The New Year is approaching and the weather seems to be getting colder. Qin Huai thinks he should prepare some New Year's goods, so he takes his two younger sisters into the city early in the morning.
There was an old farmer with a young boy in front. Qin Huai and his two companions walked faster. When they reached the grandfather and grandson, the boy had a runny nose, probably because he had a cold.
The boy's nose was sloshing around, and as they were about to cross the river, the old farmer quickly helped the boy blow his nose. Normally, he should have just shaken it off, but he just stuffed the boy's snot into his mouth and swallowed it naturally.
Judging from his proficiency, it was obviously not his first time.
Seeing the shocked looks from Qin Huai's brother and sister, the old man said naively, "We can't waste them. They are all good things."
The boy also asked, "Grandpa, does my snot smell good?"
The old man said, "Anything that falls from a child smells good."
Qin Huai felt nauseous, and even the stingy Qin Xiaoyun couldn't accept it. She squatted on the ground and retched.
I almost vomited all my breakfast.
I'm afraid Qin Huai will never forget this scene.
After walking for a long way, Qin Xiaomi kept vomiting. She had originally gone to the city with Qin Huai to eat sesame cakes and drink oil tea, but now when she mentioned eating, she waved her hands as if she wanted to vomit.
The problem of food shortage did not reduce prices as the county released grain. Instead, it became more expensive than before. However, flour finally appeared on the market, and even rice was seen.
Qin Huai was surprised when he asked about the price. No wonder he saw that flour was 4.5 yuan per pound and rice was 5.5 yuan.
The price of food coupons also increased significantly. The price of local food coupons increased to three yuan per catty, and the national food coupons were even more expensive, at four yuan.
As for pork, it was nowhere to be seen. The county replaced it with canned meat, and the price had risen to an insane level. Meat coupons were already scarce, and now you needed several meat coupons to exchange for a can of canned meat.
People in the city can't eat meat either.
Although rice was expensive, Qin Huai still bought five pounds. When the three of them walked to Qin Xiaomi's favorite oil tea and sesame cake stall, they found that it was closed today. They asked the neighbors, "If it's closed, who can afford it? A four-ounce sesame cake costs two yuan and a half, and a bowl of oil tea is two yuan."
They also made a surprising discovery: high-end restaurants, cakes, sugar and other items were no longer limited in supply, but the prices were also liberalized.
The three siblings were walking on the street when they ran into Li Lan and her mother, Old Mrs. Li.
Following behind him was his uncle Li Laizi, and next to Li Laizi stood a girl with an unfriendly face.
They met head-on and there was no way to hide. Old Mrs. Li stared at the small basket Qin Huai was carrying.
Sister Qin Xiaoyun timidly called out, "Mom, Grandma."
Li Lan glanced at Qin Huai with hatred and ignored her two daughters. Old Mrs. Li said, "Adopted children are no match for biological children. I've raised them for so many years and they don't even call me mother."
Li Laizi looked at Qin Huai with some fear, and hid behind his mother, not daring to speak.
Qin Huai chuckled twice.
Old Mrs. Li looked at her daughter, held out her hand and said, "What good things are in the basket? Let me see it."
Qin Huai said, "You told me not to call you grandma, didn't you? I was born from a crack in the rock. If I don't have a grandma, I won't show it to you."
"It's so unfair! What the hell did you raise? You've been raising an ungrateful person for eighteen years. Lan Zi, you're such a useless thing."
She tried crying, making a scene, and even threatening to hang herself, but Li Lan said, "I don't have a son like that."
Mrs. Li pinched her arm and said, "Whether you recognize him or not is another matter, but you can't just leave these good things unused today. It's New Year's and we still have nothing at home. How are we going to get by? Hurry and give me the basket. He's yours, and everything he has belongs to you. Ultimately, it belongs to our Li family."
When Qin Xiaoyun and her sister saw their mother, they instantly lost their resistance.
Qin Huai didn't say anything. He looked at Li Lan quietly for a while, then pulled Qin Xiaoyun and her sister and said, "Let's go."
"You can't leave!" Old Mrs. Li screamed, holding out her hands to stop them. She said to Li Laizi, "Laizi, bring me the basket."
Li Laizi timidly glanced at Qin Huai, whose face was calm, and did not dare to step forward. He did not dare, but the woman beside him did. She rushed out and snatched the basket from Qin Huai's hand.
Qin Huai waited until she was almost there, quickly changed the basket to his other arm, took a few steps back and said, "Are you trying to rob me? Is there any law?"
The woman said, "You have no right to speak here. We are all your elders. How dare you disobey me?"
Qin Huai said, "Who is my master? How could I not know? Don't come over here. I won't be polite to anyone who comes."
Li Laizi said, "Zaohua, don't go over there. This bastard is ruthless and doesn't recognize his relatives."
Qin Huai said, "You and I are not relatives."
Li Lan said, "Qin Huai, give the basket in your hand to your aunt. They just got married, and you have to show your respect to them."
Qin Huai said, "They are your family, not mine. My only family member is my maid Xiaomi, whom I cannot respect."
"Well, it's probably just some wild vegetables and tree bark. I don't care much for it."
Li Lan was very good at finding a way out for herself. She had experienced Qin Huai's cruelty and ruthlessness, and knew that it was impossible for him to give the basket to her directly.
"Lan Zi, don't be fooled. I don't think those vegetables are wild vegetables in the basket. All the production teams in the county have distributed grain, and I think those vegetables are in their baskets. If you come over soon, we can still eat for a few days."
Zaohua rolled up her sleeves and said, "Sister, just say the word and I'll teach these unfilial beasts a lesson for you."
Qin Huai said, "Li Laizi, keep your wife in check. If you keep your mouth shut, I'll beat you."
Li Laizi hurriedly said, "Zaohua, this is my sister's family matter, don't get involved."
Li Lan stared blankly at the two girls behind Qin Huai, their faces filled with fear, and suddenly said, "Mom, let's go."
Old Mrs. Li jumped up and said, "What kind of parents are afraid of their adopted child? Lan Zi, you are such a useless girl."
Qin Huai said, "My father, Qin Dashu, is not dead yet?"
Li Lan laughed sarcastically and said, "You still care about your adoptive father? Wouldn't you feel more relieved if he died?"
As they were arguing, Qin Dashu suddenly came over from a distance, blocked Qin Huai behind him and said, "What do you want to do now?"
Since the quarrel at the factory gate, Qin Huai and his sister hadn't seen him for a long time. He had become thinner, wearing greasy work clothes, with messy hair and beard. It was obvious that he was not living a good life.
But Qin Huai felt relieved after seeing this. He had always been worried that Qin Dashu was too aggressive. If someone else was made to suffer like that by his mother-in-law and wife at the factory gate, he would be badly injured if not killed.
Fortunately, he didn't have a bad temper, so he's fine.
Li Lan said: "You treat me like a baby, but others don't take me seriously at all."
Qin Dashu said, "Qin Huai, I was thinking of sending you home in two days, but I happened to meet you today, so I don't have to run away."
Hearing this, Li Lan and Old Mrs. Li opened their eyes wide.
I saw him carefully take off his worn yellow sneakers, pull out a few bills from the insoles, hand them over and say, "Here, buy some food for the New Year."
These are pastry tickets specially issued by the factory to the children of employees. Each ticket weighs two taels. There are five of them, which is one jin.
Qin Dashu had kept it hidden and had not taken it out. Today he gave it to Qin Huai and his two siblings in front of Li Lan.
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