"Think about the bite your mother saved from eating. What was it for? Who doesn't want to live? Who doesn't know how painful it is to go hungry?"
What can be said? Only those who suffer know, only those who are hungry know.
The same goes for Liu Weimin.
Almost everyone in Liujiatun experienced hunger, and the will to survive overcame everything, desperately grasping at straws.
The next day was another sunny day.
As soon as Jian Dan opened the door, she was greeted by Liu Weimin, who was smiling as broadly as a chrysanthemum.
"Uncle, what are you doing?"
"Xiao Jian, have you rested enough?"
Although Liu Weimin had always treated her well, she wasn't used to this awkward situation.
"Uncle, are we going up the mountain?"
Liu Weimin nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, once you've rested enough, let's go? We'll feel more at ease keeping it safe here."
"Okay, Uncle, wait for me while I go get a basket."
I just got back yesterday, took a nap, ate at the base, and didn't have much to pack. I just grabbed my basket, locked the door, and was ready to go.
Looking back, it was clear that almost the entire village, those who were able to walk, had come out, carrying baskets, sacks, and machetes. Although they were still dressed in rags and looked pale, their faces were full of hopeful smiles.
Jian Dan didn't know what to say; she just felt a tightness in her throat.
The villagers usually spend their time in the surrounding area, looking for wild vegetables or gathering firewood. However, they are familiar with going up the mountain and don't get tired easily. At first, they can chatter away.
As they walked further in, the growing greener grass filled them with increasing delight. If Liu Weimin hadn't repeatedly stopped them, many of the wives would probably have started digging for wild vegetables right away.
Overwhelmed with joy, I followed the path to the edge of the deep mountains without even noticing, my mind preoccupied with the hope of finding food.
Lead the person to the location, give them some simple instructions and advice.
"This area is deep in the mountains,"
Upon seeing this vast expanse, the villagers were overjoyed and almost burst into tears. They completely forgot about the wild vegetables they had been longing for. After hearing Liu Weimin's explanation, they put down their baskets and immediately got to work, knowing that this was all grain.
Jian Dan didn't go far; she just wandered around the neighborhood, hoping to warn the wild animal if it came.
However, the villagers were clearly lucky this time, and everything went smoothly.
They went up the mountain full of hope, and came down as night fell, but everyone was extremely satisfied.
The village office courtyard was piled high with everyone's harvest from the day. People, both those who had gone up the mountain and those who hadn't, were gathered inside and outside the courtyard, their eyes glued to the ground. Some of the older folks, watching, had tears welling up in their eyes.
"I thought I was just going to die like this, who would have thought there was a way to survive?"
“Who can argue with that? The other day, when they gave us a few pounds of coarse grains, I was thinking of not eating them and saving them to make some porridge for the kids so they could eat more. With my old arms and legs, what difference does it make whether I live or not? I can't help the kids with anything, I'm just a burden.”
"Don't say that. The child said that there is hope as long as we are alive. God can't deny people a way to live."
"Yes, a way out, haha, isn't this the way out?"
"Look, ever since that young educated youth came, everything has been good for us, hasn't it?"
"That's for sure! Our village is lucky; we got assigned to Xiao Jian, an educated youth. She's kind-hearted."
Let me tell you, I went back to my parents' home yesterday. My parents' home is in Liujiatun next door, right? My sister-in-law said it's been quite lively there lately.
They had arranged for educated youth to come before, and around the same time as Xiao Jian, two more came. Haha, those two have been here for several days now and haven't stopped causing trouble.
They complained about the poor living conditions and food, and as soon as they arrived, they took the old educated youth's clean water and ruined it all.
At that time, no one had much water, and it wasn't easy to fetch it. The older educated youth naturally couldn't do it, and I heard they all ended up fighting over it.
They had a falling out with the older educated youth, shouldn't they have started a fight themselves? But neither of them knew how, and they almost burned down the educated youth settlement. The older educated youth hated them so much that they've had several fights in just the last few days.
(When I was a child, there was no running water in my hometown, so we had to fetch water from the small river in front of our house. Most of the time, the river water was clear and drinkable, but once there was a heavy rain and a flash flood, the river water would become very muddy. The water we fetched would often have to sit for a long time to let the sediment settle before it could be used for boiling water and cooking. The people in my hometown called this process "sitting to clear the water.")
Several people nearby patted their chests, looking relieved.
"Oh my god, such a troublemaker. Luckily, they weren't assigned to our village."
"That's not all!"
Perhaps he was upset about what happened at the educated youth settlement, or maybe he wasn't used to it, because he was rude to people in the village and didn't know how to read the room. Before the day was even over, he had offended the brigade leader's grandmother again.
"That old lady from Liujiatun is famous for her longevity; she's known throughout our commune!"
"Yes, that brigade leader, whether he's good or bad, is a filial son and very close to the old lady. How could he be happy about that?"
As a result, the relationship that the older educated youth had built up with the village over several years was completely ruined by these two in just a few days.
It's quite a scene now. The new educated youth are like enemies to the old ones, and to the villagers as well. And the old educated youth—the villagers don't even bother with them anymore.
The villagers looked at each other.
"No, I always thought all educated youth were like Xiao Jian, but it turns out they weren't all like that?"
"Of course not. My sister-in-law said that when those older educated youth first arrived, they weren't as good as Jian. At most, they just didn't cause trouble."
Liu Weimin and the others listened inside for a long time, then coughed twice and came out when they thought the conversation was almost over.
"Fellow villagers, you have all seen Jian Zhiqing's abilities, and you all know pretty much what happened."
I won't say much more. I believe the brothers of Liujiatun are all upright men. We won't expect anything in return, and she doesn't ask for anything in return, but at the very least, we shouldn't sabotage her behind her back. Anyway, from now on, she's one of us from Liujiatun. Do you have any objections?
The villagers all spoke up, though they were still in the heat of the moment and their words might not have been entirely sincere. They might think more deeply once they calmed down, but Liu Weimin didn't ask for anything else.
He knew the villagers' temperaments well; they weren't really vicious, but some were prone to taking advantage of others.
He was also giving a heads-up, to prevent anyone from being envious or easily swayed, and from doing something unsightly if someone were to incite them.
Another point is that, judging from the tone of the commune leaders, it is estimated that more educated youth will be sent down after the autumn harvest, and their village will probably be unable to avoid it in the future. There are some things he needs to think about and plan ahead.
“Alright, we men, young and old, are all men of our word. I have no doubts. Anyway, from now on, this young educated youth Jian will be our own child. All of you, young and old, aunties, please take good care of her.”
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