1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 84 Complete 100 km
"If you pile up the cabbages that everyone eats in their lifetime, it would probably be as high as the White Pagoda of Beihai."

——Wang Zengqi, Hutong Culture

At the vegetable market, the air is filled with the smell of cabbage.

The three most common winter storage vegetables are: potatoes, radishes, and cabbage. The people of Beijing rely on these three to survive the winter.

Everyone was in a good mood at the moment. We queued in the cold wind for several hours without seeing anyone quarrelling or cutting in line. Neighbors would even lend a hand when someone was carrying vegetables home.

Jiang Xian also helped the aunt in his own orphanage to make a few trips.

When he came back, it was still not his family’s turn.

The vegetable station unloads vegetables one truck at a time.

Vegetable dealers divide Chinese cabbage into four grades according to the density of the heart. Not only are the prices different, but the first and second grade vegetables are also supplied with vouchers, while the third grade and other grades are supplied openly.

Jiang Xian held a pear in his pocket and strolled around the vegetable market to increase his step count while listening to people chatting.

"Where does that cabbage come from?"

"I do not know."

"From Tianjin, right?"

"Bullshit, the ones produced in Tianjin are mussels, which are pointed at the top and thick at the bottom, with white leaves and white stems, a big head and small feet. At first glance, they must be from our capital, or they must be produced in Hebei."

"Specially for those in the suburbs of Beijing, the long and thin cabbages from Yutian in Hebei are cooked into pieces as soon as they are put into the pot. They are refreshing and sweet, and are delicious for cooking or stuffing."

"Remember the Chinese cabbage we brought from Shandong last year? That one, wow, weighed dozens of kilograms, a perfect Qilu style."

Jiang Xian was surprised to hear this. In addition to cabbage, he remembered that there were several kinds of radishes.

The long one is called ivory white, the red-skinned one is called Bian radish, and the one eaten raw and mixed with cold dishes is called water radish, commonly known as heart-beautiful.

It is blue-gray on the outside and red on the inside, so it is named "Beautiful in the Heart".

That was the "fruit" I ate most often when I was a child. It was crispy and sweet, but eating too much would cause burps that smelled terrible.

Hence the saying: "Radishes are heavier than pears, burps are heavier than farts."

If you encounter the embarrassment of hiccups, just say something to get rid of it.

We were so unlucky today, it was a cold snap and everyone was standing in line, stamping their feet and blowing their hands, cursing "this damn weather!"

Jiang Xian glanced at the progress of [Fruit] (6/100).

"How long will it take to get there?"

He had just taken out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket when a group of street officials wearing red armbands came over, rubbing their hands.

"Let's all go back. It's so cold."

"Don't queue up. This year we'll just issue numbers. Go home and get your own food coupons, then go to the street to get a number."

"Each household gets a 'number' based on their ability to get food. Don't get more than you can afford!"

Jiang Xian spotted his relatives in the crowd and rushed over, "Uncle Wu!"

When Wu Jianguo saw that it was him, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Isn't this Jiang Xian? He's here to stock up on vegetables for the family?"

"Yes, I am the most important laborer in my family." Jiang Xian handed him a cigarette. "Our street is still good. You can get a 'number' and don't have to queue. It's convenient."

Wu Jianguo lit up a cigarette and took a puff.

"It's so cold, and there are a bunch of old men and women here. You don't know, just now at the vegetable market over at Liulichang, an old woman collapsed from exhaustion and was sent to the hospital. Our street office held an emergency meeting. I think the street officials should work harder to serve the people."

"I stand in awe, Uncle Wu."

"Okay, I won't say any more. I'm still busy. I'll go back first."

"Well, Uncle Wu." Jiang Xian came over cheerfully, "My nephew has something to ask of you."

"What's the matter?" Wu Jianguo was secretly frightened.

This guy is so unlucky. Every time he gets involved with me, nothing good will happen.

But he is also very capable. I heard that he is working in the Beijing Film Studio. Who knows who will be asking for help in the future.

"I want to be a volunteer. I want to join the winter vegetable transportation team and help our masters." Jiang Xian pointed to the big truck unloading over there.

"volunteer?"

"Yes, it's also for collecting folk songs." Isn't this crazy?
But Wu Jianguo thought about it and realized that he might really have such a need.

As a writer, it's not surprising.

At the beginning of the year, a group of writers had to apply to go to the south to have a look amidst the gunfire and hail of bullets.

"No trouble this time, right?"

"Have I ever had plastic surgery?"

"Come with me."

Wu Jianguo took him to find the people from the vegetable company, and after some arrangements, they agreed and put him in a large truck with a trailer. The driver's name was Qiao and he was not too old.

"Hello, Master Qiao." Jiang Xian extended his hand enthusiastically.

Master Qiao took off his gloves excitedly, rubbed his hands on his clothes, and then shook hands with him.

"Writer Jiang, I really like your works!"

"Oh, is that so."

"I am also an intellectual. I am an educated youth who went to the countryside."

"Where are you cutting in line?"

"The farm of Cuigezhuang Commune."

Today, the issue of educated youth going to the countryside has not been completely resolved. Last year, nearly one million educated youth were assigned to go to the countryside.

In early 1979, the higher authorities held an emergency meeting and decided to first run the farm as a joint agricultural and industrial enterprise, appropriately increase wages, stabilize the educated youth on the farm, and then make long-term plans.

"Master Qiao, how far is it to Cuigezhuang Commune?"

"If you fill it with vegetables, it will take more than an hour to drive, and the trip will be at least 30 kilometers."

30 kilometers?

Jiang Xian did the math.

This one round trip can advance more than 60 levels of progress, and two rounds can reach the maximum level!
In addition, Beijing now has Metro Line 23.6, which is 1 kilometers long and starts from Pingguoyuan. The one-way fare is cent.

To complete the 100 kilometers, he has many options to choose from.

He sent a message to his father, saying that he would do something first and come back to move the vegetables to the vegetable station.

Then I followed Master Qiao into the car and headed for Cuigezhuang.

"Didn't you apply for medical retirement? It should be easier now." Jiang Xian asked halfway.

The so-called retirement due to illness means proving that one is suffering from an illness and is unable to adapt to life in the countryside. All one needs is a medical record diagnosis.

Now that the environment has been relaxed, employment and college entrance exams are both ways for educated youth to return to the city, and retirement due to illness is also easy to handle.

It was not possible before. The restrictions were strict and many educated youth were recruited. In order to apply for medical retirement, they drank ink to cause gastric perforation, took ephedrine and vasopressor to cause high blood pressure, drank high-efficiency anesthetics to cause heart failure, and drank pesticides to cause gastric spasms.
Do everything possible to get home.

Master Qiao was steering the wheel. "I feel that I am living quite comfortably in Cuigezhuang Commune. If I really retire and return to the city, I will become an unemployed youth."

"Are you going to settle down in the countryside?"

"Not really." Master Qiao smiled naively, "I got married and had children there, so I'm used to it."

"I am willing to endure all the hardships in the world and devote my youth to the people!" Jiang Xian gave a thumbs up.

Master Qiao couldn't stop laughing. "How can I take on this responsibility? Writer Jiang, you are such a complimenter."

This is a sentence from the diary of the educated youth Wu Xianzhong. She refused to go to Yenching University and insisted on settling down in the countryside, which caused a sensation across the country. Later, this sentence spread and became the motto of many educated youth. Wu Xianzhong was regarded as an idol by many educated youth and was even received by the old man.

"Inspiration [Fruit] Progress +1, Current Progress (7/100)"

"Inspiration [Fruit] Progress +1, Current Progress (8/100)"

"Inspiration [Fruit] Progress +1, Current Progress (9/100)"

The car slowly drove towards the outside of the Fifth Ring Road, and the prompts in Jiang Xian's mind kept jumping.

He touched the Beijing white pear in his pocket and felt completely relieved.

Progress remains valid while riding a vehicle.

Then it's easy.

(End of this chapter)