Chapter 96 Stealing Meat
She stood there stunned for a moment, completely unable to believe what she was seeing.
My brain felt like it had short-circuited; I couldn't react at all.
"Comrade Zhong Wen, you should go back now."
She barely managed to suppress her inner shock.
"It's understandable that people feel bad if they can't buy meat after queuing for so long."
"I...I'm just..."
Zhong Wen gripped the still-warm piece of flesh tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white, her palms already soaked with sweat.
"I registered in advance."
Her words were broken and her voice trembled slightly.
"Sign up?"
At the very front of the line, a short, stout woman named Liu, who exuded an imposing aura, sneered.
A smirk played on his lips, his eyes filled with obvious mockery.
"We've never heard of having to register before buying meat!"
"that is!"
"Whenever I come to buy meat, they always say it's all gone, that it's sold out. Turns out they've been secretly saving it for people with connections!"
She spoke while breathing heavily.
Qiao Wanyin stood in the crowd, quietly watching Zhong Wen's disheveled appearance, her gaze complex.
There was no hint of triumph on her lips, and she felt no joy at all.
She is more concerned with this problem that has existed for a long time but has been ignored.
The distribution of meat among military dependents is extremely unfair and deeply entrenched, yet no one has ever truly addressed the issue.
"Everyone, please be quiet and let me say a few words first."
Qiao Wanyin raised her voice.
People gradually quieted down.
Everyone turned their attention to this unfamiliar-looking girl with a strong presence.
Qiao Wanyin walked slowly to the counter.
She looked around and then asked, "Comrade, the distribution of meat is unfair. Is this a recent problem?"
"We are all military dependents, so why is it that some people can always buy things while others wait for ages and get nothing?"
As she spoke, she glanced at the sales clerks behind the counter.
"That's a great suggestion!"
Aunt Liu was the first to raise her hand in agreement, her hand held high.
"We should have done this a long time ago!"
"I agree!"
The woman in the gray cloth dress immediately responded.
“My three kids haven’t had any oily or fatty food for days. They’ve all become incredibly thin, pale and emaciated. How can they have the energy to go to school or do chores!”
Immediately afterward, others chimed in, offering their supportive opinions and raising their hands in agreement.
Zhong Wen stood to the side, her face changing color, sometimes turning pale and sometimes bluish.
She hadn't expected it to cause such a commotion, and she certainly hadn't anticipated that Qiao Wanyin's few simple words would so easily garner public support.
"You...you're causing trouble!"
Zhong Wen shouted angrily.
"I'm going to report this to the organization. We absolutely cannot let you act so recklessly!"
[Qiao Wanyin, you're really meddling! You'll get what's coming to you!]
Qiao Wanyin glanced at the comments on Zhong Wen's forehead and gave a faint, cold smile.
"Everyone is just fighting for the fairness they deserve, and there's nothing wrong with that. The organization will support us."
She glared at Qiao Wanyin, her chest heaving violently.
With a flick of his wrist, he turned and rushed out of the supply and marketing cooperative, his footsteps abruptly stopping at the door.
The crowd immediately erupted in cheers.
Qiao Wanyin was quietly pulled to a corner by Aunt Liu, who whispered, "You don't know because you're new here, but Zhong Wen's father is Political Commissar Zhong, who has a lot of influence in the logistics department. Moreover, Director Zhang over there is a relative of hers."
"By stepping forward today, you might offend Political Commissar Zhong!"
Qiao Wanyin smiled gently, her expression calm and composed.
"Thank you for your concern, ma'am. It's precisely because I'm new here that I find it easier to speak."
Aunt Liu suddenly realized.
Then he spoke in a low voice: "Could you submit this joint letter on behalf of the recipients?"
Before Aunt Liu could finish speaking, the people around her began to plead with her.
Qiao Wanyin took a deep breath, finally nodded, and solemnly said, "Okay, I will deliver this letter to our superiors on behalf of everyone."
She agreed not to show off.
Rather, they knew that if the most basic problems couldn't be solved, even bigger trouble would inevitably arise sooner or later.
The shortage of meat, vegetables, grains, and oils is no longer a minor problem.
Since things had come to this point, she decided to go all out.
That afternoon, the joint letter, filled with the signatures of over a hundred people, was delivered to the headquarters.
"What exactly happened?"
Political Commissar Zhong stood in the center of the office, holding the joint letter in his hand, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with anger.
"Old Zhang, didn't you say there wouldn't be any problems with the meat supply?"
Director Zhang stood in his office, sweat beading on his forehead and his face pale.
"Political Commissar, this...this is the family deliberately causing trouble! It's not a matter of principle at all; it's just some people trying to make a scene!"
Political Commissar Zhong's expression was not good, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
Just as he was about to refute Director Zhang's explanation, he was only halfway through his sentence when...
Suddenly, there was a loud knocking on the office door, breaking the somewhat tense atmosphere.
A loud and clear report came from outside: "Report!"
Fu Li'an, dressed in military uniform, stood tall and straight as a pine tree outside the door.
"I have brought the deployment map you requested."
When Political Commissar Zhong saw that it was him, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Perfect timing!"
He then lowered his voice and added, "I just heard something. Did your wife just come here with the army?"
Fu Li'an was slightly surprised and paused for a moment, then nodded in response.
"Yes, Political Commissar."
Political Commissar Zhong immediately handed over a letter he was holding.
"Then go ask your spouse what's going on with this joint letter!"
When Fu Li'an left the office, it was already getting dark.
As he walked back to his residence, the contents of the letter that Political Commissar Zhong had just mentioned kept replaying in his mind.
Pushing open the wooden gate to his own yard, he saw Qiao Wanyin at first glance.
She was dressed in simple clothes and was bending over to pick vegetables in the garden.
A slender figure in the dim light of dusk.
It was stretched out very long, making it appear exceptionally lonely and quiet.
Fu Li'an stared at her retreating figure for a few seconds, pausing to observe.
Then he walked slowly closer and said gently, "I'm back."
Qiao Wanyin heard his voice and stopped what she was doing, turning around.
"Political Commissar Zhong is looking for you again?"
It turns out that Fu Li'an had clearly said that the political commissar had something to do before he left.
Qiao Wanyin then guessed that Political Commissar Zhong might have made some arrangements for her.
Her first thought was that Zhong Wen, the wife of Political Commissar Zhong, was up to something, and she was afraid that her gossip would affect Fu Li'an's work.
Fu Li'an shook his head slightly, took off his hat and hung it on the coat hook behind the door, and said in a low voice, "I just asked about that joint letter."
After a pause, he finally asked, "Wanyin, can you tell me what exactly happened today?"
Qiao Wanyin washed the remaining dirt off her hands and wiped her palms on her apron.
He then recounted the events of the day in detail.
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