Chapter 23

Captain Lin pondered for a moment and said: "There isn't much fine grain, mostly coarse grain. Corn grits, millet, and corn flour, but the corn flour is very fine, it was ground by the new machine in the commune."

Lu Qiao nodded: "Okay, as long as I can trade, I will trade for some."

Then she opened the canvas bag and took out the things inside.

"Captain, you decide what to trade."

The captain was pleasantly surprised to see the flashlight at a glance: "Actually have a flashlight, and it's still new?"

Not only the flashlight, but also rubber shoes, cigarettes, a box of size 1 batteries, just these alone weren't cheap.

The grain in their brigade wasn't new grain either; it was all from last year. Even if it was an exchange, it had to be calculated according to last year's price.

This pair of men's sandals sold for four yuan in the supply and marketing cooperative, and rubber shoes for five.

Especially the rubber shoes, ordinary families couldn't afford them.

Even he, the captain, couldn't bear to buy a pair of rubber shoes to wear.

But now he didn't need to spend money, trading directly for green leafy vegetables and grain.

And in the past few years, rural areas in the north weren't short of grain to eat; every household basically had surplus grain.

Coarse grain was one mao per catty, and even white flour was only one mao eight.

These things could trade for quite a lot of grain.

Lu Qiao pushed all the things to him: "Captain, I'm going out to help."

Saying this, she walked out of the brigade headquarters with a smile.

Everyone saw her canvas bag was empty and didn't think much of it.

Gu Wenbo also just took a look and withdrew his gaze.

The captain looked at those things and had a count in his heart.

He and Lu Qiao had agreed that when the truck pulled the vegetables away, he would also follow the horse-drawn carriage to the military factory to pull back the materials exchanged.

Captain Lin felt this method was good, so the members today could take the things home.

He couldn't help but put the flashlight batteries in, then turned it on. Oh my, it was too bright; I heard this was military-grade.

The captain happily turned it off, avoiding wasting electricity, and carefully put it into the drawer.

Nowadays, this flashlight plus batteries needed more than two yuan here, but it required industrial coupons.

But industrial coupons were very hard to get.

Looking at these things Lu Qiao gave him, Captain Lin quietly called the accountant and asked him to calculate how much coarse grain should be given to Lu Qiao.

The accountant shared a pair of gloves and happily stuffed them into his trouser pocket.

Then he said to Captain Lin: "Comrade Lu solved a big difficulty for us this time. When you go to the commune meeting again, you won't be criticized for not having a brain."

The captain glared at the accountant: "Don't talk about useless things, talk about useful ones."

Because the verbal agreement with the canteen manager was voided, he was scolded by the president for not having a brain, why didn't he know to write it on paper.

He hadn't thought that much at the time.

The accountant teased him and continued with a smile: "Comrade Lu also said, it's not just this one time. The green leafy vegetables in our vegetable garden grow fast. In half a month, maybe another crop can be harvested. If the military factory still wants them, my mother-in-law's vegetable garden also planted quite a few vegetables."

Then he said: "In autumn, the Chinese cabbage, potatoes, and big radishes in our private plots..."

The captain, however, said cautiously: "Don't be in a hurry about the future. Verbal words don't count, but this one time helped us a lot, so we can't let Comrade Lu suffer a loss."

The accountant was very gratified, feeling that the captain really learned a lesson from a setback.

So, the two quietly discussed it. The accountant went out to continue organizing the loading of vegetables, and the captain went to the warehouse.

After loading all the green leafy vegetables into the big truck, the captain also loaded the grain and a large basket of vegetables onto the horse-drawn carriage installed with truck sideboards.

A young daughter-in-law asked Lu Qiao if she traded eggs, and Lu Qiao's eyes lit up: "Trade, trade."

The young daughter-in-law hurried home, and others who saw it were also tempted, and without asking how to trade, they went home again.

Lu Qiao discussed with the accountant, and the members sold eggs to the supply and marketing cooperative for seven cents each, and the exchange was calculated at nine cents each.

In the end, the eggs were traded for two baskets, which were carefully placed in the corner of the truck compartment by Brother Gu.

Lu Lu Lu Qiaoling was sweating profusely, having to record the names of the members, the types and weights of the vegetables, and then what the other party wanted to trade for.

Lu Lu Lu Qiaoling felt she had never been so busy.

But in the end, what she recorded was the same as what the scorekeeper recorded.

Gu Wenbo looked at the large group of members looking at him expectantly and didn't know what to say.

He hurriedly went to call Lu Xiaosi, who was playing happily with a large group of children: "Xiao Si, time to go home."

Lu Xiaosi and the tabby cat were purely here to play. He had also made quite a few friends, mainly because he shared a piece of candy with them.

When it was time to leave, there were children holding his hand and saying: "You follow us next time, I'll take you to see the big frogs in the pond."

Lu Xiaosi nodded solemnly.

Lu Qiao smiled and said to the members: "Everyone don't worry, I'm going back now. I've recorded what you want, and I guarantee I'll bring it back to you today."

The grandpas and grandmas were anxious, but not worried at all.

Such a big truck, who knows how much money the fuel costs.

In the end, it was all to solve their difficulties.

Gu Wenbo asked Lu Qiao: "Do you need to come again?"

"No need, Captain Lin is following us behind with the horse-drawn carriage. Once the vegetables are all traded, he can basically pull back the materials."

The distance wasn't far, not to mention a step on the gas, it actually only took a moment to arrive at the neighborhood office of the military factory.

At this time, Director Hu of the neighborhood office kept asking Huang Juan: "You say, will Guzi Village raise the price, will they disagree to trade? If so, we still have to compensate the transport team for fuel and labor costs."

Huang Juan: "Didn't you see the vegetables yesterday?"

Well, not only did he see them, he also ate them.

Of course, they were all traded for things.

The chives were very fresh, and the chive boxes were really fragrant.

But after the truck left, Director Hu realized that Lu Qiao was just an unemployed youth, and she only had an introduction letter in her hand.

And, he also forgot to tell Lu Qiao that she could call the neighborhood office when she arrived at the brigade headquarters.

But maybe Guzi Village didn't have a phone at all.

Ren Xiaocui looked out the window. At this time, quite a few family members who got the news had brought things they didn't use at home to trade.

And there were more and more people.

Actually, it wasn't fully public. To be on the safe side, it was publicized in a small range, just saying that a batch of green leafy vegetables would arrive at the neighborhood office at noon today, and they could be traded directly for daily necessities.

So many people brought daily necessities they rarely used on weekdays and came.

Some vegetable baskets also contained soy sauce, vinegar, bags of salt, and many people brought matches, candles, soap, towels, white porcelain cups, and other labor protection items.

In a short while, there were actually more than a hundred people gathered here.

Crowded and bustling, even passersby curiously gathered around.

And then they knew about today's matter.

They didn't know it was Lu Qiao who pulled the strings, but, green leafy vegetables, they also really wanted to trade.

Just as the union official came to deliver documents, seeing this scene, he asked Old Hu very surprised: "Director Hu, what are these people carrying vegetable baskets and nylon bags going to do?" *** **CHAPTER 24** **【24-0】 So much grain**