Ivan goes to Barracks 7 to buy some tobacco, thinking about the differences between the "special" camp and the previous camps he has known. In the "special" camp, prisoners do not get paid, while in Ust-Izhma, he was given at least thirty rubles a month. Here, Ivan makes extra money by doing odd jobs, such as making slippers for two rubles, or patching up jackets. He uses the money to buy tobacco at inflated prices from prisoners who get packages from home.
In the barracks of the Latvian from whom he buys his tobacco, Ivan listens to a conversation about the Korean War before he approaches his supplier. Then, he craftily haggles for as much tobacco as he can get into his shaving mug, the standard measure for such transactions. In between, he overhears other prisoners making derogatory comments about Stalin, and he contemplates the fact that the inmates of "special" camps are allowed much more freedom of expression than those in a "regular" camp, where such a remark would have been severely punished. There is, however, not much spare time to use this "freedom."
When Ivan gets back to his own barracks, he sees Caesar Markovich spread out the contents of his package on his bunk. Caesar has received some sausage, canned milk, a large smoked fish, sugar, butter, cigarettes, and some pipe tobacco — an unimaginable treasure for Ivan. Caesar generously lets Ivan keep his (Caesar's) supper bread ration, and Ivan is happy with this gift. He rationalizes to himself that packages create quite a bit of trouble for the people who receive them. They have to share their good fortune with many others — the guards, the gang boss, the barber, and the doctor. Ivan considers all this a mixed blessing. He is happy that he does not rely on other people. He does not envy Caesar, as many of the other prisoners do.
