao Yu was deeply moved: "Director, your kindness is so great..."
"Shut up." She didn't want to be the director, working hard and then having to listen to this little girl's nonsense in the end!
"Okay." Qiao Yu said obediently again.
Seeing her like this, the director of the Women's Federation sneered in her heart -
This is an expert at pretending to be good.