Chapter 34: News of the Bicycle Ticket (Revised and Added Chapter)
After a simple meeting to summarize, everyone went back to their homes. Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu, carrying four live birds, left Yue Feng's house not to go home immediately, but headed straight for Grandpa Zhao Daye's house at the entrance of the village.
These two children were grateful and repaid kindness. Previously, Grandpa Zhao Daye occasionally helped them out, sending them wild pheasants and game he caught with bait. Now that the brothers had learned Falconry with Yue Feng and caught prey for the first time, besides taking some home to honor their mother, the first person they thought of was Grandpa Zhao Daye.
At Yue Feng's house, only the family of four remained in the room. Yue Lei and Meng Yulan looked at the large pile of still-living Flying Dragons and Sand Grouse on the ground, their expressions somewhat dazed.
It was only the first day, and they had already caught such a pile of game. If sold according to Yue Feng's price before going into the city, they could fetch over 60 yuan.
Over 60 yuan might seem like insignificant pocket change now, but at the time node of 1980, many diligent and hardworking villagers didn't have a total of 60 yuan in savings.
A heavy-duty Yongjiu brand bicycle cost over a hundred yuan. This 60 yuan was enough to buy half a bicycle.
'This Falconry, organizing people for small hunts, it really has potential! Early tomorrow morning, how about having Uncle Li Shu accompany you into the city? With so much money, don't encounter robbers on the road!' Yue Lei said with some emotion.
Yue Feng smiled and shook his head, 'No need. After dinner, I'll take two more little chickens and go to Uncle Wang Shu's house to borrow a bicycle. I'll go early and come back early. I know the road well, so there will definitely be no problem!'
'That works too!' Hearing that their son was going to borrow a bicycle, Yue Lei and his wife exchanged glances, both feeling relieved.
For dinner, they fried Sand Grouse again. Recently, the family's living standard had risen significantly, even Yue Feng's Lao Yao Mei'er, Jingjing, had rosy cheeks.
After dinner, Yue Feng tied up one Flying Dragon and one Sand Grouse with wire and carried them to Village Secretary Wang Jianguo's house.
Today, Wang Jianguo was not home; only his wife Zhang Cuilian, daughter Wang Xiaona, and old son Wang Mingyu were home, the family of three.
As soon as she heard the dog barking in the yard, Zhang Cuilian pushed open the door from the north room and came out. Zhang Cuilian opened the courtyard gate and saw that it was Yue Feng, carrying little chickens again.
'Er Xiao, do you need something? Have you eaten? Come in quickly!'
'Aunt, isn't Uncle home? I caught some little chickens and know you and Uncle like to eat them, so I brought two over.' Yue Feng glanced around the courtyard and asked casually.
'Your Uncle went out and isn't back yet! You're so thoughtful, always bringing things when you visit Aunt! The Flying Dragon you brought last time, the soup was so delicious!'
Zhang Cuilian had always had a pretty good impression of Yue Feng, especially after he brought them little chickens. Her impression was even better now. This Second Young Master Yue was stronger than his father and looked decent.
'Well, since Uncle isn't home, I won't go in! Will the family's bicycle be used tomorrow? I need to go into the city early tomorrow morning!' Yue Feng said directly.
'No, it's in the storage room, I'll push it out for you!' Even though Wang Jianguo was the Village Head outside, at home, the real decision-maker was his wife, Zhang Cuilian.
'Thank you, Aunt! I'll return it first thing in the morning!'
Soon, Yue Feng pushed the bicycle and left. Zhang Cuilian carried the two little chickens Yue Feng had brought and went into the house.
'Mom, did he bring more Flying Dragons?!' Daughter Wang Xiaona asked, looking at the live game on the ground.
'Yes! Second Young Master Yue brought them. He came to borrow your dad's bicycle!'
'Aren't live Flying Dragons hard to catch? Why does Yue Feng always bring live ones?!' Wang Xiaona asked with some curiosity.
'Your dad said he caught them with an eagle! The Yue Family has been practicing Falconry for generations. Yue Lei didn't take over, but unexpectedly, Second Young Master Yue has picked up the skill again! Borrowing a bicycle to go into the city, I'm guessing he's probably going to sell game!'
'This Second Young Master Yue is quite bold. They're cracking down on speculation and profiteering in the city!'
'They don't catch the diligent or the lazy, only those who aren't careful! These days, every family is struggling. Going into the mountains for Falconry is also a way out!'
'That's true!'
...
Early the next morning, Yue Feng woke up promptly at four o'clock. Because there was a large quantity of game this time, his mother Meng Yulan tied a large rattan basket onto the back seat of the bicycle.
With the large quantity, wrapping the birds in socks was too slow. Yue Feng used wire to tie together the wingtips and legs of all the live birds, covered them with a piece of old sack, and rode the bicycle straight to the city after leaving the village.
Half an hour later, Yue Feng arrived punctually at Ghost Market street.
He hadn't come yesterday morning. Upon arriving today, Yue Feng was a bit confused. On the large street, the vendors were scattered, less than a third of the number from the previous days.
The stalls that usually sold grain and meat were nowhere to be seen today.
'Hey, Brother, why are there so few people at the Ghost Market today?' Yue Feng found a vendor who was discreetly dealing in grain coupons and asked.
'Don't even mention it. The day before yesterday and yesterday morning, the Red Armbands came to catch people. They blocked both ends of the street and caught over a dozen. Looking at this trend, they're planning to completely ban the Ghost Market. Are you here to buy something, buddy? Need grain coupons? I have both local and national coupons, lowest prices!'
Yue Feng asked, 'I still have some grain coupons. I want to ask, can you get bicycle tickets?'
'That stuff is really sought after! Do you really want one?'
Yue Feng nodded, 'If the price is right, save one for me. I really want it!'
'Sixty yuan, I'll get it for you within half a month! If there are no surprises, a batch of quotas will arrive at the end of the month. I'll find a way to get one for you!'
'That's a bit expensive, can you do fifty?'
In Yue Feng's memory, the market price for this item was around forty to fifty yuan. It was true that it was hard for ordinary people to get, but this was just a purchase qualification. With the ticket, you still had to pay over a hundred yuan to buy the bicycle!
The young man dealing in coupons looked Yue Feng up and down. Seeing that he had come on a bicycle with a rattan basket on the back, he certainly didn't seem like he was fooling around.
'Okay! Fifty it is. Once I get the ticket, how do I find you?'
'My name is Yue Feng. I come here every morning to deliver game to customers! Here, take two Sand Grouse to try, consider it a deposit!'
Yue Feng wasn't afraid of the other party taking the little chickens and running off. People who dealt in coupons at the Ghost Market year-round also had their own territory. Quitting their business for these two little chickens wasn't worth it.
'Hey, these little chickens you caught are still alive! That's quite rare! My name is Wang Hu, and everyone who knows me on the street calls me Tiger!'
'Okay, Hu Ge! Please put some effort into the bicycle ticket matter for me!'
'Just leave it to me!'
While the two brothers were whispering, Niu Fusheng walked over leisurely with his hands behind his back from the other end.
Yue Feng and Wang Hu were talking sideways, the bicycle and rattan basket blocking a small part of Yue Feng's figure. The game they brought wasn't placed on the ground, so Niu Fusheng walked past them and didn't notice them immediately.
Niu Fusheng walked from one end of the street to the other, becoming more anxious the further he walked. The young brother who delivered game wouldn't fail to show up today, would he? If he really didn't come, what should he do?
Regarding the issue of hunting profit sharing written about previously, many readers in the comment section reacted strongly. I did some self-reflection, consulted with fellow readers Bookworm and The Fool, and made some revisions to the profit sharing ratio, details, and the main text of the article.
If you make a mistake, you must correct it. If you're criticized, stand at attention. Only deep love leads to stern criticism. Thanks to Brother Bookworm The Fool, Fallen Hell Beast, and Huixiang 124 for their corrections in the comment section. It's not just cheering that's support; pointing out problems in the book is also support! Therefore, today I'm adding an extra chapter specifically for these brothers who pointed out issues, and I'll continue asking for votes!!
