Chapter 77: Poor mountains and bad waters give rise to unruly people
The three of them reluctantly made their way to the Lu family courtyard, where a flurry of chatter had already erupted. Deng Hongjuan's slightly sharp voice could be heard from afar: "If you have any difficulties, go to the organization. If we come to the Lujiazui Production Team and have any problems, shouldn't we go to you, the team leader? We've come all the way here to support the construction and help you. And this is how you treat us, with no food or shelter. How can we continue to build?"
Gao Xiulan was about to speak, but Lu Minghai stopped her. He spoke slowly, "To put it nicely, you're here to support our rural development. To put it more formally, this is called going to the countryside for re-education. The purpose is to break your evil tendencies of playfulness and hedonism. When you come to the countryside, you must be prepared for hardship and hard work. What's going on? It's only the first day, and you're already making trouble? You think you have more people than me, a country bumpkin from the mountains with no knowledge, no culture, and no experience, and I can't do anything to you?"
"I'm the production team leader at Lujiazui. I have the final say. I also have the final say on how you should receive your education! Don't act like you're superior. I'm going to make it clear to you all at once. When you get to Lujiazui, if you're a phoenix, you'll have to stay in the chicken coop. If you're a dragon, you'll have to coil up in the dung heap! No matter what your family background is, you're all the same here. You're all hardworking and simple working people. Stop whining and spouting nonsense all day long!"
The voice rose slightly, and the educated youth, who still had some brains, instantly quieted down.
"Including you, there have been three groups of educated youth here. You are the largest group this time, and you have the most to do. The first group of four educated youth had nothing when they arrived here. Not to mention a place to live, there wasn't even a blade of grass. We had to find our own way. You are here to receive re-education and learn the spirit of hard work and perseverance, not to be bosses. No one should serve you here! If anyone doesn't want to stay, that's great. I will report to the brigade and send you back. If you don't want to stay, you can pack up and leave tomorrow!"
Zhou Guoping said, "I won't be a deserter, nor do I want to cause trouble for the team, but the problem of food must be solved. Man is iron and rice is steel. If you don't eat and go hungry, what can you do? You can't do anything!"
Lu Minghai smiled. "Yes, eating is a big deal. I made it very clear at the educated youth camp. You just arrived and don't have rations. The team can lend you some money. Go ask the accountant tomorrow. As for how to deal with it tonight, I also told you that you can either stay at the educated youth camp, where there are old educated youth, and you can discuss and eat with them. Otherwise, you can listen to my arrangements and temporarily be assigned to the homes of various members to eat with others. Of course, this sharing can't be in vain. You eat what they eat. If there are rations, you will export them. If there are no rations, you will pay with tickets. It's very clear. You didn't say anything at the time, and no one was willing, right?"
"You young people, though young, are quite cunning. Even though I haven't seen the world in the mountains, I still know what you're thinking. Comrade Liu Changqing and Comrade Wang Jianmao have been in the team for several years and get along well with everyone. They also took good care of the educated youth who came last time. Why can't they do that to you? You're already grown-ups, don't treat others like fools."
"Okay, I won't waste any more time talking nonsense. Now let's talk about the solution. You two, go back and apologize to Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao. Give them the money and tickets they deserve, and take care of dinner and tomorrow's meals. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll just divide it up randomly. One educated youth will go to one household, or you can go and live with the members with the money and tickets. How about it? It's up to you guys."
Zhou Guoping looked at the completely dark sky and said, "It's not a good idea to go to the commune members' homes at this time. I'll go back to the educated youth camp."
Xu Wenfang and Zhang Yun also echoed: "Then let's go back to the educated youth site. Captain, can you come with us to talk about it? There was something unpleasant going on over there just now."
Young people are arrogant and have bad tempers, but they have arrived in a strange place after all, and when people arrive in a strange place, they will feel a little scared.
Not all of them are genuine members of the Five Red Categories. Some of them come from poor families and have to go to the countryside to receive education. It will be really troublesome if we report them and send them back.
No one knows the people in the mountains, and no one knows what they can do.
Poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people. This saying is absolutely not groundless.
Lu Minghai didn't respond directly. He looked at the others who hadn't spoken and asked, "What about you guys?"
Deng Hongjuan said, "I'm not at the educated youth site. I'm going to live with a member of the commune."
Li Hongtao learned his lesson this time and didn't say anything.
Xu Qingming responded, "Let's go back to the educated youth camp. We'll be staying there for a long time. Living in a member's home isn't a long-term solution."
Huang Wancheng also echoed: "Then let's go back to the educated youth camp, and we can discuss everything."
Li Hongtao still didn't speak, he didn't want to lower his head.
Lu Minghai had a rough idea in mind: "Okay, most of them plan to go back, so let's just follow the majority. I'll go there, and you guys apologize to them and make things clear. We'll do what needs to be done. Don't delay work tomorrow."
"I won't go back to the educated youth site. I want to live with the other members of the commune. I want to live at their home." Deng Hongjuan pointed at Lu Dongping who was standing with Wen Wan watching the fun.
If you don't say anything, you can let the fire burn you?
Lu Dongping sneered: "I refuse. We already have educated youth living here with us. Even if there are any tasks, they won't be assigned to our family." Lu Donglin blinked beside him, as if he didn't understand the situation yet. He gently pulled Lu Dongping, but Lu Dongping ignored him.
Lu Minghai didn't say anything, but called out to Lu Dongcai: "Dongcai, get me two torches!"
He was used to the darkness, but it was not the same for these educated youth. They would fall and get bumped into things, which was a headache just thinking about it.
After taking the torch, Lu Donghai threw one to Lu Dongping and said, "Go ahead!" He walked at the back with a torch.
Lu Dongping took the torch and whispered to Wen Wan, "Go ahead, I'll light the way for you." As for the others, what does it have to do with him?
Deng Hongjuan felt hot on her face after being rejected by him. She felt like she was going to be laughed at, but who had the leisure to laugh at her at this moment? No one paid any attention to her and just followed the torch and left.
She was completely dumbfounded, and stomped her feet in anger, wishing she could kick the house down. Then, watching the torches getting farther and farther away, she finally followed them.
After Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao finished their meal and packed up, they chatted casually outside the door. In the past, they would have gone to bed at this time, but today, they knew that they would not be able to sleep well, so they just waited and saw what these newcomers would do.
Not long after, I saw the light of torches flickering on the edge of a field not far away.
"Here we go! What are you going to do?"
Liu Changqing said: "What are you going to do? The Youth League base is not mine alone, nor is it yours alone. We will do whatever the captain arranges. In short, no one is stupid. If you are good and I am good, then naturally everyone will be good. Otherwise -"
He smiled but said nothing. How could a grown man like him allow himself to be bullied? They were all human beings for the first time, so no one had the obligation to give in to anyone else.
As they were talking, someone arrived. Liu Changqing stood up and greeted them, "Captain, Secretary Lu!"
Lu Dongping glanced at him and nodded in agreement. He found a place to place the torch and left the rest to Lu Minghai. The captain was in charge of the team's affairs, and he couldn't interfere.
He first sent Wen Wan into the house and told her at the door: "Rest early. I'll come pick you up tomorrow. I'm going to take people to repair the weir tomorrow. You can pull pig grass, so we can go together."
"Well, no matter how noisy they are, as long as they don't bother you, just ignore them."
Wen Wan took the thermos he handed over and asked him, "What if I offend you?"
Lu Dongping said: "Then remember to tell me."
Wen Wan nodded and went into the house, but she didn't sleep either. She pricked up her ears and listened carefully to the noise outside, thinking to herself that she should get something to eat for Xu Qingming later.
Lu Minghai chatted with Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao for a few words, and Zhou Guoping spoke first: "Comrade Liu Changqing, Comrade Wang Jianmao, we were wrong this afternoon. Our attitude was problematic. I apologize to you. From now on, we will all live in the same room and live under the same roof. Please take care of us."
Liu Changqing said, "That's too polite. We're all the same. We might get along for a while, so please take care of each other." He then looked at Lu Minghai and said, "Uncle Minghai, Wang Jianmao and I have been on the team for several years now. You know me, I'm a straightforward person. I don't beat around the bush, and I always say what I mean. It was the same when Zhu Feng and Wen Wan first arrived. They were new here, didn't have rations, and had difficulties, and everyone understood. Back then, we were just given money and tickets for the meals we ate. It's not that I'm stingy or like to haggle. We work hard all year round, and we have to save and rescind the work points we earn to get by. No one is well off, so eating and drinking for free is completely out of the question."
Wang Jianmao also nodded. "We didn't say anything. It was the same as before. We just made things clear in advance to avoid conflicts later. Then two comrades were not happy about it. It doesn't matter. You can't force a cow to drink water if it doesn't want to. It's not a big deal."
Lu Minghai understood that the two "unhappy" comrades must express their opinions.
He nodded: "That's right. Now that there are so many people, there must be some rules, otherwise it will be a mess."
Wang Jianmao said, "There aren't any rules. It's just about food rations. You have to export your own food rations. You can get one meal at a time, or once a day is fine. If you don't have food rations, you can use money and food coupons. A few meals, one person doesn't need much. And as for cooking, everyone has to take turns to do it every day. As for the water in the vat, the men have to take turns fetching it, not to mention the women. We live together, and these things are not the responsibility of any one person."
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