The next day, Qin Feng, Luo Hongxing, and Su Zhiyuan distributed the grain.

On the day the grain was distributed, Qinjiagou was bustling all day long. From six in the morning to five in the evening, the threshing ground in front of the village committee office was always crowded with people.

Qin Feng not only distributed grain to everyone, but also money.

After the grain was distributed, the remaining work points, along with the money from selling fruit and Chinese medicinal herbs, would amount to at least two hundred yuan for each household in Qinjiagou this year, according to Qin Xiaoxiao. Of course, for those like Zhao Xing, who only have enough to eat and no one else to feed, and who have few work points, the money they would probably receive this year would be minimal, and the grain would only be enough to feed them to about five or six tenths of their capacity.

There aren't many people like Zhao Xing in Qinjiagou. There are also some people receiving the five guarantees, and the village gives them extra money. Every year, the village also sets aside grain for them and allows them to borrow from the village if they don't have enough to eat.

In addition, the commune provides subsidies to the five-guarantee households, and the amount of grain subsidized each year is rationed. However, Qin Feng would privately give them a little more on top of the commune's subsidy.

A little help from the east and a little subsidy from the west, and that should be enough for the year.

On the third day after the grain was distributed, Qin Xiaoxiao pleaded and begged until the old lady Qin relented and finally let her return to the educated youth compound.

The first thing Qin Xiaoxiao did upon returning to the educated youth compound was to approach the Su sisters.

“I’ve heard about Ma Jiahua’s situation. My brother has told you about it too, right? Let’s leave it at that. He’s had a tough time too. I’ll go see him when no one’s around.”

Tonight I'll cook some elaborate dishes myself; you're all coming with me to my grandma's for dinner, so don't bother cooking dinner."

The Su sisters happily agreed, and after Qin Xiaoxiao left, the two sisters huddled together to discuss what to bring to the Qin family.

After leaving the Su sisters' place, Qin Xiaoxiao went to Liu Meijuan's place.

"Sister Liu, I'm so grateful to you for that. To express my gratitude and to celebrate my recovery, I'm treating everyone tonight at my grandma's house. You don't need to cook tonight; come over with the Su sisters."

Liu Meijuan smiled and said, "That's really great! I'm so lucky! You don't know, I haven't eaten meat for a month. Are you going to cook meat tonight? I can't do it if you don't cook meat, I won't stand for it."

Qin Xiaoxiao was very happy that Liu Meijuan was so informal.

"Okay, it's settled then."

Qin Xiaoxiao wanted to go back to the backyard, but then she thought of Ma Jiahua and decisively went to Ma Jiahua's house in the front yard.

I knocked on the door from outside, and a reply came quickly from inside.

"Who is it? Come in."

Qin Xiaoxiao didn't move, but stood outside the door and called out, "Ma Zhiqing, this is Qin Xiaoxiao. I need to talk to you about something. Is it convenient for me to come in now?"

Ma Jiahua didn't speak, but there was a rustling sound, which meant that Ma Jiahua was packing his things.

After a while, Ma Jiahua's voice came again, "Alright, Qin Zhiqing, come in."

Before entering, Qin Xiaoxiao called out again, "Ma Zhiqing, I'm coming in."

After speaking, Qin Xiaoxiao waited three seconds before pushing the door open and entering.

Ma Jiahua's house is not small, estimated to be about 20 square meters, almost as big as Qin Xiaoxiao's two houses.

Qin Xiaoxiao glanced at Ma Jiahua's room and was somewhat surprised that it was so tidy. Then she stopped looking and stared straight at Ma Jiahua sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Qin Xiaoxiao didn't close the door tightly, leaving a small gap. At this time, it's not appropriate for men and women to stay in the same room for too long, as it's easy to attract criticism. If someone catches them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the summer, Qin Xiaoxiao would never close the door, but in the dead of winter, with Ma Jiahua's current limited mobility, he'd freeze solid after she left!

"Ma Zhiqing"

Qin Xiaoxiao stood at the door with a smile, looking at Ma Jiahua on the kang (a heated brick bed).

For some reason, Ma Jiahua blushed and stammered a greeting to Qin Xiaoxiao, "Qin Zhiqing, what do you need me for?"

Qin Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, "Yes, there is something. Let's not beat around the bush. We both know what happened to your leg injury."

At this point, Ma Jiahua's face suddenly turned ashen, and he looked at Qin Xiaoxiao in a panic, "Qin Zhiqing, you..."

Qin Xiaoxiao's expression remained unchanged, and she still smiled as she said, "That's right, I know everything. I set up the trap, so of course I know what's going on."

The first time you went there... I already knew. You don't know, but I've been in poor health since I was a child. I rarely eat whole grains like cornmeal. At home, I usually eat rice, wheat flour, and millet. At most, I'll nibble on a couple of corn cobs. I almost never touch things like cornmeal porridge, cornmeal pancakes, or steamed buns made from a mixture of three or four types of flour.

"The cornmeal you took was from the kitchen cabinet. It was there when I arrived at the youth settlement, and it hadn't been touched once. So even though you took a small amount, I noticed it after just one lift."

Ma Jiahua felt it was somewhat fantastical.

Are there still people who don't even eat cornmeal these days? She eats rice and wheat flour every day. How much money do her parents have to earn each month to support her?

Having money isn't enough; there's a monthly ration of fine grains, just a few pounds a month. Even if she ate it all, it wouldn't be enough!

Did her parents also go to the black market?

Ma Jiahua was thinking quite a lot, and for a moment he forgot about his awkward situation, which left Qin Xiaoxiao speechless.

“Hey Ma, can you listen to me properly? You keep getting distracted, I'm going to have to stay in your room a little longer.”

The youth quarters were full of people and gossips; it was bad to be talked about behind people's backs.

Ma Jiahua immediately came to his senses. "I'm sorry, Qin Zhiqing. I admit that I stole your grain. The injury on my leg was from when I visited you a few days ago."

I admit to all of this, and I know I am guilty, but I still want to beg you, can you not report it to the police or talk to the commune?

I'll find a way to return the grain to you. Not the cornmeal, but rice and wheat flour. Also, if you want money, I can try to return that too, but right now… I don't have any money on me. The grain the village distributed the day before yesterday probably isn't enough for me. If you want…”

Seeing that Ma Jiahua was going on and on, Qin Xiaoxiao impatiently raised her hand to interrupt him.

"Wait a minute, stop talking. I won't ask you for food, and you don't need to pay me back. I certainly won't report you to the police. But I can forgive you once or twice, but there won't be a third time. If there is a next time, I will definitely report you to the police."

Also, the reason I'm standing here is to tell you that heaven is watching what people do. Don't think that just because you're keeping your actions secret, no one will know. Sooner or later, someone will expose you.

Ma Zhiqing, I hope you will learn from this and not do evil even if it seems insignificant. Rather than being tormented by your conscience for the rest of your life, it's better to talk things out.

For example, if you're short of food, you know perfectly well that I'm well-off and don't need that little bit of food, so why didn't you tell me? If you explained the situation and wrote an IOU to borrow from me, I would definitely lend it to you.

Alternatively, you could borrow from the village. My uncle is the most soft-hearted person. You were an educated youth sent to the countryside, so how could he possibly watch you starve to death?

Alright, that's all I wanted to say. Think about it carefully yourself.

After Qin Xiao finished speaking, she opened the door and left without looking back, leaving a bewildered Ma Jiahua questioning the meaning of life.