Chapter 15: One Jin For One Fen
Lu Qiaoge didn’t speak.
Lu Qiaoling continued worriedly, “These members aren’t fools either. If you don’t give them things, they won’t give you vegetables. What are we two doing? It’s not even public money, just the two yuan our mom gave us. But if we let the family courtyard take things first and then exchange for vegetables, those family members won’t agree either, and they’ll probably gossip.”
Lu Qiaoge let Lu Qiaoling nag. Her method, even if spoken out, wasn’t as intuitive as actual operation.
But Qiaoling’s cleverness was a bit beyond her expectation.
“You just accompany me later, don’t worry about the rest.”
Lu Qiaoling thought about it, but really couldn’t think of anything, so she could only nod in agreement. She tilted her head: “Second Sister, I find you’ve changed. Is it because of falling into water and engagement cancellation?”
Lu Qiaoge raised an eyebrow: “After experiencing such serious stimulation, how could I possibly be the same as before?”
Lu Qiaoling deeply agreed.
While talking, the two sisters had already arrived at the brigade office in Guzi Village.
On the road, they had already seen the lush green vegetables in each family’s vegetable garden.
They also saw the old woman chopping lettuce to feed the chickens and ducks.
It was pretty much like what Naughty Swallow from Qi Shuang’s family said.
Lu Qiaoge went straight to the brigade office and happened to see the frowning Brigade Leader Lin.
Seeing that it was two city young women looking for him, the brigade leader thought they were educated youth family members from the village.
Unexpectedly, Lu Qiaoge directly took out the letter of introduction and handed it to Brigade Leader Lin, smiling as she stated her purpose.
The frowning Brigade Leader Lin didn’t wait to hear it all before widening his eyes and asking, “You mean exchange things for vegetables?”
Lu Qiaoge nodded: “I happened to hear about the verbal agreement between your village and the canteen, so I thought, with so many vegetables, you can’t sell them and can’t finish eating them, so you can only feed them to chickens and ducks. What a pity for the members’ hard work. Just right, our military factory is short on vegetables recently. Our neighborhood committee’s Director Hu wondered if we could exchange daily necessities for vegetables. This way, not only does it solve Guzi Village’s urgent problem, but the workers in the military factory can also eat leafy greens to be healthier and better build the motherland. Don’t worry, we guarantee not to let our members suffer a loss.”
The accountant nearby excitedly asked: “What daily necessities do you have?”
Lu Qiaoge: “Whatever you want, we should have it.”
Lu Qiaoling looked at Second Sister in shock, standing in the brigade office with a beaming smile, listening to the brigade leader and accountant gratefully say that supporting the military factory was their honor, and exchanging for some things was fine, they absolutely wouldn’t take advantage of the military factory.
Then came the enthusiastic invitation for them to go to the brigade office’s vegetable garden first.
Except for the edges planted with tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and such, most were leafy greens.
Especially the lettuce, growing into big heads, some even flowering.
Lu Qiaoge expressed satisfaction: “Brigade Leader, I wonder if I can take some samples for the director to see?”
Brigade Leader Lin nodded repeatedly, of course.
He had the accountant pick vegetables, then bundle them with grass rope and put them in a bamboo basket.
Lu Qiaoge praised that their vegetables were grown well, then discussed the exchange with Brigade Leader Lin.
Brigade Leader Lin didn’t want to scare people away.
“No matter what things you bring, my side’s leafy greens are a uniform price, one fen per jin. I’ll pick the best for you.”
The accountant said: “We can take matches as an example, one box of matches can be exchanged for two jin of spinach.”
Brigade Leader Lin looked at Lu Qiaoge eagerly, feeling it was a bit much, gritted his teeth: “Can lower it a bit more.”
Lu Qiaoge waved her hand quickly: “Just at this price, I’ll go back and report to our leader right now.”
So, the dazed Lu Qiaoling followed Second Sister onto Guzi Village’s horse-drawn cart, and was personally driven by Brigade Leader Lin all the way to the family courtyard’s main entrance.
But there were sentries here too. Brigade Leader Lin was a bit tense, made an appointment with Lu Qiaoge for the time, and drove the cart away.
Thus, Lu Qiaoge and Lu Qiaoling carried a basket of lush green vegetables to the neighborhood committee.
They took them out one by one, fresh and tender, placed on the desk.
Lu Qiaoge briefly stated the exchange prices.
Director Hu and the others barely listened. Their gazes were all attracted by the leafy greens.
Ren Xiaocui pressed down a bundle of chives and swallowed: “I want to eat chive boxes for lunch today.”
Old Qiao looked at the fresh spinach and said: “I want to make spinach egg drop soup for my son.”
Huang Juan didn’t move, just smiling at Lu Qiaoge.
She hadn’t expected this girl to be so vigorous and resolute.
Lu Qiaoge also smiled and said to Director Hu: “I’ve talked to Captain Jin of the transportation team. If Director Hu you have no problem here, we’ll go pull vegetables tomorrow morning.”
Director Hu was stunned for a moment, then reacted, grinning until his eyes narrowed into slits.
No problem, definitely no problem.
But Lu Qiaoge had a big problem here.
That was to make a good exchange form and post it at the neighborhood committee main entrance.
Also, tomorrow she couldn’t go empty-handed, had to give some daily necessities first, but this wasn’t a big issue, she could take from home first.
Director Hu looked at the bundles of leafy greens and called to Lu Qiaoge who was leaving: “These vegetables…”
Lu Qiaoge smiled: “These are samples from Brigade Leader Lin for our neighborhood committee. Director Hu, you handle it.”
After saying that, Lu Qiaoge and her sister went home empty-handed.
Lu Qiaoling understood Second Sister’s operation. Even without taking back a single leaf, she was especially looking forward to tomorrow.
But Second Sister said to keep it secret until it was done.
So she planned to say nothing after entering the courtyard.
But unexpectedly, Old Lu came home again at noon.
His face looked quite happy.
Meng Xia looked at her third daughter and said smilingly: “Qiaoling, your Aunt Jiang introduced you a partner. You should know him.”
Lu Qiaoling’s face turned red all at once.
She pinched her clothes corner and didn’t even dare to ask who it was.
Lu Qiaoge asked: “Who is it?”
Meng Xia: “It’s Section Chief Zhao’s son from the propaganda section, Zhao Jinbao, who works as an accountant in the labor and wages section.”
They had already set the time and place, at Chunfeng State-run Restaurant tonight.
It was the best restaurant north of the city, not far from the Lu family.
Lu Qiaoge curiously asked: “Is it Zhao Jinbao who has four older sisters at home?” Then she looked at Lu Qiaoling: “Can you remember who he is?”
Lu Qiaoling bit her lips: “I can remember.”
Lu Qiaoge nodded.
This family condition was really good.
Meng Xia calmed down, but was a bit worried: “Our family’s Qiaoling just returned to the city, not to mention job, even her household registration is still in the rural area. How did the Zhao family agree? Their conditions are much better than ours.”
She suddenly remembered that the Liang family had delayed the marriage precisely because they looked down on her family, right?
You know, when they set the arranged marriage back then, Old Lu and Old Liang were both workers.
Old Lu took a sip of water, but looked at his several children and seriously said: “Is our family inferior? No, only people with strong vanity think that way.
I’m a labor model every year, even a national labor model once. Our whole family is clean and upright. My father was an old guerrilla fighter, your Second Aunt was a martyr. As for the job issue, it’s not difficult, not like going to the moon, we’ll find one. As for household registration, as long as you succeed, I’ll find people, and it’ll always be movable back…”
