After eating, Fang Qiao washed the lunchbox and put it in the kitchen cabinet.
However, her kitchen is now empty, with only a stove and cabinets.
Not only were there no pots on the stove, but there were also no bowls or chopsticks for oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, or other condiments in the cupboard.
These all need to be picked up.
Iron pots are hard to buy, especially since they are newcomers and don't even know which way the shops are located.
Fang Qiao was worrying when Cheng Baidong returned from outside, holding Tian Tian's hand.
He held Tian Tian's hand with one hand and carried a briefcase in the other.
"Where did you go? What are you holding?" Fang Qiao asked.
"I've gone to report for duty," Cheng Baidong replied.
He had just returned from reporting for duty and received his supply book and next month's ration coupons from the logistics department.
Only the household registration and food rations of the three family members were transferred here. Tian Tian's household registration is still with her biological father, and Xiao Jing's household registration is still in their hometown, so they need to find another way to get food rations for the two of them.
However, this was not a big problem for Cheng Baidong. There was plenty of open space in the space. He could scatter some spirit rice seeds and they would mature in just half a month.
Cheng Baidong handed the supply book and ration coupons to Fang Qiao, saying, "These are the ration coupons for next month. Take a look."
Fang Qiao took it and immediately considered it.
Cheng Baidong was of a higher rank, so he received more ration coupons than the basic coupons.
But when the family of three combined all their ration coupons, they only had 2.5 jin of meat coupons, 75 jin of grain coupons, 1.5 jin of oil coupons, 4 liang of salt coupons, 2 liang of sugar coupons, 3 chi of cloth coupons, and one bar of soap coupons. In addition, there were some tofu coupons, vegetable coupons, toothpaste coupons, and a whole bunch of other coupons.
However, since the house was lacking in everything and needed to be bought, Fang Qiao finally decided to bring all the ration coupons and buy everything she needed first.
"Baidong, find a ruler and measure the dimensions of the stove. We need to buy a pot as soon as possible today, otherwise we won't be able to cook at noon."
Cheng Baidong responded, "Okay."
"By the way, do you still have those nationally valid industrial vouchers you saved up? You need them to buy an iron pot."
"Yes, they're all in your bag. Go get them yourself."
As the two were talking, Fang Qiao suddenly heard a slightly high-pitched female voice behind her. There was no malice in the tone, but it was too loud and a bit jarring to her ears.
"I saw people moving their luggage around last night, and I finally got to see them today. You must be the wife of Director Cheng from the new Special Research and Development Department, right? You look so young."
Fang Qiao came out of the kitchen and found a middle-aged woman in a light-colored woolen coat talking to Xiao Jing in the yard. Xiao Jing was a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and stammered as she backed away, "I, I'm not."
Fang Qiao stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Sister-in-law, you've mistaken me for someone else. I am Director Cheng's wife, and she is my sister."
"Oh, that was my fault for not looking properly, my bad." Chen Guizhi laughed to cover up her embarrassment. "My house is the one house next to yours to the west. My name is Chen Guizhi. What's your name, little sister?"
"My name is Fang Qiao."
"Then I'll take the liberty of calling you Xiao Qiao," Chen Guizhi said familiarly. "Xiao Qiao, you're so beautiful. Your face is fair and clean, and your skin is so good. You don't even have any blemishes. You don't look like you've ever given birth. Judging from your accent, you seem to be from Henan Province?"
Fang Qiao shook her head: "I'm a local from Beijing, my home is in the southern part of the city. My accent sounds like that of Henan province, probably because I spent five or six years in the countryside of Henan and I've adapted to local customs."
“Going to the countryside is tough. My niece also went to the countryside. When she came back to visit two years ago, she was tanned dark and very thin. I didn’t even recognize her.”
Chen Guizhi sighed, "But you look so fair and delicate, you probably didn't suffer much in the countryside. Now that you're back in the capital with your husband's job, it's like your hard times are finally over."
Her words left everyone speechless. Fang Qiao simply smiled and didn't respond.
Chen Guizhi noticed it herself. She glanced into the kitchen and changed the subject: "Are you taking measurements to buy a pot?"
"Yes," Fang Qiao nodded and said, "I just arrived yesterday. There's nothing at home, and I have to buy everything. I don't even know where to buy these things."
“You ask me? I know.” Chen Guizhi patted her shoulder and volunteered, “I’ll take you there.”
Fang Qiao: "Sister-in-law, isn't this too much trouble for you?"
Chen Guizhi waved her hand: "No trouble at all. I was going to buy groceries anyway. Come on, let's go together."
"good."
Fang Qiao gave Xiao Jing some instructions, and then went out with Cheng Baidong and Chen Guizhi.
Passing by Chen Guizhi's house, she called out, "Tingting, Mom has gone out to buy groceries. You stay home and look after your little brother."
Soon, a childish female voice came from inside the room: "I understand."
We walked and talked along the way.
Fang Qiao quickly learned about the basic situation of the pharmaceutical factory's residential compound from Chen Guizhi.
She originally thought that the employees of the pharmaceutical factory were all medical professionals, but she didn't expect that there were researchers, workshop workers and temporary workers among them.
The family compound was a melting pot of all sorts of people, from highly educated college students to illiterate women from the countryside.
For example, the family living to the east of Fang Qiao's house, the couple are both researchers in the research and development department, college graduates with high education, and very well-mannered.
The couple living to the west of Fang Qiao's house were a blended family. The man was the workshop director, and the woman was originally a substitute teacher for his daughter's after-school program. She was also married. The two of them had an affair behind their respective husbands' backs, divorced and remarried, causing a very ugly scene at the factory.
Further west is Chen Guizhi's home. Her husband is the director of the warehouse. She used to be a worker in the workshop, but after having her eldest daughter, she gave birth to three sons in a row. There was no one in her family to take care of the children, so she took a leave of absence without pay to stay at home and take care of the children.
Once Chen Guizhi started talking about her third son, she couldn't stop. She puffed out her chest and her face was full of praise.
Given that she was praising her son in every word, she didn't mention her eldest daughter at all.
Fang Qiao instantly understood that this neighbor was a sexist.
If you leave the pharmaceutical factory's residential compound and turn left, you'll reach the vegetable market in about five minutes. At the end of the vegetable market is the supply and marketing cooperative.
On the other side are the family quarters of the ironworks, the children's education class jointly run by the two factories, and not far away are Heshan Hospital, as well as primary and secondary schools.
Fang Qiao knew that Heshan would be demolished and replaced with high-rise buildings in the future, but that would be after the millennium.
This area is still a suburb within a suburb, surrounded by farmland, and further afield there are farms raising chickens, cattle, and pigs to supply the needs of the entire city.
Upon entering the supply and marketing cooperative, one finds a dazzling array of goods, far more comprehensive than the supply and marketing cooperatives in Henan Province.
Fang Qiao looked around and took a fancy to a large iron pot weighing five kilograms. When she asked the price, it was 18 yuan, plus three industrial coupons.
The price was half again as high as in Henan Province, and Fang Qiao hesitated slightly.
Li Guizhi suggested, "Xiao Qiao, this pot is too expensive. Why don't you buy an aluminum pot? Aluminum pots are lightweight, heat up quickly, and are cheaper."
Fang Qiao shook her head: "The aluminum pot is poisonous."
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