Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Su Duofu had another question: "What about the price? There is no unified price in the vegetable market."

"Ask about the price first." Ye Fan didn't want to bring trouble to the islanders, so he added, "It just has to be a little cheaper than outside. If it's too cheap, everyone will come to buy from us and that could cause trouble."

The captain didn't understand: "What could happen?"

Su Duofu: "The city center vegetable market is not doing well and doesn't want the products from the purchasing station. The purchasing station doesn't want the products from the neighboring island or the production team on the shore. The neighboring island will definitely sue us for malicious bidding, and the production team on the shore may demolish the dock on the other side, so that our ships can't dock."

The captain blurted out: "So bad?"

Ye Fan: "Destroying someone's financial resources is like killing their parents."

Su Duofu nodded: "Leave some room for us so that we can meet again in the future."

Ye Fan also meant this: "For example, if we get off the car and encounter heavy rain, we can take shelter in the village. The crew also reported that the dock was badly damaged. I plan to buy cement and wood to repair it when the factory has some money. By then, I will have to go to the production team on the shore to find people, right?"

The captain scratched his head: "I just want to make money."

Ye Fan: "It's okay to have the ability to make money. But you can't just focus on the present."

Su Duofu couldn't help but say, "If your reputation for being too ruthless gets out, your grandson will only be able to find a partner on the island in the future."

The captain hesitated for a moment and said, "But there is no bus that goes directly to the pier. If it is only a little cheaper, I will not come here after coming here twice. Almost all the urban areas on our island have it."

This is a problem. Ye Fan thought of a solution: "If we can't just mark the price low, then we can just give it away."

"Send?" The two were puzzled.

Ye Fan nodded: "Buy a sea bass and get two large crabs for free. Buy a large yellow croaker and get a pound of conch for free. At this time of year, the clams are fat, so get a pound or half a pound of clams for free. If you buy two sea bass, you will get a pound of shrimp for free."

The two were surprised and delighted. This was a good idea. Even if the island next door sued them for maliciously lowering the price, they could say that they picked up the clams and snails at sea, and they couldn't finish them and didn't give them away, so they could only smash them and feed the chickens and ducks.

What do you call this? Every policy from above has its countermeasures from below!

The captain and Su Duofu looked at each other and decided to do this.

The next day, the captain of the Lotus Brigade discussed the matter with the captains of other production teams. As a result, everyone thought it was a good idea, and then they went to find the director of the vegetable market and asked him to vacate a stall to sell high-priced delicacies from land and sea.

They thought about it carefully. The wives of the soldiers in the family area would definitely be unhappy with the sudden price increase. If they sold the fish to the islanders for 50 cents and to outsiders for 80 cents, outsiders would definitely not come again. It would be better to set up a separate stall. If the wives of the soldiers felt that it was a good deal to buy sea bass and get prawns for free, they could buy it. If outsiders wanted to buy cheap ones, the market staff could also say that those were benefits for their own people, and that they were limited in supply every day and not sold to the outside world. Outsiders could only buy things from special stalls.

There were many empty stalls in the market, so it was no problem to vacate one. Several team leaders promised that the market would continue to charge them the same price as before. This meant that all the money earned belonged to the market, and the director did not mind allocating one person to manage the stall.

After the matter was settled, the person in charge of the vegetable market asked several team leaders whether it was Accountant Ye's idea.

The ten people smiled, said nothing, and went back home.

The next day, the director vacated the stall, and Su Duofu led eight people into the city. When the eight people heard that they could earn one yuan for half a day outside, they were very willing to do it. Moreover, the older fishermen had the experience of carrying goods from street to street before, so they were not afraid to chat with the citizens.

Su Duofu went to the city center market in the morning and the second market in the afternoon to get a clear understanding of the market conditions. When he returned to the island, he went to the market manager. The next morning, a high-priced stall appeared in the market.

Liu Guihua carried a large yellow croaker and two crabs and went straight to Ye Fan's house. Seeing Ye Fan brushing her teeth and washing her face in the yard, she approached her without caring whether it was convenient for her or not and said, "Accountant Ye, set up a stall in the market and offer buy one get two free. I think it's more cost-effective than buying individually. You have a large family, so buy two sea bass and get a pound of large shrimp for free. I've seen shrimps, and the smallest one is as long as my middle finger."

The goods will be received in late May and sent to the capital at the end of May. Because there is still a week before the delivery date, Ye Fan has not been to the office in recent days. He did not expect them to be so prompt. "Is it cost-effective?"

Liu Guihua: "It's a good deal. For example, when Lao Niu is not at home, one fish is enough for Xiao Cao and I to eat. But if I want to try something else, I can't finish it if I buy too much. If I buy too little, Liu Qing will scold me again, saying 'the mother of a college student really knows how to live'. Now it's just right."

Ye Fan: "Is the cheaper one still more cost-effective?"

Liu Guihua shook her head: "I've calculated it, it's only two cents more than buying them individually. If I don't want crabs, I can exchange them for clams. Give me a few more clams and I'll get two cents. And I don't have to be talked about."

Ye Fan asked: "So you think the current situation is good?"

Liu Guihua nodded, realized something, and exclaimed. Ye Fan was startled. Seeing this, Liu Guihua hurriedly lowered her voice: "You asked the vegetable market to sell it like this? Oh, Accountant Ye, you really think about me."

Accountant Ye thought to himself that you were overthinking it, "Miao Miao's mother didn't say anything unpleasant when she went to your house a few days ago, did she?"

The topic changed so quickly that Liu Guihua was stunned for a moment before she responded, "A few days earlier, honey?"

Ye Fan nodded: "She went too late, and the last few bottles were bought by the cashier of the clothing factory."

Liu Guihua: "She asked me to give her a bottle. I said the supply and marketing cooperative was cheaper, so I asked her to go to the supply and marketing cooperative."

Ye Fan wiped his face and asked, "What did she say?"

"I don't want to go. Who knows whether the honey in the supply and marketing cooperative is honey or syrup?" Liu Guihua whispered, "You see, I talk and laugh with her every day? In fact, I remember it in my heart. It's fine to chat with her at ordinary times, but you can only dream about wanting my things! She said that it is easy to attract ants in hot weather, and she can't finish drinking so much. I will wait for Miaomiao to go to college and give it to her instead of selling it!"

Ye Fan smiled.

"Didn't you keep five bottles too? Didn't she look for you?"

Ye Fan: "There are five people in my family. There are only three in your family, and Captain Niu doesn't like to drink."

"Yes." Liu Guihua nodded. "By the way, what is the purpose of putting a bamboo gate at the intersection leading to the vegetable market? It's to enclose us."

Ye Fanxin said, it's too fast. "What bamboo door?"

"It's just putting two bamboos next to someone's yard, with a bamboo door tied to one of them to block the road. Although there's no lock, you still have to open the door to go in and out. Whose idea was this? It's not a big deal."

Ye Fan: "To prevent outsiders from going straight to the military base from here."

"Are we protecting ourselves from spies?" Liu Guihua asked herself, "Of course we are." The crab in her hand moved, and she suddenly remembered that she should go home and cook. "Accountant Ye, I'll cook first, and we'll talk later."

Ye Fan nodded and went back to the house to apply Meijiajing.

After cleaning up quickly and cooking porridge in the rice cooker, Ye Fan went to his children's room and saw Dabao lying on the upper bunk reciting his lessons: "Are you taking the initiative to study?"

"I want to be as smart as you." Dabao asked, "Why are you looking for me?"

Ye Fan: "I'm asking you if you want to go to the market. Since you're reading, then mom will go by herself."

Dabao patted the bed, and Erbao on the lower bunk opened his eyes and kicked it. Dabao was startled, and Ye Fan wanted to laugh: "Why are you making trouble so early in the morning? Geng Erbao, come with me to the vegetable market?"

"No!" Erbao shook his head, got up and picked up the comic book on the desk, "Mom, I want to read too."

Ye Fan: "I always feel like you two are going to make trouble again? How about practicing Tai Chi with mom?"

Dabao and Erbao hadn't exercised with their mother for a long time. They got out of bed and put on their shoes, then went to the living room. The brother and sister asked Ye Fan to stand behind them. Master Ye Fan became apprentice, Dabao and Erbao showed satisfied smiles, Ye Fan was speechless, the children were so childish.

It was still a little chilly on the island in May. The mother and her two children didn't sweat after the exercise, but they felt more energetic. Dabao and Erbao wanted to go to the vegetable market with Ye Fan.

At the market, Dabao saw a lot of people in front of a stall. He squeezed in because he was short, and then squeezed out again. Ye Fan asked knowingly, "What are you selling?"

Dabao: "There are fish, turtles, shrimps and crabs too. But they are expensive. Mom, I think it's not worth it. Let's go inside."

Ye Fan bought two fish, ten crabs, and two kilograms of prawns. "Dabao and Erbao, are these enough?"

Tired of eating seafood every day, Dabao was too lazy to look, "Mom, there is pork."

Ye Fan shook his head.

Dabao sighed: "No tickets again?"

The butchers were very observant and heard this: the spine doesn't need a ticket.

Dabao ran over and saw that the meat on the spine was just enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. He said in disgust: "No!"

Ye Fan went over to ask for two kilograms and bought another chicken.

The second child was very happy to see the chicken. The first child was worried: "Mom, can we finish all of this?"

"Your dad will be back in the evening." As soon as Ye Fan said this, Dabao ran out holding the chicken and Erbao ran out holding the crab.

When they got home, Ye Fan asked Dabao and Erbao to read books while she cooked salt duck eggs on the stove, heated up some vegetable buns and steamed buns, and then prepared onions and ginger, and lit the fire to cook shrimps. After taking out the red shrimps, Ye Fan cleaned the pot, took the steamed buns off the stove, sealed the stove, and poured a steel pot of water on it. When Dabao and Erbao came back from school, the water was hot and they could wash their hair.

When Geng Zhiqin heard Dabao pull the table, he knew it was time to eat.

The breakfast included prawns, duck eggs, vegetable buns, steamed buns and porridge. Geng Zhiqin couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, I won't be used to eating like this every day when I return to the capital."

Dabao blurted out: "I'm not used to coming back."

Geng Zhiqin looked at Ye Fan subconsciously, and almost asked directly, "Is it okay?"

Ye Fan: "Come here during winter and summer vacations."

Dabao nodded: "We won't go to grandma and grandma's house during the summer vacation."

Ye Fan smiled and said, "I'm going this year."

Dabao: “I’m not going!”

"This year, my aunt is going to take the college entrance examination. We will send her back to the capital to take the exam." Ye Fan asked, "Have you forgotten?"

Dabao forgot, so he asked when the college entrance examination was.

Ye Fan: "It just so happens that your school is on holiday."

"What a coincidence." Dabao nodded, "Then let's go."

Ye Fan peeled a shrimp, dipped it in sauce and stuffed it into his mouth.

Dabao shook his head happily, then frowned: "Mom, today's sauce is not delicious."

"Mom didn't put any garlic in it. If you eat garlic in school, your mouths will stink and no one will want to play with you two." Ye Fan peeled another one for Erbao, "Just eat it. I'll make one with garlic on Sunday."

Dabao picked up the salted duck egg: "Don't forget it." "No!"

I have something to do on Sunday, Ye Fan dare not forget it.

Ye Fan calculated that when citizens heard that there was no purchase restriction on many things on the island, they would discuss with their families whether to come to the island to take a look. After hesitating for two more days, it would just be the weekend.

You can visit the park on weekends, or walk a few miles and take a boat to the island for fun.

On Sunday morning, Ye Fan went to the vegetable market alone, reminded the employees that there might be many outsiders on the island today, and then went to buy vegetables.

After Ye Fan left, the market employees found a few basins, filled them with seafood, and moved them behind the high-priced stalls.

Previously, Ye Fan said that the passenger ship would arrive at the other side at 9 o'clock and leave at 11 o'clock, but there is a prerequisite, that is, the ship is not full. If it is full, it will leave immediately, and the crew will hang a sign at the dock to explain it clearly. For example, if it is full at 9:30, and it is only 11 o'clock when you return to the island and go back, then it will be written that there is another one at 11 o'clock. If it is full at 10:30, then it will be written that there is a boat at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Because the grandpa and grandma that Su Duofu took out told the citizens that there would be a boat at nine o'clock, a group of people were waiting on the shore before nine o'clock on this weekend. After chatting with each other, they found that they were all going to the island to buy seafood. Then the sincere smiles instantly became less sincere. Some people ran to the dock without waiting for the boat to dock, for fear that they would not be able to buy the bargains if they were slow.

The manager of the vegetable market specifically asked people to watch the intersection. When he heard that there were many people coming, he picked up some of the leftover fish, turtles, shrimps and crabs from the morning and piled them on the high-priced stalls.

The citizens who came from the shore took a walk around the vegetable market and thought that the cheap goods were what the soldiers’ wives had left over, and that no one bought from the high-priced stalls because they were too expensive. They never considered that the cheap and expensive items were actually the same.

When the first citizen asked how much the sea bass cost, the employee quoted the price, and the other citizens felt that they had lost out. The employee then said buy one get two free, and a group of people rushed in, grabbing the fish like it was free.

A 60-year-old woman stuffed two cloth bags full. The market worker couldn't help asking, "How are you going to take them back?"

"There is a way." The old woman went outside to find a bamboo and carried it back to the boat.

When the old lady got home and calculated, she found that it was two yuan cheaper than buying it at the vegetable market near her home. It happened that she had a large family, so they had crabs for lunch, clams for dinner, and marinated the big fish for tomorrow's meal.

Some people stop going there because they find that they spend more money than before because of the cheap prices. But some people think that it is worthwhile to eat and it can nourish the children and the elderly, so they continue to go to the island to buy goods.

There is only one company doing this in the whole city of Ningbo. Business cannot be bad. With small profits but quick turnover, fishermen can also make a few dollars a month.

In mid-June, the captain of the Lotus Brigade got 30 kilograms of honey and sent it to the workshop. It was packed in half-kilogram bottles and sent to the vegetable market. The price was 1.8 yuan per bottle and the citizens bought it even without giving anything else because they saw many flowers on the island and the honey must be real. Most importantly, they could buy five bottles.

If you buy five bottles of honey, you can keep two for yourself and sell the remaining three on the black market to make back the money you earned from the five bottles.

The market manager discussed this issue with Ye Fan, asking if he would be implicated if the higher authorities caught the citizens speculating. Ye Fan asked: "What does their speculation have to do with you? Do you know them?"

The market manager felt relieved and continued to exploit policy loopholes.

Only honey is expensive on the island. Dried bamboo shoots, dried fish, and fruits like bayberry, loquat, and yellow peach are much cheaper than in the city, so even in the hottest days of June, some people would wear straw hats to enter the island.

Probably a group of people came to the island every day like they were going to a market. When Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye brought their two children and accompanied Geng Zhiqin back to the capital, the news spread to several surrounding islands and production teams on the shore.

Ye Fan of Hengshan Island either sold dog meat under the guise of selling sheep meat or exploited policy loopholes. No one cared. The production team on the shore and members of other islands finally couldn't help but sell "dog meat". If you want to sell "dog meat", you have to ask how much it costs. When they heard that it was cheaper than in the city, everyone could make money, the production team leader led the members to set up a stall near the dock.

The crew was so angry when they saw this scene that they almost capsized the boat. They went to the island to complain to Su Duofu and the manager of the vegetable market.

Su Duofu said to wait and see, and think of a solution after Accountant Ye came back - they didn't dare to report or make a big fuss about exploiting policy loopholes, so they could only think of ways to deal with it.

Citizens thought that they could buy things on the shore without taking a boat, but you didn't give them prawns or crabs, so they were so angry that they continued to board the boat to the island.

The members of the production team who were selling things were also very angry. They asked me to buy two sea bass for a pound of shrimps. Why didn't I go and grab them? The citizens said that the shrimps were given away on the island and were bigger than theirs. The members on the shore said that their boats were far away and they couldn't make money by selling at the same price as the islanders.

What does it have to do with customers whether you make money or not? The citizen asked how to sell the fruit.

The fruit is a little cheaper than on the island. Citizens want to try it. The production team members who set up stalls on the shore are not happy. On the island, you can eat the inferior fruit and stuff the crooked melons and cracked dates into your pockets for free, so citizens are more willing to go to the island.

Some citizens who didn't have time to go to the island went to the dock to buy things because they heard that the goods at the dock were cheaper than in the city. The production team on the shore was satisfied with the goods they sold and didn't want to cause trouble, so no one made trouble at the dock to prevent the boat from docking.

Business at the island's vegetable market continued as usual, so no one went to the dock to chase people away.

If everything goes peacefully, both sides will sell their own products.

At this time, Su Duofu finally understood what Ye Fan had said before, that Hengshan Island did not have its own specialty.

There are still two months before the next honey harvest. Worried that residents would not come because of the hot weather, Su Duofu took a small notebook and counted the number of sheep and pigs on the island.

The food factory was idle throughout the summer, so Su Duofu had time to do this. After counting the number of pigs and sheep, Su Duofu arranged shifts. At five o'clock in the morning on July 16, he slaughtered four pigs and sent them to the vegetable market.

Citizens arrived at the vegetable market around 10 o'clock. Pork was 90 cents a pound, and they could buy up to 10 pounds. The citizens were very excited, and they treated money as something other than money. Some bought 5 pounds, some bought 6 pounds, and in the end, even the offal was bought.

But the pig offal is the same as what is sold outside. Outside, pork costs 60 or 70 cents and needs a ticket, and each person can eat half a pound of meat per month. There are four people in Ye Fan's family, and two pounds of meat per month is not enough for Erbao to eat. The citizens are in the same situation as Ye Fan's family, so they are naturally greedy for meat.

Citizens who felt they had bought too little asked the market staff when the next pig slaughter would be held. The market staff said in half a month. There was a sheep next week, but it was unclear whether it would be slaughtered or not, because mutton was expensive and people were reluctant to buy it. If they couldn't sell all the sheep, the market would suffer losses and they couldn't report it to their superiors.

These citizens did not want the vegetable market to be held accountable for its losses, so they said they would bring people who like to eat mutton here.

On the morning of July 23, the Five-Star Brigade slaughtered a goat and sent it to the vegetable market. Citizens who loved mutton took a closer look and found that it was goat meat with a lighter smell, so they immediately asked for a leg of lamb.

The citizen who bought the lamb leg told his family when he got home that it was just the right thing to nourish his granddaughter who had just finished the college entrance examination.

At this time, Geng Zhiqin and Chen Xiaohui had also finished their exams.

Because Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye were at Ye's house, Geng Zhiqin went there after breakfast, estimated her scores with Chen Xiaohui, and asked her sister-in-law and her brother to help her fill out her application form.

Yu Wentao didn't dare to intervene this year. But when she heard that Geng Zhiqin was going to the Ye family, she wanted to go too. This weekend, Geng Huihui didn't have to go to school. When she heard her grandmother muttering something about being worried, Geng Huihui asked, "Are you worried that your aunt will fail?"

Yu Wentao calmed down.

Tao Chunlan asked someone to find out the lowest scores for Peking University and Normal University last year, and then said that Chen Xiaohui had a chance to be admitted to Peking University.

Ye Fan couldn't help but sigh.

Chen Xiaohui was unhappy when she saw this, and she felt that Ye Fan looked down on her: "Am I not worthy of going to Beijing University?"

Geng Zhiye frowned: "How can you talk like that?"

Chen Xiaohui already knew that Geng Zhiye had no one else in his heart, so she was not as confident as before to confront him. It was difficult to say "It's none of your business" and "You should ask Ye Fan."

Ye Fan patted his head. In fact, he wanted to slap Chen Xiaohui on the head twice. "Last October, it was announced that the college entrance examination would be resumed. The examination was held two months later. In such a short time, many people still haven't found their high school textbooks. It has been seven months since the end of the college entrance examination last year. If you are still using last year's score line, you will be rejected this year."

Tao Chunlan suddenly realized: "Yes, Xiaohui, I didn't have time to review last year."

Geng Zhiqin nodded: "For example, Miaomiao, the daughter of my third sister-in-law's neighbor, did not study high school math last year. If she reviews with me this year, she can get at least 50 points out of 100. Last year, she might have only got 20 or 30 points."

Chen Xiaohui was shocked: "Then the admission score will be raised by 30 or 40 points?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "Not that many. Last year, there were fewer people recruited due to the small number of majors. This year, there are more opportunities, and not all of them will go to Beijing University. It is also possible to go to the Military Engineering University and join the special department after graduation."

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but ask: "Then how should I report it?"

Ye Fan: "Beijing University?"

"If I fail, can I take the exam again next year?"

Geng Zhiye: "What if your name is Fanfan? If it's Fanfan, she will either apply to Peking University or not go."

"I--" Chen Xiaohui didn't have the courage, "Then I'll just use this one." She pointed casually.

Ye Fan knew which school it was when he saw the word "人". "The best liberal arts university? That's fine too. My second sister-in-law's mother happens to teach at this school. If you want to study history, you can ask her to introduce you to some archaeology professors."

When Chen Xiaohui heard the word "ancient", she immediately decided, "I won't change this one!"

Tao Chunlan: "It's not much less than Beijing University."

Chen Xiaohui was worried about being rejected again: "What if I choose a major? Didn't Fanfan say that she could ask her second sister-in-law's mother to introduce me to some teachers?"

Geng Zhiye couldn't help but sneer: "Are you annoying again now?"

Chen Xiaohui pretended not to hear: "Xiaoqin, what about you?"

Geng Zhiqin didn't want to be a teacher at first, but she was envious of the winter and summer vacations, so she pointed to the Normal University and said, "This one. Last year, my old man asked me to apply to the Normal University. It will make him happy."

Ye Fan: "So, will you fill it out like this later?"

The two nodded.

Seeing this, Dabao waved to his younger sister, and then the brother and sister asked their parents to remove the things on the table.

Ye Fan asked: "Are you two doing your homework?"

"No." Dabao put watermelon, peaches, grapes and other fruits on the table, and also put the cola and candies that he and his sister liked to drink and eat on it. Seeing this, Ye Fan had a bad feeling and turned to ask Geng Zhiye, "It's not what I thought, right?"

Geng Zhiye held her hand: "Dabao, Erbao, what are you doing?"

"Wait a moment." Dabao picked up the steamed buns on the table, and Erbao opened the refrigerator to get popsicles, and placed them on the table. Then the brother and sister looked at them carefully, and took out the incense that Tao Chunlan burned during the New Year, and gave three to Chen Xiaohui and three to Geng Zhiqin. The brother and sister retreated to the left and right sides of the table and asked them to kneel down.

Chen Xiaohui was confused: "Why are you giving me fragrance?"

How come you don’t even understand this? Dabao frowned: “Bye. Bye, I’m sure you’ll pass.”

Erbao nodded: "Little aunt, hurry up, it won't work if you pray again after the gods have left."

Geng Zhiqin was touched and wanted to laugh: "Why aren't you two praying to the gods?"

Dabao: "We are not going to take the college entrance exam. Guanyin Bodhisattva mistakenly thought that Erbao and I were taking the college entrance exam. What if you two didn't pass?"

Chen Xiaohui finally understood: "Who did you two learn this from? Ye Fan, do you still believe this?"

(End of this chapter)