"Oh, Daddy pooped," the two little ones chirped. Laughter erupted in the small courtyard.
"You ungrateful little things, you dare laugh at your father? You've gone too far! Let me catch you..." Xie Sui pretended to be an eagle chasing chicks, scaring the two little ones into hiding behind Lin Wanwan. Lin Wanwan helplessly said, "Hurry up and take them to pee and poop, don't wet yourselves. How old are you, still messing around with the kids?"
Xie Sui finally let go, "Alright, let's go, I'll serve you two little emperors."
The next morning, Xie Sui went alone to sell canned goods, this time to a different village. You couldn't milk the same cow dry. Lin Wanwan was busy at home making canned goods and collecting peaches.
When Xie Sui returned, he stopped by the town and bought some more white sugar, replenishing their stock of white sugar and pork. He wanted to ensure they ate meat once a day, had eggs for breakfast and dinner, and that the children would grow up fair, plump, and strong.
"Comrade, how much are the cigarettes?"
"Do you want the expensive ones or the cheap ones? Shilin cigarettes are one yuan a pack, Five Golden Flowers are seventy mao, and the cheapest Da Qian Men is fifty mao. There's also dried tobacco leaves, which are cheaper, only one yuan per jin."
"I'll take a carton of Shilin cigarettes. Here's ten yuan."
The salesclerk was stunned. Being able to buy a carton of cigarettes at this time was a sign of great wealth; you wouldn't see someone like that even once a year. It was rare to see such a young person who was so generous. Her eyes showed a hint of something different as she asked him, "What do you do? And why are you buying so much?"
Xie Sui chuckled, "I'm not telling you."
The salesclerk: "..." This guy is so annoying!
"I don't need that many, just five packs."
"Five packs it is. Thank you. Please stock up more next time; I'll be back." Cigarettes were a hot commodity, and it was difficult to buy them without connections.
He wrapped the cigarettes in his clothes. Of course, they weren't for him to smoke; they had a greater purpose.
...
The next morning, Zhang Wenfeng arrived at Xie's house with his mule cart, helping Xie Sui load grain onto it. "My dad said if anything happens to the mule cart, I don't have to come back. Xie Sui, you can't mess this up for me."
"Never. Do I look like an unreliable person, your brother Xie?"
Zhang Wenfeng pouted. Of everyone in the village, he was the most unreliable.
"Hey, that method of yours worked really well. My wife loved it. Thanks."
"What?"
"The shirt, it's really something!"
Zhang Wenfeng winked. When men get together, they like to talk about these things. It was because of this that Zhang Wenfeng was willing to help Xie Sui, even if it meant getting a scolding from his father.
"I'm glad you like it."
He couldn't imagine the picture of Zhang Wenfeng's wife wearing bright red bloomers and a white shirt. He had only caught a glimpse from afar when he got married and hadn't seen her clearly. Judging by the size, she seemed to be on the heavier side.
"What are you two talking about?" Wang Tiezhue, helping to move the grain, thought they were slacking off.
"Nothing, let's get to work." Both men understood each other implicitly. Wang Tiezhue wasn't married yet, so it wasn't appropriate to talk about such things.
Lin Wanwan came over and asked, "Do you need me to go with you?"
"No, Wenfeng is with me. You stay home and watch the kids. I'll be back this afternoon." Su Dan Novel Network.
Lin Wanwan made some pancakes and packed two flasks of boiled water for them to have for lunch. She watched them leave. This time, Xie Sui was going to the county town. There were no grain stations in the towns. Grain control was still very strict back then; it was all managed by the state, with no private grain trading. They also had to pay grain tax, unlike in his past life where farming received subsidies.
Zhang Wenfeng was skilled at driving the mule cart, so the two yuan was well spent, and he even got a driver. After asking for directions, they arrived at the grain station. The old man at the gate poked his head out and asked, "What are you here for? It's not time to pay the grain tax."
Xie Sui stepped forward and offered a cigarette, "Uncle, please help us. We're having a wedding at home and urgently need money. We want to sell some grain. Can you make an exception?"
Shilin cigarettes! The old man squinted. Only the leaders at the station could afford them. Xie Sui then handed him another pack, and the old man's eyes immediately turned warm, as if looking at his own nephew. "You wait outside with the mule cart. Go upstairs and find Manager Yang. He's in charge of this."
"Alright, thank you, Uncle."
Xie Sui registered and found Manager Yang's office. He was dressed like a typical cadre: white shirt, blue pants, and a belly that strained the fabric. He was middle-aged and already balding, exuding an air of authority.
"Hello, Manager Yang. I'm from Yushu Village. We want to sell some grain. Can your grain station accept it? We farmers need to earn some money for our children's tuition."
Listen to this: at the gate it was for a wedding, and here it's for tuition. Xie Sui could spin a lie without even blinking.
"This..."
"Please help us; it's also supporting national construction. Life is better now, and every household has surplus grain. The Party's leadership is good."
Manager Yang smiled. The young man knew how to speak, which was pleasant to hear. There were grain quotas from above, and they would buy as much grain as they had. However, few people would voluntarily come to sell, and if they didn't meet their quota, it would be assigned to the villages, and the grain station would go and collect it. It was better to accept it when it was delivered to them.
"Young man, your awareness is excellent. Of course, we'll buy it. Corn is fifteen fen per jin, and wheat is thirty-eight fen, but it must be top-grade grain. No old grain."
"It's definitely top-grade grain. You can inspect it. Thank you so much."
Xie Sui slipped him two packs of cigarettes, "When I come next time, I'll bring you some local specialties from my home."
"Next time?"
"My neighbor's child also needs to go to school!"
Manager Yang burst into laughter. This kid was probably reselling grain, but it was his hard-earned money, and there was nothing wrong with that. The state encouraged individual business, and he should support it.
"I'll write you a note. Show it to the people in the warehouse. Next time, just go directly to them."
"Thank you, thank you so much. With a leader like you, it's a blessing for us common people. If you don't get promoted, it would be a crime!"
Flattery never fails, especially when it concerns promotion. As he left, Manager Yang personally escorted him out. For officials, there was no better blessing than promotion.
Xie Sui was beaming. Earning two fen per jin of corn might not seem like much, but it added up with large quantities. A thousand jin would be twenty yuan. Wheat could earn three fen per jin. A cart could carry about a thousand jin, meaning at least twenty yuan per trip. This was enough to cover the cost of the mule cart, with some left over. This was just a side hustle; the main profit came from the canned goods.
Upon reaching the warehouse, he gave a pack of cigarettes and passed the scales smoothly. Then, he took a note to the accounting office to settle the payment. This time, it was all women, and Xie Sui played to his strengths, using his sweet talk, which women adored. He even saved on cigarettes and successfully received his money.
"Next time, bring the sisters some candy. I didn't prepare anything today, not knowing so many sisters would be here."
"Okay, sisters, please wait for me."
"Certainly, sisters, goodbye."
Waiting outside, Zhang Wenfeng wondered if Xie Sui's wife knew how flirtatious he was.
"Let's go, why are you just standing there gawking?"