Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

In the courtyard, He Yushui had already handed over her food ration book to Zhang Dabiao. She, Zhang Dabiao, and Qin Jingru ate together. Mu Wanqing would sometimes come over, and sometimes eat at home with Aunt Mu.

The group chatted about interesting things at school and the factory while eating. Recently, food supplies have become increasingly scarce, so they ate rather restrainedly.

There's plenty of glistening shreds, but meat is becoming increasingly scarce. Usually, it's just a stir-fried cured pork and a steamed salted fish.

Fresh meat is eaten at most once a week, and wheat flour is mixed with cornmeal to make cornbread.

They were really craving it, so Zhang Dabiao cooked a special meal for everyone in the stable, making some grilled sausages, grilled chicken, duck necks and other things to satisfy their cravings.

We really wouldn't dare to be as extravagant as we were before the new year. Just look at how many times Zhang Dabiao has been reported this year for his food and drink.

However, we dared not cook stir-fries or large meat dishes, nor hot pot or barbecue, but there was plenty of dessert and fruit, as well as milk, candy, and chocolate. These things were eaten in the small courtyard, so the smell wouldn't waft out.

Anyway, with Zhang Dabiao feeding them, the three women's complexion and figures were getting better and better.

But the more things are like this, the more cautious everyone becomes when they're out and about, because more and more workers and students are fainting from malnutrition, whether in factories or schools.

If it's like this in Beijing, then it's even worse outside, especially in the countryside.

They were able to take care of themselves thanks to Zhang Dabiao, but the Youth Mutual Aid Association's food reserves were running low.

Since the summer vacation started, fishing has become out of the question; there's simply no chance of catching anything, and wild vegetables are nowhere to be found either. Right now, there are only twenty or thirty fish of all sizes in the pond in the small courtyard, all left to breed. And without any insulation measures, it's hard to say whether these fish will survive until next year.

Anyway, life is getting harder and harder these days.

Qin Jingru has also stopped making bread because it's too eye-catching and the smell is too strong. Qin Huairu and the deaf old lady in the backyard come to her door every day asking for some, but Qin Jingru, of course, ignores them.

They didn't dare to go directly into Zhang Dabiao's small courtyard, so they sat in the covered walkway chatting and gossiping, saying some trivial things from time to time. They would leave as soon as Zhang Dabiao returned.

This is a bit annoying, but the covered walkway is a public area, so you can't just kick people out.

So we simply told Qin Jingru to stop. Making a dozen or so if she wanted to eat them was no problem, but there was no need to make 100 a day anymore.

One of the side rooms was converted into a dining room, where they usually ate.

The current business model for tea stalls in Hong Kong is to buy bread in bulk, then manually whip the butter and melt the chocolate to spread on it. Zhang Dabiao plans to buy an oven once he has enough money to break even and see if he can set up a bread workshop in the village. That way, delivering bread to Shau Kei Wan Main Street every day will only take 15 minutes.

The problems with the oven and the tricycle need to be solved one step at a time. Taking too big a step will easily attract the attention of the police, gangs, and colleagues.

They quietly made a little money and survived until the food crisis in mainland China was over in 62, before considering other things.

Zhang Dabiao and the three women were eating and chatting when someone came looking for them at the gate of the courtyard.

"Da Biao, is Da Biao home?"

Zhang Dabiao came out of the side room carrying a bowl; it turned out to be Director Wang.

"Aunt Wang, you're here! Come and have something to eat with us."

Although it's impolite to come over during mealtimes, Zhang Dabiao still invited the person in. Although Director Wang is the kind of person who likes to keep things to himself, he's actually quite nice to Zhang Dabiao.

Moreover, once you've clearly explained the pros and cons to her, she'll correct her mistakes.

Of course, sometimes she also has a headache about the Western District's decline.

"I'm not eating anymore, I just ate. I need to talk to you about something."

Seeing Director Wang's embarrassed expression, Zhang Dabiao knew immediately—nothing good was coming.

Is he here begging for alms again?

Can I run?

Zhang Dabiao put the bowl on the table, then led Director Wang to the living room near the stable. They decided to discuss business in the side room or dining room because the smell was too strong.

As soon as they sat down, Qin Jingru came over to pour them hot tea and placed a plate of snacks on the table. Director Wang, holding the tea, looked around the stable.

The stable was divided into three rooms. The one on the right was a mushroom-shaped shed, about 14 square meters. The one on the left was a supplies warehouse, also 14 square meters, 4 meters deep and 3.5 meters wide, where the savings accumulated by the No. 95 Youth Mutual Aid Association were kept. The living room in the middle was 12 square meters, with cured meat and fish hanging from the beams. Around the living room were some farming tools and a few broken cabinets. In the middle of the living room was a square table and a few stools. It was simple and unpretentious, not much different from a mud-brick house in the countryside. Zhang Dabiao didn't care; it was just a warehouse.

Actually, there is a basement under the supply warehouse on the left, which is about 20 square meters.

It was packed with people in September and October, but the neighborhood committee took advantage of the situation and now it's much emptier.

Zhang Dabiao didn't hide anything, pointing to the cured fish and meat on top and the supply warehouse next to it, saying, "Aunt Wang, my dear Director Wang, you've already taken a lot from this once, a full 1500 jin, isn't that a lot? We young people have been quite generous, haven't we?"

"I really don't have much left. Our youth mutual aid association has 13 members in 9 households. We need to prioritize our own needs. We can't let our families go hungry, can we? And each household has relatives, so we have to help them out."

"You know what the market price of grain is like recently. We have a large consumption here. If you want grain, then I'm sorry, I don't agree."

"I have a responsibility to the Youth Mutual Aid Association."

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhang Dabiao made his stance clear by donating 1500 jin of grain to the subdistrict office this year, which is a truly generous gesture in this day and age.

You're still asking for this, and you're specifically targeting me for it, that's really going too far.

Director Wang was also embarrassed. You've already shut me down; what else can I say?

After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.

"Da Biao, I'm not here today for the food..."

Zhang Dabiao became even more vigilant. If it wasn't for the food, could it be for the money?

still is……

"I came here for the remittance certificates."

Zhang Dabiao was helpless—damn it, there's no escaping it after all.

Money was easy to deal with, but remittance certificates were one of the hard currencies in those days. They could be used to buy grain according to a certain ratio (according to the 1960 standard, every 100 remittances could provide an additional 12 catties of grain, 2 catties of cooking oil, 2 catties of sugar, 2 catties of meat, and 10 feet of cotton cloth), and could also be used to buy scarce medicines (such as penicillin) at overseas Chinese stores, as well as imported canned goods, cosmetics, high-end tobacco and alcohol, etc.

(The "Instructions on Increasing the Supply of Goods to Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives Based on Remittance Certificates" were issued in April 1960;

The "Wuhan City Annals - Commerce" and "Wuhan City Annals - Finance" record the rules for the use of remittance certificates as equivalent to RMB and the rules for overseas Chinese stores to supply scarce/requiring remittance certificates for goods.

Equivalent, meaning used according to the standard 1:1 ratio.

Zhang Dabiao had an enormous amount of hard currency; it was more useful than money. The fact that Director Wang only came after so many days was already quite generous.

You see, people like Yan Bugui couldn't hold back that very day.

Zhang Dabiao didn't say anything, but simply picked up his teacup and drank silently.

Director Wang patiently explained, "Da Biao, I know you earned those remittance certificates through your own abilities."

"But that's not what people think."