Chapter 12 (Catching Bugs)
Liu Ailing didn't expect Qiu Zeming to speak so bluntly. She felt a little embarrassed and left with a red face.
After handing over the corn, Zhou Jiani walked side by side with Qiu Zeming on the way back to the village. She whispered, "Hey, I just fainted once, aren't you afraid of getting hurt again?"
Qiu Zeming lowered his head and caught the mischievous smile hidden in the corner of her eyes. He said quietly, "Comrade Zhou Jiani, aren't you two good sisters?"
Zhou Jiani froze. After distancing herself from Liu Ailing, she relaxed too much and forgot to pretend for a moment.
"Thank you for reminding me. I would have forgotten if you hadn't told me." Zhou Jiani reached out to put the straw hat hanging behind her neck back on her head, and rolled her eyes under the cover of the brim.
The corners of Qiu Zeming's mouth curved into a big arc.
After dinner, Bai Haoyang came over and called Yu Wanxia out mysteriously.
Zhang Huihui was kicking sandbags in the yard, Sun Ping was bathing in the house with the door closed, and Zhou Jiani was helping Zhao Mei make a sash. Sash is the material used to make shoe soles. Sash is made by piecing together scraps of cloth until they are thick enough, letting them dry, cutting them into patterns, and then mounting them with white cloth. Layers of fabric are then stacked and woven together.
Cloth is in short supply these days. Not only do people calculate every penny when making clothes, but even if there are some palm-sized scraps of cloth left, they are used for patching.
So what was left were all in pieces, but Zhao Mei was still able to piece them together perfectly, making a robe that was more than half a meter square.
"Let it hang up first. When we have some scraps of cloth, we can continue." Zhao Mei said with a smile, "Jia Ni, if you want to make shoes, you can just cut them and use them."
Zhou Jiani looked at the shoes on her feet and Zhang Huihui's feet, and her heart moved slightly. She said, "Sister-in-law, I'm not good at making shoes or boots. After the autumn harvest is over, I'll buy some cloth and you can make me a few pairs, okay?"
She lowered her voice and said, "I'll pay you for the work, and the cloth is yours."
At this time, scraps of cloth are all good things.
Zhao Mei smiled and said, "If you have the cloth, there's no need to charge for the labor. Just give it to me and I'll make it for you."
Zhou Jiani shook her head. "It's not just one or two pairs. I need my sister-in-law's help to make single shoes for now and cotton boots for winter. If you don't charge me for the labor, I'll feel embarrassed to trouble you. I'll find someone else."
Zhao Mei felt warm in her heart and responded repeatedly, saying, "I agree, I agree." Then she said angrily, "You girl."
Zhang Laosi’s knitwear can attract a wave of buyers, as can Zhao Mei’s thousand-layer sole shoes, but neither is a long-term business.
But as for straw hats and other woven products, Zhou Jiani patted her forehead lightly. There is also a supply and marketing cooperative, and she can buy a batch from the supply and marketing cooperative.
It's just that the capital is different, but she makes money anyway, and she doesn't even need a ticket.
I decided to visit Zhang Laosi's house tomorrow at noon, and then go to the village supply and marketing cooperative.
By the way, find a secluded place to pour out the braised eggs you bought.
The door opened, and Sun Ping came out to pour out the dirty water, saying, "Jiani, go inside and wash."
"Okay!" Zhou Jiani brought water into the house to take a bath.
Zhao Mei carefully placed the jacket under the shed, pressed it down with a wooden board, took the bucket and shoulder pole and went out to fetch water.
Yu Wanxia returned after it was completely dark. After entering the room, she called Zhang Huihui to their room, closed the door mysteriously, and called Zhou Jiani and Sun Ping: "Come, there are some goodies."
"What's the good stuff?" Sun Ping brought the oil lamp over and placed it in the middle of the table with the broken leg. She urged with a smile, "Stop keeping us in suspense."
“Come, come, come…”
Yu Wanxia put the wax paper package in her hand on the table and opened it layer by layer, revealing a few black things. However, these black things gave off the aroma of slightly burnt meat, which really appealed to everyone.
Sun Ping's eyes lit up immediately, and she asked in surprise, "Roasted sparrows? Where did they come from?"
Zhang Huihui swallowed her saliva, but still said sensibly: "My sisters can't eat enough even though they work hard every day, so let them eat."
Yu Wanxia pinched her nose and said with a smile, "It's not that bad."
Zhou Jiani was also a person who was not short of food, and she thought she should be able to resist the temptation, but her stomach erupted in protest.
It's not that I'm hungry, I just feel hungry.
"I've eaten. You can have one each. Eat quickly." Yu Wanxia urged.
The three of them stopped pushing and each took a black dumpling, which they finished in just a few bites. They felt the delicious taste lingered on their lips and teeth, leaving a long aftertaste.
The sparrows were cleaned very well and roasted till tasty. Some tiny bones were roasted till crispy and sprinkled with salt, making them crispy, fresh and fragrant. They were especially delicious.
Lying on the kang at night, Sun Ping sighed, "It's only been two days, and I actually think roasted sparrows are a delicacy."
A hand rustled into Zhou Jiani's quilt, stuffed an egg into her hand, and then retracted.
Zhou Jiani was at a loss for words. She had several boxes of braised eggs lying around, but she had never had the chance to take them out and try them. Instead, she had to eat the boiled eggs first.
In the dark night, Yu Wanxia blinked and did not forget to interact with Sun Ping: "I am the same."
Bai Haoyang was shocked that Zhou Jiani not only did not encourage Yu Wanxia and the others to join in the trouble, but instead stopped them and asked Yu Wanxia to come to them for the decision.
The roasted sparrows tonight are a token of my thanks, and the eggs are a special token of my thanks.
Sun Ping was completely oblivious to their little interaction. Still in high spirits, she rolled over and said, "Your cousin is quite skilled at cooking. His grilled food is delicious. Thank Comrade Bai for us."
"It wasn't baked by my cousin. He and Brother Wang were in charge. It was baked by Brother Qiu... Oh, the one who's good-looking but quiet."
In the evening, I not only ate roasted sparrows, but also roasted grasshoppers and roasted mantises to satisfy my cravings.
Zhou Jiani sighed that gay men have great physical strength and even have the energy to catch sparrows.
The next day at noon, Zhou Jiani saw the two baskets at Zhang Laosi's house.
Zhang Laosi puffed on his pipe and asked, "Miss, is this what it looks like?"
Zhou Jiani nodded and said, "Just like that, Uncle Si, you are so skillful."
Zhang Laosi curved the four corners of the rectangular one, and added petals in the middle of the hollowed-out one with lace, which is particularly exquisite.
After receiving recognition, Zhang Laosi breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Jiani said, "Fourth Uncle, I plan to send some home and have my mother share some with relatives. I don't want the oversized hand baskets. Each of these two types of baskets is woven..."
She wanted to ask for ten of each style, but she was afraid that the number would arouse Zhang Laosi's suspicion, or that it would give others an excuse to accuse her. So she said, "How about five or six of each? I want a few more straw hats."
This was not the first time that educated youth came to the village. Every time a group came, they would collect something in the village and send it to their families in the city. Zhang Laosi was no longer surprised.
But since this was the first time someone had requested so many knitted items, he didn't think much about it and nodded in agreement, saying, "Girl, can I knit something like this and sell it? I'll give you five cents for each one I sell, and I won't charge for anything else except the straw hat. How about that?"
For the first time, Zhou Jiani experienced the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".
She had never met Zhang Laosi in her previous life, and the impression he left on her in this life was that he was a craftsman who was not good at speaking, and all the bargaining was done by Aunt Zhang.
I didn't expect the old man to have such a vision.
But she didn't dare to accept this order. Firstly, the style was not her original creation, and secondly, she was concerned about the particularity of this era.
Moreover, she took it away with the intention of selling it for money, which was a very profitable business, so she didn't dare to take advantage of it again.
Zhou Jiani waved her hand and smiled, "Fourth Uncle, you're exaggerating. This style isn't my own creation. Furthermore, it's not exactly the same as the two I remember. You could say you came up with it yourself, but I wouldn't dare take advantage of you."
She smiled and said, "Well, if you give me a discount this time, we'll be even. Next time, you can charge whatever you want. I have to be prepared in case my mom doesn't split it evenly and writes to me to ask me to buy it for her. Wouldn't that bother you again?"
Just a few words to start with.
Aunt Zhang brought a bowl over and greeted her warmly: "Girl, have some sugar water and a flat-bottomed egg."
As soon as the two baskets were woven, she loved them so much that she said that they would definitely sell well if she took them to the market.
The size is a little small, but it can be enlarged. Her husband is not good at anything else but he can tinker with this.
The only thing is that this style is the idea of this young educated youth, so he has to get other people's approval.
But she just listened and found that this girl was very insightful.
But that being said, if it weren't for this girl's idea, her husband wouldn't have been able to figure it out.
Zhou Jiani looked at the brown sugar water and the poached egg inside, feeling a little touched. She blankly refused: "Thank you, Auntie, but this is too expensive. Let your grandson eat it."
"This is for you. Didn't you see your sister-in-law go into the kitchen as soon as you arrived?" Aunt Zhang looked at her husband and saw that he looked thoughtful. She couldn't help but go over and poke him twice, saying, "Don't be so stubborn. There are still many days ahead."
Zhang Laosi also understood. He thought Zhou Jiani was worried about that kind of situation, so he stopped trying and said, "Okay, young lady, I, Zhang Laosi, owe you a favor. If you need help in the village in the future, just come to my house. Don't be vague or polite."
After Zhou Jiani placed the order, Aunt Zhang warmly escorted her out.
Bai Na couldn't get over her psychological barrier, so in the end Zhang Laosi took the straw hat and other baskets and charged them all for three cents.
When she arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, she saw straw hats with printed words and prints, and re-experienced the service characteristics of this era.
"I don't need a ticket. I've got a printed one for 1.20, from a processing workshop. There are plain ones over there for 50 cents and 35 cents. Which one do you want?"
The salesperson sat behind the counter, cracking melon seeds without even moving his butt.
Zhou Jiani looked around and asked tentatively, "Ten of these with flowers, can you think of a better deal?"
The salesperson was stunned: "Why do you need so much? What do you want to do with it?"
"I sent it to the provincial capital and bought it for my family."
"How many people are there in your family? Don't they sell straw hats in the city?"
Zhou Jiani said speechlessly, "Sister, just tell me whether you will sell it or not? Can you give me a discount?"
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