"We're just bullying you."
"What are you doing! Why are you kissing someone?"
"Okay, okay, I won't do it again. Let me give you a good hug."
"Hmph, I won't let you hug me. It's getting late, I need to cook."
"Okay, I'll help you."
"That's more like it."
"Did you agree?"
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. I'll go and file for marriage registration later."
"Alright, alright, I'm not going to say anything more."
Not two days after Third Brother left, the brigade leader braved the snow to come to my house. Since I was a woman living alone, I couldn't invite the brigade leader in.
"Uncle Captain, I'm sorry, I live alone and it's not convenient for me to invite you in. Please understand."
"It's nothing, just a few words."
"Then you tell me."
"You have a few empty rooms here. See if you could let a few of the female educated youth from the educated youth compound move in and live with you. That way, they can take care of each other."
"Uncle Captain, is there not enough room in the youth housing complex?"
"No, it's just that it gets too noisy when there are too many people."
What happened?
"They weren't even new educated youth; they complained about the living conditions and the lack of food. Not only that, they ate the older educated youth's food, and used up most of the firewood for the winter. In the end, they even started fighting with the older educated youth."
"Then what should we do?"
"No matter what, we have to make sure they get through the winter safely."
You're right.
"And what about you, Li Zhiqing?"
"Uncle Captain, I'm afraid this is inappropriate."
"How could it not be suitable? Uncle has already thought it through. You can just arrange a few female educated youths; I won't arrange any male ones."
"Uncle, this isn't about assigning male or female educated youth; it's about my own wedding after the New Year. The date is already set, so it wouldn't be appropriate for you to bring anyone in."
"You're getting married?"
"Yes, Captain, I'm 18 by Chinese reckoning and 17 by Western reckoning, but my birthday is older. I'll be secretly turning 18 during the Lunar New Year, so I'm getting married not long after. It's really inappropriate for you to arrange for other people to stay at your house at this time."
"Is this Comrade Shen?"
"yes"
Congratulations!
"Thanks"
"So, after you get married, will you move to the military district next door?"
"No, Third Brother is only a deputy company commander now. If he moves to the military region, he'd need to be at least a deputy battalion commander."
"That's true, then it's alright. Just remember to tell your uncle when you get married, and we'll come over for a drink at your wedding."
"Great! I'll definitely invite Uncle to my wedding banquet."
"What?! Li, the educated youth, is getting married?"
"yes"
"Captain, what does this have to do with us moving there?"
"They're newlyweds and young. Besides, Comrade Shen is a soldier, and it's uncertain when he'll be able to go home and live with them. Do you think it's appropriate for you to move in with them?"
"Then what should we do, brigade leader? We can't let these new educated youths steal our food when we're out of food. They didn't help when we were gathering firewood, and now they don't even ask when they need it."
"It's just a pile of firewood, what's the big deal?"
"that is"
"You're such a piece of broken firewood, if you're so capable, then don't use it! If you do use it, then don't criticize it."
"you"
"By the way, hurry up and give us back our food! We don't even have enough to eat ourselves! You're thieves, we're going to report you thieves!"
"If you report us, we'll report you for failing to help someone in distress."
"It's better if he's dead."
"Are you looking for a beating?"
"You've turned the world upside down, haven't you! I, the brigade leader, am still here!"
"Captain, I'm sorry."
"Captain, I'm sorry."
"Alright, what's the big deal? Why are you fighting like this? You new educated youth, go to the brigade headquarters to get your rations later. But let me make this clear: you only get this much ration each month. Once it's gone, figure out how to get it yourself. The next ration will be next month. The brigade headquarters won't give it to you in advance. That's the rule from above."
"Thirty-six jin of raw grain is enough to last a year. After a year, the brigade headquarters won't take care of you anymore, understand?"
"Understood, Captain."
"As for the firewood you're short, I'll go ask the other members of the brigade later if they have any extra. But it won't be a loan; you'll have to exchange it with something. This firewood may not be worth much, but it was all carried back from the mountain bit by bit by everyone."
"yes"
"When you bring the firewood back, return the old educated youth's firewood to them first. They also need to get through the winter. Without firewood, people could die. If any of you freeze to death, then you'll have to figure out what to do with yourselves!"
As for you new educated youths stealing grain from the older educated youths, we'll deduct it from your grain when you start working next year and the grain is distributed after the autumn harvest. All of you older educated youths should tally up how much the new educated youths ate and give the accountant a number so we can return the grain to you.”
"Thank you, Captain."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Alright, hurry up and get the grain, then go see if anyone has any firewood."
The things that happened in the educated youth compound were not known until the New Year when the pig was slaughtered, which was the last time the grain was distributed.
It's true that I'm a new educated youth this year, but I'm ranked after the other newly arrived educated youth.
However, the distribution of grain had nothing to do with these newly arrived educated youth.
Besides the 1,000 work points I had left from the last grain distribution, I also earned 150 work points while shelling corn kernels after winter began, which brings my total to 1,150 work points.
This time, the grain distribution consisted mostly of corn kernels, sorghum, and beans.
This time, I plan to ask for an extra 800 work points worth of corn kernels, and half of the rest. That won't be much, so I'll need to buy 20 yuan worth of corn kernels. After I get married, my third brother will definitely come back to stay whenever he has free time, so we'll need to keep extra food on hand.
Because this time the corn was distributed not in the form of corn cobs, but in the form of corn kernels, one work point could be exchanged for 5 liang (250 grams) of corn kernels, so 800 work points could be exchanged for 400 jin (200 kilograms).
The other whole grains added up to 175 jin (87.5 catties).
I can buy 180 jin of corn for 20 yuan each. So next year's grain, excluding sweet potatoes, will be 1060 jin of corn and 275 jin of other coarse grains.
Putting everything else aside, just considering the flour yield from the corn kernels, these 1060 jin of corn kernels would yield approximately 986 jin.
Don't be fooled by the large amount; this includes food rations, work points rations, and rations you bought yourself.
That's enough corn to eat, plus 275 jin of other coarse grains and sweet potatoes, so I can properly supplement Uncle Shen and the others' diet.
"Li Zhiqing, I heard you're getting married."
"Yes! What's wrong? Is there a problem with Han Zhiqing?"
"No problem, I just didn't expect you to get married so soon."
"What's wrong with that? If you meet the right person and you like them, you'll naturally get married, right? It's better than just dating and never getting married."
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