Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 791 Industrial Vouchers Scramble!

the other side.

In the city.

"Newspapers for sale! Breaking news! A truly earth-shattering event has occurred!!"

"Newspapers for sale! You'll regret it if you don't read this! It's a matter of life and death for every family!"

The newspaper boy waved his newspaper and shouted in the streets and alleys.

"Something big?" The man, who had just crawled out of bed and was still half-asleep, was squatting by the door brushing his teeth when he spat out a mouthful of white foam and shouted indistinctly:

"Hey kid! What's the big deal? Get me one right now!"

"Alright! Here you go, Uncle!" The boy deftly pulled out a newspaper and handed it over.

"Give me one too!"

"And I!"

"Don't push, don't push, there's enough! We're printing a lot today!" The little boy's face turned red with excitement, and his voice became even louder.

The hype surrounding this "big event" sold even better than he had anticipated.

The leisurely pedestrians, housewives carrying shopping baskets, and workers relaxing were all captivated by the words "big event" and gathered around.

The newspaper's front page featured a striking headline in bold black font: "Trial Measures for Purchase Vouchers for Daily Industrial Goods Officially Announced."

"In order to properly address the current shortage of light industrial products, safeguard basic market order, and rationally guide consumption, the relevant authorities have made the following decision after research."

"Starting from the first day of next month, a voucher system will be implemented for the supply of certain in-demand daily industrial products. 'Daily Industrial Product Purchase Vouchers' will be specially issued."

"This voucher serves as an additional condition for purchasing daily industrial goods, covering items such as textiles, bicycles, and sewing machines, and also includes special holiday supplies of non-staple foods such as tea and canned goods."

"What? They're issuing coupons again? What are 'daily necessities and industrial goods purchase coupons'?"

A bespectacled man who looked like an official next to him pushed up his glasses and pointed to the article, explaining: "It means that from now on, when you buy these things..."

He ran his finger across the article in the newspaper, “Money alone isn’t enough, old ration coupons alone aren’t enough, you also need this newly issued ‘industrial coupon’! All three are indispensable. If you’re missing even one, you can forget about taking anything from the supply and marketing cooperative counter!”

These words caused a great stir.

"What?!"

"My God!" An elderly woman carrying a vegetable basket slapped her thigh, her voice trembling with tears.

"With cloth coupons and meat coupons already so scarce, and you need match coupons to buy matches, now they've come up with industrial coupons? Are they trying to kill us all?"

"Exactly! Isn't this practically driving people to their deaths?"

"Salaries haven't changed in years, but prices have been rising silently. Now there's another hurdle to overcome when buying something! Are we ordinary people supposed to breathe?"

"This is outrageous! I can't live like this anymore!"

The complaints from two or three people merged into a towering wave of sound, startling the sparrows in the roadside trees into fluttering flight.

However, some rational people still asked: "There's something I don't understand. You said there are industrial vouchers, so do we still need tickets to buy bicycles?"

Instantly, everyone's complaints were diverted.

"Yes, yes, yes! If they can be used as tickets, then issuing these coupons makes some sense!"

Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if industrial coupons could replace bicycle coupons?

Countless eyes lit up instantly, all turning to look at the cadre and the newspaper, forgetting even their complaints.

"No way! Forget about it! Look here, there's supplementary information below!"

He read aloud: "Industrial coupons serve as general purchase vouchers and can be used in parallel with special coupons for specific commodities (such as bicycle coupons, sewing ticket coupons, etc.). They cannot be substituted for each other."

"Did you hear that? Use them in parallel! They're irreplaceable! Your little tricks won't work!"

"And, according to this logic, in the future, to buy a bicycle, you won't just need money; you'll also need bicycle tickets and a sufficient number of industrial vouchers!"

"what!"

Once this specific example was explained, everyone's face instantly turned ashen.

"Life is already tough enough, and now they're giving out coupons, how are we supposed to get by!"

"Yeah, isn't this pushing us into a fire pit? They make us ask for this and that just to buy something!"

"I only earn a little over 30 yuan a month, and that's enough to get one ticket. How long will it take me to save up enough to buy a bicycle?"

"At 20 yuan per coupon, how many years of coupons would it take to buy a bicycle?"

In an instant, cries of agony filled the air.

Just as the atmosphere of despair was about to engulf everyone, the newspaper boy's clear voice rang out again, carrying a hint of barely perceptible cunning:

"Dear uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, please don't waile yet! There's a line of small print at the back of the newspaper: good news!"
"Good news?" Everyone was stunned, as if they had grasped a lifeline, and their eyes refocused.

The child pointed to an inconspicuous line at the end of the newspaper and read it aloud:
"This measure will be communicated from the date of its promulgation. Its specific implementation and the first issuance of industrial vouchers will be carried out simultaneously with wage payments on the first day of next month."

"For the remainder of this month, the relevant goods will continue to be supplied according to the original ticket regulations."

"Did you hear that? Coupons won't be available until next month! You don't need them this month!" the child shouted.

This is undoubtedly a shot in the arm.

"Oh dear! That's right! It won't be implemented until next month! I got my salary this month, but the vouchers haven't arrived yet! For now, it's still the same old rule!"

"The usual rules? So, as long as you have money and a ticket, you can buy one?" someone eagerly confirmed.

“That’s right!” the cadre affirmed. “At least this month! Everyone’s saved money and coupons can still be used this month! No need for extra coupons!”

"My goodness!" The old woman, who had just been wiping away tears, instantly perked up.

"What are we waiting for? Hurry up! Before this 'industrial voucher' takes effect, let's buy what we want! No matter how expensive it is, let's stock up first! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

These words were like a wake-up call, instantly igniting everyone's motivation to act!

"Yes, yes, yes! That's absolutely right! Let's hurry home and get the money and tickets!"

"Quick! Go to the supply and marketing cooperative!!"

"I'm not talking to you guys anymore! I'm leaving!"

The crowd scattered like startled birds and beasts, with a sudden "whoosh".

The people who were just sitting together sighing and complaining are now running faster than anyone else.

People were united in one goal—home! Coupons! Money! Then they rushed to the nearest supply and marketing cooperative!
The news spread like wildfire, reaching every household through word of mouth and street gossip.

In front of the supply and marketing cooperative.

The place was already packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move.

It was even more lively than the Lunar New Year, yet filled with a suffocating sense of tension.

What should have been a quiet National Day holiday has now turned into a lively and bustling one.

Before the gate even opened, the line had already snaked its way out for hundreds of meters, making several turns.

People craned their necks, anxiously peering around and asking each other for information.

"Open the door! Open the door!" someone shouted.

"Splash!" The crowd surged forward like a flood bursting its banks.

Pushing, shouting, and children's cries rose and fell.

Everyone had only one thought: Squeeze in! Get ahead of everyone else!

The area in front of the counter is a battlefield.

The sales clerk had never experienced anything like this before and was at a loss for what to do.

Everyone looked at their tickets and headed straight for their destination.

Places that used to be sparsely populated, like bicycle and sewing machine stalls, are now packed with people. The grocery counters are surrounded by layers of people, and candies, biscuits, and canned goods that people usually wouldn't buy are now hot commodities, as if they were free.

The sales clerks were in a flurry of activity, counting tickets, collecting money, giving change, and picking up goods. They moved as fast as wind-up toys, but still couldn't keep up with the overwhelming demand.

The shelves emptied at a visible rate.

Double Happiness thermos bottles, enamel basins printed with peonies, sturdy and durable aluminum lunch boxes, and large rolls of cotton cloth—short-selling items that usually only sell for a day or two—were all sold out in less than an hour!
"Sold out! The thermos flasks are all gone!"

"Canned food? All the canned food is gone! The cookies are all gone too! Let's all go home!"

Several sales clerks had to shout in their already hoarse voices and wave their arms, trying to disperse the surging crowd.

Many people are kicking themselves for falling behind!
But some people still wouldn't give up and would come over for a second look, afraid that the salesperson was trying to scam them.

The goods were sold out, and no suitable tickets were available, so everyone had to leave disappointed.

"Sigh! Just one step away! That last thermos was snatched by that kid!"

"I should have skipped the line for fabric and gone to grab some canned goods first!"

The group returned disappointed, like defeated soldiers, with a somber and oppressive atmosphere pervading the air.

Without anything, one naturally leaves disappointed.

However, not everyone was blinded by failure; some saw the "opportunity" hidden within it.

"A lot of things haven't sold yet. Aren't there ticket scalpers outside? Hurry up and go find some tickets! Get some thermos tickets, lunchbox tickets, even cigarette and alcohol tickets!"

"Even if I don't buy it right now, I can hold onto it and wait for the industrial vouchers to come out next month. Who knows if these vouchers will still be useful? Even if I don't need them, I can still make a profit by reselling them! That's called being prepared!"

In dead-end alleys where few people usually go, ticket scalpers who had been struggling suddenly became very popular.

"I need two thermos tickets!"

"I want cigarette coupons!"

"I need wine coupons and lunchbox coupons!"

"There's enough, there's enough, don't push!"

Liu Lishun was overjoyed inside, but he tried hard to keep a straight face. He pulled out a stack of colorful tickets from his pocket and deliberately shook them loudly.

"Everyone's here! Don't push! One at a time!"

"How much is one?" someone asked.

Liu Lishun held up five fingers and shook them: "Same as always, hot tickets are 5 cents each! All tickets are 5 cents each! No cheating!"
This price is twice as high as usual!
"What?! 50 cents?! Didn't you give me 20 cents yesterday? You're so greedy!" someone immediately shouted.

"You think it's too expensive?" Liu Lishun rolled his triangular eyes and pretended to tuck the ticket into his pocket.

"If you think it's too expensive, go somewhere else! Once you miss my shop, it'll be gone! If you don't buy now, what will you do when they ask for industrial vouchers? You'll have nowhere to cry later!"

This blatant combination of threat and temptation immediately worked.

"I need two thermos tickets!"

"I need a lunchbox ticket!"

"Me too! Three cigarette coupons! Do you have any bicycle coupons? I'll pay a high price!"

"Your idea is fucking amazing!" Liu Lishun yelled, spitting everywhere. "5 cents for a bicycle ticket? Keep dreaming! I'd keep it for myself!"

Business was booming today, making his heart tremble.

This chaos is simply a gift from God!

Take this opportunity to rip them off; it'll be enough to last a year!
The atmosphere in the small dead-end alley instantly became even more lively than that of the supply and marketing cooperative.

The crowd jostled and scrambled, exchanging banknotes and tickets rapidly in the filthy air.

Liu Lishun was sweating profusely from his busy work, but his mouth was stretched into a wide grin as he calculated how much he could earn that day.

Just as the underground transaction was in full swing, and Liu Lishun's pockets were bulging with banknotes and vouchers, a stern and authoritative shout suddenly came from the alley entrance:

"What are you doing! What are you all up to here?!"

Several police officers appeared as if by divine intervention.

"not good!"

"The police are coming!"

"Run! The police are arresting people!"

The crowd erupted in chaos! The narrow alleyway instantly descended into complete disarray.

Liu Lishun was caught in the middle of the frantically fleeing crowd, shouting, "Make way! Let me out! Don't push!"

He tried desperately to break free, but the force of the opposing crowd was immense, and he could barely move.

Instead, they were jostled and pushed about, feeling as if the banknotes and tickets in their arms might be knocked out at any moment.

As the police drew closer, the cold handcuffs seemed to gleam with a chilling light, and Liu Lishun's eyes turned red with anxiety!

He was well aware of the consequences of being caught red-handed. In a flash, an extremely risky idea popped into his head.

He suddenly pulled out the remaining small stack of relatively worthless tickets that hadn't been sold yet from his pocket, and with all his might, he threw them fiercely above the heads of the crowded people!
"Tickets are up for grabs!!"

"Hurry and grab them! They're free tickets!!"

That shout was like pouring a ladle of ice water into boiling oil!
"Tickets! Tickets!!" The already panicked crowd saw colorful tickets falling from the sky.

Those who were close by instinctively reached out to grab it, while those behind, not understanding why, also instinctively pushed forward when they saw the people in front grabbing it, afraid of missing out on some benefit.

mine!"

"Don't take it! That's mine!"

"Go away!"

The scrambling crowd instantly formed a chaotic human wall, which blocked the police officers who had chased after them, preventing them from moving for a moment!

The police's shouts were drowned out by the even louder looting and cursing.

Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime chaos, Liu Lishun, like a slippery eel, crouched low and used all his strength to desperately squeeze out through the gaps between people and in the corners of the walls.

Only after running far away did Liu Lishun take out the money from the inner lining.

"We've made a fortune! We've made a fortune!"

He looked at the small stack of 50-cent coins, roughly a hundred or so, and there were also a dozen or so one-dollar coins.

"It's not good to go out and sell tickets now, so I have to buy them from other people as soon as possible. I still have some left at home, so I'll take them all out!"

If not now, when?

Immediately, he went to find other colleagues who hadn't bought tickets yet.

Several hours later, the panic buying finally stopped due to shortages.

The spoils of the shopping spree were brought home, where different tragedies and comedies unfolded in each family.

The old woman who had been wailing at the newsboy's place was now sitting on the edge of her own kang (a heated brick bed), feeling happy and excited.

With her formidable strength, she managed to snatch two thermos flasks, an aluminum lunchbox, five bars of soap, a pound of fruit candy, and an enamel basin.
Looking at the spoils piled on the table, her husband couldn't feel happy.

"How much did it cost?" he asked, his voice trembling with regret.

"It wasn't much, all of my savings for a month went down!" The old woman gasped for breath, but her face showed a hint of satisfied exhaustion.

"But think about it, next month when we buy these things, besides the money and the original tickets, we'll also need those damn industrial coupons! Who knows how long it will take to accumulate enough coupons for this little bit of stuff! Buying it now will save us the trouble!"

Her husband looked at the spoils, which were all items that could be used for a long time, and nodded emphatically: "Not bad! The loot was all pretty substantial!"

With more people grabbing, there are naturally those who grab less, or even those who don't grab anything at all.

(End of this chapter)