Siheyuan: There are three little cats at home

Chapter 5 Supply and Marketing Cooperatives Buy Meat

Push the door and enter the house.

The three little ones were lying on the kang, their feet were all tucked under the bedding, and they were concentrating on reading the comics together.

Xu Qing walked over and took a look, the three little ones were all a little flustered.

So Xu Xiaoya grinned and said:
"Brother, we have been studying for a long time just now, so we will just watch it for a while."

Xu Aiguo knew he was wrong, so he quickly put the comic away and handed it to Xu Qing with his head lowered.

Xu Fengming curled his lips, with a look of unfinished expression on his face. He reached out and grabbed the Chinese textbook beside him and started flipping through it.

Xu Qing knew that the three of them were young and still playful, so he said:

"Okay, you guys have fun today, but you have to read a lot tomorrow."

The little girl immediately rushed to Xu Qing's side, hugged Xu Qing with her arms, and said happily:

"I knew that elder brother loved us the most."

Xu Fengming sneered and threw the textbook aside, grabbed the comic book and lay down on the kang to read it with relish.

Xu Qing put the shovel away and saw that the briquettes in the stove were almost burning out again. He took five briquettes from outside the door and threw two into the stove.

Then he turned around and closed the door, and went out to the compound, ready to go to the supply and marketing agency to buy meat.

When passing the middle school.

Silly Zhu didn't know what was going on with Xu Damao, and they were quarreling red in the face. Yi Zhonghai broke up the fight and pushed Xu Damao back to the backyard.

Xu Qing glanced at it, tightened the padded jacket on his body, walked through the middle courtyard and the front yard, along the alley, and went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The supply and marketing cooperative is warm and lively, with many people and things.

The smell was indescribable. The raw smell of pork, the muttony smell of mutton, the smell of chickens in the chicken coop on the ground, and the earthy smell of cabbage and radishes piled up like a hill, permeated the whole house chaotically.

A dark iron stove was set up in the corner of the wall. The stove was roaring, and a hole was opened in the window for the chimney.

Without a stove, people can't stay inside in this cold winter.

This Saturday, the people who came to buy things were all workers from a nearby factory, all wearing cotton jackets, cotton trousers, and cotton shoes, holding money and various tickets in their hands, shouting at the salesperson.

The salesperson is busy, but orderly.

Those who cut the meat should weigh what they want to cut, and those who take the money take the money, there is no mistake.

Xu Qing reached out from the pocket of his cotton-padded jacket and took out five taels of meat coupons, and handed them to the salesperson together with the one dollar that Qin Huairu paid back.

"Half catty five flowers."

The salesperson glanced at the meat ticket, raised his head and raised his neck and shouted at the middle-aged man who was cutting the meat.

"Cut half a catty of pork belly."

Afterwards, he began to give Xu Qing some money.

When the meat tickets were first issued, they were divided once and could not be divided again.

So, after buying the meat today, I can't buy it again this month. I can only wait until the factory pays wages next month, and the meat ticket will be issued again.

After receiving the money handed back by the salesperson, Xu Qing lowered his head and counted it again. Seventy-six cents was correct.

He put it in his pocket, turned around and walked towards the meat stand. At this time, the man who cut the meat cut half a catty with a sharp knife.

Xu Qing carried half a catty of meat and had already thought about it.After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, find a place where no one is around and split it in two.

Half a catty becomes one catty, and you can eat two meals.

Xu Qing reached out and lifted the cotton curtain at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative.

When I looked around, I saw Ma Jiefang, who used to go to high school, riding an old bicycle with a vinegar bottle stuffed on his chest.

Ma Jiefang rode all the way, his face turned red from the cold, and when he saw Xu Qing, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned:

"Hey, Xu Qing, I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you so much. If you don't study, what are you doing now?"

"work."

"Where is it?" Ma Jiefang was wearing a military overcoat, put his bicycle on the ground with a bang, and said excitedly: "My buddies don't read anymore, next spring, just like you, go to work."

Xu Qing was also very happy to see his old classmates after a long time.But he didn't expect that Ma Jiefang would not go to school anymore, which was a bit unexpected.

Ma Jiefang comes from a good family. His father works as the section chief of the Security Section of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and his family is in a good position.

Although there are five older sisters, Ma Jiefang is the only boy in their family. Three of the five older sisters are married. Among other things, the family has received a lot of honorary gifts.

Ma Jiefang had said these things before, so Xu Qing remembered them.

"Liberation, why don't you read it anymore? With your family's conditions, it won't happen?"

"Hey, forget it, got fired for fighting."

Ma Jiefang took out the vinegar bottle from his chest and stuffed it into his trousers pocket.

He dug out a box of peony cigarettes from his military overcoat, handed one to Xu Qing, and took out a gasoline lighter.Turn the flint to light the fire, and after lighting it for Xu Qing, he lowered his head and lit the cigarette at the corner of his mouth, took a sharp puff, and said:
"Xu Qing, do you still remember Liu Toad in the third year of our school? That kid relied on his brother as a bastard. Last month, he found someone to block me and asked me for cigarettes."

"I was with Li Guohua and Wang Erniu in our class at the time."

"In the end, the kid saw that it was a good cigarette, so he snatched it away and yelled that he asked me to bring him a box of filial piety the day after tomorrow. Do you think I can bear it, buddy?"

Xu Qing leaned against the wall at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative and asked, "Then you will take action?"

"Isn't that right? Among our buddies, is there any one who is naughty?" Ma Jiefang held a cigarette in his mouth and gestured with his hands:
"At that time, I broke off a brick from the back wall of our school and hit Liu Toad on the head."

"Xu Qing, you don't know. That guy Liu Toad looks fierce, but he's actually a softie."

"Don't look like you're bullying people all day long. I didn't expect that when I opened my head, I was so scared that I peed my crotch."

"I greeted Li Guohua and Er Niu, and the three of us beat up Liu Toad's gang and chased them through seven or eight alleys. Only those few boys could barely catch up, otherwise, I would have to kill them all one by one. It’s too late!”

Xu Qing said: "What happened next?"

Ma Jiefang spread his hands together: "That bastard Liu Hato told the school with his mother, saying that I bullied and brought a group of people to beat him for no reason."

"At that time, Li Guohua and Er Niu were pointed out."

Xu Qing exhaled and said, "Then you didn't tell the truth?"

"No, buddy, I didn't plan to read it at all, so I just took care of everything."

"Anyway, even if I tell the truth, the school will still punish me, and Guohua and Erniu will be implicated."

"Both of them are determined to go to college. If they are punished, it will be difficult for them to go to college in the future."

Xu Qing remained silent.

These days, the education aspect is very strict. Once you are punished, the university is almost hopeless.

"Hey, let's not talk about this, Xu Qing, where do you work now? Is it the Red Star Steel Rolling Plant? I heard from my dad that he seems to have seen you several times in the factory." Ma Jiefang turned to look at Xu Qing: "But you also know that my dad doesn't have a very good memory. You came to my house several times, but he just didn't remember it."

"It's my fifth sister who remembers you, hehe, she always asks me about you."

"If you have nothing to do today, come to my house to play."

Xu Qing shook his head hurriedly and said:
"I just bought some meat. I want to make dumplings for my younger brothers and sisters when I get home. I'm not as lucky as you. There are five sisters on top. Even if the sky falls, there will be someone to carry them."

"Xu Qing, don't talk about such irrelevant things. To be honest, I feel like my fifth sister has fallen in love with you. Please be more careful."

Xu Qing was speechless. He had met Ma Jiefang's fifth sister several times. Not only was she handsome, beautiful, and good-looking, but she also worked in an art troupe.

But Xu Qing thought that he was still an apprentice and had to take care of his younger brothers and sisters.

I don't think about my own affairs at all, and I don't have the time or energy to think about major life events.

Xu Qing smiled and said:
"Let's not talk about me, let's talk about you, you don't want to study, don't you want to be a soldier?"

"Don't mention this." Ma Jiefang blew out a smoke ring and made a frustrated face: "My cousin is a soldier. Since he came back last year, he doesn't like me anyway, so I don't want to be a soldier. It's too bitter. Besides, my dad I am the only seedling, and I am reluctant to let me go."

While speaking, a cigarette was burned out, Xu Qing said:

"We'll talk again when we have time, so hurry up and get jealous."

"Hey, let's talk next time. By the way, you still live in the same compound now, right? If I have time, I'll have a drink with you in the evening." Ma Jiefang tilted his body and took out the vinegar bottle from his cotton trousers pocket, not forgetting Feeling emotional.

"I used to drink when I was studying, and the school took care of it, and the family took care of it. Now it's okay, I don't go to school, and no one cares about it. Finally, I don't have to sneak around."

"See you!"

"See you!"

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he turned around, carried the pork, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and hurried back towards the compound.

But in my heart, I couldn't help but think of Ma Jiefang's fifth sister.

(End of this chapter)