50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 60 Supply and Wages
比较通行的折算量为一个工资分约含：2.8斤粮食、0.05斤植物油，0.2尺白布、2斤煤、0.02斤食盐。

In actual implementation, local areas may make some adjustments based on local conditions.

For example, in some areas the food was millet, in others it was sorghum, in some areas white cloth was replaced by locally produced cloth, and in some areas where coal was not produced and in forest areas, coal was replaced by firewood.

Using "wage points" as the unit of calculation for wages can effectively protect employees' income from the impact of price fluctuations in the current situation of unstable prices and inflation.

In fact, some elderly people are more accustomed to the supply system because the organization has very detailed regulations on the supply of daily necessities.

They have become accustomed to leaving all life issues to the organization, and they just need to concentrate on their work.

For example, some areas in the north stipulate that each person should have two sets of single clothes, one set of cotton clothes, two pairs of socks, one single and one cotton hat, and one pair of cotton shoes.

One coat every three years; one mosquito net every five years; two towels per year; one bar of soap per month; two haircuts per month, and some toothbrushes, tooth powder, etc.

The monthly allowance for ordinary staff is about 3 yuan.

It also varies according to level and family situation. For example, families with children and families of martyrs receive additional subsidies.

In addition, there are various subsidies. For example, each person is given an extra pound of pork as holiday allowance on New Year's Day, National Day, and Spring Festival; health care allowances are divided into four levels: Level A provides 5 pounds of meat per month; Level B provides 4 pounds; Level C provides 3 pounds; and Level D provides 2 pounds.

These items are distributed at market price together with allowances.

In addition, childbirth expenses, childcare expenses, women's health expenses, nanny fees, tuition and miscellaneous fees, medical care expenses, funeral expenses and elderly care expenses are also paid.

It’s no wonder that the old comrades are unwilling to change the supply system. Originally, all these messy supplies were handled by individuals themselves, which took a lot of effort.

If there is no good wife at home, life will definitely be a mess.

Some people don’t know how to live. They spend a lot of money at the beginning of the month, but the whole family is left with nothing at the end of the month.

Therefore, this change was not thorough, and many old comrades still worked and lived in peace under the supply system.

In fact, many daily necessities are still distributed according to the previous system, but salary points will be deducted according to the new method.

According to the newly implemented 29-level salary system, Lao Zhang's salary is divided into 180 points, and his godfather Mr. Sun's salary is divided into 220 points.

From this we can see that teachers' salaries were significantly higher at that time. Mr. Sun was still a middle school teacher, and university teachers were paid even higher.

Part of this is due to the inertia that has continued from the Republic of China, and part of it is due to the preferential treatment of intellectuals in the country.

However, what this world suffers from is not scarcity but inequality. The obvious differential treatment that is starting now will also lay the seeds for future changes.

Now Lao Zhang’s wife and children have not come yet, and the family depends entirely on Sun Zhiwei for care. Otherwise, Lao Zhang might not even have a cup of hot water to drink when he comes home every day.

Sun Zhiwei wanted to remind him several times to bring his parents, wife and children over, but when he thought about how everyone here would be wiped out in the future, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Maybe I could be spared if I stayed in my hometown, but coming here is not a good thing.

What's more, Lao Zhang's family of five in his hometown have divided a lot of land. For a farmer, it is impossible to give it up. It would be like asking for his parents' lives.

Sun Zhiwei was also very hesitant about this, and kept putting it off until today. Now he can only take it one step at a time. Starting this year, Sun Zhiwei plans to spend three years completing his university studies.

When he started working in 55, the wage system was just being implemented and the new currency was being issued.

Based on his achievements, it would be natural for him to be assigned a higher level.

In October, Sun Zhiwei received his first cotton cloth coupon, which was quite novel. It looked like a small booklet, but inside were stamp-like cotton cloth coupons called "Cotton Cloth Purchase Certificates."

The whole was divided into two parts: one half was used to buy cloth or cloth products, and the other half was a stub. Later cloth coupons mostly eliminated the stub.

This is something only he and his daughter have. Lao Zhang hasn't retired yet, so he's getting the uniform directly now, and will get the cloth coupons later.

如今孙志伟和囡囡除了每人每年1丈8尺3寸的棉布外，还有属于烈属和孤儿的补贴各3尺，合在一起每人每年24尺3寸。

The orphan subsidy will be paid until they turn 18, and the martyr's family subsidy will continue to be available, which is a considerable amount. What bothers him is that it is only valid for one year and will be unusable next year.

He and his daughter are still young, and this amount far exceeds their needs. But it doesn't matter. He plans to save the tickets and buy the cloth back later to store.

Of course he was not short of cloth. Last time, he seized half a house's worth of cloth from Teacher Zhang's cellar in the courtyard, but he hadn't used it yet.

But he still had to buy the cloth back, after all, the confiscated cloth had no source.

The cloth coupon system was just beginning to be implemented, with only cotton cloth being purchased and sold under unified control. However, this marked the beginning of the coupon era, with all other daily necessities to be purchased with coupons.

Sun Zhiwei counted the length of the cloth coupons and confirmed that they were correct before carefully storing the "Cotton Cloth Purchase Certificate" in his space.

If this thing is lost, there is no place to replace it. In a few years, if the cloth coupons at home are lost, it will cause unrest in the family at best, and even cause death at worst.

During this period, public-private partnership was being promoted. At the beginning, it was based on the voluntary principle, and many shops were still privately owned. Thinking that silver dollars would be less useful in the future, he planned to spend all the silver dollars he had.

Originally, he had no silver dollars on him, but there was a box of valuables in the cellar he cleaned last time. He had not cleaned it, but he knew there were silver dollars and foreign currencies in it.

Now silver dollars and foreign currencies are good things for private owners who want to leave, and they will definitely accept them.

He planned to go to the private silk shops on the street every weekend to buy some cloth without tickets.

Figure: Various colors of earthen silk blue printed cloth

For example, linen, blue printed cloth, Huzhou silk cloth, indigo cloth, as well as imported khaki cloth (later called khaki cloth) and corduroy.

Picture: An advertisement for Indanthrene fabric from the Republic of China period. At the bottom are the various color numbers of Indanthrene, among which bright blue number 190 is the most popular and is particularly suitable for making long gowns, cheongsams and student uniforms.

He found some time to go to the private hospital. It had been taken over and was now called Wenjin Street Hospital. It would become the 305 Hospital in the future, and it would be difficult to get in then.

However, that will be a long time later, so there is no rush to move the things away now.

This time he didn't stay in the hospital for long. He walked around the laboratory building, used the ring space to take the box containing the money and left.

(End of this chapter)