Chapter 45: The Dawn of the Ration Ticket Era

Chapter 45: The Dawn of the Ration Ticket Era

Early the next morning, He Yuzhu rose bright and early to prepare breakfast for Yushui. Coupled with the seafood feast they had just enjoyed the night before, Yushui had eaten quite a bit of seafood over the past few days. For today, He Yuzhu prepared millet porridge, meat buns, and a small dish of seasoned pickles.

After everything was ready, he woke Yushui up. Following breakfast, he took her to his master’s home, picked up Xiaohu, and saw them off to school.

The previous night, he had asked his second senior fellow apprentice to invite Wang Dong to have dinner at He Yuzhu’s place this evening, as a gesture of gratitude for helping obtain the travel permit.

By evening, after picking up Yushui, He Yuzhu began preparing the seafood feast. He kept it simple rather than overly elaborate, opting for a straightforward steaming method.

After the meal, the three of them sat in the courtyard to chat.

He Yuzhu asked, "Brother Dong, what have you been busy with lately?"

Wang Dong replied, "What else could it be? Meetings all day long, communicating new policies."

"Oh, that's right," Wang Dong said, patting his forehead. "Starting next month, they are issuing flour purchase certificates. Buying flour will require a certificate, and supply will be rationed."

Hearing Wang Dong's words, He Yuzhu realized that the era of ration tickets was truly beginning. Before long, people would start trading various items in exchange for flour. He would also be able to slowly begin acquiring antiques.

The second senior fellow apprentice chimed in, "Why would we need a certificate just to buy flour? Is something going on?"

Wang Dong answered, "I'm not entirely clear on the details. I only heard that some people were hoarding and speculating. To avoid chaos, the higher-ups decided to restrict purchases, though whether that's the real reason, I can't say for sure."

He Yuzhu deliberately asked, "How long will the restrictions last?"

Wang Dong replied, "The authorities didn't say, and I have no idea how long it will take."

He Yuzhu pressed on, "If it's rationed, what's the limit? If the quota is small, should I go stock up on some now, otherwise there won't be enough to eat."

The second senior fellow apprentice echoed, "Zhuzi is right. We should buy a bit more now while we can, so we don't fall short."

Wang Dong looked at the two of them and said, "Buying a little more now is fine, but don't overdo it, lest you draw unwanted attention."

The second senior fellow apprentice said, "Then I'll go buy some more tomorrow. If we wait, we might not be able to get any."

***

The next day, He Yuzhu arrived early at the grain store and saw quite a crowd lined up outside. It seemed there were plenty of people with well-informed sources. Combined with onlookers who simply joined the queue because others were doing so, a very long line formed in no time.

He Yuzhu looked at the crowded queue outside the grain store and decided not to join the hustle and bustle. The news had already leaked, and the commotion at the grain store would undoubtedly draw the attention of the government, which would surely come up with countermeasures. Buying a large quantity at once was out of the question, and running around to multiple stores wouldn't guarantee anything either, as other shops would likely have lines just as long, and the stock would probably sell out before his turn came.

For several days running, the flour in the grain stores sold out early. Rumors began flying everywhere. People said all sorts of things—some claimed that certain regions were suffering from natural disasters, while others whispered that the grain reserves had been mysteriously emptied out. Meanwhile, at the free market outside the city, a fair amount of flour began appearing at inflated prices.

Personnel from both the sub-district office and the neighborhood committee started summoning the courtyard managers, instructing them to return to their respective compounds to dispel the rumors and explain the official policies.

On this particular day, He Yuzhu was resting at home when he heard a knock on the door. He went out to see who it was. Opening the door, he found Aunt Li from the neighborhood committee.

"Ah, it's Aunt Li. Please, come in," He Yuzhu warmly invited.

"I won't come in, I still have to visit other families in a moment. I just wanted to drop by and tell you at the door: starting next month, you need to go to the neighborhood committee to collect your flour purchase certificate, and all future purchases will require it. Don't forget," Aunt Li said, and hurried off in a flurry of activity.

Watching Aunt Li rush off to notify the next household, He Yuzhu closed the door and returned inside.

The era of ration tickets had truly arrived. He Yuzhu went out and headed to the free market outside the city to check out the current market conditions.

At the free market, he spotted several people selling flour. He did not approach them, because his spiritual perception detected that while a few individuals were tending stalls, their eyes kept darting toward those selling flour. It was impossible to tell who they were.

He Yuzhu walked up to a book stall, pretending to browse for books, while keeping his spiritual awareness fixed on the surrounding commotion. Suddenly, an acquaintance appeared—his senior sister's husband, Zhou Jianye. Dressed in plain clothes, Zhou was interacting with the vendors at those stalls and occasionally glancing closely at the flour sellers. It looked like the police had their eyes on those individuals.

He Yuzhu stopped probing, bought a few comic books, and left. Just as he reached the outer perimeter, a wave of chaos erupted inside. Moments later, he saw a man sprinting forward, pursued closely by two people—one of whom was Zhou Jianye.

He Yuzhu quickly stepped aside to clear the way, avoiding getting caught in the crossfire. Yet, fate would have it that the fleeing man bolted straight toward his direction.

"Stop! Stop right there, or I'll open fire!" the pursuer behind shouted.

"Get out of the way! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of my way!" the man in front yelled, brandishing a knife. He clearly didn't believe the people behind him would dare to fire a gun in a crowd.

Seeing that he was about to break through the crowd, all he needed to do was dash into a small alley to shake off his pursuers.

Just as the man broke through the crowd, a look of wild elation flashing in his eyes as he raced past He Yuzhu, He Yuzhu—operating on the principle that eliminating a future competitor was always a good idea—quietly stuck out a foot and hooked the fleeing man's ankle, tripping him flat onto the ground.

The fleeing man flew two meters through the air before crashing face-first into the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust. The impact looked intensely painful. Before he could even recover his senses, the pursuers caught up and pinned him down with a textbook takedown.

***

After tying the man up and handing him over to others to take away, Zhou Jianye stood up and turned to thank the citizen who had stepped in to help. Recognizing He Yuzhu, he said, "Zhuzi, it's you! Thanks to your help, otherwise that guy would have gotten away."

He Yuzhu replied, "Oh, I recognized you, so I just stuck out a foot and tripped him. With such a commotion, what's going on here?"

"Why are you asking about that?" Zhou Jianye questioned.

He Yuzhu said, "Just curious. If it's inconvenient to say, never mind."

Zhou Jianye leaned in closer to He Yuzhu and lowered his voice. "Nothing inconvenient about it; everyone will know by tomorrow. This gang colluded with the grain store and the flour mill to illegally resell flour. The grain store manager was reported, and after the investigation was cleared up, we closed the net today."

He Yuzhu remarked, "With such a big operation, I thought you were catching enemy spies."

Zhou Jianye retorted with an amused huff, "These fellows are simply blind. The policy just came down, and they're already trying to stir up trouble. If we don't crack down on them, who else would we deal with?"

"Alright, I've got to head back. You should hurry home too, and stay off the streets for a while," Zhou Jianye said before turning to leave.

He Yuzhu obediently replied, "I'm heading right back."

Having already scouted the market conditions earlier, He Yuzhu noted that thanks to the effective publicity campaigns by the sub-district and neighborhood committees, the price of flour inside the free market had dropped considerably compared to when rumors were running rampant. It was only slightly more expensive than at the grain store.

Since ration-based supply had not officially commenced and supply and demand were not yet critically tight, the old aristocrats and traditional elites who were accustomed to refined grains did not yet have an overwhelming demand to hoard flour.

Moreover, the government would undoubtedly keep a tight grip on the market for the next little while. Anyone caught buying or selling flour in large quantities would face heavy crackdowns to prevent hostile elements from exploiting the situation to cause unrest.

Selling flour yielded low profit margins while carrying massive risks—the rewards simply did not justify the peril. It was far better to stay put, keep a low profile, and wait to see how things developed over the coming period.

Having reasoned this out, He Yuzhu turned back toward the market. Earlier, he had noticed an old man selling a set of carving tools. Over recent days, He Yuzhu had been using radishes at home to practice his carving skills.

After acquiring the complete set of carving knives, He Yuzhu left the market and headed home.