Chapter 0002: Now alone in the twilight

Although it is also a livelihood of carrying burdens, it is different from the peddlers selling cigarettes, matches, and osmanthus candy. The peddlers call out as they walk, sometimes shaking a small tambourine in their hands to attract the attention of the villagers. However, Li He has never heard the hawkers of the twisted dough sticks calling out.

Thinking back to his past, he truly was carefree and unconcerned, solely focused on his studies and hardly worried about the family affairs

Of course, if there is a grudge, it must be avenged

The sky has not yet fully brightened, and the light is rather dim, casting the surrounding scattered objects in a vague and indistinct manner

"Sister, I am not here to make money off you, just hoping for a smooth transaction," Li He said as he used an old scale to weigh the contents of the other person's basket. He then pinched some yellow eels from a bag and added them to the basket. The weight indicator rose high, "Sister, look, it weighs 6 jin and 4 liang. After removing the weight of your basket, which is 1 jin and 1 liang, I will give you an extra 3 liang as a gift. They are delicious, so come find me again next time."

Some farmers exchanged their own eggs and vegetables with city dwellers for food coupons to address the issue of insufficient staple food

His family does not have a proper household registration; if they borrow money, who will repay it

He thought he would still look for opportunities, waiting for a big business deal to come through. Once that deal was secured, he even wanted to go to the capital to take advantage of a few more opportunities, even if it meant just securing a few more restrooms within the second ring road. With that, he would never have to worry for this life or the next!

The entire journey was unrelenting, with the main roads from the town to the county seat being simple gravel paths, quite bumpy. If one were to ride a bicycle, the rear end would surely have something to say, exclaiming, "Oh dear, my goodness, it feels like it's about to bloom."

The vendors who arrived early have already set up their stalls, and it is certain that there will be no calls for business; we are still in an era of speculation and guerrilla tactics.

The sky gradually brightens, the number of pedestrians on the road increases, and there are more people buying groceries

Li sighed inwardly, wondering when he had started to calculate every five cents, feeling increasingly disheartened.

Most of those who can make fried dough twists are elderly people, who carry their burdens and wander through various villages, referred to in the countryside as the fried dough twist burden

Although there has been more openness in the past two years, it is still necessary to exercise caution in business dealings

You speak quite eloquently, my dear brother. The elder sister glanced at the yellow eels in the basket, paid the money, and swiftly left.

He instructed Li Long to cut the meat, while he himself bought 2 cents worth of fried dough twists at the stall, as there was still a small one at home

A few cents and a few dimes, the trivial matters lack any vigor, and Li is unable to muster even a bit of spirit

The guilt towards this family is something that I truly came to understand only after turning thirty; it was then that he truly became sensible

The subsequent buyers all arrived in bits and pieces, and both Li and Quan had the third brother come out to settle accounts, weigh the goods, and collect the money

Li and He have now completely understood, after two lifetimes, how could they not understand? If there is grace, then one should repay it

Li Long quickly loosened the pocket he had been tightly holding, took out a large handful of coins, and carefully unfolded them one by one, counting the one-cent and ten-cent coins five or six times.

The various differences between the city and the countryside begin to manifest almost every morning

Eels and loaches cannot possibly be sold at a price higher than that of pork, which reflects the prevailing mindset of the times

However, it must be said that at this time, money is valuable, and purchasing power is strong. A worker in the city earns around 20 yuan a month, which is more desirable than the salaries of civil servants in later years

At this time, which rural family does not have three or four children, and which family is better off than the others? People can lend you once or twice, but they cannot keep lending indefinitely

If one happens to need to use the restroom, it is guaranteed that even the yellow mud will be turned upside down

Eels can be sold for 0.3 yuan per jin, yellow eels for 0.4 yuan, and other small dried fish for over 0.1 yuan

Li finished buying the fried dough twist and exchanged the grain coupons in the supply and marketing cooperative for white flour. Nine catties of high-quality flour cost only 1.8 yuan, less than 0.2 yuan per catty. Gritting his teeth, he paid the money directly. These days, eating corn made his throat hurt; not only was it lacking in nutrition, but it also did not satisfy hunger. There were only three people in the family counting the work points, and the distributed millet was only enough to make thin porridge.

After entering university, Li He also sent the school subsidy back home, but it was merely a drop in the bucket. Only after graduating and securing a job with a salary could he provide support to his family. During high school, he was solely focused on escaping the countryside, moving to a big city, and becoming an urbanite, neglecting his family.

He looked at the pitifully crumpled banknotes in his hand and truly felt no motivation at all, casually tossing them to Li Long, asking him to keep them.

Halfway along the path, feeling both hot and thirsty, the two brothers had no choice but to sit and rest under the shade of a tree

In order to prevent the eels from slipping out of the basket, Li and He, after selling them, have to go through the trouble of threading the gills with dogtail grass, much like stringing fish, which is also a method of last resort.

That is too expensive, 3.5 yuan. If it's acceptable, give me 5 jin.

"Get out of the way, it's so hot, don't crowd over here, look at you getting all worked up." Li He pushed Li Long aside, it was really too hot, he was soaked in sweat, but it was no wonder that Li Long was so excited; for a family like theirs, two yuan was a fortune

There should be 20 yuan, right? Li casually replied, not wanting to dampen his brother's enthusiasm

Their siblings are young, and their biological father is unreliable. Whether it is uncles and aunts or cousins, lending money to them is done without any expectation that their family will be able to repay it

Li and Ji completed the cement road only in the 1990s

He was afraid that the eel would suffocate, so every half an hour, the snake skin bag had to be soaked in the river once, making the bag heavier. The two brothers were exhausted and panting, and it took them about twenty miles to reach the county town

Throughout the year, the staple foods are sweet potato slices, corn, and rice is considered a luxury grain, while wheat is consumed very rarely. It is only during festivals and celebrations that white flour is available, and having a meal of dumplings is regarded as the greatest delicacy

Later, he understood that there are reasons for others not to lend.

He did not dare to linger after selling out, nor did he dare to count how much he had made on the main road, quickly packing up and hurrying back!

He also went straight to bed. In this day and age, without electricity, without a telephone, without a television, without WiFi, there are no activities that can be considered entertainment apart from the matters between husband and wife; otherwise, how could there be so many children

Farmers do not have grain coupons; they can receive their rations based on the "work points" earned from participating in collective labor. If this is insufficient for their needs, they must find alternative solutions

Standing under the blazing sun during the day, the sweltering heat rises and envelops the person, while the wind that picks up at night gradually alleviates that oppressive feeling

"Sister, let me get you a few, to replenish your vitality and dispel wind and dampness." It was not easy to see a sister lingering at his stall, and now he was not calling out to sell; when would he wait until.

For a period of time, he continuously complained that his relatives were not supportive

It is such days that he has also received considerable support from others

Upon arriving directly at the town, the largest establishment is the supply and marketing cooperative, and the market has nearly dispersed.

"The money should be kept at home for your elder sister, do not give it to mother. With her temperament, once our father returns, it will surely be gone in no time." Li He glanced down at Li Long's smiling pair of worn-out liberation shoes, which were already in a terrible state, "I'll stop by the town to buy some meat, and then I'll get you a new pair of shoes!"

Sister, 4 cents, with food stamps, one pound can be exchanged for one and a half pounds of meat. Li has been eating corn for the past few meals, and his throat is sore; he really needs food stamps to buy some fine grains. Otherwise, without food stamps, even if you have money, the supply and marketing cooperative won't sell to you. As the saying goes, with tickets you can travel the world, but without them, you cannot move an inch.

He turned around and saw a pork stall nearby. After inquiring about the price, he had a clear idea in his mind. In this day and age, only pork is considered a meat dish, rich in fat.

He will only come out to help when surrounded by a few people

Li and his brother quickly took their positions, and then he pulled out some dry biscuits from his pocket for Li Long to eat a bit. Seeing that a nearby tea house had already lit its fire, he went to get some hot water, and the two brothers had a little to drink

Ah, then I will go back and help my elder sister hide it, I guarantee they won't find it. Li Long is also quite clever; he knows his own father well. It would be a lie to say he doesn't resent it. In a radius of more than ten miles, which family lives like his? "Brother, let's save the money, we won't buy shoes. In hot weather, we can manage without wearing shoes."

31 yuan and 3 jiao, 5 jin of meat tickets, 9 jin of grain tickets, brother, we have received them

"Brother, brother, guess how much it is?" Li Long's mouth was grinning widely.

Without plastic bags, it is essential to bring a basket when going grocery shopping

Around the time the rooster crows twice, Li He hurriedly urges Li Long to get up, lest they attract unnecessary attention from the neighbors.

Passing by the village, the sound of barking dogs was everywhere, along with the voices of people waking up in the night

In his previous life, he had no money to attend school, and he never considered earning money for himself; he could only rely on borrowing from his family.

What is the price

After finishing everything and washing his feet, Li He urged Li Long to go to sleep quickly

As for my biological father, he is someone who does not inquire about matters at all

Li Long was delighted to see his brother asking him to collect money, and he happily bounced around.