To build the sheep pens with reeds, first a simple wooden frame had to be constructed inside, then layers of reeds could be laid on top.
To save time, Lin Xun first drew the frame design and had Director Xiong take people to harvest the reeds.
“Cut them with sickles and make sure they are all the same length. Too long or too short will not work,” Lin Xun instructed.
Director Xiong nodded. “Got it, do not worry.” Then he turned to call the young educated workers.
Hearing they had to cut reeds in such cold weather, Yuan Yaqing was the first to complain. “It is freezing. We have to cut reeds. Are you trying to freeze us to death?”
“What else do you expect to do? You cannot milk, you refuse to shear sheep, and old women in their sixties can gather herbs faster than you,” Director Xiong snapped.
He was exasperated with these city youths. They were pampered and hard to handle. “Did you come to the countryside to act like young masters and ladies? You cannot do anything, yet you constantly want meat and firewood. If I could send you back, I would have long ago.”
The young educated workers could return to the city, but it required recommendations from both the farm and the commune. If Director Xiong sent them back, they would be reassigned to even more remote places and never see the city again.
Immediately, a female worker spoke up. “Director Xiong, the only one unwilling is Yuan Yaqing. I am fine. I will cut the reeds.”
Yuan Yaqing was furious. “Huang Xiaoxiao, you.”
Huang Xiaoxiao had previously been Yuan Yaqing’s closest friend at the youth station. But since she started dating Xu Zhicheng, Huang Xiaoxiao felt Yuan Yaqing had changed. She had become arrogant and temperamental.
Especially at the last wedding banquet, Huang Xiaoxiao had bitten the bullet and given her a five-yuan red envelope for old friendship. Yuan Yaqing not only made her push the cart, but when Huang Xiaoxiao got food poisoning from spoiled mutton and ended up in the hospital, Yuan Yaqing refused to cover the medical costs.
After that, Huang Xiaoxiao stopped paying attention to Yuan Yaqing. She ignored her now, grabbed a sickle and headed out. Yuan Yaqing was about to complain, but Director Xiong interrupted.
“Enough. Yuan Yaqing, if you cause any more trouble, I will deduct points from you.”
Fuming, Yuan Yaqing’s face went pale. Passing the office, she saw Lin Xun comfortably seated by the stove while she would have to work out in the cold. Her anger intensified.
She resolved to find another job and leave this cursed place.
After Lin Xun finished the frame design, Secretary Sun had people go to the mountains to cut firewood. With many hands, by the end of the workday, all the wood was ready.
Back at the residential area, He Yuerong asked Lin Xun why the farm was so busy today.
He Yuerong did not work. She usually collected herbs in the mountains with other military wives. Today, she happened upon the farm’s tree cutting.
Lin Xun explained briefly. “Are they going to buy winter storage vegetables?”
Winter storage vegetables were bought before the end of the year and stored in the cellar. This was the food the family would rely on for months.
Normally, this was done at the end of October. The weather was colder than usual this year. Early preparation was necessary to avoid losses from a snow disaster.
He Yuerong nodded. “Yes, the truck is waiting at the gate. We should go quickly.”
Buying winter storage was a collective activity. The residential area had no space, so everyone went to villagers’ homes to purchase. Since the vegetables were heavy and there were many people, the military provided trucks.
“All right.” Lin Xun hurried back to her room for money.
After Secretary Sun mentioned the blizzard was coming, she decided to start stockpiling food. Flour, potatoes, onions, dried meat. She wanted to fill the entire cellar.
If a hail or snow disaster occurred, having food at home would prevent panic.
Lin Xun took 100 yuan to buy food, recording it in her account book. This would be split with Huo Yanzhou, 50 yuan each.
The military truck had a covered compartment. The further in, the warmer. Lin Xun arrived late and could only take a seat outside. It was cold, but the trip was short.
Private trade was not allowed in the 1970s. Village food was centrally managed. After disembarking, military wives went to the village office to buy food at market prices. Payment was made, then the village chief had workers bring food from the warehouse.
It was getting late. The truck arrived, and people hoped to buy it quickly. But the village chief announced price increases.
“Potatoes and onions have risen three fen per jin. White radishes are now six fen per jin instead of five,” he said with a troubled expression.
Many wives balked, although the supply and marketing cooperative had not raised their prices.
The chief replied, “The cooperative requires coupons, but we do not.”
Still, many could not accept the increase. Military salaries were low, around several dozen yuan per month, similar to city workers.
Most soldiers had families with two or three children and elderly parents to support. Every cent counted.
Many wives tried to bargain, asking for lower prices, threatening to buy elsewhere if refused.
Lin Xun pulled He Yuerong aside. “Judging by the situation, the prices will not drop. I will buy now.”
Food was always in demand, especially in the scarce 1970s. The weather had damaged crops, and the meteorological bureau warned of an approaching blizzard. Prices would rise, so it was better to buy early.
He Yuerong, whose family was from a neighboring commune, knew the chief was truthful. “Okay, sister-in-law. I will go with you.”
Hearing this, the team leader quickly brought them to the warehouse. “How much do you need?”
Winter was long. Lin Xun decided to buy more. Radishes and onions could be pickled and eaten with noodles or buns. Potatoes could serve as staple food.
“200 jin of potatoes, 100 jin of radishes, 40 jin of onions.”
Just as the team leader prepared to help, a delighted voice called out. “Dr. Lin. Do you remember me?”
Lin Xun turned and saw the villager whose cow she delivered yesterday. “It is you.”
“Yes. The cow is resting today, so I came to help carry vegetables. Wait. I will pick the best ones for you.”
The villagers filled their bags with large, full vegetables. He Yuerong was thrilled. “Sister-in-law, I am really lucky today.”
After Lin Xun finished buying, the villager returned with more, secretly giving her a bag.
“Dr. Lin, these are from my garden. Not much, but do not refuse.”
Inside were chives, garlic, scallions, green beans, and soybeans. Common in the south, but rare in the north in winter.
Lin Xun was overjoyed. Ignoring the villager’s protest, she insisted on paying. “Take it. You worked hard, and as a military wife, I cannot take anything for free.”
The villager relented. “Dr. Lin, come by anytime. I am Tao Erzhu, at the end of the village.”
“Okay!”
By the time they left the village, it was evening. The chief had been firm on price. Some wives had bought, some planned to try elsewhere the next day.
Back at the residential area, Lin Xun ran into guard Xiao Wang, who helped carry the vegetables home. Then she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange all family food coupons for refined flour and mixed grain flour.
The next day at the farm, Lin Xun inquired with herders about meat.
Vegetables were cheaper in the village, but for meat, it was better to go to herders. Slightly more expensive, but no coupons needed.
Fortune favored her. A herder had mutton for sale at 0.5 yuan per jin.
“So cheap?” Lin Xun asked, surprised. The cooperative charged 0.65 yuan.
The herder sighed in broken Mandarin. “No choice. Yesterday I went grazing, met wolves, fell down a slope, and a sheep died.”
Internal injuries did not make the mutton inedible, but it had to be processed quickly. It could not be left in the snow for long, hence the low price.
Lin Xun frowned. Wolves had been unusually active this year. Just as animals sense weather changes before rain, the wolves seemed to sense the coming blizzard and were hunting more aggressively.
She bought 50 jin of mutton from the herder and instructed Director Xiong to speed up reed cutting. The sheep pens had to be built quickly.
Yuan Yaqing still did not know about the coming blizzard. Hearing Director Xiong say they had to cut 100 more jin of reeds than yesterday, she was dismayed.
That cursed Lin Xun was the cause. Before, the young educated workers could slack off occasionally, but now they work to exhaustion.
Yuan Yaqing had already decided to change jobs. While others worked diligently, she dawdled.
Returning to the residential area, she saw several flatbed carts filled with vegetables bought by the military wives.
The morning broadcast had warned of the impending blizzard. Even those who had complained about high prices dared not delay and rushed to buy.
As Lin Xun predicted, today’s prices were slightly higher than yesterday. Though not much, it hurt those who had not bought the day before.
There was no choice. They had to bite the bullet and buy.
Back home, Yuan Yaqing saw Cai Jinhua preparing to buy food. She hurriedly said, “Mother, why rush? Wait a few days.”
Cai Jinhua replied, “The broadcast said a snow disaster is coming. Why wait?”
Yuan Yaqing thought her mother was easily influenced. Did she really not know about blizzards in the northwest? Those usually happened after the educated youth returned to the city.
This year was cold but not extreme.
“That is all misleading. Think about it. If everyone buys now, prices are high. Later, when supplies run out, the price drops anyway.”
Yuan Yaqing was not stingy. She just remembered how the wedding mutton caused financial losses. If she did not save, how could she afford a job change?
Cai Jinhua considered it reasonable. “Fine! I will trust you this time. But if you are wrong, I will not forgive you.”