"Xie Ming?" It was Xu Chunhua who opened the door for Xie Ming. The captain of the second squad was her eldest son, the young man Chen Fu had his eye on.
"Auntie, I need to talk to the second team leader about something."
"He just got back from his shift last night and is still sleeping!"
Speaking of her son, who was so thin he looked unrecognizable, Qian Chunhua couldn't help but feel sorry for him, clearly knowing that Qian Youdong had sabotaged him and made him look like that.
"Then I'll wait!"
Xie Ming certainly knew about those things, otherwise he wouldn't have been interested in bringing people to his side.
He didn't have to wait long before Chen Fu came out of the house yawning.
He was also surprised to see Xie Ming. Speaking of which, the Qian family and the Chen family were not on good terms, and as the prospective son-in-law of the Qian family, he naturally had hostility towards this man.
However, he still politely asked, "What do you need me for?"
"Shall we go for a walk outside?"
Chen Fu knew something was wrong. After thinking for a moment, he went back to his room to get his bowl and chopsticks and went out with Xie Ming toward the dining hall.
The two walked together along the path for a while. Chen Fu was also curious about what Xie Ming wanted to talk to him about, but he didn't say anything.
"Brother Chen Fu, I'll call you that from now on. What do you think we should do about the fields?"
"What can you do! My opinion doesn't count!"
His tone was somber, clearly indicating that he had suffered a lot at Qian Youdong's hands over the past few years and no longer wanted to get involved in these matters.
Xie Ming, not one to indulge his affectation, asked quietly, "Do you think this is just like this in our village, or is it the same in other villages?"
Chen Fu was stunned for a moment, recalling the scenes he had seen on his way from the county to the village yesterday. It seemed that not many people were tending to the fields, and most of the grain was left to dry in the fields.
With the summer harvest almost over, the people working in the fields every day are mostly people with little physical strength, which is not enough to make a difference.
Everyone says this year's harvest is bountiful, but if it's all like this, where will the grain come from to fill the granaries?
Seeing that he had thought of it, Xie Ming immediately added fuel to the fire: "If all those sparrows are killed, roasted, or exchanged for work points, then the insects in the fields next year will be in jeopardy."
Chen Fu was a genuine farmer; he did whatever everyone told him to do, though he felt something was off and he never quite figured out what was going on.
Xie Ming has now made his point clear. How could Xie Ming not understand?
He looked happy at the large canteen, but he knew that the grain inside wouldn't last until the end of the year, if the fields were all wasted like this.
If another natural disaster strikes, then the communal dining halls next year will truly be able to provide everyone with enough food.
Thinking about it, his back was soaked with sweat.
"Xie Ming, we're practically of the same generation, so just tell me directly, do you know something about this?"
Chen Fu actually wanted to hear a definite answer.
"You know I'm not a proper villager from Xiangyang Village, so even if everyone else goes hungry, I won't. I don't think the Qian family will go hungry either. In the end, it's always the parents who want their children to survive who suffer."
Chen Fu's body swayed slightly. His parents were born in the most chaotic era, suffering their entire lives! They never had a single good day. Was he really going to just watch them starve to death when that day came?
"Xie Ming, since you can say that, my Chen family will be indebted to you. But I still have to swallow my pride and ask you for some advice."
Staring at the crowded cafeteria not far away, Chen Fu lost all interest in getting food and just stared straight at Xie Ming with his empty bowl in hand.
Sure enough, anyone who doesn't get along with Qian Youdong is quick-witted; he convinced them with just a few words.
Xie Ming gestured with his chin, indicating that he should head towards the foot of the mountain.
Chen Fu wasn't inflexible; he immediately understood Xie Ming's suggestion to go hunting for food in the wild.
He pulled Xie Ming along and they walked towards the foot of the mountain.
Since they were walking on the same road during mealtimes, people naturally saw them.
So, Chen Fu made up a few excuses and dragged a few trusted villagers from teams 2, 3, and 5 along to the foot of the mountain. These people had all been driven back by Qian Youdong, who clearly didn't want the Chen family to get involved in any of the benefits on the front lines.
Those who came to the foot of the mountain were not fools; after being enlightened, they naturally realized how important this matter was.
In the past, no one pointed it out to me, so I always felt it wasn't a big deal, since there were people above me to take care of things.
But if there really is no food, can the people holding the fort conjure up food or cut off their own flesh to share with everyone?
Those are all just dreams! You have to plan everything yourself.
You should know that these clans would stockpile grain within the clan to cope with various disasters, and it was because everyone did this.
So when the large canteen was set up, all the major surnames in the village were searched out, and no one knew who the other was.
Chen Fu was also afraid that Xie Ming might be setting a trap for them with money, but this was an open scheme, and even if it was a trap, he had no choice but to fall into it.
After parting ways with Xie Ming, he went to the clan chief's house to talk about the matter. The clan chief sighed and finally decided which people would take the blame if something went wrong.
What happened next was a natural consequence. The villagers who went with them that day were also decisive, immediately taking sides and making a list, determined to exclude the shrew and the malicious people.
Xie Ming also checked and verified that the people in the small team were all okay, and immediately started the small team.
After he returned, he had a general plan. Having experienced so many different planes, he had hundreds of ideas on how to cover his tracks and how to stockpile food.
If all else fails, there's always insurance coverage, right? Having too many hanging things is quite a hassle!
Chen Fu and the others didn't think that way. They hadn't really had a clear direction when they gathered the people together, but Xie Ming had organized and mobilized them right away.
Who would provide cover and who would collect the grain—all the procedures were finalized in half a day.
In that instant, the people working with him felt reassured.
The next question is how and where to find the grain.
Xie Ming didn't actually lead people to the fields to cut other people's rice or dig up other people's sweet potatoes... Instead, he led a few people in disguise to stand along the road to the grain station and wait.
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