These days, there are very few people who want a cigarette.
"Brother, are you kidding me?" the other party asked.
Xu Erlong said: "Am I kidding? Do you have one? If not, I will find someone else."
The other party looked at him a few times to make sure Xu Erlong was not joking, and whispered: "You want one, but it's out of stock now."
Afraid that Xu Erlong would leave, he added: "Don't say I don't have it here, the whole county doesn't have it. If you're not in a hurry, wait for me and I can get it for you tomorrow."
I didn’t expect that it would take such a long time to get a cigarette.
"Really, if you don't believe it, just ask around."
Xu Erlong hesitated for a moment and agreed: "Okay, then I will come over to get cigarettes at this time tomorrow."
After thinking for a while, he also added: "But remember, I want to give this cigarette away, so you can't take some bulk items and make them into one for me."
This gift must be presented beautifully. If a cigarette is pieced together, it will make people laugh.
"Sure, if you can sell the whole piece, who will break it up?" the other party replied.
Xu Erlong confirmed the time and place with him again. In the era when there were no mobile phones or bb machines for instant contact, we could only agree like this again and again.
He returned to the chemical plant and ate two taels of noodles for a dime at a food stall outside.
Two taels of noodles in a state-owned restaurant only cost eight cents, but here, you don’t need food stamps and the ten cents are still worth it.
After Xu Erlong had eaten, he re-entered the factory and went to the boiler room, preparing to chat with Master Wang in the boiler room again.
From a distance, I could see Master Wang whistling at a passing female worker.
Xu Erlong is funny.
Men these days whistle out of habit when teasing women.
This was also a characteristic of the 1980s. A decade or two later, openly whistling at women on the streets was rare.
"Brother Wang, where are you looking at the beauty?" Xu Erlong smiled and stepped forward to say hello.
"Hehe, isn't this boring? Being idle is also idle." Master Wang chuckled, not ashamed.
While Xu Erlong was filling the bucket with boiling water, he was chatting with Master Wang: "There are many beautiful lesbians in this factory. Have you ever commented on the factory flowers?"
"Bah." Master Wang spit in disgust: "The women in this factory are all old-fashioned and old-faced, and there are not many young girls. How beautiful are they."
Xu Erlong expressed disbelief.
"That's because you haven't seen a beautiful woman." When Master Wang said this, he became mysterious and lowered his voice: "I have seen a woman who is truly beautiful. When I go home, even if I take a detour, it will be beautiful."
I wanted to bypass her just to take a look at her."
"Oh, really?" Xu Erlong replied.
"Hehe." Master Wang said, and smiled obscenely: "If I can touch her hand, it would be worth dying."
"Then go and touch it." Xu Erlong said.
"You are really a young boy. You don't know the depth of the water in the middle. Can you touch it casually?" Master Wang glared at him: "Last time, there was a young man who didn't believe in evil, so he went to provoke him. As a result, he didn't...
If you touch someone's hand, your hand will be broken."
"So evil?" Xu Erlong praised him in front of him.
"So, we can only use the excuse of buying cigarettes to take a look." Lao Wang chuckled.
Xu Erlong just listened to a story and watched the bucket filled with boiling water. He said goodbye to Master Wang and left with the bucket.
After yesterday's exploration, he gained experience today.
At the tea stall, he put up a signboard.
This is a piece of paper I picked up. On the paper, the price is written.
"Laoyin tea, one-third cup."
"Mint tea and sweet water, 5/5 cup."
This clearly marked price can save you a lot of time and save one person from having to ask about the price.
He held a dog's tail grass in his mouth, wore a straw hat on his head, swung his legs, and looked at the people swimming in the river.
From time to time, young and pretty girls with long legs would come to buy water.
It's great to be young.
Xu Erlong sighed.
Even though his heart is as stable as an old dog, his body is still seventeen or eighteen years old, which is when his vitality is at its peak.
I can only drink a few more cups of Laoyin tea to cool down the heat.
After the bucket of water was sold out, seeing that it was still early, Xu Erlong went to get the water again.
This time, he no longer went back to the chemical plant to collect boiling water.
He went straight to a well and poured cold water into the bucket.
Hey, I don't produce water, I'm just a porter of nature.
Xu Erlong drank water, feeling confident and confident.
If someone else acts as the porter of nature, they can move such a large industry. If you move some well water yourself and follow the same example, what's the problem?
This time, he threw mint leaves into the bucket and then saccharin.
Three cents worth of Laoyin tea is now five cents worth of mint cold water.
After the bucket of water was sold, Xu Erlong closed the stall, carried two large iron buckets, and walked home.
Zhang Jinfang collected more eels at home today.
The people in the village knew that their family was harvesting eels, so naturally they caught the eels and sent them over.
It’s a dime a pound, everyone is at this price.
Wang Shujun from the east end of the village came over with an eel, repeatedly saying how good her eel was, and asking for 151 pounds.
"Look, my eel is so thick. It only costs 15 cents, right?" Wang Shujun said loudly: "Besides, I heard others say that in the county, such an eel costs at least 15 cents."
We sell it for 30 to 40 cents per catty, and you want to take a dime from us. Isn’t this excessive?”
Zhang Jinfang is clumsy and doesn't know how to refute.
Xiaoling said angrily: "Aunt Wang, everyone sells it this way, how can you be special? Besides, no matter how thick your eel is, it is still sold by the pound."
"Oh, then I won't sell it." Wang Shujun said, "I will take it to the county town and sell it myself. I can get two or three cents more per pound."
She made a gesture to walk back and saw Xu Erlong coming back. She stepped forward to greet him and told Xu Erlong again.
"Look, I don't want much, just 15 cents. From now on, when I catch the eels, I will send them to your house." Wang Shujun said.
Xu Erlong smiled: "Aunt, I can only give you ten cents here. The price is too high, and it's not cost-effective for me. Besides, I already have hundreds of kilograms here, and I don't want to take any more."
Don't look at the fact that he takes in at a dime and sells at a dime.
But in the meantime, you have to treat guests to dinner, buy cigarettes and give gifts, and maintain relationships. This also requires money, which can also be regarded as a cost.
"If you don't want it, then I'll take it to the city, but don't blame me for selling it against you." Wang Shujun said.
Xu Erlong really doesn't mind. His business is not selling eels on the street.
Wang Shujun carried the eel for a while.
After thinking about it, although I mentioned that I could get a higher price by selling it in the county seat, this would be a waste of time.
There are still crops in the fields, the fields need to be tended, the pigs need to be fed, and the clothes need to be washed...
In the end, she turned back and said, "Forget it, forget it, just a dime, and weigh it for me."