Chapter 92: Setting Vegetable Prices and Departing for the County

Early the next morning, the back door of Ming Dai’s small courtyard was knocked on.

Zhou Sinian, who was heating steamed buns in the kitchen, came out holding a fire poker to open the door.

When he opened it and saw Liu Dazhu, Liu Qingmin, and Liu Guoqiang standing outside, he recognized them, turned around, and went back into the kitchen without saying a word.

Liu Dazhu swallowed nervously at the sight of the fire poker, which still had embers glowing on it. Only after Zhou Sinian entered the kitchen did he and the other two step into the courtyard.

After closing the courtyard gate, the three of them looked around and were amazed by the two large stacks of firewood piled up neatly.

Hearing the commotion, Ming Dai came out of her room and saw the three men staring blankly at the firewood stacks.

“Captain Uncle, Secretary Uncle, Accountant Liu, have you had breakfast?”

Liu Dazhu snapped out of his daze. “Yes, yes, we’ve already eaten. Xiao Ming, we came a bit early.”

Ming Dai smiled and shook her head. “Let’s talk in the kitchen. It’s warmer there.”

The three men nodded and followed her inside.

Zhou Sinian had already finished heating up breakfast and was pouring hot water into bowls of stir-fried flour.

Ming Dai asked him to prepare three more bowls, and he agreed. However, in those three bowls, he only added one spoonful of flour each, while in his and Ming Dai’s bowls, he added three spoonfuls.

The three visitors stared in a daze until Ming Dai placed the bowls in front of them, finally snapping them back to reality.

Liu Dazhu thought: Xiao Ming is really bold! Even a lunatic listens to her!

Liu Qingmin thought: Xiao Ming Zhiqing is impressive! She can even order a lunatic around!

Liu Guoqiang thought: Finally, I get to taste the same stir-fried flour as the lunatic!

Ming Dai took a sip of the flour soup that Zhou Sinian had prepared for her—it was overwhelmingly sweet.

Zhou Sinian sat beside Ming Dai, placing the freshly heated buns and steamed flower rolls between them. Then, he fetched a small dish of stir-fried pickled vegetables from the cupboard before sitting down across from the three men. He ate skillfully, taking a bite of a bun, then sipping the soup, savoring every mouthful.

His movements were so smooth and natural that the three men were left staring in awe.

Ming Dai motioned for them to drink the flour soup while asking about the vegetable delivery.

Liu Dazhu came back to his senses and explained their discussion.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the county together. Qingmin’s second uncle’s third son’s wife has a relative in the county who knows an old lady working in the county government cafeteria washing dishes. She can help introduce us.”

Ming Dai nodded. “Then I’ll save up all the vegetables for the next two days and bring them over tomorrow.”

Liu Qingmin took a sip of the sweet flour soup, smacked his lips, and savored the taste. “Before we head out tomorrow, we should weigh the vegetables and record everything under Xiao Ming’s account. What you grew is still yours, and once the payment comes in, we’ll settle it with you.”

Liu Dazhu nodded in agreement. “That’s right. Guoqiang, stop drinking for a moment and remember this. Bring a scale over tomorrow!”

Liu Guoqiang swallowed the mouthful of flour soup he had been holding in his mouth. “Got it, Captain. I’ll come early in the morning to help weigh the vegetables.”

Ming Dai reminded them, “We need to find some straw to lay underneath. These vegetables won’t handle the cold well.”

The three men nodded in agreement, carefully finished their bowls of flour soup, and stood up to take their leave.

After seeing them off, Ming Dai returned to the kitchen. Zhou Sinian frowned at her. “I’m going to wash the dishes now.”

Ming Dai finished her flour soup, handed him her bowl, and took the two buns he had given her.

Only then did Zhou Sinian look satisfied. He took the plates, placed the bowls in the pot, and started boiling water to wash them.

Ming Dai sat on a chair, nibbling on a bun while watching Zhou Sinian do the dishes. At the same time, she was calculating how to price the vegetables.

After finishing their meal, the two of them gathered the vegetables from the baskets.

They harvested two large handfuls of chives. There were more chive sprouts, and since they were growing under a lightproof basket, their growth hadn’t been hindered. They had grown quite tall, so they collected about half a basket.

Since it would take at least half a month for them to regrow, the price for these chives and chive sprouts couldn’t be too low.

The mushrooms were the most abundant, filling an entire large basket—at least 30 pounds in total.

Worried they wouldn’t stay fresh, Ming Dai stored them in her space, planning to take them out again tomorrow morning.

Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian were busy collecting vegetables both inside and outside the space, working tirelessly.

Meanwhile, the educated youth quarters in the front courtyard was eerily quiet.

The older educated youths had all taken leave to visit their families. Since Hei Province had a shorter labor season, their family visit leave was extended accordingly.

Aside from Chen Erhong and Zhou Guiping, who had stayed behind, the other senior educated youths had gradually returned home for family visits and to celebrate the New Year.

The new educated youths, however, were not allowed to visit home since it was only their first year.

Qi Zhijun had been unusually silent these past few days, his whole demeanor dazed and absentminded. He had even come close to burning himself with hot water—if not for Liu Yan stepping in to shield him, his hand would have been scalded.

Ever since Fang Rou had unilaterally declared that there was no possibility between them, Qi Zhijun had started considering returning to the city.

After several failed attempts to communicate with Fang Rou, he finally gave up and began writing letters to his mother in Beijing, making arrangements for his return.

Unfortunately, the only reply he received was one telling him to stay put in the countryside.

In her response, his mother explained that things at home were not going well. His father was under investigation, and several of his older brothers had either been sent down to the countryside or transferred elsewhere—they could no longer stay in Beijing. For now, it was impossible to bring him back.

She instructed him to remain in the countryside and to keep a close eye on Fang Rou. The Fang family had been the first to get into trouble, and the Qi family had been implicated as a result. If Fang Rou made any moves, he was to send a telegram immediately.

Qi Zhijun was utterly dumbfounded. He had come to the countryside for re-education, and now he couldn’t go back?

Not only had his childhood sweetheart rejected him outright, but his own family might be dragged down by the Fang family’s downfall.

What kind of absurd situation was this?!

Unable to accept reality, he withdrew into himself, often staying inside his room without coming out. Even his meals were brought to him by Liu Yan.

The new educated youths saw this but didn’t pay much attention, each preoccupied with their own matters.

Fang Rou, of course, noticed as well. She figured that the Qi family must have told him everything.

Seeing him so utterly crushed, her heart was filled with mockery. And this is all it takes for you to break down?

There are far harsher realities waiting for you in the future, my dear Zhijun!

The only person who was truly pleased was Liu Yan. She was now in charge of Qi Zhijun’s daily needs and could come and go from his room freely.

She had even secretly gone through his luggage and read the letters between him and his family. This only strengthened her belief—Qi Zhijun was a rare, high-status catch, and she had to secure him at all costs!

She started to wonder—should she take advantage of the fact that the educated youth quarters was almost empty these days and make her move on Qi Zhijun?

If she could turn things into a done deal, then he wouldn’t have a choice but to marry her, would he?

In the end, though, she lacked the courage and temporarily abandoned the idea.

Otherwise, given Qi Zhijun’s current mental state, it would only take a little push to completely ruin him.

While confusion filled the front courtyard, the back courtyard was full of excitement.

Early in the morning, Ming Dai deliberately woke up before Liu Guoqiang arrived, so she and Zhou Sinian could finish their breakfast first.

Liu Guoqiang arrived with a scale and weighed the vegetables Ming Dai had harvested.

Chives: 5 jin (approx. 2.5 kg)

Chive sprouts: 8 jin (approx. 4 kg)

Mushrooms: 72 jin (approx. 36 kg)!

Hearing these numbers, Liu Dazhu and Liu Qingmin grinned from ear to ear.

The group then began discussing the pricing of the vegetables.

Liu Dazhu looked at the basket full of mushrooms and said, “Xiao Ming, since these vegetables are yours, why don’t you set the price first?”

Ming Dai didn’t hold back. “Uncle, these are the only fresh vegetables available in winter. They’re extremely difficult to grow, requiring a lot of labor, firewood, and effort. If we set the price too low, we’d be doing ourselves a disservice.

“So, I think chives and chive sprouts should be one yuan per jin, and mushrooms, since we have a large quantity, should be five mao per jin.”

“How much?!!”

Liu Dazhu couldn’t believe his ears. At this time, even pork was only seven to eight mao per jin, and she was pricing vegetables at a whole yuan?!

Ming Dai repeated the prices once more, and only then did the three of them confirm that they hadn’t misheard.

“Xiao Ming, isn’t this price set too high?”

Ming Dai shook her head seriously. “Uncle, you have to understand—it’s not that the vegetables are expensive, it’s that fresh vegetables in winter are expensive!”

Liu Dazhu was still hesitant. The price really did seem too high.

On the other hand, Liu Qingmin thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. “I say we go with Xiao Ming’s price first. If the county government doesn’t accept it, we can negotiate from there.”

Ming Dai nodded. “That works too.”

Liu Dazhu smacked his unlit tobacco pipe against his palm. “Alright then, let’s head out. We might have to stay overnight in the county town, but the village will cover the expenses. Xiao Ming, give me your key later. I’ll have my wife come over to keep the kang heated. These vegetables are like gold—we can’t afford to have anything happen to them.”

Ming Dai agreed. That arrangement was for the best.

Since they were heading to the county, Zhou Sinian was definitely going along. He was quite excited—ever since coming here, he hadn’t left the commune and had no idea where the county town even was.

This time, they were taking a horse cart. Liu Laosan was already fully geared up, waiting at the entrance.

The cart was layered with straw, and Liu Guoqiang carefully loaded the vegetables, covering them with more straw before adding two thick quilts for insulation—who knew whose they were?

Ming Dai and the others also brought a cotton quilt to cover their legs.

She was dressed in her little floral-padded jacket, a woolen hat, and a thick scarf.

Zhou Sinian wore a military coat and a Lei Feng hat. Ignoring Ming Dai’s protests, he insisted on tying a red headscarf over it.

Once the horse started trotting, Ming Dai finally dared to look at its tail.

Aunt Huang, worried that the horse would get cold, had sewn a cotton cover for its bare tail and tied it to the horse’s rear with three cloth straps.

At first glance, it looked as if the horse was wearing a thong!

Ming Dai felt bad for the horse, but—she couldn’t help it—it was just too funny!!!