Reborn in 1977

Farmers would pay the pig butcher 2 yuan, plus two jin of meat and a few packs of cigarettes. They would also provide good food and drink, partly as payment and partly as a matter of "courtesy."

The more rural the area, the more importance was placed on this long-standing "courtesy." People looked down on those who didn't observe it and were unwilling to associate with them.

Chen Fan was teaching them how to butcher soft-shelled turtles and cook soft-shelled turtle dishes, which was a higher level of "skill transmission" than butchering pigs.

It was only because they were now in a new era that didn't promote the old feudal ways, coupled with Chen Fan's misfortune, that such a good thing would fall into their laps. Otherwise, who would easily pass on a skill that could support a family?

Therefore, under these circumstances, the return gift had to be even more important.

If they gave too little, the people of Lujiawan would be ridiculed by outsiders for the rest of their lives!

Zhang Guangwen took two puffs of his cigarette, his brow furrowed. After a while, he said, "In the fifties, when the agricultural technicians from the county agricultural technology station came to guide us, the rule was that they didn't charge a penny. But they were paid by the government, and going to the countryside to guide us was their job. We also slaughtered a pig to entertain them and provided them with good food and drink every day. I've never encountered this kind of situation before, so I don't know what to do. Too little is embarrassing, and too much is unaffordable."

Then he looked up at Zhang Changjiang, "Eldest brother, give me some advice."

It turned out that Zhang Changjiang and Zhang Guangwen were cousins. Zhang Changjiang was the eldest in their generation, and Zhang Guangwen was the seventh.

Zhang Changjiang crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, frowning in thought. He had just taken a puff of his cigarette, but he realized that the tobacco pipe had already gone out. So he tapped the pipe on the leg of the chair to knock out the ashes, wiped it clean with the cloth hanging on the pipe, and refilled it with tobacco.

After a long while, he let out a long breath, turned to look at Xiao Liewen and Ye Shubao, and said, "Yesterday, we were busy notifying the production teams and forgot about this matter. Let's discuss it now. I have an idea. First of all, let's not give money. Although the bad guys were overthrown last year, the higher-ups have started talking about developing the economy again, we still need to be cautious. Except for official matters, try not to handle money privately."

The two deputy captains nodded together.

Xiao Liewen smiled and said, "That's wise advice. I have no objections."

Ye Shubao raised his hand with a grin, "I agree too."

Zhang Changjiang smiled and continued, "Secondly, the bulk of it should come from the brigade. The teams don't have anything good anyway. Even if you let them take it out, they won't be able to come up with anything good even if they turn everything upside down. It's better for the brigade to take the lead and come up with something good, so it will be more presentable."

Ye Shubao nodded and asked, "Then what should we give?"

Xiao Liewen smiled and said from the side, "If you're talking about giving away a bicycle, that would definitely be presentable, but the key is that we don't have bicycle coupons!"

These words scared Zhang Changjiang into quickly waving his hands and shaking his head, "Give away a bicycle? Are you trying to scare me?! You might as well sell me and see if you can exchange me for a bicycle."

He, the brigade leader, didn't have a salary like the team leaders below him. He only had 365 full attendance points a year, which was 3650 work points. According to this year's work point value standard, that was 237 yuan and 25 fen, plus the work points he earned from working himself. That was all the income of the production brigade leader.

And a Phoenix bicycle cost 160 yuan, plus a bicycle coupon. He would have to not eat or drink for a year to buy one. This value was too high, not to mention whether he was willing to part with it, it wouldn't be appropriate to give it to Chen Fan either.

Ye Shubao grinned, "That won't do. An old person in the family is like a treasure. You are the treasure of our brigade, how can we exchange you."

As he spoke, he looked at Xiao Liewen, "If we're going to exchange someone, it should be Old Xiao. He's valuable. The county armed forces department has long wanted to transfer him to the county. They'd definitely offer a bicycle."

Then he received two pairs of white eyes and two "Get lost."

Zhang Changjiang took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "My idea is this, Chen Fan floated from the river to Old Yang's place. We don't know where he'll go in the future, but in his current situation, he has nothing but the clothes on his back.

Old Yang told me that he provided him with a cotton quilt and two pairs of cloth shoes. The warehouse keeper from their team sent him a cotton-padded jacket, cotton-padded trousers, and a pair of cotton shoes. Accountant Liu sent him two sets of single-layer clothes.

If Public Security Officer Zhu can help him find his family, then naturally everyone will be happy. We can even send him back with a pig's worth of meat, and it wouldn't be embarrassing."

Xiao Liewen interjected, "A pig also costs one hundred forty to fifty yuan, which is almost the same as a bicycle. It definitely wouldn't be embarrassing."

Zhang Changjiang nodded, "That's just what I said. We definitely can't send a pig. First of all, our team doesn't have enough pork. After dividing it equally, each person only gets three or four jin, which is barely enough to get through the New Year. Secondly, he can't finish a whole pig, so it's better to send him something useful."

Then he looked at Ye Shubao, "Just in case, I mean just in case, Public Security Officer Zhu doesn't find his family, what things do you think he will need?"

Ye Shubao's eyes lit up, "Then there are a lot of things."

As he spoke, he started counting on his fingers, "First of all, he needs two or three sets of clothes, bedding, toiletries for washing his face and brushing his teeth, as well as a thermos, enamel basin, soap, flashlight, kerosene lamp, spring lock…"

He suddenly slapped his thigh and said with excitement, "There are still a lot of materials in the warehouse specifically for educated youth. Why don't we just send him these things? They're all ready-made, save money, practical, and we don't have to find coupons!"

Xiao Liewen also nodded repeatedly, "That's a good idea. I think it's feasible."

Zhang Changjiang looked calm and composed, as if he had been in control all along, and smiled while smoking his cigarette, "That's what I meant. Let's approve some materials for him, and equip him according to the standards for educated youth, and also send him a few extra sets of clothes.

This way, we can save money and effort. For him, it can solve his immediate needs. When he finds his family in the future, he can take them with him and continue to use them, so it won't be a waste."

Ye Shubao grinned and laughed, "That's why we say Old Zhang is the stabilizing force of the team. His brain just works so fast."

The educated youth supplies in the warehouse were all allocated through special channels.

After the new educated youth arrived at the location, the local educated youth office would complete the procedures for them and issue them coupons and settlement fees. The educated youth would then take the coupons to the designated supply and marketing cooperative to buy living supplies.

Or the local area would directly allocate the materials to the production team, and then the production team would issue them to the educated youth according to the coupons, and the money would be deducted from the educated youth resettlement funds.

The materials in the Lujiawan Production Team warehouse were the second situation.

However, the educated youth in the past two years were not like the educated youth in the first two years when it first started. At that time, people came here from big cities, from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and other places. They came here from thousands of miles away. They didn't know how long it would be before they could go back, so naturally, they would take all the materials back with them.

Now, most of the educated youth are locals and don't lack these things at all. Some families with good conditions are even too lazy to travel far to the brigade headquarters to collect the materials.

So, after seven or eight years of accumulation, there are more than a dozen sets of inventory in the warehouse.

If it weren't for Chen Fan's matter, these things might continue to accumulate. New ones would be issued when new people came, and then the new goods would be stored for future people. When there were no more educated youth coming, they would be used as surplus materials in the brigade and given to the advanced elements of the team as prizes.

But now, it's just right!