After the old woman left, Ye Hao entered the deserted alley again, took out a basket of eggs, and moved to another spot to continue setting up his stall.
This time, he didn't encounter someone as generous as the old woman who bought everything at once, but the sales were still brisk. In less than ten minutes, this basket of eggs was also sold out. After selling this basket of eggs, Ye Hao didn't plan to sell any more. Selling too much in one place could easily attract unwanted attention.
Ye Hao went to the place where the old woman had bought the eggs, waiting for her to return the basket. Soon after, the old woman returned the basket, and Ye Hao also gave her back the one mao, completing the transaction.
Ye Hao finally had some money in hand.
Ye Hao could now buy some things he wanted, but he searched all over this Pigeon Market and couldn't find the seeds he was looking for.
Ye Hao also inquired about where to buy seeds. In this era, only the Supply and Marketing Cooperative sold them. However, buying seeds in this era required an introduction letter from the commune, and Ye Hao didn't have one.
Ye Hao still decided to try his luck at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
With the five yuan he earned today, Ye Hao walked into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative in this era truly sold everything. Seeing that no one was attending to him, Ye Hao approached a salesperson who looked young.
"Comrade, do you have seeds?"
"Introduction letter," the salesperson replied impatiently. Salespeople in this era were very powerful. One could tell how formidable they were just by looking at the words "Do not assault customers without cause" written on the wall.
"Comrade, our commune was a little short on seeds we bought before, so I just came to buy a small amount. Can you please make an exception? I don't need much," Ye Hao explained politely, knowing how formidable the salespeople were. Unexpectedly, the seemingly young salesperson immediately turned hostile when she saw Ye Hao didn't have an introduction letter.
"Why are you coming to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative without an introduction letter? Come back when you have one." With that, she continued sitting and chatting with someone, ignoring Ye Hao.
Seeing this situation, Ye Hao knew it was impossible to buy seeds here, so he dejectedly walked out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Seeing that it was still early, Ye Hao thought about trying his luck at a nearby commune. Generally, communes would have extra seeds.
Action followed thought. Ye Hao headed towards the dilapidated temple where he used to live, remembering that there was a commune nearby.
Before leaving, he still went into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and bought two packs of cigarettes. People from later generations would offer cigarettes to strangers first. Once a cigarette was offered, conversation would naturally open up. He bought two packs of cigarettes for two mao each and headed towards the commune.
Ye Hao arrived at the dilapidated temple and looked inside, finding nothing had changed. He wasn't sure why he was passing through here, perhaps it was his predecessor's lingering obsession at work. Ye Hao shook his head, grabbed a few fish from his space and put them into a basket, then walked towards the commune.
He saw a woman working in the field ahead, and Ye Hao went up to her and asked, "Auntie, do you know where the production team leader's house is?"
The old woman looked at Ye Hao, who didn't seem like a bad person, and asked, "Why are you looking for the production team leader?"
"I have something to discuss with him. Auntie, do you know where his house is?"
"I am his wife. Why are you looking for my husband?"
"What a coincidence! I just arrived at our commune and found someone from the production team leader's family. I'm here to exchange some things."
"Alright, I'll take you to my husband." With that, the old woman led the way towards their residence.
After walking for a few minutes, they saw a cluster of rural thatched houses. They arrived at a house that looked a bit better. "This is my home," the old woman introduced.
"Old man, someone's here to see you, says he wants to exchange things." With that, she walked into the house.
As soon as Ye Hao entered the house, he saw an uncle in his fifties sitting on the kang. This must be the production team leader.
He put down the basket in his hand and offered a cigarette.
"Hmph~ good cigarette, I'm used to smoking this dry tobacco," the uncle said, tucking the cigarette behind his ear and lighting his own dry tobacco pipe.
"Comrade, my wife just told me you're here to exchange things with me. What do you want to exchange?" the uncle asked.
Ye Hao looked at the old woman, and the uncle immediately understood, "You go to the field first, I'll talk to this young Comrade for a bit."
Watching the old woman leave the room, Ye Hao moved the basket he had placed aside onto the kang table and lifted the cloth covering it. Instantly, four large grass carp stunned the uncle.
"What is the meaning of this?" the uncle asked, surprised and puzzled.
"Uncle, you see how natural disasters have been continuous for the past few years, and the grain harvest hasn't been good. I want to ask if your team has any extra grain seeds. I want to exchange for some so I can plant more and hopefully get a better harvest," Ye Hao explained his purpose.
"We do have extra grain seeds, but these are all rationed. If I exchange them with you, it will be difficult to explain to the commune leaders," the uncle hesitated a bit.
"I don't need much, just a handful of each kind of seed, which is less than half a catty. I'm sure the team leader can cover this small loss," Ye Hao said, adding fuel to the fire when he saw the uncle hesitate.
Hearing this, the uncle breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's go get the seeds now."
The uncle was even more eager than Ye Hao. In an era where people couldn't even eat their fill, with four large grass carp right in front of them, few could resist.
The uncle led Ye Hao to an adjacent room. "Here, the seeds you want are all here. A handful of each, don't take more."
"This is rice, this is wheat, corn, soybeans, sorghum, red beans, green beans, peanuts, Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers..." Ye Hao grabbed a handful of all the seeds and put them into a bag he carried with him. The uncle watched Ye Hao pack the seeds and then closed the door.
The two returned to the uncle's room. Ye Hao and the uncle exchanged glances, both revealing satisfied smiles, indicating they were both pleased with the transaction. Immediately after, Ye Hao bid farewell and departed.
By the time Ye Hao returned to the Four-sided Courtyard, it was almost dark.
"Brother Hao, where did you go this afternoon? You didn't even call me," Sun Chaoshu was already complaining before he even entered the house.
"I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't call you. I just went out for a casual stroll."
"Xiao Hao's back, is he? Chao Shu, go to the station and check on your dad. It's almost dark, and he's not back for dinner yet," Auntie Wang's voice came from inside the house.
"Let Brother Hao go, I don't want to go to the station, and I especially don't want to go to the station to find my dad. I'm scared," Sun Chaoshu shook his head frantically, as if he had some trauma related to the station.
"You brat, you're going to find your own father, not going to the execution ground. Look at you, you coward," Auntie Wang said, walking out of the house.
"Xiao Hao, look, Chao Shu doesn't want to go. Can you go for Auntie and call Uncle Sun back for dinner?"
"Alright, Auntie Wang, you make dinner at home, I'll go call Uncle Sun back for dinner," Ye Hao said, walking out.
"Hehe, then I'll trouble Brother Hao. I really have a phobia of that place, otherwise I would have gone," Sun Chaoshu still made sure to explain.
"Alright, I get it, I know you're a coward," Ye Hao waved his hand.
"Brother Hao, what does 'from the heart' mean?" Sun Chaoshu even chased after him to ask.
"Haha, it means cowardly," Ye Hao laughed heartily. With that, he ran out.
"Stop, who are you calling cowardly? I'm not cowardly at all. I just don't want to go to the station," Sun Chaoshu was still trying to explain, but Ye Hao had already run far away and couldn't hear him.