Huichuan County built a petroleum machinery and equipment manufacturing plant as early as the 1950s. The plant covered a huge area and had about two or three thousand petroleum workers from all over the country, as well as several thousand workers' families. It also had a variety of facilities, including kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, canteens, clinics, cinemas, clubs, and parks.
It's a miniature society where almost everything a person needs for daily life can be met within the factory.
Because they were all workers who received monthly wages, their lives were much better than those of poor people, and they rarely interacted with the people of Huichuan County.
The people of Huichuan County have no oil or salt to cook fish, but the workers at these oil refineries earn more than the county magistrate every month, and they have oil and salt to eat!
"Auntie, doesn't the supply and marketing cooperative sell fish?"
"They only have those two skinny fish that are practically dead every day, their bellies are practically floating up, and they're priced at 80 cents a pound, plus you need a coupon. Who would buy them?"
...
The old lady said awkwardly, "Well, I'll be going now!"
Li Xiangdong...
This was just a minor incident, and no one except Li Xiangdong took it to heart.
The siblings happily walked into the supply and marketing cooperative. They first bought fifty catties of 85 flour, ten catties of rice, and five catties of soybean oil. Li Xiangdong thought that he would have to eat a pot of white flour pancakes when he got back!
85 flour refers to the flour yield; 100 jin of wheat can produce 85 jin of flour after processing. 85 flour also has another name: standard flour.
Older generations should be very familiar with the names of this type of flour. Besides 85 flour, there are also 60 flour, 70 flour, and 75 flour. 70 flour is what everyone knows as high-gluten flour.
Standard flour is a bit darker than enriched flour, but it's still pure white flour, and it's much more fragrant than sorghum flour.
The soybean oil we use now is all pressed from domestically grown soybeans. It's fragrant and rich, and makes pancakes turn a beautiful golden brown. It's incomparable to the oil pressed from genetically modified soybeans.
Thinking they still needed to prepare some meat and vegetables, the group went and bought five pounds of pork belly, five cents' worth of soy sauce, five cents' worth of aged vinegar, and a few ounces of star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Apart from Li Xiangdong, no one knew what bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom were used for. Li Xiangdong had to explain that these were spices like star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, used when stewing meat.
Li Ping muttered, "Stewed meat smells so good, but if you add spices, it'll be so fragrant it'll make people faint."
The tellers were amused by her.
Li Xiangdong gave the cloth coupons to Li Zhen, asking her to buy some cloth.
Li Zhen tore off two lengths of blue work cloth to sew clothes and make shoe uppers. Although this cloth was not as comfortable as cotton, it was sturdy and durable, and one piece of cloth could be passed down for three generations!
Finally, I bought two bags of "Sanyuan" brand whole milk powder for Li Yan.
Seeing Li Jiabao and Li Ping staring longingly at the colorful candies on the counter, Li Xiangdong waved his hand and gave the three yuan he had just earned from selling fish to the two of them to buy milk candies.
"Second brother, how come you have so much money? And you're so generous! Even when our family celebrated the New Year, our parents never bought so much good food!" Li Jiabao exclaimed while flattering him.
"That's right, that's right, Second Brother, why don't you be in charge of the household from now on!" Li Ping came up with a way to ensure they could eat good food in the long run.
"I'll make sure you eat and drink well from now on, but you have to study hard and get into university!" Li Xiangdong took the opportunity to lecture the two.
"As long as I can eat white steamed buns and meat every day, I'm sure I'll get 100 on every exam," Li Ping declared.
"It's a deal then."
Li Xiangdong and Li Ping made a pinky promise, a promise that would never be broken for a hundred years.
"Fourth Sister, you take them home first, I have some things to take care of."
Li Xiangdong carried the bucket off the car and spoke to Li Zhen.
Li Zhen stopped Li Xiangdong, who was about to leave, and said, "Xiangdong, I know you're a smart guy, and you're all grown up now, but I have to tell you something: speculation and profiteering are serious crimes. Our family would rather eat worse than do anything illegal! The crackdown is so severe now. If you get caught secretly selling fish, your life will be over! You must listen to me."
Li Xiangdong grasped his fourth sister's hand and said solemnly, "Don't worry, sister, I won't do anything illegal. I'm planning to give you all a good life in the future!"
Of course, I'll do the fish business, but I'll do it properly!
For a fleeting moment, he did think about going to the oil refinery to sell fish.
But these things can't be kept secret.
There's still no result yet on the matter of me exposing Pan Dachun's unauthorized sale of the brigade's peaches to the black market.
However, based on my understanding of the people of Panjiazhuang Brigade from my previous life, this matter certainly wouldn't be so easily dismissed.
If Pan Dachun is caught selling off production team property without authorization, he will not only lose his position as the brigade leader, but may also go to jail. At that time, will his henchmen let him off the hook?
So, if he really has something to hide that falls into the hands of Pan Dachun and others, just as Li Jin said, they could skin him alive!
However, when it comes to business, you can do it as long as there is demand!
Li Xiangdong turned back to the supply and marketing cooperative, walked to the fish counter, peeled off a piece of the milk candy he had just bought, and handed it to the middle-aged woman who was dozing off. "Sister, sister, have a candy!"
The middle-aged woman was wearing a white apron, dozing off with her hand supporting her chin, and two fish that were almost turning white in front of her.
"Wow, it's so sweet! What is it?!"
My aunt jolted awake.
"I just peeled one for you, White Rabbit milk candy," Li Xiangdong said with a smile.
"Hmm, young man, you have a good eye. Of all the people buying things, none are as generous as you," the fishmonger said, looking Li Xiangdong up and down. "What's up? Want to buy some fish? I'll give you a discount!"
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