When Zhao Lanxiang returned to the room, she saw the pile of scattered money on the table, and her hand wiping her hair couldn't help but stagnate.
The dim light of the kerosene lamp cast on her plain face, and she couldn't help pursing her lips when she saw the money. This family is too poor, too poor, beyond Zhao Lanxiang's imagination. People who can't even eat three meals can still talk about happiness. Zhao Lanxiang feels that she should start doing something to improve the family's embarrassing situation.
He Sanya was lying on the bed with her grandmother, and she licked her mouth happily and contentedly.
"Grandma, have you eaten meat?"
The old man put his granddaughter in his arms, and lightly patted her back with his dry wood-like hand, "I have eaten."
The delicious taste of the stewed pig's trotter reminded the old man of the time before the He family fell. At that time, there were many servant girls in the family, there were endless delicious dishes and meat, and endless silk and satin... Accompanied by these beautiful memories, the old man fell into a sweet dreamland.
…
Zhao Lanxiang was sent to fertilize the corn field early in the morning. She was carrying the ashes from the stove, and when the commune members dug a small hole, she shoveled and buried the ashes.
At this time, the corn had already sent out tall buds, and the lack of fertilizer was very serious. Zhao Lanxiang was not afraid of getting dirty or tired. What he was most afraid of was the furry bugs hidden under the corn leaves. She turned around in three steps, and she could see the wriggling worms within her field of vision. This sour taste is more tormenting than making her hands and feet grind blood blisters.
At this time, she pulled out a caterpillar that had crawled over at some point from her cuff, and she was shivering.
"Sister Zhao!"
He Sanya drilled through the green corn stalks, took two sticks, and quickly squeezed the insects on Zhao Lanxiang's hands into her bamboo tube.
Zhao Lanxiang wiped away a cold sweat, "Why are you here?"
She touched He Sanya's sweaty head, and the little girl honestly handed over the bamboo tube in her hand. A bunch of squirming bugs were entangled in the fat bamboo tube.
Zhao Lanxiang was frightened when she saw the goosebumps all over her body.
"I'm here to catch worms to feed the chickens." He Sanya whispered, her eyes were black and white.
She lifted the lid and glanced at the worms in the tube, and after a while, it was almost enough for today's portion.
Zhao Lanxiang knew that He Sanya fed the chickens at home, and admired her even more.
When the chicks that Sister He brought back from the town were still fluffy, He Sanya started to feed them. She cherished these chickens so much that she ran to the chicken pen every day and took turns to hug them one by one. Yes, every chicken is feathered by her feeding on bugs.
Every day, Mrs. He can pick up two or three eggs, which are round and plump. She will knock one every once in a while to make a bowl of custard to nourish her grandmother. She saves the rest of the eggs. Let my brother take it to the supply and marketing cooperative for money.
For this difficult family, the hens are like a treasury, and the money from eggs is a very important income. If it weren't for the commune's rule that each family can raise up to three chickens, these three hard-working siblings would definitely raise a dozen or twenty chickens in one go.
He Sanya licked her mouth and said, "Brother is going to the town to exchange egg money today."
Zhao Lanxiang said, "Really? It just so happens that I'm going to the town to do some errands."
After finishing her morning work, she asked for leave decisively. Li Dali, the team leader, turned a blind eye, and gave Zhao Lanxiang's job to Zhou Jiazhen.
Zhao Lanxiang didn't know if she could meet He Songbai, but apparently when she returned to He's house, Sister He said that he had left long ago.
Zhao Lanxiang took out a piece of great unity from her bag, and by the way, she carried a basket to go out. She didn't call Zhou Jiazhen when she went to town this time, because she was going to do something big.
She came to the town and walked all the way to find the black market carefully. She bought fresh bayberry from the roadside stall and asked vaguely where to buy food.
The honest farmer's eyes immediately became vigilant, and he quickly waved his hand: "Comrade, how do you know if you ask me!"
"My sister-in-law has just given birth to a cub. She is very short of milk. My parents want to give her something good to eat." Zhao Lanxiang said.
The peasant took off his hat and carefully looked at Zhao Lanxiang several times.
This girl is very handsome in dress, a plaid shirt with two pigtails hanging down, a pair of black leather shoes on her feet, she speaks Mandarin in a melodious voice, and her voice is thin and light, and she looks very student-like. .
Zhao Lanxiang took out the money to buy all his remaining bayberry, and said sadly: "I can't buy eggs or meat, so buy more bayberry to make her appetizer... I can only spend some unjust money to buy food. Now, how many yuan does the food without a ticket cost per pound?"
The tight mouth of this honest farmer was finally pryed open, and he directed her to find an alley.
Zhao Lanxiang searched according to what he said, and sure enough, he found the black market in Qingmiao Town. This place is very mobile, and because of fear of being caught by the police, it changes to another location every once in a while. If it wasn't for Zhao Lan's incense eyes smelling the smell of the bad guy on the stall owner, it is estimated that she could not find this place after rummaging through the whole town.
She broke her mouth and bargained for five yuan to buy ten jins of meat tickets from an unlucky grandfather. She also spent money to buy a number of food and sugar tickets. She also bought a lot of rare seasonings on a street in the black market.
In the 1970s, the price of goods was actually very cheap. The price was set uniformly by the state, and it was easy to not adjust the price. You can buy a lot of things for ten bucks. With so much salary of Dad Zhao, there are still more than fifty yuan left after paying for the household every month. It's not that he is stingy, but that most of the things in the city need tickets. The tickets were used up and the money was too much to spend, so I had to save it.
Zhao Lanxiang bought meat stamps and food stamps at a low price, and was relieved. She took the ticket and walked to the grain and oil store, the non-staple food store, and planned to buy some pig trotters and meat back.
Passing by the supply and marketing agency before going to Grain and Meat, she spotted He Songbai's thin back with sharp eyes.
"I can only give you so much." The salesperson of the supply and marketing agency said with a look of contempt.
"Look at how big your eggs are. Are they worthy of the price of five cents and five cents? A small one like you is charged five cents."
Zhao Lanxiang glanced at the eggs brought by He Songbai. They were round and full, and even the chicken feces on them were carefully wiped off.
Anyone with a discerning eye will know that the salesperson is talking nonsense with his eyes open.
He Songbai was also used to this kind of cold reception, and he didn't even lift his eyelids. Selling eggs also pays attention to luck. When the salesperson is in a good mood, they will give them five cents and five cents as normal, and when they are in a bad mood, the price will be a little less.
He pushed the egg forward, ready to open his mouth. At this time, he was suddenly pulled back with great force...
Zhao Lanxiang said with a smile: "Big sister asked me to say a few words to you."
As she said that, she neatly carried away the basket of eggs on the counter, and pulled the man's clothes out with the other hand.
He Songbai furrowed his bushy brows, his sharp brows stood upright, and there was an inhuman indifference in the corners of his eyes.
"What are you talking about, say it."
Zhao Lanxiang said, "I'll help you sell eggs."
He Songbai said fiercely, "Don't make trouble, return the eggs to me," as if he were treating the unreasonable Sanya.
Relying on his youthful energy, he wanted to forcibly take back the egg basket from the woman's hand.
Unexpectedly, the woman bowed her head and shrank, holding the egg with both hands and protecting it firmly in front of her chest. She didn't bother with him either, she turned around and walked up. While walking, he scolded him and said, "That person's attitude was not good just now, but you are very kind to others. I didn't offend you very much. You put on such a bad face."
"Wait for you to watch, don't stop."
Zhao Lanxiang took the egg to a street in the black market, and she looked at the pedestrians.
An elder sister glanced at her eggs, Zhao Lanxiang waved to her, and the two walked to the hidden place.
Zhao Lanxiang said in a low voice: "Fresh farm eggs are big and nutritious. Anyone with confinement mothers and elderly people at home can come and see them. The price is cheap and the old man is innocent."
Her voice is thin and smooth, and she uses standard Mandarin, which is different from the rough and sloppy grandfather elsewhere. Her serious and clean appearance makes people look comfortable.
"How much is this?"
"Little girl, you only have so much eggs? Can you get cheaper if you order more?"
Zhao Lanxiang nodded.
The eldest sister bought half a basket of eggs.
Zhao Lanxiang did the same thing, whoever stared at her eggs, she went to recruit that guest
Zhao Lanxiang used this sneaky method, and a basket of more than 30 eggs was quickly sold out. Originally, the eggs of the He family were of good quality.
She finally ordered the money in her hand, and bought 2 cents more for each egg. Thirty eggs were sold for a total of one cent and seventy cents. She handed over the money to He Songbai.
He Songbai watched her sell eggs silently from the beginning, until Zhao Lanxiang sold out the eggs, his dark eyes had a sense of relief.
"you you… "
He Songbai's thin lips faded faintly, as if he had reacquainted Zhao Lanxiang.
The murderous intent in his eyes suddenly drooped down, and immediately became even more fierce and unreasonable, "You can't do this kind of thing again!"
He was thinking about her thoroughly, the He family's ship was completely rotten, and it was their business no matter how bad the situation was. But she is an educated young man with a bright future. She is neither short of money nor food, so she can't do such bad things for them.
Zhao Lanxiang said with a smile, "You care about me?"
The woman's smiling eyes were bright and warm, as bright as light crumpled into her eyes. With a slender and exquisite body, she walks gracefully, and she has a confident and determined temperament all over her body. She understands everything and can block all his harsh words with full words.
Clever and unreasonable.
He Songbai fell into a terrifying calm, and the tightly pursed lips became paler.
Zhao Lanxiang didn't care, and said lightly, "Let's go, I'm going to buy some meat."