stjorthotic Chapter 15 An Invisible Slap in the Face
Chapter 15 An Invisible Slap in the Face
The male sales clerk, after accepting the cigarettes, immediately became much more amiable, smiling and saying:
"Young man, cabbage is 3 cents, how much do you want?"
"Um... Uncle, I want 300 jin!"
As Li Xiangyang spoke, he leaned forward again, feigning difficulty:
"But... I left in a hurry today and forgot to bring my food coupons."
If he hadn't been short of food coupons, he wouldn't have been so extravagant, acting like a nouveau riche, throwing out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes in one go.
"Um……?"
The middle-aged male sales clerk was stunned for a moment, then looked at the pack of Daqianmen cigarettes that he had already shoved into his pocket, feeling bitter inside.
I was wondering why someone would just throw in a whole pack of Daqianmen cigarettes; turns out that's what they were waiting for me.
"Alright then... We just happen to have an extra 300 jin of cabbage in the warehouse today, but there won't be a next time. Come with me to the backyard to move it!"
When the horse-drawn carriage was led to the backyard of the supply and marketing cooperative, the two brothers, Li Xiangyang and Li Xiangyang, began to unload cabbages onto the carriage under the direction of the male sales clerk.
The male sales clerk accepted Li Xiangyang's cigarettes and naturally wouldn't make things difficult for them anymore. He said it was only this once, but in reality, he wished Li Xiangyang would come every now and then so he could have free good cigarettes.
After all, it doesn't matter who you sell the cabbages to, since they're sold by the supply and marketing cooperative.
Out of a desire to please him, the male sales clerk picked out the best quality cabbages for Li Xiangyang, each weighing about ten kilograms.
The female sales clerk standing nearby was quite surprised.
Uncle Liu had never been so attentive to anyone before, so he was a little curious and leaned closer to ask:
"Sixth Uncle, do you know that young man?"
"I don't know him."
"Don't you recognize him...? Then why did you pick out all the best cabbages from the warehouse for him?"
The male sales clerk smiled after hearing this.
He took out the Daqianmen cigarette that Li Xiangyang had given him from his pocket, pulled it out, and started smoking.
Seeing the saleswoman staring wide-eyed, he then brandished his cigarette and joked:
"I don't know him, but I know this."
hiss~
Losing a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes.
The saleswoman suddenly felt a pang of regret for her arrogant behavior and slapped her thigh hard.
That cigarette was worth most of her day's wages!
In this way, Li Xiangyang spent 9.3 yuan and successfully got 300 jin of big and fresh Chinese cabbage.
Afterwards, the two brothers carried 300 jin (150 catties) of cabbage and happily headed home.
In Li Xiangyang's memory,
Potatoes, radishes, and Chinese cabbage are a staple for the people of northern Xinjiang throughout the winter.
Especially Chinese cabbage, it's a staple food for the people of northern Xinjiang, something they cherish and never get tired of eating.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he bought 300 jin at once; it's not a lot. Li Xiangyang remembers that in later generations, every family would stock up on 1,000 to 2,000 jin before hibernation.
After all, it's something that needs to be taken for four or five months.
Actually, there are still many things that need to be stockpiled before the major snow disaster truly arrives, such as coal, timber, grain, meat, and hay.
Let's leave it at that for today. There's still more than a month to go. We have to take things one step at a time; we can't rush it.
With a cart full of cabbages and the remaining 21.2 yuan tucked into their arms, the two brothers hummed a little tune as they returned to the village.
As soon as the carriage returned to the village entrance, their nephew Li Chunsheng, who saw them returning from afar, immediately ran over.
Children have simple minds.
Yesterday, Li Xiangyang went to town and came back with half a bar of soap. This morning, when he woke up and learned that Li Xiangyang had gone to town again, he was extremely excited.
Every fifteen minutes, I would run out of the house to see if he had returned.
Seeing his son running towards him, Li Xiangdong stopped the carriage. He intended to give him a ride, but the son called out to Li Xiangdong and quickly went around to Li Xiangyang, looking at him with longing in his eyes, and said:
"Uncle, did you bring back anything fun today?"
"I didn't bring anything fun, but I brought this for you."
As Li Xiangyang spoke, he took out a bag of fruit candies from his pocket, handed it to him, and said with a smile.
"Go and call your mom and aunt to come out of the yard and help move the cabbages."
Li Chunsheng wiped his nose, carefully took the fruit candy, his eyes lit up, and shouted:
"Yay! Yay! Yay! There's candy! There's candy!"
Clutching the fruit candies, she skipped and hopped home to call for help.
"Brother, don't spoil Chunsheng!"
Li Xiangdong felt somewhat helpless.
This little brat doesn't even want his father when there's food to eat.
Li Chunsheng's shout didn't even bring his family out, but the neighbors all came out out of curiosity.
These days, without television, internet, or even a radio, staying at home during the winter is extremely boring and tedious.
So whenever something happens, everyone will gossip and inquire about it everywhere, and the news spreads very quickly. For example, the news that Donkey Egg was caught stealing sheep last night has already spread this morning.
"Aren't those Zhenshan's two kids? What are you doing driving the carriage so early in the morning?"
A sharp-eyed neighbor quickly recognized the two brothers and enthusiastically went up to ask them what was going on.
"Wow...where did you get so many cabbages?"
"These cabbages look really good, and they must be expensive, right? Why are you buying so many? Looks like your sheep farming business has been quite profitable this year!"
The uncles and aunties from the neighborhood chattered amongst themselves.
Li Xiangdong didn't know how to answer. He had made some money raising sheep, but it had all gone to his father's medical treatment. Saying directly that it was bought with money earned from selling fish didn't seem appropriate either.
All I could do was give a sheepish smile.
"These were all bought from the town's supply and marketing cooperative. They weren't expensive, only 3 cents a pound."
Li Xiangyang readily accepted the reply.
As for whether they bought it with money earned from raising sheep, that's none of their business, and there's no need to argue with them.
Giddy up!
The carriage quickly entered the courtyard, and the crowd dispersed.
My mother, my wife and sister-in-law came out to meet them, and they were delighted to see the car full of cabbages.
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, the eldest sister-in-law stepped forward, picked up a large cabbage, and bounced it around.
"Wow, this portion is good, and it looks very fresh."
As he spoke, he didn't forget to break off a small piece and put it in his mouth to chew.
"Mmm, it's very crispy. Mother, Xiulan, would you like to try some?"
"No, no, sister-in-law, I don't want to eat."
Liu Xiulan refused the cabbage leaf her sister-in-law offered and turned to ask.
"Xiangyang, why did you buy so many cabbages? It must have cost a lot of money!"
"It wasn't much, it only cost 9 yuan."
Nine dollars...? And you said it wasn't much!
Grandma Wang Guiying was a little angry and reached out to slap Li Xiangyang.
"You know perfectly well what our family's situation is right now, yet you're still wasting money like this."
Then he turned and complained to Li Xiangdong, who was unloading cabbages.
"Xiangdong, it's one thing for Xiangyang to be immature, but as his older brother, you didn't even keep an eye on him and stop him from acting recklessly."
"Ah, this..."
Li Xiangdong was caught in the crossfire unjustly, and was about to explain when Li Xiangyang interrupted him.
"Mother, don't blame my brother, it was all my idea."
As he spoke, he stuffed 21.2 yuan into his pocket and gave it to his mother, Wang Guiying.
"Look, there's still so much left! And this is just what we earned from selling fish for two days. If we go for two more days, we can save up 50 yuan. The price of cabbage changes every day now, so buying it early saves us money, right?"
Wang Guiying rolled her eyes at Li Xiangyang.
"You're so glib. Even if what you say makes sense, you can't spend money recklessly afterward. As long as you have enough rice and noodles at home, it's fine to eat less vegetables and fruits."
"Mmm..."
Li Xiangyang nodded repeatedly, not arguing with his mother any further.
That's how the older generation is. In their minds, buying anything other than daily necessities like coal, rice, and flour is considered a waste of money.
Even if they have money, they can't bear to spend it; they can't change that.
"Oh, right, Mom, sister-in-law, Xiulan, I have some good news to tell you."
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around.