Chapter 4: Deep-Fried (Please Collect) In the courtyard, Old Man Xu and his daughter-in-law came back. Old Mrs. Xu revealed the fact that Zhou Yimin had given their family more than ten kilograms of corn flour. "Yimin is such a good boy." Old Mrs. Xu sighed. Widow Xu was overjoyed. With these 18 kilograms of corn flour, she could last until the next month's ration arrived, which solved her urgent problem. Old Man Xu also breathed a sigh of relief, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "I'll give him 2 yuan when he comes back." His family still had money, but it was hard to buy food. Now even if he went to the pigeon market, it was hard to buy food, and the price was outrageous. The earliest folk market was called the Pigeon Market because it sold pigeons. Later it developed into a large comprehensive market with all kinds of transactions, but it was illegal. Some people would say that the black market is the pigeon market, but strictly speaking, there are some differences between the pigeon market and the black market. The pigeon market is not an official market, but a spontaneous market formed by the common people. During the day, some people set up stalls, usually selling agricultural and sideline products. The authorities turned a blind eye to this, after all, they always had to leave a way out for the common people. The black market is usually held quietly at night, with an entrance fee and guarded by people. The items sold there are all kinds of things, many of which are not allowed to be seen in public, a bit like the legendary ghost market.
Currently, the price of corn flour in the pigeon market or the black market has risen to one cent per pound. But many people still buy this expensive food. What can they do if it is not enough to eat? Even so, cornmeal is a hot commodity in both the pigeon market and the black market. In other words, any grain, whether it is refined grain or coarse grain, is a hot commodity. The rations they have at home will become less and less sufficient in the future. They can't always rely on Zhou Yimin to provide for them, right? Zhou Yimin is in charge of purchasing and can get food outside the plan. His family can buy some through Zhou Yimin. Only in this way can it last long. "Yes! It's as I should. It's not easy for Yimin either." Old Mrs. Xu nodded. …… In Zhoujiazhuang, Zhou Yimin's grandmother probably heard the news as well, and hurried back carrying a basket of vegetables, but there were only a few wild vegetables in it. I could smell the odor of oil residue before I even got home. At this time, outside the door of the house, the children from the village were standing and swallowing their saliva frantically. Zhou Yimin came out with a small basin of oil residue, ready to feed the fish, when he saw his grandmother coming back. "Grandma, you're back? Didn't I tell you not to go digging wild vegetables anymore?" Facing her grandson's "blaming" tone, the old lady smiled with her teeth showing: "Okay, I won't dig it next time." As long as my grandson comes back, everything is fine. Seeing my grandson bring out a basin of oil residue to share with everyone, I felt a little sad, but I didn't say anything. As long as my grandson is happy, nothing else matters. "Old woman, come back quickly and make dumplings for my eldest grandson." Old man Zhou shouted loudly inside the house. The old lady replied and hurried into the house. Only then did Zhou Yimin distribute the oil residue to the children. "Line up, one by one, don't mess around," said Zhou Yimin.
Each child was given two pieces, and many of them ate one and took the other home. Those who received the oil residue politely said thank you. I'm still savoring it after eating it. It’s really delicious, fragrant and crispy, and your mouth will be full of oil. "How old are you?" Zhou Yimin stared at the guy in front of him who was almost as tall as him. Do you have the nerve to queue up for food? The guy smiled awkwardly: "Uncle, give me two pieces! I will take them back to my younger brother. He sprained his ankle and can't come." Zhou Yimin didn't know whether it was true or not, so he looked at Lai Fu. He was not familiar with many people in the village. Lai Fu nodded: "Brother, Goudan sprained his ankle." Fine! Zhou Yimin gave two more pieces. "Thank you, uncle!" After the distribution, Zhou Yimin returned to the house, and the old lady made a cup of sugar water: "Yimin, come and drink the sugar water." As for Lai Fu and the others, they didn't. No one could find fault with being partial to their own grandson. "Okay, thank you grandma!" Zhou Yimin really enjoyed the old lady's favor and drank it in one gulp, tasting a bit sweet. "Are you hot? Let your grandfather fan you." The old lady said with a smile. Zhou Yimin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Asking grandpa to fan him, isn't this going against the will of heaven? He quickly said he wasn't hot. Not long after, my aunt also came over. "Oh! Yimin brought back so many things again." She was very happy. No matter what, their family could also get some of the food, and at least the three children could eat something good. "Aunt, I will get some cloth back in a while and you can make a few sets of clothes for my grandparents, and also for Lai Fu and the others." Zhou Yimin said. Huang Lan was extremely surprised, but she still said, "Yi Min is really capable. OK! I will make clothes for the old man and the others, but I won't make clothes for Lai Fu and the others. Their clothes can still be worn." Zhou Yimin rolled his eyes. It's all patched up, but it's still wearable. Of course, in today's environment, mending clothes is popular. Which child's clothes don't have patches? Many of them are clothes that adults don't wear anymore. There is no saying of "wearing new clothes during the Chinese New Year". "I'll make a set for each of them. It's a token of my gratitude as the eldest brother. I have connections with the people in the textile factory, so I can get the cloth. Don't worry!" The old man said, "Xu Qiang's family, just do what my grandson says. Don't tell anyone that Yi Min knows someone from the textile factory, it will only cause trouble." When the time comes, everyone will come to Yimin's house. Will he help or not? "Uncle, I understand." Huang Lan responded quickly. The old lady "educated" Lai Fu and the other three little guys: "In the future! You must remember your big brother's kindness and listen to him..."
After educating her, she took Huang Lan to the kitchen to make dumplings. When Huang Lan saw what her cousin brought back, her eyes widened. "Aunt, Yimin is really amazing." The old lady liked to hear people praise her grandson, and she laughed and scolded: "You are all useless, except my Yimin..." What followed was a bunch of self-praising words, in which he dragged down a large group of people to elevate his own grandson, while Zhou Yimin's aunt stood by and cooperated with him. After a while, Zhou Yimin's uncle Zhou Xuqiang came back carrying two buckets of water. The old man didn't even let him rest for a while, and ordered him, "Yimin is coming back today, so you carry a few more buckets so he can take a bath later." "Okay!" Zhou Xuqiang said happily, with no objection at all. To be honest, he came here more frequently than to visit his own parents. Everyone in the village knew the story, and no one gossiped about it. "Grandpa, please let Uncle San take a break!" Then, Zhou Yimin said to Zhou Xuqiang: "Uncle San, I will go with you later. I will use my bicycle to pull it." Zhou Xuqiang smiled and said, "No, Yimin, you can just sit at home. The place to fetch water is a bit far now, and the bicycle can't go there. The old well is dry." Seeing his grandson begging for mercy, the old man said, "Then go after you have dinner. You will be allowed to have a couple of drinks later." "Uncle Xie!" Zhou Xuqiang was so happy that he didn't know what to do. In the countryside, sweet potato cake is a rare thing. Usually, the old man would secretly drink a cup for himself, and rarely give him a drink. In order to get those two cups of sweet potato wine, he carried a few more buckets of water without any complaints, and he was willing and happy to do it. Originally, he could have gone to the village canteen to eat. But who would go to the canteen to eat wild vegetable porridge when they could only make dumplings here? Not only was it unpalatable, but it also didn't fill him up at all. Huang Lan, who was making dumplings, was praising the flour. If Zhou Yimin hadn't eaten at home, they might have mixed something into the flour. How could you make dumplings with Fuqiang flour? You don't know how to live. At this time, every household in the village was talking about Zhou Yimin, and their envy was evident in their words. Since his own children all benefited from Zhou Yimin, he naturally did not spare any effort in praising him. It is important to follow up the data. I hope this book will do better. (End of this chapter)
