Chapter 18: With money and tickets in my pocket, I feel less anxious.

Chapter 18: With money and tickets in my pocket, I feel less anxious.

Early the next morning, Yao Shula led Yao Shuxin and Yao Shuli toward the supply and marketing cooperative.

The three siblings first lined up to use their egg coupons and then bought the eggs.

They even used the sugar coupons.

Yao Shula looked at the tickets in the envelope; there were two jin in total.

Yao Shula bought one pound of white sugar and one pound of brown sugar.

She knew that Yao Shuxin hadn't been feeling well for the past two months; the young girl had just started her period and always clutched her stomach in pain.

The brown sugar was saved for Yao Shuxin to boil with ginger and drink during those days.

Besides these, Yao Shula used all the available tickets.

Buying things with a ticket is much cheaper than without one.

Whole cabbages cost two cents a pound. Yao Shula bought ten cabbages. Although they were a bit old, the outer leaves could still be pickled with some salt and served as a side dish.

The three sisters even borrowed a tricycle from Grandma Zhou next door.

Ten large cabbages were placed on the tricycle, and Yao Shuli watched from the doorway, creating a perfect atmosphere for preparing for the New Year.

Salt costs 13 cents a pound, and that's all coarse salt. There's also a slightly finer kind that costs 15 cents.

Yao Shula decisively bought the thinner one.

She doesn't have the energy to slowly work things out herself.

"Sister, buy some coarse salt to pickle vegetables at home." Yao Shuxin tugged at Yao Shula's sleeve.

"You know how to pickle?" Yao Shula asked softly.

“Yes, I learned it from Grandma Zhou!” Yao Shuxin nodded immediately.

Yao Shula immediately bought two more large bags of coarse salt.

Immediately afterwards, Yao Shula took her younger siblings to buy green beans, white radishes, soy sauce, vinegar, and a small bottle of sesame oil.

These vegetables keep well, and Yao Shuxin strongly recommended buying more.

After buying these items, Yao Shula took her siblings to the grain store.

Although there was rice and flour left by Yao Guohua at home, Yao Shula still wanted her younger siblings to eat more refined grains since it was almost Chinese New Year.

Who knew that the grain store didn't just sell white rice and white flour; they insisted on selling it together with cornmeal.

Yao Shula gritted her teeth and bought another 15 jin of wheat flour, 10 jin of japonica rice, and 10 jin of cornmeal!

Oh well, cornmeal can be used to make porridge, so let's not worry about it too much.

After buying these items, the tricycle was almost full.

Yao Shula quickly took her younger siblings and pushed the tricycle home first.

After moving everything into the house, Yao Shula took her younger siblings to Grandma Zhou's house to return the tricycle.

"Grandma Zhou, could you please watch the door for us?"

"I still need to take them to queue up to buy some meat," Yao Shula said to Grandma Zhou, a little embarrassed.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. My door is open, and I'm sitting at the door sewing shoe soles, so I happen to be looking at your door."

You guys go quickly!

It's almost the end of the year, and there are a lot of people buying meat. You'd better hurry and get in line, or you won't be able to buy any good meat.

As Grandma Zhou spoke, she picked up a small stool and sat down at the door.

“Grandma Zhou, don’t you need to buy any New Year’s goods? How about we bring you some?” Yao Shula said immediately.

Grandma Zhou waved her hand.

“You all go about your business, don’t worry about our family! Ping An told me the other day that he would buy the things for the New Year, so I don’t need to worry about it.”

Only then did Yao Shula feel relieved enough to take her younger siblings out.

...

Each of the three siblings carried a bamboo basket, and each basket was covered with a piece of cotton cloth.

Why is it covered with a cloth? Because underneath the cloth are cigarettes and alcohol that Yao Guohua hadn't had time to use when he held the banquet!

Yao Shula's basket contained two packs of Daqianmen liquor and two bottles of Tanggou Daqu liquor.

Yao Shuxin's basket also contained two bottles of Daqianmen liquor and two bottles of Tanggou Daqu liquor.

Yao Shuli's basket contained four bottles of wine.

The three siblings walked towards the alley behind Gong Xiaosheng.

There are people there who Yao Shuli mentioned can buy these things...

As soon as she arrived at the alley entrance, Yao Shula saw a lot of people there.

Many of them were adult men, all wearing military overcoats, and they would approach anyone they saw.

Are you here to buy or sell something?

I have everything you want to buy, and I want everything you want to sell!

Yao Shula remained expressionless and followed Yao Shuli to a house in the middle of the alley.

Yao Shuli said that he had nothing to do these past two days, so he's been coming here every day. He's already scouted the place; a lot of people sell cigarettes and alcohol to this shop...

"Sis, I've been hiding here all day, and I overheard them chatting."

It is said that the price of cigarettes and alcohol increases as the year draws to a close.

"The department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives are running out of cigarettes and alcohol. The prices of cigarettes and alcohol on the market have been rising these past two days!" Yao Shuli said, sharing the inside information he had gathered.

Yao Shula nodded. Yes, that makes sense.

During holidays and festivals, the prices of cigarettes and alcohol rise the fastest.

There's so little supply for both household use and gift-giving, it's no wonder prices are rising!

"Sister, yesterday the price of Daqianmen cigarettes was seven yuan a pack, today it should have risen to eight yuan."

Tanggou Daqu liquor cost three yuan yesterday, and it should cost three yuan and fifty cents today.

"We're close to the distillery, so the price of alcohol here can't be raised as much as the price of cigarettes," Yao Shuli said with a sigh.

Yao Shula gave Yao Shuli a serious look.

This kid... he's quick-witted! If only he could use that wit for studying!

It's not like someone in third grade would fail a test...

The three siblings, each carrying a bamboo basket, entered the room Yao Shuli had mentioned...

After some haggling, Yao Shula sold two cartons of cigarettes and six bottles of liquor to the other party for a total of thirty yuan.

She didn't sell the cigarettes and alcohol in her own basket.

These are useful to her.

We still need to buy meat later, even though Director Liu has already spoken to them and they've agreed.

But if you don't see any benefits at this time, who would be willing to give you any good meat!

Now it's a planned economy, so Yao Shula has to buy meat there for at least two years.

So, we still need to give them something in return...

...

The three siblings quickly took their thirty yuan and went to the window next to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The meat was sold out by then, and many people were still asking the people behind the counter if there would be more meat tomorrow, and if they could buy more.

The three siblings looked at each other, and Yao Shuxin and Yao Shuli both had helpless expressions on their faces.

Yao Shula decisively told her younger siblings to wait at the door while she went inside with her basket.

The butcher is already cleaning the cutting board.

"Girl, we've sold out of meat for today!" the butcher shouted.

“I know, I’m looking for Director Wang!” Yao Shula said timidly.

When the butcher saw Yao Shula's cautious demeanor, he immediately pointed to an office in the back.

"It's over there!"

Yao Shula quickly thanked the butcher.

...

"Introduced by Factory Director Liu? Oh, I remember now, Factory Director Liu called me yesterday."

You must be Yao Shula! Look at you, why didn't you come sooner!

We've sold out of meat for today.

"Here's what we're going to do. How many pounds of meat do you want to buy? I'll have someone reserve some for you tomorrow, and you can come and pick it up then." Director Wang said with a polite smile.

While saying thank you, Yao Shula quickly placed the two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of wine from the basket under the cabinet on Director Wang's desk.

Director Wang's eyes widened immediately.

Their attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change...