Traveling through 70's wine

The scene of slaughtering pigs was a scene of chaos, with the pigs' screams and the children's cheers mixed together.

The aunts and sisters-in-law in the village happily boiled water, picked and washed vegetables, and cleaned internal organs.

Everyone brought food from home and gave it to the team leader's wife, who led a group of women in the village to cook. The villagers went back and brought tables and boards to prepare for the feast together.

Wen Qing went home and not only brought food and dishes, but also a basket of firewood.

Gu Hua helped move the table and also went home to get some cabbage and radishes to give to the team leader's wife.

After seeing this, the team leader nodded secretly. The educated youth in their village were quite good. Unlike in some villages, the educated youth were lazy and did not work. They also stole things, which led to great hostility between the villagers and the educated youth.

After the three pigs were slaughtered, the butcher cut the pork into strips weighing about one pound.

The villagers lined up according to their work points. The team leader announced that adult villagers and educated youth would each get one pound, children would get half a pound, and anyone over 15 years old would be considered an adult.

The remaining pork can be bought with money, and the price is the supply price.

Considering that there was little meat and many people, each family could buy a maximum of 5 kilograms of meat, and the educated youth could buy a maximum of 1 kilogram. The pig's feet were given to several five-guarantee households in the village.

The team leader's plan was comprehensive. Wen Qing didn't need too much meat, but she still bought a pound of it. She and Gu Hua also bought meat for other educated youth.

The two men carried the pork back to the educated youth site and then returned to the drying dam to have the feast.

In the village, when eating the pig-killing meal, people sit at a table with eight people, and they can start eating once the table is full.

The whole village sat at 30 tables in total and had two rounds of meals.

The team leader arranged several elderly people to sit together, took out a bottle of Erguotou and poured it for each of them. Everyone had a smile on their face.

Wen Qing looked at it with emotion. The villagers of Xiangyang are simple and honest, the team leader is capable, and the villagers are honest and hardworking, but they pay a lot but get little in return.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Gu Hua pushed open the door and the fresh air hit his face.

He took a deep breath and saw Wen Qing putting the dried cabbage into the pickle jar, adding a layer of leaves and sprinkling a layer of salt. After filling it up, he pressed it down and sealed it. It would be ready to eat in half a month.

Gu Hua looked at it for a while and said, "I'll help you."

Wen Qing said, "No, we'll go up the mountain to cut some cypress branches and smoke the bacon in two days."

The pork we got yesterday will be marinated for two days, then hung up to air dry, and then smoked with branches so it can be kept for a long time.

You can also hang it directly in the kitchen and let it dry naturally while cooking.

After Wen Qing packed the pickled vegetables, the two of them carried their backpacks and went to Daqing Mountain to cut cypress branches.

The vegetation in the mountains was sparse and there were no small animals on the road. The two men cut cypress branches and some dead branches for firewood, and carried them back to the educated youth site together.

At noon, Wen Qing cut a piece of meat and made dumplings with cabbage and pork filling, and Gu Hua provided the flour.

In the afternoon, Wen Qing took out a chicken and a rabbit and said that she bought them on her way home.

The two of them killed chickens and rabbits, boiled a pot of chicken soup, and made braised rabbits.

Gu Hua took out half a pound of pork that he had just divided, and picked some cabbages and radishes from his private plot.

At the end of last year, he sent all the bacon and mountain products he made to northern Jiangsu and gave them to his parents. Now he doesn't have much food.

Wen Qing doesn't lack these and doesn't care about them.

After preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, I served a bowl of braised rabbit meat to the team leader and said a lot of auspicious words.

After returning, Gu Hua lit the firecrackers, and amid the crackling sound, the two began to eat the New Year's Eve dinner.

Wen Qing took out a pot of wine and the two raised their glasses to celebrate, saying goodbye to 1974 and welcoming 1975.

Both of them have been in the countryside for three or four years. Gu Hua was a little depressed and asked, "Wen Qing, can we still go back to the city?"

There were not many educated youth who went to Xiangyang Village. The two talked about the situation of educated youth who went to the countryside from other places that they knew about. The earliest one went there in 67 and has not returned for 7 years.

Gu Hua said: "The first batch of people who went to the countryside after graduating from high school are now 25 or 6 years old, and those who graduated from junior high school are 22 or 3 years old.

Some people have already married in the countryside, and these people probably have no hope of returning to the city.”

Wen Qing was not so pessimistic and said, "We should be able to go back to the city. I heard that there are three ways to go back to the city now, namely, retiring due to illness, joining the army, and finding a job."

“All three of our options are blocked.”

"In fact, there is another way, which is to study and go to college."

Universities were restored in 70, but the students recruited were all workers, peasants and soldiers, and admission was entirely dependent on recommendations.

“No one would recommend the educated youth.”

There is not a single quota in a commune, and even if there is a quota, the recommendation will be made by one of their own people.

Wen Qing boldly said, "What if the university resumes enrollment? Can't I get in?"

Gu Hua said: "This is impossible."

"Don't lose heart, look forward"

The two talked about their return home.

Gu Hua looked at the girl, whose complexion was becoming increasingly fair, and said, "My parents live in the countryside of northern Jiangsu. I went to see them this time. The weather there was very cold, and there was not much food to be distributed.

My father was sick and no one cared for him until I went to the hospital.

I brought them most of my provisions."

I covered my face when I spoke, I was really afraid that they couldn't hold on.

Wen Qing saw that he was sad and said, "My family is fine. My brother has already found a job. It's just that housing is tight at home. After returning home, I found that I had no place to live."

After a pause, he continued, "I heard from others on the train that the cadres who were sent down to the countryside are now being reclassified, and some of the leaders of their units have already returned to their jobs."

This was her guess based on her own memory, mainly to cheer up Gu Hua.

Gu Hua's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Really?"

"I also heard it from the people in the car, but it's best to ask someone."

"Yes, we should ask someone."

They raised their glasses: "I wish you all the best and may all your wishes come true!"

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, the two ate dumplings.

We made an appointment to go together to wish the team leader and secretary a happy new year.

The villagers kept their distance from the educated youth, and the children did not come to visit. The educated youth site was very quiet that day. The sound of firecrackers coming from the distant village from time to time indicated that it was New Year.

Wen Qing stayed in the room, and Gu Hua brought the book over.

She took out the fried peanuts, fried broad beans, chestnuts, and acorns she had prepared and filled a large plate with them.

Gu Hua said: "You have prepared a lot of things."

"It's a rare Chinese New Year, so we have to prepare New Year's goods. Let's just eat whatever we want today."

The two of them were reading and eating snacks.

Gu Hua asked: "Where did you see?"

"I have finished junior high school math and Chinese, and now I am studying high school physics and chemistry. How about you?"

"I just finished watching the junior high school courses and am ready to watch the high school courses."

"Well, I didn't go to high school before, and I didn't learn physics and chemistry well in junior high school. I will need your help in the future."

"No problem. Do you want me to tell you about it today?"

"Okay." Wen Qing found the high school physics book and asked Gu Hua to teach her.

So, the first day of the New Year was spent in a strong learning atmosphere.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, the two went to the big market in Luchun County together.

The big market during the Spring Festival is much more lively than usual, with more people setting up stalls to sell things and more goods.

You can also see high-end goods such as bicycles, radios, watches, etc. shipped from the east.

Gu Hua really had no money, and Wen Qing was reluctant to take out money, so they both just enjoyed the sight of the place and bought a few meat buns at the market, and were very satisfied.

During the Spring Festival, Wen Qing went into the space to harvest rice and corn. With the help of a tractor, she reclaimed another 200 acres of land, and there are still 200 acres to be reclaimed slowly.

The current grain planting area is 240 acres.

She plans to plant 100 acres of rice, 100 acres of wheat and 40 acres of corn.

First, seeds are sown and seedlings are grown on the side. The seedling field covers an area of ​​10 acres. After sowing the seeds, Wen Qing chops up the rice stalks and corn stalks and composts them. When the fertilizer is decomposed, it is just in time for top dressing.

She looked at the food in the warehouse, including 7000 kilograms of rice, more than 3000 kilograms of wheat, and more than 4000 kilograms of corn, and she felt safe again.

Wen Qing went to Luchun County, still dressed up as a dark and thin middle-aged man.

She found Lao Yu in the black market, the one who had bought jam from her before.

Old Yu still remembers the jam seller, "Fellow villager, what are you planning to sell?"

Wen Qing whispered, "My friend has a batch of food, do you want it?"