Chapter Nineteen: Journey to the County Town

After Han Li sent a letter to his family to let them know he was safe, his first stops were the grain station and the state-run food supply shop.

From now on, he'd have to depend entirely on himself; the carefree days when he never worried about prices were gone for good. At the very least, he needed to know the local price of grain per pound so he could plan his monthly expenses.

After asking around, he learned that the price of grain in AA County was still fairly stable. The best quality rice was only twenty-five cents a pound, and the finest flour was eighteen cents a pound. Coarse cornmeal was eight cents a pound, all of which required ration tickets to purchase.

The hardest to buy was soybean oil. Though it sold for ninety cents a pound, not only did it require a ticket, but each person could only buy two ounces per month.

Han Li didn't buy any of these things; he was merely gathering information on prices. Next, he went to the state-run food supply shop, where, not even nine in the morning, all the meat had already been sold out.

However, thanks to his handsome appearance and his polite, amiable demeanor, he managed to get information about meat prices from an older woman, who even helped him buy two pounds of leg bones. Normally, a doctor's certificate was needed to purchase such things, but Han Li managed it with just his looks.

Currently, chicken in AA County was seventy cents a pound, though none was available. Pork was eighty-eight cents a pound; to get it, one had to queue up early, preferably before four in the morning. Fish and other meats were not being supplied to the public yet; perhaps a shipment would arrive before the New Year.

After buying the leg bones, Han Li escaped the shop under the barrage of questions from the woman. In a deserted alley, he broke down the leg bones, storing the pieces in his disassembly space.

Next, Han Li arrived at the county's supply and marketing cooperative. Fortunately, today wasn't market day, so there weren't many people. Hao Hongmin and Yang Xiuying had probably finished shopping and left already. Han Li now displayed his wealth, buying in one go all the things that were difficult to bring from home.

He picked a heavy, black iron pot and slung it onto his back, along with a lid, steamer, and all other necessary accessories. He bought a clay pot for porridge, which was also useful for braising fish.

Though he had some candles in his disassembly space, kerosene lamps were more reliable. So he bought one kerosene lamp, a kerosene stove, and three pounds of kerosene to start.

He added a thermos, a kitchen knife, five locks, two plates and two bowls. He bought two boxes of matches, a bar of soap—since there was no scented soap, he opted for laundry soap and washing powder. He picked up two pounds of fruit hard candy that didn't require tickets, but since there was a half-pound limit per person, he settled for half a pound. He bought two pounds of biscuits for their long shelf life, and one pound of sponge cake, which was less durable. He had wanted soy sauce, vinegar, and other condiments, but since he hadn’t brought any bottles, he gave up for now.

These everyday items were also available at the supply cooperative in Red Flag Commune, so he wouldn’t need to make special trips to the county.

As he was leaving, Han Li noticed a sign at the counter listing the purchase and sale price of eggs. When he asked to buy some, the shop assistant smiled.

“Young comrade, you must be from the big city. Here, eggs always have a purchase price and a sale price—but we only ever buy, never sell. Not a single egg has ever been sold here.”

Han Li immediately understood: eggs were a precious commodity, valued yet unavailable. Once the supply cooperative acquired them, they were either taken by higher authorities or consumed internally. The sale sign was just a joke.

At this time, chickens raised by ordinary families were considered “hen bank accounts,” and daily expenses like salt and vinegar depended on trading eggs. Especially in summer, when each hen could lay an egg almost every day, and the heat would spoil them if kept too long. Ordinary people would then sell them to the cooperative, which was safer and avoided trouble. They could sell eggs at any time in summer, without worrying they’d spoil and lose value.

Having bought everything he could think of, Han Li was about to sling the pot onto his back when he realized something felt wrong. The round iron pot looked like he was carrying a giant tortoise shell.

So he bought a basket and carried the pot by hand as he headed toward the state-run restaurant.

Few people came to eat there in those days; it simply wasn’t cost-effective. A bowl of plain noodles cost ten cents plus two ounces of grain tickets. Still, the portions were generous, enough to satisfy even those who worked the fields.

When Han Li arrived, Hao Hongmin and Yang Xiuying were already there. At their feet sat an iron pot and a few miscellaneous items wrapped in oil paper.

“Han Li, over here!”

“Wow, you bought a lot!”

Han Li replied, “All things I’ll need later. You two bought plenty as well.”

Hao Hongmin said, “We had the same idea as you. Let’s order food first. After we eat, we want to ask you about the house.”

Han Li ordered a bowl of noodles with shredded pork; the other two chose plain noodles. They ate in silence, the only sounds were the slurping of noodles.

They finished quickly. Yang Xiuying, rubbing her full stomach, remarked, “The portion here really is big, but the taste isn’t as good as back home.”

Hao Hongmin chided her, “Keep your voice down, or the chef might come out and hit you.”

Yang Xiuying fell silent.

“Han Li, what kind of house are you planning to build? Tell us so we can use your plan as a reference.”

Last night, unable to sleep, Han Li had indeed pondered how to build his house, so he shared his thoughts.

“My initial plan is to build two rooms: one for my bedroom and as a sitting room, the other as the kitchen. The kitchen stove would connect to a heated wall and kang bed, so it’d be warm enough to get us through the long winter here. Cooking wouldn’t risk smoke staining clothes and bedding, and even when guests come, there’d be a buffer zone. The house just needs enough space; I don’t want it too big. That way, it’s easier to clean and doesn’t attract too much attention.”

(In the rural Northeast, this layout was typical, with the kitchen referred to as the ‘outer room.’)

After Han Li finished, Hao Hongmin and Yang Xiuying immediately began buzzing with discussion.