CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 184: SUCCESSFULLY BOUGHT BRICKS

"Alright! Deal! I’ll go arrange it for you right now! After work, come with me! We’ll talk about the grain issue at home!" said Director Bai hastily as he went out to make arrangements.

Where could you find such a good deal? Rice at twenty cents a jin, although a bit more expensive than the grain station, doesn’t require food coupons, and even then, the grain station has limited supply regardless.

His mother was getting old and needed more nutrition, and there was also a two-year-old daughter at home who needed fine grains.

With years as a sales director, he had some savings on hand.

In no time, he had arranged everything, and the brick kiln would fire up the fifty thousand bricks Lin Xue needed first.

Once everything was set, Director Bai took Lin Xue and Zhang Yuan home during the lunch break.

Chaoyang Commune was also part of Pingyang Town, but Chaoyang Team had a supply and marketing cooperative, a grain station, and Xiao Xue, akin to a small town in later times. Director Bai’s house was in a residential area not far from the cooperative.

The house wasn’t new, but it wasn’t dilapidated either, with a small courtyard surrounded by a brick wall.

Being the sales director of a brick factory wasn’t for nothing; he lived in a brick house, with brick walls and even a brick latrine.

Compared to Lin Xue’s house, it only lacked side rooms.

As soon as Director Bai entered the courtyard, his wife ran out, amid the noisy sounds of children arguing at home.

"Bai, you’re finally back! Huh, who are these two?" Aunt Bai asked, looking puzzled at Lin Xue and Zhang Yuan.

"Aunt Bai, just call me Xiao Xue. This is my partner, Zhang Yuan!" Lin Xue stepped forward to introduce herself.

"Oh, oh! Comrade Xiao Xue, Comrade Zhang Yuan! Come inside!"

Though a housewife, she was used to having guests at home.

She quickly invited them in.

Director Bai was also polite, letting them enter.

"Bai, who are these people? They dress so well!" Aunt Bai quietly asked Director Bai behind them.

"Guests! Treat them well! Have you cooked?" Director Bai replied quietly.

"Yes, yes! But not enough. I only cooked for our family!" Aunt Bai said, feeling distressed.

"Go cook more! Don’t skimp on the grain!" Director Bai urged.

It’s a joke; he was about to have grain soon, what was there to fear?

Lin Xue and Zhang Yuan heard their conversation but remained composed.

They didn’t want to eat at someone else’s house anyway. First, food was scarce and they understood others’ reluctance; second, they weren’t comfortable eating in a stranger’s home.

So they planned to leave after discussing business.

Lin Xue then turned around, "Director Bai, Aunt Bai, no need to bother, we have other matters to attend to and need to leave after talking."

"What’s the rush? Have a meal before you go!" Director Bai urged them to stay.

"No, Director Bai, we really have something to do! Please quickly discuss the matter!" Zhang Yuan refused.

Along the way, it was the little lady who talked more, while the young man barely spoke, but now he opened his mouth to refuse, and Director Bai gave up on the idea of keeping them for a meal.

"Alright, let me get you a glass of water!" Aunt Bai was happy and quickly turned to fetch water.

No one paid much attention to her, and Director Bai led them inside.

Inside, five or six children of varying ages were making a ruckus, with some even crying.

Upon seeing Director Bai, the smallest little girl ran over, crying loudly, pointing at her siblings, complaining.

However, Lin Xue couldn’t understand what she was saying.

She took out a half-pound paper-wrapped candy from her purse and handed it to the little girl.

"Little sister, here, sister has candy for you. Don’t cry, alright?"

The little girl looked at her dad, and upon seeing him nod, broke into a smile and ran towards her siblings to share the candy.

Lin Xue shook her head and laughed, thinking how in a child’s world, there’s no resentment; a good cry and they soon forget.

"Come, let’s sit over there! With so many children, it can be quite noisy!" Director Bai led them to the sofa and said helplessly.

"Our family also has many younger siblings; that’s just how kids are." Lin Xue said with a smile as she followed, with Zhang Yuan immediately sitting beside her.

Zhang Yuan wasn’t unwilling to talk; he just wasn’t good at chit-chatting with others, and when he was silent, he gave off an unapproachable vibe.

"Comrade Xiao Xue, regarding the rice you mentioned earlier, how much can you sell me?" Director Bai got straight to the point, having thought about it all morning.

It was driving him crazy with curiosity, unable to guess how much they were willing to sell him.

His bag still carried the cigarettes and alcohol the two had brought, which he forgot about, focused solely on the rice.

Just after he asked, Aunt Bai came in with cups for them and sat beside Director Bai.

She had heard something about grain earlier and was looking at the two with curiosity.

"To be honest, the grain in our possession is traded at a high price, but since Director Bai is helping us with the brick queue, we won’t charge you the black market price. However, as a result, we can’t sell too much to you. Let’s say 500 jin. How about that?" Lin Xue held up five fingers.

From her perspective, it wasn’t a problem to offer 1,000 jin for such a huge favor, but fearing it might be too conspicuous, she cut it in half and said 500 jin.

"Five... five hundred jin? Rice?" Aunt Bai couldn’t remain calm. Rice, even securing five jin would be enough to keep her up with joy, but hearing the number 500 jin in a time of scarcity, what did that mean?

Director Bai’s eyes widened, forgetting to react.

He initially thought, if he could get twenty or thirty jin, at most fifty or sixty, he’d be content. He never expected these youngsters to be so resourceful, offering 500 jin right off the bat.

Seeing their reactions, Lin Xue realized she had said too much, and excessively so.

She figured with their large family, they needed up to 500 jin a year, and that’s why she offered to sell them 500 jin.

Zhang Yuan shook his head; the little girl didn’t quite grasp the value of grain at that time, dearer than gold.

Offering 500 jin right away, was it not shocking?

"Director Bai, is there any difficulty? I meant to say, within 500 jin, you can buy as much as you want, not necessarily 500 jin!" Lin Xue said.

"N-no, I’ll buy it, I’ll buy 500 jin!" Director Bai quickly responded upon hearing Lin Xue, speaking swiftly.

Afraid they might change their minds.

"Bai, where do we have that much money?" Aunt Bai remarked, having heard it would be cheaper, but knowing the black market rate was 1.5 yuan per jin, how much cheaper could it get? Even at a 50-cent discount, it’d be about 500 yuan! Their entire savings were just about that much, taking it all out for rice, what about the kids’ schooling and illness expenses afterward? Building this house had nearly depleted their savings.

"Don’t butt in! Just listen quietly!" Director Bai told his wife, then turned to Lin Xue again as he repeated, "I’ll buy 500 jin!"