Except for a few families in Shanshui Village who have enough food, most families are still not well-off in terms of grain.

Thinking about it, it's probably because my family's financial situation is too poor.

Last year, although we collected mushrooms and peeled water chestnuts to exchange for rice with Shuiqing's family, we used part of our savings and the rest of the rice to buy gray tiles for building our house.

However, without exchanging rice, it's likely that the roofed house couldn't be built, and the torrential rains of this year wouldn't have been avoided.

The remaining rice was all replaced with black flour.

Fortunately, it was black flour that was used instead. One pound of rice could be exchanged for three or four pounds of black flour. Two or three pounds of black flour, along with vegetables, could be cooked into a porridge that could fill a large pot. Even a large family of ten or twenty people could have a large bowl for each person.

These cornmeal supplies would have been more than enough to last until the new grain harvest this year. However, a flood destroyed the entire crop, and all the cornmeal stored at home was used to exchange for potato seeds. Most of them have to tighten their belts and live frugally.

The wealthiest families in the village in terms of food were the six or seven households that grew potatoes in the first half of the year, and Zhang the Bald's family.

Unlike other families who became wealthy through hard work, Zhang the Bald's family relied entirely on exchanging land for wealth.

Moreover, what they got in return was cornmeal, which tasted better than coarse flour, and life was getting better than before the flood.

The family that grew potatoes had the smallest plot of land, only five mu (approximately 0.33 acres), and those five mu were the least fertile land. Yet, they still harvested six or seven thousand jin (approximately 3,000-3,500 kg) of potatoes. The Wang family was overjoyed and repeatedly said that they were glad they listened to their daughter and grew potatoes!

He secretly regretted not listening to everything; otherwise, the harvest would have been much more than six or seven thousand catties.

The girl's family firmly followed Shuiqing's family, and they firmly followed their daughter's family—if they didn't know something, they would follow someone who did.

In the courtyard, Old Master Wang, beaming with joy, made his decision: "My dear in-law, whatever you say goes!"

The house was spacious and the food was plentiful. Last month, his two sons earned three or four taels of silver by helping Master Bai transport potatoes. He wasn't in a particular hurry to sell the rabbits.

Old Master Wang wasn't in a hurry, unlike other families who weren't well-off with enough food.

"My rabbits are huge and fat, ready to be sold. Old village chief, do you think we should sell them as soon as possible?"

"We don't sell the females, and we don't need that many male rabbits. Grain is expensive in the city right now, and rabbits are food, and they're meat too. Let's try selling them now and see if the market is good. If we can get some grain in return, that would be a good deal, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, last time we went to the prefectural city, my husband thought the grain was too expensive and didn't buy much. This time, even if it's expensive, we have to buy some."

"My whole family needs to eat, but we don't have much food at home. I'm really worried."

A cacophony of voices arose, urgently offering their advice.

After the wall was built, safety was temporarily not an issue, and everyone was more concerned about whether they would go hungry.

The rabbits at home are almost grown up, and like potatoes, they represent their hope!

Life is easier when there is hope.

Wang Guifen said with a hearty smile, "None of us have any experience in business. We don't know how to sell these rabbits, who to sell them to, or how much they will fetch."

So last month, my father-in-law told us to ask Shuiqing for her opinion. Her family used to run a rice wine business, and it sold very well. Shuiqing said she'd have her brother come along, so everyone could rest assured.

In the past, even if the villagers knew that Hu Shuiqing had a younger brother, they wouldn't know who he was.

But after he started delivering goods, everyone in the village knew about him!

I heard it from my own husband, and it was all praise.

They say he is mature and composed at such a young age. No matter what he sees or encounters on the road, he doesn't panic. He is more composed than those who are older.