The accountant flipped through the work score book.
She called everyone's name one by one.
Those whose names were called would carry the baskets and carry the food, while Lu Jianguo and the vice-captain and the storekeeper would help distribute the food. The storekeeper would put the food into a sack, and the vice-captain would drag it out the door.
Lu Jianguo was in charge of weighing the weights.
After weighing the grain and pouring it into the member's basket, every year on this day,
This was the busiest time for Lu Jianguo and the others. They didn't even have time to take a sip of water.
Since they couldn't even eat, they didn't talk much and just did what they were supposed to do. Unlike the smiling club members, they had serious expressions on their faces.
This year's harvest was good, so the members could get a few dozen catties of food.
Everyone's faces were brimming with smiles. Those who couldn't get home in one trip had to make two or three trips.
Carrying a wicker basket,
His steps were steadier than ever.
They did not dare to think about how they had survived the past two years.
Take the year before last.
When the grain was not distributed, everyone had hope in their hearts. But when the grain was distributed, the hope in their hearts almost turned into despair. The weather was bad, the harvest was bad, and the grain was not enough for the whole family. Everyone frowned and sighed, not knowing what to do.
How could it be like now? His wicker basket was filled to the brim, and it was so heavy that it made him feel good.
The club members stretched their necks excitedly, waiting for the accountant to call their names. Their skinny bodies straightened up, and their tanned faces lit up with joy. Everyone was in a good mood. Every time the accountant opened his mouth, the storage room would immediately fall silent, afraid that he would miss his name. When the person called walked up the eaves, everyone would start chattering non-stop.
In comparison, the pig farm seemed a little deserted. Li Xuemei was flipping through the Chinese textbook to teach Lu Dewen and the others how to write. The siblings sat on the stools like primary school students. As Li Xuemei pointed at the Chinese characters on the wall, the siblings said in unison, "Y"
Yang, Yang, the Yang of the sun, the Yang of the sun, one horizontal stroke, two vertical strokes, three vertical strokes … "
Their voices were neat and loud. The birds circling in the air jumped around and landed on the branches, pecking their wings to watch.
Xue Huahua scooped some pig food and walked to the pigsty. The four pigs were black and shiny, and their appetites were much bigger than before. Other than the pot of pig food, the basket of sweet potato leaves was completely eaten. Xue Huahua poured the pig food into the pig trough, and the four pigs buried their heads in eating. Xixi lay outside the pigsty and stood on her tiptoes to look inside. She was too small, so she could only hear the sound of the pigs eating, but couldn't see what was going on inside. Xue Huahua scooped up some water, rinsed the bucket, and poured in some pigweed. She picked Xixi up and stood on top of the pigsty made of stones. Xixi squatted down and stretched her neck to look, "Piggy, piggy …"
"Pigs, pigs, pigs …" Xue Huahua wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at the pigs eating happily. She wished they could grow bigger. "Yes, pigs. Fatten up Xixi and let him eat meat."
Xixi was still young and did not know much about meat. In the whole production team, except for a few families who could eat meat every three to five months, most of them could only smell the lard.
Xixi looked up as if he understood. Xue Huahua touched his head and explained softly, "Meat that tastes better than eggs."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yunfang's hearty laughter came from outside. Her family's share of food was considered the most in the production team. Liu Yunfang laughed so hard that she could not breathe. "Huahua, what day is it today? Why aren't you worried?" The storage room was crowded with people. Liu Yunfang was so concerned about how much food her family could get that she did not pay attention to other people. It was not until her sons went home with food that she looked around. She did not see Xue Huahua, Lu Dewen, and the others.
In her words, those who did not take the initiative to distribute food could not expect to have a future. All the young and old people in the production team were waiting in the storage room.
"The food that belongs to us can't run away. It's a waste of time to wait in line. It's better to let Dewen and the others study hard." Xue Huahua and the others had delayed a lot of work in the first half of the year, so they definitely did not get much food. It was better to calm down and study instead of waiting in line. After all, looking at the number of people in the storage room, it was possible that the queue would last until the afternoon.
Liu Yunfang thought about it and glanced at the siblings who were studying hard. She felt a little emotional. At first, she did not agree with Xue Huahua's literacy. She felt that if they had the energy, they should earn more work. After so long, Xue Huahua and the others did not delay their work and did not fall behind in their studies. After her grandson went to the Commune Primary, he often praised Xue Huahua in front of her, saying that the teachers at school said so.
She was thinking that after harvesting the sweet potatoes, there would not be much work in the field. Should she also do literacy? She did not think much of it before, but now when she heard Lu Dewen and the others memorizing, writing, and doing math, she always felt envious. "Huahua, do you think I can succeed in literacy?"
"Of course you can. Literacy doesn't matter who you are. As long as you are willing, you can do it." Xue Huahua said sincerely, "At our age, we can not only take care of our grandchildren, but we can also do a lot of things." Especially in the future when the national policy is better, it will be very useful to know how to read. She persuaded Liu Yunfang, "In my opinion, not only you, but also Brother Xuemei and sister-in-law to participate. The whole family will be more motivated to learn. Look at Dewen and the others. Isn't it good?"
They had lost some weight, but they looked very energetic.
Hearing Xue Huahua's words, Liu Yunfang was a little tempted. "I'll go home and discuss it with the old man. I'm not bragging, but Devon and the others have become a lot better after the literacy campaign. They've become more sensible and understand your difficulties. If the siblings work together, the burden on your shoulders will be much lighter." This was the reason why Liu Yunfang wanted to eliminate illiteracy. After her youngest son got married, her father expressed his intention to separate from the family. Her sons and daughters-in-law also agreed to separate from the family. She felt that it would be great if the whole family lived together in harmony. After separation, the relationship between parents and brothers would not be as close as before.
If it was literacy, the whole family would sit together and study. They would slowly recall the past, and the idea of separating from the family would naturally fade away.
"Huahua, is literacy tiring? I have asked Lu Ming, and he said that when he heard Xuemei teaching him how to count, he would feel sleepy …" Liu Yunfang often came to the pig farm and she could count, but she could not count more than 50. When she counted 49, she would naturally add 20. As for reciting ancient poems, she could only memorize one or two sentences. If she really set her mind on literacy, she was afraid that she would not be able to persevere.
"Literacy is a long process. First, you have to overcome it psychologically. You can't doze off. As long as you endure for three to five days, you will slowly recover."
Liu Yunfang thought about it and agreed. Everything was difficult at the beginning. After getting used to it, there was nothing to be afraid of. Liu Yunfang carried Xixi and sat next to Chao Caizhi. She followed them to enjoy the learning atmosphere. However, after two minutes, she could not sit still. She could not control her mouth and wanted to say something. "Huahua, have you heard about what happened in Sun Family Village?"
After saying that, she saw Lu Dewen and the others turned to look at her. Liu Yunfang's mouth twitched. She quickly carried Xixi into the kitchen to find Xue Huahua. "Huahua, I think literacy is a bit difficult …" She could not speak carelessly. She had to listen to Li Xuemei's instructions. She was already a grandmother. How could she admit defeat in front of Li Xuemei? Forget it, forget it.
"Huahua, Mingwen's former father-in-law is in trouble. His son wants to separate from him." When Liu Yunfang was in the storage room, she heard a lot of people talking about Sun Family Village. This year, the Sun Family Village did not know what happened. They only handed in the public grain at the end. Captain Sun was criticized by the commune cadres. He blamed it on Zhao Wubin. When he returned to the production team, he had a big fight with Zhao Wubin. He scolded Zhao Wubin. Zhao Wubin and his wife lived in the pig farm. After Sun Yongchang woke up, Sun Baoqin went back to her mother's house and cried. She couldn't live anymore. She also complained that Sun Chenggong beat Zhao Wubin. Sun Yongchang was angry and wanted the couple to move back to the Sun family. Sun Chenggong did not agree and threatened that if Zhao Wubin moved into the Sun family, he would move out.
The father and son quarreled fiercely.
Xue Huahua stayed at the pig farm every day. She heard what happened outside from other people's mouths. Yesterday, she heard from Sun Guixian that Sun Guixian used to look down on Lu Mingwen. Now, she treats Lu Mingwen as a treasure. She praised Lu Mingwen for being reliable and filial, and belittled Zhao Wubin. If she didn't know that Sun Guixian and Sun Yongchang fell out, Xue Huahua would think that she wanted to matchmake Lu Mingwen and Sun Baoqin to get married again.
"Sun Yongchang must have been possessed. He believed Sun Baoqin when she said she would bring him to the city? Zhao Wubin doesn't have parents? He wants to take care of him when he is old? Only a fool like Sun Yongchang would believe it. " Liu Yunfang didn't know what Sun Yongchang was thinking. She had never seen a married daughter living in retirement. Sun Yongchang wasn't afraid of being laughed at by others. Even if Zhao Wubin really wanted to do it, wouldn't his parents make a fuss? Who would be happy if their son, whom they had raised, was given to someone else?
"Sun Yongchang was fooled by Zhao Wubin. Based on Zhao Wubin's character, do you think he would be willing?" Xue Huahua hadn't seen Zhao Wubin before, but from what everyone said, it was definitely not as simple as it seemed. Zhao Wubin and Sun Baoqin's marriage was definitely beneficial. As for what the benefits were, only Zhao Wubin knew.
Liu Yunfan spat. "With his character, Sun Yongchang should have raised him for the rest of his life. How could he let Sun Yongchang live in retirement? Everyone in the production team is saying that Chenggong Sun is the only sensible one in the Sun family. Unfortunately, his father can't make the decision. Zhao Wubin and Sun Baoqin have moved back to the Sun family. "
"Moved back? Sun Guixian and I were still arguing yesterday. "
"That's why Zhao Wubin is so shameless. When the father and son quarreled, he encouraged Sun Baoqin to pack up and move back." Speaking of this, Liu Yunfang glanced outside. "Do you know how I know?"
Xue Huahua shook her head.
"Chenggong Sun came to the village to look for Sun Guixian. He asked Sun Guixian to go back and persuade her elder brother. The two of them were talking in the bamboo forest, and I saw them." At that time, many people saw them and couldn't help asking. Sun Guixian didn't hide anything and told them what happened in the Sun family. She had to admit that Sun Guixian was very decisive on this matter. No matter how Chenggong Sun begged, Sun Guixian didn't agree. She told Chenggong Sun to go home quickly. If he recognized her as his aunt, he could visit her during the festival. If he didn't, it was fine. To be honest, Liu Yunfang had known Sun Guixian for decades, but she had never seen her so smart. "Sun Guixian may be a bit unreasonable, but it's reasonable. Think about the character of Sun Yongchang and his wife. If Sun Guixian wants to interfere, Sun Yongchang won't blame her for provoking the relationship between the father and son."
Even an upright official couldn't settle a family dispute. It was right for Sun Guixian not to interfere, lest both sides were in the wrong.
"Sun Guixian, it's said that Sun Guixian is smart because of you. Let me do it too!" Because of the separation, she almost had a headache. There were many people in the production team who separated from the family, but they were too poor to do it. Their family was a hard-working family, so they didn't need to separate. Liu Yunfang couldn't help sighing and asked Xue Huahua about the separation. If it was her character in the past, she would have already scolded them. If she knew who instigated the separation, she would definitely beat them up.
Xue Huahua put the chopped sweet potato vines into the pot and covered it with a wooden lid. She glanced sideways at Liu Yunfang and said, "Splitting up has its benefits. Think about it, if the whole family lives together, there will always be obstacles. Although it will be over after a while, as time goes on, there will be a time when it can't be tolerated anymore. If we separate, we will have our own lives and it will reduce the friction between each other …"
She knew the situation of Liu Yunfang's family. Separation was not the idea of one person, but everyone except Liu Yunfang. If Liu Yunfang continued to stop them, it would only wear down everyone's relationship. It wasn't a long-term solution. Moreover, from her point of view, Lu Tong and Lu Ming wanted to separate not because they were unfilial, but because they thought that they could support their wives and children, so they wanted to live alone.
"I gave birth to them. Don't you think I know them well? Someone must be instigating them to separate. " As she thought about it, the way Liu Yunfang looked at Li Xuemei became unfriendly. Xue Huahua rubbed her temples and said in a low voice, "Think about the condition of your family. Even if you separate, you and Third Brother Lu will live a good life, and you don't have to wash clothes and cook for the whole family every day like before. Isn't it easy? I think Lu Tong and the others want to separate because they want you and Third Brother Lu to live a good life for a few years … "
There were only three ways to separate from the production team. The parents could live with the son they liked, and the other sons would pay for the pension every year, or the parents could live alone, and all the sons would be given living expenses, or they could take turns to live, and the appropriate amount of money would be enough. No matter what the situation was, it would be much easier for Liu Yunfang.
Liu Yunfang didn't believe it. "If they are really as good as you say, I'll thank the heavens. Anyway, it's not that I don't believe they have good intentions."
"Let's not talk about other things. Let's talk about your boss. All three of his children are studying in the Commune Primary. For him, it's better if he doesn't separate from the family. If he separates from the family, he will have to worry about the tuition fees for his three children. Why would he want to separate from the family? Besides, Lu Ming's wife will give birth in a few months. She needs someone to take care of her during her confinement. What benefits can she get from separating from the family? " In fact, Xue Huahua didn't know why the Lu Family separated, and neither did Li Xuemei. It was said that it was Lu Ming's father's idea, and Lu Ming and his brothers agreed without any objection …
After Xue Huahua's reminder, Liu Yunfang was even more confused. What was the old man thinking when he said that he would do it?
"No, I'll talk to the old man again." She didn't feel good about the separation of the family. Moreover, it was easy to separate from the family, but it was also a problem of where the children would live. The family finally had some savings, and they couldn't use it all to repair the house, right?
Xue Huahua didn't know about the Lu Family. After work in the evening, she took Lu Dewen and the others to the storage room to distribute the food. At this time, there were still some people waiting in line outside the storage room. Xue Huahua's family was the last one, and they were delayed for two to three months. Fortunately, Lu Dewen had a high work score, so he made up for it. In addition, Lu Mingwen didn't loiter around, so the total work score of the whole family was more than last year, which was a little beyond Xue Huahua's expectation.
Lu Jianguo weighed the food for her and said in a low voice, "When Liang Zhiqing left, she said that she would give her work to Mingwen. Ask Mingwen to find someone to calculate her work score …" The work score that Lu Dewen and the others earned was recorded in the notebook. Yesterday, Lu Dewen asked him to make a copy of the work score, saying that he would take it home to practice. He didn't know how the calculation went.
At the mention of Liang Lanfen, Xue Huahua frowned, "Why did she suddenly give her work to Mingwen?" As she spoke, she looked at Lu Mingwen, intentionally or unintentionally. Lu Mingwen twitched the corner of his mouth resentfully. Even a fool would know that his mother knew about Liang Lanfen. He touched his conscience and swore that he had made it very clear that he didn't want Liang Lanfen's food … As for Liang Lanfen and Lu Jianguo, he couldn't stop them no matter what.
Lu Jianguo shrugged, "Who knows what she is thinking? Let me tell you, you didn't rush home after you left our production team. First, you went to Xiao Cadre's house, and after staying for two days, you went to work in the factory." It wasn't Lu Jianguo who specifically asked about her. After all, Liang Lanfen's news had spread in Fenggu Township. Some people saw her and Xiao Cadre's wife holding hands as if they were mother and daughter, so they came to him for confirmation. In fact, there was no need for confirmation. The only thing that could make Xiao Cadre's wife laugh so hard was probably related to her grandson.
That's right, Liang Lanfen was pregnant. It was said that she used this to threaten Xiao Cadre's wife to bring her back to her hometown. The Xiao family had a relative who worked in the army, and it was said that they knew a government official. For Liang Lanfen's sake, Xiao Cadre's wife threw away her dignity. It was said that the man wouldn't agree no matter what. Xiao Cadre's wife ran to the man's parents, crying and wiping her tears. They were all relatives, and she couldn't refuse if she could help. The young man had no choice …
Fortunately, Liang Lanfen had left. Otherwise, the production team would be in a mess.
"She said that it was for Mingwen. Just accept it. She is now living with the grain supply, so she doesn't care about this little bit of grain. Moreover, compared to the work points that Mingwen helped her earn, this little bit of grain is nothing." Lu Jianguo didn't feel so conflicted. Whoever wanted to give him grain, he dared to accept it no matter how much, especially people like Liang Lanfen, who left and never came back. There was nothing to be afraid of.
Xue Huahua lowered her head and thought for a while. She asked the accountant to allocate the grain that Liang Lanfen should get. "Our whole family relies on hard work to make a living. We get the grain according to how much work we do. We don't want the grain that belongs to us." After that, she looked back at Lu Mingwen, who was trembling with fear. Lu Mingwen hurriedly echoed, "Captain, my mother is right. We don't want the grain from Liang Zhiqing."
He felt uneasy if he accepted it.
Lu Jianguo was stunned. "Why not? She's not around anymore. You can't just send it to her if you don't want it, right? " Regardless of whether he knew Liang Lanfen's address, he was determined not to run errands for her. It wasn't easy for him to send Liang Lanfen away, and he didn't want to cause any trouble.
"Just leave it in the storage room. If anyone's family is in trouble in the future and needs the grain to save their lives, just give it to them." Xue Huahua didn't want to have anything to do with Liang Lanfen.
Lu Jianguo had no choice but to keep the grain that belonged to Liang Lanfen. He would think about how to deal with it later.
After the grain was distributed, every family prepared to cook white rice and eat it freely. For the next few days, the production team was filled with the strong aroma of rice. It could be smelled from afar. Zhao Chenggang, who was standing at the top of the slope, sniffed the aroma, and his mouth was watering. Mrs. Zhao, who was beside him, also kept swallowing her saliva. "The Yan 'an Village Production Team is really rich. I can smell the aroma of rice from so far away. Boss, Caizhi's family got a lot of grain, right?"
How much grain did Xue Huahua's family get when they didn't even care about Liang Lanfen's grain?
Zhao Chenggang couldn't figure it out. When he stepped into the Yan 'an Village Production Team's territory again, his legs couldn't stop trembling. "Mom, are we really going to look for Caizhi? I've said it before. She won't care about our lives. You know her mother-in-law's temper. If we fall into her hands, we won't have a good ending. " That day, he was just pestering Lu Dewen. After hearing about Xue Huahua's glorious achievements, he felt that he was lucky to not fall into the hands of Xue Huahua. Xue Huahua's temper was such that he would lose an arm or a leg.
Speaking of Xue Huahua, Mrs. Zhao was angry and resentful at the same time. She looked in the direction of the Lu Family and thought for a while. "Let's not look for Caizhi. Let's look for their team leader. The grain was given by Liang Zhiqing. Since they don't want it, it's not a problem for us to keep it as a relative, right?" Mrs. Zhao felt that Xue Huahua's brain was not normal. It was a happy thing to have someone give them grain. If it was her, she would be glad to have more grain. But Xue Huahua didn't want it. It was such a waste.
That's right. Mrs. Zhao and the rest were not here to cause trouble. They just wanted the grain.
Ever since their three daughters refused to send food to their maternal home, they had been starving. They had to dig wild vegetables and pinch sweet potato leaves for every meal until they couldn't eat anymore. They had no choice but to ask their daughter-in-law to go back to their maternal home to find a way to get food. They borrowed from almost all their relatives and only managed to borrow 20 catties of food. This amount of food wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. However, they had no choice. They didn't dare to eat as they usually did. They cooked corn paste mixed with wild vegetables. There were more wild vegetables than corn paste. Finally, when the food was distributed, the relatives came to their door and demanded to return the food. In front of the entire production team, no matter how much Zhao's mother cried, she had to return the food she borrowed first.
After returning the grain to their relatives, the grain was only enough for them to eat until the Lunar New Year. Shouldn't they make a good plan? They heard that Liang Zhiqing of the Yan 'an Village Production Team left the grain to the Lu Family before he left, but was rejected by Xue Huahua. The whole family was tempted. They asked Chao Caizhi for the grain. It was fine if Chao Caizhi refused to give it to them. But they should accept the grain that Xue Huahua didn't want, right?
Zhao Chenggang took the lead. He didn't go to the Lu Family. Instead, he went directly to the storage room. After the corn stalks were cut, the members began to cut the sweet potato vines. The young leaves were used for cooking, and the old leaves were chopped and cooked for pigs. As for the sweet potato vines, they were dried and ground into powder as usual. Sun Guixian recognized that the sweet potato vines were from Chao Caizhi's maternal family. Zhao Chenggang walked in the front with a wicker basket. Zhao Chenggang's mother carried a big basket. Zhao Tiegang also carried a wicker basket. Both the wicker basket and the basket were empty. There was no doubt that they came to borrow grain. Sun Guixian greeted them with a smile. "Caizhi's mother, Caizhi and the others are not at home. They went to the fourth production team to get the grain."
Today was the day for the fourth production team to distribute the grain. Xue Huahua and the others had work there. So, Tianma, Ma Liang, and his family carried the wicker basket and went to the fourth production team.
Zhao Chenggang's mother was stunned. It was good that they were not at home. If they were at home, they might make a scene. She replied pretentiously. "It's okay. With the relationship between our families, there's no need to be so polite. I'm just here to see my grandson. Oh yes, is Captain Lu Jianguo around?"
"He's at the pig farm." Sun Guixian still had a smile on her face, but in her heart, she had already despised Zhao Chenggang's mother from head to toe. She had never seen such a big scene when visiting relatives. She carried two empty wicker baskets and carried an empty basket. Did she think that everyone didn't know her purpose? She wanted to borrow grain from Xue Huahua. She must have eaten a leopard's guts!
Zhao Chenggang's mother did not continue to chat with them. She walked towards the direction of the pig farm. From afar, they could hear voices coming from inside. There were adults and children. The three of them walked up the slope and saw a girl sitting on the porch. She was carrying a child in her arms and carrying an infant on her back. She was saying something clearly. Zhao Chenggang looked around and introduced her to his mother. "This is Dewen's Third Sister. She's very clever. When she saw me and Xiuju, she carried Xixi and left."
Lu Jianguo was cooking in the kitchen. Since Xue Huahua could not make it, he had to help. When he saw unfamiliar faces outside, he threw down the firewood and walked out. When he saw the three of them, he frowned. "Hongying, your sister-in-law's family is here."
Lu Hongying was reading some words. When she heard Lu Jianguo, she turned around and looked. She had an indifferent expression on her face and patted Xixi's shoulder. Xixi was a stranger and refused to open his mouth. He pointed at the words on the wall and shouted. "Read, read …"
Zhao Chenggang's mother was a little embarrassed. She smiled at Xixi. "Xixi, Grandma will carry you later. Captain Lu, we are here to talk to you." No matter what, she had to settle the grain issue before Xue Huahua returned.
Lu Jianguo was puzzled. "Looking for me?" Based on his judgment of people, the three of them were not purely visiting relatives. He had nothing to do with the Zhao Family. What was there to talk about? Lu Jianguo waved at Lu Hongying. "Hongying, go and look for your mother. Tell her that there are guests at home."
Zhao Chenggang's mother's heart tightened. "No need, no need. We are here to look for Captain Lu and also to see Xixi and the rest. Captain Lu, why don't you come out and talk to us?"
At Zhao Chenggang's mother's age, there was nothing that she could not talk about. After Lu Jianguo walked out of the yard, she told him about the grain issue. "Captain Lu, I have asked. Caizhi's mother-in-law does not want the grain. As her in-laws, it's alright for me to keep it for her, right?" The Yan 'an Village Production Team had a bumper harvest this year. If Liang Zhiqing cheated, it would not be a problem for him to get more than 50 kilograms of grain. Xue Huahua did not want the grain.
Lu Jianguo was guessing the purpose of the Zhao Family's visit. When he heard Zhao Chenggang's mother's words, he was shocked. "You want the grain?" The Zhao Family must be crazy. The grain that Liang Lanfen gave to Lu Mingwen should not be given to the Zhao Family. He was wondering why the three of them looked like they were distributing the grain. It turned out that they were here for the grain.
Zhao Chenggang's mother nodded firmly. "That's right. I don't want it. If my in-laws don't want it, I will take it. Captain Lu, you will give it to me, right?"
Of course not. Why should he give it to them? Lu Jianguo waved his hand. "You should discuss this with Xue Huahua. Liang Zhiqing gave the grain to her second son. She has the final say on how to deal with it." The grain was a hot potato. Without Xue Huahua's approval, he would not give it to anyone. "The pig's feed is still cooking in the pot. I will go in first."
Lu Jianguo did not want to say anything more. He turned around and entered the yard, leaving the three of them looking at each other, not knowing what to do.
"Mom, I told you. Grandma Caizhi is famous now. Even the team leader is afraid of her. It will be difficult for us to get the grain." Zhao Chenggang had heard too much about Xue Huahua beating and scolding people. He was afraid. The production team said that whoever provoked Xue Huahua would die. No matter how powerful you are, you are no different from the pigweed on the roadside in front of Xue Huahua. Xue Huahua could cut you into pieces with a sickle.
"Mom, should we go back?" Zhao Chenggang was beaten up when he went to look for Zhao Caiping. He was afraid that he would really die if he fought with Xue Huahua head-on.
Zhao Chenggang's mother came with the intention to get the grain. How could she bear to leave without getting the grain? Everyone in the family had a big appetite. She had been starving recently in order to save money. If she was hungry, she would not have the strength to work. If she did not have the strength to work, she could not earn work points. If she did not have work points, she could not get any grain …
Zhao Chenggang's mother put down the basket on her shoulder. She shook off the dust on her clothes. She raised her lips and walked in with a smile. Zhao Chenggang and his brother did not understand what she was doing. They stood there, not knowing whether to go in or not. Zhao Tiegang listened to his brother, "Brother, do you think we should go in?"
Zhao Chenggang looked up at the sky. It was still early. Xue Huahua and the others should not be back so soon. He hesitated and said, "Let's go in and sit for a while. Get enough strength so that we can run fast when we need to escape." Zhao Chenggang said from his experience.
The two brothers stacked the wicker baskets on their backs and walked into the yard timidly. Xixi nestled in Lu Hongying's arms and looked at Zhao Liangze's mother, who was smiling so hard that her face was full of wrinkles.
"Xixi, grandma's good grandson. Come and let grandma hug you." Zhao Chenggang's mother thought she was smiling like a spring breeze. However, Xixi did not move. He even hid behind her. Zhao Chenggang's mother clapped her hands again, "Xixi, grandma's good grandson …"
Xixi stared at her and turned his face away. Lu Hongying picked up Xixi and sat him on her lap. She said to Zhao Chenggang's mother, "Xixi is afraid of strangers. I haven't seen him for a long time and he probably forgot."
Lu Hongying said it casually. She did not teach Xixi to call her grandma. Zhao Chenggang's mother was obviously here to borrow food. The basket they left behind last time was still new. Today, they brought a new basket. The Zhao family was really free.
Zhao Chenggang stood behind Zhao Chenggang's mother and pushed her back. "Mom, Dong Dong looks like Caizhi when she was young. You should hug him." The older one was afraid of strangers, but the younger one would not be afraid of strangers. A child who was only a few months old was quite easy to fool.
Zhao Chenggang's mother's eyes lit up. "Grandma's good grandson. I haven't seen him since he was born."
Lu Hongying put Dong Dong down for Zhao Chenggang's mother to hug. Zhao Chenggang's mother held him in her arms and was stunned for a few seconds. The child woke up and opened his eyes. He stared at Zhao Chenggang's mother seriously. Zhao Chenggang's mother squinted her eyes and looked at the baby in her arms without blinking. This child was her grandson? He did not look like it. He looked too good. Not only was he fair and clean, he was also chubby. He did not look like he was raised by a poor family.
No one spoke. Dong Dong pouted and stretched his hands over his head. He started crying. Zhao Chenggang's mother came back to her senses and looked away. She patted his back lightly and stopped crying. Zhao Chenggang's mother raised her eyebrows. She could not hide the curiosity in her eyes. "Hongying, what did Dong Dong eat to grow so well?"
Looking at the fair and fat grandson, Zhao Chenggang's mother could not help but think of her skinny grandson. There would be no difference if there was no comparison. Zhao Chenggang's mother felt terrible. "Hongying, your family has a lot of food, right? Let me tell you, Auntie's family doesn't even have porridge to eat. Cousin Xixi is so skinny …"
"Didn't we just distribute the food? A few people in Auntie's family are slacking off? "Lu Hongying pretended to be curious and asked.
Zhao Chenggang's mother looked stiff. "They don't even have food. If they continue to slack off, the whole family will starve to death. Hongying, Auntie's family is not having a good life."
"Auntie, my family is not having a good life either. Let's talk about sister-in-law. After marrying my elder brother, her appetite has decreased a lot. She is poor. My mom said that whether our family is having a good life or not, you can tell by looking at sister-in-law's appetite … You don't know, my sister-in-law eats a small bowl of porridge every meal. Our whole family is like that." Lu Hongying's hands circled Xixi's stomach and said calmly.
Zhao Chenggang's mother was speechless again. She knew her daughter's appetite very well. If Chao Caizhi really ate to her heart's content, the Lu Family would definitely be eaten up.
"Hey, Hongying, at least your family is better than Auntie's family …"
"Auntie, don't be discouraged. You just have to eat a little less every meal." Lu Hongying replied with a smile. "No one in my family has ever had a full meal. My mom said that we should save our food. In this day and age, no family's food falls from the sky. We can't always borrow food from relatives. If we do it too many times, no matter how good the relationship between relatives is, it will fade away."
Lu Hongying knew the situation of her family very well. Recently, they could eat their fill because she dug wild vegetables everywhere. Mixing it with rice and porridge, everyone could barely eat their fill. In the past, when Xue Huahua cooked, she had to drag her tired body back home to cook. There was no time to dig wild vegetables, so she could only cook less food. The whole family would eat one-third of their fill. How could they be as lucky as the Zhao Family? Regardless of whether there was food or not, the whole family could eat their fill.
Zhao Chenggang's mother was speechless because of Lu Hongying's words. After a long silence, she said in a strange tone, "No wonder you are eliminating illiteracy. You are so reasonable. Auntie is no match for you."
"Auntie, please don't say that. I am just telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can ask Uncle Jianguo. He knows the situation of our family." Last year's harvest was not good. Zhao Chenggang came to their house and took dozens of catties of food. They tightened their belts and were reluctant to eat it. The Zhao Family finished it not long after they took it home. How could they still have the face to come here?
Zhao Chenggang's mother had never interacted with her daughter Xue Huahua. She thought that she was soft-hearted. She didn't expect her to speak so maturely. It was probably impossible to act pitiful in front of her. Zhao Chenggang's mother could only pin her hope on Chao Caizhi. She hoped that Chao Caizhi would not be too heartless. After all, Xue Huahua didn't want the food. It didn't affect them at all.
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