Chapter 91 Akina Headquarters

Saturday night.

Liu Haizhong, who had just become the boss of the courtyard for a few days, assigned his three sons to go door to door to notify everyone that a general meeting of the entire courtyard would be held in the Central Courtyard after dinner.

"Meng De, let's buy more cabbage and radishes this year and store them, and pickle more Chinese mustard greens." He Shengnan said in a low voice at the dinner table.

"We need to buy more. I feel that vegetables will be hard to buy in the fall and winter this year, so we should buy more and store them just in case." Ran Xiaomei also said.

After the implementation of public-private partnerships throughout the country at the beginning of this year, as well as the restrictions on circulation during the planned economy period, there have been significantly fewer supplies on the market since the beginning of winter than before.

Although Beijing organizes the transportation of vegetables from various provinces and regions across the country every winter, this method of allocation can only achieve a drop in the bucket after all, and there are only a few kinds of vegetables in the vegetable stores.

In addition, Beijing is located in the north, and in the years without plastic greenhouses, the only things that could be eaten on the tables in the entire north in winter were cabbage, radishes, and potatoes.

Moreover, according to an article in the newspaper a few days ago, the country has begun to call on residents to store cabbage, and the neighborhood committee has also notified every compound, asking everyone to stock up more vegetables for the winter.

(I checked various local chronicles in Beijing and found that the people of Beijing began to stockpile large quantities of vegetables for the winter in 1956.)
Starting this year, stocking up on a batch of "winter cabbage" in early November every year has become the most grand and romantic winter ritual for many Beijing families.

"Then let's buy more this year. In addition to the two babies, there are six people in our family, including Yuan Chao and Wei Guo. Each person should weigh at least 100 kilograms." Wang Hao calculated on the side and then said.

This is the first year that we are stockpiling large quantities of cabbage, so no one has any experience and the quantities are all based on estimates.

"Dad, one hundred kilograms per person is not enough. Winter lasts for four months, and each person needs at least one kilogram of vegetables a day. I think we should use one hundred and thirty kilograms. For six people, plus the loss, we need to buy at least nine hundred kilograms to barely be enough."

In his previous life, Wang Mengde heard from a friend in Beijing that the friend’s grandmother once told him that a family of four or five people needed to store more than 800 kilograms of cabbage every year.

In winter, I eat cabbage for every meal and even wrote a book about the 100 ways to eat cabbage.

"Can we finish all this if we buy so much?" Wang Hao said with some concern.

"Dad, you listened to me. We have to eat Chinese cabbage every day for four months. The longer it takes, the more it will go bad. We will barely have enough to eat until the beginning of spring."

Wang Mengde explained.

"Okay, then I'll listen to you and spend a little more money." Finally, Wang Hao made up his mind and said.

After the family finished discussing and eating, Wang Mengde and Wang Hao went out to the courtyard together to prepare to attend the whole courtyard meeting.

Soon, the yard was full of people. It was still the same small square table, but the people and things had changed. Liu Haizhong sat contentedly at the top seat, and Yan Bugui sat on his left.

Looking around at everyone, Liu Haizhong coughed, and even glanced at Yi Zhonghai who was sitting in the crowd, then said:
"Ahem, as the eldest uncle in the hospital, some people may already know the reason why I am holding a meeting of the entire hospital today, but I still have to tell everyone at the meeting."

"A few days ago, the neighborhood committee leader came to inform everyone in our compound to go to the Nanluoguxiang vegetable market early tomorrow morning to buy Chinese cabbage.

This time, everyone must buy more and store them, and buy more than 100 kilograms per person."

"Can we finish all this? It will be a waste if we can't finish it." Jia Dongxu questioned loudly with a gloomy face in the crowd.

Because his mother was sent to a labor camp, Jia Dongxu has been emotionally unstable recently. He often argues with others for no reason in the steel mill and the factory.

Seeing someone questioning him, Liu Haizhong's expression changed instantly.

Before he could speak, Yi Zhonghai beside Jia Dongxu said quickly: "Dongxu, this is what the superiors want. It's been published in the newspapers and the neighborhood committee has also notified us. Let's just do it."

At the end of October, the Beijing Daily and Beijing Evening News did publish the news of winter storage on the front page, calling on everyone to buy more cabbage for storage.

His words, coupled with Qin Huairu pulling his sleeve hard from behind, made Jia Dongxu shut his mouth obediently.

Seeing Jia Dongxu shut up, Liu Haizhong looked better, and he continued, "Does anyone have any questions?"

At this time, Mrs. Wang stood up and asked, "Uncle, how much is the cabbage this time?"

Cabbage was not cheap in previous years. If the price this year is still similar to previous years, I will have to carefully calculate how many kilograms I should buy.

Hearing her call him "Uncle", Liu Haizhong smiled widely: "Haha, the neighborhood committee leader said that this year the government has given subsidies to Chinese cabbage. One catty of first-grade cabbage is only three cents, and one catty of second-grade cabbage is two cents and a half.

Everyone should buy more, otherwise there won’t be enough for our family to eat, and we will have to go to the vegetable market to buy Chinese cabbage for a little over 10 cents per pound.”

The standard for classifying cabbage grades is mainly based on the proportion of the cabbage heart. Grade one cabbage has a solid heart, grade two cabbage has more than 70% heart, and the rest are grade three cabbage.

"So cheap?" someone asked in disbelief.

Last year, when cabbages were on the market in large quantities, they cost at least eight cents per pound. This year, they are only two or three cents.

The residents in the courtyard are all ready to go, with happy looks on their faces. They have to stock up more this year so that they can eat as much as they want in the winter.

"Yes, this year, the products are put on the market in batches. If you buy them now, you will get this price. Otherwise, if you buy them after this period, there will be no subsidies. So, everyone should calculate and buy as much as possible." Liu Haizhong explained. "Also, this time, the country has specially set up a 'frontline' department for security. This department is called..."

As he was speaking, he got stuck and forgot the name of the department, so he turned his gaze to Yan Bugui standing beside him.

"Call Qiucai Command Center." Yan Bugui said quickly.

"Yes, it's called the Autumn Cabbage Command. This department is newly established by the country. It is to ensure that everyone in the capital can eat one pound of cabbage every day in the winter."

Liu Haizhong said proudly.

He had gone to great lengths to gather this information from various sources, just to announce it at the whole institute meeting and show off his power as a big shot.

For more than 30 years thereafter, the Autumn Vegetable Command was specifically responsible for leading and directing the receipt, storage, transportation and sales of autumn vegetables.

Multiple departments such as supervision, finance, prices, public security, sanitation, traffic control, meteorology, transportation, and vegetable companies will perform their respective duties and cooperate closely to unconditionally implement all orders of the Qiucai Command in accordance with the red-headed documents.

"That's great! This year my family will buy 200 kilograms more to store." The neighbors all said in unison.

"The price is affordable and the food is suitable for you. You can buy as much as you can. Of course, don't buy too much or it will be a waste if you can't finish it." Yan Bugui said happily while sitting at the small table.

He had already calculated in his mind that based on the price of cabbage this year, his family could save several dollars compared to previous years.

"Uncle, uncle, we bought so much, how are we going to transport it back? There is only one flatbed truck in the yard." Aunt Xue said at this time.

Without tools for transportation, it is indeed a big problem, and it is not realistic to carry them home one by one.

"Uh..." Liu Haizhong was speechless for a moment and didn't know how to solve this problem.

Yan Bugui also scratched his head. Each household had hundreds or even thousands of kilograms, and there were more than twenty households in the courtyard, so the total amount was not a small number.

When Yi Zhonghai saw this scene, he smiled in the crowd and glanced at the two old men and other residents in the yard.

"Well, Lao Liu, Lao Yan, we can go to other alleys to borrow a flatbed truck. Besides, every household has a shoulder pole and a bucket, so this will work too. A basket would be best.

If they still couldn't get all the food, the whole hospital would mobilize, adults and children, to load the food on carts or carry it on poles. Adults would carry it in sacks on their backs, and children could carry one or two."

Wang Hao couldn't help it any longer, so he spoke.

"Yes, yes, yes, the methods Lao Wang mentioned are good." Liu Haizhong said hurriedly after hearing this.

He was secretly glad in his heart that Old Wang had moved away, otherwise, even if Yi Zhonghai stepped down, it would not be his turn to be the boss of this courtyard.

After answering a few more questions, seeing that no one had any more questions, Liu Haizhong finally said, "According to the arrangement of the neighborhood committee, residents of No. 95 Courtyard must gather next to the Nanluoguxiang Vegetable Market before : in the morning to line up.

Let's move it up a little bit, so that we can set out from the yard on time at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. Every household should be prepared in advance, so as not to fall behind. If we can't buy cabbage, don't blame us."

After the whole hospital meeting, Wang Hao returned home and said, "Meng De, go to Yu'er Hutong and borrow the flatbed cart in the hospital. We will push the cart to buy cabbage tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll go now." Wang Mengde agreed and hurried out the door.

If you go too late, the flatbed truck in the yard might have been borrowed by someone else.

Early the next morning.

Every household in the yard, whether adults or children, got up early.

After breakfast, eighty or ninety people, some pulling carts, some carrying loads, and some holding sacks or ropes, walked towards the vegetable market together.

On the way, from time to time I met several groups of people who were also heading towards the vegetable market. They were all queuing up to buy cabbage.

Nanluoguxiang Vegetable Market is right next to the grocery store. When I arrived there, I saw several piles of cabbages in front of the market. They were as high as the roofs of the houses next door. There was a long line in front of each pile.

Some of the staff from the neighborhood committee and the vegetable store were directing people to line up, some were shouting with loud speakers, and more people were weighing, collecting money, and transporting vegetables.

Seeing that the line was so long that it had already turned several corners, Liu Haizhong hurried forward to contact the staff. Soon, he waved at everyone and indicated to line up at the back of a line.

After lining up, Wang Mengde finally had time to look around, and saw trucks, tricycles and horse-drawn carriages carrying cabbages coming from time to time.

During this period, horse-drawn carriages, which were originally prohibited from entering the city, were now allowed to pass through all the streets and alleys; large trucks could pass freely directly in front of the square as long as a cabbage pass was placed in front of the window.

As we were queuing and walking forward, suddenly I heard the voice of Aunt Cao from the neighborhood committee behind me: "Old Wang, long time no see."

(End of this chapter)