Chapter 9 Grain Distribution

Summer vacation is over, and Gu Yihan is starting third grade. The drought has been getting worse these past few months.

Gu Yihan now picks wild vegetables on the mountain after school every day and secretly feeds them to herself before going home for dinner.

At the end of the year, the brigade began distributing grain. Although the harvest was poor this year, every household still had some grain stored up. In the past, people were so afraid of hunger that even when the grain was distributed to the commune members for them to grow themselves, they didn't dare to eat their fill. And no one in the village sold any grain.

The brigade leader, Gu Baoqing, was also quite old, at forty-five. Each family sent a few representatives to the brigade headquarters for a meeting.

The brigade leader shouted at the top of his lungs, "As you all have seen this year, there has been little rain and the harvest is poor. After handing over the grain quota, set aside some for seeds and distribute the rest to the commune members."

The village party secretary, Gu Guodong, is 55 years old and will be retiring in a few years.

The village party secretary said helplessly, "When you go back, don't eat your fill. Eat sparingly. You all know about the natural disasters of the past few years. Not to mention 1943 and 1934, those of us who are older have experienced them. How many people starved to death then?"

The village party secretary took a puff of his pipe and said, "We don't know if there will be a drought in the future, so everyone should be careful with their food when they go back."

After the Party Secretary finished speaking, the crowd erupted in excitement. The Party Secretary was older, more experienced, and had the best education in the village, so people listened to what he said.

The captain tapped the table: "Quiet down, go to the accountant and get your rations."

Everyone lined up to receive their allotted grain from the brigade accountant, Gu Xingwang.

An older woman started complaining as soon as she received the grain: "This is going to starve my whole family! How can this little bit of grain be enough to last until the next distribution?"

After saying that, he started throwing a tantrum on the ground, insisting on getting more food.

The brigade leader came over with a dark expression: "Jiawang's family, don't be unreasonable. Don't you know why your family has less grain? You're slacking off at work and delaying everyone's grain distribution. I'll have the militia kick you out."

This woman, Jiawang's wife, lay stiffly on the ground, refusing to move, displaying an extremely shameless attitude.

The captain immediately ordered his men to carry the woman out. Then he looked around at all the people present.

Gu Yihan listened to their conversation in the crowd: "They're all thinking that if Jiawang's wife can benefit, they'll benefit too, and if they don't, they won't lose anything."

Gu Yihan was speechless for a moment. After receiving the food rations with her family, she went home together.

Grandma Gu looked at the grain she had been allocated and immediately told her eldest brother to take it to the cellar. The entrance to the cellar was in Grandpa and Grandma's room. This was the first time Gu Yihan had ever known where the family's cellar was. On the cellar was an old-fashioned wooden dowry chest.

Grandma Gu looked at her eldest and second daughters-in-law and said, "No matter which of your families comes to our Gu family to borrow grain, we will not lend it to them, no matter who comes to borrow it."

"If you still have any intention of helping your wife's family borrow grain, then just go back. Our family can't afford a daughter-in-law who betrays us," Grandma Gu glared at them and said, "Did you hear me?"

Sister-in-law Gu the eldest and sister-in-law Gu the second exchanged a glance: "Mother, we understand."

Zhang Cuihua has lost her confidence because she hasn't been able to get pregnant even once in the past few years.

That night, Zhang Cuihua and Gu Aidang lay in bed. Zhang Cuihua placed her hand on Gu Aidang's chest and said, "It's been so long since we've been together."

Gu Aidang waved Zhang Cuihua's hand aside and said, "You've been busy all day. I'm tired, not you. All you do is think about these trivial things. If your land could grow crops, that would be fine, but if you just sow seeds and they don't sprout, isn't that a waste of seeds?"

Zhang Cuihua was so angry that tears streamed down her face, and she felt even more resentful towards Gu Yihan.

Gu Yihan was unaware that her adoptive mother's hatred towards her had intensified.