This is a small cave, no taller than a person, and people have to bend over to enter. Zhang Houchang may have gone out to work and has not returned yet. Luggage is scattered on the cave, and no one knows how many people live on the dug-out earthen kang.
After waiting for a while, Zhang Houchang was called back. Yu Zhennan almost cried when he saw him.
He was originally a high-ranking official, living a life of luxury. But after just a dozen days of not seeing him, he had become a different person. His back was severely bent and he was extremely thin.
His health was deteriorating rapidly. He looked like a skeleton without any flesh on him, and his face looked like a skull. The last time I saw him, he had a thick head of hair, but now there were only a few strands left, fluttering miserably in the wind.
Zhang Houchang walked unsteadily, as if he could be blown away by the wind.
How could a person become like this in such a short period of time? This was the first time Qin Huai had seen such a lightning-fast change in a person. Could a person still participate in labor with such a body?
Yu Zhennan said sadly: "Cousin, I haven't seen you for just a few days, how come you became like this?"
Zhang Houchang said, "The farm's food ration is only seven ounces a day, which is enough for a vegetable dumpling and a bowl of dried vegetable porridge. I've been starving for so many days. I was just about to write to you and ask you to send me some biscuits or something."
Qin Huai immediately opened the bag he brought with him and took out a handful of fried noodles for him.
Seeing the food, he immediately threw himself on the fried noodles and ate them without caring about his image. Qin Huai said, "Don't just eat the dry food. Do you have any hot water? I'll make you a bowl."
Yu Zhennan said: "Fortunately, Qin Huai was thoughtful when he came and brought you some food. Eat more."
Zhang Houchang said, "No, I have to put it away after a few bites. Don't let others see it. The people here are like hungry wolves. They will eat me up in one bite."
Qin Huai asked, "Are you going to rob me?"
"People can't even survive, and yet they still care about so many things. The rats and weeds outside that can be eaten have almost been plundered."
"Then you have to hide these things well and eat them sparingly. We will send you more food later."
"Okay." He ate a lot of fried noodles and was reluctant to stop. He almost groaned and said, "I added sugar to it. I can't stop eating it."
Qin Huai said, "Don't eat too much, or your stomach will swell and cause trouble."
"I know, chow mein is fine."
After eating for a while, he finally stopped and asked Yu Zhennan, "How are Keke and her mother?"
Yu Zhennan said: "Keke is doing well. There is food at school. Your sister-in-law is also better off than you. She now works in the cafeteria. She won't starve to death."
"That's good, that's good." Zhang Houchang took a deep breath, and a trace of color returned to his face. Qin Huai asked, "Uncle Zhang, there's something I don't understand, and I want to ask you."
"Ask."
"The conditions here are so harsh, why don't you leave? If you want to leave, we will take you away."
Zhang Houchang said sadly, "It's not that some people didn't escape, but most people didn't want to. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I harbor illusions about my superiors, if I run away, I'll lose everything. I've been wronged, and as long as I persevere, I'll be able to prove my innocence sooner or later. Physical suffering is a test from the higher-ups for people like us. Wouldn't running away prove you're disloyal?"
Qin Huai said, "If you don't want to run away, then don't run away. Didn't I give you money when you got out? Why are you still so hungry? Why don't you spend the money?"
Zhang Houchang said with a wry smile: "There are wastelands everywhere here, and even if I had money I wouldn't be able to spend it."
Qin Huai, however, didn't think so. He said to Zhennan, "Brother Yu, you and Uncle Zhang continue chatting. I'll go out and take a look."
When he walked out of the cave, he was hit by a gust of cold wind. The whole wasteland was dead silent. It was too cold to work, but he still had to stay here.
In such a harsh environment, not to mention not having the desire to run, even if they wanted to, they would definitely not be able to get out based on their physical fitness.
After looking for a while and not being able to come up with a solution, he walked towards the cafeteria.
The people in the cafeteria were also indifferent to strangers and were busy with their own work.
Qin Huai looked at it for a while and found that the food was indeed very little.
His eyes lit up when he saw a cart driver unloading something. Qin Huai went over to help him unload the cart. After he finished, he handed him a cigarette and asked, "Brother, you don't look like you're doing labor reform on the farm?"
The master was in his forties. He took the cigarette, smelled it, but did not smoke it. Instead, he put it to his ear and picked up his old pipe to smoke.
"I'm a purchasing agent for the cafeteria, not a reformer."
"This is a good job." Qin Huai said with a hint of meaning.
The purchasing manager said, "Everything in public property is limited. Anyone who dares to take it will be treated as a bad element."
In this era, bad elements are the lowest of the low, are despised, and have a harder time.
Qin Huai asked again: "Where do you buy these things?"
If it weren't for the filter cigarettes he had started with, the man would have ignored him. After hearing this, he frowned and said, "Why are you asking this? It's at the big market thirty miles away."
As long as there is a market, you can buy things and eat, no matter how expensive it is, you will buy it.
Qin Huai was even happier: "Can I buy the food there with my own money?"
"Who has that much money? You don't know how much a half-pound sesame seed bun costs out there. Who can afford it?"
People in this era would hesitate when they heard about money, but Qin Huai was an experienced person and understood the principle of spending money to buy life and how much life is worth.
Hearing this, he approached the old master and said, "Brother, can I discuss something with you?"
The buyer said curiously, "You don't look like someone from the farm. What do you want to discuss with me?"
"It's not for me, it's for my elders. He's undergoing rehabilitation here, and it's hard for him to survive on his own. I want you to buy him some food every time you go out shopping. Don't worry, I'll let you work in vain. You can earn money while saving people. Is that okay with you?"
The purchasing manager thought about it and nodded, then took him to Zhang Houchang's cave. When he arrived, he saw many people coming in and out of the cave, all covered in white and yellow. Qin Huai secretly said something was wrong and rushed in hurriedly.
People were tearing open the bags of fried noodles and trying hard to put the noodles into their mouths.
Yu Zhennan said in vain: "You are so unreasonable..." As for Zhang Houchang, one could only hear his voice but not see him. It seemed as if he was pushed onto the kang and couldn't get off.
The purchasing manager was furious when he saw this. He pulled out a shovel from somewhere and said, "There's no law. You're just trying to steal things, right? If anyone doesn't move out of my way when I count to three, I'll smash them to death."
But the hungry people didn't listen at all. He raised the shovel and hit people on the head without mercy. People in this era, no matter who they are, are cruel enough.
Now these people were frightened and begged for mercy, saying they would not do it again.
Zhang Houchang shouted in panic, "Don't kill him."
The purchasing manager pointed at those people and said, "I'll remember how you look. If anyone gets caught today, they'll be fined for two days."
Qin Huai was powerless to do anything about his decision, but of course he couldn't just sit back and watch him steal things.
Qin Huai said, "Uncle Zhang, come here for a moment. Let's discuss something."
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