Chapter 23: I'm Determined
Although he was thinking about it, he did not slow down at all. He walked briskly with a small bag of food in his hand. Wen Wan could not catch up with him even with her empty hands.
After putting the food into her room, she handed over the lunch box: "Thank you! You have helped me so many times, I don't know how to thank you. There is some dried meat in it that I brought from home, you can have some."
Liu Changqing and his friends said that it was difficult to eat meat in the mountains all year round, so giving him dried meat was a very sincere way of saying thank you, right? There wasn't much dried meat in the lunch box. Lu Dongping's family of five could only eat two pieces per person, but it was a thoughtful gesture from her.
Lu Dongping was stunned for a moment, then smiled, reached out to take it and put it on the table for her: "Okay, it's such a small matter that you still have to thank me with meat. Keep it for yourself and eat it slowly. I'm leaving first, see you tomorrow!" After that, he rushed out of the house without eating and ran towards the commune.
Wen Wan looked at the time and it was getting late, so she picked up the dried rice and poured it into her mouth. Then she dug some food under the stove and found a sweet potato.
Zhu Feng had calmed down after being angry, but now he came back to his senses and winked at Wang Jianmao: "Oh, it's still good to be a female comrade, special care!"
Wang Jianmao didn't say anything, so Wen Wan just thought he was farting.
What special care? She bought the sweet potatoes in the first place, right?
After dinner, she rinsed the teacup with hot water from the pot, then wrapped sweet potatoes in corn leaves and walked towards the warehouse. People had already come there to collect farm tools. Hu Xiujuan was watching them tick the items on a form.
Wen Wan just arrived there and met Wang Mingfang and his family.
She greeted them warmly: "Uncle Changfa, Aunt Mingfang, Comrade Lu Mingqing!"
Lu Changfa and his father replied cheerfully, "Comrade Wenwan is up very early today!"
Wen Wan said: "It won't be too early, I walk slowly, the early bird catches the worm."
After saying that, she subconsciously glanced at Wang Mingfang. The other person's face looked extremely ugly when he saw her talking to the man in her family.
She thought this woman was really fun.
Could it be that all the men in their family are rich men, and everyone they see is interested in them?
This "who" does not include her Wenwan.
She was a little girl, not even eighteen, and Lu Changfa was an old man, at least fifty, right? Lu Mingqing was in his twenties or thirties, right? Why did she think of flirting with someone?
Really.
"Aunt Mingfang, please walk slower. I want to tell you something!"
Wang Mingfang ignored her, and the more she shouted, the faster they walked away.
Wen Wan didn't chase her away and said loudly, "It seems that Aunt Mingfang is very dissatisfied with me. She doesn't want to listen to me. But I really have something to say. If you don't want to listen, then I can talk to Comrade Lu Mingqing!"
Wang Mingfang slammed on the brakes and almost couldn't catch her breath. Why are these female educated youth from the city so annoying, each one more difficult to deal with than the other?
"What is it?"
Wen Wan followed with a smile and said, "I heard that the old man in your family is a bamboo craftsman. I just arrived and I don't have anything. These days, we've been using collective things to open up the land. Then when we go to the mountains to collect firewood and dig wild vegetables for the winter, I have to do it myself. I don't have any household items yet. I'm thinking of asking the old man to make me a backpack. It doesn't have to be too big. Just make sure I can carry it. I also need a pair of baskets. If I can't get food this year, I'll always get it next year! I also need a bamboo basket, not too big. How much is it? I'll give it to you when it's ready."
Hearing the word "money", Wang Mingfang's expression softened. "If you don't need the basket urgently, wait a minute. I'll ask Ming Qing's grandfather to weave a backpack and basket for you. It's the end of winter now, and bamboo is hard to cut. It's said to be prone to borers. But if someone asks you, don't say you gave money. Just say we're all helping each other. The bamboo belongs to the collective. You can use it yourself, but you can't exchange it for money."
Wen Wan nodded: "I know, I know." Know shit! Who would believe it if I don't pay?
As we were talking, we walked up the mountain and we almost reached our destination without feeling tired at all.
When they arrived at the site of yesterday's digging, Lu Mingjiang and Zhang Hongying were already there. The old couple found it a little unbelievable that Wen Wan came with Wang Mingfang.
After work in the afternoon, when they were going home for lunch, Zhang Hongying said, "That Wen Wan from today actually came to work with Wang Mingfang. What's wrong with these girls from the city? Wang Mingfang said something so harsh, and she actually came closer. Do you think she didn't understand?"
He almost said that Wen Wan was stupid.
Lu Dongping took a mouthful of rice and said, "We're all from the same team, so it's not surprising that we're all on the same journey. Lu Changfa's father isn't a bamboo craftsman, and Wen Wan went to see Wang Mingfang because she wanted to weave some household items."
Lu Mingjiang glanced at him while holding the bowl. "You know so much about it. Does that mean you're involved in this too?"
"What are you saying? They're new here and unfamiliar with everything. Shouldn't we locals take care of them?"
Lu Mingjiang sneered, "You son of a bitch, I don't even know what you're up to."
Lu Chun'e poked Lu Donglin and whispered, "Hey, Third Brother, have you noticed that Big Brother has become more cultured recently and speaks more fluently, with words pouring out one by one?"
Lu Donglin said: "This is the power of love. A man can change himself and do anything for the woman he loves!" After saying that, a big hand slapped him on the head.
Lu Dongping glanced at him and said, "Even eating can't stop you from talking, right?"
Lu Donglin was furious: "My sister said it first, why didn't you hit her?"
"Humph, you're the youngest, and you're next to me, so I can beat you the most easily."
The two brothers interacted with each other and neither of them suffered any loss. The meal ended in a noisy manner.
After dinner, everyone scooped hot water from the pot to wash their faces and feet before going into the house. Finally, Lu Mingjiang and his wife roasted some food by the fire pit for a while.
Zhang Hongying cleared away the pots and pans, wiped her hands dry, and then sat down by the fire. "What did Uncle Dongping say to you when he got off work today?"
Lu Mingjiang sat on the bench with his sleeves rolled up and said, "Let's talk about that bastard Lu Dongping." As he spoke, he sighed, "Look, he's already 23, how come he still doesn't understand anything? It's not like I haven't asked people to find him a partner in the past two years, but he's always been so full of nonsense, and no one is suitable. Look at the ones around here, who know him well, so how come he's like Liu Zhaoxing's son, obsessed with this educated youth from the city?"
Zhang Hongying was stunned for a moment: "Is he serious?"
Lu Mingjiang nodded helplessly.
"That won't do. This new Wen Wan is no match for Liu Zhaoxing's daughter-in-law. Look, it's been a week, and she doesn't work as well as Donglin's child. She only earns three-tenths of a day. How are we going to live if we marry someone like that?"
Lu Mingjiang also knew what she said, but what was the use of knowing it? That bastard Lu Dongping was determined to do it. Could I be more stubborn than my son?
He might still give it a try in other things, but when it comes to finding a partner, he won't agree to the one that Lu Dongping is looking for, and he doesn't like the one his family has found. If he forces it, his life will be in chaos again.
Lu Mingjiang scratched his head anxiously: "The problem is that he likes it, what can you do?"
"Can liking her be eaten? No, I'm going to find your eldest brother tomorrow and ask him to take that young educated youth to another family. She can't stay with our family anymore. The farther away she is, the less she'll miss him."
Lu Mingjiang took a long time to say, "If you're not afraid that Dongping will come back and make trouble for you, then go find him! What's the point of being far away? No matter how far away, we're still in the same production team and on the same land. We can see each other right away. Who knows, if we're separated, we might just get closer."
After saying that, he sighed again: "Finding a partner is a lifelong thing. We as parents can only give advice. If he is determined to like someone and you interfere, he will resent you for the rest of his life."
"No, then let him do whatever he wants?" Zhang Hongying was at a loss at this moment.
"Can you still control him now?" I couldn't control him when he was just a teenager, let alone now that he has gone to the commune and has grown independent.
"Let him go. He won't turn back until he hits a wall. He may like someone, but that person may not like him back."
There is nothing else to do in winter. Those who have received the task of raising pigs at home can cut some grass for the pigs. Those who have not received the task of raising pigs can cut grass and hand it in to the team's pig farm in exchange for work points. The rest is to reclaim the land.
The work that female comrades can do, no, it should be said that the work that Wen Wan can do is raking grass, picking up stones, and doing the work that children of Lu Donglin's age do.
Lu Donglin could earn four work points, but she could only earn two. By the time the team distributed rations, her work points finally increased and she could get three points.
The night before the rations were distributed, Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao were both particularly happy.
The team's harvest this year was pretty good. Not only did we get more food rations, but the pigs in the team's pig farm were sold, and after the accounts were settled, those with high work points also received some income.
The cooking shed was a little small and couldn't fit four people around, so Wang Jianmao piled up a pile of firewood on the ground at the door and made a fire. The four of them sat around the fire and chatted.
Liu Changqing was telling Zhu Feng and Wen Wan about the next day's ration collection: "I don't know about other places, but here in Ganling Commune, it's based on households. At the end of the year, the accountant calculates the year's harvest and total work points. Then they pay the public grain, keep the seed, and after deducting the reserve grain and the reserve fund, they distribute the rations according to the 70% labor and 30% work method."
Wen Wan asked him puzzledly, "What does it mean to work seven times a day?"
"That means 70% is for people, and 30% is for work points. Families with many people and few laborers will only get more food, which is very little, like relief food. That little food is not enough to eat, and you will be criticized and criticized, and you will have to pay the team back later. Families with more people and more laborers will not only get more food rations, but also cash benefits."
"You just arrived this year, so the production team won't distribute rations to you. By this time next year, you'll be getting your own rations. This is why the members of the production team don't welcome the sent-down youth. Intellectuals from the city don't know how to farm, especially the women. They can't carry anything, and not only can't do much work, but they also have to share rations. So they're not welcome."
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