Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Radio Ticket

"I would like to smoke some bacon, but my family has only a few meat coupons, and they're gone after we buy some meat dumplings and make some meatballs for the New Year." Wu Shuangshuang hasn't tasted bacon in several years. Her parents-in-law don't pay for food, and there are so many people in the family that even if she adds more cabbage to the dumplings, there won't be enough meat.

Jiang Qiuyue approached Wu Shuangshuang and whispered about the black market, "I'm going to send these kids to Haicheng in two days. When I come back, let's go buy some meat together."

Wu Shuangshuang was tempted. After being busy all year, she wanted to eat something better during the Chinese New Year. "Okay, tell me a date and we'll go buy some meat."

"There is also fish." Jiang Qiuyue said, "We can make fish with fermented lees, which is also delicious, and the money earned is well spent. You can just bring the fish and meat to my house, and I will cook it for you."

"Of course, your cooking skills are much better than mine. I wouldn't dare to cook if you asked me to." Wu Shuangshuang counted the money in her hand. She wasn't as willing to spend as Jiang Qiuyue, but it was Chinese New Year, so she could spend five or eight yuan to buy meat. "But I won't make too much, just enough to eat, otherwise my mother-in-law will definitely take it away after the Chinese New Year."

She was not in the mood to be filial now. If Lin Rong wanted to buy something, he could buy it. She had no such idea. After all, she and her parents-in-law would never be close in this life.

After peeling off the leaves of the radish, the remaining core will continue to grow. Dry the leaves in the sun and pickle them with wine lees tomorrow.

Jiang Qiuyue brewed rice wine some time ago and has already made the second half of the wine. The remaining lees cannot be wasted and can be used to make lees dishes.

Wu Shuangshuang's family was even more financially strapped and had no rice to make wine, so they borrowed a bottle of rice wine from Jiang Qiuyue.

After the two of them finished their work in the fields, Jiang Qiuyue went to make dinner.

She boiled some taro, peeled them, and used them to cook radish. It was slippery and tasted especially delicious when mixed with rice.

After the kelp is soaked, it is put into the pot and cooked until it is cooked. It is used to make cold salad. It is sour and spicy and especially relieves greasiness. She also cooked braised pork today, but there are many children, so the meat must be shared, otherwise the slower ones will not be able to eat it.

"Two pieces per person, very fair." After Jiang Qiuyue distributed the meat to the children, she also had two pieces of braised pork for herself.

Although the family was better off than others, it was still impossible for everyone to eat as much meat as they wanted. Chen Weiguo ate two pieces of braised pork very carefully, taking small bites. Even the braised pork soup had to be shared.

"Aunt Jiang, the braised pork you made is so delicious. I can eat a bowl of rice with one piece of meat!" Chen Weiguo has already eaten two bowls of rice. He has been here for two days and he eats until his belly is full every day.

Chen Weilan also nodded and said it was delicious. "Aunt Jiang, can you write down the recipe for braised pork in brown sauce for me? I will go back and ask my grandmother to make it the same way."

"Of course." Jiang Qiuyue was already full, so she asked Lin Beibei to bring paper and pen, wrote down the recipe, and gave it to Chen Weilan.

The two children from the Chen family did not come here to eat and drink for free. The things Gao Juanjuan brought were enough to exchange for these foods. The Gao family was not stingy, so Jiang Qiuyue had to let the two children eat well.

At the weekend, when Jiang Qiuyue was preparing to send the four children to Gao's house, Lin Nannan caught a cold. Xiao Li was going to the city, so Jiang Qiuyue could only ask Xiao Li to send Chen Weiguo and his brother to Haicheng.

"Make sure to hand them over to Juanjuan." After instructing Xiao Li, Jiang Qiuyue went to see Chen Weiguo and Chen Weilan, "Follow Uncle Xiao Li and don't wander around. Remember to eat the fermented fish that you and I brought home quickly. The braised pork in the lunch box is for your parents, so don't eat it on the way." In addition to these, there were also dried kelp and some vegetables she grew herself.

If Lin Zhengrong hadn't been on a mission, she would have taken the two siblings to the station herself. But Lin Nannan suddenly caught a cold, and she couldn't leave, so she could only call Gao Juanjuan and ask her to go to Haicheng to pick them up.

"Aunt Jiang, don't worry. I'm twelve years old. I will keep an eye on my brother and prevent him from running around." Chen Weilan had a stuffy nose as she spoke. She slept with Lin Nannan and she also had a slight cold.

Chen Weiguo was very unconvinced, "I'm already ten years old, not a child, how could I get lost!"

Chen Weilan pouted. In her eyes, her brother would always be a little brat. Thinking that Beibei and Nannan couldn't go play with them, she felt very sorry. "Aunt Jiang, when Nannan gets better, you must bring them to our house to play!"

Chen Weiguo also nodded vigorously, "Yes, Aunt Jiang, we are waiting for you to come."

"I told your mother to come and pay New Year's greetings after the New Year." There were a lot of things to do at home before the New Year, so Jiang Qiuyue couldn't go. After watching Xiao Li take the Chen siblings with her, she went back to make ginger soup for Lin Nannan.

Several children ran and jumped outside every day. When they were hot, they took off their clothes and did not put them back on in time. Lin Nannan was not as healthy as Lin Beibei and Chen Weiguo, so he caught a cold first.

Jiang Qiuyue cooked ginger soup for her daughter and brought it to the bedside, not forgetting to give Lin Beibei a bowl as well, as a precaution.

"Mom, it's spicy." Lin Nannan took a sip and frowned because of the spiciness.

"Drink it in one gulp and you'll be fine after you sweat." Jiang Qiuyue touched Lin Nannan's forehead. Fortunately, she didn't have a fever, just a common cold. "You, remember what your mother said in the future. It's winter now, and you can't take off your clothes casually. If you feel hot, just unbutton two buttons. Remember?"

Lin Nannan nodded obediently. Lin Beibei was straightforward. He gulped down the ginger soup in one gulp, came over and asked him why he was okay.

Jiang Qiuyue looked at her chubby son. His face was chubby, and his arms and legs felt very strong. It was rare to see a child in such good health. "That's because you are in better health, but you should also keep warm. Otherwise, if you get sick, I will take you to get a shot."

Speaking of injections, Lin Beibei became scared and said that she would definitely dress properly.

Fortunately, Lin Nannan stopped having a runny nose the next day. Jiang Qiuyue observed her for two days and only after confirming that Lin Nannan was completely well did she go into the city with Wu Shuangshuang to buy meat.

"Before I left, Daya kept asking me where I was going." Wu Shuangshuang pretended to have a headache. "It's really hard to lie to a grown-up child. If I told her I was going to the city, she would definitely follow me."

Jiang Qiuyue said directly to the two children, "That's it. Beibei and Nannan will definitely tell Daya. Aren't you going to be exposed?"

"It doesn't matter. The stuffing is my business when I get home. When I say I want smoked bacon, Daya won't care about anything else." Wu Shuangshuang knows her daughter very well.

They got up very early today, without even having breakfast, and took the earliest bus to the city with the leftover biscuits from last night.

Jiang Qiuyue had experience. In order to buy the best meat, she took Wu Shuangshuang straight to the black market as soon as they got out of the station.

When the two of them arrived at the black market, Jiang Qiuyue directly asked for ten kilograms of leg meat and two kilograms of large intestines.

"How much are the big bones? 55 cents a pound? That's too expensive. I bought so much meat from you. Can you make it cheaper? 48 cents." Jiang Qiuyue pinched the big bones, looking a little disgusted. "I think 48 cents is too expensive. There's no meat at all. I'll go look somewhere else first..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, the stall owner immediately agreed. Jiang Qiuyue was a regular customer of his. She always bought a lot of meat every time she came. Bones were hard to sell, so it was okay to sell them at a lower price. "48 cents is 48 cents. We're old acquaintances. I'll chop whatever you want for you."

"Let's take these two." Jiang Qiuyue smiled and picked two that looked like they had a little more meat. Wu Shuangshuang next to her also ordered a big bone and bought three pounds of pork belly.

After chopping the bones, the stall owner asked Jiang Qiuyue if she wanted a rabbit. It was a wild rabbit caught by his father. Jiang Qiuyue hadn't eaten rabbit meat for a long time, so she thought it would be okay to smoke it together, so she asked for it.

"I told you that you are willing to spend money on food. Come to my shop to buy food from now on and I will give you a discount."

"Of course. Every time I come here, I always look for you first, big brother." Jiang Qiuyue said with a smile, put the rabbit and meat into the backpack, and went to buy fish.

She ordered two large carps, which weighed about 15 kilograms, and asked the stall owner to help her chop them into four pieces, otherwise the basket would not be able to hold such a long piece.

This was Wu Shuangshuang's first time to go to the black market with Jiang Qiuyue. Seeing Jiang Qiuyue buying a lot of everything, she exclaimed in a low voice, "You are too generous, aren't you?"

"I only come here once or twice a month. If I don't buy more, what will I eat normally? And this time I bought more for New Year's goods. I never bought so much before." Jiang Qiuyue was also planning to give Gao Juanjuan some bacon and smoked fish, and that to Wu Shuangshuang as well. If she didn't buy more, it wouldn't be enough.

It’s the New Year, so one has to eat to one’s heart’s content. Otherwise, Lin Zhengrong’s salary will be left there with nowhere to spend it, and she doesn’t have to send money to others.

"That's true." Wu Shuangshuang has to give living expenses to her parents-in-law, and her parents' home has to send things back during the holidays. The remaining money is for her own expenses. This is very different from Jiang Qiuyue.

She also needs to save money so that she can get a bicycle ticket and buy a bicycle for her family, which will be much more convenient.

Moreover, Lin Rong's salary is lower than Lin Zhengrong's. Thinking of this, Wu Shuangshuang thought about working, but she had to wait. San Ya was still young and there would not be any jobs available all the time.

The two of them browsed around the black market, and Jiang Qiuyue also bought some eggs and some dried mushrooms, which are usually limited in quantity or hard to find.

The backpack was so heavy that the shoulder straps were squeezing her. Jiang Qiuyue just wanted to go back quickly. She didn't even want to go shopping in the mall and went to take a bus with Wu Shuangshuang.

When they got home, it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. Jiang Qiuyue was starving, but luckily there was food at Wu Shuangshuang's house. After eating some porridge all night, the two of them came back to marinate meat and make sausage.

"Half of the sausage will be made spicy, and the other half will be made original." Jiang Qiuyue had finished washing the large intestine, and Wu Shuangshuang was helping to cut the meat. They sent all the children away to prevent them from being too picky.

By the evening, the bacon had been stuffed and all the bacon had been marinated with salt and spices. It was left in the kitchen to dry overnight and could be smoked the next day.

In the evening, Jiang Qiuyue fried some fish. She marinated the remaining half with wine lees and the other half with chili peppers and salt to make smoked fish.

During the meal, Jiang Qiuyue specifically instructed, "Don't tell others how much meat you have at home. Do you hear me?"

Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan are both very obedient, but they think differently from adults. They think that if they tell others that there is a lot of meat at home, people will come to eat the meat. If someone they hate comes, they will be very angry.

"Mom, when can we eat bacon and sausage?" Lin Beibei was more concerned about this.

Lin Nannan also looked at her mother expectantly.

"Just wait until the New Year. Don't worry. I usually give you meat to eat." Jiang Qiuyue said with a smile.

She plans to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some more meat tomorrow. That way, when others smell the smoked meat in her yard, she can say that she bought it from the supply and marketing cooperative. Anyway, no one knows how much meat she has smoked.

Lin Beibei ate the fish in the bowl, which was crispy and juicy. "It's great to celebrate the New Year. I hope it will come soon."

"It will be almost there. It will only be about ten days." Jiang Qiuyue counted the days again.

The next day, Jiang Qiuyue came back from buying meat and deliberately carried it in her hands so that everyone could see it.

There were other families in the family compound who cooked bacon, so it was not surprising to see the aroma wafting from her yard. However, the aroma from morning to night aroused the appetite of many people, and many people poked their heads into the yard, but saw nothing. Instead, the more they smelled, the hungrier they became.

Jiang Qiuyue brought the bacon home at night. Wu Shuangshuang said that although it was a family compound, everyone was greedy for meat and who knows which kid might come and steal the meat at night, so it would be safer to lock them up at home.

Jiang Qiuyue thought it made sense. Meat was too precious these days. She had been smoking the meat and fish for an entire afternoon, and other people had been smelling them for an entire afternoon. Someone would definitely miss them.

After locking the front and back doors, Jiang Qiuyue still felt uneasy, so she simply put the bacon in the living room and tied a rope around the bacon with a bell hidden at the end of the rope. Whenever someone picked up the meat, the bell would ring.

Even though there was a door between them, the faint aroma of bacon could still be smelled into the room. Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan fell asleep quickly, but Jiang Qiuyue herself was drooling at the smell.

She stuffed the crack of the door with newspapers, which made her feel better. When she turned around, she saw Lin Zhengrong smiling slightly. She thought Lin Zhengrong was laughing at her for stuffing the crack of the door with newspapers. "I can't sleep if I keep smelling the delicious bacon."

"Really can't sleep?"

"Not now." Jiang Qiuyue took off her shoes and sat on the bed. "After listening to Sister Shuangshuang, I feel uneasy when I think of bacon. I hope the New Year will come soon. I will feel at ease when I eat it."

Lin Zhengrong nodded, and suddenly took out a ticket from his pocket and handed it over, "Don't worry about the bacon, take a look at this first?"

"Radio ticket?" Jiang Qiuyue rubbed her eyes, and after confirming that she was not seeing things, she happily hugged Lin Zhengrong with her arms, "You are so amazing, where did you get it from?"

"My comrades and I exchanged for 35 kilograms of food coupons." Lin Zhengrong had counted the food coupons at home and originally could not afford the 30 kilograms. However, Yu Guanghui and Xiao Li ate together every day, and these food coupons were given by Yu Guanghui during this period. "It's not that I'm good, it's also your own credit. Without food coupons, you can't exchange for radio tickets."

Jiang Qiuyue looked at the radio ticket happily. She thought it would take a few more months, but she didn't expect Lin Zhengrong to find someone to exchange it so quickly. "That's also your credit. I don't know anyone who has the radio ticket."

"So..." Lin Zhengrong looked at the person in his arms, "Does what you said before still count?"

He has been putting a lot of thought into getting the ticket as soon as possible.