Chen Mantun hesitated for a long time before finally nodding lightly.
Following Chen Lishu's suggestion, the family, under the pretense of needing nourishment for Wu Chunmei’s confinement, gradually collected thirty jin of millet and two jin of red beans.
Millet was priced at eighty fen per jin, and red beans at fifty fen. These purchases consumed half of the family's savings.
"Let's keep the remaining money. If these grains can't be sold, they are too precious for us to eat," Chen Mantun said, looking at the grain in the bag. He felt they should go to town to sell them first.
Grains were incredibly precious at this time. People considered corn grits and sorghum rice a good thing, let alone millet. White flour was something distributed in scant amounts, perhaps half a jin, by the production team only during the New Year. Rice, forget about eating it; any collected was directly handed over to the state.
Wu Chunmei also agreed with Chen Mantun’s approach.
Chen Mantun was the main force in collecting grain. Without seeing some benefit to boost his morale, this task would be difficult to continue.
Chen Lishu thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, I'll go to town to sell the grain tomorrow."
"How can you do something so dangerous? If something happens to a girl, her life could be ruined. Dad will go tomorrow. I'm a grown man; if they want to criticize, they can criticize me," Chen Mantun insisted.
"Yes, Lishu, it's better for your father to go," Wu Chunmei said, her eyes turning a little red. It was all due to poverty.
Chen Lishu thought for a moment and proposed, "I'll go with Dad, so we can look out for each other. One sells, and the other keeps watch. It won't be easy for people to catch us."
The couple found her suggestion excellent, and the matter was settled.
Because the town was over twenty li from the village, Chen Lishu and Chen Mantun got up before dawn. To save time, they skipped breakfast. Bundling up in their warmest clothes, the father and daughter headed towards town with the grain.
Since winter began, the weather seemed to have sprung leaks, with heavy snow falling intermittently. The accumulated snow on the roads was knee-deep.
Although it was still dark, the vast, snowy landscape illuminated the surroundings clearly. The father and daughter trudged forward, their feet sinking deep into the snow.
By the time they reached town, Chen Lishu's feet and lower legs had long since gone numb.
"This is their usual working hour. Let's find a place sheltered from the wind to wait. Those who need it will come to inquire," Chen Mantun said, pulling Chen Lishu towards a corner as he held the bags.
Hearing his words, Chen Lishu felt a wave of speechlessness. No wonder her father had been tricked last time, even caught by Liu San and extorted.
"Dad, this won't work. How long will we wait for people to find us? Besides, it's so cold; standing here like this is unbearable for anyone."
Chen Mantun turned back, "Then what do you suggest?"
"You hide with the goods, Dad, and I'll go ahead to inquire about the situation. If a deal is made, I'll bring the person over. That way, if anyone sees me, they can't say anything if I don't have anything on me."
Chen Mantun immediately nodded upon hearing Chen Lishu's words, "As expected, my daughter's mind works faster. This is a brilliant idea."
Watching Chen Mantun hide in the alley, Chen Lishu then walked towards a residential area for factory employees ahead.
Just then, a woman in her thirties walked out. Seeing her navy blue work uniform, with the words 'Qingshan Sugar Factory' woven in white thread on the left chest, Chen Lishu knew she was likely a factory worker.
Chen Lishu quickened her pace and, as she passed the woman, whispered, "Big sister, do you need millet?"
The woman stopped, her gaze scrutinizing Chen Lishu. Seeing her clear eyes, two braided pigtails, and patched coarse cloth clothes, she knew this was someone from the countryside secretly selling goods. Her tense heart finally relaxed.
"Let's talk over there," she said, pulling Chen Lishu to a more secluded spot by a wall.
"How much per jin for millet? How much do you have?"
"One yuan fifty per jin, no coupons needed."
The woman frowned at the price.
Chen Lishu could tell from her reaction that she had likely quoted too high. But it was a case of starting high and negotiating down. She wasn't in a hurry and waited for the woman to speak.
One yuan fifty, even without coupons, was indeed a bit high. Usually, buying from others privately was around one yuan two to one yuan three. With the New Year approaching, even a price of one yuan four would be reasonable with a slight increase. The woman thought about this and said, "One yuan fifty is too expensive; how about one yuan four?"
Chen Lishu heard the difference of one mao and firmly shook her head, "Big sister, we carried this from far away; we really can't lower the price any further. The harvest was poor this year, and this grain was saved by cutting back on our family's meals."
Indeed, the woman hesitated before asking again, "How many jin?"
"Thirty jin, and two jin of red beans."
"Let me see the goods first."
Upon hearing her, Chen Lishu immediately led the woman towards where Chen Mantun was hiding.
Chen Mantun, who had been waiting anxiously, saw his daughter arrive with someone and quickly emerged from the corner with the goods.
The woman examined the millet. The color was a fine golden yellow, and the grains were plump. She nodded with satisfaction.
"Weigh out five jin for me," she said, readily counting out seven yuan and fifty fen. After a moment's thought, she took out another yuan and bought a jin of beans.
In just this short time, they had sold six jin of grain. The father and daughter looked at the eight yuan and fifty fen in their hands, their spirits instantly lifted.
Chen Lishu asked a few more people, and by noon, all the grain was sold. In total, they received forty-four yuan and one jin of fine white sugar.
The jin of white sugar was offered in exchange by an elderly woman. Her daughter and son worked in the factory, and they could save a little. Because selling these items might attract unwanted attention, she had exchanged two jin of grain for it.
Chen Lishu hadn't expected such a transaction. White sugar was even more precious than grain.
Seeing that there was still time, she informed Chen Mantun and, carrying the money, re-entered the sugar factory residential area. Before long, she emerged with another jin of white sugar, purchased for three yuan.
"White sugar is so expensive, and it can't be eaten as a meal. Why are you getting so much?" Chen Mantun asked, perplexed.
After the events of the past two days, he had realized that his daughter was a decisive person, stronger than himself.
Chen Lishu put away the two jin of sugar and replied, "To exchange for grain with others back home."
In the countryside, getting grain was more convenient than in the city, but sugar and oil were rationed. The production team wouldn't even distribute two liang a year, and one couldn't buy it even with money.
As the father and daughter walked home, they passed a state-run restaurant. It was lunchtime, and the aroma of fried scallions wafted from inside.
Chen Lishu's stomach immediately rumbled uncontrollably.
Eating at a state-run restaurant required grain coupons, which she didn't have. However, she secretly resolved to work hard to earn money and vowed to eat there next time they passed by.
When the father and daughter returned home, the sky was already darkening. Wu Chunmei and the children had been waiting with bated breath. Seeing the father and daughter return, they swarmed towards them.