However, all of their worries vanished the moment Zhang Biao pulled out a large wad of cash.

The villagers sat in rows, all smiles, dividing the money.

When each household received a considerable sum of money, they all felt relieved about Zhang Biao selling the grain to Fu Hongxing.

After all, if too much grain is grown and cannot be sold, it will only become stale grain year after year.

In addition, Zhang Biao had previously sent people to inquire with the entire village about the availability of coal and cloth.

This is something everyone needs; you'd need money to get it yourself!

Although grain could be exchanged, the Revolutionary Committee had searched the place last time, so who would dare to take the risk?

Having money in your hands makes all the difference. Even if you take money to buy things in front of the Revolutionary Committee, they can't do anything about it.

Fu Hongxing was in a hurry to get back and didn't stop along the way.

After all, we've been out for so many days.

I wonder how Ning Jing and the others are doing at home?

Moreover, this grain is only a portion.

Once we get back, we can get coal and cloth, and then we can exchange them for several more batches of grain to take back with us.

He had told Zhang Biao that if rice ran out, sweet potatoes, corn, or other coarse grains would be fine.

As for sweet potatoes, Zhang Biao might not be able to guarantee their quality, since they tend to rot over time.

However, in their northern region, corn is the one thing they have no shortage of.

After the old corn is picked and dried thoroughly, it is placed on a frame about one meter off the ground and stored there. It can be kept for several years.

The valley is spring-like all year round, so apart from rice, which is grown twice a year, corn and sweet potatoes are planted the rest of the time.

There's naturally more corn and less sweet potato.

If it weren't for the fact that the villagers couldn't stay in this valley for long periods, Zhang Biao would have wanted to have someone manage the area permanently.

Eager to return home, everyone in the convoy, including those who were still recovering from illness, sped back at full speed.

When they returned to the coal mine, Director Kang saw everyone and noticed that they had all lost a lot of weight.

However, the sight of a whole convoy of grain moved even a cunning old man like Director Kang to tears.

However, this matter of going out to buy grain could not be openly discussed with others.

So, they quickly unloaded half of the grain from the truck and had the rest delivered to the county office building.

County Magistrate Qian should be even happier than he was when he saw this batch of grain.

After Fu Hongxing finished telling Director Kang about what happened when he went to buy grain this time.

They heard that the surrounding area was also experiencing food shortages, just like them.

So Fu Hongxing led his convoy northward, and with great difficulty, he came across a village in the north with stored grain, which he bought entirely.

"You mean they still have food over there?"

Originally, after half of this grain was distributed to the county office building, the coal mine's grain reserves, mixed with previous stockpiles, were estimated to barely last until next spring.

When spring arrives and everything comes back to life, we'll be able to find something to eat to fill our stomachs.

As for the county office building, whether Qian Xianmin's half of the grain was enough to distribute to the various departments was not something he, as the coal mine director, could concern himself with.

But when they heard Fu Hongxing say that there was still food, their eyes lit up immediately.

If we could buy more food, that would be wonderful.

After all, he and Qian Xianmin had been friends for many years, and if he could lend a hand, he would definitely not step on them.