Chapter 71: Radio
The last time he’d bought matches and soap, Zhao Wendong noticed his family was still reluctant to use them. They’d use a single match to start the fire, then light everything else from the embers. They only used a tiny sliver of soap each time. So, this time, he decided to just buy a lot more.
When he saw tooth powder and toothbrushes for sale, Zhao Wendong bought two sets—one for himself and one for Lin Zhiyin. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to buy them for the rest of his family, but he knew they wouldn’t accept the idea of spending money on brushing teeth. The willow twigs they had saved from the fall, soaked in warm water, would work just as well.
He had also bought two mirrors last time, one for his sister-in-law and one for his own family. Little Tuanzi was always going to look at herself, and Chen Yanmei and Song Xiaoyu adored them. This time, when he saw wooden combs for sale, he bought two of those, along with two fine-toothed combs and a new towel for everyone.
Since he had the big truck today, Zhao Wendong decided to buy everything he could all at once. It would be much more convenient to haul it all home together.
Zhao Wendong then remembered Zhao Dashan’s current predicament. He was so immobile he didn’t even dare to eat much. After asking several salesclerks, one finally dug out what he wanted from the warehouse: a plastic bedpan, the kind that could be slid right underneath a person. With this, Zhao Dashan could finally eat without worry, which would help his leg recover faster.
Having done a full circuit of the cooperative and bought just about everything he needed, Zhao Wendong went to find Wang Defa. Through him, he managed to buy two cartons of off-the-shelf Grape-brand cigarettes and a few bottles of Laojiao liquor from the director. He also had a large jug filled with bulk white liquor. On top of that, he bought the vermicelli and cotton quilts he’d picked out earlier. Zhao Wendong made sure to buy large-sized quilts, getting one for Lin Zhiyin as well.
Seeing Zhao Wendong laden with bags of all sizes, the director of the cooperative let out a whistle of surprise and said with a smile,
"Old Wang, this comrade you brought is quite the big spender! I’ve got another big-ticket item, is he interested?"
Zhao Wendong still had over six hundred yuan left. Hearing this, his eyes lit up and he quickly asked,
"What kind of big-ticket item?"
The director gave a self-satisfied smile.
"A radio."
"I’ll take it!"
Zhao Wendong said without a moment’s hesitation, not even asking the price.
Back then, radios were usually only issued to the Commune headquarters to listen to news and current events. Some wealthier production brigades had managed to get one for themselves, keeping it locked away in the brigade office like a precious treasure. Dragon King Pond Village, however, was a poor village and didn’t have a single one.
The radio cost eighty yuan, but Zhao Wendong bought it without batting an eye. Having lived for decades longer than this lifetime, how could he not understand the importance of information? Sometimes, a few key pieces of news could lead to immense wealth—or even be a matter of life and death.
Amidst an enthusiastic send-off from the director, all the items purchased by Zhao Wendong—the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative’s number one customer—were loaded onto the truck. Without this truck, relying on a horse-drawn sleigh alone, it would have taken four or five trips to haul everything back.
The big truck rumbled its way out of the county seat, barreling toward Qianjin Commune. A little over an hour later, it reached the Commune, where Zhao Wendong first had the driver stop in front of Big Wang’s house.
Big Wang was on high alert when he saw the large truck pull up outside, but his caution turned to shock when he saw Zhao Wendong hop out. He couldn’t help but exclaim,
"Brother, what are you doing here? You even managed to get a truck? You’re incredible!"
Then, as if he’d just realized something, the color drained from his face.
"Holy crap, brother... don’t tell me you’re the one who hauled in thousands of pounds of fish today?"
Zhao Wendong knew there was no hiding it from someone determined to know, so he nodded. "That was us. Just got lucky and ran into a huge school."
"I’m in awe."
Big Wang shot him a thumbs-up. Knowing why Zhao Wendong was there, he cut straight to the chase and had his brother-in-law bring out the two hundred-plus pounds of grain he’d already prepared—mostly potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cornmeal.
"Brother, this is what I owe you. On top of that, you helped your big brother here make a nice profit this time. Since you put so much trust in me, I have to show my appreciation. Here, take this."
He said, holding out a bag. Zhao Wendong took a closer look and was surprised to see it was roasted flour mix for gruel.
He quickly tried to refuse. "Brother Wang, you already gave me pickled cabbage last time. Why are you giving me more? Let’s keep things separate. You saved me a ton of hassle by handling the trade. The profit you made, you earned it. I can’t take this. You keep it for yourself."
The roasted flour mix—made with sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and white sugar, all fried in pure soybean oil—was golden-brown and intensely fragrant. Depending on the region, it could also be roasted to a dark yellow. In those days, it was a special item supplied preferentially to cadres and military families.
The weather in the Northeast was frigid. A bowl of the stuff whisked with boiling water would warm you to the core. If you had guests, serving a bowl of this roasted flour gruel to the elderly or children was a great way to show them honor.
"What, you struck it rich? Too good for this little something from your big brother now, are you?"
Big Wang was practically child-sized next to Zhao Wendong. Seeing him put it that way, Zhao Wendong stopped protesting and accepted the roasted flour mix.
"In that case, thank you, Brother Wang!"
After Zhao Wendong left, Big Wang gave his wife a curious look and asked,
"How come you didn’t get upset that I gave him the roasted flour mix? We were saving that for New Year’s!"
His wife smiled, looking rather pleased with herself.
"I may have never eaten pork, but I’ve seen a pig run. You think I could follow you for all these years and not learn anything? This young brother isn’t just an expert hunter; now he’s pulling in fish, too. That’s a connection we absolutely have to maintain. His two roe deer alone made us enough to buy several bags of that roasted flour. If we stay on good terms with him, we’ll make even more in the future."
Big Wang smiled and nodded. Watching the truck drive away, he added, "You’re right, dear, you’re absolutely right. But there’s one more thing. That kid has connections in the county now. And he pulled in thousands of pounds of fish in one go... This story isn’t over yet."
The truck started up again, only to stop shortly after at the entrance to the procurement station. The station’s main gate was off its hinges, its panels leaning against the courtyard wall. Looking at the mess, Zhao Wendong could easily imagine the scene of a mob rushing in. A cold chill ran down his spine. ’If we had unloaded the fish last night,’ he thought, ’the consequences would have been unthinkable.’
’Zheng Guangrong really shielded me from a lot of trouble this time,’ Zhao Wendong thought. As he entered the courtyard, he shot a curious glance at the big black dog, Dahei. ’This guy usually has so much to say in his head. Why is he lying there so quietly today?’
Hearing the truck, Zheng Guangrong came out to meet them. Without much ceremony, Zhao Wendong loaded the miscellaneous fish and the two seals he had left there onto the truck and prepared to leave. As he was about to go, he and Zheng Guangrong exchanged a look. Everything was understood.
Wang Defa gripped Zhao Wendong’s hand tightly. "Comrade Zhao Wendong, I won’t see you all the way home, as I’d only be a bother. Let the truck take you. It’s perfect, as I need to stay here and sort out some matters at the station."
Zhao Wendong nodded and thanked Wang Defa warmly, then offered him a bag of miscellaneous fish. Most of these were cod. In total, there were just over two bags of them, weighing around fifty to sixty pounds. Zhao Wendong gave him about a fifth of the whole lot.
Wang Defa quickly waved his hands, refusing. Zhao Wendong had delivered a major accomplishment right into his lap; how could he possibly have the nerve to accept a gift on top of that?
Zhao Wendong smiled. "Station Chief Wang treated us in the cafeteria earlier. My brothers and I have been working hard for two days straight, and we’re all big eaters—especially my second brother. I’m afraid we cost you a pretty penny. We caught these fish ourselves. It’s just a small token of our appreciation. Please, accept it!"