boyutpedia Chapter 383 Price Opening: The Price Challenge Has Truly Arrived
Chapter 383 Price Opening: The Price Challenge Has Truly Arrived
Lin Wufeng patiently explained, "Take it all out. We also have treasury bonds at home; sell them and get cash from them."
Upon hearing this, Song Ying frowned even more deeply. "The treasury bonds haven't matured yet. No way, Wu Feng, it would be such a bad deal to sell them."
Looking at Song Ying's wrinkled little face, Lin Wufeng quickly explained in a soft voice.
“Sell them all. Treasury bonds have a fixed face value. With prices rising so wildly outside, keeping them at home is just a way for them to depreciate. Oh, and send Dongzhe another five hundred dollars.”
Song Ying sighed and leaned gently against Lin Wufeng's shoulder. "Wufeng, I'll listen to you then. But when will prices stabilize?"
Lin Wufeng gently patted Song Ying's hand. "This is going to be a long battle. But don't worry too much, tomorrow is Sunday, I'll go with you to take care of these things."
. . . . . . . .
It's seven o'clock in the morning.
Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying ate a few bites.
There were still over six hundred yuan in change at home. Huang Ling carefully counted out two hundred yuan, put it into her handbag, and after putting the money away, she looked up at the wall clock. "Chao Ying, it's eight o'clock."
Zhuang Chaoying responded while quickly putting on her coat and picking up the vegetable basket in the corner. Inside the basket were several net bags, which were the "equipment" she would need to buy goods later.
He walked quickly to the door and followed behind Huang Ling. "Let's go, Ling."
The two pushed open the door and happened to see that the door opposite them was also open.
Song Ying greeted her with a smile. "Sister Ling, let's go. We're going to buy a lot today. Teacher Wu Fengzhuang is counting on the two of you to push your way forward."
Zhuang Chaoying smiled and patted her chest. "Of course, Lin and I will definitely do the physical work."
He rode the motorcycle, and Huang Ling sat on the back seat, her arms gently wrapped around his waist.
Behind them, Lin Gong rode the tricycle he had borrowed from Xiao Wang at the convenience store. Song Ying sat on the tricycle, and Lin Gong pedaled hard as they headed towards the People's Department Store.
When they arrived at the People's Department Store, they could see a large crowd already gathered at the entrance.
Zhuang Chaoying parked the car on the opposite side of the road.
"Sister Ling, Wu Feng and I are going to the bank first."
Huang Ling quickly grabbed Song Ying's hand and nodded, saying, "Okay, you two go ahead, Chao Ying and I will line up to save you seats."
Zhuang Chaoying reached out and took the cloth bag containing money from Huang Ling's body, while carrying a vegetable basket in her hand. "Ah Ling, just stand over there. There are too many people here, so you'd better not squeeze in."
Then, relying on her strong physique, Zhuang Chaoying dodged and weaved through the crowded people, finally managing to squeeze into a spot near the door.
He stood on tiptoe, looking in Huang Ling's direction, thinking about taking half a day off tomorrow to accompany Ling to the hospital.
With one hand covering the cloth bag, and the other hand holding the vegetable basket high above her head, afraid of being crushed by so many people.
The bank opens at 8:00 AM, while the People's Department Store opens at 9:00 AM.
The public now has a strong expectation of rising prices.
In August 1987, the above-mentioned preliminary plan on price and wage reform was discussed and approved.
In today's market economy where prices are determined, it means that whoever has the ability and resources can obtain scarce commodities.
This directly led to fierce competition for raw materials between private and state-owned enterprises outside the system, creating a very unfair competitive environment.
State-owned enterprises continued to operate according to the old production and management model, putting them at a clear disadvantage in this competition, and their business conditions became increasingly sluggish.
Faced with this situation, the authorities must come up with a solution. After all, state-owned enterprises are the "own children" and an important pillar of economic development, and cannot be ignored.
This meeting made a major decision: to abolish the dual-track pricing system, completely open up the market, and allow prices to be regulated by the market. This marked the true beginning of the price reform.
Starting in March, the prices of various commodities in Shanghai rose by 20% to 30%, and Suzhou followed suit. All sorts of rumors spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Suzhou, making everyone extremely anxious.
The situation is not yet completely out of control; things will only get really crazy in the second half of the year.
Zhuang Chaoying was squeezed in the crowded throng, finding it hard to breathe. People around her were pressed tightly together, each hoping to rush in the moment the mall opened.
After withdrawing the money, Lin Wufeng quickly pulled Song Ying back to the mall entrance.
At this moment, the crowd at the entrance grew larger and larger, and the noise grew louder and louder.
Lin Wufeng leaned closer to Song Ying and whispered in her ear, "Song Ying, I'll squeeze in first to buy some daily necessities. You and Sister Ling can wait until most people have gone in before you go in. The gold counter shouldn't be too crowded." Song Ying nodded obediently.
Then he gently took Huang Ling's arm.
Standing on the street opposite the People's Department Store, watching the crowds thronging the entrance, they felt a growing sense of unease. This price control measure was truly terrifying.
Lin Wufeng exerted a great deal of effort, using all his strength, to push through the crowd and finally squeeze to Zhuang Chaoying's side.
He was panting heavily. "Teacher Zhuang, there were so many people at the bank, but luckily I managed to squeeze to the front."
Zhuang Chaoying patted Lin Wufeng on the shoulder. "Engineer Lin, what are you planning to buy?"
Lin Wufeng leaned against Zhuang Chaoying and whispered, "I'll buy some daily necessities first, and then I'll go to the gold counter."
Zhuang Chaoying nodded, understanding that in this era of soaring prices, buying gold was indeed a good way to preserve value.
He looked at Lin Wufeng and earnestly instructed him, "Engineer Lin, stay close to me for a while."
Soon, the mall doors opened. Zhuang Chaoying, carrying A-Ling's cloth bag, rushed into the mall without hesitation, with Engineer Lin close behind him.
Their eyes burned with fanaticism and terror as they rushed to the various counters without regard for their own safety.
Rice, flour, cooking oil, and daily necessities—anything sold in the mall was snapped up by everyone.
People were shouting, pushing and shoving, jostling to get to the counter.
Zhuang Chaoying and Lin Wufeng also struggled to buy things in the crowd, squeezing to the front of the counter and asking the sales clerk to help them get the goods.
They grabbed ten bars of soap, carried twenty bags of laundry detergent, five bottles of soy sauce, ten towels, ten pounds of toilet paper, and twenty boxes of matches... They stuffed all sorts of daily necessities into their net bags.
When Huang Ling and Song Ying entered the mall, they saw Zhuang Chaoying carrying five net bags of various sizes in both hands, her hands were so full that she could barely hold them all.
Song Ying whispered a few words in Huang Ling's ear, and then quickly followed Lin Wufeng toward the gold counter.
Upon arriving at the gold counter, Lin Wufeng inquired, "Hello, what's the current price of gold per gram?"
The sales clerk at the gold counter looked them up and down, then answered slowly and deliberately, "Fifty-two dollars and twenty-eight cents."
. . .