It snowed for half a day the day before. The house collapsed at dawn. Although there was no work to do, it was too cold. Many people had already gotten up to light fires to warm their houses. Apart from those who were actually working outside, who escaped the disaster, the majority of those who were buried were elderly people and children with limited mobility.
In the large classroom at the village office, which was specifically for sick patients, there were beds made of tables pieced together, as well as tables, planks, and even benches pieced together from various households—almost everything that could be used was put to use.
With Lao Mu's help, Lao Chen became an assistant, and the medicinal herbs he had been saving for so long were finally put to good use.
They were all external injuries, and most of the medicinal herbs the old man had collected were these too. In addition, there was the little bit of Western medicine he had begged back from the clinic by crying and pleading. The weather was also cool, so there was no need for a simple smuggling trip.
The whole village was incredibly busy. Now, it didn't matter whether they were villagers or educated youth; everyone was busy. Even the children who weren't injured knew to go and keep the injured friends company.
Liu Sanye's house was usually unaffected because Liu Guangming was diligent and had plenty of leftover wood from his work, which he used to tinker with and repair various things.
However, the old man and woman had lived here for decades after returning to their hometown. Naturally, they couldn't bear to see their neighbors suffering. They had already brought all the timber they could from their home to the village office, and also sent over the cotton-padded jackets that Hu Zi and Xiao Hua had just taken off, as well as a cotton quilt that they had shared.
As for the other villagers who were not affected by the disaster, even those who were not skilled in physical labor did not stand idly by; they all did their best to lend a hand. Liu Jiefang even took out the blue bricks he had planned to use to repair his house.
Liu Guoqiang and Lin Zhaodi discussed and gave away twenty jin of sweet potatoes.
Liu Hongjun took out five jin of corn.
Li Yan and Chen Jianguo also brought ten jin of cornmeal.
It was Uncle Liu and several other elderly people living alone who brought over some of the grain they had saved, saying it was for the children, which Liu Weimin couldn't refuse.
Others, whose families couldn't afford much, gave them three or five eggs and a few pounds of dried vegetables. For the families affected by the disaster, this was a timely help and a source of warmth.
Seeing the unprecedented harmony and unity among the villagers, Liu Weimin felt very gratified, and the pain from the blisters on his lips seemed to have lessened considerably. Wang Guihua, on the other hand, was quite distressed. In just a few days, the old man had been so busy that he had lost a lot of weight, and his son had also been injured. Although he hadn't complained, it was clear that he wasn't in a good mood.
But there are two people, a husband and a son. No matter what they say or scold, she is the one who should feel sorry for them.
Despite the rough handling, I gritted my teeth and stewed a pot of meat.
Liu Weimin was feeling quite pleased with himself, and was even thinking about whether to slurp down a few bites to relieve his fatigue and treat himself. He had just sat down and hadn't even taken a bite of meat when he heard a commotion outside. His outstretched hand trembled, and the meat he had just picked up fell maliciously back into the bowl.
"What's wrong? What happened again?"
The noise was chaotic and he couldn't make out anything, just things like "They're here" and "The greenhouse." His heart leaped into his throat again, and he couldn't sit still any longer. He frantically scrambled down the slope, stumbling and slipping on his shoes as he ran outside.
"What's going on? What's going on?"
Wang Guihua angrily threw down her chopsticks.
"They can't stop eating even when they're having a meal."
Liu Jianshe shuddered in fright and didn't dare to utter a sound. The next second, he saw his mother sigh, then find a bowl of food that had been set aside halfway through.
"I really owe you two a debt."
Liu Weimin shuffled to the village office in his slippers before he could understand what had happened.
The patrolmen at the village entrance saw the car that had slid into the ditch by the roadside from the direction of the village. They recognized it as the car that came to collect vegetables every time, so they quickly returned to report the news and asked the villagers to go and help.
Liu Weimin's heart was in turmoil, unable to settle down, so he simply followed along and walked out of the village.
Soon, the four people, covered in snow, were pulled and dragged ashore by the villagers. Old Zheng immediately slapped San'er on the back of the head.
"You brat, is this all you've got? And you say you drive well? Didn't I tell you to be more careful? What's the rush?"
"Oh dear, I almost lost my life because of you!"
San'er wasn't annoyed at all; he just grinned and joked.
"Director, it's been a long time since I've driven a car, aren't you excited? Don't worry, I'll drive slowly when we get back."
"You've got to be kidding me. Go back and let Li Guo drive. If you overturn the whole truckload of stuff, they'll put a sack over your head when you get back."
Liu Weimin, on the other hand, was both surprised and delighted.
"Director Zheng, why did you come in person?"
Judging from his expression, Old Zheng wasn't quite sure if the greenhouse had been affected, so he just laughed it off.
"I really couldn't get here these past two days. As soon as the road was open, I sent a car over immediately."
"Brother Liu, let the car go in first, and we can talk as we walk?"
"Okay, okay!"
Liu Weimin was easily startled.
"Someone go and tell the accountant to go over to the greenhouse. Anyone else who's not busy, go lend a hand."
Upon hearing this, Old Zheng felt relieved. Thank goodness they came.
Liu Weimin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If it were still the original two greenhouses, Liu Weimin wouldn't be in such a hurry if it had been any later. It wasn't last winter, or more precisely, this spring, that the favorable situation made the village cadres think of something. In the summer, they fenced off several plots of land around the original greenhouses and built another row of greenhouses.
In winter, there are plenty of idle people in the village, and they are also diligent. Taking care of the crops is a piece of cake for them, so the yield naturally increases several times over. Just when they were about to be sold for money, this happened, and the heavy snow blocked their way. Liu Weimin has been very anxious these past few days, afraid that the produce would be stuck in his hands and he wouldn't be able to explain it to his fellow villagers.
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