Chapter 202 What is the purpose?
Even in Donghe Village, two large horse-drawn carriages entered the village.
There were people going door to door asking and collecting food.
It is one or two cents higher than the price everyone knew before.
The villagers also had some doubts in their hearts, but they were simple-minded and not well-informed, so they didn't think too much about it.
However, the villagers would ask each other if others were selling grain.
"People have been coming into the village to collect food these past two days. Do you sell any food?"
"At the end of last year, we sold some grain. Now we only have enough for the autumn harvest. If we sell the grain, we will go hungry."
"But I can earn two more cents per pound of grain. Selling some grain at this time can also help supplement the family income. Besides, a lot of vegetables are growing now. Eating more vegetables and less staple food can fill my stomach."
"Don't you find it strange? In the past, when those people came into the village to collect our food, their attitude was very rude, as if we were begging them to collect our food. But now they are very polite."
"It's a bit strange. Maybe they need food."
"It's almost May. In two months or so, it will be July, and the wheat harvest will begin. Food will also be available. Selling some food will not have any impact."
People in the northern state grow winter wheat and start harvesting wheat in July.
Corn and peanuts will be harvested later, but once the wheat is harvested, there will be food to eat.
"We saved some extra food at home, originally for backup, but since the beginning of spring, the weather has been good and the crops are growing well, so it's not a big deal to sell some of it. We get a little over two cents per pound, which is not usually the price."
"Indeed, one catty costs two cents more, and twenty catties costs forty cents more."
Everyone was counting on the extra copper coins in their hands, and they were a little tempted.
In the past, they collected grain and sold it outside. The people who collected the grain were picky and deliberately lowered the price.
Nowadays, as long as the grain is of similar quality, the grain collectors don’t pick and choose at all and give a high price.
This can supplement the household income.
"That's right. There's not much work to do right now. It's okay to eat less one day. I can just eat more when the wheat is harvested."
Most people in the village were hesitant, but more people still wanted to collect more money.
If people have enough food to last until the harvest, they are willing to sell some.
I would rather starve than have more copper coins in my hand.
If the price is the same as usual, people may not sell.
But they were still willing to sell the grain if the price was two cents more than usual.
"That's right. Even if we run out of food later, it's okay to go to the food store and buy some."
"That's not right. Don't you think it's strange to collect food at this time?"
"It's nothing strange."
The villagers discussed with each other, and some families sold dozens of kilograms of grain immediately.
When Mrs. Cui was leaving with her basket, she happened to see this scene and heard everyone's conversation. She said anxiously, "We dare not sell food at this time."
Everyone immediately looked at Madam Cui. Madam Zhu, the village head's wife, trusted her the most. She asked, "Sister Cui, do you have any explanation?"
Madam Cui said, "As you know, we run a small business and need to buy flour to make things. We went to the grain stores in the county and town and saw that the prices had all gone up. An increase of two or three cents per pound was the minimum, while some even saw an increase of four or five cents per pound."
When everyone heard what Mrs. Cui said, their faces changed and they felt a little panicked.
They didn't understand what was going on, but instinctively they felt something was wrong.
An old lady's expression changed and she asked, "Sister Cui, are you telling the truth?"
Madam Cui said seriously, "It's true. I won't lie to you."
Mrs. Cui wanted to say that there might be a war outside, but she also understood that it was better not to say something without evidence.
Otherwise, what if there is no war and the food price goes back to normal, and the villagers blame her?
But even so, Mrs. Cui still spoke.
Because she understood that if the war reached this side and the villagers had no food to eat, the whole village would be in chaos.
So she could only speak up to give a few reminders.
She said that the prices at the grain store had gone up, and any villager who cared to inquire could find out, and she wasn't lying.
As for whether to sell the grain, it is up to everyone to decide.
Zhu's face turned pale and she said, "Then we won't sell any grain. I just find it strange that they are so nice to us."
A grain collector happened to walk into the alley. Upon hearing these words, his face changed. "Sister, please don't say such nonsense."
"You're encouraging everyone not to sell their grain. We only collect grain once. The next time we sell it, the price won't be the same. We'll have to reduce the price by several cents per pound."
"Everyone, think carefully. Among the villagers and neighbors, some people can't stand you getting along well. Some people don't have food to sell at home, but they want to stop others. I don't know what they are thinking."
The manager stared at Old Madam Cui with a gloomy look.
Madam Cui's expression changed, and she released her aura. She said coldly, "You collect the grain. It's the villagers' freedom to sell it or not."
"I just told you a few truths, and you, a grain collector, are already anxious. Could it be that if everyone sells you a few dozen or a hundred kilograms less grain, it will have a big impact on you?"
"I see you have some purpose?"
When Mrs. Cui was the wife of the Duke, she was very dignified and no one dared to confront her to her face.
She is not afraid of confronting people.
The manager looked at the woman in front of him and saw that her demeanor suddenly changed, and her expression became a little solemn.
Zhu looked at the steward with suspicion and said, "This is our village. You won't be allowed to bully others here. We villagers just had a few words with each other. Why do you still want to interfere?"
"I'm telling you, if you bully anyone from our village, not only will our village not forgive you, I can even sue you at the county government office."
Because Jiang Zhiluo saved the county magistrate's daughter, Zhu now knows her and is not afraid.
Zhu was a hot-tempered person and was very protective of her own people.
The reason why Zhou Zhengde became the head of Donghe Village and had great prestige in the entire village was because Zhou Zhengde and Zhu really considered the villagers when doing things.
In the past, Zhou Zhengde’s father and grandfather were also village heads.
There is nothing to find fault with the work.
Everyone believed in them in their hearts.
The manager was furious, but he also knew that it was an emergency and he had to endure it.
We can't make a big deal out of this and attract the attention of the county government.
The county magistrate was currently busy with the affairs of his wife, son, and daughter, so naturally he couldn't take care of anything else.
However, the manager had been bullying people for a long time. When he came to the villages to collect grain, everyone had to please him.
I hope they don't lower the price or deliberately find fault with the food.
In fact, it was because this group of people had colluded with each other. The grain store would not buy grain from the villagers, so they had to buy it. The prices were fixed and they all kept the prices down.
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