As Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan’s joint efforts had predicted, when Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan handed over two large, full baskets of goods for exchange to Madam, Madam’s eyes widened in surprise. She picked up each item, examining it closely, then looked at it again. She seemed to fall in love with every single item, reluctant to put any of them down. In short, she loved them all. This was because every item was something her family needed in their daily lives!
Even though she liked everything, Madam was not greedy. She only selected a few items that her family urgently needed and were of equivalent value, then stopped. Chen Lan mused, people in this era, both domestically and abroad, were truly very simple and honest.
Once the exchange was complete, the three of them didn’t linger. Madam, carrying the exchanged items, led the couple and boarded the horse-drawn carriage she had arrived in. They left Pogranichny town and galloped towards a farm about ten kilometers away.
The carriage was fast. In about half an hour, they quickly arrived at the farm. Madam drove the carriage directly to the office of the person in charge. With Madam’s introduction, the couple soon met the collective farm head and other farm officials. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the couple’s arrival. They shook hands with the couple one by one and said a lot of welcoming words in a jumble of sounds.
They then all sat down to discuss the details of the exchange. When they saw the samples the couple had brought for exchange, especially the medicine, they were greatly surprised. After they learned the prices of the various exchanged samples, they were even more stunned by how low they were. Their attitude became even more enthusiastic and attentive! Naturally, the exchange went exceptionally smoothly, and both parties quickly reached an agreement.
Chen Lan suddenly realized, at this time, whether domestically or internationally, it was an era of medical and drug shortages. The sale of medicine in the Soviet Union, and in fact in any country worldwide, was a highly profitable business.
While Xu Mingxuan was conversing with them in their native tongue, Chen Lan sat quietly on the side. However, she had opened the simultaneous interpretation device she kept in her thick cotton coat pocket and had already put on her earphones. Therefore, she could hear almost everything Xu Mingxuan was discussing with them.
Naturally, the farm head and his colleagues were very willing to exchange with the couple for such high-quality and low-priced goods. This was because the price set by the Soviet Union for compulsory grain procurement was extremely low, while the state’s purchase quota was too high. In reality, at this time, the Soviet Union enforced a mandatory policy of forced buying and selling in grain acquisition, which severely dampened the enthusiasm of the collective farm members, making them unwilling to exert themselves on the collective farm.
And it was extremely difficult to obtain rewards for exceeding the planned production. So, in the end, they had essentially worked hard for a year for nothing, making a loss while doing it. Such policies severely discouraged the collective farm members.
Therefore, they had discussed amongst themselves that it would be better to use the abundant corn harvest this year to exchange for daily necessities for the farm members. They wouldn’t need ration coupons to queue at the town’s cooperative, and the goods brought by the couple were not only much cheaper than those at the cooperative but also of much better quality!
Finally, the collective farm officials reached a consensus. After deliberation, the officials unanimously decided that, except for the portion of the collective farm’s corn harvest that was mandatory to be handed over, and after setting aside a small portion for the collective farm itself, the remaining fifteen thousand jin of corn would all be exchanged with Xu Mingxuan and his wife for goods.
Xu Mingxuan then said to them, "We also need a large quantity of fish and meat or meat products. We wonder if your farm could provide some of the surplus for exchange."
They indicated that they could immediately arrange for people to catch fish from the river for the couple. As for meat, after fulfilling their quota, they had no surplus. Since winter was approaching, they had to reserve the remaining portion for the collective farm members to get through the winter.
The couple didn’t insist on the meat then. Thus, Xu Mingxuan confirmed with the farm head the types and quantities of goods to be exchanged and agreed that the exchange would take place the next morning between nine and ten o'clock.
The farm head’s requirement was that Xu Mingxuan and his wife needed to arrange their own vehicle to pick up the goods from the collective farm. This was to deliver the exchanged goods and, at the same time, to transport the corn and fish back.
After the matters were settled, as the other collective farm officials left, the couple also stood up, preparing to bid farewell. Before leaving, Chen Lan tugged at Xu Mingxuan’s sleeve and gestured with her mouth. Xu Mingxuan immediately understood and nodded. He took out the four-piece bedding set from Chen Lan’s basket, which Chen Lan had prepared long ago, and said to the farm head and Madam, who were escorting the couple out, "Madam, Head, this is a wedding gift from my wife and me to your daughter."
The farm head and Madam were extremely touched upon hearing this. They offered a flood of grateful words and enthusiastically invited the couple to attend their daughter's wedding next month.
Xu Mingxuan happily agreed, "Head, Madam, if my wife and I are still in Pogranichny town next month, we will definitely attend."
Finally, the farm head said enthusiastically to Xu Mingxuan, "Xu, my dear friend, there are eighteen collective farms in the Pogranichny district. I am quite familiar with the heads of several neighboring collective farms; they are all old friends of mine. I happen to have some free time in the next few days. Do you and your wife need any help? I can take you to visit the other collective farms. Exchanging grain should not be a problem."
When Xu Mingxuan and his wife heard about this wonderful opportunity, they naturally agreed readily and thanked him profusely. With the head’s connections and introductions, much trouble could be avoided. This way, they believed the grain exchange matter would be resolved quickly.
The couple bid farewell to the farm head and Madam and walked away. After walking a considerable distance from the farm, to a secluded spot, Chen Lan opened the system warehouse with her mind and took out the motorcycle she had specially prepared. She had designed its appearance and style to resemble the Soviet-produced motorcycles of 1957. She had specifically hired professionals in the system to modify it. It looked very much like China’s earliest manufactured Changjiang 750 three-wheeled motorcycle. This was a classic three-wheeled motorcycle model that spanned over half a century.
As soon as Xu Mingxuan saw the motorcycle, his eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately looked eager to try it out, preparing to get on and test it.