Chapter 1076: Cuban cigars

Yang Meng took over the operation of the boat, and the extremely simple small sailboat approached.
However, the people on the ship did not board the ship, but made a request to exchange some food with Xiao Peng and the others.
They were afraid of being sent back after they boarded the ship, and their efforts were lost.
They have been floating at sea for two days, and at this rate, it will take at least two days to reach the Cayman Islands-provided that the boat does not capsize and does not get lost. . . . . .
This is also the disadvantage of going from Youth Island to the Cayman Islands, that is, it is a bit far away. From Cuba Island to the Star Stripes country, it is about a hundred miles, and even someone dared to swim there with a car tire tied to their body! (It’s not an exaggeration. The Cuban smuggler’s guts are not bluffing. Two tires are tied together and a plank is used and they leave.)
Xiao Peng opened his eyes, these people are so cruel! No food or water is brought to the sea, drinking water is rainwater. The food brought some food such as roasted cassava. There was nothing to fish and fish. The limited space on the boat brought Cuba’s
three major specialties
: rum, coffee and cigars. This is exchanged for money after taking it out.
Xiao Peng was too lazy to ask for their things, and asked Xiaoqiu to roast a bag of potatoes in the oven, and gave them some bread and canned luncheon meat.
This is not Xiao Peng's stingy. I really don't know how long they will float. It is not easy for them to store anything else. They can't heat food at sea, and they can't eat meat or anything. And it's still filling your hunger. This so-called ‘smuggling ferry’ has no power except two oars and two small sails. God knows how long it will go on the sea.
Watching the boat go away, Xiao Peng turned his head to return to the cockpit, and saw those documentaries who were still on the deck with rain. Xiao Peng beckoned to Xiaoqiu: "Forget it, get them something to eat, it's not easy to live!"
He returned to the cockpit, where Yang Meng was still teaching Sun Pengcheng how to sail.
"Mengzi, go on!" Xiao Peng threw the contents in his hand to Yang Meng. After Yang Meng took it, it was a large bundle of cigars tied together with plastic tape, about thirty.
Yang Meng sniffed: "Oh, I'm going, this is a good thing. A bag of potatoes for a bunch of handmade cigars? It's a big profit."
One such Cuban handmade cigar is bought outside. According to the quality, the cheaper one costs more than one dollar, and the more expensive one costs more than ten dollars. A bag of baked potatoes and a little bread in exchange for such a cigar, it must be a profit.
Xiao Peng shook his head: "I don't want it, they have to give it to me."
Sun Pengcheng smiled and said: "This thing is not worth money in Cuba. The locals may not be able to buy such a bundle of cigars for a dollar. The Star-Stripe Nation has imposed such a severe blockade on Cuba, so Cuban cigars are expensive. But good things are good things. The day before Kennedy signed a comprehensive economic sanctions decree against Cuba, he asked his secretary to buy him 1,200 Cuban cigars--even if the sanctions were imposed, he would smoke Cuban cigars. Many smugglers would bring some. If the cigar leaves the country, it’s money, isn’t it?"
Yang Meng shook his head and said, "What do these people do when they leave their hometown?"
"Not because of desire?" Sun Pengcheng replied.
"Desire?" Yang Meng didn't understand.
Sun Pengcheng nodded and said: "In fact, it's a habit to be blunt. In fact, Cuba is not as bad as we thought. Because of the year-round material blockade there, Cuba is indeed short of supplies here, but no matter how scarce it is, people can still eat. , You can also enjoy free medical care and education and free housing for all people. People’s basic needs can be met, what else?
Yang Meng was even more confused now: "Then why are they going out?"
Sun Pengcheng explained: "I just said that it was not because of desire. For example, everyone at home eats bread, milk and eggs every day, some people will think: I don't want to eat bread like everyone else, I want to eat beef. But There is no beef here. If you want to eat beef, you have to go outside. Brother Peng, I have been to Havana twice. People there really live a lot easier than people in our country. Anyway, the basic needs are met, why live Are you so tired?"
Yang Meng shrugged:
I heard the media all day long about Cuba’s lack of supplies, food, and poverty, and people’s wages are very low. Is it true?

Sun Pengcheng laughed: "Anyone who said that would have ignorance of the situation or ulterior motives. Cuba and our country were also rationed decades ago. You can buy things by ticket. What kind of food or oil ticket? According to their rations, everyone can eat full without being hungry at all! Their wages are very small. The average job is five hundred pesos a month, and the police is about eight hundred, poor. The wealth gap is very low. The ratio of the blue peso to the renminbi is about 3:1."
Yang Meng frowned while calculating with his fingers, and Xiao Peng smiled angrily: "Are you special? That is, an ordinary person is about 150 yuan a month."
Yang Meng's eyes widened: "Just that little salary? What is enough?"
Sun Pengcheng pointed out the to Yang Mengbi: "Have you considered prices and purchasing power? Three hundred blue pesos here is more comfortable than ours where the monthly salary is over 3,000! Calculated in Renminbi, buy ten eggs for three cents in Cuba. Money, five yuan to buy ten eggs in China. Is there a big gap in purchasing power?"
Yang Meng stared with both eyes: "Dare to beat the to me? Believe it or not, break it for you?"
Sun Pengcheng hurriedly raised his hand to surrender: "Of course, they spend less money, after all, they are more scarce than ours."
Yang Meng was still curious and asked: "According to your opinion, wouldn't it be too cost-effective for us to go there? Our salary this month is enough for them to earn a year's salary. I've become rich when I live here!"
Sun Pengcheng laughed haha: "Mengzi, you really think too much. Do you think the Cuban people are stupid? Brother Peng, do you know why I say that?"
After thinking about it, Xiao Pengtuo said, "Does Cuba also have a currency similar to our country's ‘foreign exchange bills’ and adopt a dual currency system?"
When China first reformed, it adopted a form of currency called ‘foreign exchange bonds’. During the fifteen years from 1980 to 1995, this dual currency system has been adopted-renminbi and foreign exchange bills flowed in the market at the same time. At that time, foreigners who wanted to shop in China had to buy this kind of ‘foreign exchange coupons’ and then go shopping in a specific place.
Sun Pengcheng snapped his fingers: "Brother Peng is still quick to respond. That's right. Cuba also has'foreign exchange bills'. They are called red pesos, and they are priced at the same price as U.S. dollars. But because U.S. dollars are forbidden to circulate in Cuba, if you come to Cuba as a foreigner, It costs this red peso. In other words, it costs US dollars for tourists to come to Cuba, and how high are the prices? A taxi is 30 US dollars an hour, and a three-star hotel is several hundred US dollars a night. The cost of getting here is real. not cheap."
Yang Meng's eyes widened: "Fuck, is this really dark enough?"
Sun Pengcheng smiled and said: "Otherwise, how do you let them mix? Why do so many Cubans run out? Even if it is hard to mix outside, you can pay the family one hundred dollars a month, which is equivalent to giving the family two thousand and four. One hundred blue pesos! And their monthly salary is only three hundred blue pesos, then life is not a drastic change? Okay. Actually, there is no change, because there is nothing to buy. The basic salary of living materials is enough, and you buy other things and buy. I'm sorry."
"Can't afford it? What do you mean?" Yang Meng asked.
Sun Pengcheng explained:
Most of the industrial products here in Cuba are imported, and to buy those things you have to exchange them for red pesos and go to the foreign exchange store to buy them. The prices are very expensive. When I went there, their most popular The TV is a "Panda brand" jointly produced by China and Cuba. A 21-inch remote control color TV is priced at nearly 3,000 yuan there. If they rely on their own wages, they will have to save more than two years without eating or drinking; Taiwan’s Cuba and China’s joint venture electric bicycles cost nearly 6,000 RMB. But they have a peaceful mind, after all, the welfare here is so good. Brother Peng, if your children want to study medicine, it’s definitely good to send them to Cuba to attend a medical university. The choice, let alone the high level of medical science here, even foreign students here enjoy free medical treatment! If there is an illness or disaster while going to school here, it really costs nothing for hospitalization and surgery. No money! They are in charge of the sick meal and everything when you are in the hospital. Absolutely, what is this? Mengzi, what is this? Why is this light on?"
Yang Meng walked to him and picked up the walkie-talkie: "This is the China Fishing Boat "Vladimir". Who is asking for the call?"
A man on the intercom said, "This is the Sea Aid One at the Georgetown Sea Rescue Center. We received your rescue signal. I don't know what happened?"
Yang Meng curled his lips at Xiao Peng: "The call for help sent four hours ago, we are only contacting now." After saying that, he picked up the walkie-talkie: "'Haiyuan No.1', just now we have a ship carrying Star Striped Nation Exploration The small cruise ship of the channel documentary filming team has been involved in an accident. All passengers have been rescued and no one was injured. The ship has sunk. We are going to Cuba now. You'd better take the person who fell into the water."
"Accept the request,'Vladimir', please tell you where you are now."
"Panama to Cuba N423 channel, coordinate 4491."
"Very well, we will be there soon."
Yang Meng put down the walkie-talkie: "Damn, who is it? It took four hours to contact us after seeing our rescue signal, but when we heard that the Stars and Stripes countrymen fell into the water, it was ‘coming soon’..."
Xiao Peng smiled and patted Yang Meng on the shoulder: "Don't mind this, Mengzi, I will give you a glorious and difficult task."
"What?" Yang Meng looked puzzled.
Xiao Peng pointed to the direction of the deck: "Educate those people, let them come to the rescue, don't talk nonsense!"
"Leave it to me!"