Perhaps it was because the weather had been so hot recently, but the hens hadn't been sitting very long. Chen Chunhua could only ask Liang Shengdi and Lin Shu to treat them to delicious food and drinks, and not to collect the eggs too quickly; leaving them there might spark some maternal love.
After dinner, the family kept discussing the frequency of going to the provincial capital to sell agricultural and sideline products.
Chen Chunhua said that after picking mushrooms today, it would take another two weeks until the next mushroom season. During this time, the eggs she had saved would have to be sold again, so the only eggs she could take to the provincial capital would be the eggs from the previous week.
As for the chickens, it’s better to raise them for a few more months. By the time the newly hatched chicks are able to stand up, it will probably be winter. It won’t be too late to sell a few old hens then.
Lin Guoqing thought for a moment, "Excluding what we eat ourselves, we can only sell three pounds of eggs a week at most. It's so troublesome to go to the provincial capital, and it will also deduct half a day's work points. I think we can bring more."
Chen Chunhua rolled her eyes. "You just happened to get a ride today. What if there's no ride next time? Do you really want to go there with 10 kilograms of eggs on your head?"
Lin Guoqing shrank back at the rebuke, then came to his senses and thought, "Hey, actually, we could ask the villagers to buy eggs and sell them! Even if we can make a few cents per pound of eggs, it's fine. Then we can borrow a bicycle openly."
He was still thinking about borrowing a bicycle if he couldn't get a ride. In fact, this is indeed the most convenient means of transportation in this era.
Chen Chunhua thought about it and thought, actually, it’s not impossible, right?
"How much do the food stations charge for eggs?"
"Seventy-five cents a pound, and a bonus of two ounces of food coupons."
Chen Chunhua quickly calculated, "If we sell it in Guanqian Lane, it will probably be around this price. In that case, we can just tell the villagers that we won't take the difference from them. If they need it, we'll help deliver it to the food station for free. But we'll keep the two taels of food coupons. What do you think?"
After all, it's such a long journey and he has to take half a day off. No matter how cheap his labor is, he is still labor.
Lin Guoqing nodded. "Captain Lin actually has several chickens at home. They can probably lay a pound of eggs a day. I'll deliver them to him for free and exchange them for money. He'll lend me his bicycle once a month, so he should agree."
Lin Fuqiang agreed, of course. His mother had said the local supply and marketing cooperative only gave 70 cents per pound, and sometimes they'd pick the size of your eggs, rejecting any that were too small. Now that someone could help take them out and exchange them for an extra 5 cents per pound, it was a good thing.
He even asked Lin Guoqing why he only went there once. Every household had eggs, and if he went there once a week, he could probably bring back more than ten or twenty kilograms.
Lin Guoqing explained that he only made two trips a month, and one of them was a ride away. If he only made one trip a week, he would be worried that there would be too much work in the fields and it would be inconvenient to ask for leave too often.
As the production team leader, Lin Fuqiang knew what he meant by that. He thought it made sense, so he said nothing.
At this point, the number of eggs and mushrooms brought over from Guanqian Lane in the middle of the night suddenly decreased. One customer even complained twice, asking why there were no mushrooms recently. Chen Chunhua smiled and said,
"It's out of stock. Why don't you take a look at this pumpkin? It's delicious braised or in soup!"
She even thought about selling the vegetables to the food station so that they wouldn't have to stay up late at night, but Lin Guoqing gave her a cold look.
"Our mushrooms and eggs are considered homegrown agricultural and sideline products. As for your vegetables... you can collect them and sell them to the food station. If you're caught, you'll be fine!"
Chen Chunhua stuck out her tongue and continued to listen to Lin Guoqing's nagging.
"I asked Chief Zhuang about it the other day, and he said they have a special farm that delivers vegetables, and the quantity is large and convenient. The vegetables that most farmers grow themselves are not enough for their own consumption, and the ones they can sell are very small, so they won't accept them. They suggested we go to the township supply and marketing cooperative instead."
Chen Chunhua curled her lips and said, "If the supply and marketing cooperative paid more money, Qi Caigen would have gone there on his own long ago."
"That's right!" Lin Guoqing had thought of this a long time ago. "That's why Section Chief Zhuang also said it's better to keep it for yourself."
Alas, Chen Chunhua sighed, it’s so hard to make money.
Liang Shengdi has been working hard on weaving baskets recently. Chen Chunhua said it would be better to weave a few more square baskets, which can be conveniently placed on both sides of the back seat of the bicycle. They can be filled with straw to hold eggs, ensuring that they will not break as much as possible.
Liang Shengdi couldn't help in any other way. She originally wanted to go to the provincial capital twice a month to avoid Lin Guoqing deducting work points.
Finally, Lin Guoqing asked her if she knew the way.
Liang Shengdi shook her head.
Can you ride a bike?
Liang Shengdi shook her head.
Do you know how to take the bus?
Liang Shengdi shook her head again...
Never mind, she'd better just weave baskets.
This time she used bamboo strips, and took great pains to chip and smooth them, making two large and tall baskets to ensure there was enough space for the eggs.
The top of the basket is completely enclosed, with a door on the side that opens from the side of the basket like a cabinet. Inside are layers of U-shaped racks made of wooden strips. Soft straw is spread on the racks and eggs are placed in them. Each opening is just big enough to stabilize the eggs, preventing them from rolling around or being hit or broken.
About a week after Lin Guoqing returned from the provincial capital, the two of them began to notify several families on good terms with their family, saying that they would be going to the provincial capital in the middle of the month, and if they wanted him to bring any eggs, they could start saving them now.
Jin Yuegui actively responded to Chen Chunhua's call and said that she would hand over her eggs to the couple when the time came.
And Xu Youqing next door asked, "National Day, are they really giving 75 cents a pound? How did you know?"
"The last time I went to my father-in-law's house, I heard from the people in his village that they were rewarded with 2 taels of food coupons for every jin of food. But if you let me bring it to you, the 2 taels of food coupons will belong to me."
Xu Youqing was very tempted by the food coupons, but going to the provincial capital was not something he could justify. His work points would also be deducted, so it would not be worth it even if he got the food coupons.
No wonder Lin Guoqing wanted to gather eggs from a few more families and send them over together.
After thinking it over again and again, he decided to ask Lin Guoqing to bring the eggs over. "Then tell me the day before you leave, and I'll ask my mother to bring the eggs to your house.
"OK."
Lin Yulan's family also has eggs, but not many. She can't bear to eat any of them, and can only save two or three pounds a week.
Lin Guoqing was a little unhappy when he saw her coming over with a big belly and a basket of eggs.
"Sister, you're about to give birth, it's good to keep these eggs for yourself to nourish yourself."
Lin Yulan touched her belly and said indifferently, "I've given birth to so many children. I'm used to it. There's nothing to replenish. You should help me exchange money."
Lin Guoqing pursed his lips, but still took the basket and weighed it with his own scale.
"That's exactly three pounds," he said, and then he took out two yuan and twenty-five cents and stuffed it into Lin Yulan's pocket. "One pound of eggs has two ounces of food coupons. I'll send your share of coupons to you when the time comes, but don't tell anyone else."
"I know. Thank you, National Day."
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