Chapter 17: Sending a Letter

After finishing the letter, Li Yousi stood up holding it, smiling at Yu Hua and said, “Comrade Yu, I’m going out to mail a letter~ See you later~”

Yu Hua looked at him and asked, “Will you be back tonight?”

“I’m just going out to mail a letter,” Li Yousi replied, shaking his head helplessly. This young fellow’s mind was quite sharp.

“If you have the time, why don’t you introduce me to some friends from the cultural troupe?” Yu Hua was still young and naturally curious about such things.

“Oh? If you like, I can introduce you to a wife from the cultural troupe right away.”

Li Yousi cleared his throat and turned to leave.

After stepping out of their courtyard, he headed towards the nearest post office.

After all, the Beiping Literature magazine office and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles were nearby, so the post office wasn’t far.

After walking about a kilometer or two, he arrived at the post office.

Although the Dream of the Red Chamber film crew was indeed in Beiping, it was quite far away. The suburbs and the city proper of Beiping were two very different distances.

Moreover, the Dream of the Red Chamber film crew had set up a courtyard in Hebei, and most of their training took place there.

If Li Yousi took a vehicle, it would still take half a day.

Inside the post office, he folded the letter and asked, “How much does it cost to send to this address?”

“That’s within the city, just four cents!” the postal worker said after checking the address.

Beiping to Beiping mail was considered local, with a postage rate of 0.04 yuan for letters weighing up to 20 grams. For other provinces, it increased to 0.08 yuan.

Quite cheap, he immediately paid.

He had thought about sending a few other things to Zhang Li, but since the extra weight would cost more, and since they would likely meet again in Beiping, it was better to give them in person.

Indeed, he was a man who saved every penny.

If only he could meet the right one, he would enjoy happiness for eight lifetimes.

After carefully managing his expenses, he left the post office and returned to the street.

Smelling the aroma from the state-run restaurant, the thrifty Li Yousi decided it was time for an extra meal.

He thought it over.

With the few cents he had left, he could just afford a vegetable dish.

—

Entering the state-run restaurant, he looked at the menu:

“Give me a portion of fried liver, a portion of braised pork, and a serving of cabbage tofu!”

Now that he was in Beiping, how could he not try fried liver? Many old Beiping literary works loved to write about this pork liver dish.

Lao She’s "A Piece of Pork Liver," and Yu Hua’s "Xu Sanguan" both vividly described the protagonist eating fried liver after selling blood, leaving a deep impression on Li Yousi.

Thinking of how these literary figures loved writing about fried liver, he wanted to try the 1980s version of the dish to see just how delicious it was!

After paying, he was told, “That’ll be two yuan total.”

Braised pork was slightly more expensive at one yuan and twenty cents; fried pork liver cost only fifty cents, and cabbage tofu was the cheapest at thirty cents.

That just used up his entire daily allowance from the magazine!

Ration tickets and meal coupons were also provided by the magazine, so there was no loss at all.

He sat down to wait for his meal, then went to the counter to pick it up.

In this era, there were no waiters—after all, they weren’t obligated to serve you.

With the three dishes in front of him, he held his bowl of rice. Standing 1.78 meters tall and accustomed to eating large portions from his time in the team, he immediately picked up a piece of pork liver.

The greasy yet delicate flavor exploded in his mouth! Li Yousi happily took two more bites of rice and exclaimed, “So delicious!”

Next, he put a piece of braised pork into his mouth. Instantly, the scent of fat mixed with savory flavors awakened his taste buds again! Beiping chefs certainly cooked better than the cafeteria ladies back home.

This pork belly wasn’t overly greasy and was incredibly flavorful.

He finished nearly half of the meal by himself.

Li Yousi wasted nothing, packing the remaining three dishes to save for a late-night snack.

Carrying the three dishes back to his dormitory, he saw Yu Hua bent over the table, diligently writing.

Li Yousi held the three dishes in an iron lunchbox. As soon as he entered, the aroma of the fatty dishes wafted into the room.

Yu Hua’s nose was sharp and caught the scent immediately, but he kept his head down, saying nothing.

After all, food was precious in those days. Without kinship or close ties, why would someone offer you a bite?

Li Yousi noticed Yu Hua’s eyes occasionally glancing at the lunchbox, his motivation to write fading.

He smiled wryly and asked, “Comrade Yu, haven’t you eaten? I happen to have some here…”

“No, no, I just ate a little. I went to the Federation’s canteen!” Yu Hua coughed and quickly replied.

But his stomach gave him away. Though he had eaten, it was just two steamed buns.

Considering that living expenses in Beiping were much higher than back home, he hadn’t dared to spend freely.

Li Yousi smiled helplessly, stood, and walked over with the iron lunchbox.

Opening it up, inside were the leftover braised pork and fried pork liver he hadn’t finished. The remaining fat and meat juices soaked into the white rice, looking incredibly tempting.

Seeing the reddish pork belly, even Yu Hua’s stubborn expression began to soften.

He swallowed twice and said, “Comrade Li, have you finished eating?”

“I just ate outside. I packed this up to avoid waste. If you haven’t eaten and don’t mind, you can have it!” Li Yousi said kindly.

Yu Hua couldn’t resist temptation. He reached out and took the lunchbox as if it were a treasure.

Mind you, this was an era when few could afford much meat; how could anyone turn it down? When hungry, such concerns didn’t even cross one’s mind!

“Comrade Li Yousi… how could I possibly refuse? But I can’t just take your food for nothing! Wait a few days, I’ll treat you to a meal once I get my article royalties!”

Thinking of his future royalties, which might be several dozen yuan, Yu Hua suddenly felt motivated.

Li Yousi pushed the lunchbox closer to him, and Yu Hua finally gave in.

He took the lunchbox and grabbed a spoon from under his desk.

Scooping a large spoonful of rice mixed with the savory broth, he eagerly put it into his mouth.

“Absolutely delicious,” he sighed while eating from the lunchbox.

He devoured the rice ravenously, then slowly savored the fried pork liver, and finally, as if welcoming a saint, he carefully ate the last few pieces of braised pork.

In just five or six minutes, he had emptied the entire lunchbox.