On the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, the brigade's communal dining system was officially disbanded. Each household went to the team to collect food according to the number of people in the population. Adults were given 18 kilograms of coarse grains per month, children under ten years old were not given any, and those over ten years old and under eighteen years old were given 10 kilograms.
Carrying sacks, the members all had sad faces. This little bit of food is not enough for two meals of porridge a day for the many children in the family.
"Captain, didn't people under six get five kilograms before? Why don't people get any for children under ten? How can we live like this?"
Li Laopi, who has four children at home, was yelling while holding a sack. The oldest of his four boys is nine years old. If they were divided like this, even if he and his wife used up all their food, they would still not be able to feed all these children.
"Yes, Captain, we can't divide it this way. The children at home will starve to death."
"We can't divide it this way. The little brat will eat me to death. If I don't share the food with the kid, there won't be enough for the whole family to eat."
Everyone was talking about it, and the team leader frowned in worry. There is only so much grain available, and they also have to prepare for emergencies when the summer grain harvest cannot be harvested like in the past two years. The cadres here are helpless.
"Do you want to divide it or not? If not, then get out of the way and let others come."
The words sounded harsh but were actually weak, and the captain was nervous and uneasy. They have two children under ten years old, but there are many adults in the family, so they shouldn't starve to death if they share the food.
"No, we can't live like this. Let's go find the secretary. We've worked hard for a year, and he's going to watch our children starve to death?"
With someone taking the lead, almost the entire team that came to collect food followed. Everyone has children, and it would be too hard to divide life like this. Even if we dig wild vegetables and peel tree bark in the spring, we simply can't make it with so many children.
Gu Yan held her bag and followed the crowd up the slope. She had four children under the age of ten at home, so this matter should be of greatest concern to them. Glancing at Boss Han in front of her, she wondered what attitude the Han family would have towards the division of the family.
We arrived at the brigade party branch with a lot of clamor and found that there were more people than we had expected. Almost every team gathered in a circle, and the topic was naturally the distribution of food for today.
After some discussion, the leadership team succumbed to the public anger. The previous rule of "not giving food before the age of ten" was changed to "not giving food before the age of one", and 10 kilograms of sweet potatoes or carrots per month from one to ten years old.
Some still think it is too little, but due to successive severe droughts and poor harvests, everyone knows the difficulties faced by the Party branch. After the branch secretary complained again and again, they had no choice but to give up. Having five kilograms is better than having nothing. Spring comes after the New Year, and grass roots, leaves, and tree bark can all meet the emergency needs.
The Han family belongs to Team Five. When Boss Han was collecting the food, Gu Yan stepped forward and said, "I will collect the food for the three of us, mother and daughter."
"Why, you split up? I haven't heard of it."
"Just give it to me anyway, why ask that much?"
"Look at your wife, I have to ask clearly about the distribution of grain. What if I give it to you and the head of your family comes to make trouble, what should I do then?" The team accountant stared at her with a tone full of disapproval.
"Isn't Boss Han here? Go and ask him."
As soon as Gu Yan finished speaking, Accountant Wang looked at Boss Han who was standing nearby and asked. The man met the accountant's gaze and nodded, agreeing to Gu Yan's request.
They had already discussed this matter, and the old lady was very dissatisfied with letting Gu Yan live alone. As a young daughter-in-law whose parents-in-law are still alive, why should she be the head of the family?
"If you're not afraid that she'll come and confiscate your belongings again, then just don't agree."
The old man said one word and the old lady was done for. Her arms were fine, so she couldn't afford to offend the tigress possessed by Qin Qiong. The tables, chairs and window frames in the room had just been repaired, and she felt sad every time she saw them.
When the boss saw Gu Yan today, he knew that she did have this plan. Fortunately, we had already agreed to separate them beforehand, otherwise there would have been another big quarrel.
"You are a family of six. The two little kids don't get any. The two adults and the two children together are..."
"I'm only taking the ones for me and my two daughters. You don't need to give me Han Hongtu's."
Before the accountant could finish speaking, Gu Yan had already reiterated his point. Everyone around was stunned. The accountant stared at Gu Yan with wide eyes, stuttering, not knowing what to say. She doesn't want a man when the family is divided. Is that what she means?
"Why? The second son is your man. Since you are dividing the family, it must be your family of six. Do you want to give the second son to us?"
Boss Han was anxious. He didn't want to be with his second brother anymore. That guy was so lazy that the work points he earned in a year were not enough to support himself. If he were to share the work points with them, wouldn't their work points have to be shared equally with him?
"That's right. I've never seen a man being separated from a family when it's divided. You, the second son, are going too far."
The team accountant also echoed what Boss Han said and pushed Gu Yan back. Gu Yan looked up at the sky in silence, and reiterated after a moment.
"Give me the food for the three of us. The rest doesn't seem to be under the charge of an accountant like you, right?"
"You..." The accountant was embarrassed by her cold words and his face turned as black as charcoal for a moment. "You don't know how to appreciate kindness. I'm doing this for your own good. You're a woman, and if you divide it this way, you'll owe the brigade half a year's wages. If you don't have enough work points, the team won't have that much food to give you."
"If we have Han Hongtu, will the work points be enough?"
“…”
This one sentence left the accountant speechless. If other families have a strong laborer, if he works harder, it will be enough to support his wife and children. But Han Hongtu... this guy only goes to work when he can be lazy throughout the year. As soon as he is required to work a little, he disappears without a trace. The young wife had pulled the plow for her before. A grown man with all his strength lets his wife do the heavy physical labor, and it seems to make no difference whether he is a man or not.
"But...you alone can't raise four children."
"Then you don't have to worry about it."
"Okay, let me weigh the food for you."
Your kindness is really taken for granted. With your work points, the team will only give you half of the food next month. Let’s see what you will do then. A woman, instead of coaxing her husband to go to work and earn money, she just shows off here. I want to see how strong you are. When you and your mother are starving to death, I'll see if you will still try to be tough.
Boss Han watched as the accountant weighed out food rations for Gu Yan and her two daughters, with sorghum at the bottom and sweet potatoes on top. She picked them up and carried them on her shoulders.
"What? You don't want the second brother's food either?" In fact, it's good to not want either. It's a lesson for this kid to see if he dares to be lazy in the future.
"want."
Boss Han gritted his teeth, his expression angry and helpless. This woman is so cruel. She really doesn't care about the father of her man's child. But he is the eldest brother and his parents are still alive. If he dares to do that, his parents will be upset. Han Hongtu, I really owed you in my previous life, and now I have to deal with a lazy brother like you.
With the previous preparation, it was not difficult for Gu Yan to distribute the food. The truth is that Han Hongtu is not popular, and it won't be a big loss for the big family if he is divided up. I just wonder how they would react when they find out that this burden was not thrown to her.
"The second brother's food is also with us? Brother, are you sure?"
"That's right, he should be with his wife and children, why is he with us?"
"What a sin, what a sin! How could our Han family marry such a daughter-in-law?"
"She even kicked out her own man. This woman is really outrageous."
Gu Yan came out to pour some water and just happened to hear shouting from next door. He sneered and returned to the house. You will have to bear the consequences of your own actions. I am not interested in raising a lazy giant baby in his thirties.
After the food was distributed, everyone was looking for a pot to cook. After all the noise before, Gu Yan was a little worried that they would not give up and cause trouble. As a result, there was no movement next door until lunch in the afternoon.
Han Hongtu never came to her place. Dahua said that she saw him eating next door and then walking away with his hands folded. The character of idleness was perfectly portrayed by this guy.
"My grandma told my dad to go back to work after the Chinese New Year. If he doesn't give us the work points he earns, we'll regret it."
So this was the idea. Gu Yan smiled gently for a moment, kissed his son on the little face, and put the matter behind him.
Can a man in his thirties who has already been determined be reformed? Old lady, you are too fanciful. But whether it is good or bad has nothing to do with me. I am here for the children. What happens to Han Hongtu is your business. He is not my son and I have no control over him.
"My grandma is just talking to herself. If my dad is willing to work, he won't be himself anymore. The team is still doing infrastructure construction, and most of the work is done by men. If he wants to earn work points, why doesn't he go?"
"Third Aunt said behind his back that he is a dog that can't change its bad habits, and my aunt is also very angry. Mom, you are right to do this, and let my lazy dad be the one to suffer. She spoiled him, if she doesn't suffer, then who will?"
Look, both children see things more clearly than the old lady. It is easy to change the country but difficult to change one's nature. If one is spoiled during the formative period of youth, once he grows up, he will become a puddle of mud. It will be difficult to paste it on the wall and use it as bricks.
"Don't do it, I'll wash it. You two just come and look after your younger brothers and sisters." Seeing Xiaohua preparing to clean up the pots and pans, Gu Yan put his son on the kang, turned around and rolled up his sleeves.
"Mom, do you think I don't wash cleanly enough?" Otherwise, why don't you always let us wash clothes and clean the pots and dishes?
Gu Yan smiled and reached out to touch the top of his daughter's head. Because of the times, they dare not eat anything greasy, and the two children are still thin. However, she gave her children vitamins as if they were candies, and their hair and skin became much better. Not comparable to these malnourished people.
"I have to pick up sheep dung soon. My hands will get chapped easily if they get wet."
"Mom, you are so nice. How can you be so nice?" Xiaohua hugged Gu Yan's arm emotionally and rubbed it gently in a coquettish manner.
"Is it okay to let you two work? It's so cold and mom is at home, but you two have to go out in the cold wind to pick up sheep dung." She held up her daughter's hand distressedly and stroked it gently. "The back of your hand is broken. Mom... Mom is not a good mother."
In this fucked up era, even if you have a lot of abilities, there is no place to use them. Obviously, supplies were more than sufficient, but they had to let the two children do such a deceptive thing.
"Hehe, I accidentally bumped into it, but it doesn't hurt anymore after I applied some vanishing cream. Sister Wang's hands are red and swollen, with several cuts. Her hands were split and bleeding as soon as she grabbed some sheep dung. The skin on her hands is as brittle as paper, much more pitiful than mine."
"Without moisturizing with vanishing cream, your skin will be like that in winter. It was the same for us before. Our hands felt like they were going to freeze off." Dahua hugged her sister and giggled happily. "Compared to last year, I am so lucky this year. Many of my friends even have torn shoes, but we are wearing cotton shoes and even cotton gloves. They are so envious. Mom, please don't be sad. If people see us, they will say you are ungrateful."
After being taught a lesson by the child, Gu Yan shook his head and laughed. Happiness is achieved through comparison. It seems that my starting point is too high, which leads to different cognitions.
Well, children who grow up in wind and rain will definitely not be afraid of the hardships of life. It's not a bad thing to develop the quality of resilience from an early age. She has her own greenhouse, but she shouldn't lock her child in it. Only under the towering trees can you appreciate the more beautiful scenery, enjoy the baptism of wind and rain, and indulge in bathing in the sunshine.
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