Chapter 57 Chinese New Year
The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and the brigade has been quite lively lately because of Ning Xuan's all-purpose seasoning.
Because this item was very inexpensive for Ning Xuan, Lin Yuhan had brought her a lot of it, so she didn't charge her much for it. Both the educated youth and the team members could exchange it for money or other items.
Although this isn't real meat, it smells delicious. It's a good option for those who feel sorry for their children but can't always afford to buy meat. By buying some seasonings, they can prepare a "meat dish" every few days, making the children happy and reducing the guilt they feel towards their children.
These days, adults also crave meat, whether it's real meat that they can't buy or can't afford. This seasoning can at least satisfy their cravings.
Many families are reluctant to eat eggs themselves, but they can exchange an egg for some seasonings. If they use them sparingly, a small bottle of seasoning can be used to eat meat many times.
So even though not many people were willing to exchange their eggs, Ning Xuan still managed to accumulate quite a few eggs, and she and the others in the courtyard have been eating eggs as an extra meal every day recently.
Ning Xuan initially only planned to promote this seasoning packet in the brigade, but the team members couldn't resist going back to their parents' homes and relatives' homes to promote it. After a while, people from other brigades asked locals to come and exchange it.
Although each person exchanges a small amount, there are many people, so Ning Xuan's eggs and grains keep accumulating.
Ning Xuan felt it was a waste to have so many eggs saved up, so she asked Lin Yuhan if she wanted them.
A thought suddenly flashed through Lin Yuhan's mind, so she replied to Ning Xuan:
I've already bought a shop here, and I'm just about to open a small supermarket. Could you help me collect some organic food products over there? I think they'll sell well in my supermarket.
Ning Xuan thought it was a good idea.
Not only eggs, but the vegetables here are also delicious now. Rice and wheat, although the yields are not as high as they were later, we don't use as much fertilizer or spray as many pesticides.
The rice has its own sweet aroma, and the vegetables have their own fresh fragrance. Except for the coarse grains which are really harsh on the throat, the refined grains are quite delicious.
There aren't many refined grains here, but you can still find eggs by collecting them from various places, not to mention vegetables.
Ning Xuan decided to focus on collecting free-range eggs and green vegetables from the Qiling area. Unfortunately, it was still winter, and the green vegetables weren't freshly picked. But they seemed to taste better than greenhouse vegetables, so she decided to give it a try.
Because it was right around the Lunar New Year, Ning Xuan's condiment business was exceptionally good, and its reach was even wider than she had imagined.
Of course, to avoid trouble, Ning Xuan didn't ask everyone to come to their courtyard to exchange items in the first place.
Ning Xuan set up a trading point on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month on the path leading to the back mountain. On these days, Ning Xuan would bring out a puppet to guard the courtyard for her.
Then she ate a Rejuvenation Pill and transformed into a tall, strong middle-aged man, exchanging items for everyone at the small road trading point.
Most people will treat others differently depending on who they are dealing with. It would be much easier for her if she were with a strong, adult man, for example, it would save her a lot of time and effort in haggling.
Some people should also think twice about their fighting ability if they want to cause trouble.
After all, private trading is not allowed now. Although they mainly barter now, if the volume is too large, some people might cause trouble. So Ning Xuan kept herself out of the picture from the beginning.
That way, if her condiment business is reported in the future, she can simply be a consumer like everyone else.
Ning Xuan kept some of the eggs and vegetables she received for herself, and gave the rest to Lin Yuhan.
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Lin Yuhan's supermarket didn't require major renovations or remodeling because the shop she bought didn't need much work. She just needed to prepare some shelves, install freezers in the fresh produce section, purchase the equipment, hire employees, and then open before the end of the year.
The eggs given away as part of the opening promotion were collected by Ning Xuan.
Some of the vegetables in the fresh produce section were also supplied by Ning Xuan, marketed as organic and green food, and were priced a bit higher than other local wholesalers.
Because it was almost Chinese New Year, Ning Xuan placed an order with Lin Yuhan and bought a lot of New Year's goods.
Besides meat and vegetables, there are also nuts, cookies, candies, and various fruits.
When Xu Jiajia and the others ate the food they bought together in the courtyard, they would give Ning Xuan some money or coupons. Ning Xuan didn't refuse to pay because of her low cost, but she always charged a discounted price out of consideration for their shared meals.
Liang Qingqing had approached Ning Xuan and the others, asking if they wanted to have a meal together as educated youth during the Spring Festival, but Ning Xuan and the others declined.
The main reason is that there are He Qiaofang and Tan Chengrui at the educated youth settlement, and Ning Xuan doesn't want to make herself feel wronged by eating with them, especially at such a special time as the New Year's Eve dinner.
One reason was that they didn't get along with some of the educated youth, and another was that when they had meals with other educated youth, they had to make do with the conditions at the educated youth compound. They were usually unwilling to compromise themselves, let alone for occasions like the New Year's Eve dinner.
So the others, like Ning Xuan, unanimously refused. They weren't afraid of being called antisocial; they were already antisocial for moving out, so they didn't care what others said.
Fortunately, almost everyone in the brigade had bought seasoning packets, including the educated youth compound, so Ning Xuan and the others made a very sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. The aroma wafted far and wide without attracting any attention.
Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner is the most sumptuous meal they've had since arriving at the Hongxing Brigade. It includes chicken, fish, pig's feet, shrimp, beef, mutton, tofu, and several kinds of vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, and mushrooms.
Because of the cold weather, they prepared some cooked food and made hot pot for the rest.
Ning Xuan also prepared beer and soda. Lu Xun and Zhou Zhipeng drank beer, while Ning Xuan and Xu Jiajia drank soda.
"Come on, let's have a drink," Zhou Zhipeng said, gesturing for everyone to clink glasses.
After a pleasant get-together, everyone ate and drank, chatting as they ate, which brought them even closer together.
Then, perhaps because he had a few drinks and his mind wasn't as clear as usual, Lu Xun asked Ning Xuan a question that he would never normally cross the line.
"Ning Xuan, do you have plans to return to the city soon?"
Ning Xuan understood Lu Xun's words, because Lu Xun felt that if she could produce so many supplies, she must have connections and the ability to return to the city ahead of time.
When Zhou Zhipeng and Xu Jiajia heard Lu Xun's question, they also quieted down to listen to Ning Xuan's answer; they were quite curious as well.
Ning Xuan felt there was nothing wrong with answering the question, so she replied, "I probably won't be returning to the city within the next three years."
Lu Xun was surprised that Ning Xuan had given him a timeframe. Considering Ning Xuan's connections, Lu Xun wondered if things might change in 3 years.
He instantly became much more alert, staring at Ning Xuan as if confirming something. Ning Xuan inexplicably understood and nodded slightly.
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