My 1978 Hotel

Chapter 9: Borrowing money to buy meat bones, the team leader hits the head with a smoke pot
"To the commune?"

Li Feng was lying in bed thinking about how to be lazy at work today. On the one hand, he couldn't lose his image, and on the other hand, he didn't want to do heavy work. He wanted to pretend to be sick, but he didn't expect Han Anmin to come over early in the morning and ask him to go to the commune.

"How could I have forgotten about settling down?"

"You see, I was so busy that I forgot."

Li Feng was a bit anxious about settling down at first, but knowing he was just on an experiential tour, he didn't worry about it. It was only when Han Anmin mentioned it that he remembered. "Okay, I'll pack and change my clothes and come over."

Settling down is a part of the experience tour. I think it can speed up the completion of the experience tour. Besides, I can go to the commune. When I think of the commune, Li Feng is really curious.

"How are we going?" After changing clothes, Li Feng, Daya and Erya said something, put two steamed buns in their pockets and followed Han Anmin out the door.

"Take a bullock cart."

Hanjiaba belongs to a backward brigade. There are more than 60 households in the two production teams of the brigade, and more than half of them are overspending. They have to rely on relief food every year. It ranks among the bottom three in the entire Maya Commune. You should know that Maya Commune is the last in the impoverished county of Tongcheng. Hanjiaba is considered the most backward among the backward.

As a result, the commune issued several bicycle tickets a year, but not a single one came to Hanjiaba in more than ten years. However, even if it came to Hanjiaba, it probably could not afford it because it had no money. Fortunately, there was still an ox cart.

"Ox cart?"

Li Feng was getting excited. Driving a cart was a technical job, a task he could undertake. He figured it would be easier than carrying manure, and he couldn't find an excuse to slack off. "Brother Anmin, is driving an ox cart easy to learn?"

"Oh, you want to learn how to drive?"

"Of course not. It's always good to have one more skill."

"Okay, you can learn from me later."

"Oh, Brother Anmin, you can drive a car too. I didn't expect you to be so talented. You have to teach me later."

Han Anmin patted Li Feng on the shoulder. He was studious, not afraid of hardship, and spoke sweetly. Who wouldn't like such a person? "Don't worry, I will definitely teach you well."

When they arrived at the mouth of the dam, the ox cart had already been harnessed. Han Fuguo was sitting on the cart, smoking a pipe. A ceramic stall and a cloth bag were placed next to the handlebars.

"Uncle Fuguo."

"Da."

"Hurry up and go back and forth while it's still cool."

"okay."

Han Anmin called Li Feng to follow him and sit on the front handlebar. "You must watch carefully later to see how I do it."

"No problem, Brother Anmin."

Li Feng thought to himself that of course, the system had already issued a challenging task, and he must study hard. That was about a hundred work points, which could be exchanged for flour and meat, and drinking a little wine would not be enough.

"Listen clearly."

"Hurry up, this is going forward."

"Shoushao, this is retreat."

"Oh, this is turning to the right."

"Hey, hey, this is to make the animals turn left."

"Hey, this is parking."

Han Anmin gave Li Feng a lot of instructions along the way, but it helped him to make great progress in the task. Of course, Li Feng was still some distance away from really getting the hang of it.

"The mission progress is 25%."

"good."

After turning back to the virtual space and thinking carefully, Li Feng soon stopped thinking about the matter of driving the car. That was because he had arrived at the commune. The streets of the commune were actually not big, only a street about a hundred meters long distributed on both sides of a mottled gravel road.

"Let's go to the commune first."

Han Guofu knocked on the pipe, and Han Anmin jumped out of the car, led the old cow, turned around and walked towards the commune compound.

Maya Commune is located at the southern end of the street, with two rows of gray brick and gray tile houses surrounded by courtyards on both sides.

The gate is a flat gate that is common these days, with a gray-white gravel exterior wall. Walking into the yard, the ground is paved with gray bricks, which is much smoother than the gravel road outside. In front of the two rows of tiled houses is a flower bed made of bricks. The layout is quite familiar.

Li Feng muttered, isn't this similar to his elementary school? When he arrived at the compound, Li Feng didn't dare to run around. There were still guards here, but the guards these days were different from those in later times.

"Da, you guys go and get your household registration, I'll go find An Jun."

"to make."

The settlement procedure was quite simple, after all, it was just adding an individual to the rural collective household registration. However, the girl in charge of the settlement looked up at Li Feng several times and asked twice to confirm that he would settle in Hanjiaba Brigade.

If you want to know what the situation is in Hanjiabao, Li Feng can tell at a glance that he is an educated youth from the city. These days, educated youths are all trying to find ways to return to the city.

Baba hadn't seen many people coming here to register as rural collective residents. Li Feng nodded. "Yes, I'll register in Hanjiaba."

The girl didn't say anything else and it was done quickly. In those days there were no household registration books or anything like that, so all they had to do was register.

"Da."

After completing the formalities, Li Feng and Han Guofu left the office and saw Han Anmin and a young cadre waiting at the door. "Let me introduce you. This is Li Feng, the educated youth who just settled in our brigade."

"This is my third child, a technical secondary school student, a commune cadre, and a city hukou who eats commercial grain..."

"Brother." Han Anjun interrupted Han Anmin. His exaggeration seemed too much of a boast. Although it was true, Han Anjun was still quite proud of his status. He smiled politely and extended his hand to Li Feng. "Welcome to Hanjiaba."

"Thank you."

"Da, come sit with me for a while."

"to make."

When they arrived at an office, there were two female comrades inside. Li Feng sat next to them and did not disturb Han Guofu's family from talking. For a moment, he became a transparent person. Although the two female comrades in the office thought Li Feng was quite fair and tender, they immediately lost all idea when they knew that Li Feng was an educated youth who settled in Hanjiabao.

Although some cadres in the commune have collective household registration in the brigade, their salary and other benefits are different from those of Li Feng who settled in the countryside. It is natural for these girls to look down on Li Feng, who has a rural household registration.

"Da, this is this month's salary, along with half a pound of meat coupons and some non-staple food coupons."

Han Anjun had enough food coupons to eat, so he saved half a pound of meat coupons and still had some non-staple food coupons. Li Feng found this scene a little unbelievable. It was definitely rare in later generations for young people to go out to work and return their wages to their families.

"Leave some."

"I left five dollars to spend."

Han Anjun smiled. "Ask Mom to keep it for me."

"to make."

Li Feng was a little envious of so much money and tickets, but then he thought about it, there was not even any salt at home.

After leaving the office, Li Feng went to Han Fuguo and thought about borrowing a dollar to buy some salt and seasonings.

Han Fuguo didn't hesitate much. After all, Li Feng had settled in Hanjiabao and couldn't run away.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Fuguo."

Li Feng was very excited after getting one dollar. He planned to go to the supply and marketing cooperative since Han Fuguo had a meeting to attend anyway.

"It's a pity that there are no food coupons or meat coupons. Otherwise, it would be even better if I could get some white flour or meat." When he arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Feng bought some salt.

I wanted to buy some candies for Daya and Erya to try, but unfortunately I didn't have any candy coupons. Cigarettes and other things required coupons, and non-staple food was even more in short supply. Well, I couldn't spend all the money I wanted to spend.

"bone?"

I hadn't expected my luck to be so good, as I passed by a meat stall and saw some meatless bones that no one wanted. "Fifty cents, no ticket?"

"Come on a pound."

Although there was no meat, the bones still had some meaty flavor when used to make soup. Fifty cents a pound wasn't cheap, but they didn't want tickets. Li Feng happily accepted the lotus leaf-wrapped bones. "Let's go back and make a pot of bone soup and vegetable dumplings. It'll be delicious."

"what?"

"Bought meat?"

Back on the ox cart, Han Fuguo sniffed. This kid borrowed money to buy meat, and his eyes were as big as copper bells. Good boy, I thought he was going to buy some real salt, soy sauce or something, but I never thought this kid would waste money like this.

"Uncle Fuguo, how can that be? I don't have any meat coupons. I bought some meatless bones for Daya to help her build up her body."

"Boneless and without flesh?"

"How much is a pound?"

"Fifty cents is pretty cheap."

“Fifty cents is pretty cheap?”

My goodness, even Han Anmin’s eyes were about to pop out. He spent fifty cents to buy a few pieces of meatless bones. Is this kid crazy?

Han Fuguo suddenly felt cheated, as if he shouldn't be so anxious to settle down.

Li Feng was still happily thinking about making big bone soup dumplings, smacking his lips. "Oh, it would be great if I could make some white flour to make dumplings. It's more delicious than cornmeal."

"Still want to eat white flour?"

Han Fuguo's pipe was smoking so hard that sparks were coming out. What a mess! He just settled down and he had to borrow money to buy meat bones, and he was still crying for white flour.

"A sin."

Han Fuguo was about to burst his pipe, but Li Feng didn't know it yet. He wanted to turn around and ask Han Fuguo if he could lend him some food coupons, but who knew that Li Feng just opened his mouth to borrow some more food coupons to buy some flour.

"Food coupons, white flour?"

How could Han Guofu hold back any longer? Grandma Bear, this is a picky eagle that has fallen.

"Ouch."

"Uncle Fuguo, what are you doing? Why are you hitting people?"

"Damn it, I'll make you eat white flour..."

"What are you doing? What's wrong with white flour? I still want to drink."

Li Feng muttered, this has further irritated Han Fuguo. What a bear! Eating meat and bones, white flour is not enough, and drinking alcohol. Damn, even landlords don't waste it like this. "Hey, hey, stop it, Brother Anmin, quickly stop Uncle Fuguo, what's wrong with him?"

"I'm sick, I want to beat you up."

Drinking. He has only drunk twice in his life, except for when he got married and went back to his parents' home. He hasn't drunk for the third time yet. Beat him, beat him hard.

(End of this chapter)