Chapter 133: Pork for Food
This was the first time the two had met since Liu Yinyin returned to live in the countryside.
Liu Yinyin explained with a smile: "No, I just come to the county town to take a look when I have time. Big sister, I killed a pig in the countryside and brought some pork. Do you want to exchange some?"
"Pork!" Ma Xiaolian was surprised and said, "Can I trade it with soybean oil?"
Ma Xiaolian and her children both work in an oil pressing factory. The factory distributes some benefits every Chinese New Year, among which soybean oil is the largest.
Ma Xiaolian was used to being frugal. Even though her family had more soybean oil than other families, she did not dare to use too much oil when cooking.
Life at home was difficult, and Ma Xiaolian would often exchange soybean oil for other things to supplement the family income.
Soybean oil, like pork, is a scarce commodity with a similar price.
Liu Yinyin brought five pounds of pork. Ma Xiaolian wanted to exchange it all, but she couldn't bear to give up five pounds of soybean oil.
She pondered for a moment and asked thoughtfully, "Yinyin, how much pork do you have at home?"
Liu Yinyin was slightly stunned. Could it be that Ma Xiaolian also wanted to buy a few kilograms of pork?
It seems unlikely, but Liu Yinyin still tells the truth: "There are still forty pieces of pork at home that haven't been brought over."
Ma Xiaolian asked her tentatively: "Yinyin, does your family need a temporary worker... someone who can help out for two months?"
She is almost eight months pregnant and the work in the factory is very strenuous, so she wants to ask for leave in advance and find someone to replace her for two months.
The factory only gives one month of maternity leave when giving birth. At other times, you are not allowed to take such a long leave.
If there are real difficulties, you can find someone to take your place.
Ma Xiaolian has no in-laws, and everyone in her family has a job, so there is no suitable candidate.
When she was pregnant before, she always insisted on taking leave on the day of delivery, so for a while, it was a bit difficult to find someone to replace her.
Well, if you ask someone for help, you must give them the salary you received in the past two months.
Ma Xiaolian thought, she couldn't just let someone else do the job for two months for no reason, she should at least get some benefits from it.
Liu Yinyin was surprised and asked: "...Sister, do you want to?"
She lowered her head and glanced at Ma Xiaolian's belly.
Ma Xiaolian nodded and said, "It's not easy for people to have children when they are older. I had a hard time carrying this baby, so I want to take two months off in advance.
In this case, I will have to find someone to help with the work in the factory for two months. Yinyin, if your family has a suitable candidate, he can come and help me. I will definitely pay him the two months' salary then.
But... you know, given my family's situation, I won't give away two months' wages to anyone else for nothing. If you agree, then, give me ten kilograms of meat as compensation, how about that?"
She wanted to change to meat, but couldn't bear to give up soybean oil, mainly because she was afraid that the amount would be a bit too much.
If her family wasn't so poor, she wouldn't care about this little soybean oil, but Ma Xiaolian's family situation was indeed not very good.
Although both of them are workers, they have many children at home and no help from their in-laws.
The older ones have to go to school, the younger ones have to be sent to daycare, and there are also the family expenses of food and clothing, so the expenses are not small.
If her husband wasn't a leader in the factory with a good salary, she wouldn't be able to support such a large family.
Ma Xiaolian paused and continued, "My monthly salary is 30 yuan. The New Year is coming soon, and the factory will also give out benefits..."
Thirty yuan a month, that’s sixty yuan for two months.
In the past, Liu Yinyin would have agreed without hesitation, but now, prices have risen so high that a few dozen dollars can't buy much.
Moreover, the brothers of the Liu family are all married now, so even if there are temporary job positions, no one knows who should be given them.
However, Liu Yinyin did not refuse directly. She said, "Sister, I have to go back and discuss this with my family."
Ma Xiaolian understood and said, "Sure, just write me back in the next two days."
She took two days off to rest at home.
Liu Yinyin went home and took another five pounds of pork.
Liu Yinyin gave all ten pounds of pork and twenty eggs to Ma Xiaolian.
The two agreed that if someone on Liu Yinyin's side was willing to help, these things would be considered as rewards for Ma Xiaolian.
If there is no suitable person, Ma Xiaolian will give her money or soybean oil when the time comes.
There were still 40 kilograms of pork and 10 eggs at home, so Liu Yinyin went to find another family she knew.
However, the householder was not at home.
Liu Yinyin wouldn't rashly go up to other people she didn't know and ask them if they wanted pork.
Finally, she went to visit Aunt Li again. The two families lived in the same alley, not far from each other.
Liu Yinyin had come to her several times before, but she had her own system and didn't need to buy anything.
Aunt Li would also buy back food, meat, eggs, or other food.
But the purchase price is definitely different from the selling price. Aunt Li buys the houses at 80% of the original price.
Due to the drought this year, the price of pork at Aunt Li's place has risen to 3.2 yuan per pound, which is several times higher than that at the supply and marketing cooperative.
Not to mention food.
But she bought pork at a little over two yuan and fifty cents per pound.
Eggs are 2.40 yuan per pound, and the purchase price is 1.92 yuan per pound.
Liu Yinyin brought her ten eggs and forty kilograms of pork.
Aunt Li is quite happy. Her business is very good now. The things are sold out early in the morning every day.
However, there is famine everywhere now, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase goods. The supply cannot meet the demand every day.
When Aunt Li learned that Liu Yinyin's family had killed a pig, she asked curiously, "Is this all the pork left?"
Forty kilograms of pork is not enough for her to sell.
Liu Yinyin explained: "We made bacon and bacon at home, and this is all the pork left."
Aunt Li felt a little sorry when she heard this. The pig was killed today and the meat was fresh. It was winter and it would be fine to keep it for two or three days.
Aunt Li said with satisfaction, "How much do you want for these pork and eggs?"
Liu Yinyin thought about it and shook her head: "Auntie, please give me some white flour, cornmeal, and fruit."
She now has a balance of over 100,000 yuan in the system, which is more than enough. It doesn't matter if she doesn't sell it, it would be nice to exchange it for some supplies.
We can't always rely on the system to smuggle food.
The eggs and pork together were worth about a hundred dollars.
Aunt Li gave her 20 kilograms of flour, 20 kilograms of cornmeal, a bunch of bananas, 5 kilograms of apples and 5 kilograms of oranges.
Finally, Aunt Li reminded her: "If you have any good things in the future, just give them to me. As long as it's food, I'll take it."
She wants as much as she can get. Food is selling well these days, and as a middleman, the more she sells, the more she earns from the price difference.
Liu Yinyin smiled and replied, "Okay."
But I don’t think so in my heart. It’s enough to do it once in a while.