mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 28 Food Stamps
Chapter 28 Food Stamps
Without hesitation, the Jia family mother and son were both action-oriented. Jia Dongjin took 20 yuan and 100 jin of Beijing grain coupons and went to Xizhimen after get off work the next day to exchange them for 100 jin of national grain coupons from a ticket scalper.
"Dongjin, Mom believes you. If there hadn't been a food shortage, our family would have suffered a huge loss."
As the investment gradually increased, Jia Zhangshi felt uneasy. She only had 300 yuan left from Jia Dongxu's compensation and was unwilling to invest any more.
The only 300 yuan she had left was the money her eldest son, Jia Dongxu, had earned working himself to the bone. This was the old woman's only hope, and she was unwilling to spend a single penny unless absolutely necessary.
"We won't lose money. We have plenty of troops and supplies now, enough for next year."
Jia Dongjin understood Jia Zhangshi's feelings.
Having food in hand means peace of mind.
He knew in his heart that the price of grain coupons would rise to unimaginable levels in the future. During the "Three Years of Natural Disasters", the supply of food was tight, and the price of grain coupons on the black market was far higher than their face value. For example, the black market price of 1 jin of grain coupons in Beijing was several yuan, while the monthly salary of workers was mostly thirty or forty yuan.
National grain coupons are a form of hard currency, more valuable than cash; this deal is guaranteed to be a huge profit.
Grain coupons were a type of priceless security issued to implement the unified purchase and sale system of grain. Their designers originally intended them to be a means of planned grain supply and management, so as to "facilitate" residents' use of food when traveling or on official business.
The back of each ticket is printed with the words: "This ticket is valid only for the purchase of grain or grain products within the specified area. It is strictly prohibited to buy, sell, counterfeit, or alter it. It is invalid if lost and will not be replaced."
Grain supply was closely linked to household registration. In population statistics, the Ministry of Public Security classified urban residents whose grain was supplied by the government as "non-agricultural households," and grain coupons became a symbol of identity and rights. Being able to receive grain coupons on time and in the required quantity meant obtaining urban resident status and being able to enjoy a series of benefits granted to residents by the state. This was something that farmers had long envied and desperately desired.
In those days, food coupons were incredibly valuable. Residents had to take them into account when migrating, and there was a special relationship called the "food relationship" when urban residents moved their household registration.
For residents with urban household registration, "food rations" are just as important as urban household registration. If a resident wants to work in another city, in addition to transferring their household registration, they must also transfer their "food rations".
Without food ration coupons, there is no way to eat. Similarly, having money but no food ration coupons is equivalent to having no money, and without food ration coupons, you cannot buy food.
Moreover, only national grain coupons were valid nationwide. At that time, people traveling on business had to bring a letter of introduction from their work unit to a grain store to exchange for a certain number of national grain coupons before their trip.
At that time, similar scenes often unfolded in cities across the country. Grain stores were the second busiest places after cinemas. On certain days each month, the grain stores' superiors would distribute grain coupons to the stores, which would then distribute them to residents. Every weekend or at the end of the month, long queues would form in front of the grain stores. People would carefully observe the scales, fearing they might be shortchanged. After buying their grain, they would carefully tie their bags and leave.
The busyness and hard work of grain store employees were no less than that of bank employees today. When residents bought grain, they first asked them to show their grain supply certificate to "verify their identity". After collecting the grain coupons, the employees would paste them on newspapers. After a newspaper was full, they would paint it with a special purple paint to prevent it from being reused.
In some areas, grain coupons were considered life-saving tickets. The grain coupons issued to each district and county were transported by special vehicles, escorted by armed police. Collected grain coupons were counted by designated personnel and sent to paper mills for destruction every six months. Those responsible for supervising the destruction had to watch all the grain coupons being pulped before leaving. At that time, grain coupons enjoyed almost the same status as banknotes.
From then on, whenever Jia Dongjin went out to catch fish, Qin Huairu would only prepare steamed buns made from two kinds of flour and neat fishing gear. In the morning, Qin Jingru would deliver them, but in the evening, Qin Huairu would pick up Jia Dongjin to prevent anyone from spying on his catch.
Bang Geng was at the age where he could play in the mud. Qin Huairu loved cleanliness and had clothes to wash every day. She would estimate the time and go to wash the clothes as soon as evening came.
As soon as she heard Jia Dong enter the courtyard, Qin Huairu, heavily pregnant, would rush to the front yard, her pace even faster than He Yushui, who was there to watch the commotion.
Taking advantage of her feminine strength, Qin Huairu cleverly used her body to keep Yan Fugui away from spying on the fish catch. The two of them, one lifting and the other supporting, tacitly transferred the fish catch to their own home.
An older woman, Gao Cuilan, and an older man, Yi Zhonghai, exchanged a knowing smile, knowing that they would be able to enjoy pickled fish again that evening.
"Mom, please dry the fishing net and put it away so we can use it next year."
On October 8th, the weather in Beijing turned completely cold, and Jia Dongjin decided to stop.
We've stockpiled too many small dried fish at home, and the larger fish have also been gradually made into salted fish, making the house smell quite strong.
He simply kept some of it and exchanged the rest for money, meat, eggs, grain, and potatoes at restaurants.
As the salted fish were drying in the yard, they swayed in the wind, attracting countless eyes and making the Jia family quite uneasy.
Jia Zhangshi had no choice but to shamelessly use excuses such as needing to pay off debts and not having enough food to play the victim in the courtyard every day. She also tried to exchange salted fish for cornmeal with wealthy families in the neighborhood, such as the Xu and Liu families, before their attitudes softened considerably.
On the surface, Jia Zhangshi and Qin Jingru were not subject to grain rations. Everyone in the courtyard knew that the Jia family was facing food shortages, so exchanging salted fish for grain was perfectly normal.
"Dongjin, the water's cold now, it's good for you to rest. You don't need to do anything, just focus on taking care of yourself." Madam Jia was still eager to continue, but knowing she couldn't be too greedy, she readily agreed to the hibernation plan.
"I can't rest. I still have to prepare for the grading exam at the end of the year. The grading exam is a big deal, even more important than catching fish."
Jia Dongjin shook his head, a look of anticipation on his face.
A raise of one grade means an extra 10 yuan per month, which adds up to 120 yuan a year. He was already incredibly eager to get it.
In fact, Jia Dongjin had another plan in mind, and he needed to patiently wait for an opportunity.
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"Mom, the cafeteria didn't sell out of shredded potatoes today, so I bought a serving. There's also a cornbread in the lunchbox. I'll just need to chop some pickled vegetables for dinner."
At this point, the benefits of Qin Huairu working in the cafeteria gradually began to emerge.
She usually eats her fill in the cafeteria, and then sneaks a bite with her colleagues, working together to cut corners at the steel mill so that she can save on a steamed bun at lunchtime.
By handing in meal tickets before leaving get off work, they could take some leftovers home, which greatly alleviated the Jia family's food shortage. Yang Ruihua from the front yard was extremely envious.
With Jia Dongjin's salary and the fish catch added to her income, Jia Zhangshi finally felt confident enough to agree to let Qin Jingru come and help the Jia family.
Unlike He Yuzhu, who secretly cooked for others, Qin Huairu brought home actual leftovers from the cafeteria.
At lunchtime, the cooks would secretly set aside some leftovers as a perk for the cafeteria staff. They could buy more food with meal tickets before leaving get off work, spending less money – it was an open secret.
Compared to the workers, the canteen staff are paid less, so it is reasonable for them to take advantage of the government's resources for food. Not to mention Director Li of the canteen, even the logistics director Li Huaide turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.
"Ah, the cafeteria is so nice. Look how much oil they put in the food. I'm living the good life. Come on, Banggeng, there's some shredded potatoes you like."
The Jia family ate well, and their work was much easier than in the countryside, so Qin Jingru was full of energy.
She was perceptive; aside from her fondness for mingling with the women in the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was quite satisfied with this free laborer.
Seeing that the fishy smell in her house was too strong, Jia Zhangshi ordered the free laborers to wash and clean every day and open the windows for ventilation for several days, barely managing to get rid of the fishy smell and restore the house to a normal state.
To Qin Jingru's surprise, Banggeng only tasted one bite before dropping his chopsticks and running outside to play.
"Hey, why isn't the hamster eating anymore?"
Qin Jingru looked puzzled, while Qin Huairu laughed and said, "He got punished by Dong Jin. If you're greedy, you won't get any stories to hear or candy to eat. Which child isn't afraid?"
"That's true. Boys need to be properly disciplined. Bang Geng is more well-behaved than the other kids in the neighborhood," Qin Jingru nodded, gathering the dirty clothes in the house to start washing.
"Jingru, don't worry about Dongjin's little clothes and socks, he can wash them himself. You can wash 90% of his work clothes."
Madam Jia was sewing shoe soles when she smiled and instructed Qin Jingru to put down Jia Dongjin's smelly socks.
"Hey, Uncle fried some peanuts, wanna eat some?"
"Thank you, Uncle He!" Banggeng, with half a bag of peanuts in his pocket, was about to go and show off to his friends.
Suddenly noticing Jia Dongjin's glare, he remembered something, gave He Yuzhu a thumbs-up, and sincerely praised, "Peanuts, incredibly fragrant! Uncle He's cooking is just amazing, truly amazing!"
"You brat, who taught you that? Uncle He likes to hear that. Go play now. Dongjin, why are you so free? Aunt Zhang said you're not going fishing?"
He Yuzhu was still the same as always. Seeing Jia Dongjin sunbathing and teasing his dog in the yard with a book in his hand, he quickly grabbed him and started drinking with him.
He loved to eat the dried fish from the Jia family; they were stir-fried in oil, and the aroma was so irresistible that he could hardly resist it.
"The water is too cold, I won't go there again. Anyway, I won't catch many fish, they're just small catfish, not worth the trouble. I might as well stay home and rest."
Jia Dongjin has been quite exhausted lately, but since he's almost finished preparing, he's now shifting his focus to the grading exam before the new year.
"Brother Dongjin, come on, everyone knows how good you are at catching fish. You're always hiding it, so you'd better watch out. This is for your hen; the villager said it can lay eggs for several years." Xu Damao also came over, chuckled, and gestured towards the front yard.
"I sell to steel mills, it's all legitimate business, what's there to be afraid of? Don't reach out, or you'll get chopped off."
Jia Dongjin was startled, but he kept smiling and spouting harsh words.
Jia Dongjin had always wanted to buy a few hens. He went through Xu Fugui's connections and got a shower room for the Xu family. Only then did Xu Fugui agree. Xu Damao came over to give him the hens.
"It's a baby hen! Uncle Xu, you're quite skilled. How much?"
Looking at the two chickens in the cage, Jia Dongjin beamed with joy. He had stored up quite a few eggs and needed the hen to cover them up.
Young hens are a rare find, hard to buy even with money. The Xu family is repaying the favor they owed for the shower room.
"It was a gift from the villagers when we went to the countryside to show movies; it's not worth much. Sha Zhu, shall we have a drink today? I'll provide the alcohol, Dong Jin will provide the dried fish, and you can just grab a couple of dishes."
Xu Damao suggested a dinner party, but his real intention was to sneak a sip of his father's wine.
The Xu family was well-off, with both father and son earning wages and having connections in the grain trade. They were the family with the highest standard of living in the courtyard, rarely even eating cornmeal. They were the Jia family's number one grain trading partner.
With Jia Dongjin's deliberate efforts to curry favor, most of the Xu family's corn noodles were given to the Jia family, and Xu Damao would often come to chat with him.
"Drinking is fine, as long as you're not afraid of getting beaten up. Why are you being so nice to me, folks? Giving me chickens all the time. Do you really think we're fools?!"
He Yuzhu glanced at Xu Damao. Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady had been talking badly about Xu Damao, and he had gradually come to dislike Xu Damao as well.
The Xu family lived a good life, which was related to their jobs. Being a projectionist was a lucrative job, and every time they went to the countryside to show movies, they would come back with bags and packages of things.
These days everyone is struggling, who would be willing to give away a baby hen? It's obvious that Xu Damao is "extorting" him.
If you don't give him benefits, he'll show one less movie, or even deliberately cause the projector to malfunction. The commune can only support the Xu family, father and son, and that's what they call benefits.
Xu Damao glanced at He Yuzhu, just about to criticize He Yuzhu for stealing meat and vegetables from the cafeteria, when Jia Dongjin quickly took out some money and changed the subject.
All crows are black, everyone understands this, but it's just not something that can be said outright.
The hen was small, so Jia Dongjin charged 2 yuan per hen, giving him a total of 4 yuan.
"Da Mao, I don't know the price either, is that enough for you?"
The market price for a young hen is 1.5 yuan, but it's hard to buy one even with money; the price is about 2 yuan.
Xu Damao was polite, but he quickly accepted the money and went home to steal Xu Fugui's Lianbai wine.
"Silly Zhu, you can't just say things like that. You'd better watch your words in the future. Big brother, don't talk about second brother. If word gets out, we'll all be in trouble."
During this period, thanks to Jia Dongjin's mediation, the relationship between He Yuzhu and Xu Damao has improved. At least they no longer bicker as often as before, and they can now get together for a couple of drinks.
The three young people were close in age and had similar circumstances, so they naturally came together.
"Dongjin, why is the book you're holding about radios? The job grade exam is coming up soon, and each promotion means an extra ten dollars a month. You're dreaming of becoming an electrician, don't let a small thing cause you to lose a big one."
Even though Xu Fugui had warned Xu Damao, it was to no avail; Xu Damao continued to grow closer to Jia Dongjin.
Yan Jiecheng, born in 39, lives in the front yard. However, he is cold-hearted, stingy, and always likes to take advantage of others. None of the three like to include him and do not allow Yan Jiecheng to enter this small circle.
"I got tired of studying electrical engineering, so I just browsed around aimlessly."
Jia Dongjin waved the book in his hand, a bright smile on his face.
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"When you have nothing to do, go buy tomatoes. Tomatoes will be expensive at the end of the month, so let's make tomato sauce while they're cheap."
The leisurely days didn't last long. By mid-October, Jia Zhangshi started conscripting men. She was an expert at making tomato sauce, and the end of October was her time to show off her skills.
In Beijing, getting vegetables in winter is difficult. Upon hearing that it was related to winter vegetables, Jia Dongjin didn't dare to be negligent. He quickly put down his book, got up, and bought three large baskets of tomatoes, which only cost him less than 1.2 yuan.
Tomato sauce is made by cutting tomatoes into chunks, stuffing them into a clean jar, steaming the jar until the tomatoes are soft and mushy, and then sealing the jar tightly while it's still hot. This kind of tomato sauce can last for several months without spoiling and can be used for stir-fries or soups, and it tastes almost exactly like fresh tomatoes.
Sealed jars for making sauces are hard to find. Glucose bottles used up in hospitals have become hot commodities because they have caps and are well-sealed. You even have to ask someone for help to get one.
It took Jia Zhangshi many years to accumulate twelve glucose bottles, three more than Wang Dama in the backyard, making them unique in the No. 95 courtyard.
Aside from tomatoes, it's also a great time to buy and store other vegetables that are ripe for the season.
The term "harvesting vegetables" refers to vegetables that are harvested by pulling up the vines and vines directly, harvesting the last batch of vegetables, such as cucumbers and green beans. Although these vegetables may not look good, they are cheap and affordable.
Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu were used to hardship. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law started working early, like diligent field mice, constantly bringing in various vegetables from September to make them into various pickles, ensuring that they would not lack vegetables during the long winter.
With the start of winter vegetable storage season, the Jia family's bicycle rental business finally opened, earning them a valuable amount of cornmeal, but Jia Zhangshi was not satisfied.
"These neighbors are really smart; not one of them is stupid."