Siheyuan: Starting to work in the security department

As the Spring Festival draws closer, the supplies in the city become more abundant.

The newspapers would publish in detail the quantity and price of "key supplies" - meat, eggs, marine fish, soy products, and other delicate vegetables such as green peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Almost all commodities are supplied in fixed quantities and with tickets and vouchers.

The winter hairtail is on the market and everyone is looking forward to it.

When hairtail arrives in the vegetable market or grocery store, neighbors spread the word and rush to buy it with basins in hand.

There was even a shortage of hairtail, and many families had to arrange for someone to get up early, stamp their feet in the cold wind, and queue up to buy it.

Niu Ping'an mingled with the crowd and bought hairtail at 38 cents per pound, which was the most expensive.

The meat stall in the vegetable market was where the fiercest fighting took place.

Last year, the city of Beijing stopped selling meat coupons to residents, but families with workers still received meat coupons.

However, the government will still reissue some bills during important holidays.

But on weekdays, you can only buy canned meat with meat coupons, and it is difficult to buy fresh meat.

During the Spring Festival, the government increased its investment in the meat market, and citizens queued up all night just to have a meal of dumplings.

I took out the meat coupons that my family had saved for a year just to buy good meat with both fat and lean meat.

Niu Ping'an's family had few people and the number of meat coupons they received was also small, so he did not participate.

After all, there are all kinds of meat in his space.

During the difficult three years, the New Year's benefits of steel rolling gradually changed from food to daily necessities.

This year we even distributed some fabrics that we would never have dared to think of in previous years.

These were all exchanged by the steel mills with the textile mills for unplanned products.

The Security Department is a relatively special department. There must be someone on duty 24 hours a day, including holidays.

However, there are not as many things to do during holidays as on weekdays, so the Public Security Department only arranges people to be on duty.

When Xia Aijun asked who was willing to be on duty, Niu Ping'an signed up without hesitation.

In the end, two people from each of the four teams worked the night shift for four days, and Niu Pingan was one of them.

Being on duty does not mean there are no holidays, it’s just that the working hours need to be adjusted.

On the 28th day of the lunar year, Niu Ping'an went on vacation after receiving the Spring Festival benefits from the steel rolling mill.

Due to the shortage of supplies, there is actually not much to prepare for the New Year. Besides, there is no one at home, so it is even more unnecessary.

For Niu Ping'an, the Chinese New Year is just an ordinary day.

The hairtail I bought couldn’t be eaten until New Year’s Eve, so Niu Ping’an cooked it right away.

The neighbors in the yard have all prepared New Year's goods, so no one will be jealous no matter how delicious the food is during the New Year holidays.

As soon as the plump hairtail is fried in oil, the fragrance spreads immediately.

Lou Xiaoe next door was drooling with envy.

It was very busy before the Spring Festival, especially Xu Damao, who was busy showing movies in the countryside.

Xu Damao was not at home, so Lou Xiaoe could only make some food for herself.

Smelling the fragrance coming from Niu Ping'an's house, Lou Xiaoe didn't care about his appearance and ran to Niu Ping'an's house in his cotton shoes.

"Ping An, what did you make? It smells so good!"

Lou Xiaoe's cheeks flushed slightly and she asked rather embarrassedly.

I haven't had a good meal in the past few days and I'm really greedy.

"It's Sister Xiao'e, I'm frying hairtail!"

Niu Ping'an turned around and glanced at Lou Xiaoe, replied, and then concentrated on his work again.

Lou Xiaoe walked into the kitchen curiously and peeked into the pot.

"Oh, this hairtail fish is really big."

The government introduced hairtail to Beijing from the south a few years ago.

In order to promote the high-quality and low-priced hairtail, newspapers and radio stations at the time tried every means to educate citizens about hairtail and various ways to eat it.

The cadres of various street offices and residents' committees, as well as the leaders of rural people's communes and brigades and teams, all came out to publicize the benefits of eating hairtail.

It is said that hairtail contains high iodine, which can prevent goiter.

Over time, hairtail gradually conquered the stomachs of people in Beijing with its delicious taste and cheap price, and appeared on the tables of ordinary people.

The amount imported has also increased from tens of thousands of catties to over one million catties now.

“I bought the best hairtail fish!

Isn't Brother Damao at home?"

Although Niu Ping'an has a good relationship with the Xu family, he rarely spends time alone with Lou Xiaoe on weekdays.

After all, it is easy for rumors to spread when a man and a woman are alone.

Today, Lou Xiaoe came to the house on his own initiative. Niu Ping'an thought that Xu Damao was not at home and Lou Xiaoe was greedy.

"Yes, there were movies shown in the countryside before the New Year!"

"Sister Xiao'e, you haven't eaten yet, right? Come and have something to eat from my place later."

Niu Pingan said with relief, "As expected," and invited Lou Xiaoe to eat with him.

"Ping An, is this your New Year's gift?"

Lou Xiaoe did not agree immediately. It would be embarrassing if the hairtail was used to ensure Niu's safe New Year.

"I am the only one at home, so it doesn't matter to me whether I celebrate the New Year or not."

"How can that be done!

In this way, sister-in-law will eat at your place today, and I will make up for your New Year's goods."

Lou Xiaoe looked at Niu Ping'an with pity.

The Chinese New Year should be a day for family reunions, but Niu Ping'an can only endure loneliness alone.

Lou Xiaoe's sympathy suddenly overflowed.

He immediately generously offered to buy him some New Year's goods.

"That's really not necessary. I've prepared a lot of food, enough to eat."

Niu Ping'an had enough food and drink, so there was no need for him to take advantage of this small advantage, and he immediately refused.

"It's settled! Ping'an, if you refuse again, your sister-in-law will be embarrassed to eat."

Lou Xiaoe made the final decision with great dominance.

Niu Ping'an couldn't persuade her, and thought that Lou Xiao'e was a rich woman with plenty of money, so he didn't bother to be polite.

"Oh well.

Sister Xiao'e, please go to the living room and listen to the radio. The kitchen is filled with fumes."

The kitchen in Niu Ping'an's house is simple and small.

He was willing to use a lot of oil when cooking, and the kitchen was filled with a strong smell of oil smoke.

"Row!"

Lou Xiaoe didn't bother to be polite with Niu Ping'an. He went straight into Niu Ping'an's living room, turned on the radio and started listening to it.

Because there was an extra Lou Xiaoe, Niu Ping'an also made stir-fried pork with green pepper and stir-fried cabbage.

For the staple food, I just heated up a few steamed buns made of 100 grams of flour, which was convenient.

Niu Ping'an brought the dishes to the table, and Lou Xiaoe also helped to clean up the table and took out dishes and chopsticks from the cupboard.

"start!"

"You also bought green peppers? They're not cheap!"

Lou Xiaoe is a knowledgeable person. Green peppers are off-season vegetables in winter, so the price is naturally not low.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary people can't even see it. It is only available in small quantities during the Spring Festival, but the price is relatively high.

"Well, I saw a report in the newspaper, so I went to buy some."

Niu Ping'an responded casually.

In fact, he bought these green peppers at the Pigeon Market in September and stored them in the space.

"The meat in this green pepper is so tender, Ping An, how did you make it?"

Lou Xiaoe was like a curious baby, asking questions while eating, which made Niu Pingan feel helpless.

"Pinch the meat slices with sweet potato flour and they won't look old."

“I didn’t expect that fried hairtail fish would be so delicious.

My mother’s family always deep-fries it and then stews it, and it’s delicious too!”

Lou Xiaoe had just moved into the courtyard and had not yet integrated into the environment.

They have no idea how hard life is for ordinary people.

Fried food is of course fragrant and delicious, but who in ordinary people could afford it?

But Niu Ping'an would not correct her. No one wants to listen to others preaching.

"Well, actually, hairtail fried with shredded radish is also delicious and goes well with rice."

"Really? I must try it next time."

Lou Xiaoe is obviously a foodie, and he looks eager to try.

"Ping An, I will go back to my parents' home this afternoon and bring you some New Year's goods tomorrow."

Originally, Lou Xiaoe planned to go back to the Lou family in the afternoon to bring back some New Year's goods, as she would spend the New Year at her in-laws' house this year.

"Ok."

Since Lou Xiaoe said so, Niu Pingan did not refuse.

Niu Ping'an is still looking forward to the New Year's goods prepared by Lou Xiaoe.

Although the Lou family has fallen on hard times, some rare items are still easy to get.

Specially supplied cigarettes, alcohol, cakes and preserved fruits, which have been out of reach for ordinary people in the past two years, are just ordinary goods in the eyes of the Lou family.

The two of them finished all three dishes in one meal.

After dinner, Lou Xiaoe said goodbye and left, leaving Niu Pingan alone to clean up the battlefield.