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

Grandpa He quickly said, "Xingguo, could you ask around for me and see if you can get me some wild chrysanthemum tea? It's getting hotter and hotter, and I have to work in the sun. I really can't stand this heat without some refreshing tea."

Wang Xingguo nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle He, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on this thing."

"Xingguo, could you get me a pot of mint? There should be a lot of mint growing in the countryside. Boiling it in water is the best way to cool down in the summer."

"Uncle Wang, no problem. I found quite a lot of mint last time. I'll replace it with a new pot for you tomorrow."

Everyone asked Wang Xingguo to help them exchange things, which was actually a way of saying they wanted to buy them!

However, ever since private buying and selling was banned, people have regarded the word "buying and selling" as a taboo. They only say "exchange" and not "buying and selling," for fear that if they say it casually in public, someone will hear them and report them.

Wang Xingguo did get a lot of business, but he had an unwritten agreement with them: he would help them exchange things without charging them a high price, just the cost price plus a two-cent service fee.

Just like the wild chrysanthemums that Grandpa He wanted, there's plenty of them in the countryside, but they're not worth much. You can pick them for half a day and not even get two cents. Plus, adults have to work in the fields to earn work points, so only some children know how to pick them, so they're not hard to get.

However, this thing isn't sold in the city, so you have to go to the countryside to get it.

This year has indeed been very hot, and Beijing has also experienced a drought. As a result, many fields that are not near rivers and cannot be irrigated have to rely entirely on farmers carrying water for irrigation, leading to a general reduction in grain production this year.

In addition, the exaggeration of grain production led to excessive grain being handed over to the state, and serious waste of food in the communal canteens resulted in grain shortages in rural areas at the end of the year.

Around nine o'clock, everyone said goodbye and went home to rest.

The next morning, Wang Xingning got up early to cook.

Wang Xingmin also got up early to help his third sister make breakfast.

The four siblings each had their own responsibilities: Wang Xingning took care of her younger brother by taking him to school, doing laundry, and cooking, while Wang Xingbang was responsible for working hard to earn money to support the family.

Wang Xingguo, on the other hand, doesn't take responsibility for anything at home. He only focuses on making money, bringing back whatever the family needs, and providing them with nutritional supplements to improve their health.

It may seem unimportant, but it's actually very important!

Without him bringing back fish and eggs every now and then, and occasionally some meat, the family would only be able to keep from starving on the rationed food, but they wouldn't be able to grow up so healthy.

Over the past six months, everyone in the family has gained weight or grown taller, all thanks to him.

No matter how small the contribution, only when the four siblings work together can their home be their warmest haven.

After having breakfast, Wang Xingguo carried a water bottle and a wooden bucket and went out.

This was a necessary step; otherwise, he couldn't explain why he went out empty-handed but came back with a bucket. You have to know that a bucket costs several dollars, which is no small amount.

Once he left the alley, Wang Xingguo put the bucket into his spatial storage in a secluded corner and headed straight for the Third Steel Rolling Mill outside Dongzhimen!

He went there, of course, to borrow a bicycle.

Because Li Xiuping's older brother works at the Third Steel Rolling Mill, and he owns a Forever brand 28-inch 51-inch bicycle.

There's a misconception about what's called a regular 28-inch bicycle that needs to be corrected: apart from Flying Pigeon's heavy-duty 28-inch bicycles, it's impossible for any bicycle on the market to carry one person while pulling hundreds of kilograms of goods.

Under normal circumstances, even without considering the damage to the vehicle, one can only pull about 250 to 260 pounds. In other words, if a person weighs 130 pounds, he can only pull a maximum of 130 pounds of stuff. Any heavier and the vehicle frame will not be able to support it.

The Flying Pigeon brand 28-inch lever is a reinforced version, so it can bear a load of about 350 kilograms.

As for models that can carry one person plus several hundred kilograms of cargo, those are all improved versions from 65 onwards, and they don't exist now.

The Yongjiu brand Model 51 bicycle was positioned as a respectable commuter vehicle for cadres; it was barely enough to fit two large men.

After walking for more than fifty minutes, Wang Xingguo finally arrived at the gate of the Third Steel Rolling Mill. He greeted the security guards with cigarettes and asked them to inform Li Wenbin that he wanted to borrow his bicycle.

Wang Xingguo borrowed bicycles quite often, so the security personnel all remembered him. They would agree and then go to notify the person.

Big factories are different; there are phones in the security room at the gate. You can just call the people inside and ask them to notify Li Wenbin.

After waiting for seven or eight minutes, Li Wenbin came out on his bicycle.

He frowned and said, "Xingguo, what's with all this talk about you constantly borrowing my bicycle? It's not that I'm stingy and won't lend it to you, but you're always doing nothing. How am I supposed to entrust my sister to you?"

Wang Xingguo glanced at the security room; those guys were all listening intently to the gossip!

Wang Xingguo quickly pulled Li Wenbin aside and whispered in his ear, "Brother, I'm not just messing around. I'm borrowing your car to go to the countryside to buy things to sell. I'm almost ready to earn enough money to get a job. Don't worry, once I've saved enough money, I'll get a job right away, and then I'll marry Xiuping in style."

Li Wenbin frowned upon hearing this, but didn't say anything. He simply reminded him to be careful and to be alert if he was caught, and not to be too honest.

It seems the eggs and fish he gave weren't a waste; at least his brother-in-law treats him well.

Wang Xingguo and Li Wenbin exchanged a few words, and then Li Wenbin went back to work, while Wang Xingguo also set off for the suburbs.

Going to the countryside isn't just about collecting things; we also need to collect fish from the rivers there.

He doesn't have enough eggs to sell with the chickens he raises, so it's quite necessary for him to go to the countryside to buy some.

He also wanted to find out which village had a lot of pigs, since the sweet potatoes and corn in his space had grown to maturity and he could prepare for his pig-raising business.

Having a bicycle and not having a bicycle makes a world of difference. It would take him more than 50 minutes to walk here at a brisk pace, but if he rode a bicycle, it would only take him more than 20 minutes.

No matter how long a person's legs are, they can't keep up with the speed of a wheel's rotation!

Wang Xingguo rode his bicycle all the way to Gaobeidian Commune, also known as Xingfu Commune.

He had a close relationship with the Gaobeidian production team. Wang Xingguo had visited several times, mainly because there were many fish in the Tonghui River, and the production team here raised a lot of chickens and ducks, so they could buy chicken and duck eggs that were not part of the planned production.

What are unplanned chicken and duck eggs?

It's actually quite simple. The task assignment is based on the acreage of the land, which determines the number of poultry and livestock to be raised.

However, raising any animal carries the risk of illness and accidental death, so the production team needs to raise more animals to ensure that the breeding and purchasing tasks assigned by the higher authorities are completed.

If they are lucky, the extra chickens, ducks and pigs will survive and not die unexpectedly, and the production team will produce more chickens, ducks and eggs, as well as pork!

These are the unplanned meat, poultry, and eggs!