Chapter 40: Dumplings! Dumplings!!!
Eating dumplings at the drop of a hat, and pork and sauerkraut ones at that, who could resist?
You have to understand that in the early 1980s, supplies were extremely scarce, and ordinary families could only eat white flour during New Year's or other festivals. It was only in the Northeast, where there was more land and grain, that this was possible; looking at the whole country, many places at the same time couldn't even get enough coarse grains.
Getting paid and eating pork dumplings, this kind of treatment was comparable to celebrating the New Year. Hearing this news, even Li Wentong was a little moved. Weren't things starting to get better?
With yesterday's groundwork, calling the three families over to eat dumplings today didn't seem abrupt. Xiao Tao and Xiao Wen didn't hesitate, they agreed and went home to call people. Yue Feng also went out with them and called Li Nainai over.
When calling people over, Yue Feng also used a little trick. He didn't say he was asking Li Nainai to eat dumplings, but rather called her over to help with some work at home! Li Nainai had always been helped by the Yue Family, so when she heard she was needed for help, she didn't even stutter and followed along.
Once she entered the Yue Family home and understood the situation, she couldn't just leave. Meng Yulan held Li Nainai's hand, and the two women whispered a few words, and Li Nainai stayed put comfortably at the house.
Excessive politeness is being distant. It would be difficult for Meng Yulan alone to wrap dumplings for so many people. Calling Mom over sped up the work.
Soon, Xiao Wen's mother and Xiao Tao's Mom also arrived at Yue Feng's house.
The older women kneaded dough and prepared dumpling filling in the outer room, while the young men got on the heated brick bed, drank water, and chatted about their experiences Falconry in the mountains during the day.
With several people lending a hand, the work went quickly. By less than 7:30, the dumplings were ready. They had wrapped a total of five large steamer trays full, and it took two batches in the eight-inch pot to finish cooking them.
The lively atmosphere at home also infected Yue Lei, whose leg injury hadn't fully healed. Today, the head of the Yue Family was also in good spirits. He made an exception and let Yue Feng pour him two ounces of white wine. He sat at the heated brick bed table with a group of relatives and friends and started drinking properly.
Ever since his son woke up, he seemed to have completely changed.
From the moment Yue Feng started Falconry and catching chickens, in just under half a month, Yue Lei noticed that the entire atmosphere of the house had completely changed.
His son had a strong will and execution ability, and the partners he was working with were all reliable.
Yue Lei learned from his wife that Yue Feng had earned over forty yuan on his trip to the city today. This efficiency in earning money for the family was truly terrifying.
Today, his son went into the mountains with his hawk for a day and caught another nine Gray Dogs. Based on the price the Supply and Marketing Cooperative paid for furs, this was another large sum of money. The Yue Family's life had thoroughly improved.
Everyone ate the dumplings that evening with smiles on their faces. The women and children in the west room were genuinely satisfied because they had eaten white flour and meat, while the men drinking in the east room were extremely happy because they had come together with like-minded people and made money.
In fact, in the Northeast, very few older women disliked their husbands drinking. In many families, when they were happy, the older women would also smoke and drink. These habits were influenced by the specific environment but were also a reflection of family status.
However, not disliking men drinking doesn't mean they can drink excessively, especially those drunkards who are incompetent and get drunk all day long; they are not welcome anywhere.
That evening, among the men at the table in the east room, except for Yue Feng and Li Shu, the others were a bit drunk, but not a single older woman came over to criticize.
They were all grateful to the Yue Family, grateful to Yue Feng and his father for leading their husbands or children to earn real money. With money, they could live better lives.
The dumpling meal that night didn't finish until half past nine.
Yue Feng walked the drunk Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu brothers home. Along the way, Aunt Zhang kept muttering her thanks to Yue Feng for taking care of her two sons. When she got emotional, Aunt, who had suffered through life's hardships for half her life, even shed tears.
Yue Feng personally helped the drunk brothers onto the heated brick bed. Seeing the nearly bare walls of the Zhang Family's north room with his own eyes gave him a more concrete understanding of the suffering of ordinary people at the bottom.
As Aunt Zhang personally saw him out the main gate, Yue Feng silently made up his mind that he would definitely make sure his friends lived good lives in the future!
Early the next morning, Yue Feng got up as usual. He didn't have a bicycle today, so he could only walk to the city.
However, with Gray Dogs, wild pheasants, plus Sand Grouse and Flying Dragon, a single satchel couldn't hold them all. Yue Feng decisively dragged out the small sled his father had made from the storage room.
Although it hadn't snowed, with so much wild game, dragging it on a sled was better than carrying it. When Yue Lei made this sled, he embedded two thick iron wires underneath, making it much easier to drag on flat ground than the type with a single thin wire.
At exactly five o'clock in the morning, Yue Feng arrived punctually at the side gate of the Hongqi Coal Mine Second Canteen. A few minutes before and after, Master Niu also arrived.
"Yo, a lot of stuff today, you even dragged a sled?" Niu Fusheng greeted him when he saw the situation.
Yue Feng grinned: "Yeah, the hawk is trained well. Besides the Flying Dragon and Sand Grouse, we also got Gray Dogs and a large wild rooster!"
"Are they all alive?" Hearing about the Gray Dogs, Niu Fusheng's expression and tone were clearly surprised, followed by great joy.
"Yes, they're all alive! They taste best when killed and bled fresh! We're old customers, the stuff is good, Master Niu, you have to give a high price!" Yue Feng nodded in response.
"Don't worry, you support me, and I'll definitely support you! Let's go inside first!"
Soon, Niu Fusheng led Yue Feng to the warehouse behind the Second Canteen.
Yue Feng opened the bags and cages fixed on the sled and then took out today's wild game.
The total count today was 25 Sand Grouse, 33 Flying Dragons, 8 live Gray Dogs, and one wild rooster weighing over three jin.
When facing the ingredients, Niu Fusheng still inspected them meticulously. All the wild game were fresh, live individuals, and there was nothing to fault with their appearance.
"The quality of the Sand Grouse and Flying Dragons is good, same old price!
For these Gray Dogs, the fur is worth more than the meat! But I can only use the meat here!
For the meat of one Gray Dog, I'll give you one yuan eighty cents. I'll skin them for you, and you can take the skins with you next time you come!
You can also leave the large wild pheasant. Currently, on the Ghost Market, a domestic rooster sells for about two to three yuan depending on its size. Logically, a wild pheasant shouldn't be more expensive than a domestic chicken, but yours is complete and intact, so how about I also count it as three yuan?"
It must be said that Niu Fusheng's price was very fair.
Some people might think it's unreasonable that a large wild pheasant caught after a lot of effort isn't as expensive as a domestic chicken, but that was the reality at the time. It wasn't just chickens; pork was the same. Large fat pigs raised at home were also more expensive than wild boar hunted in the mountains.
Keep hitting the new book chart, asking for votes! This is the first update today, there are two more.
