passionate youth

Chapter 71

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, it is the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the last day of the Year of the Rat, New Year's Eve.

This year has been full of disasters and disasters. Jiang Pingan only found out after reading the report in the newspaper a few days ago.

This year's grain output has dropped by another 12.6% after last year's sharp drop.

The output of grain and cotton dropped to the level of ten years ago, and the output of oilseeds was even lower than that of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The output of other major agricultural and sideline products also dropped sharply. The agricultural production decreased, and the production of light industry also declined.

For most of this year, except for some special supplies, there is almost no supply of food such as poultry eggs on the market.

Even daily necessities such as pots, bowls, basins, and chopsticks are hard to find.

In order to control the rise in prices and distribute commodities rationally, we had to adopt the method of vouchers and quantitative supply.

Meat, eggs, sugar, etc. are supplied on a per-household basis, and the people's food and clothing are all in short supply.

As for the heavy industry, it suffered a catastrophic change, which made things worse...

early morning.

The snow stopped a few days ago, but the snow has not melted, and the world is white.

In the kitchen, after Jiang Ping'an and Miao Hexiang had breakfast, Miao Hexiang asked while picking up the bowls and chopsticks:

"At noon, invite Uncle Hai's family to come over for dinner. How many steamed buns and steamed buns will you make?"

Jiang Ping'an sat smoking, thought for a while, and pondered:

"Invite not only Uncle Hai's family, but also other elders. Let's make [-] steamed buns and [-] steamed buns each!"

"At that time, each person will be given a steamed bun and a steamed bun, which is definitely not enough to eat."

"Boil another large pot of sweet potatoes, fry a large pot of cabbage and a large pot of shredded potatoes, and put more oil."

"The other big castrated rabbits can also be slaughtered, and stew a big pot of rabbit meat stewed radish soup."

For the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve today, we can only prepare meals with the materials that can be seen.

For example, the white flour is a reward, and the stick noodles are rations exchanged for food stamps from the commune grain station.

Some other ingredients such as rabbits, cabbage, radishes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are also ready-made.

Miao Hexiang nodded and said with a smile: "This is already very rich."

"You go to invite Uncle Dahai and the others earlier, and ask the Xinzhuang sister-in-law and the others to come and help. I can't do it alone."

Jiang Pingan laughed and got up and said, "I'll go right away, you remember to collect all the things that are not visible at home and hide them in your house."

"Go, I'll clean it up now, it will be ready soon!" Miao Hexiang replied with a smile.

After going out, Jiang Pingan stepped on the snow and went to Jiang Dahai's house first, while Heizi ran happily in the snow.

This year's New Year's Eve, there is no sound of firecrackers.

Because of the tight economy, many factories have suspended the production of firecrackers.

The limited explosives should be used in projects such as cutting mountains and roads, building air-raid shelters, and building happiness canals.

Not to mention the local miscellaneous stores, and they don't sell firecrackers, so the Chinese New Year is always a little bit less atmosphere.

In the past few days during the Chinese New Year, the children were very excited when they heard the sound of firecrackers outside.

It was as if he had been injected with chicken blood, and he was restless when he was excited.

Because most of the firecrackers sold in this era are soil whips.

That is, firecracker producers roll them into small tubes one by one with newspaper, book, paper, and paper shells.

The end of the small tube is sealed with sand, then filled with whipping powder, rolled into the burning core, and a firecracker is made.

Weave together the scattered firecrackers one by one, then wrap them in newspaper, and a firecracker is completed.

There are not many firecrackers per hanging, only thirty or forty rings, and the whole firecrackers will be set off when the time comes.

The three or two firecrackers removed from each hanging before setting off are the benefits for the boys during the New Year.

There are also a lot of squibs after the release.

The children are in groups of three or four, getting up early in the morning, and running to whichever house sets off firecrackers.

Just wait for the firecrackers to go off and grab those squibs.

If you are lucky, you can pick up a lot of squibs, and you will naturally cheer, which adds to the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year.

Of course, there are quite a few people who blow up their hands because of playing with firecrackers these days, but that's another story.

After all, today is New Year's Eve, people in every household did not stay at home, they basically got up early in the morning.

Although there is a shortage of food, people have long been frugal and saved some food for the few days of the New Year.

There's nothing good about it, just add sweet potatoes, fried cabbage, fried potatoes, and some oil stars.

Although it is still shabby, in the past few days of the Chinese New Year, adults and children can eat a few full meals.

Of course, it's only for a few days during the Chinese New Year.

As for new clothes, basically none.

Even if it is a year with good weather, I have never heard of any company that can buy a new set of clothes every year.

Boys are better off. After all, there are three layers of patched clothes on the inside and three layers on the outside.

It is difficult for some girls to even have a piece of clothing, so they can only hide at home.

It is precisely because of the lack of everything that people look forward to the New Year. Over time, special memories are formed.

"Uncle Dahai, are you having dinner? At noon today, everyone will go to my house for a reunion dinner. Both adults and children will go."

Jiang Dahai laughed and said, "Sit safe first, I'll let Auntie cook two poached eggs to eat."

"No, I came here after breakfast." Jiang Pingan waved his hand and declined.

Then he said to Jiang Xindong: "Xindong, go to my house earlier to help kill a few big rabbits, and stew them for lunch."

Jiang Dahai was overjoyed, and said with a beaming smile, "Hey, can we still eat meat today? Then we have to go there earlier."

He was not polite, he was from his own family, so he was too polite, which made him feel different.

"Hey, just once a year, Uncle Dahai eats a few extra pieces of meat for lunch today." Jiang Ping'an said with a smile on his face.

"It's a deal, I'll go to my house earlier, and I'm going to call my sister-in-law and the others to help, so I won't talk much."

Jiang Dahai nodded and said, "Go, we'll go there after breakfast."

Coming out of Jiang Dahai's house, Jiang Ping'an went to invite Jiang Dahai's sons, daughters-in-law, and some elders.

After walking around in a circle, I roughly calculated that there were more than 20 people coming to his house for dinner at noon, and three meals had to be prepared.

When they got home, Jiang Dahai and the others had already arrived, and the women went to the kitchen to help Miao Hexiang cook.

Knowing that Jiang Ping'an's house had few tables and chairs, when Jiang Xinzhuang and the others came over, they brought over two sets of square tables and benches.

Now it's all set up in the main room.

The women also brought bowls and chopsticks, soup bowls and other things, and took them to the kitchen for later use.

Jiang Xindong was slaughtering rabbits, and a group of adults and children were watching, drooling.

"This rabbit is so fat, we are lucky today." Jiang Dahai said with a smile while puffing on the dry smoke.

Jiang Pingan took the cigarettes, passed them on for everyone, and answered with a smile:
"After I entered the city, I asked Mrs. Miao to help take care of the rabbits. After the new year, those little rabbits will be left to her."

He has said this matter openly and openly long ago, and he will not hide it. No one will suspect anything if he does this.

Jiang Dahai nodded and smiled and said, "This is what it should be. Raising rabbits is not an easy job. You can't treat her badly."

"Miao Hexiang is industrious, and she has entrusted the rabbits to the right person safely." Someone answered.

"The main reason is that she is close to Ping An, so it is convenient to raise rabbits and chickens nearby. Ping An is kind and did not treat her badly."

"Didn't you hear Miao Hexiang say that you can eat eggs every three to five times in the past few months? Your face is flushed."

"When it comes to Miao Hexiang, Luo Manzi is involved again. Without Luo Manzi being dragged down, Miao Hexiang's life will be much easier."

"Luo Manzi is unlucky! If he wanted to do it himself, he lost his daughter-in-law, and when he was sick, he didn't even have anyone to greet him."

"Miao Hexiang looks like a prosperous husband, and Luo Manzi left him, and life will be miserable in an instant."

People's chatterboxes opened up, and they immediately talked about Miao Hexiang and Luo Manzi.

Especially when it comes to Luo Manzi, everyone is full of sighs and sighs, and most of them are gloating.

(End of this chapter)