Chapter 168 Small Yellow Croaker

The villagers were not well educated and actually had no prejudice against the people in the cowshed. But when it came to money, the farmers just worked in the fields all year round to make a living. Even if they sold grain, the prices were kept very low due to unified purchase and sales, and could not be compared with industrial products at all.

If you don't have any way to make money, then you can only spend every penny carefully, right?

One dollar is really not a small amount.

Secretary Zhao had no choice. If the fodder was not lost and the cows were not getting enough, and there was no grass to be cut in winter, he could ask the villagers to buy it for a certain price, and no one would be able to say no.

But now that it was lost, he couldn't force the villagers to pay, so he could only go to the cowshed himself and pay five yuan, asking the people in the cowshed to look for themselves and then pool thirty or forty yuan together to buy fodder. If they really didn't have money, they would lend it to each other, and if they had relatives in the city, they could also write a letter and ask the city to transfer some money...

After Secretary Zhao left, the cowshed fell silent.

In the past, a few dozen dollars was not a big sum for them, and anyone could come up with it. But in their current situation, where can they get a few dozen dollars?

Shen Wanxue had some small yellow croakers in her hands, and she could still exchange them for a few dozen yuan. But she was also careful not to say it directly on this occasion.

Even though the people in the bullpen were together day and night, they were not close friends after all. If one really showed off his wealth, there was no guarantee that something might happen.

Shen Wanxue planned to wait until night, secretly go to Xia Juanjuan, give the small yellow croaker to Xia Juanjuan, and exchange it for a few dozen yuan from her.

"Alas... this matter is all... Lao Zhang's fault. You said you were still on guard in the cowshed, how could someone steal the fodder? Now look at it! There are seven of us in total. Even if we divide it equally, each person will have to pay four or five yuan! Where can we get it?" Lao Li has always been stingy and couldn't help complaining.

After hearing this, Yang Qiushi could not help but scold, "Old Li! What are you talking about! We are all together. It was Old Zhang who had bad luck that night. If it was you who was on guard, can you guarantee that you could keep a close watch?"

Another person said, "Ah! If you ask me, it must be those educated youth who came over last time to ask for fodder for firewood! We didn't agree to give it to them, so they did harm to us!"

"Yes! How about we go to the commune tomorrow to find Secretary Zhao and file a complaint against them, and let those educated youth pay for it!" another person also said.

"Forget it. If we go and complain given our current status and situation, what if those educated youths turn the tables and say that we have received education but have not repented? Then we will be in big trouble, right?"

When everyone heard this, they also felt the risk and kept silent.

"Well... let's see how much money we can gather together and see how much fodder we can buy. If it's really not enough, we can ask the commune to borrow some first and pay it back next year with the work points we earn..." Shen Wanxue said.

Old Li looked at everyone and couldn't help but said to Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, you are the one who made this mess. Don't you have a son in the city? How about you send a telegram to your son tomorrow and ask him to compile the money and we will make up for the difference. What do you think?"

Lao Zhang was a loner and introvert. His face flushed red at this moment. He looked up at Lao Li, and Lao Li was so scared that he thought he was going to hit him. He could not help but take two steps back and said in a trembling voice: "Lao, Lao Zhang, why are you glaring at me! Is there anything wrong with what I said? Ask everyone if they all think so?"

Lao Zhang lowered his head again and said in a deep voice: "I am responsible for my own work! You don't need to pay for it! I will make up for this hole of several dozen yuan myself! If I can't make it up..."

Old Zhang didn't say anything else. He suddenly stood up and went back to his room.

Seeing this, the others also dispersed.

Shen Wanxue felt sorry for Lao Zhang when she saw his expression, so she waited until everyone else had left, then took a small path to the back door of Xia Juanjuan's house in the dark.

After knocking on the back wall of the room where Xia Juanjuan lived, Xia Juanjuan knew it was her or Yang Qiushi coming.

Xia Juanjuan went to open the door to the backyard and let Shen Wanxue in, saying with a smile, "I was planning to go over to your place after I put the three kids to sleep, but I didn't expect you to come over first."

Shen Wanxue followed him into the room, went to the crib, looked at the triplets who were already asleep, and said with a regretful smile: "Alas... If I had known earlier, I would have come earlier and could have hugged them."

Then he turned around and said, "Ah... Auntie came here tonight to ask for a favor..."

After hearing this, Xia Juanjuan interrupted Shen Wanxue and said with a smile: "Auntie, wait a minute..."

As he spoke, he took out twenty yuan from his pocket and handed it to Shen Wanxue, then continued, "I also heard about the theft of fodder. The commune asked you to raise money to make up for it, right? You and my master probably don't have much spare money, so I was planning to go over and deliver it to you later, but it happened that you came, so I don't have to run all this way."

Xia Juanjuan did some calculations and estimated that Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi would each contribute five yuan, so twenty would be enough.

The remaining five dollars was left for them to keep as pocket money for emergencies.

Shen Wanxue was stunned when she looked at the twenty yuan in front of her, and then her eyes turned red.

In this day and age, twenty dollars is enough for a farmer’s expenses for a year!

Even if Lizhan has an allowance, these twenty yuan are nothing, but no one owes her anything. She can't feel at ease accepting ten or twenty yuan for no reason!

"Juanjuan... It's amazing that you even thought of all these for me and Lao Yang..." Shen Wanxue said with emotion.

Xia Juanjuan smiled and said, "Auntie, look at what you said. Didn't you and Master say that you treat me as your goddaughter and my children as your grandchildren? Isn't it normal for a goddaughter to give money to her godmother?"

Shen Wanxue nodded and said, "Hey!"

But... twenty is not enough...

Lao Zhang said that he would fill the hole alone, so I'm afraid the other four people, starting with Lao Li, won't contribute any money.

As for the other three, even if they were to come out, I'm afraid they would either need some tricks or be unable to do it. It would be good if one person could come up with one or two pieces. I'm afraid that Lao Zhang couldn't even come up with five pieces.

Adding this and the twenty yuan Xia Juanjuan gave me, it was still not enough to make up thirty yuan, and it was not enough to buy much fodder...

Shen Wanxue found it difficult to say, but she had to say it anyway.

She took out a small yellow croaker wrapped in a handkerchief from her bosom and showed it to Xia Juanjuan: "Juanjuan, here is a small yellow croaker, look... can you get another twenty out of it?"

Xia Juanjuan was stunned for a moment, then she realized that Shen Wanxue was planning to pay the entire 40 yuan by herself, and she was a little reluctant to agree.

People’s hearts are hidden, and sometimes, being too kind may not necessarily lead to good results.

If she really gave Shen Wanxue forty yuan, how would Shen Wanxue explain where the forty yuan came from?