Chapter 0007: The Extravagance of One Yuan

What happened

It is estimated that Li Dong will only arrive a little after 5 o'clock, and the weather is still somewhat cool. However, it is no joke to cover more than ten miles, and besides, it is not easy to get out to work. "Brother Wei Jun, our team doesn't have any bicycles or anything; wouldn't it be faster if we rode a bike?"

Generally, a brigade does not work together; according to Li Dong's limited understanding, a typical brigade has at least three or four production teams

I will take a look, I will take a look

We are not a large team, so where would we get a bicycle? Besides, being so close to the commune, what do we need a bicycle for

At that time, resources were scarce, and many items had to be reserved in advance. Newcomers needed to arrange for basins and thermos flasks ahead of time; otherwise, there would be no stock available when needed. This situation made salespeople essential, and thus, being a salesperson in the commune was a highly sought-after profession

"Be good, don't cry. When we turn around, Dad will have money to buy you some White Rabbit milk candy. The taste is indescribable, soft and sweet with a fresh milk aroma, it's simply delicious." Upon hearing this, Han Xiaojun cried even louder, "How much can such delicious milk candy cost? At least 0.05 yuan each, right? It's over, there's nothing to live for. Xiaojun felt so pitiful to have such a lazy new dad who only indulges in good food. She wasn't afraid of the other kids in the team laughing at her; she was afraid of not having enough food and going hungry. The thought of going hungry made Xiaojun even sadder.

How inexpensive it is

Li Dong noticed that Han Weijun was ignoring him, while he enjoyed his meal alone. Upon returning home, he happily handed a chick to Xiao Juan, which delighted her immensely. However, when Li Dong took out the canned food and puffed rice candy he had been carrying behind his back.

Han Weijun walked while urging Li Dong, his pace remarkably swift. Li Dong was at least half a head taller than Han Weijun, with longer legs, yet he struggled to keep up, almost breaking into a jog. No wonder it was said that in the past, people could run dozens of miles to the city to sell goods and make a round trip in a day. Li Dong now believed it; this speed was comparable to a jog.

Han Weijun hesitated for half a day, then gritted his teeth and handed a one yuan note to Li Dong. One yuan is not a small amount; usually, Han Weijun only has a little over one yuan in his pocket.

Why am I so foolish? When I left, I should have made it clear to myself. How could I have borrowed money? Han Weijun is filled with regret, feeling as if his insides are twisted in pain. Eat? What a joke! Han Weijun did not give Li Dong a pleasant expression at all.

Xiao Juan, be good at home, and wait for Dad to come back and bring you something delicious

With one yuan, I bought a can of food, a little chick, and a small bag of puffed rice candy, leaving me with two jiao for bus fare. Satisfied, Li Dong walked while eating. In this era, there was no cutting corners; the puffed rice candy was both fragrant and sweet. "Wei Jun, give it a try, it's really delicious."

Li Dong felt a bit sad, but it did not hinder him from getting close to the old man. It was then that he learned that the office of the Lishan Commune was not large, but the area it managed was quite extensive. The farthest production team was over 30 miles away in Laoshanwo, and the entire commune had around 4,000 to 5,000 people

Li Dong engaged in conversation all the way, finally getting a grasp of the situation in the Han Village production team. The production team currently has a modest foundation, with ten water buffaloes and a small pig farm, though it only has five or six pigs. While it cannot be said to be impoverished, it certainly cannot be considered wealthy either. They do have a bullock cart, but Li Dong has not yet reached that level of privilege; typically, the bullock cart is only used for significant events like childbirth in the village. As for tractors, the production team does not have any at all.

Li Dong hurriedly ran towards the supply and marketing cooperative. He had just inquired about the location of the cooperative when Han Weijun noticed the direction Li Dong was heading and his expression changed. He slapped his thigh in regret, realizing that he had forgotten his own words: Li Dong should not waste his money on unnecessary things.

Li Dong, seeing the overjoyed and crying Xiao Juan, felt the need to work harder. However, he realized that he hadn't been exposed to the sun while mowing the grass yesterday, and his screen time had only increased by a single point. Now, with over ninety-six points today, he hoped to spend more time in the sun, wondering what might happen next.

You can rest assured, I will return it to you shortly

Li Dong quickened his pace while murmuring about the more than one hundred people in the team, wondering if he was deceiving himself, always feeling that there should be more than just these people. "Then why haven't I seen anyone from the other production teams?"

You said that this large brigade held a meeting, but after shouting for a long time, no one could hear anything. Therefore, the brigade was merged into the commune, and a deputy secretary from the commune was assigned to oversee these production teams

Li Dong muttered to himself, a pair of silk stockings costs one yuan and fifty cents, a shirt costs six or seven yuan, and he can't even afford to buy shorts, so what use is there for fabric coupons? However, compared to food, fabric is indeed not cheap; the cheapest plain cloth costs two to three jiao per foot. Given Li Dong's height, he would need at least six to seven feet to make a piece of clothing, which would cost at least over one yuan.

Han Weijun went to handle some matters, while Li Dong waited outside. The problem was that Han Weijun had even found an old man from the security team to keep an eye on him. Li Dong looked speechless, wondering why this person had no trust at all, especially when his own pockets were empty and he was worried that he might run away.

The brigade has merged into the commune

After running over ten miles, Li Dong was panting with exhaustion, while Han Weijun felt no fatigue at all. By the time they reached the commune, the sun had just begun to rise. Li Dong felt that he had run all the way here, wiped the sweat from his brow, and not only was he hot, but he was also extremely hungry. He couldn't understand why he felt so hungry after arriving here; he ate a lot but got hungry quickly. If he had known, he would have gotten up earlier to roast a sweet potato to fill his stomach.

Upon seeing Han Weijun come out after finishing his business, Li Dong hurriedly went to greet him

At the village entrance, Han Weijun was already waiting. Li Dong was taken aback to see only Han Weijun and no one else. "Brother Weijun, are we just going to walk over like this?" This doesn't make sense; it's over ten miles, and without any means of transportation, are we really going to walk? That's a joke.

Brother Wei Jun, I came to the commune to buy some things to take back, but I forgot to bring money when I came out

Having purchased the stamps, envelopes, and stationery, Li Dong glanced at the nearby supply and marketing cooperative

Startled, Li Dong truly did not dare to run around. When he saw Han Weijun going in to handle matters, Li Dong initially thought of going out to get something to eat. However, upon checking his pockets, he found them completely empty, not even a single cent. The main issue was that the Lishan Commune did not have any state-run restaurants, and there were no bun shops where he could buy food.

Thinking that he might be able to bring back some meat today to satisfy his cravings, Li Dong felt even better. After instructing Xiao Juan to stay at home and watch over the house obediently, he hurried out the door.

Certainly, the salespeople over at the department store are even more impressive, to the extent that they do not even give face to the commune secretaries or the county leaders.

Be frugal with your spending

Han Weijun wore a puzzled expression, wondering what was going on. Is this kid causing trouble again? "The sooner we go, the sooner we can return to work. Hurry up."

Li Dong muttered, "There isn't even any meat. Forget it, I'll buy some snacks. Oh, is there even chicken for sale here?"

Is there no gatekeeper?

Han Weijun felt that Li Dong was simply lazy, having arrived in the blink of an eye after traveling more than 10 miles. What need is there for a bicycle? Taking advantage of the cool weather, he should quickly finish his business and return without delaying work.

Han Weijun hurriedly followed him, and Li Dong walked into the supply and marketing cooperative, glancing at the full counter of goods. Goodness, there is everything here: food, daily necessities, clothing, tools, truly quite abundant

Han Weijun's face turned ashen; this is one yuan, enough to buy seven or eight jin of salt, enough for a family's salt expenses for half a year. And this is what was spent; look at what was bought: canned food and rice candy. Isn't this a sin

Li Dong looked around and asked about the prices. Currently, rice is 1.15 yuan per jin, flour is 0.18 yuan, soy sauce is 0.12 yuan, and eggs are 0.70 yuan per jin

Early the next morning, Li Dong got up with great enthusiasm. The air felt much fresher without the need to go to work. Just thinking about how, with his decades of experience, he could easily make a little fortune at the commune and buy some candies to impress Xiao Juan filled him with pride.

Han Weijun saw Li Dong holding a one yuan note and momentarily forgot what to say. "Ah, do you need any cloth tickets?"

What would you like to buy, comrade

What do I need the cloth tickets for

I have no money, Li Dong is struggling, and this life is lived in poverty.

Han Weijun has to go on an errand, and Li Dong has no choice but to follow him. Han Weiguo's words along the way frightened Li Dong, talking about how young generals would capture anyone they did not recognize, and how they would rob and kill at the street corners without batting an eye

"Brother Wei Jun, what is this?"

You are busy, sir

One yuan

Han Weijun is now truly contemplating how to explain to Han Guofu why he borrowed money. He shouldn't have lent money to Li Dong. Now, what will he say when he goes back

A salesperson at a supply and marketing cooperative is indeed a good job, a stable position. When one sees a senior in high school, having a relative in a supply and marketing cooperative in the countryside is absolutely impressive. Usually, who wouldn't look up to them? After all, when it comes to marriage or significant events, one needs various items, and they will rely on such connections.

Before coming, the Korean rich had already instructed to keep a close watch on Li Dong, ensuring that he does not escape. He owes the team a considerable amount of provisions. If he runs away, what will we do? How will we repay the provisions?

Han Weijun nodded at Li Dong, preparing to take him to buy stamps to write a letter to relatives in the city, joking about the cost of sending a telegram, how expensive it is, while a stamp only costs a few cents, and with the envelope and letter paper, it amounts to merely 12 cents

Brother Wei Jun, is it convenient for you here? I would like to borrow one yuan.

Li Dong also learned that there is a tractor going to the city from Lishan Commune on weekends, but one has to pay for the ride and also provide a letter of introduction. It is truly not easy to make a trip to the county town. Li Dong did not know that in these times, who takes a vehicle to the city? With that money, it would be better to buy two pieces of rice candy for the children to satisfy their cravings, or perhaps a pound of soy sauce or vinegar. However, it is only thirty to forty li away, and one can arrive in the blink of an eye.

Han Weijun said that there is a bit of a story behind this. Chicheng County is generally a mountainous area, and the Han family production team is located in the mountainous region. Initially, the production brigade was set up to manage three to five villages, but these villages are too far apart, with the farthest one being over ten miles away.

Our production team only has about 100 people, so what is that considered a large team

No wonder, without a bicycle, generally each team has at least one bicycle, and some even have their own distribution stores, tractors, and processing plants

Li Dong listened to what the old man said, that it could be reached in the blink of an eye, covering a distance of thirty to forty li, and he secretly rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, you are all so fast, impressive, I cannot compare to you.

I originally thought that Xiao Juan would be happier, but as soon as she saw the canned food and puffed rice candy, she burst into tears. She exclaimed, where did the money for the canned food and puffed rice candy come from, what should we do, what bad things has the new dad done

Li Dong stands at about 1.8 meters tall, with a well-proportioned physique. He is dressed in a high-quality T-shirt and shorts that appear to be from forty years in the future, which makes the sales staff treat him with a bit more courtesy.

No

One yuan is simply too extravagant, and Li Dong was just about to make a purchase when Han Weijun rushed in

There are not many production teams in the entire Lishan Commune that have tractors, let alone the Hanzhuang production team located at the foot of the mountain. The land is not large and is uneven, making it unsuitable for tractors, and most importantly, there are no tractors to allocate.

Han Weijun thought to himself, indeed, this kid is greedy for food, thinking he can buy meat easily. Moreover, there are no state-run meat shops in the commune; one has to go to the county town to buy it. Han Weijun reflected that his own family hardly had any meat coupons, so if you have the ability, you should go get it yourself

The production team is one level lower than the brigade, typically having a political instructor. The Hanzhuang production team does not have such formalities; there is one team leader, one female team leader, one accountant, one person in charge of the warehouse, and one record keeper.

Li Dong simply did not go to look at those clothes and shoes as they were too expensive, even the safety shoes cost three to five yuan which he could not afford. He mainly focused on food, and speaking of food, it is indeed healthy and tastes good. Huh, after turning around for a long time, I haven't seen any meat sellers. "Brother Wei Jun, I won't need the cloth tickets, do you have any meat tickets?"

Li Dong is still happy for Xiao Juan, the child has not had rice candy for a long time and cried with joy

The commune had a gray-brick house with black socks, adorned with some slogans for study on both sides, including ones like "Long Live the Chairman." There was nothing at the entrance, Li Dong muttered. The outer wall of the courtyard was plastered with numerous notices, and Li Dong glanced at them, which included studies of Chairman Hua's report.

Isn't our production team part of the brigade