Go back to the past to plant trees

With the autumn afforestation finished, the work at the camp is basically done. There's still some unharvested grain in the vegetable garden, but the ground hasn't frozen yet, so there's no need to rush to dig it up. We can let it stay on the ground for a while longer.

"There are plenty of sweet potatoes at the camp this year, so we can make more sweet potato candy and sweet potato noodles."

Zhao Tianshan and Feng Cheng discussed preparations for the camp before winter.

"We also need to make some pumpkin candy and winter melon candy. Everyone likes to eat them, and they can satisfy our cravings during the winter."

Feng Cheng said, "There are twelve people in the camp now. If we want to make candy, we need at least ten catties per person. We also need to set aside some for cooking, so we need to make at least 150 catties of sweet potato candy."

Ten pounds of sugar for one person sounds like a lot, but that's a six-month supply. Over six months, that's less than two pounds per month on average. Of course, once the sweet potato candy is made, it can be processed into winter melon candy or maltose, which would increase the weight by at least three or four times.

However, not everyone uses it to make pumpkin candy or winter melon candy. Especially girls, they like to mix sweet potato candy with water to drink. Unless they have nothing else, they drink a small cup every day. Although the amount each day is not large, it adds up to a considerable amount over six months.

Actually, it wasn't just girls; Feng Cheng himself often used it to rinse his mouth. He couldn't help it; the food was too bland, and his mouth had no taste.

Zhao Tianshan shook his head first, "I don't think it will be enough. A while ago, the girls told me that they wanted me to make more sweet potato candy, and they would pay for it."

Feng Cheng said, "But we can't use all of our sweet potatoes to make sugar. We need to keep some for grain reserves and use some to make sweet potato noodles. The amount that can be used to make sugar is always limited."

Sweet potato noodles have become an indispensable ingredient in the camp. Everyone likes to eat them. Although people also like tofu, making tofu requires soybeans, which are not easy to obtain. Therefore, the most common and delicious dish on everyone's table is sweet potato noodles. There are various ways to eat them, such as stir-fried cabbage with noodles, stewed sauerkraut with noodles, stir-fried noodles with vegetables, and stewed pork with noodles. In short, there are all kinds of ways to eat them, and everyone likes them.

Therefore, sweet potato vermicelli must be made, and not too little. The sweet potatoes grown at the camp have a vermicelli yield of about 15%. In half a year, at least 100 kilograms of sweet potato vermicelli need to be made. In addition, some grain reserves need to be set aside, so there can't be too many sweet potatoes available for making sweet potato candy.

"Let's do it this way for now. If the girls want to make more, let them spend their own money to buy it. This year's grain supply isn't too tight, so buying a few hundred kilograms shouldn't be difficult."

"Alright!"

Zhao Tianshan didn't say anything more. Although it was said that the girls should be taken care of, the advance team was a collective, and the collective interests could not be sacrificed just to take care of the girls. That was unacceptable.

Feng Cheng continued, "The camp has plenty of food reserves, so we should be able to get through the winter without any problem. But we not only need to eat our fill, but we also need to try to eat well. We can't just eat potatoes, radishes, and cabbage every day for most of the winter!"

"We need to apply to the bureau for some supplies for this trip to Xiaba. People in the city usually get candy coupons, biscuit coupons, meat coupons and the like during holidays, so we should get some too."

"There are more than ten of us. If we pool our money, we can afford to have a few good meals. We also need to prepare firecrackers and couplets for the New Year. This is the last time we go down to the dam before winter. If we don't buy them now, we won't be able to."

Zhao Tianshan nodded, “What you said makes sense. Although conditions in Bashang are harsh, this is our advance team’s first New Year in Bashang. Apart from you and Jinquan, it’s the first time we’ve celebrated the New Year in Bashang. It will definitely be quiet, but we can make it lively so that everyone can feel the New Year’s atmosphere and not make everyone too homesick.”

Feng Cheng said, "You can arrange this. Anyway, you have to ask the bureau for things when you go down to the dam. Whatever other employees in the bureau get for the New Year, we need to get the same things too. We can't get them during the New Year, so you have to bring them up for us in advance."

In those days, everything required ration coupons, and some things were hard to buy even with coupons, such as candy, biscuits, fruits, and fireworks. You couldn't find anywhere to buy them. Even Feng Cheng and Zhao Tianshan couldn't get these things without the bureau's intervention.

After accepting the task, Zhao Tianshan began to record the items he needed to buy on this trip to Xiaba.

Daily necessities are essential, and we need to buy them every time we go down to the countryside. We can keep a record and buy enough for six months. The same goes for kitchenware.

"Everyone has to pay for the drinks!"

Sui Zhichao suddenly brought up this matter that day, "The wine we drank before was either bought by the team leader or the section chief. Da Kui and I also bought it twice, but in general, the section chief and the team leader paid more. This is not acceptable. We drink several kilograms of wine each time, once or twice a month. It can't all be paid for by the team leader and the section chief!"

"Hibernation lasts for more than half a year. During this time, do you drink alcohol? How much do you drink? There are eight of us men who drink five or six jin of alcohol in one sitting. Even if we only drink once a month, that's still thirty or forty jin. Not to mention that we drink more than once a month."

"Just by doing a rough calculation, we need to prepare more than 100 jin of liquor to get us through the winter."

"More than a hundred catties, and the cheapest loose liquor now costs 8 mao per catty, so wouldn't that be 80 yuan?" Huang Qiang felt that the liquor was a bit too expensive.

Sui Zhichao said, "It looks like a lot, but there are eight of us, so it's only ten yuan per person. And you have to do the math. We're going to drink this for half a year, so it's only about one yuan and sixty cents a month. One yuan and sixty cents a month for alcohol shouldn't be too much, right?"

Feng Cheng said, "Da Sui, that's not how you calculate it. You earn over forty or almost fifty yuan a month, so one yuan and fifty cents is definitely not much for you. But Huang Qiang is a temporary worker, and he only earns 18 yuan a month. One yuan and sixty cents is already 10% of his salary, which is a lot for him."

Hearing Feng Cheng's words, Huang Qiang nodded in agreement. Taking out ten yuan at once was indeed too much for him.

Sui Zhichao spread his hands: "Then what do you suggest, Section Chief? Everyone drinks as much as they want when we're drinking, but we can't all be silent when it's time to buy more alcohol!"

"Stop talking, I'll give you twenty yuan," Da Kui said, standing up directly.

Da Kui is a straightforward and righteous person who is truly devoted to his friends. Of course, he also has his flaws.

"I'll contribute 20 too!" Zhao Tianshan chimed in. Da Kui had already contributed 20, so as the team leader, he couldn't fall behind, since his salary was even higher than Da Kui's.

Feng Cheng said, "Then I'll give you 20 too!"

Sui Zhichao said, "I'll also contribute 20, so that makes it 80 in total. That should cover the cost of the drinks, but you guys should contribute something too!"

Sui Zhichao looked at the remaining four people.

Zhao Jinquan said, "I'll contribute ten yuan. I'm a full-time employee, so my salary will be higher."

Feng Cheng said, "Old Wei doesn't need to pay. He doesn't drink much, and he's always the one serving us when we drink. We shouldn't take his money. As for Erqiang and Huang Qiang, you can each give five yuan. Is that alright?"

"no problem."

"can."

Ten yuan is a bit too much, five yuan is acceptable. Just like Sui Zhichao said, how can you drink without paying?

"Then it's settled. We'll buy the 100 yuan worth of liquor next time we go down to the dam."