The day of the dinner party happened to be Saturday, and Liu Yanran was on holiday at school, so the task of shopping fell on her again. Liu Yanran got up early in the morning and washed up.
Cao Cuilan handed Liu Yanran the allowance and meat and grain coupons given by her second brother. She also gave her some instructions. "Your second sister-in-law is out of confinement today, and your second brother will be inviting some leaders and good brothers from the army to dinner. You should buy some more meat and then go to the villagers' homes to exchange for some chickens, ducks, etc. It's not safe for a little girl like you to go to the black market, so don't go."
"Okay, Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I know how to protect myself." Hehe, I can take out more meat today. Everything is good in this era, except that supplies are scarce. If a family eats meat every day, they will definitely be reported for capitalist enjoyment.
So even if the family is well-off, they eat meat secretly and dare not eat meat openly every day. It is only when there are two children in the family who are in confinement that I dare to make soup every day to nourish them. Others still mainly eat vegetables, and at most stir-fry a vegetable with some meat.
"Okay, go early and come back early. Your brothers get off work at 5:30 and will probably be home at 6:00. Buy yourself some delicious food at the state-owned restaurant at noon." As she spoke, Cao Cuilan stuffed two dollars into her daughter's pocket and asked her to buy herself something delicious.
This was the military compound, in the suburbs. The nearest supply and marketing cooperative was over thirty miles away. My eldest and second brothers had already ridden their bicycles to work, so I could still take the military canteen's supply truck to the city, though I had to get up early. "Okay, Mom, I'll take the bus. Otherwise, I'll miss it," Liu Yanran said, hurrying off with her backpack on her back. Her mother was good in every way, except for being a bit nagging.
"Hey, Yanran, you're going out again!" It was Aunt Wang, the neighbor. She was here to take care of her pregnant daughter. Captain Li's mother had passed away early, so he had to ask his mother-in-law to help take care of his pregnant wife. Their work was special and they were often away from home. Since his wife was having her first child and had no experience, he had to pay his brother-in-law a lot of benefits to invite Aunt Wang over from his hometown.
"Yes, Aunt Wang, is Sister Wang Ying's morning sickness still severe recently?" Wang Ying is Aunt Wang's daughter. It might be her first child, so her morning sickness is quite severe.
Speaking of this, Aunt Wang smiled happily, "It's much better, thanks to the hawthorns you gave me. Now Yingying doesn't vomit anymore, and her complexion is much better." The daughter had morning sickness and couldn't eat. She had lost a lot of weight. Captain Li and Aunt Wang were very sad. As a result, the little girl gave Wang Ying a few hawthorns, and Wang Ying got better. Later, Aunt Wang also went to the back mountain to pick a lot of hawthorns. She tasted one and it was so sour that her face was deformed, but she couldn't resist her daughter's love for it!
"It's nothing. Sister Wang Ying's taste may have changed due to pregnancy. But don't eat too much hawthorn. Just two or three a day will be fine. Okay, Aunt Wang, I'm going to take the bus to buy groceries. You and your family should come early tonight!" Because they were neighbors, Man Yue also invited Captain Li and his family. As they were talking, Liu Yanran had already walked away.
"Oh, good. This girl is pretty and knows a lot. Whoever marries her in the future will be blessed." Aunt Wang likes Liu Yanran very much. She is beautiful, sweet-mouthed, and a well-educated high school student. It's a pity that several boys in the family have married early, so they are destined not to be together.
Liu Yanran boarded the military supply vehicle heading to the city. Of course, she wasn't going to buy anything, she was going to sell. Her target was the black market, so of course she'd disguise herself. After all, they were still cracking down on speculation, and her older brothers were both military officers, so she couldn't afford to cause unnecessary trouble.
When they got off the car at the destination, the driver of the military supply vehicle saw that it was not easy for her as a little girl, and reminded her that if she wanted to take the bus back in the morning, she would have to wait for the bus here at nine o'clock. There would be no bus in the afternoon, so she would have to walk back by herself. Liu Yanran thanked him and went to the market. It was definitely too late to take the bus back, so it seemed that she had to find a way to get a bicycle, and it had to be a 28-inch parallel-bar bicycle that was suitable for this era.
Liu Yanran came to the supply and marketing cooperative. Since she was unfamiliar with the place, she first walked around to understand the market price, and then set her sights on the staff housing of the brown sugar factory. She first found a deserted place to put the backpack into the space, and then got some mud from the ground to smear her face. In this era, being a single beautiful girl is also very dangerous. Now she just has to wait for a powerful sponsor to appear.
This time is exactly the time to go out to buy groceries, so from time to time people would come out of the family building. Liu Yanran selected them one by one. Well, this one is too thin, that one looks righteous, and this one looks mean. Hey, finally, an old lady with a kind face and a well-nourished appearance appeared with a basket of vegetables. In this era, if someone has a well-nourished diet, it means that they live a good life, have money, and are willing to buy food. That's her.
When the old lady was a little further away from the family compound, Liu Yanran approached her. The old lady was going to the black market, so she subconsciously wanted to move away when she saw someone nearby. Liu Yanran certainly wouldn't give her that opportunity. She lowered her voice and said, "Auntie, do you want some fresh pork and fine grains? I only want money, no tickets."
When she heard this, the old lady immediately gave up the idea of distancing herself from Liu Yanran. She looked around to make sure no one could hear her, then grabbed Liu Yanran's arm and asked, "How much do you have? What's the price?"
Liu Yanran didn't really like being pushed around, but there was no other way. To make money, she had to endure it. "My brother works at the slaughterhouse, so he's got connections. He'll give you whatever you want, one yuan a pound. My family's big, so we have plenty of rice and flour. If you're sincere, I'll give you more. Rice's 0.30 a pound, and flour's 0.28 a pound." "Food allowances are based on household registration. It's still a collective system. The more you work, the more you get."
Having been to the black market so often, Aunt Liu knew that Liu Yanran's prices were reasonable. While more expensive than at the supply and marketing cooperative, they didn't require a ticket, and were still cheaper than the black market. "Here, little girl, prepare some extra. Tell me when you'll be back. I'll meet you at the door. If the quality is good, I can even introduce you to a few more people."
Aunt Liu is also a down-to-earth person. Her family is not short of money. Her son and daughter-in-law are both regular employees of the brown sugar factory. They spend money on food and drink. If she doesn’t have enough, she goes to the black market to buy it, but to be honest, the quality is average.
Aunt Liu was a straightforward person, and so was Liu Yanran, so they agreed to meet at the gate of the family compound in half an hour. Aunt Liu also went to the supply and marketing cooperative to pretend to buy a few things before hurried home, while Liu Yanran slipped into the space in an empty corner.
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