Qin Laoshuan was drunk. He had no alcohol tolerance but was very greedy for it, and he drank most of the bottle by himself.
He pointed at the food in front of him and said, "In the whole Qinjiazhuang, apart from the one who works at the bank, you're the only one who eats well. Do you know what the villagers eat during the New Year?"
Old man Qin urged him to drink, saying, "Lao Shuan, have another drink and we'll talk after you finish it."
Putting down his wine glass, Qin Laoshuan continued, "People in our village cook sweet potatoes with a handful of corn flour. They are considered good families. If they add a few handfuls of soybeans, when the adults serve the rice, they will let the children pick them up one by one so that they can eat more."
"Every member of the family scooped a large bowl of this sweet potato paste. Occasionally, they would come across a soybean, which was like eating a piece of fat meat. They would chew it greedily in their mouths, not wanting to swallow it."
"We have sweet potatoes in our village. Other villages are not as good as us. Many families just crush the bran of corn stalks and cook them. That's what they eat during the New Year. After eating it, they can't poop, so they have to use a stick to dig it out bit by bit."
Hearing this, Qin Huai suddenly felt that the food became very eye-catching, not disgusting, but shocking. Compared to hunger, people will try every possible way to survive.
Thinking that Sister Hong's mother-in-law had not eaten, he brought her a white flour bun with pork head meat. The old woman bowed and said, "May the kind-hearted person live a hundred years." She immediately put it in her arms and said that she would save it for when she was hungry.
The humble habits left over from begging are deeply rooted in our bones.
The afternoon was spent in cold and silence. The whole village was shrouded in an oppressive silence, with no festive atmosphere at all, no children playing, no joy on the faces of adults preparing for the New Year.
On the way home carrying the drunk Qin Laoshuan, they met a few people walking in from outside.
It was a family at the east end of the village. They proudly told Qin Huai, "I found a wife for my son during the New Year. The other party originally wanted ten kilograms of flour before agreeing to the marriage, but after much persuasion, the in-laws finally agreed to give me five kilograms of flour on the spot. It was worth it to marry a daughter-in-law with five kilograms of flour."
Qin Huai felt sad after hearing this. He forced a smile and congratulated the other party. The old man said, "I have completed my mission. I can die with peace of mind."
Having said this proudly, he walked home.
The girl had a blank expression, though she wore a red coat. Her withered hair and gaunt face were accentuated by the red coat, the only color that suggested a wedding. She took a few steps, turned her head and gave Qin Huai a cold glance, then took another arduous step forward.
The son of this family is not young anymore, probably around twenty-five or twenty-six, but the girl is only sixteen or seventeen.
When he got home, he found that Yu Zhennan had actually come. Seeing him coming, the old man stood up and said with a sense of relief: "Qin Huai, I'm looking for you."
Yu Zhennan and his wife were of extraordinary temperament. As an old man from the countryside, he felt pressured to be with such people. Qin Huai hurriedly said, "Brother Yu, why are you here during the New Year?"
Yu Zhennan took out a letter and handed it over, saying, "This is a letter from Keke to you."
Qin Huai was so happy that he didn't notice their expressions. He opened the letter in front of them and saw that it said, "Qin Huai, I got to school safely. Thank you for sending me off."
Seeing this, Qin Huai smiled, and Yu Zhennan and Song Yu looked at each other.
Then she changed the subject and said, "School is just like you said. We only get two steamed buns a day, and even the girls can't get enough. Everyone is starving. Luckily you gave us so much money, so we can still buy food outside. But food has become very expensive, so I have to save money."
"I've lost contact with my parents, so I can only ask you for help. I need you to go see them for me. I heard that life is tough for both the cadre school and the neighborhood committee. Uncle Yu is very busy at work and can't leave. Please, please."
The handwriting on the letter sounded like Maggie Cheung herself was making the request.
Yu Zhennan said, "Brother, Keke wrote to us and asked, what's the matter with you giving her 450 yuan?"
Qin Huai put away the letter and said seriously, "Brother Yu, I gave that to Maggie Cheung in your name. I think the situation this year is very serious. Whether it is Uncle Zhang or Maggie Cheung, they will definitely not have enough to eat."
Yu Zhennan said: "You should have told me."
Qin Huai said, "Brother Yu, human life is at stake. It's not too late for you to know now. Money is more effective than anything else."
Song Yu said, "Qin Huai, I'm sorry, I don't know how I'm going to pay you back for so much money."
Qin Huai said, "Sister-in-law, do we still need to be polite? Once this difficult time is over, everyone will be fine. That's better than anything else."
Song Yu said, "Look, Old Yu, Qin Huai is much more generous than you. We should just remember how kind he is to us."
Yu Zhennan said slowly: "Qin Huai, what did Keke's letter say?"
Qin Huai casually handed the letter over. Song Yu took it and looked at it and said, "This girl is very thoughtful and always thinking about her parents. Old Yu, what do you say we should do?"
Qin Huai rushed to say, "Brother Yu, if you want to see me, let's go to the farm to see Uncle Zhang while you're resting. The conditions on the farm are tough, so we need to bring him some things."
Old Yu said, "I came here today because I wanted you to come with me again. It's Chinese New Year, and it's just about my relatives. I'm sorry to bother you."
"Saving people is important, so don't be polite. Let's go now."
He turned around and gave some instructions, then got in the jeep and set off. The factory's cars couldn't be driven outside of working hours. Old Yu and his wife had come by bicycle and were also pushed into the house by Qin Huai.
Arriving at Yu Zhennan's house, Song Yu asked, "Qin Huai, what should we take to the farm?"
Qin Huai said without hesitation: "If it's something to eat and can be stored, then bring fried flour."
Fried flour is simply fried noodles, and you can also add some white sugar. It is fried in a large iron pan for about 40 minutes and the flour is cooked.
This thing can be eaten directly or soaked in boiling water.
He fried about 20 kilograms of food, and when he passed by the post office, he bought a stack of stationery, stamps and pencils so that he could keep in touch with his family.
Then the two of them drove out under Song Yu's instructions.
It took two and a half days to drive to the farm. It was a wasteland, and they planned to reclaim 150,000 acres of fertile land. Since there were no people here, they transferred people from the labor camp. Zhang Houchang was one of the first batch of reformers transferred here.
The organization discipline in that era was very strong, and although there were many people, it was not very chaotic. Qin Huai and the other man had a car, and Yu Zhennan looked like a senior official. When they heard that they were looking for Zhang Houchang, the staff looked through several lists and found a place for them.
Qin Huai came over and saw that there were no houses on the so-called farm. Even the living quarters were caves dug by these people themselves. Under the guidance of the staff, they went through untold hardships and finally found where Zhang Houchang was.
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