Jian Dan never expected this person to be so honest and simple. If it were someone else, they might have immediately returned most of the goods.

"Don't worry, uncle. I have many younger siblings, so we'll finish it all in no time."

Tan Yajun was already used to Jian Dan's extravagant spending. Liu Erhong, who had hardly ever gone out with Jian Dan, was still somewhat surprised. However, knowing that Jian Dan had two younger brothers, she didn't say anything and simply assumed that it was really her brother who bought it.

The market was indeed very lively. Although only the villages under the commune came, it was a rare opportunity. The New Year was approaching, and there were quite a few food vendors, most of which were farm-produced.

There were no steaming hot mobile food stalls like those in later generations; the only place with steaming food was the state-run restaurant further in front of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Several people squeezed out from the hustle and bustle, their baskets already half full, before heading to the state-run restaurant to meet the others.

It's the ninth day of the lunar month, the weather is cold, and a northerly wind is howling. The group decided to each have a bowl of wontons to warm themselves up before heading back.

"There are so many people here. I always feel like there are a lot of people at the supply and marketing cooperative. Sometimes it's like they're fighting over something. Compared to this, the supply and marketing cooperative is nothing."

"Oh my, you're right, it's so crowded, and the wind isn't blowing on me at all."

A cheerful, hearty laugh came from the side.

"You must be educated youth sent to the countryside?"

The group looked at each other.

Are we that obvious?

The old man next to him chuckled a few more times, weighing the grain sack in his hand.

"Haha, this is just this year. Although all the crops in the fields are ruined and nothing is harvested."

But this year, the feng shui is good. God gives people a way to survive. Liujiatun set up a cooperative, and all our villages have benefited from it. In the summer, the vegetables in the garden, in the fall, the mountain produce we picked up, the mushrooms, and even the autumn vegetables we kept at home, are all bought by others.

Hahaha!

"Thanks to this, we old farmers can still come and exchange for grain; otherwise, this winter would have been really tough!"

The person next to him even nudged him.

"Dad, don't talk nonsense. You can't just casually talk about feng shui and stuff like that."

"Ah, oh oh oh,"

The old man glanced around warily, then quickly resumed his hearty laughter.

"Haha, isn't this great? It's what you intellectuals call 'amazing,' a miraculous escape from a desperate situation! Haha, we ordinary folks have a way to survive!"

Several educated youths kept glancing at Jian Dan. Outsiders might not know, but they certainly did. The instigator of that so-called cooperative was standing right here.

"Uncle, so according to you, this cooperative is a good thing?"

"That must be a good thing. It benefits the people, and it's a great thing."

If he were an official, in ancient times, he would definitely be a good official.

"Uncle, so the person who came up with this idea must be a good person, right?"

The old man slapped Qian Cheng on the shoulder, making him stagger.

"Haha, needless to say, he's a great person, a very kind person. In this year's harvest, he can be considered our savior."

"What, judging from your words, you two know each other?"

Qian Cheng's eyes lit up. He was about to speak, rubbing his shoulder, when he heard a commotion coming from the direction of the street corner. People were rushing towards him, shouting.

"Run! People are fleeing famine! Hurry home and lock the door!"

The crowd was silent for only a moment, but those words carried on the wind and clearly reached everyone's ears.

"What? Fleeing from famine?"

"Really? It's raining heavily here, but the south is also experiencing floods?"

Regardless of their thoughts, those who realized what was happening hurriedly grabbed their belongings and ran home.

The old man, who had just been speaking, showed a hint of reluctance on his face, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a resolute expression. He then swiftly left with his son, clutching their belongings tightly to his chest.

In an instant, the street became chaotic, with people pushing and shoving to the south and north, and those who had just come from the market still confused.

The people at the market received the news a little later. So what were they selling? They hurriedly packed their goods into their containers, not caring about order or hygiene, while cautiously glancing towards the street corner as they packed.

Then he tied the sack shut, threw it on his back, and hurriedly left.

In less than ten minutes, the area in front of the state-run restaurant was cleared out. The once bustling market street became deserted, and even the steamers for buns in front of the state-run restaurant started to be moved back in.

In the immediate chaos, the quick-thinking male educated youth shielded the female educated youth behind him, pressing them tightly against the wall of the state-run restaurant, thus witnessing the entire ten-minute commotion.

They looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.

"Comrades, you should leave too,"

The speaker was a staff member of the state-run restaurant, who was packing things up inside, his anxiety undisguised.

I took a quick look.

"Big sister, are you closing down too?"

In her mind, both the state-run restaurant and the supply and marketing cooperative were state-owned entities, so why would they react the same way in this situation?

"Sigh, our leaders told us about this a long time ago. They said that the year before the New Year is the most dangerous time. They told us to close the shop first and not to confront them. Then, the leaders will discuss countermeasures."

Seeing that the supply and marketing cooperative in front had already put up the wooden boards on the windows and was about to close, the woman called for people to come and move the steamer and stove.

The steamer was still steaming, and the aroma of meat and pickled cabbage wafted into my nose. There was no hope for the wontons I had planned.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!