Captain Zhang was begging the president to approve some food for the militia. The president frowned and thought for a long time before saying:
"Alas! The only places with food right now are the war reserve granaries. Since this is a special case, I'll approve five pounds of white flour, ten pounds of cornmeal, and fifteen pounds of sorghum flour for you. Go get Minister Gao's signature and have him give it to you."
The president wrote a note, handed it to the team leader, waved his hand, and signaled him to leave on his own. However, his face was full of self-blame and helplessness, and he didn't want to say anything.
The team leader also left the president's office with a helpless and apologetic expression and went to find Minister Gao.
………………………………
Zhang Xudong returned from the brigade headquarters and started steaming steamed buns with his grandmother. After 10 to 20 minutes of work, they had just put the buns into the steamer when they heard the sound of hurried footsteps outside the yard.
Zhang Xudong checked his watch. It was almost eleven o'clock, time to get off work. He placed two sticks of hardwood in the stove and left the kitchen with his grandmother.
I saw Uncle Changsheng and his youngest son, Brother Tieshuan, Brother Zhuzi and his son, Uncle Youshan and Uncle Changgui, seven people, walk into the yard.
"Auntie, the others can't come today because they have something to do, so we will do it first." Uncle Youshan said.
"Okay, whoever's free can come. If you're not free, just do something else. Building a pigpen a day earlier or later doesn't matter."
Grandma knew that the others who didn't come were either militiamen or team leaders, but she didn't say it out loud.
The seven strong men worked very hard, some moving stones, some mixing mortar and sand, some building the wall. In just one hour they had the pigsty almost ready.
Three pots of steamed bread were already out in the kitchen. Over sixty of them, it looked like a huge pile. Zhang Xudong checked his watch and saw it was past midnight, so he asked his grandmother to take a dozen or so steamed breads. He then fetched a basin of water and left the kitchen.
"Dear uncles and brothers, it's time to go home for dinner. Put away your things and wash your hands."
Everyone was already hungry, so they packed up their tools, washed their hands, and prepared to leave. Grandma was already waiting at the gate with a basket of steamed buns, and she gave each of them two steamed buns before letting them go home.
He also told me to rest at home after dinner and not to come again, and to do the remaining work after work tomorrow.
Everyone knew that the old lady was afraid of tiring everyone out, so she didn't want them to rush.
Everyone looked at the two large steamed buns in their hands and thought about how their own work was not enough to cover the cost, let alone repay the favor. They all secretly sighed at the generosity and openness of the Zhang family.
Zhang Xudong and his grandmother didn't care what the others thought. They cleaned up the kitchen and prepared to eat.
Zhang Xudong didn't want to bother, so he took a few buns and made three bowls of egg drop soup as lunch for the three of them.
I also took out some cucumbers and tomatoes that I grew in my space from the supermarket and ate them as fruit after the meal.
After dinner, Zhang Xudong asked his grandmother and younger sister to go and rest, and he waited for someone to come in the main room.
It didn't take long before the team leader and the militia company commander came in carrying three cloth bags.
"Dongzi, this is five pounds of white flour, ten pounds of corn flour, and fifteen pounds of sorghum flour. I finally asked the president for approval to get these as war reserve rations, so I'll leave them at your house for now," the team leader said as he put down his bag as he entered the door.
"What? Are you returning my forty steamed buns? I said this time the food belongs to our family and you don't have to return it." Zhang Xudong said.
"If you think of Mei, I'll compensate you with something else when I get back. This grain is the rations for the militia on their missions over the next two days.
Aside from the militiamen assigned to their mission, no one else can touch a single bite.” The captain explained.
"Third Grandpa, you can't do that. This grain could be placed in any of your houses. Why did you choose ours?
Can't we just be the only one fulfilling this obligation?" Zhang Xudong asked anxiously.
He didn't mind wasting his time and energy, but he didn't want to stay at home all day steaming steamed buns.
"It's not good to keep this grain in any of our homes, for fear that the people will be suspicious and have complaints.
We're worried about leaving it at someone else's house. After discussing it, we decided yours is the most suitable place," Zhang Dazhuang explained.
"My home is the most suitable? If there's not enough food, then I'd be the most suitable place to stay?" Zhang Xudong rolled his eyes speechlessly.
Third Grandpa and Uncle Dazhuang blushed for the first time and looked at each other. Third Grandpa said:
"How can we always let you subsidize us? If we keep doing this, where will we, the cadres, put our dignity? But if you want to contribute to the collective, I can't stop you, right?"
"Zhang Laosan, please have some shame. How can you plunder the younger generation like this?" Grandma said as she walked out.
"Sister-in-law, I have no other choice. If I can find a way to survive for my fellow villagers, I will sacrifice my face and even my life." The team leader said with red eyes.
"Sister-in-law, you don't know that people have already starved to death in other villages, and many have fled the famine. Entire families have even moved to the Great Northern Wasteland.
Fortunately, our village has been stable these days thanks to the 2,000 kilograms of potatoes and sweet potatoes that Dongzi exchanged for us.
But how long can two pounds of sweet potatoes and potatoes per person last? The autumn harvest will not come in for more than a month. The team leader wiped his eyes and continued:
"Let's not talk about anything else. Now that we have a mission, the boys picked up their guns without saying a word when they heard the order.
They didn't complain about being hungry, nor did they say they had no strength. They just did whatever the government asked them to do.
They are facing well-fed, strong and healthy enemy spies and bandits."
"Sister-in-law, can I please try my best to find some food for the kids? I can't let them die of hunger!
Besides, we have food in our stomachs, so if someone dies of honor, we won't starve to death." The captain closed his mouth and squatted on the ground, his energy suddenly gone.
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