Chapter 192: 192 Refusal
Su Yuanyuan looked at Zhao Yanli's regretful expression and didn't know what to say.
"Yuanyuan, you say our sisters have left. Only two brothers are left, I feel sorry for them."
Su Yuanyuan didn't know how to comfort Zhao Yanli.
This girl's temper is impatient, she doesn't consider consequences in what she does, but her siblings probably also wanted to leave home, so they quickly agreed.
Zhao Yanli is also a good hand at work, "Yuanyuan, if the winter wheat really works, we will plant it next year."
"No problem, I'll save some wheat seeds for you then."
Su Yuanyuan insisted that Zhao Yanli stay for dinner, and the three of them ate hot noodle soup made from white flour.
"Yuanyuan, it's been so long since I've had white flour."
"I still have some here, take a bit back with you."
Zhao Yanli quickly waved her hand, "No, I shouldn't. Yuanyuan, I'm heading back." She felt really embarrassed, eating someone else's food, and then taking some home?
Su Yuanyuan saw her off. Watching her get on the donkey cart, she reminded Zhao Yanli to be careful, and then returned indoors.
Two days later, Zhao Yanli came again. "Yuanyuan, my second brother's land has been allocated, not far from my eldest brother. And it wasn't wasteland, the previous family found connections to return it. Exactly one hundred acres, so my second brother can move over now."
Su Yuanyuan smiled, "Isn't that great? It saves a lot of effort."
"Yeah, Team Leader Tian came to my house yesterday to discuss with my eldest brother when to get married."
"They still need a betrothal gift for marriages here, right?"
"Yes, my elder brother explained our family's situation before. In the end, Team Leader Tian said just make a set of clothes for my future sister-in-law and give twenty yuan."
"That really isn't much."
"Yeah, maybe it's because my sister-in-law likes my eldest brother, so the betrothal gift is so little?"
Su Yuanyuan also felt it was for this reason. When a man and woman fancy each other, betrothal gifts and dowry are easy to discuss.
"Yuanyuan, my elder sister said she's going to the city tomorrow, would you like to join us?"
She felt that Su Yuanyuan was a pillar of support.
"Going to the city to buy fabric?"
"Yes, we're preparing now. Although this year we're only harvesting vegetables, it still takes a while to be busy, we're quite free now, so we're thinking of making clothes while we have the time.
My elder sister wants to make cotton jackets, but my sister-in-law said to keep the cotton.
Later, my elder sister said she might want to keep it for their future kids to make cotton jackets, after all, cotton isn't easy to get now."
"Okay, when does elder sister plan to leave tomorrow?"
"Planning to leave in the afternoon, arriving the day after."
"Okay."
As they chatted, Tan Shaoting heard, and upon hearing they were going to the city again, he quickly joined in, "I'll go with you all, going out at night, just you three girls isn't safe. Last time I was worried about you all for two days at home.
This time, I'd better go along."
Su Yuanyuan had no objections, so she looked at Zhao Yanli.
That girl was laughing. "Sure, there's someone to drive the cart now."
After Tan Shaoting left, Zhao Yanli nudged Su Yuanyuan with her elbow, "See how much he cares about you?"
Su Yuanyuan just laughed, not minding Zhao Yanli's teasing.
The next day, the two of them still got up early to work, returning early at noon to cook and eat, waiting for Zhao Yanli and her sister.
"Let's ask Director Feng if we can contact over there, and if possible, ask if these vegetables can be transported over?"
"Sure, go ask now, Director Feng probably doesn't know, he didn't say last time. But the city leaders should know."
By the time Zhao Yanli and Zhao Yanping came over, Tan Shaoting had returned.
Feng Baoshan told them to find the city leaders, they should know.
Grass mats were spread on the cart, the three girls brought coats, so all night Tan Shaoting drove the cart, and the three girls slept on it.
Upon arriving in the city, Tan Shaoting went to handle this matter. Su Yuanyuan and the other two girls went to the building, the two sisters went inside, and she watched the cart outside.
Tan Shaoting found the leader and explained the situation.
"Good comrade, a very good comrade. I will call over there right away."
Tan Shaoting waited on the side. In the end, they refused, as the transport costs along the way were quite high. But they praised Tan Shaoting and the other two.
"You heard them, no need to bring the vegetables over."
Tan Shaoting nodded, greeted the leader, and left. Since they didn't need to be transported, they'd be sold instead, taking them wasn't an issue anyway.
After leaving, he directly went to the building to find them.
He saw Su Yuanyuan sitting on the cart, looking quite bored.
"Yuanyuan, you go inside and have fun, I'll keep watch."
Su Yuanyuan smiled at Tan Shaoting, "How did it go?"
"They don't need the vegetables there, we keep them and sell them ourselves."
"We probably don't have time along the way," Su Yuanyuan said as she got off the cart, "Is there anything you want?" The sisters had been inside for a long time.
"No, I don't need anything."
Su Yuanyuan went into the building, found the sisters, they were still queuing, with only two people ahead, she went over to say a word.
Only then did she go to buy what she needed. The most purchased items this time were matches and candles.
She also bought a bag of salt to pickle the vegetables.
After finishing her purchases, she took them to the cart, and the sisters also bought fabric, spending a lot on velvet fabric for making shoes.
Seeing Su Yuanyuan buy salt, they also bought a bag. Pickling vegetables is essential.
At midnight, the four of them returned home. Su Yuanyuan was so tired she didn't even wash up, fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
Since they knew the vegetables wouldn't be needed over there, they had to sell them themselves.
Feng Baoshan hinted that these vegetables were hard to sell anyway.
The city's supply and marketing cooperative would certainly need them, but with so many vegetables grown on this farm, the city alone can't sell them all.
The folks were quite optimistic, better if they could sell, if not, they would eat themselves.
Every household was running low on grain, and they had a whole winter to get through, so the vegetables wouldn't go to waste.
Su Yuanyuan and Tan Shaoting wouldn't be home this year either. So, they decided to harvest, splitting it half and half.
As for the sweet potatoes, they had to fulfill tasks, even though just three acres might not be enough to meet the tasks.
Better to hand in something than nothing, also there were plenty of winter melons, not sure if they could replace grain.
Tan Shaoting really went to find Feng Baoshan. The conclusion was that winter melons couldn't replace grain, but they could be sold to the farm.
Finally, the two of them decided to sell them, after all, neither would be home, and there were over four hundred winter melons, keeping them wasn't realistic.