Chapter 89 Going to Lu Guoping's House

The next day, Su Mo picked up a basket of corn and rice and went to the commune processing plant.

She planned to beat the corn into corn grits and occasionally cook some grits porridge; she also ground the rice into rice and took it to the cowshed several times. Compared with the rice now, the rice in her space was too smooth and white, so it was better to keep it for herself.

With the machine, the speed was still very fast. It took less than half an hour to get everything done.

But the machines at that time were not as advanced as those in later generations. They could separate the rice husks. When they were ground out, the rice and husks were mixed together. They had to use the windmill several times to separate the rice and husks.

It was the first time for Su Mo to use such a thing, and she found it quite interesting.

Pour the rice into the colander on top, then turn the wind blades to blow the husks out from the side, and the rice will come out from the bottom. Just put a basket on the ground to catch it.

It is said that this kind of windmill has existed hundreds of years ago. It must be said that Su Mo also admires the wisdom of the ancients.

Su Mo did it several times until the husks were separated. Then she took a sack and swept the blown husks and packed them up.

This husk is a good material for raising pigs, and it can be exchanged for work points in the team.

Two baskets of things cost 50 cents in processing fees, which is still relatively high. But at this time, the electricity bill is 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour, so it is not expensive.

After all, it is easier to use a machine. If she uses manual labor, she estimates that she can't finish these two baskets of things in the whole morning.

After finishing her business, Su Mo went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things.

She first asked for 1 jin of brown sugar and 2 jin of vermicelli. Seeing that there was dried bean curd, she asked for 10 pieces.

Brown sugar was 59 cents, vermicelli was 136 cents, and dried bean

curd was 1 cent, a total of 2.05 yuan. Then she asked for 2 jin of kerosene, 2 boxes of clam oil, and 10 pieces of the kind that cost 10 cents.

The weather here is cold, so she bought clam oil as hand cream.

Kerosene was 84 cents, clam oil was 40 cents, and the sack was 1 yuan, a total of 2.24 yuan.

She spent a total of 4.29 yuan.

Lu Xiaolan also heard some rumors. After Su Mo finished buying things, she secretly asked her about the situation. Su Mo told her everything she could.

Lu Xiaolan patted her chest and whispered, "This is really too dangerous, Third Sister-in-law, you should be careful when you go up the mountain in the future. We haven't had spies here for a long time, and I don't know why they suddenly came again."

She remembered that when she was a child, spies were often caught in the mountains.

"I guess there is something here that they are interested in."

"What can there be on this mountain? Don't tell me that they want to build a nest on the mountain, that would be troublesome. The militia must take action and patrol the mountain more often to scare them away."

Su Mo nodded, "The militia has cooperated and taken turns patrolling the mountain. Even if they really have this idea, I guess they don't dare to do it now."

I hope they don't patrol too long, otherwise it will be very inconvenient for her to go to the cowshed in the future, and I guess she can only go there in the dark at night.

"Then I'll go back first. I have something to do later." Su Mo was ready to go back and visit Lu Guoping's house later.

"Wait, Third Sister-in-law, please tell my eldest sister-in-law that the defective wool yarn she asked about last time is available, but I can only get one pound. Tell her to come and get it quickly."

"Okay!" Su Mo nodded. One pound of wool yarn was probably just enough for Lu Guoqiang to weave.

Back at the brigade, Su Mo went to buy two pounds of eggs for 1.56 yuan.

The aunt at the chicken farm still used a straw basket to pack eggs for Su Mo.

Su Mo remembered that she had wanted to learn how to weave straw baskets before, so she asked with a smile: "Auntie, where did you buy this straw basket?"

"I didn't buy it from anywhere, I made it myself. Otherwise, people who come to buy eggs would have nothing to put them in." The eldest aunt said.

Su Mo was a little surprised. She didn't expect that this auntie was so skillful. So she asked: "Then can you sell me a few baskets?"

The eldest aunt waved her hand, "No! But you can come to buy more eggs. Each time you buy eggs, I will give you a basket."

Su Mo: ...

It feels a bit like the supermarket promotion in the future, where you buy a row of eggs and get a lunch box for free. It seems that this auntie also understands marketing.

Su Mo returned home and put away the food. She put the pound of brown sugar she had just bought into the straw basket for eggs, and put 5 yuan underneath it, and then she carried it to Lu Guoping's house.

Lu Guoping's house was in the middle of the village, and it only took about eight or nine minutes to walk there. There were only three adobe houses, and they looked quite old.

Su Mo called a few times in the yard, and Long Xiumei came out soon. She was very surprised to see Su Mo.

"Sister-in-law, why are you here? Come in and sit down."

Su Mo followed her in. Although the house was old, it was very clean.

Long Xiumei's mother-in-law, Aunt Chuncao, was also in the house, sewing shoe soles. When she saw Su Mo coming in, she quickly got up and cleaned up.

Aunt Chuncao is very thin, with gray hair, a hunched back, and her eyesight seems to be not very good, always squinting.

"Is this Changzheng's wife?" Aunt Chuncao asked Long Xiumei.

"Yes, mother." Long Xiumei replied.

"Oh, he is so handsome, and he is a good match for Changzheng. They are a good-looking couple." Aunt Chuncao said with a smile, "Hurry up and sit down! Hurry up and sit down!"

"Xiumei, make a cup of sugar water for your sister-in-law."

Su Mo hurriedly stopped her, "Xiumei, don't be in a hurry."

"Yes, sister-in-law, wait for me for a while." Long Xiumei hurriedly made a cup of brown sugar water for Su Mo.

Su Mo took it, drank a sip, and said with a smile: "I came to see Auntie today, and I'll give you this egg to nourish your body."

"Oh, that's not possible, you should take it back and give it to Grandpa Changzheng to eat." Auntie Chuncao waved her hand quickly. "

Auntie, you keep it, Grandpa still has food. Guoping has worked hard to help me collect so much firewood, otherwise I would have no firewood to burn in winter."

"Oh, a little firewood is nothing, Changzheng has always taken care of him." Auntie Chuncao said.

If Lu Changzheng hadn't protected Guoping when he was a child, Guoping would have been bullied to no end.

"Auntie, I saw you sewing shoe soles just now?" Su Mo asked.

"Yes, that's all I have."

Aunt Chuncao's skill in sewing shoe soles was one of the best in the brigade. People in the brigade often asked her to help with sewing and gave her some labor fees. It was with this skill that she saved some money and raised her two children to start a family.

"It looks good to me." Su Mo took the sewed soles beside her and looked at them. "Auntie, how about you make two pairs for me?"

Then, I can make cotton shoes to wear.

"Okay, how big are your feet?"

"22 centimeters." Su Mo said.

At that time, shoes were measured in centimeters, unlike in later generations, when most people used European sizes. 22 centimeters is equivalent to size 36 shoes in later generations.

"Should I prepare some cloth to send over?" Su Mo asked. She had never sewed soles before, so she didn't quite understand.

Auntie Chuncao waved her hand, "No, you can pick it up in a few days."

Su Mo nodded, and was thinking about chatting more when she heard a notice on the radio asking her to go to the main force to pick up a package.

"Oh, Auntie, I have to go get something. I'll come back another day."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your work." Auntie Chuncao said. Seeing Su Mo was about to leave, she called her back, "Changzheng wife, drink the sugar water first."

Su Mo smiled and took the sugar water, drank it in one gulp, and hurried to the brigade headquarters.

After Su Mo left, Long Xiumei took the straw basket and found that there were not only eggs in it, but also a bag of brown sugar and 5 yuan.

Long Xiumei exclaimed, "Mom, there is another bag of brown sugar and 5 yuan."

"These two are kind-hearted. Keep it. They will need you in the future. You two just have to work hard." Auntie Chuncao was deeply moved.