“Before cooking, I asked Sister Li, and she said that she didn’t have enough food and could only eat sparingly. Moreover, the food you, Qian Zhiqing, brought out was not more than Sister Li’s.”

Qian Xiaojun did indeed secretly reduce the amount of grain, but he thought he was the only one doing it, not realizing that everyone else was doing it too.

But can we blame him? If there really wasn't a shortage of food, and Chen Jianguo wasn't unwilling to help borrow grain, he wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure.

"Today, everyone except Brother Wang has less food than before."

Zhang Zhaodi added another sentence, which immediately shut up Wang Erzhuang, who wanted to mediate the fight. He was honest and simple, but that didn't mean he was stupid. However, he really didn't know how to argue. In the end, he just buried his head and drank the porridge in his bowl in a few bites, then got up and left with the empty bowl.

I was planning to wash the dishes and go back to sleep since I was hungry and the more I moved around, the hungrier I got. But as soon as I stepped out the door, I heard laughter from next door and smelled the aroma of food in the room, and my nose suddenly started to sting.

Why can't the people in the educated youth compound fight like the neighbors next door, like fighting cocks every day? But in reality, no one gains anything, and it's not an exaggeration to say that it's a losing proposition.

Sniffing, Wang Erzhuang felt a little dejected. He was too embarrassed to go next door for a free meal, and he couldn't change the situation at the educated youth compound anyway.

Sigh~

With a long sigh, Wang Erzhuang returned to his room, still feeling dejected, and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

Before he could fall asleep, someone reached out and shoved him, speaking with the same nonchalant tone as always, "Erzhuang, didn't your parents send you some things? Give me some to eat, I'm starving."

This kind of situation has happened before, but today Wang Erzhuang just felt inexplicably irritable.

"I'm hungry myself."

Wang Erzhuang didn't expect that the other party would pretend not to understand such an obvious rejection.

"Then hurry up and take it out. We can have something to eat together to fill our stomachs. Otherwise, when that person comes back, you'll have to share some with him."

Wang Erzhuang: "...Didn't your family just send you a package?"

Qian Xiaojun was surprised that Wang Erzhuang knew about this, but those things belonged to him, so why should he give them to Wang Dashazi?

No, you must have seen it wrong.

To be honest, Wang Erzhuang was truly disappointed by all of this. He had always regarded Qian Xiaojun as a brother, and even though Zhao Hu had subtly reminded him the night before to be wary of Qian Xiaojun, he hadn't paid much attention.

But he was still heartbroken when he was deceived.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, hurry up and get the food out. This meal felt like I didn't eat anything at all, I'm starving."

Wang Erzhuang pulled the blanket over his face and refused, saying, "I've finished eating."

It's just lying. It's not like he can't; he just didn't want to before.

"Wang Erzhuang, what do you mean? Have you forgotten how good I used to be to you?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Erzhuang recalled what Zhao Hu had said: Qian Xiaojun's kindness always came with conditions. He was generous, and Qian Xiaojun was able to get good things, so naturally he was willing to befriend him.

Rather than saying he's good, it's more accurate to say he's easily fooled.

"If you treat me well, I will always repay you tenfold. I don't owe you anything."

Qian Xiaojun was nearly driven mad with anger. He ripped the blanket off Wang Erzhuang's face and said fiercely, "What do you mean? Are you going to break off our friendship?"

"Think what you want."

Honest people can be quite hurtful when they have a temper.

"Alright, alright, you said that."

Lin Qingqing was in a similarly bad mood as Qian Xiaojun. She had just come out of the kitchen when she heard Xiao Yuheng's voice. She immediately moved closer to the wall to hear what was going on. She heard Zhou Yue thanking Xiao Yuheng for the good things he had brought.

Thinking back to the basket of things Xiao Yuheng brought back from the commune that afternoon, although she hadn't seen what was in the basket with her own eyes, after listening to the older women talk about it, she knew that the things the Xiao family could get were all good.

But those things ended up in the hands of that bitch Gu An'an.

"You slut."

Cursing under her breath, Lin Qingqing washed and put the bowl away, then took out the rouge she had brought from home and applied it carefully before changing into her favorite clothes and going out.

Xiao Yuheng was completely captivated by Gu An'an's cooking skills and wished he could have the chance to taste it every day.

Unfortunately, happy times are always short-lived. After finishing his meal, he helped with all the chores in the courtyard before carrying the dishes Gu An'an had brought out and walking back to his uncle's house, turning back every few steps.

"Commander Xiao."

As he turned the corner, a figure suddenly darted out from the corner. Xiao Yuheng immediately protected the flesh on his hand, spun around on the spot, and then kicked the figure.

"ah!"

Lin Qingqing felt herself being kicked by a strong force, and she fell backward uncontrollably, finally landing on her bottom. The pain brought tears to her eyes.

"Commander Xiao~"

The movements just now were all spontaneous, and it wasn't until now that Xiao Yuheng noticed who had just pounced on him. "Why is it you again?"

The obvious disdain in his tone made Lin Qingqing feel ashamed and indignant, but remembering what the man in front of her represented, Lin Qingqing still hid her discomfort and pretended to be aggrieved, saying, "Commander Xiao, I didn't mean any harm."

Xiao Yuheng didn't want to listen to her nonsense at all. He would rather use that time to take the vegetables home and let his family envy him.

"I don't know you. Please don't do such dangerous things again, or I'll kick you again next time."

Lin Qingqing: ...Is this something a human being should say?

Seeing that Xiao Yuheng was really about to leave, Lin Qingqing cried out in pain, "Commander Xiao, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to misunderstand, but I think I've fallen and injured myself. Could you please take me to Uncle Youfu's place to see him?"

Uncle Youfu is the village's barefoot doctor. His skills are limited. You can ask him for some medicine to stop bleeding and reduce bruising if you have a cold or a sprain. Don't think about anything else.

Lin Qingqing had a good plan. As long as Xiao Yuheng helped her through the whole village to see a doctor late at night, even if nothing happened, someone would say something about it.

As the group leader, Xiao Yuheng certainly couldn't allow herself to have any blemishes. As long as she made a move, she could take down Gu An'an before she could.

But Xiao Yuheng was someone who had seen through her little schemes long ago.

"Can't move?"

Lin Qingqing nodded shyly and extended her left hand so that Xiao Yuheng could help her.

"Then you wait here for a while, I'll go call my uncle and aunt. Uncle Youfu can't move at all, so he definitely can't take care of him. We need to go to the commune hospital."