In Ding Yun's third year of university, the General Grain Administration, pressured by the nation's dwindling grain reserves which were nearing the lowest alert level, had no choice but to revise the grain ration standards again.
This was the third revision.
The first revision altered the scope of grain rations. Initially, rations only covered staple grains. The price of coarse grains had risen, but they could still be purchased without limits. After the revision, both coarse and staple grains were included within the grain ration system.
The purchase of all coarse and staple grain foods required grain coupons. This included items like soy products.
Buckwheat, oat flakes, and similar items were also included.
Even bean sprouts had to be purchased with grain coupons plus additional payment.
The second revision adjusted the ration portions. This time, the grain ration portions were further refined. Heavy manual laborers received sixty catties, while intellectual laborers received forty to fifty catties. Even genders were differentiated; men's portions were reduced slightly less, while women's portions were reduced more significantly.
However, women received an additional monthly nourishment subsidy.
Pregnant women's portions would also be increased appropriately.
In essence, the grain ration portions were meticulously divided to the most suitable level for each individual, tightening any discretionary leeway in grain distribution in an effort to further reduce waste.
The latest revision was a last resort, necessitating another reduction in everyone's grain ration portions.
The average reduction was around fifteen percent.
Additionally, coupon systems for meat and other items began to be introduced. This was because the price of meat had risen to an outrageous extent, so much so that ordinary citizens could barely afford it. If this continued, the situation would evolve into a scenario where the wealthy enjoyed lavish meat dishes without concern for staple grains, while ordinary people could barely maintain subsistence.
This could even lead to malnutrition.
With extreme weather events occurring so frequently, if people are not only underfed but also malnourished, they are highly susceptible to being taken away by extreme weather. This was a problem the authorities had to consider. To prioritize the welfare of the majority,
The General Grain and Oil Administration had to introduce more types of coupons.
Based on the most scientific ratios and ensuring the minimum standard to avoid malnutrition, each person would receive fixed amounts of various coupons monthly. All food enterprises and industries were taken over, and food prices were forcibly lowered.
While this approach imposed restrictions on purchases, requiring various coupons and limiting quantities, it at least brought prices down, making them affordable for most people.
For example, pork.
Previously, the price of streaky pork had soared to 148 yuan per jin. This was for ordinary streaky pork, not black pig streaky pork or premium aromatic pig streaky pork, just the most common kind.
At this price, how many families could afford to buy it daily?
Even buying it two or three times a month would cause financial pain.
Now, with meat coupons, the average monthly portion per person was around three jin. Although a family of three's combined monthly portion wouldn't reach ten jin, the price had indeed come down to twenty-odd yuan per jin.
And this was actually the best-case scenario.
It was only at this point that most families truly began to be meticulous, unwilling to waste even a speck. They started to no longer disdain pork rind or fatty meat.
This was manifested in how potatoes were no longer peeled with ultra-sharp knives, but rather scraped with chopsticks, or simply washed clean and eaten unpeeled.
Radish greens were not discarded but pickled into preserved vegetables.
Cucumber peels were definitely no longer eaten.
The trash bins were virtually free of heaps of discarded vegetable leaves that had turned yellow or were no longer fresh.
Only then did many people vaguely recall how much they had wasted in the past on food that was actually fine, edible, but simply disliked by them personally, or just looked less fresh and aesthetically unappealing.
Suddenly, many people began to confess their past wastefulness online.
Confessing how wasteful they had been in the past.
"I used to peel at least two or three outer leaves off each napa cabbage, reducing its size by at least a circle. The base was cut off in a large chunk. Thinking about it now, it was such a waste.
Those parts were perfectly edible..."
"I am also guilty. In the past, I would discard the pork rind when eating pork because I disliked it. Some fatty meat or parts that looked less desirable.
The dried parts of lean meat were also cut off by me!
Now, even eating large pieces of fatty meat feels delicious."
"With these extreme weather events, are the heavens punishing us for throwing away so much leftover food and ingredients every day in the past! I was in the business of collecting leftovers and swill from restaurants. Years ago, big and small restaurants discarded countless amounts of leftover food and ingredients annually. Saying half was eaten and half was thrown away was not an exaggeration at all.
Only now, with less food, has the amount of swill decreased.
But it hasn't completely stopped.
This indicates that some people are still wasting food now!"
"You people are hilarious. Just admit you're poor and can't afford things, don't talk about waste. Do truly wealthy people lack food and drink because of these coupons? We still eat a bowl and throw one away.
You can't envy them, hehe..."
"We were truly too wasteful in the past. I used to think my grandparents were too stingy for not throwing this away and not discarding that. But now I see it wasn't that they were too stingy, but that we hadn't experienced hardship or hunger."
"What's the point of talking about past waste now? The past is gone. Can we magically turn what has become swill and fertilizer back into food? There are no regret pills in this world. We can only be thrifty now.
Does anyone have any tips to share!"
"I strongly suggest everyone grow their own food. While rice and wheat can't be grown at home, it's perfectly feasible to plant some strawberries and lettuce on the balcony.
Green onions and garlic can also be grown."
"The weather has changed too much. Some popular planting guides and strategies online are now obsolete. I recommend checking the agricultural science academy forums for the latest home planting guides. They recommend home planting varieties based on regional environmental changes.
Theoretically, as long as you plant according to the instructions, you won't fail, as these are guides issued by the agricultural science academy."
"It's good that we're here!"
"Why such a sudden感慨?"
"Something happened in the U.S. two hours ago. Citizens were unhappy about the suspension of relief supplies, and nationwide looting has begun. Several influencers who were flaunting their wealth and wasting food a while ago had their entire families wiped out.
A while ago, they still had the nerve to criticize us."
"Didn't similar things happen years ago in those countries with small land areas and large populations that have always relied on imported grain? Their countries have already collapsed.
The situation in the U.S. was predictable.
Since they are far away, it won't affect us!"
"It's hard to say. I'm really afraid some countries might go mad and, despite being the cause of their own misfortune, not want to see others fare well..."
"I have compressed biscuits for sale, PM me if interested!"