The three of them returned home. Grandma washed her hands and went to make dumplings. Zhang Xudong first fetched a basin of water for his younger sister to wash her face, then went to Chai Peng to get the backpack out. He had to pour out the mushrooms and black fungus to dry in the sun first, to prevent them from getting spoiled in this hot weather.
I spread a mat against the courtyard wall and dumped all the mushrooms and fungus on it. They were already mixed together when I picked them, so I just mixed them together and dried them. I couldn't help but take the opportunity to put everything I had in my spare room on the mat as well.
As soon as I finished spreading the dumplings, Grandma called me to eat. I washed my hands and ate the dumplings. I hadn't eaten meat in two days, and they were delicious. While eating the dumplings, I talked to Grandma about the mushrooms. Grandma promised to take some out to each family when she could. I quickly ate a bowl of dumplings, put on my backpack, and went back to the brigade headquarters.
In the brigade headquarters, everyone else had gone home for dinner, leaving only the brigade leader and the accountant, Uncle Dayou, waiting. The brigade leader didn't hesitate and got straight to business:
"Dongzi, there are more than 280 kilograms of meat in total, and you should get more than 90 kilograms. I will leave 200 kilograms for the village, and give you the remaining 80 kilograms. Is that okay?" Looking at this, how can you say no? Asking yourself is just a matter of course.
"I can do it, old man. I won't do it if you say so. I'll go first." He then began to put meat into the backpack. The basket was so full of meat that it couldn't fit nearly 300 kilograms. The meat piled up like a small mountain on the back of the backpack.
"Can you carry it?" The captain and the accountant were dumbfounded and looked at him with doubt on their faces.
"Just watch!" He covered the meat and the basket with a cloth. He tried the basket and it worked. It was really strong. He squatted down and put the basket on his shoulder.
The energy flowed through his body, he stood up steadily and walked out.
"I told you I've practiced and I'm strong, but you didn't believe me. Now you believe me, don't you?" He ignored the two men standing there, disheveled and doubting their lives. He strode out of the brigade headquarters. He quickly walked to a deserted area outside the village and stored the meat in his space. These three hundred pounds really weighed on his shoulders.
After leaving the village and storing the meat in my space, I was able to get there much faster with only an empty backpack. I jogged all the way to the grove. I had to run because it was too hot at noon and I felt like I was going to get greasy.
After entering the grove and seeing no one around, I retreated into my space. It was still comfortable inside, neither too hot nor too cold, just the right temperature. I weighed the potatoes and sweet potatoes in my space, and they totaled 7,500 kilograms. I had 6,000 kilograms ready, but I still had to figure out how to sell the rest.
This year, food prices are at their highest. Prices won't drop much next spring, but they'll drop significantly in the fall. The year after, vegetables will be back to their normal price of just a few cents per pound. So, this year, I need to find a way to sell all the vegetables, meat, eggs, and grains in my space. With just these few supplementary and cooked foods, I'll be able to handle emergencies.
When I have nothing to do, I open a bottle of beer and drink while daydreaming.
……………………………………
I checked my watch. It was almost three o'clock. I heard the sound of animals in the distance, so I left the space. I placed over two thousand pounds of potatoes and sweet potatoes at the edge of the woods. A short while later, I saw Uncle Gen driving a mule cart with the militia company commander sitting on it. The captain must have been worried about Uncle Gen coming alone. After all, there was so much food. It would be troublesome if someone starving snatched it.
They waved to Uncle Gen to drive over and turned the car around. When the two of them got out of the car and saw the huge pile of potatoes and sweet potatoes, their faces flushed with excitement and they even staggered as they walked.
The two men took a breath, then, without a word, began loading the cart with bags. Zhang Xudong also helped, but after about a third of the bags were loaded, the cart couldn't hold any more. They left Zhang Xudong to watch while they caught up with the mule cart and headed off. Feeling sorry for the animals carrying so much, they decided not to get on the cart and trotted back after it.
They ran back and forth three times before they finished loading the things. The first two trips were full, but the last trip was not so full. The two were exhausted, so they climbed onto the carriage. They asked Zhang Xudong to get on as well. Zhang Xudong wanted to find Ma Liu, who bought his vegetables last time, so he said:
"Uncle Gen, you guys go back first. I still have to go to the commune. When you get home, tell my grandma that I may be home late, so don't wait for me to eat." After saying that, he waved to the two of them and walked towards the commune.
I walked to the commune market and found the courtyard Ma Liu had mentioned. The gate was open, but no one was inside. I called out twice outside the gate, and Ma Liu came out with a bowl in hand. He was delighted to see that it was Zhang Xudong.
"Little brother, why are you free today?"
"It's time to eat, Uncle Ma. I came here today because I have something to discuss with you." They were all foxes that had been around for thousands of years, so they knew what the matter was as soon as they heard it.
"Little brother, come inside and eat first. We'll talk after you eat." He pulled Zhang Xudong inside. Food was so precious everywhere these days, how could Zhang Xudong go and eat someone else's food? His own family wasn't short of food either.
"Uncle Ma, just eat. I just ate. I can just wait in the yard for a while."
"Okay, wait a moment, let me take the bowl inside." He said as he walked while drinking porridge in big gulps. He finished the rice in the bowl before he even reached the door of the main room. He came out empty-handed as soon as he entered the house.
"Come on, little brother, let's talk over there." He pulled Zhang Xudong to a secluded place.
"Little brother, do you have any goods?"
"Yes, Uncle Ma, I have some goods, it depends on whether you can eat them or not."
"You underestimate your Uncle Ma, don't you? Ask around. Is there anything in this area that your Uncle Ma can't eat? Tell me what you have."
"There are 100 kilograms of cucumbers, 100 kilograms of beans, 100 kilograms of tomatoes, 100 kilograms of celery, and 100 kilograms of potatoes."
"Isn't this just two hundred and fifty yuan worth of goods? How can you not eat it? It's very easy." Ma Liu spoke before Zhang Xudong finished speaking.
"Uncle Ma, I haven't finished yet. I can't wait to come to you for such a small thing."
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