Jin Caifeng rubbed the embroidery needle against her scalp a few times, continued to refurbish her grandson's cotton-padded jacket, and said indifferently:
"I made this cotton-padded jacket the first year we worked in the capital. Back home in Huadu, we didn't need to wear cotton-padded jackets in the winter. But after arriving in the capital, I realized... Wow, winters in the north are so cold!
In the first winter, you three brothers were crying with cold. Your father had no choice but to beg for help from everyone. Finally, the hospital saw that we southerners were really going to freeze to death, so they approved several kilograms of cotton for us, and then they made a cotton coat for each of us.
But one coat of cotton wasn't enough for everyone. What could we do? We could only make thinner coats for your father and me, and thicker ones for you three brothers. Life was so hard back then."
Before liberation, Lin Kucan and Jin Caifeng lived in a small Western-style building, drove a car, and had a dozen servants at home.
They wore silk and satin, ate delicacies from land and sea, and lived a life where they had food and clothes provided for them without having to lift a finger.
One can imagine how difficult life was for Lin Kucan and Jin Caifeng, two southern masters and their mistresses, when they suddenly became ordinary people in the city, having to cook, wash clothes, and take care of three children.
Fu Muxiang felt bad when she heard her mother-in-law talking about the past, so she consoled her:
"Mom, the hard times are over, and our lives will become more and more prosperous in the future."
The second daughter-in-law, Pei Xuehua, also pretended to nod:
"That's right, Mom. Our country is getting better and better, and our lives will get better and better in the future."
Lin Sanqi watched the little movements of his second sister-in-law's hands and couldn't help but say:
Second sister-in-law, please stop pulling the cotton. If you keep pulling, there won’t be much cotton left in Jiageng’s cotton-padded jacket, and all of it will get pulled onto Zhenzhen.
Jin Caifeng sighed again and smiled bitterly: "Yes, life will get better and better, but I don't know when the good days will come."
Lin Sanqi thought to himself, I know, it's still 20 years before that old man draws a circle on the edge of the South China Sea...
"Mom, if each person in our family has a cotton-padded jacket and a pair of cotton-padded pants, plus a cotton-padded quilt, how much cotton and cloth will we need?"
Pei Xuehua's eyes lit up: "Little brother, do you have a solution?"
Lin Sanqi suddenly remembered that his second sister-in-law was the most unreliable. If there was any disturbance one day, she would definitely be the first to report him, so he decisively shut up.
"What can I do? I'm just asking, haha."
"oh……"
Pei Xuehua looked disappointed. She couldn't understand this brother-in-law. He used to buy things for his daughter, but she didn't know when he stopped.
Even if she wanted to take advantage, she had no chance.
Jin Caifeng glanced at her youngest son with an inexplicable look...
At this time the door was pushed open again, and Lin Gancao shouted breathlessly:
"Hurry, hurry, everyone, go to the hospital. The hospital has a batch of Chinese cabbage. Each employee can get 30 kilograms, and retired employees are also entitled to a share."
Upon hearing this, Jin Caifeng, Fu Muxiang, and Pei Xuehua threw away the needles and scissors in their hands and stood up excitedly:
"Really? Oh, that's great! Let's go quickly, or else we'll be left with only rotten vegetable leaves."
Jin Caifeng was about to rush out when she remembered, "Big brother, little brother, you two should prepare the sacks. We have a large family, so we need to prepare a few more."
This is the first time that Lin Sanqi has celebrated the Chinese New Year in the north. After counting on his fingers, he found that there are 6 employed people and 1 retired employee in his family, which is 7 points. With all the above, he can get 210 kilograms of cabbage. Wow.
"Mom, there are over 200 kilograms of cabbage. How can we finish it all?"
Jin Caifeng had already run out of the house at this time, and turned back to complain:
"Silly son, 200 kilograms of cabbage is far from enough. We have so many people in our family, and we rely on these cabbages to survive the winter. We have to find a way to get more. Hurry up, hurry up, don't be too late."
Lin Gancao chuckled and explained:
"There are no vegetables in the north during the winter. After we bring these cabbages home, we have to quickly make pickles with the flavors of our hometown. Then we eat pickles and sauerkraut every day for the whole winter, and we eat them until we vomit."
Lin Sanqi understood now. It turned out that there were indeed regional differences.
In the south, people usually buy vegetables that are harvested on the same day so that they can eat them fresh.
When people in the north buy vegetables in winter, they buy a whole cart of them, and then they eat potatoes, radishes, cabbages, and at most some bean sprouts throughout the winter.
If calculated according to this standard, 30 kilograms of cabbage per person in one winter is indeed not enough.
The Chinese Medicine Hospital was already bustling with people and filled with joy.
Truckloads of cabbages were being unloaded, a scale was placed on the ground, and the head of the logistics department and everyone in the department were busy.
"Everyone line up properly, don't mess around. We're counting the cabbages per person, so everyone gets a share, and no one will be left out."
The families of hospital staff continued to arrive, and the whole family came. The medical staff who were still at work had lost all interest and ran out to supervise, for fear that they would get rotten cabbage.
"Oh, if I were to say, our Chinese medicine hospital has the best welfare."
"Exactly. The whole country is suffering from famine right now, but our unit is still distributing cabbages. But it's all thanks to D."
"Hey, we have to thank our Dean Shen. These cabbages were obtained by our Dean with great difficulty. Otherwise, how could other units not get them?"
"That's right. Our dean is absolutely magnanimous. Ask around in all of this city. Is there any better dean than this?"
The staff were praising him one after another, but in the dean's office, Dean Shen was still frowning.
"Old Ji, how are things going over there? I only got cabbage No. 7, and each person can only get 30 kilograms. This amount is far from enough for all the staff in the hospital to survive the winter."
Vice President Ji Qingju could only smile bitterly:
"Old Shen, at least you managed to get a few tons of cabbage. I didn't complete the radish purchase mission you assigned me. We clearly agreed on it before, but they went back on their word."
Dean Shen waved his hand:
"I've inquired about this matter. It's not your fault. Those radishes were originally meant for us, but I heard that vegetables are in short supply in the market, so the Peking Grain Bureau requisitioned them directly. It's not your fault either."
Vice President Ji blushed. "I'm so ashamed. It's also my fault for not being vigilant enough. If I had known this would happen, I would have picked the radish before it was fully ripe."
Dean Shen leaned heavily on the chair and said helplessly:
"Originally, I wanted to get some vegetables for the employees to survive the winter, and then try to get a few big fat pigs for the New Year, just like last time, even if it was just a pound of pork per person. Now it seems unlikely."
Kong Shuihu's face also turned red: "Dean, I apologize to you. This is because our procurement department did not do its job well."
Vice President Ji suddenly had an idea at this time:
"Hey, Old Shen, Shuihu, we don't have any solutions, but we have someone capable in our hospital. How about we ask Lin Sanqi? Maybe he has a solution?"
Dean Shen and Kong Shuihu looked at each other and saw hope in each other's eyes.
Section Chief Kong said excitedly:
"Yes, this guy is very capable and good at building relationships. He was able to get pork from a place as far away as Qinghai last time. Why don't we let him give it a try?"
Dean Shen nodded, then thought of something and ordered:
"We can let Lin Sanqi try, but this matter must be kept confidential. If he can really get it, we can give him a letter of introduction and purchase it in the name of the hospital. Even if someone wants to investigate, it will be our hospital's responsibility."
Vice President Ji nodded in agreement: "Of course, we can't let a single employee take on this responsibility."
Section Chief Kong stood up and said, "Then I'll go get Lin Sanqi."
Lin Sanqi was queuing in the crowd at this time. Each member of the Lin family was holding a sack, and more than 200 kilograms of cabbage would probably fill three or four bags.
Everyone in the queue was beaming and discussing excitedly.
Lin Sanqi was amazed at the mountain of cabbages, then he took out a camera from his pocket and took a picture of the "cabbage mountain".
Everyone in the queue was shocked: "Lin Sanqi, the film is so precious, why are you taking random photos?"
"That's right, taking a photo costs one dollar. If you want to take a photo, take me."
Jin Caifeng was also very distressed and complained, "You kid, you can't waste your salary like this. You still have to get married in the future."
Lin Sanqi chuckled and shouted to the queue:
"Come on, everyone turn around and look at me. I'll take a group photo for everyone. Eggplant~~~Okay~~~"
"I'm telling you, this isn't a waste of film. Decades from now, when we look back at this photo and see the people lining up to get cabbages in the middle of winter, it'll be a memorable moment, a reminder of the good times and the bad times."
There was a good-natured chuckle from the crowd:
"I think Comrade Lin Sanqi is right. Photos record our real lives."
"Yeah, when I'm old I'll look back and think about how I waited in line for three hours just to eat a head of cabbage. How interesting, haha."
While everyone was discussing this, Section Chief Kong was calling out:
"Lin Sanqi, is Lin Sanqi here?"
Lin Sanqi raised his hand after hearing this: "Chief, I'm here!"
“Hurry to the dean’s office, Dean Shen wants to see you.”
"No, Chief, there are only two males in my family, my older brother and I. My mom and her family can't carry so many cabbages."
Section Chief Quan was amused not far away, thinking, "What's the matter with Lin Sanqi still needing these vegetables? Is there really a need to queue up?"
"Xiao Qi, if the dean calls you, go quickly. I'll have someone deliver your cabbage directly to your house later."
Jin Caifeng also urged from the side: "Hurry up, you are such an ungrateful child, you dare not go even when the dean tells you to."
Lin Sanqi then gathered the sacks and walked over to Section Chief Quan:
"Uncle Quan, please help me with my Chinese cabbage. Please don't give me too much."
Section Chief Quan scolded with a smile: "Get lost, you little bastard."
He turned around and whispered to his men, "Pack 500 kilograms of cabbage and send it to the Lin family. Don't let anyone see..." (End of this chapter)
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