Chapter 6 That kind of place
Xu Xiao Jiao was pinching her throat to clear her throat. Just as she was thinking about going to the cooperative to see if there was anything to drink, she saw a bottle of water handed over to her.
A fist-thick canister. It was tall and full of water. Within it, a few grass leaves and rhizomes were floating.
"It was newly poured in before I came here. I haven't drank it. It contains dandelions. It might be a bit bitter. Do you want to drink it?"
Xu Xiao Jiao turned her head to look at him. Her eyes curved, "Then unscrew it for me. my hands have no energy."
So delicate.
Song Wei Ping put his hand on the cap.. Effortlessly, the canister opened. He held the cap and passed the water over.
The inside water should be freshly boiled before leaving the house. It was still warm after half an hour. The taste of dandelion was indeed slightly bitter. But after drinking one sip, there was a bit of sweetness. It flowed down the throat and made one’s whole chest feel warm.
After gulping down a few sips, her thirst was quenched. Xu Xiao Jiao was in a good mood. She handed the canister back, "Song Wei Ping, thank you. You are so nice."
Toward others, she was never stingy with compliments. Positive feedback can promote the other party's better performance.
"You’re not drinking?" Xu Xiao Jiao asked him when she saw the other party screw the lid, put it in the cloth bag, and then put it back in the basket.
Song Wei Ping slowly glanced at her, "I'm not thirsty. Have you rested yet? I'll take you shopping."
Xu Xiao Jiao originally thought that the town would be much more prosperous than the village. However, she had completely overestimated the productivity of this era. Except that the buildings were a little neater and there were a few state-owned shops, everything else was no different from the village. There wasn’t even a cement road.
She knew that these state-run stores can support many people. The wealth level of the people in the town was much higher than that in the village. Song Wei Ping took her to see the grain and oil stations, shopping malls, and state-run restaurants. Once she knew where they were, she was no longer interested, "Okay. Not checking anymore."
Song Wei Ping didn't know what she wanted to see. Hearing that she didn’t want to look, he asked her, "Go to cooperatives and grocery stores?"
Xu Xiao Jiao shook her head. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Take me to that place."
A slight scent of sweet-scented osmanthus wafted over. Song Wei Ping tilted his head and didn't understand for a moment, "Where is that?"
Dissatisfied, Xu Xiao Jiao pushed his arm, "It's that kind of place. You are someone who often goes to town. How could you know about it?"
Seeing that Song Wei Ping was still a little stumped, she said it more bluntly, "Someone who has a lot of things they want to sell and the place that everyone is looking for. I know those places are very hidden. I can't find them, but it can’t be that you don't know either."
Song Wei Ping got it this time, "Why do you need to go there? Do you want to buy something?"
Xu Xiao Jiao shook her head, "Isn't the stuff expensive there? When coupon-less, one can buy things from there. I have coupons. So I can just go to the state-owned store."
The original owner was a frugal person and saved a lot of coupons. If she didn't come, it would have been tricked away by Xu Yan Yan. Now that it was in her hands, she wouldn't let others benefit.
Seeing Song Wei Ping's expression of disapproval, she uttered, "I want to take a look. Just curious. Show me around and then we’ll leave."
Her eyes were bright. Her face seemed as if there was a layer of baby-like fluff, like the kind of peaches transported by the transport team. Song Wei Ping coughed lightly, "Can go. Just look. Don't talk. If you really want something, tell me."
"En, en, I know."
It was only then that Xu Xiao Jiao realized that the place was really hidden. The two went through several twists and turns before entering a relatively dense residential area. Only then did Xu Xiao Jiao see the dodgy people in the alley.
"There aren’t many people at this time. Usually, there are many people at dawn. Once the sun comes out, most of them disperse."
Xu Xiao Jiao saw that the people inside were all bundled up and wearing a big scarf. As if wishing they could only show their eyes. She pinched his sleeves with some hesitation, "It’s alright to go straight there?"
Do they need to dress themselves or something?
Song Wei Ping let her hold him and walked forward, "It's okay. We aren’t the seller."
He led Xu Xiao Jiao into the alley. This caused a commotion. There weren’t many people left in the alley. Some people noticed the two and seeing that they didn’t like they were here to shop, they didn't come forward to talk to them. One asked them in a hushed voice, " Comrade, do you want eggs? Duck eggs are also available."
Xu Xiao Jiao originally wanted to see what everyone was selling. Unexpectedly, every basket was covered with cloth, so she couldn't see it at all.
After walking out of the alley, she asked Song Wei Ping, "I didn't see anything. What are they selling?"
Song Wei Ping pondered for a while, "Anything. Rice, flour, grain, and eggs. Occasionally some meat, some homemade food, cloth and so on."
Xu Xiao Jiao was curious, "Are there strict checks?"
Song Wei Ping shook his head, "Last year it was very strict. Now it's relaxed. If not, there would be no one here now."
Xu Xiao Jiao thought about it. That’s right, a year or two before the opening, the policy had actually loosen. Small-scale free trading was allowed by default. Some places were still very strict and everyone subconsciously avoided it.
Having figured it out, Xu Xiao Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. She already had some small ideas but it was too early to say it now. At least settle the matter at hand before having a good rest and talk about anything else.
"Let's go. To the cooperative and the non-staple food store. We'll go back after shopping."
The items in these state-run stores were quite complete. Still, Xu Xiao Jiao was once again surprised by the prices in this era.
The best meat, fatty meat, was only 80 fen a jin. Rice was 20 fen a jin. White flour was 22 fen a jin. Cornmeal was 9 fen a jin. It was really cheap.
But thinking about how hard everyone goes to work every day and the sturdiest earn ten work points and only get one or two dime, she felt relieved.
She didn't buy a lot of things: five jins of rice, ten jins of flour, ten jins of cornmeal. Most of the food coupons in her hands were spent. Seventy fens were also spent on two jins of second-class meat, which were pork belly. One dime was spent on three jins of potatoes and two jins of beans. Then she bought one dime worth of candies and one dime worth of condiments.
After all the miscellaneous things, a total of five yuan was spent. Thinking of the remaining fifteen yuan, Xu Xiao Jiao really felt that she had pocketed a huge sum of money.
The store clerk’s gaze on Xu Xiao Jiao was as if looking at big money. The normally scornful face carried a smile, "Comrade, we still have a lot of short supply products? Do you want them? Look, this is a new silk flower. It’s popular in the provincial capital. You look so pretty. With this on, you’ll be even more beautiful."
Song Wei Ping followed her hand and saw the silk flower. It was bright red and very pretty. He asked Xu Xiao Jiao, "Do you want it?" If she wants it, he can buy it for her.
Xu Xiao Jiao just glanced at it before hurriedly shaking her head. It's too vulgar, "No, it's not pretty. I like shiny things."
"En," Song Wei Ping put the things in the back basket silently, "Let's go. Time to go back."
On the way back, Xu Xiao Jiao was still empty-handed. She was very satisfied. As the sun gradually came up, Song Wei Ping led her to rest under the shade of a tree for a while. He gave her the remaining half of the water. She was even more satisfied.
"Aren't you thirsty?" It had been all morning.
Song Wei Ping put away the empty bottle, "I’ll drink when I’m back."
Xu Xiao Jiao peeled a piece of candy and signaled Song Wei Ping to open his mouth. She put it in his mouth and said her plan, "Then you go back and have a rest. In the afternoon, come and help me cook. Our two families will get together tonight to discuss our marriage. "
Xu Xiao Jiao was pinching her throat to clear her throat. Just as she was thinking about going to the cooperative to see if there was anything to drink, she saw a bottle of water handed over to her.
A fist-thick canister. It was tall and full of water. Within it, a few grass leaves and rhizomes were floating.
"It was newly poured in before I came here. I haven't drank it. It contains dandelions. It might be a bit bitter. Do you want to drink it?"
Xu Xiao Jiao turned her head to look at him. Her eyes curved, "Then unscrew it for me. my hands have no energy."
So delicate.
Song Wei Ping put his hand on the cap.. Effortlessly, the canister opened. He held the cap and passed the water over.
The inside water should be freshly boiled before leaving the house. It was still warm after half an hour. The taste of dandelion was indeed slightly bitter. But after drinking one sip, there was a bit of sweetness. It flowed down the throat and made one’s whole chest feel warm.
After gulping down a few sips, her thirst was quenched. Xu Xiao Jiao was in a good mood. She handed the canister back, "Song Wei Ping, thank you. You are so nice."
Toward others, she was never stingy with compliments. Positive feedback can promote the other party's better performance.
"You’re not drinking?" Xu Xiao Jiao asked him when she saw the other party screw the lid, put it in the cloth bag, and then put it back in the basket.
Song Wei Ping slowly glanced at her, "I'm not thirsty. Have you rested yet? I'll take you shopping."
Xu Xiao Jiao originally thought that the town would be much more prosperous than the village. However, she had completely overestimated the productivity of this era. Except that the buildings were a little neater and there were a few state-owned shops, everything else was no different from the village. There wasn’t even a cement road.
She knew that these state-run stores can support many people. The wealth level of the people in the town was much higher than that in the village. Song Wei Ping took her to see the grain and oil stations, shopping malls, and state-run restaurants. Once she knew where they were, she was no longer interested, "Okay. Not checking anymore."
Song Wei Ping didn't know what she wanted to see. Hearing that she didn’t want to look, he asked her, "Go to cooperatives and grocery stores?"
Xu Xiao Jiao shook her head. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Take me to that place."
A slight scent of sweet-scented osmanthus wafted over. Song Wei Ping tilted his head and didn't understand for a moment, "Where is that?"
Dissatisfied, Xu Xiao Jiao pushed his arm, "It's that kind of place. You are someone who often goes to town. How could you know about it?"
Seeing that Song Wei Ping was still a little stumped, she said it more bluntly, "Someone who has a lot of things they want to sell and the place that everyone is looking for. I know those places are very hidden. I can't find them, but it can’t be that you don't know either."
Song Wei Ping got it this time, "Why do you need to go there? Do you want to buy something?"
Xu Xiao Jiao shook her head, "Isn't the stuff expensive there? When coupon-less, one can buy things from there. I have coupons. So I can just go to the state-owned store."
The original owner was a frugal person and saved a lot of coupons. If she didn't come, it would have been tricked away by Xu Yan Yan. Now that it was in her hands, she wouldn't let others benefit.
Seeing Song Wei Ping's expression of disapproval, she uttered, "I want to take a look. Just curious. Show me around and then we’ll leave."
Her eyes were bright. Her face seemed as if there was a layer of baby-like fluff, like the kind of peaches transported by the transport team. Song Wei Ping coughed lightly, "Can go. Just look. Don't talk. If you really want something, tell me."
"En, en, I know."
It was only then that Xu Xiao Jiao realized that the place was really hidden. The two went through several twists and turns before entering a relatively dense residential area. Only then did Xu Xiao Jiao see the dodgy people in the alley.
"There aren’t many people at this time. Usually, there are many people at dawn. Once the sun comes out, most of them disperse."
Xu Xiao Jiao saw that the people inside were all bundled up and wearing a big scarf. As if wishing they could only show their eyes. She pinched his sleeves with some hesitation, "It’s alright to go straight there?"
Do they need to dress themselves or something?
Song Wei Ping let her hold him and walked forward, "It's okay. We aren’t the seller."
He led Xu Xiao Jiao into the alley. This caused a commotion. There weren’t many people left in the alley. Some people noticed the two and seeing that they didn’t like they were here to shop, they didn't come forward to talk to them. One asked them in a hushed voice, " Comrade, do you want eggs? Duck eggs are also available."
Xu Xiao Jiao originally wanted to see what everyone was selling. Unexpectedly, every basket was covered with cloth, so she couldn't see it at all.
After walking out of the alley, she asked Song Wei Ping, "I didn't see anything. What are they selling?"
Song Wei Ping pondered for a while, "Anything. Rice, flour, grain, and eggs. Occasionally some meat, some homemade food, cloth and so on."
Xu Xiao Jiao was curious, "Are there strict checks?"
Song Wei Ping shook his head, "Last year it was very strict. Now it's relaxed. If not, there would be no one here now."
Xu Xiao Jiao thought about it. That’s right, a year or two before the opening, the policy had actually loosen. Small-scale free trading was allowed by default. Some places were still very strict and everyone subconsciously avoided it.
Having figured it out, Xu Xiao Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. She already had some small ideas but it was too early to say it now. At least settle the matter at hand before having a good rest and talk about anything else.
"Let's go. To the cooperative and the non-staple food store. We'll go back after shopping."
The items in these state-run stores were quite complete. Still, Xu Xiao Jiao was once again surprised by the prices in this era.
The best meat, fatty meat, was only 80 fen a jin. Rice was 20 fen a jin. White flour was 22 fen a jin. Cornmeal was 9 fen a jin. It was really cheap.
But thinking about how hard everyone goes to work every day and the sturdiest earn ten work points and only get one or two dime, she felt relieved.
She didn't buy a lot of things: five jins of rice, ten jins of flour, ten jins of cornmeal. Most of the food coupons in her hands were spent. Seventy fens were also spent on two jins of second-class meat, which were pork belly. One dime was spent on three jins of potatoes and two jins of beans. Then she bought one dime worth of candies and one dime worth of condiments.
After all the miscellaneous things, a total of five yuan was spent. Thinking of the remaining fifteen yuan, Xu Xiao Jiao really felt that she had pocketed a huge sum of money.
The store clerk’s gaze on Xu Xiao Jiao was as if looking at big money. The normally scornful face carried a smile, "Comrade, we still have a lot of short supply products? Do you want them? Look, this is a new silk flower. It’s popular in the provincial capital. You look so pretty. With this on, you’ll be even more beautiful."
Song Wei Ping followed her hand and saw the silk flower. It was bright red and very pretty. He asked Xu Xiao Jiao, "Do you want it?" If she wants it, he can buy it for her.
Xu Xiao Jiao just glanced at it before hurriedly shaking her head. It's too vulgar, "No, it's not pretty. I like shiny things."
"En," Song Wei Ping put the things in the back basket silently, "Let's go. Time to go back."
On the way back, Xu Xiao Jiao was still empty-handed. She was very satisfied. As the sun gradually came up, Song Wei Ping led her to rest under the shade of a tree for a while. He gave her the remaining half of the water. She was even more satisfied.
"Aren't you thirsty?" It had been all morning.
Song Wei Ping put away the empty bottle, "I’ll drink when I’m back."
Xu Xiao Jiao peeled a piece of candy and signaled Song Wei Ping to open his mouth. She put it in his mouth and said her plan, "Then you go back and have a rest. In the afternoon, come and help me cook. Our two families will get together tonight to discuss our marriage. "
She’s so funny. I like her a lot.
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