Chapter Nine: Procurement and Shredded Pork Noodles

With Tie Zhu following closely, Zhang Huacheng felt much more at ease. However, due to the fading daylight, upon arriving at the county town, Zhang Huacheng realized time was running short and hastened toward the morning market.

Tie Zhu, having never been to the county town before, looked around wide-eyed, taking in the bustling scene. The morning market was just as crowded as the day before, filled with a constant stream of people. This was the liveliest time of day, quite different from the market after seven in the morning, as most goods could be purchased without tickets now.

It was almost like a semi-black market.

“Fresh seafood just arrived from the sea—crabs, fish, sea snails, and octopus! No tickets needed! Come take a look!” Zhang Huacheng called out even before arranging his goods properly.

He noticed that some vendors were already packing up, clearly because the Red Guards would soon come to inspect.

“How much are they?” a woman in line for tofu hurried over with her basket.

“The big crabs are two mao per ticket, the medium ones one mao fifty, and the smallest ones one mao. The fish here are one mao fifty each, small ones one mao, no tickets needed! The crab roe fills the shells to the brim!” Zhang Huacheng shouted.

“That’s too expensive! Do you charge the same for male and female crabs?” the woman hesitated when she heard the prices.

“Auntie, I don’t need tickets here. They’re all freshly caught, guaranteed fresh and plump. If they’re not good, come see me tomorrow morning—I’ll be here every day!” Zhang Huacheng called out loudly.

Tie Zhu watched the crowd gathering around, heads bent low, clearly unsettled by the commotion.

“Comrade, I’ll take these, and these, and these!” A young woman in a floral cotton jacket quickly picked several female crabs, knowing early buyers got the best deals.

“I want two too!” the woman hurried to select.

“How much are octopuses?” someone else asked.

“Octopus three mao, sea snails two mao. These big sea snails make great toys for kids after you finish the meat,” Zhang Huacheng explained.

“I’ll take all these sea snails! This small one, one mao for you!”

“Deal!”

“Comrade, comrade, hang this fish for me!”

“Okay, Tie Zhu, use some grass to string the fish!”

In just over ten minutes, Zhang Huacheng sold nearly half of his seafood. Although a lot remained, buyers had already thinned out. An idea sparked in his mind.

“Comrade, can I trade some seafood for dried sweet potatoes?” Zhang Huacheng approached a vendor who was packing up.

“You can trade, but give me a good price,” the vendor hesitated briefly before agreeing.

“No problem!” Zhang Huacheng happily agreed, soon acquiring half a sack of dried sweet potatoes.

These were excellent provisions for winter, perfect to cook with cornmeal for a fragrant dish.

“Child, I have some dried mountain goods—want to trade for some fish?” an elderly vendor approached.

“Sure! The more, the better!” Zhang Huacheng replied.

He traded everything he could, even exchanging some tofu. Fish and crabs were nearly all gone, leaving very little behind.

“The Red Guards are coming!” someone shouted nearby.

Immediately, the market erupted into chaos as many vendors hurriedly packed and fled.

“Let’s go!” Zhang Huacheng grabbed Tie Zhu and ran. If caught, all their goods would be confiscated, and their family would have to pay a hefty ransom.

He realized he needed to save up for a watch—knowing the time was truly troublesome without one.

“Brother, so much food,” Tie Zhu said, still dazed, clutching a bag filled with dried sweet potatoes and mountain goods.

“There’s more to come!” Zhang Huacheng said. With money and tickets in hand, he intended to buy even more. Having Tie Zhu along allowed him to purchase more than usual.

He asked everyone they met and soon sold the remaining fish and crabs.

Zhang Huacheng began shopping—refined vermicelli at two mao six per jin, top-grade meat at seven mao per jin, eggs at four fen each, cornmeal at nine fen per jin, rice at one mao fifty per jin, cloth at four mao per chi...

Buy, buy, buy!

He shopped until only two mao thirty fen remained.

Tie Zhu carried a 50-jin sack of cornmeal, holding the heavy, bulging bag with a grin, never having seen so much food before.

“Tie Zhu, should we eat buns or noodles?” Zhang Huacheng asked, his stomach growling.

Tie Zhu looked at the sky and shook his head—it was still too early for a meal.

“Noodles then.”

Not far off was a bustling noodle shop, fragrant and inviting. Zhang Huacheng’s body was in need of nutrition, craving meat intensely. In his past life, he never cared for lavish meals, but now he found himself longing for them.

The noodle shop was packed early in the morning, the aroma filling the air. Tie Zhu stared hungrily, saliva dripping.

Zhang Huacheng bought two large bowls of shredded pork noodles—meat-heavy and generously portioned for just two mao a bowl, which pleased him greatly.

“Eat!” Zhang Huacheng handed Tie Zhu a pair of chopsticks.

Tie Zhu sat with the sack of cornmeal on his lap, clutching the bag tightly, and began eating noisily.

“Slow down, don’t burn yourself,” Zhang Huacheng cautioned, sipping the broth, knowing Tie Zhu must be starving—the noodles were piping hot.

“Mm-hmm,” Tie Zhu nodded, barely able to lift his head. In less than two minutes, he had not only eaten the noodles but also drained the broth.

“Comrade, two more bowls!”

Zhang Huacheng finished quickly but still felt hungry. Seeing Tie Zhu’s eager appetite, he promptly ordered two more bowls.

“The broth is free to refill,” the shop owner said, eyeing Tie Zhu as he brought the noodles.

After they left, the two had eaten four bowls of noodles and drunk four bowls of broth—Zhang Huacheng drank one, Tie Zhu the other three.

“Where did this big-bellied toad come from? Doesn’t he worry about overeating?” the landlady remarked as she returned with bowls.

“You can tell he’s from the countryside—he sure can eat,” the owner chuckled. These days, it wasn’t just rural folks who had little fat on their bones; even in the county town, people ate sparingly and longed for a hearty meal.

Tie Zhu looked completely satisfied, walking with a newfound vigor.

“Are you full?” Zhang Huacheng asked, feeling slightly stuffed himself but seeing no sign of it in Tie Zhu.

“A little full,” Tie Zhu replied.

“...” Understood—it was probably just about seventy percent full.

How had Zhang Huacheng told Tie Zhu to always eat until full?

“Tie Zhu, have you ever visited your mother at the Fu Village?” Zhang Huacheng suddenly asked on their way back. Tie Zhu’s mother lived in the neighboring Fu Village Brigade and had long since remarried.

“Sometimes she comes to see me and secretly brings food. Last time she came with my sister, and my sister brought me some crispy rice snacks,” Tie Zhu said thoughtfully, nodding.

Sister?

Zhang Huacheng had never known Tie Zhu had a sister in his past life. Clearly, she was born after Tie Zhu’s mother remarried.

“Do you know where exactly your mother lives in Fu Village?”

“Yes.”

“When we get back, I’ll make some food for you to take to your mother—quietly, understand? Don’t let your father find out.”

If his father knew, Tie Zhu could be beaten badly.

Zhang Huacheng recalled that Tie Zhu’s mother had been kind in his childhood, even sharing food with him. Back then, his parents and elder brother lived in the old house, and relations between the two families were relatively harmonious. But after Tie Zhu’s mother was driven away and his stepmother arrived, conflicts arose constantly.

Later, when his elder brother built a new house, the whole family moved there, leaving the old house to Zhang Huacheng.

Tie Zhu nodded.

“What size shoe do you wear? I’ll make you a pair of cotton shoes,” Zhang Huacheng said, noticing the many patches on Tie Zhu’s worn shoes, clearly no longer warm enough.

Tie Zhu looked down at his feet, hesitated, then said, “Huacheng, the last time my sister and mother came to see me, she didn’t wear shoes. Can you make some for her?”

“Of course.”

Zhang Huacheng was surprised to see Tie Zhu thinking about his half-sister at a moment like this.

“How big are your sister’s feet?”

Tie Zhu fell silent.