Chapter 8 Purchase
Victory Commune.
It was more than 30 kilometers away from Beijing and the ride was shaky for more than an hour. Suning couldn't help but feel fortunate that he hadn't eaten anything in the morning, so he just looked a little pale when he got off the car.
There is a big market organized by the commune every few days. I heard about this from a classmate who lives nearby.
It just so happens that today is the big market day. I didn't find anything in the city, so I suddenly remembered this place and wanted to try my luck.
Both sides of the asphalt road are filled with things produced by the farmers themselves, small wild animals hunted in the mountains, and wild vegetables picked.
There were even bundles of firewood, woven bamboo baskets, backpacks, brooms, straw sandals, straw hats…
As it was his first time attending such a market, Suning was not in a hurry to make any purchases, but walked and stopped with interest.
I found that everyone was just as that classmate said, and they were more willing to exchange various tickets rather than money.
After looking for a while and having a clear idea in her mind, she walked to a stall at the end.
The stall owner was a dark-skinned farm boy, wearing a grey coat that had become slightly bleached from washing and had patches on the elbows. When he saw her coming, he bared his big white teeth and gave a silly smile.
"Uncle, what kind of vegetables are these?"
"There are a lot of them. Look, each one has words written on it. Take a look, girl. What do you want?"
Each small packet contains dozens of seeds, and the names of various vegetables are written crookedly on the grid paper that wraps the seeds.
There are not only common vegetable seeds such as cabbage, cucumber, radish, eggplant, beans, pumpkin, winter melon and loofah, but also seeds of several kinds of fruits such as apple, plum, watermelon and peach.
"Uncle, I want all of these."
"Huh? Both?"
"Yes, I want both. Uncle, can you tell me how much they are?"
He scratched the back of his head. Although he didn't know why this pretty girl bought so many seeds, he knew that some things were not easy to ask.
After secretly estimating in his mind, the man raised his head and carefully discussed, "Girl, these are all collected and saved by our family. Although they are not worth much, you can see that there are nearly a hundred kinds of them..."
"Three, three dollars and two pounds of cotton tickets, okay?"
The man felt guilty about asking such a high price, but as his eldest son was about to get married, he had no choice but to lose face and go against his conscience.
I just asked at the grain station, and Suning knew that his price was half as high as it should be. But since it was not available at the grain station and the black market would only be more expensive, this price was naturally acceptable.
Besides, she had no shortage of money and bills, and she had a natural liking for farmers. Looking at the simple man whose face was almost red when he quoted the price, she thought that he must have some difficulties at home.
"Okay, then please pack them all for me."
"Really...really good at buying?"
He was rubbing his hands and preparing to change his mind and lower the price. Li Guoqiang couldn't help but pinch himself when he heard this.
Hiss~ It really hurts!
"Hey, hey, I'll wrap it right away!"
Li Guoqiang, who had finally come to his senses, couldn't help but squat down, gathered the four corners of the oilcloth spread on the ground, and folded it in half to wrap all the seeds inside.
It is said that there are only a few hundred seeds, but the seeds really do not take up much space. When they are all folded up and wrapped, they look only about the size of two pairs of adult palms.
"Hey, girl, why don't you just give me two dollars?"
With a smile in his eyes, Su Ning shook his head and took out three yuan and two cotton coupons from his bag and handed them to him, "Uncle, can you exchange some more grain seeds for me?"
Li Guoqiang took the money and notes with a hushed voice. When he learned that she still needed grain seeds, his eyes lit up instantly. "Okay, why not? Girl, wait here for a while?"
"Uncle, can I go with you?"
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, Suning looked around and whispered, "I also want to exchange some livestock."
Everything is now collectively owned, and every household in the village raises a fixed number and quantity of chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, etc. At the end of the year in previous years, in addition to those handed over to the public, there would still be one or two left over for their own consumption.
However, in recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently, and what farmers grow themselves is not enough to make a living. Who can afford to raise pigs, cattle, sheep, etc., let alone replace them?
Chickens, ducks, and geese are small enough to be dealt with, but for bigger animals like pigs, cows, and sheep…
Looking at the money in his hand, Li Guoqiang's eyes showed a struggle, and after a while he gritted his teeth and made a decision.
"Girl, come on, follow uncle!"
"good."
Taking the seed package that she was half hugging and half holding, Li Guoqiang led her back to the ox cart of the Second Production Brigade.
Because there were other people along the way, the two of them didn't say much.
…
"Hey, where did Guoqiang bring this pretty girl back from? She looks like a city girl, right?"
"Could this be what Mrs. Wang introduced..."
"Pah, even with Li Hongxing's cowardly appearance, he can still marry such a beautiful city girl. I'm afraid he can't even dream of it!"
Li Guoqiang was afraid that she would think too much after hearing what he said, and as a grown man, it was not easy for him to argue with these gossipy women, so he could only lead the way with his head down and take bigger steps.
Most of the roads in the village are muddy, and they are even more difficult to walk on after rain.
She had to jog to catch up with the person in front who was walking faster and faster. Su Ning frowned and glanced at her skirt and leather shoes covered with mud. She could only blame herself for wearing the wrong clothes when she went out in the morning.
Fortunately, her leather shoes were flat-soled, so apart from getting a little dirty, she didn't have to worry about spraining her ankle and falling.
"That's all. Su girl, you can rest in the yard for a while. I'll go find the captain for you."
"Thank you, Uncle Li."
"Hey, don't be polite, Uncle Ha will be back soon!"
There was no one at home to entertain him as they were all working in the fields. Li Guoqiang awkwardly brought over a relatively new bench, gave some hurried instructions, and quickly turned and left.
…
It was already one o'clock in the afternoon and I hadn't had a chance to eat anything hot. I was just busy taking the bus and traveling.
Suning's stomach started to growl, and only then did he regret why he didn't think of buying some ready-made food and storing it in the space?
It seems that in addition to seeds and livestock, all the rooms in the courtyard must be sorted out, especially the furniture and supplies in the kitchen and bedroom must be fully filled.
In case of any emergency in the future, there will be a place to eat, drink and sleep in the space.
"Is this the girl?"
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice. Su Ning looked up and saw Li Guoqiang bringing an old man who was about 50 or 60 years old and looked particularly strong. He quickly stood up and greeted him politely.
"Hello, old man."
Li Dazhu smiled and nodded, looking at the person in front of him——
She has fair skin, rosy complexion, sweet smile, and watery eyes that are bright and clear. Well, she is a good girl!
"I'm not asking you why you bought those things, but the price is not cheap when you add them up. Can you make the decision yourself, girl?"
Although he was confused, he wondered why the strict and difficult-to-talk-to uncle who was the team leader described by Uncle Li was not like what he said.
But it’s better to agree than to fight for it, right?
"Sure, as long as there is, I can make the decision."
(End of this chapter)
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