Chapter 1789: Today is Different than in the Past 2

Mr. Lu and Mr. and Mrs. Guan Yu had already finished their meal and were watching them eat with a smile on their faces.

After hearing what Cheng Baoguo said, Father Lu smiled and said, "Life will naturally get better and better. Isn't this a matter of course? Of course, no family can afford to eat fine grains every meal. Since you are here, I specially asked Zhou Zhou to make white flour noodles for you. In a few days, the team will kill a pig, and we will buy some pork and make white flour dumplings for you."

Zhou Zhou interrupted and said, "It's pure meat stuffing, with only scallions and ginger as seasoning. I guarantee that everyone will want to eat it again after eating it once."

Wang Cuilan was stunned. "More than ten years ago, the whole brigade killed one or two pigs and ate the meat from a big pot. Now, private individuals are allowed to buy meat?"

Cheng Baoguo put down his chopsticks and looked at his sworn brother in confusion. He knew clearly how hard life was in the countryside in the past. Some production teams worked hard for a whole year, but in the end they could not even get a sip of meat soup.

Father Lu said proudly, "Things are different now. Our brigade built a pig farm, which is collective property and does not violate regulations. We raise more than 30 pigs in the farm, half of which are handed over to the state, and the remaining dozen are kept by ourselves. Two are killed during the busy farming season, and the rest are killed at the end of the year. The supply and marketing cooperative has come to ask for meat many times but has not given it to them. Except for the meat distributed per person, each family can buy it with their own money."

Cheng Baoguo nodded and said, "Good, good, it means that life is getting better and better."

"Our brigade has enclosed a piece of land at the foot of the mountain to build a chicken farm. We raise thousands of chickens. When they are ready to lay eggs, we can produce six or seven hundred eggs a day. The reservoir at the west end is now our brigade's fish pond. Every year, each family gets a share of the fish. We also raise thousands of ducks and more than 200 geese, which generate income for the brigade every year. If a family wants to eat eggs, they can go to the brigade to buy them with money, or they can deduct them from their work points. Although there are some restrictions, it is several times better than in previous years. Except for my family and the educated youth, ordinary people don't buy them much."

"Why is that?" Wang Cuilan asked Father Lu, "In the city, people want to have things every day that don't require a ticket. Our brigade allows private purchase of chickens, ducks, and goose eggs, but some people don't buy them?"

Father Lu laughed, "Haven't you heard of the Chicken Butt Bank? Every household raises three or two chickens, and they save the eggs they lay and go to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange them for needles, thread, and matches. Except for the wealthy educated youth and women in confinement after childbirth, and the elderly and children who occasionally eat two, few families eat them to their heart's content. They can't even bear to eat their own chickens, so how can they be willing to buy one? It's just for convenience when in urgent need."

Cheng Baoguo's eyes lit up, and he heard Xi Bao say with a smile: "Our brigade also raises a large flock of sheep, and every year we can distribute a lot of mutton to everyone to fatten up in autumn."

Cheng Baoguo clapped his hands and said, "That's great, that's great, that's great!"

Zhou Zhou smiled and said, "Third Uncle, please eat first. I'll go and make some water for you to wash your feet. Go to bed early. We can talk tomorrow if we have anything to say."

"Good boy!" Cheng Baoguo praised and buried his head in eating noodles.

Zhuangzhuang and Fubao ate the least. They picked a few noodles and drank some noodle soup. The siblings shared a poached egg, and the rest was eaten up by Lu Erxiong. I don’t know where he got the stomach to eat so much at noon and still have two or three bowls of noodles at night. Fortunately, Guan Yu did not use large bowls because his younger siblings were young, but medium-sized porcelain bowls.

Zhou Zhou, Miao Fengqin and Wang Fengqiao had already tidied up their residence. There were two rooms in the east and west, and two rooms in the east wing. They were covered with thick quilts that had been dried in the sun. There was also a brazier burning in the room, and it was as warm as spring.

(End of this chapter)