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It's 5 AM today!!!
This time it weighed 370 jin (135 kg), and the leader gave me a receipt for 35.15 yuan.
Wang Hongxi made over seventy yuan in sales today, and her eyes were practically closed with joy.
Wang Hongxi negotiated with the leader for a while and settled on a price of 85 cents for dried mushrooms.
Wang Hongxi rode away on her bicycle, while Zhang Hongmei and Liu Jianguo strolled back.
"Hongmei, I feel too tired after just one trip."
"Yes, but the village still owes Grandma a lot of money. If we didn't have a way to make money, we would have just put up with it. Now that we can sell vegetables to earn money, everyone is naturally very motivated."
"Yes, farmers have it the hardest. Come on, I'll take you home. I don't even know where you live."
“Perfect timing. We’ll have lunch at home and some flour left. I’ll make you some pancakes.”
"That's great! I haven't eaten refined grains for more than half a year."
Zhang Hongmei led Liu Jianguo to find his way home. When they arrived, Liu Jianguo took out his lunchbox and handed it to Zhang Hongmei.
“Hongmei, my dad said that you should go to school tomorrow and you don’t need to cook or bring them food. They will bring their own meals.”
"Okay, Jianguo, do you want to eat flatbread or egg and chive pancakes?"
"Let's make pancakes, I'll pick the chives."
Zhang Hongmei washed her hands and kneaded the dough; as for the chives, that was Liu Jianguo's job.
Knead the dough well, light the fire, and first cook a pot of mung bean porridge to cool down and relieve summer heat.
I fried four more eggs, scrambled them in the pan with chopsticks until they were finely chopped, then scooped them out and put them in a bowl to cool.
Liu Jianguo had also picked and washed the chives.
Zhang Hongmei made a total of twenty palm-sized pancakes. She ate two herself, Liu Jianguo ate six, and also drank a bowl of mung bean porridge.
"Hongmei, I'm going back to get some sleep. I have to work the night shift tonight."
"Okay, I'll keep two of the pancakes. You can take the rest."
"No need, I'll just bring six pieces. I don't have anywhere to put them, and they'll go bad and be wasted."
After seeing Liu Jianguo off, I spent the whole afternoon reading. There are less than four months left until the college entrance examination. Although I feel confident that I can get into a university in the capital, I still want to see how well I can perform.
Another week passed just like that. On Saturday morning, I steamed buns and stir-fried cucumber slices with eggs, then went to the supply station to wait for the villagers to arrive.
Everyone on the street seemed to be smiling. What could be so happy about that?
"Auntie, has something good happened?"
"you do not know?"
If I knew the answer, would I be asking?
"Let me tell you, every household in our city will have electricity soon. The notices are posted all over the streets. It's free; the government is covering the cost. Our government is truly good. They're doing practical things for the people."
"That's wonderful! This is a great thing for the country and the people. In the future, ordinary people like us will be able to use electric lights. We firmly support the leadership of the Party and will follow in its footsteps."
"Yes, without the Party, we wouldn't have such a good life."
Zhang Hongmei felt her steps lighten after parting ways with the old lady. She wasn't sure when electricity had been available in her past life. Electric lights only became common in her hometown around the 1980s, but that was in the countryside, and she didn't know when Liujiatun would get electricity.
Then we can use electrical appliances. But then I thought about the appliances in the space and rejected the idea. If we want to use appliances, we'll have to buy them, otherwise it's too advanced.
Upon arriving at the supply station, Wang Hongxi had already unloaded the truck and weighed the vegetables.
"Uncle Village Chief, you're up so early."
"Hehe, the earlier it's delivered, the sooner they can sell it. Hongmei, these are mushrooms that your third aunt and my aunt brought for you."
"That's great, I was just about to eat. Uncle, you eat first. Do you still need me to go pick them up?"
“I told you I didn’t need to bring lunch today, haha. Yes, I do. This time it’s being delivered to the cotton mill. Your brother Jianguo has been picking it up all week, but he’s on daytime shift today, so I have to go pick it up myself. I can’t deny I’m getting old now.”
Wang Hongxi took the lunchbox. The large steamed buns, made from two different types of dough, looked so fluffy that they even had eggs inside.
"Hongmei, keep the eggs for yourself from now on. Eat more to nourish yourself; you haven't grown much this year."
"It's alright, you've all worked too hard, you should eat more good food."
Wang Hongxi was touched. Her daughter was so thoughtful, but her own daughter was so clueless, always wanting her to buy her things. She was so spoiled.
After finishing his meal, he took the lunchbox from Liu Maocai and watched Wang Hongxi ride away on his bicycle.
Zhang Hongmei went to the supply station and bought two jin of brown sugar, which she divided into two packages. She told Wang Hongxi to take them back to Li Cuihua and his own family later, because they couldn't just eat someone else's mushrooms for free.
Afterwards, she strolled over to the cotton mill, where the gatekeeper greeted her with a smile. He had improved her life at the mill, so of course she had to thank him.
After waiting for more than an hour, Wang Hongxi finally came over. After weighing the food and collecting the money, he took the brown sugar that Zhang Hongmei had given him and went home.
Zhang Hongmei went to the post office to pick up the newspaper, and Huang Ying told her some inside information: "Hongmei, do you have any young male relatives? The city's power supply company is recruiting on Monday."
What are the requirements?
“Any strong, literate 18-year-old can apply. My wife’s uncle is in charge of recruitment there and can help.”
"Thank you so much, Sister Huang Ying. If the brothers in our village find jobs, they will be extremely grateful to you. I have to go now; I need to go back and tell them the good news."
Zhang Hongmei headed straight for the station after leaving the post office. She'd go back today and tell them this was a great opportunity.
It was past 3 p.m. when we got off the bus in the township, and it took another hour to walk to the village.
Instead of going home, I went straight to the old lady's house.
"Grandma, something good has happened."
"Why are you home at this hour? What good news has made you so happy?"
"The city's power supply bureau is recruiting on Monday. Any young man over 18 who can read and is in good health can apply. Huang Ying's husband's uncle is in charge of recruitment at the post office. We can try to pull some strings."
“That’s a good thing, Aimin. Go and call Wang Hongxi and Maocai over.”
"Okay, Grandma, I'll go right away."
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Let your aunt make you a bowl of noodle soup."
"Add some more bok choy."
"I'll poach an egg for you too."
Liu Jingze's mother felt gratified to see the old woman and the young girl chatting and laughing together. The old lady hadn't been this happy in a long time because of her third uncle's matter. This girl was so endearing and knew how to make the old lady happy.
"Okay, I'll go cook it right away. You two just wait and eat."
Liu Maocai arrived first and was taken aback when he saw Zhang Hongmei. "Hongmei, why are you back?"
"Uncle, the city's power supply bureau is hiring. I'll let you know when I get back."
"The city is hiring? Really?" Wang Hongxi asked Zhang Hongmei excitedly.
"Huang Ying from the post office told me that they started recruiting on Monday, but you have to be literate and in good health."
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