Qin Huai always drives his broken jeep back to the village. This car is very eye-catching. In the past, the villagers thought he was a show-off, but now that he has a father who is a high-ranking official, all the gossips about him are gone.
There is no way, the little cripple is now out of reach.
After Qin Fengying left, he just stood at the door for a while before someone came up to greet him.
Qin Huai felt pity when he saw their pale and thin appearance. He took out a large bag of mixed flour buns from the car and gave two to everyone present.
Some people got the food and ran home without even saying hello, reluctant to eat it themselves and wanted to send it back to their families. Qin Huai said, "No need to run. I brought a lot today. Tell everyone in the village to come and get it quickly. Everyone in the village can get two."
Although he has become rich and his living standard is very close to the time when he came from, the lives of the villagers have not changed much. They can only eat two meals a day now, but they may have to go back to eating one meal a day in a while.
Two mixed flour steamed buns per person is already a day's food for the villagers.
Having enough food to eat is the most serious problem.
Grandma Gui grabbed Qin Huai's hand and started to cry without saying a word: "Qin Huai, Ya and Xiaomi are lucky to have a brother like you. Unfortunately, we still don't have enough food this year. The weather is getting colder, and many families have to go out to beg for food."
Qin Huai said, "Grandma, don't cry yet. Eat something first, and then we'll slowly figure out a solution."
The old people said one after another: "Qin Huai is here. Qin Huai will definitely not watch us starve to death. He will help us find a way. We were able to survive last year because of him."
Of course, there are also those who want to get something for nothing: "What else do you want, Qin Huai? You are so rich, and we are all poor. Why don't you share some food with everyone? You won't be reluctant to do so, will you?"
"That's right, Qin Huai, even a hair you pluck out is thicker than our thighs. If even a little leaks between your fingers, we'll be beaten and fed for a year."
Faced with moral kidnapping, Qin Huai just smiled. He is not a savior, nor will he be a living Bodhisattva.
I have already thought about these things before I want to help others, so I don’t care about their whims.
Qin Laoshuan walked over slowly, looked at the people talking with disdain and said, "Qin Huai is your father? He just relies on helping people repair cars to support his family. How much money can he have?"
People these days still have a lot of self-respect. These discordant voices were quickly suppressed and they left in shame.
Qin Laoshuan walked up to Qin Huai and asked him, "Are you here to see me?"
He always has a deadpan look on his face, but Qin Huai still admires him for what he did last year. When it comes to major issues, the character of people in this era is absolutely reliable.
"Yes, I heard that the county wants the village to make up for the public grain payment. Have we started yet?"
Qin Laoshuan puffed on his cigarette and said, "It hasn't started yet, but the commune has already started arranging tasks today, and they will be handed in in two days. Don't worry about this matter, you can't do anything about it."
Qin Canghai walked over carrying a hoe and said, "Captain, the harvest this year isn't very good. We didn't have much left after the first payment, and now the higher-ups are asking for more. How are we going to survive? You have to speak up for us in front of the leaders."
Qin Laoshuan exhaled a puff of cigarette and said, "I'm just a small village chief. My words mean nothing in the commune. Besides, this is a regional decision, so the commune leader's words are useless."
Everyone was dumbfounded: "Lao Shuan, how are we going to make ends meet if we have to pay the extra money? We can't even make it to the New Year already, and if we pay, we'll have to go out and beg for food right away."
Qin Huai said, "Is it already that serious?"
In fact, because of Qinhuai, Qinjiazhuang is already favored compared to other villages in the commune. Other villages have already started to set up large canteens and food has been concentrated. Whether they can survive this winter depends on their fate.
Qin Laoshuan said, "You came here today hoping that the villagers would start a sideline business to earn some food like last year, right? Don't even think about it. Last year, so many people starved to death in the entire county, and our village was the only one that started with a few deaths. Later, almost everyone died. The nearby villages have long hated us. If we do anything again this year, they will definitely report us collectively. It's unrealistic to think that we can start a sideline business to earn money for the village."
Qin Huai was dumbfounded when he heard this. He had originally planned to use the collective's name to let the villagers do some manual work to earn some money, but this road was also blocked?
Qin Laoshuan said, "Everyone, please go home first. If you have nothing to do, just lie down at home and save some food."
The villagers were still unwilling to give up, looking at Qin Huai and begging: "Qin Huai, can you help us think of a solution?"
Qin Laoshuan stared at him with dead eyes and said, "What can he do? He's just an ordinary citizen who runs a car repair shop. He's not an official."
After everyone dispersed, Qin Laoshuan's expression suddenly changed and he said, "Qin Huai, you've come at the perfect time. If you hadn't come to me, I would have been going to discuss this with you. If we pay the supplementary grain tax, the village's grain will last for a month, which is good. We must make a decision soon, otherwise we'll die again like last year."
After listening to this, Qin Huai understood that Qin Laoshuan was not as cold-blooded as he had just appeared. He was still thinking about the villagers. It was just that there were many gossips in the village, and many plans could not be told to them, otherwise it would be over if it got out.
As expected, the accountant said, "Qin Huai, Lao Shuan is preparing to store grain, but this matter must be kept secret from everyone."
Qin Huai said, "Of course. What are you going to do?"
Qin Laoshuan said, "Because of your reminder, the accountant and I have already made plans for this winter. We raised ten pigs and twelve sheep, which were not planned, and two cows that have not been registered with the commune. Now the cows have grown up. If the pigs and sheep are not enough, I plan to slaughter the cows as well."
As he spoke, he showed a resolute look. Qin Huai looked at the farmer in front of him and felt that people like him were shining with golden light. Qin Laoshuan made this decision just to get his head taken away.
Not for myself, but for the whole village.
After Qin Laoshuan finished speaking, he looked at Qin Huai and the accountant and said unhappily, "I'm not dead yet, why are you looking at me like that? Speak."
Qin Huai said, "Since you've prepared, it will be much easier. Pork is 80 cents a pound right now, and wheat is expensive, not to mention corn is cheaper at 8 to 10 cents. These staple foods are not cheap, so you can prepare less. The most important thing is to prepare more sweet potatoes."
The accountant said, "In a famine year, why would you care so much? Sweet potato leaves and stems are edible. Grind them up and steam them with cornmeal, and they'll be a good staple food."
Qin Huai didn't say much. He thought that last year the villagers even ate the tree bark, so there was nothing wrong with eating sweet potato leaves and stems.
Qin Laoshuan said, "Qin Huai, the pigs and sheep are too conspicuous and must be dealt with soon. You have connections in the county, so get rid of them all. Once you get the money, the village can start preparing for winter grain storage. The price of grain is starting to rise. Remember last year when a pound of rice sold for four and a half yuan? You can't leave it too late, otherwise the price will go up again."
It seems that he really put some thought into it.
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