Siheyuan: Don't mess with me, I just want to be a casual fish

Chapter 5 Food Buying Notes

Early the next morning.

It was still dark, so Li Weidong got up from the warm bed.

This time, Li Weibin did not wake up.

However, grandma heard the commotion and came out wearing clothes.

"You have just arrived in the city and are not familiar with the place. Don't show off if anything happens to you."

With that said, grandma handed some money to Li Weidong.

"Nai, don't worry. When has your grandson ever suffered a loss?" Li Weidong waved his hand but did not take it.

Yesterday at noon, he returned to the house and counted the money given by his stepmother Zhang Xiuzhen. He found that eleven dollars and eighty cents was already a lot.

What's more, the reason why he asked for money was to give everyone an illusion so as not to arouse suspicion by making food out of thin air.

Although it is not as good as stick noodles or dried sweet potatoes, the old pumpkin is not unable to fill the stomach.

The figure responded in a muffled voice, and carefully took out ten eggs from somewhere.

Because the black market was unsafe and it was his first time, Li Weidong was very cautious and did not take out the pumpkin early.

Strictly speaking, it is illegal, but because of the special nature of this era, in many cases it is turned a blind eye.

"If you don't show off, why are you fighting with your brother? It's just a fight at home. When you go out, you must protect yourself and run away if something happens."

"Lao Liu, get ten eggs for this little brother."

The middle-aged man said directly.

"Four pounds."

Although he prepared a torn sack, it was used to hold pumpkins.

The pigeon market in the 1960s was a product of necessity.

The pumpkin in your hand is definitely not as heavy as it is light.

If you want to buy a pound of stick noodles on the black market without a ticket, the price will be as little as two or three cents.

After Li Weidong entered the black market, he turned off his flashlight and began to scan the people squatting on both sides of the road.

However, Li Weidong was numb.

"Then please wait a moment."

Li Weidong didn't stupidly ask one egg or one pound of eggs.

"No, just two. I was afraid of being robbed, so I asked my dad to watch over there." Li Weidong grinned.

"Old Pumpkin?"

Some people may think that the black market in this era is just like the morning market in later generations. The market is lined with vendors selling vegetables, and you can buy whatever you want.

After all, stick noodles cost nine cents per pound.

After lunch yesterday, he persisted outside for more than five hours. He had accumulated some energy, but he was still very cold.

The middle-aged man nodded.

Li Weidong's goal is very clear, that is, ready-made food.

Compared with Li Weidong's estimated weight, the other party was obviously more proficient.

Li Weidong did not refuse anymore. He grew up in front of his grandma and knew her character very well.

"One pound of stick noodles." The middle-aged man replied.

"How many pumpkins do you have, young man?"

There is a place in the game farm, but you can't do a big magic trick in front of everyone, right?

"Uncle, take a look."

The middle-aged man nodded, and after Li Weidong left with a basket of eggs, he winked at Lao Liu behind him.

"Eggs are only exchanged, not sold."

Comparatively speaking, it is much more economical than eating eggs directly.

I don't know if it was because he was carrying a basket, but Li Weidong deeply experienced the treatment he received at the train station in his early life.

The so-called white noodles are actually graded.

On weekdays, it is really not easy for ordinary city people to eat eggs.

"How about exchanging three pounds for one?" Li Weidong thought for a while and said.

After Li Weidong left, he found a random corner, delivered the eggs to the game farm, and continued wandering around with an empty basket.

A few minutes later, he returned to where he was with a disappointed look on his face.

The best noodles are fine noodles, also called special noodles, which are often referred to as 30 noodles or 40 noodles in later generations.

This year, although the supply of eggs has initially been restored, each household is only rationed one pound per quarter.

Li Weidong repeated the action just now.

"Um, that's fine, then just wait."

This time, the middle-aged man hesitated.

The latter quietly entered the alley that Li Weidong had just entered.

In fact, the two are not the same concept at all.

"I still have ten eggs in my basket. Why don't you change them together? I'll give you the basket too." The middle-aged man came up with an idea.

The middle-aged man has a firm attitude.

Li Weidong walked slowly for more than ten meters, and there were only a handful of people actually placing things in front of him. Most people were squatting there, either with an empty basket, or with a few stones piled up, and some holding a few chicken feathers in their hands.

"How do you want to change it?"

Of course, if it's eggs, meat, oil, etc., he won't hesitate.

And most people prefer to call it a black market. Not only is it chaotic and shady, but more importantly, the prices are black.

When he got into an alley and saw no one around, he took out a pumpkin from the game farm's warehouse, covered it with clothes, and returned the same way.

This price was arrived at after he estimated it.

Especially in the past two years, the supply of eggs to ordinary citizens has been stopped. Those who live in the city without relatives in the countryside will not be able to see any eggs all year round.

Li Weidong came to the middle-aged man holding chicken feathers in his hand and asked softly.

Not long after, Li Weidong found a noodle seller.

"OK."

Li Weidong had already found out where the pigeon market was from his younger brother Li Weibin, and even asked him to take him there specifically to check it out.

But that is only if you have a ticket and a certificate and go to the grain and oil store.

Then there is the fine flour, which everyone usually calls white flour directly. The standard is 60 flour. Later generations of families mainly eat this kind.

In the novel Rings of the Year, during this period, an old driver in the city said something: I have forgotten whether eggs are round or square.

Therefore, these extra food stamps are more useful for going out to restaurants or buying some non-staple food.

Zhang Xiuzhen said before that the pumpkin she bought on the black market cost eight cents a pound, and three pounds was 24 cents.

As for Fuqiang fans, it is 70 fans, which is a little bit worse.

Grandma glared at Li Weidong angrily and stubbornly put the money into Li Weidong's pocket.

The middle-aged man glanced at Li Weidong and emphasized the last few words.

"Uncle, what are you selling?"

"Okay, I promise to run faster than a rabbit."

"Uncle, do you have a basket? I'll buy it with money." Li Weidong had to ask for help.

"Um."

"I don't think it's more than three pounds or four pounds. My old pumpkin weighs at least thirty pounds. I can trade it with you for ten eggs. Is that okay?"

Moreover, food stamps are also dated, so they are basically used within the same month and become invalid upon expiration.

But seeing five big old pumpkins, the little pain I suffered was nothing.

At this time, the middle-aged man said to a figure squatting a few meters behind him.

After all, it was equivalent to two hours of sunbathing.

"Where's the money?"

"Okay, I will come every other day. If you still have pumpkins, come and exchange them with me."

Two pumpkins were exchanged for twenty eggs, which was worth it in his opinion.

Therefore, although the other party wants a pound of stick noodles, the price is not outrageous.

Without a grain book, even if you go to the grain and oil store with grain stamps, they won't sell it to you.

"Brother, do you want a ticket?"

After taking the flashlight and saying goodbye to his grandma, Li Weidong left in a hurry.

After Li Weidong finished speaking, he turned and left.

These days, eggs are more valuable than meat and are comparable to luxury goods.

The middle-aged man took the old pumpkin and just weighed it, with a hint of joy on his face.

The middle-aged man who took the pumpkin again looked at Li Weidong with a strange expression.

"No change."

"Okay, how do you change it?" Li Weidong also responded.

After casually asking about the price, Li Weidong gave up.

"What about the pumpkin? Do you want to replace the fine old pumpkin?" Li Weidong asked again.

However, nowadays, the most popular ones are still 80 flour, which is a standard implemented when food is in short supply. It is gray in color and tastes bad.

But even so, at present, it is a standard fine grain, and I don’t know how many people can’t eat it.

What the other party sells is this kind of 80 powder.

Eighty cents a pound!

It is almost 5 times the amount after using food stamps for grain and oil.

(End of chapter)