Chapter 0003: Establishment of the Production Brigade

Li Dong is making some preparations to go to the reservoir in the evening to catch fish and shrimp to improve his living conditions. For the past two days, he has been eating rice porridge, wild vegetable rice cakes, and has hardly had two meals of steamed rice, leaving his stomach completely empty.

This is no joke; if one is truly caught, they could be imprisoned for ten to twenty years with no avenue for appeal. As for speculation and profiteering, it is common for individuals to be executed for just a few dozen yuan. Li Dong certainly does not wish to be arrested and face execution.

Is there anyone else at home

What are you still sleeping for? The mosquitoes are going to bite people. Logically, after such a long drought, there should be fewer mosquitoes.

No wonder I slept so comfortably in the second half of the night, with no mosquitoes and a cool breeze. It turns out that Xiao Juan helped to chase away the mosquitoes. "You go ahead and sleep, I will get up and take a walk."

Accomplished

Xiao Juan saw Li Dong get up and quickly climbed up. The captain, her grandfather, assigned Xiao Juan a task to keep a close watch on her uncle, ensuring he does not throw himself into the river. The thought of throwing himself into the river reminded Xiao Juan of her father, who was lost after throwing himself into the river.

The little person tightly tugged at Li Dong's hem, looking pitiful, leaving Li Dong utterly confused. "What happened?"

In the evening, everyone came over, and Li Dong could be considered part of the Han family's group. Han Guofu brought a one-meter bag containing about ten pounds of rice, while other families brought either half a bottle of vinegar, half a pound of soy sauce, a bag of salt, or a few handfuls of beans

On this journey, the mosquitoes were terrifyingly numerous, leaving him covered in painful bites. As soon as he returned to the house, Li Dong just wanted to find a bed to lie down, unaware of the situation inside the house

By around 7 or 8 o'clock, the entire village had fallen silent, not even the sound of barking dogs could be heard. There is no surplus grain at home to keep a dog, and as for cats, anyone who raises such a creature would undoubtedly be criticized behind their back for being wasteful.

Is your home far away, Xiao Juan

Xiao Juan shook her head again, and Li Dong really didn't know what to say. "Alright, alright, I won't wash my face here, I'll go to the captain's house." Yesterday, Han Guofu mentioned that he would have breakfast at his place in the morning. Li Dong didn't hold back, mainly because he didn't have the ability to be polite.

Each household has limited cooking oil, and half a kilogram is usually sufficient for about half a month in an average home

The buzzing of the mosquitoes was unbearable, keeping Li Dong awake all night. Finally, he managed to fall asleep, and a cool breeze came in the middle of the night, which was quite pleasant

Li Dong wore a helpless expression; why was this little girl following him so closely? He surveyed the room and realized it was drafty everywhere, no wonder there were so many mosquitoes. The house had very little furniture: two large boxes, a chopping board table, a long bench, and a few small stools.

Li Dong was taken aback and glanced at Han Xiaojun, who was lowering her head. "Alright, Xiaojun can come with me from now on."

There is no need to take it off, you have no clean ones to change into, just keep this piece of clothing

The spirit of Lee Dong from the Korean company Fuhua is still quite good, thinking that if this matter regarding Lee Dong is not resolved, it will also be an issue, and it is not good to delay it. Which family has extra rations to feed others

The hair is a messy yellow, the face is not exactly sallow but rather dark, yet there are a pair of large eyes that are quite bright. The temperament is somewhat timid, and the voice is soft.

Not far...

The village was dark and quiet, except for the occasional sounds coming from the mountains. Along this path, Li Dong felt a bit apprehensive.

Li Dong was trying to make conversation. Just then, Han Guofu had told Li Dong about Xiao Juan's situation. This child is also pitiful; her mother, a sent-down youth, left her and her grandfather to return to the city after being admitted to a vocational school last year. Her father went to the city to find her mother, got into a conflict, and plunged into the Yangtze River, never to resurface.

Registering for a household registration is now straightforward. The team leader can provide a certificate, and by submitting some documentation, the registration can be completed without needing to investigate your parents. The process of settling the household is manageable, and it can be accomplished in just one morning. Once the certificate is obtained, Li Dong will officially be considered a member of the Han family team.

Although the house is not completely bare, it is not much better either. The rice jar is empty, and the water tank has no water. However, the stove in the makeshift shed next to it is still there, though the pot has long been broken. As for other items, it is even more dismal; there isn't even a single vegetable knife. On the other hand, a complete set of bowls and chopsticks is available for the family of three.

It is good to be wealthy in Korea, and at home, one speaks with authority. In the morning, I have rice porridge with some wild vegetables and rice cakes. What vegetables can one eat so early in the morning? Besides, there are no vegetables available; there isn't even any pickled vegetable to eat. Pickled vegetables do not require salt. Just mixing it all together to fill the stomach is already quite satisfactory

By the way, this thing is from your pants pocket

Did you fan me yesterday

Li Dong is currently wearing clothes from South Korea, which not only have patches but are also misshapen. At this point, having any clothes to wear is already fortunate. Being seventeen or eighteen and going around in the nude is not unheard of. In the countryside, it is rare to see a new set of clothes for more than a year or two; if one can last three to five years, that would be considered quite good.

Li Dong turned to look at the little one. After all, he was occupying someone else's territory, and he couldn't be sure if Xiao Juan had any objections. Surprisingly, the little girl actually nodded her head.

Li Dong took it over, thinking about whether he could catch some fish if he looked back. It was not appropriate to say this in front of the wealthy Korean, as the reservoir belonged to the collective. If he went fishing in the reservoir, he might end up getting caught.

Li Dong shook his head, home, he came here himself after forty years, who should he look for

It is essential to quickly grasp the current situation; without mentioning anything else, we must ensure our basic needs for food and clothing are met

What do you usually do at home

The wealthy man from Korea clapped his hands and gritted his teeth. "I will give you Xiaojun's house like this. Xiaojun will be registered under your household. What do you think?"

Do not follow me, I am just going to wash my face

Li Dong is a tall man, clearly someone who can exert strength. The production team does not have much objection to this; an extra portion of food in exchange for a diligent laborer is something everyone has in mind.

I am swatting mosquitoes

In South Korea, Fu Jian saw Li Dong taking off his clothes and waving his hand. After all, the captain has several sets of clothes, and this particular set has also faded after washing, so it won't last much longer.

Now only Xiao Juan is left, and Li Dong let out a sigh; this child is indeed pitiable

Xiao Juan got up and took out some cattail sticks, igniting them to produce billowing smoke. Li Dong was taken aback, wondering what this was. Was it incense? This was far too pungent.

Xiao Juan, why are there so many mosquitoes?

The term "in pitch darkness" is something Li Dong can truly relate to now. After much effort, he finally arrived at Xiao Juan's house with the light of a kerosene lamp, but it was still too dark to see clearly. The light from the lamp was insufficient, and Li Dong was genuinely exhausted at this point. He stumbled along the way, feeling weak as he had been, and after just a few minutes of walking, he was already tired.

Forget it, forget it, Li Dong said with a bitter smile. It is already fortunate to be alive in the year 1978, so what is there to fuss about? Let's just sleep.

There are no grandparents at home, and now it is said nicely that we are eating the food of a hundred families, but each family can hardly provide enough to fill our stomachs. Although they look like they are three or four years old, in reality, they are already six or seven years old

Carrying a kerosene lamp, the team leader Han Guofu's family, this item Li Dong had seen in the museum but was using for the first time. The production team had no electricity, so at night they could only light kerosene lamps. Naturally, not many families could afford to use this luxurious item, and as soon as night fell, they would go to bed.

No wonder it is said that people nowadays want to eat meat; their stomachs lack any fat. When it comes to vegetables, just a few drops of oil are used to stew a pot, and not to mention lard, even seeing it is rare, making it difficult to fill one's stomach.

Alright, I will go to the commune to confirm this for you shortly

A water tank with a broken mouth, and a small rice jar. Li Dong opened it and took a look; there was not even a single grain of rice, nothing at all.

Speaking, the wealthy Korean took out a fishing bait, not expecting that this item would also be brought along. Li Dong took the bait, realizing that with this good item, he might be able to catch some fish and shrimp. It is important to note that this is the Yangtze River basin, where the surrounding water systems are interconnected. Not to mention, the reservoir is certainly abundant with fish and shrimp.

Li Dong was delighted to have fried fish to eat, feeling grateful to everyone as he sent them off. Upon returning home, he saw Xiao Juan tidying up and hurried over to help. They planned to prepare a fish for dinner, and the next day they would surely enjoy a comforting fish stew.

Stepping outside to take a look, the earthen walls reveal that the foundation is actually built of stacked stones, with a thatched roof. Not to mention, this house is quite decent for this time, and the stone foundation is something that many would envy.

Xiao Juan, are you willing to?

Xiao Juan shook her head, and Li Dong was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. What does this girl mean? "I am washing my face, is this water not suitable for washing my face?"

How could he feel comfortable? Li Dong actually did not want to wear it, but when he thought about it, he really only had one set of clothes. He certainly could not go without changing every day. It is truly embarrassing that a modern person like himself, who has come here after forty years, finds himself in a situation where he has no clothes to wear.

This is mine, it was bought during my last trip to the city

The wealthy man from Korea said, since it's a new house, let's make it lively. Upon hearing this, Li Dong felt a bit embarrassed, as he had nothing to entertain everyone. "By the way, this is your clothing; your aunt washed it for you and hung it out to dry"

Li Dong intended to wash his face in the creek. At that time, there was no small canal winding around the village, so he could only go to the creek to wash his face. Fortunately, it was not far away, and there was still a little water left in the dried-up stream. Li Dong wanted to go down to the bottom of the creek to scoop some water to wash his face, but just as he was about to go down, he was stopped by Xiao Juan.

"Later, when we finish work, everyone should come and take a look; you can consider this as having a home."

Captain, I would like to settle in our production team

When I just got the clothes, my partner at home said, "The fabric of this clothing is really good, it doesn't shrink at all, especially the shorts are thick. This outfit is worth at least 5 dollars, and those shoes, I've never seen before, they look expensive at first glance"

The water tank is placed under the window, with a large gap. It is said that the window is supported by just a few tree branches, while newspapers are pasted on the wall. It seems that this little Juan's mother has some connections as a sent-down youth.

Obtaining an urban household registration is exceedingly difficult, akin to the challenge of constructing an atomic bomb. Conversely, settling in a production team appears to be the most reliable option.

The wealthy in South Korea, this is not impossible. There are quite a few educated youth who have settled down, after all, the earliest batch has been over ten years, and many have started families and are close to marrying.

Ah?

Settle in our production team

During this half day, Li Dong was not just wandering aimlessly; he managed to gather some information. The production team here is still promoting slogans related to revolutionary struggles. In addition to this, Li Dong also inquired about the private plots of land owned by each household, as well as the situation regarding the raising of chickens and ducks.

The majority are wealthy families from South Korea, with five ducks and five hens, totaling ten. In this day and age, having more than ten is considered the tail end of capitalism, which must be cut off. Nowadays, if one is not careful, they may be reported, and at this time, reporting is indeed seen as honorable

It was just that the day was hot again, there were many mosquitoes, and the wooden bed was indeed hard and uncomfortable, making it impossible to sleep despite tossing and turning.

What are your plans

Arriving at the wealthy household in Korea, what a lively scene it is, with more than ten family members gathered together. Several children are running around the yard, and Li Dong and Xiao Juan have come over. The two daughters-in-law of the wealthy family rolled their eyes, as the household's food supplies are already limited, and now two more mouths have come to eat for free

No one came empty-handed, the rice bin finally has supplies, Li Dong estimated that there are about 20 to 30 jin of rice, and the accountant Han Guobing sent half a jin of vegetable oil, which is a good item, currently priced at over 0.7 yuan per jin, and it is not easy to buy

Upon waking in the morning, I found Xiao Juan lying beside me, still holding a broken fan in her hand. The cool breeze at night was fanned by this girl. As soon as Li Dong made a slight movement, Xiao Juan climbed up and looked at him with her big eyes

It was only a six or seven minute walk, but the road was difficult to navigate at night, full of pits and depressions, unlike the later stone-paved road which was much smoother