The city's food supply was limited. Although Jiang Zhiyuan's family had a good supply, they sometimes had to be careful with their diet when it came to fine grains.
The grains in Xu Ningyan's space were of such high quality that they were no worse than the special supplies available today.
Selling it on the black market might fool some people, but who is Jiang Zhiyuan? She wouldn't dare take that risk.
It would be better to exchange all of this year's wages for grain, especially fine grains, and take them to the capital. That way, we'd have a proper source of income for what we eat.
When they heard that Xu Ningyan wanted to exchange his salary for fine grains, the brigade leader and the brigade secretary were not surprised.
They vaguely knew that the city's food supply might not be enough.
If they were to switch entirely to whole grains, they might consider it, since the quantity would be quite large.
If we switch to refined grains, things will be much easier.
The grain distribution in the brigade was 30% refined grain and 70% coarse grain. Even so, many families would only keep 10% of the refined grain for the New Year and replace the rest with coarse grain so that the whole family could have enough to eat.
There wasn't a large demand for refined grains, but there was enough to exchange for, and the large group wouldn't suffer from famine.
Therefore, I readily agreed.
As for the private plot, it was cultivated by themselves, and no one would really argue with Xu Ningyan over such a small plot.
But now that Xu Ningyan has even sold the house, the village committee will naturally take back the land.
Xu Ningyan hesitated for a moment, then remembered that her private plot of land was now being cultivated by the people in the cowshed, and they would share some of the produce with her.
If she leaves, the brigade will take back the private plot, and it probably won't be given to those people in the cowshed.
There are many of them, and if they lose this private plot, some of them will probably go hungry again.
Remembering the child with a big head and a pitifully thin neck and body who brought her sweet potatoes and corn last time, Xu Ningyan still spoke up.
Of course, she couldn't speak from the perspective of those people in the cowsheds. Instead, she talked about some of her observations in Beijing. Finally, she seemed to casually mention that she had vaguely heard that the policies from above were loosening, and that some of those who had been sent to cowsheds in various places had been exonerated and brought back to their original posts.
The brigade leader and the brigade secretary immediately realized what was going on.
After asking Xu Ningyan for a long time, they finally confirmed whether the source of the information was reliable.
Xu Ningyan spoke vaguely: "Although this is just a rumor, there's no smoke without fire. I reckon there really is such a situation! It's just not common! Many of those who have been sent to the cowshed are elites from all walks of life, including many professors and former leaders! If this is true, we can establish good relations with them in advance. If these people are exonerated in the future, our brigade will definitely benefit."
"Even if this is just hearsay, it won't take much trouble to treat them better. This is their first winter in our brigade, and they're lacking food and clothing. If a couple of them freeze or starve to death, it will be the brigade cadres' dereliction of duty if the higher-ups investigate."
These words struck a chord with both the brigade leader and the brigade secretary.
Especially since Xu Ningyan came back from the capital, and her husband is said to be quite powerful. She must have heard some rumors and this is a warning to them.
We can't let Xu Ningyan's good intentions go to waste.
After thinking for a moment, the brigade secretary spoke first: "In that case, we won't take back the private plots! There aren't many anyway, and it's not appropriate to take them back and then distribute them to someone else. It's better to give them to them, so at least they can feed themselves. Otherwise, if someone really starves to death, won't our brigade have to make up for it?"
Upon thinking about it, both the brigade leader and the brigade accountant nodded in agreement.
With the three of them present, the matter can be settled.
Xu Ningyan breathed a sigh of relief. There was only so much she could do to help; it was good enough that they could keep their own land.
After finishing the business, the captain remembered to ask a question.
"How many days will you stay this time? I was worried the yard was in bad shape, so I had my youngest son stay in Comrade Gu's old room to watch over the yard for you. I'll have him go home in a bit, and once you've tidied up, I'll have him move back in."
Xu Ningyan thought for a moment and said, "I'll stay here tonight, pack my things tomorrow, and go back the day after tomorrow at the latest."
The brigade leader and the brigade secretary couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The poisoning incident terrified them, and they can forget about being recognized as an advanced production team for the next two years.
It's not that anyone has any complaints about Xu Ningyan; of course, even if they did, they could only keep them to themselves.
More than anything, he didn't know how to get along with Xu Ningyan! He reflexively felt uneasy whenever he saw Xu Ningyan, fearing that something might happen to her on his turf again, which would be truly unpredictable.
Xu Ningyan naturally noticed the attitudes of the brigade leader and the brigade secretary.
Although I was mentally prepared, I still couldn't help feeling a little disappointed when I actually faced it.
However, she quickly adjusted her mindset and got up, intending to tidy up her place for the night.
The brigade secretary and the others went home, while the brigade leader took Xu Ningyan to the small courtyard to carry his youngest son's bedding home.
There wasn't much farm work to do at this time of year, and it was cold outside. Except for the restless children who were still playing outside, everyone stayed at home when the sun wasn't out, either warming themselves by the fire or huddling in bed.
There weren't many people along the way.
Xu Ningyan glanced at the cowshed as she passed by.
These people were quite frugal; the cowshed had apparently been repaired. They had dried thatch cut from the mountain and laid it thickly on the roof, and then plastered the walls with a thick layer of yellow mud.
This will keep you warmer in winter.
The sweet potatoes and corn in the private plot have already been harvested. Now we are planting radishes and cabbages. The radishes are local red radishes, plump and round, pushing half of their bodies out of the ground.
The cabbage has already wrapped its heart. It had snowed lightly before, and then there was a frost. This is when the cabbage tastes the best, very sweet.
Upon closer inspection, you can see lush green spinach growing along the edge, its dark green leaves unfurled and lying flat on the ground.
This type of spinach has red roots, and you can eat it whole, even the roots are sweet.
The gate to the small courtyard was open. Upon entering, Xu Ningyan saw that the courtyard was fairly clean, with several pieces of clothing drying on the clothesline.
The lock on the door of my room was not touched, and the door of the room next door was not locked, with the door ajar.
The brigade leader called out from the courtyard, "Youngest brother—"
The unlocked door opened from the inside, and the brigade leader's youngest son came out. He was probably sleeping; his hair was messy, and he was just wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket.
Seeing that the captain still hadn't reacted, he yawned and said, "Dad, it's still early! Why did you call me?"
The captain glared at him: "Siya's back! Pack your bedding and luggage, and come home with me."
Only then did the captain's youngest son see Xu Ningyan following behind his father.
She felt a little embarrassed. Although Xu Ningyan had asked them to help look after the yard, she had never said that they should move in.
If it weren't for the fact that a new nephew had been added to the family, making it too crowded, his father wouldn't have done something like moving into someone else's house without asking.
She turned around hastily: "I'll go get ready right away!"
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