Era: Start as a buyer

Chapter 151 Squatting in the canteen every day in the north

The shuttle bus to Chang City sways on the gravel road from time to time. If you are not used to riding in a car, you may get dizzy from the swaying.

It was already July [-]th, and it was Luo Cheng's fifth day of work. Because he had to bring fish back to the factory to collect payment, Accountant Zhao went with Luo Cheng this time.

In addition to one hundred and forty kilograms of fish, Luo Cheng brought a lot of things, which he didn't let Accountant Zhao see. The rabbit brought seven of them, and the pheasant brought three in the car. I also caught two hedgehogs. This hedgehog Luo Cheng planned to give to Sissi to play with. In fact, hedgehogs are quite delicious. Even though they have many thorns, if they are thrown into the fire, the thorns on the surface will be burned off. Hedgehog meat is more tender than mouse meat.

There are actually a lot of hedgehogs in this town. When the weather is cold, some hedgehogs often run into people's kitchen stoves.

"Luo Cheng, did you get those cloths two days ago without using cloth tickets?"

"The cloth tickets are useless, but if you give me other things, how can you buy cloth without tickets these days? Who will sell us if you just give us money?"

As soon as Accountant Zhao spoke in the car, Luo Cheng understood what he meant. If he told his sister, sister, and Ergouzi that the cloth would be confiscated, I guarantee that the cheap father-in-law would ask him to help get some cloth.

Luo Cheng couldn't say that this cloth was free of charge. What he bought was a tablecloth, which was actually quite thick, thicker than the cotton cloth sold by the supply and marketing cooperative. It's more suitable for autumn, but it's a little thicker so it won't be unbearable in hot weather. People these days are heat-resistant, and everyone prefers thicker fabrics.

"What have you been given? Can you give me more money?"

"The rabbits and pheasants I bring here, and the ten pounds of fish that I asked the commune to sell to me, can all be exchanged for some cloth through extra money. But if you add more money, isn't that going to raise prices? It would be serious if you were discovered. .”

Accountant Zhao nodded when he heard this. He also felt that it was impossible for Luo Cheng to get the ticket-free cloth without asking for anything. And every time I see Luo Cheng come back, it seems like he has gone to the mountains to catch rabbits.

It's just that Luo Cheng can catch it, but his father-in-law can't catch it. Neither can he catch the pheasants in the mountains, nor can his two sons do this. As for the fish, it was because the commune needed Luo Cheng as a redemption channel that they sold ten kilograms to him. Otherwise, how could things from the commune be sold to individuals?

Accountant Zhao is a good accountant in the commune. He can usually make some small plans of his own, but he will not do anything about using public affairs for personal gain. The leaders in the town would not do this, and everyone would just keep it private.

I heard Luo Cheng said that the fish can be exchanged for some cloth, but the fish belongs to the commune and the collective. Selling Luo Cheng for ten kilograms was not done in his own name. But even if they knew that the fish could be exchanged for cloth, the commune leaders and Accountant Zhao would not take advantage of the fish.

"Then Luo Cheng, can you get me some cloth here? We adults don't need it, just a few children can make a suit of clothes."

"Okay, I will go to the town again in two days at most. This time I will bring some gray and black cloth. I will bring some for them to make trousers, and I will give you two pieces each."

Luo Cheng responded, "Don't give too much to make it difficult for everyone." If fabrics were given freely, everyone related to Luo Cheng would wear clothes made of new fabrics. Luo Cheng himself will be exposed sooner or later.

So Luo Cheng has already thought about it. In the town, we can only get a little more fabric this year, but in the urban area, we can get a small amount.

The car arrived at the station at a little past eleven o'clock. Luo Cheng's watch was in his pocket and he didn't have it on his hand. He got a watch really just to tell the time, not to show off. People would easily ask him if he had it on.

There were not many things, just over two hundred kilograms in total. Luo Cheng and Accountant Zhao went home directly this time. Zhao Qian was counting the days again this time, sitting at the door waiting for Luo Cheng. What made her happy was that this time not only Luo Cheng was waiting for him, but her father was also waiting for him.

Luo Cheng asked Zhao Qian to slice the remaining pork belly that was marinated last time and fry it with chili pepper. Just fry some more cabbage and that's it. I still have the Fenjiu I bought last time at home. I'll have a little drink and go to the factory after dinner. Accountant Zhao had to catch the afternoon bus back to town, so he didn't have much time to waste here at noon.

Stir-fried pork belly with chili pepper, the people in the yard are going to suffer again, and it happens to be another meal time. Many people are at home, and they go out to see who is not eating fried meat like this. I found out that it was Luo Cheng's family again, but this time it was his father-in-law who came to the city to see his daughter, so it seemed normal to get something good. There were no dishes, so Luo Cheng and Accountant Zhao drank first. While drinking, we talked about things in the town. There is little rain in this season of this year. Even if water is released from the reservoir, it is impossible to have a bumper harvest if we arrange for people to carry water for irrigation. There was no hope of growing food on the newly reclaimed land. Originally, the town wanted to use the newly reclaimed land to grow some non-staple foods such as peanuts.

But the recent instructions from above require all places to try their best to grow sweet potatoes and potatoes with high yields. If this is done, it may be difficult for towns and villages to eat even a handful of peanuts during the Chinese New Year this year.

Luo Cheng didn't express any opinion on this matter. What he checked on his mobile phone in the future era should be that drought has occurred in many places in the north, affecting the yield of spring grain planting.

But if it’s almost August now, spring wheat is no longer mentioned, and now corn has to be planted in the north. But how to grow corn in arid land? In addition, the drought is still spreading to a wider area. In some places, let alone growing corn, drinking water for people and livestock has become a problem.

In addition to the newly implemented collective canteen, everyone turned in all the pots and surplus food at home. It’s okay if we don’t hand over the surplus grain to the canteen. We can’t cook without a pot.

Nowadays, in some places in the north, let alone growing grain, their food is waiting for places to mobilize stocks. There are tens of thousands of people in a town, doing nothing but squatting in the canteen waiting for food every day. In fact, it’s not that I don’t want to work, but that I can’t grow anything.

Therefore, Luo Cheng guessed that the instructions for planting a large number of potatoes and sweet potatoes in the south should be regarded as a precautionary measure. If the drought in the north didn't continue, it would be fine. But if the drought continues, it will be a big problem. There will definitely be no problem in mobilizing reserves to survive this year. If there is no longer a lot of rain in the north next spring, there is no need to wait for the spring harvest. The collective canteen in the north may be broken first.

In the south, Luo Cheng also checked his mobile phone. It was fine in the first year, but it was also affected by the drought. In the second year, Zhejiang, Anhui and other southern regions could not hold on.

According to Luo Cheng's prediction, Chen Laizi will definitely be able to choose a wife at will in April or May next year.

Luo Cheng chatted with his father-in-law, and Zhao Qian's food was quickly served. Stir-fried pork belly with chili pepper, a mouthful of meat and a mouthful of wine, it's so satisfying. But Luo Cheng didn't let him drink more. A bottle cost several yuan, and he had to pay for it with drink tickets. Even if his father-in-law drinks it, Luo Cheng is not willing to part with it. He just drinks a little bit.

At the dinner table, Zhao Qian actually talked about Luo Cheng's salary. Luo Cheng's colleagues helped bring it to her and handed it to her. In addition to Luo Cheng's salary, the factory actually gave him a bonus of six yuan and a Poultry tickets. The others are some welfare items. Except for a piece of soap which is a physical item, most of the other welfare items are various tickets, low-end tobacco and alcohol tickets, match tickets and the like.

But these inconspicuous tickets also made Accountant Zhao feel envious. He worked as an accountant in the town and probably had nothing but some match tickets.

After dinner or a short break, Luo Cheng and Accountant Zhao went to the machinery factory carrying fish. There are ten kilograms of fish that have been weighed in the town a long time ago and packed separately. Luo Cheng asked Zhao Qian to kill them. There were only four fish in total for ten pounds, one for two or three pounds each. Get a fresh one to eat tomorrow, and simply pickle the rest. Luo Cheng may want to give it away or something.

One hundred and thirty kilograms of fish were carried on one person's shoulders and carried on the back by another person, and they didn't even take a break until they walked to the machine shop.

When we arrived at the factory gate, we hadn't even started work yet. The person from the Security Department saw that it was Luo Cheng from the Purchasing Department who was carrying something. When I heard that the fish was purchased for the factory, what else could I say? The two of them came directly to help deliver it to the kitchen. Luo Cheng went to the logistics department to find the person who would do the acceptance and weighing. This matter could be handled without going to Director Sun, but Luo Cheng still preferred to go to Director Sun.

Maybe Luo Cheng subconsciously wanted to ask for credit before he approached Director Sun, but Director Sun was there every time. I saw that Luo Cheng said he had brought back more than a hundred kilograms of fish. Although it was not a lot, it was really rare during this period. Immediately ask someone to go to the kitchen to have the chef there check and sign, and then go directly to the finance department to make change. We can't delay the accountant from the town taking the shuttle bus back.

The process went smoothly, one hundred and thirty kilograms of fish, just a little too much. Accountant Zhao took the money from the finance department, counted it, had a brief chat with Luo Cheng, and then immediately returned to the machinery factory.

Luo Cheng did not go home immediately, but reported to Director Sun. It must be said that these [-] kilograms of fish were very difficult to obtain. It was not easy to compete with the local purchasing station.

Finally, Luo Cheng came out of Director Sun's office with some more bills in his pocket, not as many as last time, but don't give up what you gave for free.

(End of this chapter)