Chapter 19 High Price
Xia Ju's face turned a little unhappy after hearing what Zhao Yitai said. She muttered, "Why are you so cruel? It's already this price, and I'm asking for less for your sake. You can ask around. It's so difficult to get a bicycle ticket nowadays. Forget it, since you don't want me to keep it."
Xu Fengni didn't expect her eldest daughter-in-law to offer a high price of eighty. She glanced at her eldest son, and then scolded Zhao Yita, "Yitai, if it's not suitable, just don't change it. How can you talk to your sister-in-law? This is a matter of mutual consent. Okay, let's talk about it later when we have a chance. Let's eat."
After dinner, in the room, Xu Fengni pushed Zhao Dahai and said, "Dahai, do you have any connections? Can you help Yitai get a bicycle ticket?"
Zhao Dahai glanced at his wife and said, "Do you really think I'm an official? It's hard for leaders to get a ticket nowadays, so what can a worker like me do?"
Xu Fengni hit Zhao Dahai hard, "What are you and I doing here? I asked you to ask around, it's not for nothing, maybe someone wants to change it? I didn't have the courage to say it last night, Xia Ju's asking price of eighty is really a bit high, and the eldest brother didn't say anything about her. We are brothers, and she really took advantage of it."
"That's enough. We can't talk about this kind of thing. Just let them do what they want. It's a mutual consent. If you get involved, who knows what they will say about you behind your back."
Although Zhao Dahai doesn't talk much at home, he is the one who sees things most clearly. The three sons in the family have all started families and have their own little thoughts. Let's not talk about the third son's family first, the first two are still thinking about their spouse's temporary job.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but say, "Feng Ni, I'm telling you, don't just pass your work on to anyone of them in a fit of rage. If you really do that, something bad will happen."
Xu Fengni rolled her eyes at Zhao Dahai and said, "Of course I don't know what the saying goes, we are not afraid of less but we are afraid of inequality. I understand."
"That's good to know. Now we have money in our hands and you have a job. This way we have confidence."
Xu Fengni also felt a little uneasy. After the third brother got married, she really thought about giving the street job to his family, if for no other reason, just to let Jiang Xinlan eat the rationed food. But later she found out that temporary workers could not transfer their household registration, so she gave up the idea.
Downstairs, Sun Erni pulled Yang Jinsheng aside and whispered something to him, and Yang Jinsheng just kept nodding.
After he entered the room, Jiang Xinbai asked curiously, "What did Mom just say to you? You were nodding your head like a rattle."
Yang Jinsheng lay down on the bed, breathed a sigh of relief, and replied, "Nothing, it's just that Aunt Li next door wanted to exchange a bicycle ticket. She originally asked for the one we have, but since we used it ourselves, she wanted me to ask someone else."
"Hey, didn't you say your colleague from the meat processing factory wanted to exchange it? Fifty-one, Aunt Li, are you willing to part with it?"
"No matter whether she is reluctant or not, I just need to convey my message. Are you sure second sister and the others don't want it?" Yang Jinsheng asked his wife.
Jiang Xinbai hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook his head, "I think I don't want it. Didn't I say it a few days ago? Fifty is a bit expensive."
Yang Jinsheng nodded, "Okay, then I'll help Aunt Li make the connection."
Jiang Xinbai suddenly thought of something and moved closer to her husband. "Hey, Jinsheng, your family gave me a bicycle ticket as a betrothal gift. What about the one for your sister-in-law? Are they also bicycle tickets?"
"How could that be possible? Where did my mother get so many bicycle tickets? The ones given to my eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law were watch tickets. Because of this, she even had to pay the difference of ten yuan."
Jiang Xinbai thought hard and realized that he hadn't seen his two sisters-in-law wearing watches, nor did his elder and second brothers wear watches. So he asked.
Yang Jinsheng sneered, "Of course you can't see it. My eldest sister-in-law's photo is on her brother's hand. Although my eldest brother seems smart on the surface, he is actually a fool. Most of the money he earned in the past few years has been used to subsidize my eldest sister-in-law's brother. Now he still firmly believes that it is borrowed. As for my second sister-in-law's photo, let them sell it."
"Oh, it would be better if I hadn't sold it. We would still have 260 yuan left after buying the car. I've asked around and now the price of a May Day brand all-steel watch is about 70 yuan. I really want a watch." Jiang Xinbai envied those who could own a watch. He felt comfortable just by looking at it when he stretched out his hand.
Yang Jinsheng hugged his wife's shoulders and comforted her, "Wait a little longer. I'll keep an eye out for you. If there's a watch ticket, I'll exchange it for you."
"Okay, then I'll wait." Jiang Xinbai smiled contentedly.
…
That day, Sun Erni ran back from outside in a hurry, closed the door, and whispered: "Huifen, Qiuyan, Xiaobai, come on, follow me and line up." Then she went into the house and took the shopping book, some receipts and money.
Jiang Xinbai was sewing pants, and when he saw this, he quickly put the pants back into the house, "Mom, my eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law are not at home, what is this queue for?"
"Oh, these two people can't be relied on when there is important work." Sun Erni was a little annoyed.
Then she looked at Jiang Xinbai again and waved, "Xinbai, come with me. Today we need to pick up next month's supply. I don't know what happened. Usually we start in the morning, but today we were notified to start right now. So I hurried back."
"Oh, okay, Mom, I'll go with you." Jiang Xinbai had never experienced this before and was a little excited.
The Yang family now has a total of nine adults and three children. According to the supply rules, Yang Fugui, as a fitter in the steel plant, has a monthly food supply of 35 kilograms, and the three brothers Yang Jinqiang each have 30 kilograms. Next is Sun Erni, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, each with 25 kilograms. The three children in the family are all under six years old, and they are supplied with 13 kilograms per month. As for Jiang Xinbai, he has nothing and eats what he eats.
Looking at the long line in front of her, Sun Erni sighed, "No matter how hard we try, we still have to wait in line for such a long time. I guess we won't be able to make dinner in time." It's already past four o'clock in the afternoon. At this rate, it will probably be another two or three hours before they get their turn.
Jiang Xinbai silently calculated the food rations written on the shopping list. The total amount of food for the family was about 264 kilograms per month. Even with this, they had to calculate the food every month, not to mention himself. Fortunately, he got some chestnuts this month, which could fill his stomach.
Sun Erni led Jiang Xinbai to buy food for next month, and also replenished some oil and salt.
"Xinbai, hold on to the oil can tightly, this is a month's supply."
"Hey, okay, Mom, is that my eldest brother?" Jiang Xinbai squinted and looked ahead. They were now standing next to the grain station. It was already dark and she couldn't see clearly.
"Mom, sister-in-law, I'm so glad to have found you. Huifen said you hadn't been home. Then I heard that we'd start buying grain supplies today, so I thought you must have come to the grain station." Yang Jinqiang said as he put a few bags of grain on the cart.
"Hmph, I can't count on you for anything. If we hadn't come first, we wouldn't know if there would be any food tomorrow." Although the supply will not be cut off, it will be delayed for a few days.
"Hey, I'm here. Mom, sister-in-law, go back. Huifen has already prepared dinner."
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