Liu Weimin's forehead veins throbbed. "Move?"
How many things can be described using the word "move"?
"Platoon Leader Cheng, this..."
Cheng Chao smiled, making him appear even more handsome.
"Village chief, we've seen how hard the villagers have worked so many times. They work so hard, pay their grain taxes on time and in the required quantities, and support the towns and the country's industrial development."
"You've been tightening your belt all year round, haven't you?"
When this topic came up, Liu Weimin was filled with bitterness.
Hey! Who says otherwise?
We old farmers rely on the weather for our livelihood.
If the weather is good and the harvest is plentiful, then during the New Year, we can at least make some dry rations of pure cornmeal. Those who are particularly hardworking can even make a few dumplings for the elderly and children. If we could live like that, we'd be laughing in our sleep.
"Yes, Jian Dan often tells us that she can't bear to see you working so hard all year round, yet you still have to eat wild vegetables, or even use wild vegetables to fill your stomachs, and you're still hungry. She really can't stand it."
However, as you know, she was just an educated youth sent to the countryside, and she had no one to rely on, so she could only worry helplessly.
Well, the previous awards have just come in. Although she is related to us, this credit is not something that can be faked, so I thought I'd send it to her.
When she returned, she brought up the issue of the village's lack of supplies again, saying that she could make a good living by working and using her own hands, and that it would be even better if these rewards could help the villagers.
Then,"
Cheng Chao shrugged, turned around, and pointed to the large truck that was unloading its cargo compartment.
"After discussing it with the leaders, we realized that she had this intention and it was a good thing to help everyone, so we wanted to help her achieve it within our capabilities."
Besides the simple reward, Lin Dongfang and the other educated youths didn't accept the reward they were supposed to receive that time. Our leader added a little more, remembering what she had said: in the village, farming, weeding, and everything else relied on manual labor, and even the sickles were worn out but they were still being used.
So, they found a way to get everyone a new batch of farm tools,”
"Farm, farm tools?"
Before Liu Weimin could even react and determine if the farm tool was the one he was thinking of, the truck bed opened, revealing its contents to everyone. The villagers, who were about to lend a hand, were already stunned.
"Village chief! Village chief!"
His voice cracked from shouting.
"Village chief, village chief, come quick! There are shovels, flat shovels, and sickles!"
Outsiders might not think much of it, but this is the countryside. At this time, the entire village had just donated all its steel products to support construction. It had only been a few years. The farm tools they use now were all obtained by Liu Weimin after he begged and pleaded with Secretary Lin. Now, no matter if they are worn or missing teeth, even if a fork only has one tooth left, no one can bear to throw them away.
It wasn't just Liujiatun; people also knew from casual conversations during meetings that the situation was pretty much the same in every village and region. Moreover, Liu Weimin was well aware that if it weren't for the batch of pots that Jian Dan had managed to acquire last year, many villagers would still be using cracked earthenware pots or sealed containers for cooking.
He repeatedly emphasized to the villagers not to go out and show off, about parents, brothers, or sisters. Would they give them to you if they wanted them? Anyway, this is all the village can give you. Even if you want more later, you won't get any more.
They used a combination of yelling and scare tactics. Every family had elderly members who knew what was important, and they would occasionally tighten their skin afterward. This was something they used every day, especially the daughters-in-law who cooked in each household; they felt it most deeply.
He kept it a secret, but people would still ask him about it during meetings.
In rural areas, poverty is not just about food and not being able to fill one's stomach; there is a lack of everything. Even things that can be self-sufficient, such as building houses, mixing mud, turning the soil, cabinets, bowls, chopsticks, pots and forks, curtains, clothing, food, housing, and transportation, are still lacking.
The most obvious and direct example is the match for starting a fire. Even if you don't have oil, you still need salt to cook. Bowls and ladles can handle it, but pots and pans are indeed not so easy to deal with.
These small, scattered expenses are already a considerable burden for an elderly farmer who earns only a few dollars a year. This is why the saying "the bank under the chicken's butt" is used to describe the wisdom farmers have to save themselves in their impoverished lives.
Liu Weimin has been back for more than ten years and considers himself an old farmer, so he has a deep understanding of these aspects of life.
They've been worrying about these farm tools for more than just a year or two; they're constantly worried about them every winter.
Iron tools have been scarce in recent years, and they are hard to buy without ration coupons. The commune doesn't have any quotas either, so they have been repairing them diligently. Even a fork with only one tooth left is a treasure in their eyes.
Upon hearing this, he lunged forward, but his feet wouldn't lift, and he almost tripped over himself. Luckily, Cheng Chao was quick and pulled him back.
"Village chief, are you alright?"
Liu Weimin completely lost control; his entire attention was focused on what was in front of him. He pushed Cheng Chao's hand away and staggered over.
"Let me see, let me see,"
He wasn't the only one excited; the old and young men who usually went to work were also stunned to see the brand-new, gleaming hoes, sickles, pitchforks, shovels, picks, two-pronged rakes, three-pronged rakes, and four-pronged rakes—all of which were just heads without handles—piled together.
How many years has it been since I last saw these things?
Her eyes were really red.
Even Liu Weimin himself was shocked. How many were there in this pile?
There must be more than a dozen hoes, right?
"I dare not think about it," Liu Weimin said, hiding his trembling hands inside his sleeves.
"Platoon Leader Cheng, are all these for our village?"
This surprise was too big; he was really afraid it would be a false alarm.
Cheng Chao glanced at the villagers' expressions and nodded slightly.
“Village chief, since you brought them here, they are naturally all of them. But they weren’t given to us. They were obtained in exchange for Jian Dan’s and several other educated youths’ rewards.”
"Furthermore, this was a quota that Secretary Lin specifically requested from higher authorities to be allocated; it's a tractor, but we haven't loaded it onto the truck yet. Someone will deliver it this afternoon."
The villagers were stunned. Several educated youths were also taken aback, and couldn't help but lean closer, whispering their questions to Jian Dan.
"Didn't you say that giving a sweet treat would be enough?"
"Isn't this a bit too much?"
"Yes, this isn't a sweet date, it's a watermelon, a golden egg! They must be ecstatic!"
As I guessed, after a brief silence, the scene descended into complete chaos.
"Tractors? Is it true? Huh? Our notoriously poor Liujiatun is going to get tractors?"
"Am I dreaming? Haha, it seems real. Our village is going to have this rare thing?"
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