In the early 1960s, the "Four Major Vegetable Markets" became famous in the 49 cities.

In this era where everything requires planning, the four major vegetable markets can be regarded as a shopping paradise for the general public.

It includes the Xidan Vegetable Market on the west side of Xidan North Street Road, the Dongdan Vegetable Market on the south side of Dongdan Ertiao, the Chongwenmen Vegetable Market on the southwest corner of the Chongwenmen intersection, and the Chaonei Vegetable Market at the north entrance of Huabang Hutong in Chaoyangmen.

Residents of Nanluogu Lane, where Li Xuewu's family is located, mostly go to Chaonei Vegetable Market.

The four major vegetable markets were built after the public-private partnership and flourished in the era of the planned economy of "ticket-based ownership".

People in Beijing who live a strict and uncompromising life cannot live without the vegetable market. Moreover, there are many ways and rules in it.

Li Xuewu didn't know much about these rules, because the age when he went to the vegetable market with his grandma was when Li Xuewu was naughty.

But the few words the family members said at the dinner table also let Li Xuewu know all about the fireworks in this city.

For example, the wet market does not sell tea.

It’s rare for a fool to go to the wet market to buy tea, and that’s a big deal. .??.

This is because tea is "delicate" and can easily absorb the smell of other foods and affect its own quality. Therefore, major vegetable markets generally do not sell tea.

Old Beijingers will never go to the wet market to buy tea. Even if they buy "high broken tea" for a few cents or a tael, they will only recognize those century-old tea brands.

This is also the final stubbornness of the Beijing people towards tea. Rice may be a little lacking, but tea is a necessity of life.

"I said! Make the pot hot!~~~"

“Tea can improve eyesight”

Don't believe this grandson, Beijing people are not like this, this is just trying to please others.

No one would talk to his wife like this in the courtyard without making people laugh to death.

You are so drunk that you are pretending to be a prince. What is this if you are not a stick?

No Beijing native would rub tea leaves into his eyes.

This is not called improving eyesight, this is called self-mutilation.

I don’t know whether drinking tea can improve eyesight, but if you drink too much water, you will urinate a lot, your metabolism will increase, your liver fire may be weakened, and your eyes will feel better.

But this is a series of health care measures, not a prescription for treating diseases.

For example, if this grandson's father dies, and you pour him a ton of tea water, should he become angry or stunned?

For another example, in any vegetable market, the counter selling pork and the counter selling beef and mutton must be in separate corners, and the distance between them should be as far as possible.

This is obviously to take care of customers' religious beliefs and living habits.

The counter selling beef and mutton has a halal food sign hanging in a prominent position, which is called "Jing Dua" in Beijing dialect.

The Shahada written in Arabic script indicates that the meat products sold here comply with religious regulations and the general public can buy them with confidence.

In the era of planned economy, queuing was a common sight in major vegetable markets.

Every holiday morning, before the vegetable market opens, there will be a long queue of customers outside. There is a queue to buy pork, a queue to buy beef and mutton, a queue to buy aquatic products, and a queue to buy live poultry.

There is a queue, even to buy tofu you have to stand in a separate queue.

This is why the third uncle didn’t believe it when Silly Zhu said that his chicken was bought from the vegetable market.

No one believes it, no one has ever queued up.

There are many people queuing up, but basically everyone can buy the goods they need, because now they are supplied with tickets and can only be purchased according to the quota in the "Residents' Non-staple Food Book".

In the 1950s, Li Xuewu still remembered that the supply of eggs for Beijing residents was 1 catty per household per month, about 8 eggs, but after 1960, ordinary citizens could not buy them.

Even though things are getting better now, the supply of meat and eggs has still not recovered.

This is why Wen Saner can maintain eggs as a "pillar industry".

Eggs are okay, that is, children and the elderly need them, but meat is something that people cannot help but eat. Children of all ages want to eat meat.

To buy pork, you need a meat ticket, and people often ask the meat salesperson, "Excuse me, please give me more fat."

The reason why I want more fat is to make lard at home, stir-fry vegetarian vegetables to have a meaty taste, or eat deep-fried oil residue.

In addition, to buy beef and mutton, you need a household registration book to take care of the Hui people; if you want to buy brown sugar if you have a pregnant woman or a newborn at home, you need a certificate from the hospital.

There are many people in Sijiucheng, and the people in Sijiucheng are delicious. I queued for an hour just to buy two taels of meat, and I didn’t feel tired.

After Sijiucheng experienced the baptism of war, the people's perception of this place changed day by day.

For example, a tea shop appears near a vegetable market.

The new people of this era talk about the concept that one person can conquer nature.

You said that tea leaves smell bad, so I must make this tea not smell good.

Li Xuewu took Yan Jiecheng out of Wu Yutai, a time-honored tea shop, and walked towards the vegetable market with his face turned to the sky and his hands behind his back.

Yan Jiecheng carried a bag of tea and followed Li Xuewu like a dog-legger. Seeing that Li Xuewu didn't look back, he started to act arrogantly.

People queuing up at the vegetable market also look this way and look strange.

Where did the two grandsons come from? Their walkways look like crabs. I don’t know, but they thought there was something wrong with their hip bones.

Especially the "hairy crab" walking in front, his face was full of gangsterism, his mouth was slightly curled, and he was wearing black sunglasses.

It is said that the gangster look on this "hairy crab"'s face has something to do with the scar on his face. Who would be a good person to leave a scar on his face?

This grandson might have been stabbed by someone.

If the "hairy crab" in front does not look like a good person, then the "hermit crab" behind him deserves the most credit.

How many years has it been since liberation? Where did the young master Yangzi come from and still act like a loser?

Just watch this "hermit crab" pick up a paper bag with his fingers and follow the steps of the "hairy crab".

When the "hairy crab" turns back, this "hermit crab" must be smiling, and from time to time he will bend slightly and nod in agreement.

When the "hairy crab" turned around and walked forward, the "hermit crab" immediately stopped smiling and put on an expression that said no strangers should enter.

In other words, Li Xuewu is not crazy yet, and Yan Jiecheng is not crazy yet, otherwise he would have to shout, "Chief Li, please get out of the way~"

Outsiders see Yan Jiecheng as a bitch and a hermit crab, but in Yan Jiecheng's own heart, he is a "seventh grade official".

Li Xuewu is very different today, at least in Yan Jiecheng's eyes.

Yu Li originally planned to ask Yan Jiecheng to follow Director Wang in to go through the housing procedures, but as soon as she said a few words, she saw Director Wang coming.

Li Xuecai said hello and walked inside, but Li Xuewu came out before taking two steps and directly took Yan Jiecheng out.

Yan Jiecheng knew that he had a mission in Xidan today, but he didn't expect Li Xuewu to walk in so arrogantly to investigate.

On weekdays, Li Xuewu looks either calm or cruel, but today I saw Li Xuewu's free and unrestrained side.

Li Xuewu contacted Shen Fang before coming to the market. I wonder if the news was leaked and all the grandchildren were missing.

Shen Fang and others have been squatting in front of the house of Zhu Laoba and others all morning. They saw many people, but Zhu Laoba and others were nowhere to be seen.

Li Xuewu looked at his watch. It was almost ten o'clock, and the prime time for arrest was about to pass.

But Shen Fang had already done his best, and Li Xuewu couldn't push him any further.

There was no shortage of manpower there, so Li Xuewu took Yan Jiecheng to wander around the Xidan Vegetable Market.

I didn't expect to find any clues from here, I just wanted to see the environment here.

Another thing is that people leave their names when they pass by, and geese leave their voices when they pass by.

Since Fu Changhua is eating here, there must be some connection between the beginning and the end.

No, Li Xuewu has discovered Fu Changhua's tail.

You can also see green at the vegetable market in winter, not just green, but also fruits.

This is not new, there have been greenhouses in the suburbs of Beijing since 1956.

But it's not covered with plastic film, but with glass, a wooden frame, and large pieces of glass inlaid in it.

The water supply inside is not pumped up by electric water pumps, but by donkey carts.

Apart from these differences, the greenhouses in the suburbs of Beijing are no different from today.

So it’s not surprising that watermelons, cantaloupes and other round fruits are now on display in the vegetable market.

Surprisingly, there were not many people at the melon and fruit stalls.

The queue in front of the pork stall has reached the gate, and no one is here to look at it, let alone ask questions.

However, those people in line focused their eyes on the two mallets as they walked past.

For no other reason than to see if this grandson dares to actually buy those watermelons.

Li Xuewu pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose and asked the salesperson selling watermelon, "How do you sell this watermelon?"

The salesperson glanced at Li Xuewu and saw that his grandson was even more proud than himself, especially because he was wearing sunglasses in this dark market all year round.

“5 points”

While talking, the salesperson said "I want a ticket" with some disdain.

Li Xuewu looked at the impatient salesperson, turned back to Yan Jiecheng with a smile and said, "Tickets? Hahaha."
To be continued...