Since the beginning of summer, the weather has been getting hotter and hotter, and there hasn't been a single rain shower in so long, which is clearly abnormal.
Having experienced last year's drought, people spontaneously started storing grain this year without being told. However, the entire province had a poor harvest last year, and the grain harvest hasn't come in yet. Where can they buy grain?
Uncle Tie went to the countryside to collect grain again, but the amount of grain he collected was very small, and it was half the price of last year. Although Buling did not have this problem, he did not want to show it, and he also looked worried like everyone else.
That night, when all was quiet, Wu Yuanyuan quietly entered Buling's room, left her a sack of corn kernels, weighing about fifty pounds, and told her not to make a fuss.
Breen was overjoyed: "Sister Yuanyuan, take it back quickly, I have one!"
Wu Yuanyuan waved her hand: "Don't worry, my family has quite a lot too. They were all sent by my uncle. They didn't suffer from the disaster there, so they don't lack food."
Upon hearing this, Bu Ling knew perfectly well that this was just him trying to comfort her. Uncle Wu's help was only for Aunt Wu. Aunt Wu was only helping the Tie family because she felt sorry for her daughter, but that wouldn't be enough.
Even during such a difficult time, her sister Yuanyuan didn't forget her. This friendship was worthwhile. At the time, she just wanted someone to keep her company. After all, humans are social animals, and she was no exception. She never expected Wu Yuanyuan to be so sincere to her.
Seeing Bu Ling's teary eyes, Wu Yuanyuan immediately said, "It's not free, it costs money. It's 25 cents a pound, and there are 50 pounds in total, so you get 12.5 yuan!"
Buling paid up quickly. Food prices were skyrocketing, and 25 cents was a very reasonable price. She didn't say much, but simply kept the gesture in her heart.
This delivery seemed to have flipped a switch; a few days later, Sangshen also carried a sack of grain back to the compound and delivered it to Buling's room.
However, his sack was mostly filled with refined grains, with only a small portion of cornmeal, which was ground very finely. Clearly, Sangshen had taken Buling's habits to heart.
Then there was her brother. He not only sent a lot of food, but also a lot of tonics. It was clear that Bling's physical condition had left a considerable shadow on him.
Even Xia Qingmei, after a transaction, specially left her twenty catties of sweet potatoes, the kind that cost three mao per catty.
This is truly a case of "when one is in trouble, all lend a hand." Although Buling is not in dire straits, she still appreciates everyone's kindness. With the food provided by everyone, she won't have to worry about food this year.
Moreover, he could even squeeze out some food to support Old Man Yu. After more than a year of Old Man Yu's careful care, Bu Ling's body had become much stronger. Now he didn't need to take medicine every day anymore, which saved a lot of money. Most importantly, he didn't have to suffer anymore.
As September approaches and the autumn harvest is imminent, not only are rural residents getting nervous, but even city dwellers are concerned, not to mention the officials. Even the junior official in charge of mulberry is extremely busy every day.
On September 3rd, the weather was terribly gloomy. After selling all the lunch food, Zhu Zhizhi and Sister Ma cleaned up, while Bu Ling and Wu Yuanyuan learned to sew shoe soles.
Wu Yuanyuan had made her a pair of cloth shoes before, which were very comfortable to wear, so she decided to learn how to make them, since it was a skill and could also help her pass the time.
Although Buling wasn't very good at making clothes, she learned to sew shoe soles very quickly, mainly because it didn't require much skill.
After cleaning, Sister Ma and Zhu Zhizhi sat down next to them. The four women chatted while sewing shoe soles, and Grandpa Tan and Manager Zhu chatted casually.
Around four o'clock in the evening, Grandpa Tan came out of the manager's office with his hands behind his back and went to the kitchen. Zhu Zhizhi and Wu Yuanyuan immediately put down their work and followed him to the kitchen.
It's time to prepare dinner.
Only Buling and Sister Ma remained in front. Buling was sewing the soles of the shoes diligently when she heard Sister Ma say, "The wind is picking up!"
Bling looked up and sure enough, a strong wind was blowing outside, and in the blink of an eye, visibility became extremely low. The two quickly worked together to close the door. Now Bling completely lost the mood to sew shoe soles. She sat at the table, propped her chin on her hand, and looked outside.
Is it going to rain?
Sister Ma: "I think so. After this rain, we won't have to worry about the crops this year."
Buling thought so too. She recalled the novel she had read on the train, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't recall anything useful. She had only skimmed through the novel back then and hadn't paid attention to the details. Now she had forgotten most of it.
Well, knowing too much is no good; she prefers life to be full of surprises.
As Brling was lost in thought, thunder roared outside, accompanied by howling winds and lightning. Brling snapped out of her reverie and could only be thankful that she had brought a raincoat because she hadn't noticed the weather was looking bad.
The wind blew for a while, and then it started to rain.
"Bang bang--"
"Bang bang---"
Bu Ling and Sister Ma looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, Sister Ma asked in a trembling voice, "Is...is this hail?"
Bu Ling's expression was also a bit unpleasant. Grandpa Tan and the other two from the kitchen also came out, along with Manager Zhu. All six of them frowned and looked outside.
The hail came suddenly and fiercely, as if trying to smash a huge hole in the ground.
After about fifteen minutes, the hail stopped and it started raining heavily, forming a curtain that obscured people's vision, making the state-run restaurant dimly lit.
Bu Ling reached out and turned on the light. As the light came on, the group squinted reflexively. Once their eyes adjusted, Manager Zhu said, "Old Tan, don't cook today's meal. Keep what can be preserved, and divide the rest among yourselves. There won't be any guests tonight."
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