He Zifeng went back and told his family, then took them to the county government office.
The old town mayor's son was surprised that He Zifeng agreed so readily, and his words of gratitude choked in his throat, unable to utter another word.
His fellow villagers were also overjoyed. In recent times, He Zifeng was the first person who could help them.
The old town mayor's son arrived in a horse-drawn carriage. He told the man who came with him, "Go back and tell my father that I'm going to the county town with Brother He." He was a filial son and was afraid that his father would worry too much, as the old man's health was deteriorating day by day.
It's good to tell him the good news in advance so he can feel at ease.
They went to the county government office immediately.
When the constables at the gate saw He Zifeng return despite being on leave, they said, "Brother He, why are you back again? You can rest assured that we'll take care of things here!"
The old town mayor's son was a big shot in the village because of his father's influence, but he didn't have that advantage in the county. He had been to the county before and knew that those officials were arrogant and looked down on people.
Seeing how polite they were to He Zifeng, I was secretly surprised. He Zifeng had only been here a short time, yet he already held such a high position.
He Zifeng nodded slightly, which was considered a greeting, and said, "I have something to discuss with the county magistrate."
The constable knew that He Zifeng was the magistrate's right-hand man, and that the magistrate couldn't do without him. He said, "The magistrate is still at the yamen, but he's meeting with the owner of the brokerage firm!"
He Zifeng said, "Oh, okay."
When the old town mayor's son heard that the county magistrate was in trouble, his heart sank.
It seemed their request was going to remain unfulfilled for a long time, but then He Zifeng told him to wait outside while he went inside alone.
The yamen runners around didn't recognize the old town mayor's son, but seeing that he was brought by He Zifeng, they treated him with great courtesy. They even brought him a chair, but he had something on his mind and couldn't sit still. After a while, the inner door opened, and the shopkeeper left. A little while later, He Zifeng called him in, saying that the county magistrate had some questions to ask.
I thought it was hopeless today.
They entered the house with trepidation.
The county magistrate then inquired in detail about the village's situation. He said, "You're foolish! Merchants don't get up early for nothing. They're willing to pay five coins a pound to buy it, don't you even think about why?"
The old town mayor's son was also filled with regret, saying, "We're just farmers; we've never seen so much money before. We were blinded by greed." Ever since they learned about the snow disaster this year, they'd been dumbfounded. The village chief's drinking session had caused a major problem. After learning that the villagers had sold their life-saving grain to merchants, he wanted nothing more than to chop off two fingers as an apology, but he was stopped by others.
After that, the village chief started borrowing grain. However, the people around him were not wealthy, and knowing that this year's situation was special, he was turned away countless times. Whenever he mentioned it, the village chief would burst into tears.
The county magistrate learned of the village's current dire state from a few words, but it was too late to say anything now.
The county's grain supply is limited, making things even more difficult for the countryside. Having no other choice, he said, "Alright, I'll give you 10,000 jin of grain first. Considering your village's decent tax payments in recent years, remember, this grain is a loan. You have to repay it after next autumn's harvest."
When the old town mayor's son heard that the county was willing to give him grain, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to thank the county magistrate.
Their village has more than 100 households. If 10,000 jin of grain is distributed, each family can get about 80 jin of grain. If they eat it sparingly, it will last them for two months. If they can get through the most difficult two months, things might turn around.
The county magistrate wrote a promissory note and had him put his fingerprint on it. Afterwards, he went with He Zifeng to open the granary.
Since the snow disaster caused widespread food shortages, the granaries have been manned in two shifts day and night. No one can open the granaries without the county magistrate's personal presence, for fear that someone might try to take advantage of the situation.
After opening the granary, several people helped move the grain onto his cart.
One truck wasn't enough, so they found two more. He Zifeng had stockpiled a lot of grain before, and he also gave 500 jin of grain to the old town head, who could distribute it however he wanted.
The old mayor's son grabbed his hand excitedly; this was a life-saving grace!
Even a grown man like him had tears welling up in his eyes. His face, which had been frozen for so long, had started to crack, and the tears stung as they streamed down his face.
He Zifeng said, "Take this grain away first. You don't need to return my grain. You can eat it first. If it's not enough, I'll think of something else."
The old town mayor's son said, "I won't thank you enough for this great kindness; I will remember it in my heart."
He is most grateful to his father for introducing He Zifeng to the government office. Without He Zifeng, the grain loan would never have gone so smoothly!
He rushed back as soon as he got the grain. The village was desperate and the grain was a lifesaver.
He Zifeng also went back with the third carriage, and asked the carriage to drop him off at the village entrance when it passed by their village.
As they went back and forth, it gradually got dark.
When He Zifeng returned home, there was a kerosene lamp lit, and they were waiting for him to eat.
Normally they would have finished eating by this time.
“Father,” Xiao Heran said.
He Zifeng stroked his soft hair, sat down at the table and said, "Don't wait for me again in the future, are you starving?"
Qiu Yu said, "I just came out, I'm not hungry at all."
Fang added from the side.
He Zifeng said, "Let's eat." Qiu Yu cooked eight dishes today, including a stewed chicken. The chicken was very tender, and there were potatoes in it, making it soft and sticky, perfect for soaking rice.
Everyone started eating inside, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
On a snowy day, it was pitch black outside. Every household in the village stayed indoors, and those who were better off might even have a heated kang (a traditional heated bed). There was hardly anyone outside. Especially since they lived at the foot of the mountain, with no shelter from the elements. If they opened a door, all the warmth they had managed to build up would vanish. Former village chief Old Man Xu had even drunk a little warm wine.
Suddenly a sound was heard.
He said, "Listen, what's that noise?"
Xu Li's mother listened intently and said, "There's no sound. You must have misheard."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Then there was another knock on the door; their yard was locked. It was too far away to hear clearly.
Their children are all married, and now it's just the two of them at home. They heard some noises and said, "Could it be a thief?" They'd heard that other villages were starting to sell children; could it be that some petty thief was trying to steal something?
Old Man Xu had drunk some wine, and the alcohol was getting to him, so he went straight out and said, "I want to see who's so bold!"
Be careful.
Although Old Man Xu was reckless, he was, after all, a former village chief, and he couldn't expose himself to danger directly. He pulled out a wood-chopping axe, tucked it into his waistband, and went out. As soon as he opened the door, a gust of wind and snow rushed into the house: "Who is it?" he asked gruffly.
Xu Li's mother was a little nervous. She had been gone for a while and hadn't returned yet. She wondered if someone had harmed her.
She was wondering whether or not to go out and take a look.
The door suddenly opened, startling her. Then she saw Old Man Xu return, followed by another person!
She craned her neck to look behind her, and what she saw startled her. The person who had come was none other than their most beloved youngest son, Xu Li. She wondered how long he had walked in such cold weather. As soon as he entered the house, steam rose from his clothes.
There were bruises on his face.
Xu Li called out "Mother" in a low voice.
Xu Li's mother burst into tears on the spot. Although she didn't know what had happened, she knew that his return alone so late meant something must have happened. She asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Li was their youngest son. Although he was a boy, he had always been pampered and cherished since childhood. They had never seen him like this before.
Xu Li's mother asked, "Why hasn't Wan Hai come back? Did he encounter some danger on the way?"
When Xu Li mentioned this person, tears welled up in his eyes: "Mother, I want to divorce Wan Hai."
Xu Li's mother said, "What's wrong? You can't say things like that out of the blue. How can a young couple not have their tongues clashing?"
Old Man Xu had been wronged by the Gong family before, and consequently looked down on Wan Hai, his son-in-law: "He's no good either." He used to think Wan Hai was polite and well-mannered. He was considered outstanding among the young people in the village, but who knew he would become worse and worse.
When Xu Li's mother saw him crying, she grabbed his hand to ask what was wrong. But when she touched his hand, it was as cold as ice.
Xu Li's mother said, "Get on the kang (heated brick bed) and warm up before we talk."
Xu Li got onto the kang (heated brick bed). He was frozen to the bone, and when the heat hit him, he felt like he was on fire.
Xu Li's mother complained that he was wasting his health, so she boiled him a cup of peppercorn and brown sugar water to warm him up. After drinking it, Xu Li's face regained some color.
Xu Li said, "Wan Hai is not human." The two had three children and a very deep bond, but ever since Wan Hai went to the Gong family, his mentality has become unbalanced, and he has indeed been living a difficult life. The Gong family is large, with elders and servants, putting them in an awkward position. Although they live in a wealthy family, they live even more frugally than they did in the countryside.
Although Xu Li was the village chief's son, he wasn't spoiled and could manage both rich and poor times. It was just that Wan Hai was unhappy and developed a drinking problem.
Xu Li would get beaten up whenever he tried to persuade Wan Hai, and Wan Hai would apologize every time. He would even slap himself and say he would definitely change. But after the snow disaster, business stopped, and they lived with the Gong family every day. Whatever they did or said was considered country bumpkin behavior. Wan Hai was so angry that he would take it out on Xu Li when he got home!
It was one thing for Xu Li to be beaten, but his youngest son was only three years old, even younger than He Ran. Just because he called out "Daddy" a few times and annoyed him, he slapped him so hard that his ear bled.
Xu Li couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't bear living like this, even if it meant eating simple food. He wanted a divorce and to take the child with him!
Old Man Xu angrily cursed, "You bastard, you even dared to hit someone! I'll crack his head open! You promised me so much when you asked me to marry you, that you'd treat me well for the rest of your life. And now look at you!"
Xu Li's mother also joined in the cursing, then hugged Xu Li and cried. She thought his life in the county must be more comfortable than in the village, but she never expected him to be so unhappy: "My poor son, divorce is not so easy." If it were in the village, they could get a divorce even if they had to beat that bastard, but now that they've entered the Gong family, it's impossible to get a divorce without suffering a lot.
Xu Li said, "I want to ask He Zifeng for help. He's the deputy head constable, and even the Gong family has to give him face if he says a word."
Old Man Xu stammered, "This... oh dear!" A complex mix of emotions welled up in his throat. If he had known He Zifeng would be so successful, he wouldn't have made things so difficult for him back then. When the family property was divided, Old Man Xu, relying on his position as village chief, had given him no end of trouble. Now, how could he possibly have the face to come begging? This matter is really complicated.
Author's Note: Dear readers, there will only be one update today. To express my apology, I will be giving away 100 red envelopes in the comments section below this chapter. I will update twice tomorrow as usual.
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