At three o'clock in the morning, as dusk settled, Luo Hao leisurely rode his family's bicycle and knocked on Lin Ye's door.
He actually had a little regret in his heart; he was riding his brand-new old bicycle, looking so cool, but no one could see it.
The bicycle had actually been bought for more than half a year, but the family was reluctant to ride it. Mr. Luo would wipe the bicycle clean every day and then cover it with an old bed sheet. He would feel extremely distressed even if the paint was chipped.
In those days, buying a bicycle not only required about 200 yuan, but also industrial ration coupons.
In rural areas, industrial tickets were extremely rare. Because Luo's father was recognized as a skilled farmer, the team rewarded him with a ticket. The whole family saved money by living frugally for two or three years before they could afford to buy a bicycle.
In the entire brigade, you could count the number of people who owned bicycles on one hand.
When Lin Ye saw Luo Hao arrive on his bicycle, he patted Luo Hao on the head and said in an annoyed tone:
"If we had known we would be cycling, we would have set the time later."
The county town is nearly 30 miles from the brigade, which takes about three hours to walk there. By the time you get there, it's just getting light. If you ride a bicycle, it's much faster, taking only a little over an hour.
If I had known, I would have stayed in bed for another hour. When I got up just now, Qingqing was sleeping soundly in my arms, and I couldn't bear to disturb her.
God knows how much determination it took for him to abandon his delicate body and get out of bed.
Sika deer are living creatures and extremely difficult to control, but when Lin Ye put a burlap sack over its head, it actually started to sleep peacefully again.
The deer weighed over 40 pounds, yet he carried the rabbit on his back and hugged the deer as he sat on the back of the bicycle, still looking completely relaxed.
Luo Hao admired his physical strength; with that kind of strength, he could carry his wife for thirty miles.
"Hey bro, tell me, what's it like to have a wife?" Luo Hao made conversation.
Can the taste of a wife be described in words? You have to experience it for yourself.
Without practice, one has no right to speak.
Unfortunately, there are some things he hasn't tried yet!
Lin Ye rolled her eyes at him. "You're not getting any younger, can't you find someone?"
In rural areas, most men get engaged at seventeen or eighteen. Luo Hao is only a few months younger than him, but he's already twenty. If he doesn't find a wife soon, he'll be considered to be getting married and having children late.
Luo Hao's face flushed slightly. "It's just that I haven't met anyone I like!"
Actually, what he wanted to say was, "If only your sister hadn't gotten married, actually..."
While the man was still fidgeting, Lin Ye nudged him in the back with his elbow, "You're not still thinking about my sister, are you?"
He often talked about his sister before she got married, but he didn't have the guts to do it. Besides, there was a big age gap between them, and he figured Aunt Luo wouldn't agree to it.
"Your sister is doing well..." Luo Hao said weakly, the cool breeze of the early morning unable to dispel the heat on his cheeks.
“Although my sister is having conflicts with her in-laws right now, I still hope they can be happy... Ugh, why am I telling you this? Just stop thinking about her.” Lin Ye retorted again.
The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at the county town.
At this time, it was still pitch black outside, and the residents of the county town were still fast asleep, but the black market was beginning to stir.
Especially for large living creatures like these, they definitely can't be exposed to the light, as it's easy for them to be reported.
Some people save every penny and only earn 20 yuan a month, while others can earn tens of yuan at once, which would make anyone envious.
Through Luo Hao's introduction, Lin Ye met Tiger for the first time.
Tiger was not tall, but he was broad-shouldered and burly, with arms thicker than bowls and a face bigger than a plate. He was a rough old man.
"Your goods are good, I'll give you 130 yuan for everything." He spoke in a loud voice, quite readily agreeing.
Lin Ye knew that in business, you must leave enough profit margin for others in order to achieve a win-win situation.
Both parties were straightforward, exchanging money for goods on the spot. Including the money that hadn't been settled with Tiger, Lin Ye suddenly had over 200 yuan in his pocket.
"Tiger, there's something else I need your help with. Can you get a sewing machine?" Lin Ye asked.
My daughter-in-law wanted a sewing machine. It was the first time she had asked for something, and it was for my mother, so of course I had to give it to her!
Sewing machines were one of the three most popular wedding items in the city, and they were in high demand. The supply and marketing cooperatives had no stock, so people had to get them through other channels.
"Let me think of a way." Tiger laughed heartily, "You haven't even had a chance to enjoy the money, and you're already buying things for your wife. You're a top-notch man!"
Those who know him well know that although Tiger looks fierce and seems to like beating his wife, he is actually a doting husband. He runs the black market to earn money to buy things for his wife.
Tiger knew that Lin Ye was also a doting husband, and he appreciated him even more.
After saying goodbye to Tiger, the sky was already showing the first light of dawn, and the two decided to take a stroll through the state-run market.
He had run out of pork cracklings at home and needed to buy some more meat; otherwise, they would all be sold out.
He hadn't bought the fifty kilograms of rice he promised He Shujuan yet, so he decided to carry a hundred kilograms back today.
Qingqing gave him a lot of meat and grain coupons, which made buying these things much cheaper. He bought ten catties of meat for 7.8 yuan. He specially asked the butcher to cut off more fat so he could make oil at home and fry it.
The rice cost 19 yuan, and I also bought some red dates and peanuts for my wife and the others to eat as snacks, which cost 2.3 yuan.
We still have some flour at home. We'll buy more when we run out, otherwise it'll get damp and go to waste.
To express his gratitude to Luo Hao, he wanted to buy something for his family, but he couldn't decide what to choose. Luo Hao angrily said he didn't want it, and just stuffed a ten-yuan note into his pocket.
"If you don't accept this, don't call me brother anymore." Lin Ye punched him in the chest, causing him to stagger back a step.
Luo Hao threw the money back, saying, "I'm not stupid. If I take the money, I won't be able to legitimately go to your house for meals anymore."
"Alright, then come to my house for rabbit meat tonight." Lin Ye had no choice but to compromise.
He left two rabbits behind when he left in the morning.
I don't know if my wife has ever eaten wild rabbit before. Maybe I can ask my sister to make some for her to try.
Lin Ye couldn't help but smile as he imagined her satisfied expression while eating rabbit meat.
Luo Hao's mouth was practically watering. The last time he had eaten wild game was a few months ago when Lin Ye had hunted a pheasant and shared it with him.
After the two returned from shopping, it was only a little past seven in the morning when Lu Wanqing opened her eyes and realized that she had overslept again. Her mother-in-law and sister had already gotten up and gone out.
Snowball took on the task of playing with her again and told her that Lin Chunhua was already cooking in the kitchen.
It would be a bit unreasonable for her to continue sleeping.
Although Lin Chunhua is Lin Ye's older sister, she should be a guest when she returns to her parents' home. How can we let her always be busy with this and that?
She hurried to the kitchen to help with the cooking.
Breakfast was a simple rice porridge, vegetable pancakes with wheat flour, and a stir-fried dish of chopped chives and eggs. Lin Ye returned just as the food was ready.
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