Chapter 100

Li Dong drove the cart, sitting on the shaft, while Han Weiguo and a few young men sat on the cart bed, looking around.

Especially Han Weidong, who found everything curious, and Li Dong asked with a smile.

"What's wrong, never been to the city before?"

"A few years ago, I came with Da."

Han Weidong was a bit embarrassed. Many people in the countryside never entered the city in their entire lives. Not to mention, Grandma Wu never set foot in the city. In those days, without a proper reason, one couldn't get an introduction letter, and how could one enter the city without becoming a vagrant?

Even more people never left their commune for their entire lives, and it was quite common for people to only go to the commune every three to five years.

Compared to Han Weidong, Han Weichao and Han Weiguo were a bit better off. Last year, they came to the city with their girlfriends to watch a movie. They just didn't expect how much the city had changed in a year. The girls were dressed so beautifully, and the styles of their clothes were so nice.

Seeing the new styles of clothes, Li Dong felt a bit frustrated, as if he wanted to bleed. These styles were so familiar. Alas, patent fees, what a pity, but in those days, there was no such concept.

"Let's go to the Cultural Station."

Passing by the supply cooperative, Li Dong took out two yuan and handed it to Han Weiguo.

"Han Weiguo, go buy a few pounds of sunflower seeds and peanuts. We'll have something to munch on while watching the movie."

"Sure thing."

Peanuts were a good thing, the fruit of longevity. Kids from ordinary families might not get to eat them all year. At three or four mao per pound, they were several times more expensive than fine rice. You could buy over ten pounds of sweet potato chips with that money.

Han Weiguo took the money, looking as proud as a rooster, almost ready to stick a feather in his cap.

However, Li Dong forgot that peanuts and sunflower seeds weren't easy to buy. Each person was limited to four ounces, and you needed a food ticket. They were stumped, but eventually managed to trade some grain tickets for a bit.

"Never mind, a little less is fine. Let's get some pastries too."

Li Dong took out two half-pound pastry tickets and bought some apricot cakes and sesame cakes, stuffing them into the canvas bag. Han Weiguo and the others looked at Li Dong's canvas bag with envy. "What, you want one? I'll get you one later."

"Can you really do that?"

In those days, carrying a canvas bag was a fashion statement, especially for young people. It was very attractive, but the three of them had only a few mao in their pockets, which they had just earned recently. In the past, they might have had only a few mao or even a few fen.

The family finances were controlled by their parents, and everyone took this for granted. After all, the parents saved money to help their children get married.

"It's no big deal, just a wild rabbit later."

As they spoke, they arrived at the Cultural Station. Li Dong took out the introduction letter and drove the cart into the courtyard. Huang Xiaotian was already prepared, and Li Dong led Han Weiguo and the other young men to move the generator, projector, and other equipment.

When the cart returned to the river embankment, quite a few people were gathered, not just Deputy Team Leader Zhang Daming, but also other team leaders.

Zhang Daming shook Huang Xiaotian's hand firmly.

"Comrade Huang, you've had a long journey!"

"This is our team leader, Zhang."

Li Dong thought, Zhang Daming was quite good at socializing. After the introductions, Zhang Daming took Huang Xiaotian to eat.

"Smells good." As they approached the team tent, the smell of meat wafted over.

Han Weiguo sniffed and moved closer to Li Dong. "Braised pork."

Li Dong nodded and followed Huang Xiaotian and Zhang Daming into the tent set up by Xiangshan Production Team. The tent had tables and benches, and two large bowls of braised pork were particularly noticeable. There were also fish, shrimp, several vegetables, and a large porcelain bowl of white rice.

Han Weiguo and the others were almost drooling. Li Dong turned and glared at them, reminding them to maintain their image. "We are the ones who have done the work, so it's right for us to have a good meal, but we can't lose face."

"Comrade Huang, please sit."

Huang Xiaotian had seen such scenes before and wasn't surprised. Li Dong joined the table, while Han Weiguo and the others could only get a few pieces of meat and no alcohol, but the young men were still very happy. The meat was rich and fatty.

After leaving the tent, Han Weiguo and the others boasted to the young men in the team. "The meat was so fragrant, stewed with soy sauce, so tender. One bite, and your mouth was full of oil, really delicious."

"Is it really that good?"

A group of young men gathered around, smacking their lips. These river workers, though they had a pound of meat per meal, usually had a pot of vegetables with thin slices of meat, and very little fat.

A pot of vegetables with a bit of meat, where was the fat? Hearing Han Weiguo and the others talk about the soy sauce-stewed braised pork and the large pieces of meat, everyone was envious.

Han Weiguo and the others were proud. Not every production team could afford to invite a film team. Li Dong was so capable, not only writing articles to earn money but also knowing Comrade Huang from the film team. Otherwise, where would they get meat to eat and movies to watch?

Li Dong was lazy and gluttonous a few days ago, but now he was capable and knew people in the film team, and could write articles to earn money. He deserved to eat meat.

So what if he was a glutton? One article could buy several pounds of meat, and eating meat five or six times a month wasn't a big deal. Everyone could only imagine eating meat five or six times a month and was already envious. Eating meat every day was something even the Chairman couldn't imagine.

"This kid, might even get to eat rationed grain one day."

In those days, the top choice for marriage might be someone with a rationed grain book, which was the biggest dream for girls. Some even went to extreme lengths to get a rationed grain book.

Li Dong, after a satisfying meal, felt that he had been lacking in fat for the past few days. Though he had secretly had two hot pot meals, the fish and meat had less fat compared to pork. Now, eating the fatty meat was very satisfying.

Huang Xiaotian learned during the conversation that Li Dong had published two articles, and his eyes changed. He was capable, a writer. Two years ago, it might not have been a big deal, but now, Deng Xiaoping had said that mental labor was also labor.

With the restoration of the college entrance examination, people's desire for cultural life was very strong. Various books and foreign classics were almost sold out, and the queues at the Xinhua Bookstore were very long. The strong cultural desire made writers a popular idol among young people.

Li Dong had become a writer, and Huang Xiaotian immediately looked at him with more respect, speaking to him more warmly.

These two articles didn't earn much money, but his status was raised. Li Dong thought that being a part-time writer wasn't bad, publishing two or three articles a year to maintain his writer status.

After dinner, it was just getting dark, and the screen was set up. The tools for digging holes for the poles were already there, and there were plenty of poles left over from building the tent. It didn't take much effort to set up the poles.

With a call, dozens of young men dug the holes in a few minutes, set up the poles, hung the screen, and secured the stakes. It took much longer to set up the screen in Han Village, but on the river embankment, it was done in no time.

By then, everyone had finished dinner. Seeing the screen set up, they either brought wooden stakes, stones, or even used iron shovels as seats, or sat on the ground with their shoes off. Some girls grabbed a handful of straw or rice straw to sit on.

Before the generator was installed, the screen was already full of people. Li Dong looked around and saw a sea of people.

Not only the river workers, but also some nearby farmers came to join the fun. In those days, farmers had almost no cultural life. Television sets were not widely available in inland county towns, let alone in the countryside. Many production teams didn't even have a TV, and watching movies was the only cultural activity.

It was quite lively. Li Dong noticed that some people were secretly selling peanuts and sunflower seeds. He nudged Han Weiguo. "Brother Li, what's up?"

"Go ask how much the peanuts cost per pound?"

"Selling peanuts, isn't that speculation?"

Han Weiguo was startled. There were still people speculating in those days.

Actually, not just peanuts and sunflower seeds, Li Dong also noticed people selling cigarettes. It seemed that there were always people with a keen nose for business. Some people were indeed buying peanuts and sunflower seeds, as the river work provided a hidden benefit for young men and women to interact. Otherwise, they would never meet girls while working in the production team.

Before coming, some young men had been given a few mao by their families, and a handful of peanuts or sunflower seeds, which they slipped into the pockets of the girls, making it a sweet and romantic experience.

"Today's young people are really lucky."

As long as they were honest, hardworking, and capable, they could easily win the girls' favor. While Li Dong was musing, Han Weiguo and the others had already sneaked off. Li Dong glanced at the young men secretly selling peanuts, sunflower seeds, and cigarettes.

"Really vulgar, just for a few mao, sigh."

He then took the peanuts and sunflower seeds to talk to Comrade Huang Shengnan. "Comrade Huang Shengnan, have some peanuts."

"Oh, thank you."

Huang Shengnan was a bit embarrassed. Li Dong was now a writer, and her background wasn't good. Her grandfather had gone abroad, even to the enemy country, the United States, which had ruined her family's reputation, and they had no home now.

Li Dong didn't notice Huang Shengnan's change in expression and quietly pointed to the young men selling peanuts and sunflower seeds.

"They are nearby farmers who secretly planted some peanuts and sunflower seeds. The prices of vegetables are low, so some farmers had a little idea."

Huang Shengnan, as a model worker in Chikou, knew everything clearly. She was indeed a good partner, as Li Dong had hoped.

"Doesn't the higher authority care?"

"Currently, only grain is strictly controlled. The Revolutionary Committee has always turned a blind eye to other side products." Huang Shengnan whispered. "A few days ago, I saw a Revolutionary Committee aunt buying two pounds of pork from a stall selling pork secretly."

It seemed that the atmosphere was gradually becoming more relaxed, but the red line of grain control was still untouchable. As for side products like peanuts and sunflower seeds, as long as it wasn't too excessive, no one was too strict.

However, thinking about the recent war preparations, Li Dong had just thought about restarting his old business of making clothes and shoes, but immediately gave up the idea. The policies in those days changed too quickly, and he could easily get into trouble. He was now a farmer-writer in Han Village.

He had to firmly distance himself from speculators like Liu Dehua in Chikou.

"Come, Comrade Huang Shengnan, have more, and here's a sesame cake." Li Dong's enthusiasm made Huang Shengnan a bit flustered, wondering if he was trying to win her over with food.

This thought made her glance at Li Dong. He was tall, handsome, and always managed to get meat. He was a writer, could earn money, and had status. Bingo, this was the ideal meal ticket she had been dreaming of.

But no, this was Xiaojuan's father, and she couldn't have such thoughts. She had principles. "The sesame cake is really fragrant."