1983 Small Island, Starting From a Large Farmer

Chapter 17 Becoming Famous

 When the passenger ship leaves the island, it is loaded with seafood.

When I returned to the island, it was also filled with all kinds of daily necessities. There were all kinds of things, but most of these things came from the supply and marketing cooperative on the island.

Li Duoyu remembers that despite the reform and opening up, no one seemed to have opened a grocery store in the village. Everyone went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy vegetables, daily necessities, and soy sauce.

The supply and marketing cooperative on Dandan Island occupies a large area, more than 200 square meters, and has five salespersons.

 In this era, supply and marketing cooperatives sold almost everything, including electric lights, electric fans, fishing nets, and boat repair accessories.

 Li Duoyu’s favorite place to visit when she was a child was the supply and marketing cooperative. It felt like Grandma Liu had entered the Grand View Garden. She was very curious about everything and wanted to buy everything.

 In the past few years since the rise of outsourcing, the business of supply and marketing cooperatives has obviously dropped a lot, and few people have bought cloths. The large items placed on the glass cabinets are gathering dust.

Wang Jinjun, the head of the warehouse in charge of purchasing for the supply and marketing cooperative, saw that all the villagers on the boat were running to buy smuggled goods. Their faces were full of helplessness, and he was sitting alone on the deck smoking a cigarette.

　　In the days when people only used tickets, everyone would greet him warmly when they saw him, and he would say hello to each director. Unlike now, when everyone is in the same boat, no one cares about him.

 What he is most afraid of hearing is that the villagers say that the goods he sells are expensive and the quality is not as good as smuggled goods.

 He is the most annoying person on the island.

Wang Jinjun looked at Li Duoyu, who was sitting in the corner of the passenger ship holding a smuggling cloth, and became more and more angry.

He and Agui are considered active smugglers on the island, and they spend all day preaching how good smuggled goods are.

Recently, Wang Jinjun heard some rumors through his superiors. It seems that someone from above has come and an anti-smuggling office has been set up.

If he knew where the anti-smuggling office was, he would have wanted to report these two people now and arrest them and put them in jail.

 After returning to Dandan Island.

 Li Duoyu fell asleep after not sleeping well for several days.

But he didn’t expect that today’s Rongcheng Daily would be returning to the island with the passenger ship.

The moment Wang Jinjun, president of the supply and marketing cooperative, saw the newspaper, he thought he was dazzled, so he read it again with reading glasses.

 “Impossible, how is this possible.”

He has been the president of a supply and marketing cooperative for so many years. He has held many meetings, large and small, but he has never been in the same frame with this leader. He, Li Duoyu, actually took a photo with him.

 The villagers on the island who usually have the habit of reading newspapers were all dumbfounded after getting the newspapers.

The fourth child of Lao Li's family who was just fooling around and stealing goods actually reported it to the police, took a photo with the leader, and talked about our Dandan Island.

In this era, there are very few TVs and newspapers are the largest media channel. Being able to report it is a very awesome thing.

 Less than half an hour.

What Li Duoyu reported spread around the island.

The principal of Dandan Island’s primary school went to find Zhou Xiaoying in person with the newspaper, and said with excitement: "Xiaoying, this is your lover Li Duoyu."

After reading the newspaper, Zhou Xiaoying was speechless for a while, her hands trembling slightly: "Yes, it's him."

Female colleagues in the office gathered around me.

 “There are so many fish.”

“What did he do? Why did he take a photo with the leader?”

“Xiaoying, your Duoyu has changed a lot recently. His hair has been cut off, and he came to pick you up from school. You must have secretly given him a reward?”

Zhou Xiaoying blushed at their teasing.

 “No, I’m still pregnant.”

As for the female teacher named Lin Shanshan, her face was full of bitterness after reading the newspaper. She had just been slapped twice by the useless man at home yesterday.

Zhou Xiaoying's lover reported it to the police today. The huge contrast made it difficult for her to accept it.

 “Xiaoying, you are really lucky.”

Zhou Xiaoying herself couldn't believe that Li Duoyu had only been out for two days and made such a big noise, looking at the contents of the newspaper reports.

Zhou Xiaoying's face was full of doubts. Did Li Duoyu look like someone who could say such beautiful words? Could it be that his uncle taught him what he said?

 But when she thought about the changes in Li Duoyu in the past few days, Zhou Xiaoying felt that it was not impossible.

Zhou Xiaoying folded the newspaper neatly on both sides and placed it in the middle of the textbook. She had a smile on her face and she was already happy in her heart.

 In the square in front of the temple.

The group of young people on the island who were drinking beer, playing music and twisting their bodies heard the news and bought a newspaper to read.

“Damn Ganlin, Brother Yu was actually in the newspaper and even took a photo with the leader.”

 “Show me too.”

Xiao Hei, who took Li Duoyu's place and became an upstart in the island's merchandise trade, said sourly after reading the newspaper:

“How could it be that Duoyu said this? He must have been influenced by his brother-in-law, otherwise it wouldn’t have been in the newspapers.”

 And a young man with an afro nicknamed "Tugou" stared at Li Duoyu in the newspaper.

 “Damn it, when did Brother Yu cut his hair?”

“Brother Yu encouraged me to have an afro. My father chased me and beat me for a long time. Why did he cut it off?”

Xiao Hei then said:

"Why, he alone represents the entire Dandan Island, and he also said that he will plant kelp. When the time comes, these leaders will come to our island and see that there is no hair at all. This Li Duoyu will not be able to find a crack to get in."

“It’s better not to come, otherwise the leadership will pay attention to us, and we will not be able to sell goods in the future.”

“That’s right, let’s be our slaves with peace of mind. Then we will make a lot of money, build a big house, and watch him raise kelp there to lose money.”

As for Agui, who is the backbone of this group of people, his face turned dark when he heard about these younger brothers who were drinking together a few days ago.

　　It will change as soon as it is said to change.

Lao Li, who had just returned from knocking oysters on the tidal flat, was stopped by his neighbor, Uncle Hu. This old man who loved playing four-color cards on weekdays took the newspaper and said excitedly: "Lao Li, have you read the newspaper? My son has made his mark."

 Old Li looked at Uncle Hu puzzledly. He had five children in total.

boss, Li Qingguo went to the city to work, but he didn’t even have a partner;

 Second brother, Li Yaoguo is a softie;

 The third child, Li Shuihua, married to the next village and lived a normal life;

 Lao Si, Li Duoyu has become a good person recently, but he can't say that he has any future;

 The only one who is relatively promising is probably the fifth child, Li Xiaorong, who is studying at a medical university in another city.

 But Xiaorong is a woman.

When Lao Li took the newspaper and saw the pictures published on it, his face, which had become dark and dry due to exposure to the sun all year round, instantly became rosy.

Then, he discovered that he didn’t know how to read at all.

Hurry and ask Lao Hu:

“Old Hu, tell me what’s written on it.”

Uncle Hu seriously explained to Lao Li:

“Your son, in front of the leaders, said that he wanted to grow kelp, and he also led us to grow kelp on the island, striving to be the first in the province.”

After hearing this, Lao Li was not happy. Kelp is so difficult to grow and all of it will die in the summer. When Lao Si told the leader such big words, wasn't he lying?

 At this time, there was a "crunch" sound.

Li Duoyu, who was sleepy and scratching his belly, walked out of the room and came to the courtyard. Then, he saw the newspaper in the hand of Uncle Hu next door and became nervous instantly.

“Daddy, take me quickly to find those farmers who raised kelp last year.”

 “You just came back, why are you in such a hurry?”

Li Duoyu lowered his head and whispered:

“There’s no hurry. If they read the newspaper and know that I want to raise kelp, they won’t be able to buy their kelp rope at a low price.”

 After Lao Li came to his senses, he urged:

“Then what are you doing in a daze? Hurry up and leave.”

 (End of this chapter)