Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Dongshao Town is actually not very big, and the market is even smaller.

Dongshao Town has one main street running from east to west and half a street running from south to north. On both sides are courtyards with distinctive characteristics of the era. Dongshao Town's middle school, primary school, repair shop, grain depot, supply and marketing cooperative, small shop, oil press, hardware store, slaughterhouse, donkey market, cannery, coal shop, etc.

Anyway, Zhao Da'e planned to buy coal first and then go buy other things, so he kept riding in the car.

Zhao Tingliang drove the cart across the bridge and walked about 180 meters ahead. There was a fairly large empty courtyard with several dark, tiled houses inside. Outside, there was a large pile of coal, and a sign next to it read: Coal Shop.

Zhao Tingliang stopped the car, took the IOU issued by the village, and went to discuss it with the coal shop owner.

Dongtaizi Village was poor. People mostly bought things on IOUs, rarely paying cash. The village head, Zhao Tingming, took this to the extreme; he'd even use an IOU to buy a bag of salt.

The coal shop owner's surname was Chen, and everyone called him Chen Er. Chen Er looked at the IOU with a troubled expression: "Uncle, your village shouldn't do this. It's almost 1990, and you still owe us money for coal from seven or eight years ago."

Zhao Tingliang tucked his hands into his sleeves, a pipe dangling from his lips: "The village is having a hard time too, where would we get the money? But our village chief said he'll come back to pay us back in a few days. And we can't run away, if the village won't pay, there are still higher-ups, the famine won't be over."

For the first time, Chen Er refused: "No. The past is the past, and the present is the present. I've contracted this coal shop now, and I won't extend credit."

Zhao Tingliang was stunned: "Then I'll take some first, and have the village send the money over tomorrow. I didn't bring any money with me today, but they're all old acquaintances, can't I trust them?"

Chen Er thought for a moment and said, "I can only give you two hundred catties of coal. You must give me the money tomorrow."

Zhao Tingliang quickly assured him that he would definitely give it to him, and then loaded two hundred jin of coal into the container.

Zhao Da'e watched them load the coal and went over to Chen Er: "How much per pound?"

"One cent and two cents."

"Stop messing around, I'll buy it myself."

"Five points."

Zhao Da'e chuckled: "Give me two hundred catties, in small pieces. I don't want the big pieces, they won't cook through."

Chen Er said, "Little girl, small pieces have low calories and are not heat-resistant, while large pieces are heat-resistant."

"No, no, no, I'm young, don't lie to me. According to the law of conservation of energy, their energy reserves are basically the same, and coal that is resistant to burning will definitely have a small flame. I want small pieces with a low calorie count," Zhao Da'e took out ten yuan, "Pack it for me, seal it. No shortchanging, I'll be burning it at home."

Chen Er took the money and went to load the coal, filling two small bags, each weighing 100 jin (50 kg). Zhao Da'e figured that 200 jin of coal would last for a month or so, and if it wasn't enough, they could do it in a few days.

Zhao Tingliang had finished loading his coal, and then he drove off to buy cement.

Zhao Da'e then asked Zhao Tingliang, "Fourth Grandfather, are you going to come and give them money again tomorrow?"

Zhao Tingliang snorted: "Chen Er is dreaming. He's the brother-in-law of my sixth son's second daughter. He has no money. Let him ask whoever he wants. I'll come back in a few days. He's sold a lot of coal, so he's forgotten about me. That's what happened last time."

As he spoke, Zhao Tingliang took a puff of his pipe: "However, it seems like it's getting harder and harder to get credit. Before, you could get an IOU from the village, but now you have to get one from an individual. It doesn't matter, they won't give it to individuals anyway. Your great-grandfather said that in a few days, around the twelfth lunar month, he'll go out and make sure the debt collectors can't find him..."

Zhao Da'e: "..."

In the end, it was my great-grandfather who shouldered everything for the village...