Chapter 272: Loading Seafood

Li Feng brought Zhou Dafu to the seafood wholesale dock, where all the seafood had just been freshly caught by fishermen. Not only was it fresh, but the variety was abundant too.

The only downside was that the current refrigeration conditions weren’t great, so much of the seafood couldn’t be preserved for long. They could only use some ice to keep it cool, but even that wouldn’t last very long. Because of this, seafood remained a rarity in Forty-nine City.

Even though the two cities were right next to each other and quite close in distance.

When the dock manager saw a truck arrive, he came over to ask, “Comrades, what brings you to the seafood wholesale dock?”

“Comrade, we’re from the Steel Plant. We’ve come to transport a batch of seafood back,” Li Feng replied.

He also pulled out a cigarette and handed it over. When you’re in unfamiliar territory, it’s always helpful to build good relations with the locals.

The manager didn’t stand on ceremony. He took the cigarette and lit it right away, then said, “So you’re from the steel plant. You can go in. Is this your first time here?”

It was only because of the cigarette that he asked an extra question.

Li Feng nodded, indicating that this was indeed their first visit.

The manager called out, “Xiao Yang, take the comrades from the steel plant to load their goods.”

“Got it,” another man responded.

Xiao Yang led the way, and before long they reached the designated loading area. There were other trucks waiting as well.

Li Feng wasn’t surprised to see this; he knew he wouldn’t be the only one here to pick up goods. The only question was whether the loading process would be fast or not—if it was slow, they might have to wait until after midnight to get their shipment.

Xiao Yang reminded them, “You have to queue up. Otherwise, the workers won’t help you load the goods.”

Zhou Dafu suggested, “Master Li, why don’t you rest for a bit? I’ll wait in line, and when it’s our turn, I’ll wake you up.”

After all, Master Li had been driving the truck all day and was probably completely worn out.

Truck drivers didn’t have it easy. Their job looked glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it involved eating in the wind and sleeping out in the open. The worst situations were when the truck broke down in the middle of nowhere, with no village or shop in sight.

And the most dangerous situation, of course, was running into highway robbers. Law and order weren’t great in those days, especially in poor, remote areas. Big cities were relatively safer.

Li Feng didn’t refuse. He just reminded Zhou Dafu, “Alright, but make sure you stay alert.”

It looked like he was really exhausted—he had barely laid down when the sound of snoring started.

Zhou Dafu didn’t have a watch and had no idea how long he’d been waiting. During that time, he kept nodding off. If it weren’t for the task keeping him on edge, he probably would’ve fallen asleep too.

People tended to go to bed early in those days—once it got late, sleepiness was inevitable.

Zhou Dafu was no exception.

Other than a few special jobs, most people didn’t have to work night shifts. It wasn’t like in future decades, when many factories ran two shifts to save costs and maximize profits by keeping the machines running nonstop.

After who knows how long, Zhou Dafu patted Li Feng. “Master Li, it’s our turn.”

Li Feng opened his bleary eyes, probably just waking up. He still looked a bit dazed. “It’s our turn?”

He washed his face with water from the thermos, and once he felt more awake, he started moving the truck. Under the guidance of the workers, it was soon backed into position.

Li Feng got out of the truck to chat with the loading workers a bit. After all, they were all here for seafood—he couldn’t go back empty-handed. Even if he didn’t make any side money, he had to at least bring some home for the family to enjoy.

Besides, every time they went out like this, they would bring back a bit of goods for internal use in the transport department.

Zhou Dafu had originally planned to get out too, but he was just too tired and ended up falling asleep right there in his seat.

Li Feng got out and walked over to the workers, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and greeting them with a smile. “Comrades, have a smoke and take a little break!”

The workers were used to this sort of thing. They had seen it countless times, so they didn’t stand on ceremony either. They took the cigarettes and lit up right away.

Only then did Li Feng ask, “Comrade, I’d like to privately purchase a bit of seafood—would that be alright?”

He knew there were always some items that weren’t part of the official quota, and those didn’t require ration tickets. That was exactly what he was aiming for.

The workers didn’t seem surprised. One of the leaders replied, “Sure. What do you want? Go ahead and pick some out, and we’ll tally up the price at the end.”

At this time, seafood wasn’t considered valuable along the coast.

People living inland might not have much meat, but coastal folks never lacked fish and meat.

Li Feng nodded and began picking. All the seafood here was mixed together—no single type was sorted out. The fishing techniques of the time weren’t advanced, so the daily catch was never that much.

Before long, he had picked out a big basket of sea fish, each one pretty hefty, the smallest at least three or four jin.

“I’m done picking. Would you mind telling me how much this’ll cost?” Li Feng asked.

The man glanced at the basket and replied, “Not worth much, and no ticket needed. If you want it, just give five yuan and we’ll help load it onto the truck.”

In fact, the ice was worth more than the fish. What they were charging was essentially just the cost of the ice.

Li Feng was delighted and nodded in agreement.

That big basket of sea fish weighed at least a hundred jin, and they only charged five yuan.

And Li Feng understood—of those five yuan, part of it probably went toward the ice. That came out to less than five cents per jin.

“Deal!”

He knew how to be courteous too—he not only paid the five yuan but also handed over two extra packs of Da Qianmen cigarettes.

Suddenly, Li Feng spotted something unfamiliar and asked in a low voice, “What’s this?”

He had been to quite a few places, but had never seen anything like it.

The man explained, “This is an oyster.”

Oysters—also known as raw oysters—were, in later years, hyped up as a beauty salon for women and a gas station for men. But that was a bit exaggerated.

Still, it couldn’t be denied that oysters were rich in nutrients. They were full of vitamins and minerals, especially trace elements like selenium and zinc.

Reportedly, oysters had the highest zinc content of all human foods. This was crucial for nerve cells, vital for maintaining male reproductive health, and also beneficial to child development.

“Want some? I’ll give you a basket too. But this stuff doesn’t keep well—best to eat it quickly.” The man, thanks to those two packs of cigarettes, took the initiative to share a basket.

Not many people ate oysters at the time. Coastal folks were okay with them, but inland residents likely wouldn’t be used to the taste.

Eating oysters back then wasn’t like today, where people grill them. Most would just cook them plain. No garlic, no fancy seasonings—it’d be a stretch to call them delicious.

Li Feng figured, meat is meat—no point in turning it down.

“Great, thanks comrade!”

“No problem. Next time you come to pick up goods, you can come find me directly,” the man said.

Especially when it came to private purchases.

“Absolutely, definitely.”

(End of Chapter)