In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

The first production brigade at Qinglongqiao collected a total of 328 jin of eels, which, at 15 cents per jin, amounted to 49.2 yuan.

The second production brigade of Pijiatun collected a total of 286 jin of eels, which cost 42 yuan and 9 jiao.

The third production brigade...

.........

There were too many eels, so Wang Xingguo reluctantly cleared two acres of land and turned it into a muddy pond specifically for raising eels.

On the first day, we received nearly 1,800 catties of eels; on the second day, we received 1,100 catties of eels; on the third day, we received 960 catties of eels; on the fourth day, we received 580 catties of eels; and on the morning of the fifth day, we received 410 catties of eels.

The total cost was 790 yuan. In addition to selling eels, these production brigades also sold chicken and duck eggs that were not part of their quota to Wang Xingguo.

He's now penniless. After buying the watch, he only had 750 yuan left in savings. He even had to exchange the chickens and ducks for tobacco and alcohol, as the production team needed some to entertain the visiting cadres.

In reality, the eels only cost a little over 720 yuan; the rest of the money was used to exchange for chicken and duck eggs, and the rest was paid off with cigarettes and alcohol.

When Wang Xingguo left, the people in the production team were reluctant to part with him. Don't underestimate the money he paid; many families earned at least a month's worth of work points from him.

For Wang Xingguo, a month's work points are just a few yuan, but for rural people, earning a yuan is really not easy!

But Wang Xingguo isn't completely penniless; he just really only has eight cents left in his pocket.

If these production teams hadn't been willing to exchange tobacco and alcohol for eggs, he wouldn't have been able to get even chicken and duck eggs worth tens of yuan.

Upon returning to the city, Wang Xingguo immediately went to the Third Steel Rolling Mill and asked someone to notify his father-in-law and brother-in-law to come out.

When the two men came out and saw Wang Xingguo, their faces lit up with joy. Li Laishun pulled Wang Xingguo aside, away from the steel mill security personnel, and asked in a low voice, "Xingguo, how's the eel harvest going?"

Wang Xingguo nodded vigorously and said, "We've collected quite a lot. Uncle Li, have you told the factory that the eels are edible?"

Li Laishun nodded and said, "We held back until two days ago before telling you. The factory has now set a price: 50 cents a pound for eels. How much did you buy?"

Wang Xingguo frowned and said, "Is it that low? I don't want to sell to the factory at this price; it's too low."

Li Laishun hurriedly said, "Xingguo, the factory needs a large quantity! Where are you going to find such a distribution channel?"

Wang Xingguo shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, Uncle Li, you don't know, I've already taken all the best places to get eels. They can indeed get a lot from the remaining places, but the journey is long, and they'll basically get dead eels. Although it doesn't affect the taste, it will be much worse. At this price, I'd rather keep them and sell them slowly. When the workers eat these eels and think they taste good, do you think they'll let their families buy them? At that time, even if I sell them for 1.5 yuan per jin, I can earn enough to buy that yard if I sell a thousand jin, let alone a high price."

A glint of light flashed in Li Wenbin's eyes, and he chimed in, "Dad, I think Xingguo has a point. Selling it cheaply to the factory is not as good as having the factory promote it for Xingguo. That way, Xingguo can make a fortune, which is better than anything else!"

Li Laishun hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly and said, "That's settled then. We'll just provide a solution. As long as the factory adopts the plan to improve the meals with eels, we'll have secured the two work quotas."

Wang Xingguo grinned and said, "Uncle Li, brother, I forgot to tell you some good news. Someone has already pre-ordered two hundred catties of eels at three yuan per catty. That means I've already made six hundred yuan from the eels."

Both men's faces lit up with joy upon hearing this. Li Wenbin hurriedly said, "Since there's demand on the black market and this eel can fetch a high price, Xingguo, you shouldn't sell it at a low price. It's foolish not to make money when you can! No matter what the factory says, we're going to take the credit. You get the money, and my second sister will have a good life with you."

Although Wang Xingguo now possesses nearly 6,000 jin of eels, this stuff consumes a huge amount of resources. He has already used up a small portion of the miscellaneous fish in his space to feed them.

The remaining half wouldn't last a week. Although he could continue to buy some more, fish also cost money, so he needed to find a way to sell more eels.

He already had an idea in mind: since no one knows how to eat it, he would teach them how!

If even one percent of the people in Beijing know how to eat eel, its price will immediately skyrocket!

After discussing it further, they agreed that they would go to the Li family's house for dinner the day after tomorrow, and then discuss anything else.

Li Laishun nodded, and then went back to the factory with Li Wenbin to continue working.

Wang Xingguo was also in a hurry. He had promised Xiehe Hospital that he would deliver the fish this morning, and it was already 9:30!

So he needed to catch some fish to get there. One must be trustworthy in order to go further in life.

You asked if Wang Xingguo was afraid of being arrested for engaging in such speculation and profiteering?

afraid?

Wang Xingguo noticed that some hospital staff were secretly coming to him to buy fish.

When hospital staff have difficulty buying fish, but he has a special channel, do you think they would protect themselves if someone came to arrest him?

Throughout the difficult period, these public officials also had a hard time. In fact, because they were required to take the lead, their food rations were also reduced, and the supply of materials was also much less than before.

In fact, they had a much better life in the past, and they actually crave nutritional supplements more than ordinary people so that their bodies wouldn't be so weak.

There's a big difference between someone who lacks oil and water or has developed a bad habit, and someone who suddenly lacks them.

Just like ordinary people eat three meals a day, every day, every month, every year, but if a rich person suddenly goes bankrupt, they also have to eat coarse food. The one who is more unaccustomed to it is definitely not the ordinary people, but the bankrupt rich person!

Wang Xingguo pulled two wooden buckets, one containing fifteen crucian carp and five black carp, and the other containing nearly eight pounds of eels, and arrived at the east gate of Xiehe Hospital.

Before they even stopped, elderly men and women who had been squatting nearby gathered around them!

"Xiao Wang, you've finally arrived! We all thought you weren't coming today."

"Auntie, I'm sorry, my car broke down today, and it took quite a while to get it fixed, so I'm late."

"It's alright, Xiao Wang, it's a good thing you came. Get the old lady a black carp!"

Wang Xingguo started by handing out fish to everyone. Snakehead fish have strong teeth, and people who don't know how to catch them can get bitten in no time. So Wang Xingguo didn't let them do it themselves, but instead personally helped them put the fish into the bucket.

Now everyone who comes here knows that Wang Xingguo's fish are all live fish, the best fish in Beijing, and the most suitable fish for patients.

There's no other way; survival is the only word, but for the patient's family, it's a glimmer of hope. That's why live fish are the best fish. If they had no other choice, they wouldn't give frozen dead fish to their sick family members.

People in Guangdong eat fresh food, emphasizing that very word "fresh".

People in Beijing eat fresh food because they value the word "fresh," hoping that the sick in their family will survive.