Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 382 Still Not Reassured

At this time, every household in Lujiawan was busy, but the things they were busy with were different from before.

In the past, when farm work wasn't so busy, the members of the production team usually did their own things.

Some were weeding and catching insects in their own vegetable gardens, some were cutting pig feed and feeding livestock, some were cleaning their homes and carrying pig manure to the team to exchange for work points, some were slowly spinning cotton thread on a spinning wheel, or sitting in front of a loom, pushing and pulling to weave cloth.

The younger boys carried tattered baskets and played from the front of the village to the back, using tree branches and bamboo as weapons and the baskets as shields. They would find someone to fight with, and when it got dark, they would hurry home covered in dust and dirt, grabbing some pig feed.

Girls naturally play hopscotch, jump rope, and shuttlecock, but they always have a small basket for gathering pig feed by their side.

The slightly older children would take fishing rods to go fishing. All the rods were made of bamboo, without exception, but the fishing lines were slightly different. The children didn't know anything about fishing lines, so they just used whatever lines they had at home. Some were nylon ropes used for weaving fishing nets, and some were cotton ropes used for sewing quilt covers. There were all sorts of strange and wonderful lines.

Of course, most of them are still normal fishing lines, but the thickness is hard to say. There are many people who want to catch big fish with thin lines and small hooks, while others use thick lines and big hooks to catch small crucian carp.

As for bait, there are basically two types: earthworms and maggots that crawl out of the outhouse. Whatever is convenient is used, and there are no other special considerations. There is no groundbait. At most, when the adults in the family are not paying attention, I will grab a handful of fine chaff and scatter it.

Children don't know how to find fish. They just stand by the water and the fish are there wherever they are.

Pick a lotus leaf to make a hat, and you're lucky if you can squat by the water for half an hour.

As these children grew up and gained more experience, they could spot fish with just a glance, and catching big blackfish with a thin bamboo pole was no big deal for them.

But why was it possible to catch it? I don't know. If you ask again, it's all about feel!
If you can get a thin steel wire, preferably a bicycle wheel spoke, sharpen the end, bend it into a hook, and then go to the edge of the field to find a hole to fish for eels.

However, you should pay attention to the difference in the hole. A round hole is the eel hole. If it is flat, you are more likely to catch a snake or a few small crabs.

Some people would take slingshots to the woods to hunt birds. If they were lucky enough to catch a sparrow, they would secretly take it home as if they were on a secret mission, then boil water to pluck its feathers, and roast it in the stove with a twig while cooking dinner.

Usually, Captain Yang would have some free time at times like this.

Few men would do the work of weeding and catching insects, let alone spinning thread or weaving cloth. They also didn't have to haul manure every day. So he strolled slowly from one end of the village to the other, chatting with people around him.

Occasionally, I would sneak over to someone's house and play a couple of rounds of cards in secret.

Most people in later generations believed that there was no gambling in that era.

really?
Not necessarily!
There was a writer named Ye Zhaoyan, whose grandfather was Ye Shengtao. When he wrote an article recalling his childhood days in the countryside, he included a story about playing cards in the village during those years.

During festivals, several households in the village would always start a game, either dominoes or mahjong, and the stakes were quite high. The table was covered with small bills, and even cents were rare.

Back then, once the game started, all slogans and studies were forgotten; all eyes were on the hard wooden sign. While the people at the table started their game, the onlookers weren't idle either. Some people acted as the bookmaker, betting on whichever would win, whether it was a penny or a dollar.

Even small children would linger nearby. The clever ones would help the "big winner" pick up the money that had fallen off the table. If the winner was in a good mood, they would be rewarded with a penny or two. Once the children got the money, their cleverness would immediately fade, and their impulsive desires would take over again. They would resolutely use the reward money as gambling stakes.

Needless to say, the ups and downs in the middle were inevitable, and in the end, of course, everything was cleaned up, with no good outcome.

The situation in Lujiawan was certainly not as exaggerated as described in the article. People there not only played big games, but they also didn't avoid suspicion or worry about their children accidentally revealing it.

Playing cards here is usually done in the homes of a few families without children, who close the door and play by themselves. And the stakes aren't high anywhere else; you can play a couple of rounds with just a penny or two in your hand, and once you've lost, you just watch from the sidelines.

Everyone knows that this kind of thing can't be talked about, otherwise you won't get away with it. At the very least, you'll have to have your license fee confiscated and make a public apology, so everyone keeps their mouths shut.

So much so that even Teacher Chen, who was known for being well-informed, didn't know that such a thing existed in the village.

Thankfully, he learned to play mahjong from Master Lu, using playing cards, just to avoid being found out. Otherwise, he would definitely have gone over and dominated everyone, showing them what a gambling god he was!

Of course, that was in the past; nowadays, Lujiawan doesn't have the leisure for them to play mahjong.

Everyone in the household was busy, but they weren't doing the same things as before. Instead, under the overall planning of the team, they were preparing to expand their breeding operations.

Captain Yang sat in front of the house, with a dozen bamboo poles piled up on the threshing floor. One end was on the ground, and the other end was held in his hand. He held a bamboo-splitting knife and was splitting the bamboo into thin strips.

What hardworking rural man doesn't know how to make bamboo baskets? The only difference is the skill level. And what he's making now isn't anything extraordinary; it's just a cage for live poultry.

When Accountant Liu came over with a notebook, he looked up and asked, "Finished taking notes?"

Accountant Liu nodded, "I've finished recording the morning's notes, but I need to record them again this afternoon."

This type of work is quite scattered. Some is done for one's own family, so no work points are recorded. Others are done for a group, so good records must be kept. Although there may be one or two points of error, the overall record must be acceptable. Otherwise, the person who is acting as a record keeper is not qualified.

He took the chair handed to him by Yang Mei, the second daughter of the Yang family, and sat down. He first took out two cigarettes that he had made himself from his pocket, gave one to Captain Yang, lit it, and exhaled a long breath with the smoke. "Every household is busy. The men are making bamboo cages and chicken coops, and the women are busy building earthworm ponds. Everyone is preparing to expand their breeding business. No one is idle."

Captain Yang put down the bamboo and bamboo-splitting knife, lit a cigarette, and said with a smile, "Each family received 30 chickens, 20 ducks, and 10 geese before, and they all survived. Only a few families didn't take good care of them, and a few died or were injured."

This first batch of purchases took away most of the ducks and geese, leaving only a few females for breeding. After deducting the almost negligible cost of the seedlings, the medical expenses previously paid by the team, and the management fees for the brigade and sub-branches, each family could get more than thirty yuan, which was almost half of the dividends of a strong laborer last year. What's the difference between this and picking up money?
Having made money, they'll definitely want to make even more; how could they not cooperate fully?

At this point, he kicked the bamboo under his feet and laughed, "I want to too. Look, once I finish weaving the bamboo cage, I'm going to build a bigger chicken coop and raise a few more chickens."

Although he was a squad leader, he was not like the brigade cadres who could earn "full work points," which meant 10 work points a day. Squad cadres only received subsidies, and he earned 300 work points a year, less than one-tenth of the brigade's total work points. Naturally, he had to do farm work like ordinary commune members to earn work points. But even all of that was less than what Master Liu, who raised livestock and drove carts at the village entrance, could earn.

However, there are some hidden benefits, such as the production team's resource allocation being in their hands, and the fact that they always get ten points for going to work.

Otherwise, if there were no advantages, why bother taking on the roles of squad leader and accountant?

Hearing Captain Yang's words, Accountant Liu chuckled and said, "I just came here to rest for a bit. After I finish this cigarette, I'll go back to building the chicken coop."

The two chuckled for a while, then Accountant Liu suddenly sighed, "It's a pity. Captain Ye and the others promised the other four brigades that they would help them once our breeding farm was up and running. Now we can't even buy seedlings, and we'll have to help them sell their goods later."

Captain Yang chuckled and said, "Why are you thinking so far ahead? By the time they raise their chickens, ducks and geese, it will be December at the earliest. In such a long time, can't Xiao Chen and An Quan visit a few more big clients?"
Even if they didn't, the brigade headquarters would definitely take our own team's goods first before taking care of others.

Besides, it's not like we're working for free. Whether it's chickens, ducks, geese, or anything else, they always give us a 5-cent discount on the purchase price, and they even deliver it. Live poultry becomes cooked food, cooked food becomes store food, and so on, adding up layer by layer. From the brigade's perspective, it's just one less layer of profit; we're not losing out.

After saying that, he flicked his cigarette ash, pointed at Accountant Liu and laughed, "You're just used to being stingy and unwilling to give others any benefits. Don't forget, a production team is a small collective, and a commune is a large collective. Many hands make light work, and mutual help is the only way to make it last. That was the original intention of the old man when he started the production team. You can't have that stingy mentality."

Accountant Liu wasn't angry after being lectured. He grinned and laughed, "I definitely understand. A few months ago, Captain Ye asked them for seedlings on credit, and they helped us out. It's normal for things to go back and forth."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "I just saw that they set up a breeding farm, which resulted in a shortage of seedlings, and we couldn't even buy them ourselves."

Secretary Yang frowned slightly and nodded slowly. "The scarcity of seedlings is indeed a problem. Even if we can hatch some ourselves, the gap is still huge if we want to double the number."

After pausing for two seconds, he looked up again, shook his head and said, "Let's take it slow. I remember Anquan told me last time that the team is under a lot of pressure to feed them."

The rabbits are about to be distributed, and now we need to expand the scale of chicken breeding. In addition, there are new livestock and more pigs in the team. Even if we cleared a lot of hillside land to plant grass during the spring plowing, there will probably still be a considerable shortage. He shook his head and sighed, chuckled twice, and said, "A few years ago when we weren't allowed to raise chickens, I was thinking that when we were allowed to raise them again, I would definitely build a large farm and raise thousands of chickens."

Now that I've actually started a breeding farm, I've realized that this thing is really not simple.

Seedlings, feed, breeding environment, disease prevention... one problem leads to another. After finally raising these things to adulthood, you still have to worry about where to sell them.

"If it weren't for Xiao Chen's extensive connections and ability to find big buyers for these products, we would be driven crazy with worry."

Accountant Liu nodded, paused for two seconds, and then suddenly said, "So the 5 cents we earn from the other teams aren't for nothing."

Captain Yang finally couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You talk too much. This 5 cents isn't because we're trying to lower the price. They saw with their own eyes the problems we've encountered in raising livestock and know that it's hard to find a market, so they voluntarily lowered the price."

After all, there are regulations from above; an item's value is set at a fixed price. A slight discount is acceptable, but otherwise, they'll dare to lower the price by a mere cent.

Upon hearing this, Accountant Liu immediately smiled awkwardly and remained silent.

This is also a major difference between doing business among groups today and in later generations. There is bargaining, and it is not uncommon for groups to voluntarily lower prices. The basic rule is to use the guide price as the standard and speak with conscience.

Even in later generations, some elderly people who came from the production team era still adhere to this rule: the price is what it should be, and they will never ask for an exorbitant price.

Unfortunately, in later generations, when resources were abundant, it became difficult to find good people, and farmers were severely pressured to lower prices. Over time, this situation became increasingly rare.

Secretary Yang and his team at the brigade headquarters agreed to purchase the produce raised by the other four production teams, earning only 5 cents per pound, so no one could complain. The production teams accepted the money with a clear conscience, which was good enough.

The two talked for a while at the door, and then Accountant Liu was about to go back.

Just then, the phone rang inside the room. Captain Yang glanced back, got up, and went inside, with Accountant Liu following him.

This phone is almost exclusively used by the brigade headquarters. If someone comes over at this time, it must be for something important, so of course he has to go in and check it out.

Captain Yang strode into the house. Yang Mei had already answered the phone and, seeing him come in, immediately handed him the receiver. "Dad, Secretary Yang is looking for you."

"Um,"

Captain Yang responded and took the receiver with a serious expression. Almost instantly, he adjusted his posture to answer the phone.

With his feet slightly apart, a little wider than shoulder-width, left hand on his hip, right hand holding the microphone to his ear, and forehead held high, he said, "Secretary, it's me, Yang Chuanfu. What's up?"

"Huh? Oh. Um, um, um, okay, I'll get right on it."

Captain Yang's expression kept changing, and he didn't say much, just kept responding.

Less than two minutes later, he hung up the phone and strode out.

Accountant Liu followed him anxiously, asking, "What happened? Is it good news or bad news?"

Before he even stepped through the doorway, Captain Yang suddenly stopped, turned around, and laughed heartily, "Great news, great news!"

Accountant Liu breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it wasn't something bad.

Then I heard him say, "The deli opened today, and the 300 chickens, ducks and geese we prepared were all sold out in just one hour. Just now, Anquan called the brigade headquarters and asked us to immediately organize another batch of goods. Once the ship returns, we'll load it onto the ship and send it over there. They plan to sell another batch this afternoon."

Accountant Liu's eyes widened, and she held up three fingers. "All 300 chickens, ducks, and geese sold out?"

Captain Yang nodded vigorously, "Not only that, but the 200 jin of potatoes, tofu skin, dried tofu sticks, and tofu that we prepared also sold out completely, and at high prices. Business was booming!"

He paused for a moment, then sighed, "We were too timid. Yesterday, before Xiao Chen set off, he said we hadn't prepared enough goods. If we had prepared more, we could have made a lot more money!"

Accountant Liu's eyes lit up, and she strode out, saying, "Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and prepare the goods, and then send them to the dock as soon as possible."

Captain Yang didn't waste any time and strode outside again. "You run in front and I'll run behind. Notify every household and tell them to catch all the chickens that are ready for market and all the ducks and geese and send them to the dock."

Originally, the river mouth leading to the Yangtze River was at Team 7, but considering that the current there was relatively rapid, and that the brigade headquarters raised the most chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits, which would likely be the main source of supply for the farm in the future, the brigade headquarters unanimously decided to build a small dock at Team 6, specifically for berthing cargo ships.

It's called a dock, but it's actually very rudimentary. It's just a staircase made of not-too-thick wood that extends into the water. Since the water level is still quite high, they haven't even put up any cement piers yet. They plan to build a red brick dock during the dry season in winter to serve as a mooring point for cargo ships.

Therefore, to deliver goods to the county town, other teams must first deliver the corresponding goods to Team 6.

This place thus became a distribution center for goods from outside Lujiawan.

After Secretary Yang and Accountant Liu left, Yang Mei rolled her eyes and called out into the house, "Mom, I'm going to find my sister."

Before her mother could speak, she dashed out, completely ignoring her three younger siblings' shouts and cries.

……

Meanwhile, at the Luwan Delicatessen in Gufeng County, Chen Fan looked at Zhang Wenliang, who was clutching his canvas bag tightly, and said irritably, "I told you to go deposit your money at the credit union, but you wouldn't go. Instead, you insisted on holding it in your arms. Don't you feel hot?"

(A savings passbook from 1977)

Zhang Wenliang wiped his sweat and said seriously, "This money definitely needs to go into the brigade headquarters' account. If it's deposited in the bank, how can it be entered into the account?"

Anquan chuckled from the side, "You deposit the money in the bank, then have him issue you a transfer check. Then you take the check back to Nanhu and cash it at the Nanhu Credit Cooperative. It's not only convenient but also safe. Why can't you see that coming?"

Zhang Wenliang stared wide-eyed. "What if it falls?"

The security guard explained, "The transfer check has the payee's name and account number on it. Even if someone else picks it up, it's useless to them. You can just report it lost to the bank and get a new one. Why worry about it getting lost?"

(A cash check from 1975)

Zhang Wenliang was still a little confused. "It really won't fall off?"

He tightened his grip on the canvas bag. "I'm still a little worried."

Chen Fan looked at him speechlessly, and after two seconds, he couldn't help but laugh, "How about this, you have more than 2,400 yuan. Have the brigade's accountant, Li, come over with the official seal and documents. He'll definitely know how to handle it. Then you can give him the money, and that'll be it. You can leave the rest to him, okay?"

This time, Zhang Wenliang didn't hesitate and immediately nodded and smiled, "That's fine, that's fine!"

(End of this chapter)