Technician Li's family was surprised that he didn't even go home for the New Year's Eve dinner. It was almost 30th and no one knew where he had gone. Except for the eldest and second sons' families, everyone else ate without any appetite.
Mrs. Li and Mrs. Li's second wife were even secretly happy that Technician Li hadn't returned. They argued again over Technician Li's piece of black-floured pancake. If it weren't for the New Year, the fight would have escalated.
Technician Li in Wangjia Village had a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner with the villagers, and roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts on the bonfire. Looking at the happy smiling faces of the villagers, he thought of his own family and could only sigh.
The Li family was poor, or rather, their brigade was notoriously poor. When people from other villages were looking for a partner, their village was the first place they would exclude. As soon as they heard someone was from the Heyan Brigade, they would immediately wave them off.
Many people in the village were still single in their thirties and forties. Therefore, the Li family, whether it was the two elders or the eldest and second brothers, turned a blind eye to the unreasonable behavior of the eldest and second wives of Li.
Still poor! Technician Li sighed secretly. Farmers have no other way out except to grow crops.
The grain yield per mu is too low now. A family works hard all year and can only barely make enough to eat. In a year of famine, it is considered lucky to survive.
Increasing grain production has been what he's wanted to do most for many years, but unfortunately, he still hasn't figured out how to do it.
Just when he was at his wit's end, Wangjia Village suddenly emerged. The pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts he found there gave him great encouragement. While not wheat or rice, these things could still fill his stomach. In the event of a famine, these would be a lifesaver!
At present, Wangjia Village has not been affected by the famine at all, and everyone has surplus food at home! Isn't it supported by these crops?
No matter what, we must vigorously promote Wangjia Village's pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts! Technician Li secretly made up his mind. Fortunately, everything was ready. The pumpkin seedlings had been successfully grown, the peach kernels had been handed over to experts for research, and the sweet potatoes had been entrusted to Wangjia Village. As long as the weather warmed up, everything would proceed as planned.
A little person stood in front of me. It was Jiaojiao. She had a candy in her mouth, and her cheeks were bulging like little balls. She was very cute.
"Jiaojiao! Happy New Year!" Technician Li was in a good mood when he saw Jiaojiao.
"Happy New Year, uncle!" Jiaojiao shifted the candy in her mouth from one side to the other, "The sesame chips uncle bought are delicious!"
Technician Li smiled even more happily: "If it's delicious, uncle will buy you more later!"
Jiaojiao nodded: "Exchange!"
She ran away, and soon came back dragging a bag on the ground.
Technician Li quickly took it and saw a bag full of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and three cloth bags.
"This... No, no! This won't do! Come on, I'll take it back for you!" How could Technician Li take these things from Jiaojiao? He quickly declined and wanted to send them back to her.
But everyone else tried to persuade him, "It's okay, it's okay. Just take it. It's Old Lady Feng's house, Jiaojiao has the final say!"
Technician Li smiled helplessly. Even if Jiaojiao had the final say, he couldn't take advantage of her.
"There are good things inside!" Jiaojiao crunched the candy.
Technician Li touched her head and said softly, "Uncle, thank you, Jiaojiao!"
Seeing Technician Li bringing the items back, Old Lady Feng waved her hand and said, "How can you bring something back after giving it away? Technician Li, are you looking down on me?"
The hat was a bit big, so Technician Li had to accept it with great trepidation.
Technician Li stayed in Wangjia Village until after nine o'clock, then said goodbye and returned to his dormitory in the county town. He hadn't gone home for the New Year's Eve dinner because he was worried his family would come looking for him.
There was a bag of things tied to the back seat of the car. Technician Li was braving the cold wind, but his heart was warm as fire.
When he arrived at the dormitory, he ran into his third brother and younger brother, who were shivering outside his dormitory.
"Hurry! Come in!"
The third brother and the youngest brother came into the house trembling. Technician Li went to borrow hot water and a camp bed from next door. After drinking the hot water, the three of them felt alive again.
"Fourth brother, what's in your pocket? It smells so good?" Li Xiuyuan has a dog nose.
Technician Li was thankful to have received Jiaojiao's roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts before leaving. It was such a coincidence that his third brother and younger brother came, otherwise it would have been quite pitiful to have nothing to eat during the Lunar New Year.
Technician Li turned out the roasted sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts and said with a smile, "Dog nose, delicious, you are in for a treat!"
The sweet potatoes had gone cold by the time we got here. Luckily, there was a charcoal brazier in the house, so Technician Li started a fire. The three of them heated up the sweet potatoes and chestnuts over the fire and devoured them with relish.
"These are the most delicious roasted sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts I have ever eaten!" After eating, Li Xiuyuan lay on the bed and smacked his lips, savoring the taste.
Third brother Li Xiumin nodded.
Only then did Technician Li have time to look through the sack to see what treasures were in it.
"Sweet potatoes, potatoes, chestnuts..." He took them out one by one.
He dug out another coarse cloth bag and opened it, revealing an oil-paper package inside. "This is...um, dried peaches."
Li Xiuyuan jumped up from the bed: "Dried peaches?"
Technician Li smiled and handed him the dried peaches, "Take them and eat them with Third Brother."
“This is…”
Technician Li looked through the second cloth bag and was at a rather juicy, white ginseng root inside. He was in a dilemma: the little girl must have been unaware of its value and mistaken it for a radish.
He wrapped the ginseng and put it in the cabinet, waiting to return it to the Feng family early the next morning.
There's still one oil-paper bag left, containing a few sugar triangles. I'll have breakfast for tomorrow!
Technician Li felt warm in his heart. This bag of stuff would provide Jiaojiao with snacks for the whole year!
No, no, at least three years!
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Technician Li and his two brothers made a fire to roast sugar triangles and chestnuts, which were delicious.
After dinner, the third brother and the youngest brother went out for a walk. It was rare for them to come to the county town, and even though the streets were deserted and the doors were closed, they still felt it was a rare occasion.
Technician Li was preparing to go to Wangjia Village to return the ginseng.
There was a sudden commotion in the dormitory compound, and someone came banging on the door: "Xiao Li! Xiao Li!"
Technician Li opened the dormitory door, and a panicked middle-aged woman grabbed his arm. "Xiao Li, do you know where there's ginseng? Hurry! Anything is fine! Go and help me change it! Our Xuejun dad needs ginseng to save his life!"
Xuejun's father is the director of the Agricultural Bureau, and his family lives in the same compound as Technician Li.
The director's wife often secretly exchanges things with Technician Li.
"Xiao Li! Come on! Take me there! I'll exchange it for whatever price you want!"
What a coincidence...
Technician Li held up the oil-paper bag in his hand and said, "Um... Sister Cai, I just happened to have one in my hand!"
Sister Cai's eyes, which had been filled with despair, suddenly lit up. "What? Ginseng?"
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