There is such a large open space outside every town, which is not only a market, but also a general meeting place where people from all villages come to pay taxes and where militiamen gather for training.
There are long rows of simple mat tents set up in the open space, and outside the mat tents is the aisle. Every time there is a big market, it is very lively, with people buying and selling, and people coming and going, which lasts until the afternoon.
You know, a town is equivalent to the center of several surrounding villages. In addition to the market on fixed dates, the town also has government agencies similar to yamen, as well as government-run shops.
This is Fuzhou, and the liveliness of the market is much lower than that of Jinzhou. The gap in local development can be well reflected in the market.
Being able to have a full stomach has never been people's ultimate pursuit. When the basic needs are met, they will naturally work towards the next goal.
You may not clearly set a goal, but it is a quite simple mentality to live better and live more comfortably.
Osmanthus wanted to buy needlework, and originally wanted to buy chickens, but after hearing the experience of the middle-aged woman, she gave up the idea;
Osmanthus daddy wants to buy a guillotine. If you raise cattle and sheep, you need to guillotine the fodder.
For more than half a year, the family has been very frugal and has saved some money from the resettlement fees issued by the government. In addition, the money from the food sold to the government after the autumn harvest is not enough to buy cattle, but they have a lot of money.
The sun rises high, spreading light and heat generously to the earth, and the atmosphere in the market becomes more and more lively.
"Vermicelli, potato vermicelli!"
"The peppers are dry and spicy!"
"Hazel mushrooms, good fungus!"
There are all kinds of food here, including home-made vermicelli, home-dried peppers, and home-picked mountain delicacies.
"Curium pot, curium bowl, curium vat!"
"Sharpen scissors and sharpen kitchen knives!"
Over there are craftsmen greeting people, setting up small iron stoves, and making ironware.
Guihua's father and his son first pulled the cart to the town, where there was a winery with the guise of harvesting potatoes, so naturally the wine they made was potato wine.
Nowadays, wine brewed from potatoes has become the most popular variety among the people. The reason is simple: it is cheap. There are also grain wines purchased from Shandong and Tianjin in stores, but people rarely buy them and the sales volume is very small.
Potatoes have not only become a staple food and vegetable, but in addition to making wine, there are more ways to eat and store them. For example, they can be made into vermicelli and starch.
Osmanthus' father was reluctant to exchange for wine. He sold several large bags of potatoes and turned them into military coupons in his hands. He smiled so much that even the wrinkles on his face appeared more and deeper.
Osmanthus smiled and stretched out her hand. Osmanthus' father shook his head helplessly, counted out two Liao banknotes and put them into his daughter's hands. He also warned: "Save the flowers, don't buy any useless ones."
"Dad, I understand." Osmanthus fragrans said with a smile: "You go to the market, I will go to you after buying the things."
Dad Guihua hesitated for a moment, then handed a small bag of peanuts to Zhao Shun and said, "You and your sister met someone from the government, and you just happened to ask about a loan to buy a cow."
Zhao Shun blinked his eyes and felt that there was no need to inquire here. It would be the same if he went back to the village to ask the village chief. But his father thrust a Liao banknote into his hand and reminded him: "You have to be a bit discerning in front of other girls."
Another girl?! Zhao Shun seemed to understand, it was the girl named Xiaoqin whom he met last time, and his father even praised her.
Osmanthus suddenly opened her big eyes, and she also had some guesses. She couldn't help but pursed her lips and smiled, and said to her brother: "Brother, let's go!"
It's great that a good sister turns into a good sister-in-law! But looking at the dull look on my brother's face, I guess Xiaoqin may not like it.
Guihua and her brother first went to the government store to buy needlework and thread. There were many goods in the store, including various iron tools, relatively fine porcelain, silk and satin cloth, and various purchased goods.
But now the income and living standards of ordinary people are not enough to buy most of the goods in stores. Only some daily necessities, such as farm tools, needlework, and cloth, are what ordinary people want to buy even if they tighten their belts.
As for the candied fruits from the south, Osmanthus took a look at the price, secretly smacked her lips, and was a little envious of the woman holding her child to buy snacks. She turned around and walked out of the store.
The ones with the greatest spending power are naturally officers. Even ordinary soldiers have far more purchasing power than ordinary people. In addition to the wages paid on time, military dependents are exempt from taxes, which is also an additional income.
"Brother, come with me to find Sister Wu and Xiaoqin!" Guihua walked along the street to the town house with ease, talking to her brother as she walked, "Xiaoqin loves peanuts the most, you know that, right?"
Zhao Shun responded in a muffled voice, but felt a little embarrassed. To be honest, he liked Xiaoqin's appearance and personality, but he always felt that she was not worthy of her.
Osmanthus fragrans was also a little helpless. Her brother had such a temperament and was dull and dull. He didn't even dare to raise his head in front of Sister Wu and Xiaoqin.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the gate of the town house. The gatekeeper was an old man in his fifties, but he was neither blind nor deaf, with a straight back and a strong spirit.
"Uncle, do you still recognize me?" Guihua greeted with a smile, not afraid of strangers, "I came to see Sister Wu and Xiaoqin last time."
The old man blinked his eyes, a smile gradually appeared on his face, stretched out his hand, nodded, and said, "I remember, what is the flower called?"
"Osmanthus." Osmanthus laughed and said, "Uncle, you have such a good memory."
The old man couldn't help but praise, his eyes narrowed with laughter, and he said: "Wait a moment, I'll find someone to inform you."
"Thank you, uncle." Osmanthus fragrans's mouth was as if it had been smeared with honey, and every mouthful made the old man feel comfortable.
It was not long before the old man came back and asked the Guihua brothers and sisters to sit and wait in the concierge.
Soon, Xiaoqin's figure appeared in Guihua's sight. This girl's steps were light and her mental state was much stronger than when she first arrived in Liaodong.
"Xiao Qin." Osmanthus was quite far away, so she stood up, smiled and waved, calling loudly.
Xiaoqin waved in response, quickened her pace, and laughed out loud when she came closer, holding Osmanthus's hand and being very affectionate.
"Can I go out and go shopping?" Osmanthus asked uncertainly, "If not, just sit here and chat for a while."
Xiaoqin nodded vigorously and said: "I have more than an hour of free time, so I can just come back before cooking at noon. I really have something I want to buy, so you can go shopping with me in the mall."
Osmanthus hurriedly signaled to her brother and winked several times before Zhao Shun woke up slowly and handed the bag of peanuts to Xiaoqin, but could not say anything.
"I told you last time that I grew peanuts at home, so I'll give you some on the way." Osmanthus had no choice but to say, "Don't think it's too little, just eat it as a snack."
Xiaoqin reached out and took it without any pretense, thanked her with a smile, and left the peanut in the concierge. She and Osmanthus walked arm in arm onto the street.
"Where's Sister Wu, are you busy?" Osmanthus looked back and asked.
"Sister Wu went to the port to pick up the ship. How many days will it take for her to come back?" Xiaoqin said: "There was a disaster in the mainland, and tens of thousands of people couldn't survive, so they all came to live in Liaodong."
"Tens of thousands?" Osmanthus widened her eyes, a little surprised, "With so much food, is there enough food to eat?"
Xiaoqin chuckled and said, "Don't worry, there is enough food in the official warehouse. Besides, who among the families doesn't have food in stock, are you still worried about going hungry?"
Guihua nodded and said: "My family is not afraid. We have a cellar full of potatoes, and we also have a lot of rye and corn."
"That's all." Xiaoqin sniffed and said with a smile: "You give me peanuts, and I'll treat you to roasted sweet potatoes. It's a fresh thing. It was successfully grown in Wafangdian this year. It's delicious when roasted.
.”
Ordinary people don't dare to try planting new crops and make fun of one year's harvest. But Juntun is different. Guo Dajing also hopes to have more crops suitable for planting in Liaodong.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes both grow in the ground and have similar habits, so they planted 180 acres of them in Wafangdian on a trial basis. The weather has been good this year, so the trial planting of sweet potatoes was considered a success, and the yield was satisfactory.
Compared with the yield of potatoes, the yield of sweet potatoes is not inferior. If the field management is in place, it is almost the same.
Even so, the government has no intention of encouraging people to plant. Next year's military settlement may expand the planting area, just to increase the variety of crops and enrich the dining table.
This year, we harvested approximately 200,000 to 300,000 kilograms of sweet potatoes from more than 100 acres. Half of the harvest will be made into dried sweet potatoes and sold as snacks; the other half will be distributed to various places, cooked and roasted for the common people to taste.
Compared with potatoes, sweet potatoes have a higher sugar content, are richer in nutrients, and can be eaten in more diverse ways than potatoes. They are high-quality feed for fattening pigs.
The government hopes that the people will act according to their ability and plant one or two acres per family, thereby creating conditions for pig breeding.
Looking from all parts of southern Liaoning, Jinzhou and Fuzhou are more suitable for planting sweet potatoes based on the current climate and temperature. Especially the Wafangdian area in Fuzhou has become a famous sweet potato planting base in later generations.
Although Xiaoqin is just a handyman and cook in the town government, she lives with Sister Wu, and her knowledge is much better than that of the common people just from what she hears and sees.
The two good sisters talked and laughed, and walked along the street to browse the shops in the town. Xiaoqin bought what she needed, and also bought roasted sweet potatoes, which she ate while walking.
"Roasted sweet potatoes, you can smell the fragrance from afar, and they taste even sweeter when you eat them." Osmanthus ate the glutinous and sweet roasted sweet potatoes, not only praising her, but also envious of Xiao Qin's knowledge.
Sighing slightly, Guihua said with some reluctance and complaint: "Guarding those fields at home makes me feel stupid, and the difference between me and you is getting bigger and bigger."
Xiaoqin smiled and comforted: "People are not all the same. You often come to the town and we chat often, and you know the same amount. In fact, I heard this from Sister Wu. She is very knowledgeable.
Woolen cloth!"
"There is also a night school in the village, how are you doing?" Xiaoqin tilted her head, looked at her best friend, and said seriously: "If you can pass the elementary school qualification examination, you can also go out to find a job. The higher you go, the middle school.
Regardless of whether it is the town government or the county government, they are all rushing to get it."
Osmanthus's eyes lit up, she stared at Xiaoqin and asked anxiously: "How long will it take? I go to night school every day to study, but I always feel that I am stupid, and I forget what I know, and I am so worried."
"If you forget to study again, you can always learn it." Xiaoqin smiled and comforted: "I am blessed. I can always ask Sister Wu, and she also teaches her patience. She said that next spring, I will almost reach the level of primary school.
"
After a pause, Xiaoqin pointed to the shop next to her and said: "As long as I pass, I can go to the shop to sell goods, earn a lot, and be quite free."
Osmanthus was extremely envious. She stayed at home all day long and did a lot of work, but she always felt that she was not free enough and could not see the world.
We haven't seen each other for more than a month, and I feel that the gap between me and Xiaoqin has widened again. People are getting better and better, so can I just get married, have a baby, and stay in the village for the rest of my life?
Xiaoqin felt that Zhao Shunzi was being neglected, so she turned around and said with a smile: "Brother Shun, you also want to go to night school to learn literacy and arithmetic. It will be useful in the future!"
Zhao Shunzi scratched his head and murmured in disbelief: "I, I'm not good at reading. I can't read a basket of big words. I feel sleepy just sitting there."
A strange look flashed in Xiaoqin's eyes, but the smile returned to her face and she said: "If you can read and write, you don't have to ask others about new crops and how to plant them. You can just read the pamphlets yourself. It's very convenient.
.”
Guihua rolled her eyes at her brother with some hatred, and said: "Brother, we will go to night school every day from now on, and I will watch you."
"By the way, next year my family will also plant one or two acres of sweet potatoes." Osmanthus turned to Xiaoqin and said with a smile: "When the harvest comes, I will pull a cart for you."
Xiaoqin giggled, nodded repeatedly, and talked about what she saw and heard in the town, which was much more interesting than the boring and monotonous life in the countryside.
This is a normal thing and a common mentality. When you see the vastness and freedom of the outside world, who would still feel at ease to be ordinary?
The rapid development of Dongjiang Town has indeed provided more opportunities for capable men and women to work, see the outside world, and gradually adapt to and learn new management models at work.
For now, the government management of Dongjiang Town is still rough and there are many areas that need to be improved.
But this is not a big problem. As long as the people have enough to eat, society will be stable, and reforms or pilot projects will have time and space to correct mistakes.
Not only Xiaoqin and Guihua were happily shopping around the market, Wu Qing and some staff from the town government had already arrived at Fuzhou Bay Port to welcome and resettle the newly arrived immigrants.
Because she has a high level of education, works hard and is not afraid of hardships, Wu Qing not only successfully passed the internship period, but also received a first-level salary upgrade a few months ago.
According to the ranks of the military household system in Dongjiang Town, Wu Qing is already equivalent to a corps commander in the army, and his salary has almost doubled. Not to mention living alone, even a family of three or four people is not afraid of starvation.
The promotion and salary increase are partly due to Wu Qing's talent and hard work, but also due to the lack of female staff. In many jobs, women still have advantages that men do not have.
For example, during the immigration registration process, Wu Qing had a natural affinity, which prevented the women from being too nervous. It was also convenient for them to ask about some matters.
Now, the little girl held her mother's hand tightly and looked at Wu Qing with curiosity who was sitting at the table, holding a pen and paper, and seriously asking for records.