Chapter 203 Two in One
After reading Taozi's letter, Ding Guo finally understood why Pan Dingfeng was so crazy behind her backstage a few days ago.
Even though she hasn't been online as frequently in the past two days, she still pops up from time to time, contributing a lot of internal friction to her.
When Ding Tao went out shopping, she met Pan Dingfeng, who was being supported by someone, at the hospital entrance. The people supporting him were Ding Jianguo and Ding Jiandang, and Yue Hongmei was following beside them, holding the child.
Ding Tao's intuition told her that there was something big going on inside. She was very interested in this kind of big melon and could not help but express her curiosity. She took advantage of the fact that no one else was at the Ding family's house and ran to Ding Xiang's house to ask about it. She learned about Pan Dingfeng from Ding Xiang.
Pan Dingfeng was beaten up in the countryside, and his work seemed to be going wrong, so he was punished. He was unwilling to recuperate at his workplace and returned to Fengning.
After learning the whole story, Ding Guo couldn't help laughing.
Was it her fault that Pan Dingfeng got beaten and had trouble at work? Why blame her?
Could it be that when he was lying in bed and felt that life was full of darkness, he couldn't help but think of her, the 'culprit' who indirectly caused the downfall of the Pan family?
Why doesn’t he think about this: if his father and grandfather had been upright and had not framed others, how could the Pan family have ended up in such a situation?
Ding Guo didn't know that what really drove Pan Dingfeng crazy was the dream he had. He dreamed of his own happy life in the book, and also dreamed that the original owner worked like a slave for the Pan family and obeyed the orders of everyone in the family.
After waking up, Pan Dingfeng kept thinking about the dream for several days. Although he could not remember the specific details, he remembered the beauty that he did not want to forget, which made him indulge in it.
The beautiful dream and the cruel reality form a sharp contrast. How could this person not be upset?
Pan Dingfeng's distress is still radioactive.
He was unhappy and after being taken back to Fengning, he lay in bed all day long in depression, with a look on his face every day as if others owed him money. Yue Hongmei and Ding Jiandang, who went to take care of him, did not dare to speak loudly at home, for fear that they would make him unhappy if they were not careful.
Ding Jiandang wanted to quit after taking care of the child for two days, but considering the two cents a day, he didn't dare to really quit.
Dingxiang asked him to come.
Xiangxiang said that if she rejected her elder brother and mother's proposal, they would be unhappy. Her father was unreliable to begin with, and if they offended her mother and elder brother, their future life would be even more difficult.
But it is impossible to provide free care, you have to pay for it.
Ding Jiandang spoke to Yue Hongmei under pressure and was scolded by her. In the end, although Yue Hongmei agreed, she cut the price to 20 cents and also provided him with three meals a day.
Ding Jiandang temporarily moved to Yue Hongmei's place.
Ding Zhigang actually didn't ask for the specific reason. His mind was now completely on the pregnant Zheng Wenfang. If his son could stay with his mother for a while, he could save some food rations. Why not?
Because Ding Tao wanted to follow up on Pan Dingfeng's affairs, she became familiar with Ding Xiang for the first time in her life.
The two of them tacitly agreed not to mention the minor conflicts in the past. One was asking about things, and the other was willing to talk about them, which allowed Ding Tao to find out a lot of information.
A week later, he took the initiative to bring Ding Jiandang to Ding Tao to complain.
"What's going on?" Ding Tao looked at the pair of little bitter gourds curiously.
Ding Jiandang's eyes were red, obviously he had just cried not long ago.
Ding Xiang looked depressed: "My brother's wages were withheld by my mother."
I took care of Pan Dingfeng for ten days, but it was all in vain.
"It was confiscated?" Ding Tao was shocked and took out a handful of melon seeds and handed them over. "How could Aunt Yue do this? Tell me quickly!"
Ding Xiang gave Ding Jiandang a sidelong look and said, "My brother is such a fool. I've long told him to be more careful. He didn't leave right away after taking the money, but kept dawdling there. After a while, my mother took the money away, saying that she wanted to keep it for my brother, saying that she was afraid that he would spend the money on our stepmother when he got home."
She sighed: "This money is wasted."
They said they were saving it for Ding Jiandang, but when Ding Jiandang grows up, would he really be willing to ask their mother for these few dollars?
Ding Jiandang was not as aggressive as Ding Xiang. Although he angrily protested to Yue Hongmei, he was defeated after Yue Hongmei yelled at him. The boy ran home crying. Ding Xiang was furious, but she had no right to ask her mother for the money. She was depressed and came to complain to Ding Tao.
Ding Tao: "This is the hard-earned money for the founding of the Party. Aunt Yue is too..."
She was too tired to complain and looked at Ding Jiandang as if he were a piece of trash.
These two brothers who are neither loved by their father nor their mother depend on each other, but with Ding Jiandang's personality, Ding Xiang can't get any help from this brother who is only a few minutes older than her. If Ding Jiandang didn't have Ding Xiang to hold him back, sooner or later both sides would have nothing left to gnaw.
Ding Jiandang looked depressed.
Ding Xiang's face was shaky, and she said angrily, "This is just a lesson for us. If there is any problem with mom in the future, don't even think about asking us to help her again."
She also looked for her eldest brother, but Ding Jianguo thought it was no big deal. He laughed at Ding Xiang's childish temper and said that Mom is not an outsider and you don't need to spend money now. Mom will take it and spend it. Why take a few dollars seriously?
At such a young age, Dingxiang experienced the helplessness and heartbreak from her elder brother.
However, Dingxiang didn't come here just to complain to Ding Tao, there was something else she wanted Ding Tao's help with.
Ding Tao immediately looked wary: "What help?"
She would not ask her ex-wife for money. Dingxiang had no right to do so, so she had even less right to do so.
Yue Hongmei was determined to scold her severely.
Ding Xiang took out one dollar and sixty-seven cents and said, "Sister Ding Tao, this is what Jian Dang and I secretly saved by picking up rags during this period of time. When we went to sell the rags a few days ago, a neighbor saw us. I'm worried that it won't be long before my dad finds out about us picking up rags and selling them. I'm afraid that the woman surnamed Zheng will instigate my dad to ask us for the money, so I want you to keep it for us."
She didn't dare hide at home. The two brothers surnamed Jia often secretly rummaged through her things, and it was not safe to keep them on her body. After thinking it over, she decided to take a gamble and put her trust in Ding Tao.
Ding Xiang felt it was ironic when she made this decision. She never thought that one day she would not trust her closest relatives, and instead feel that Ding Tao, whom she had looked down upon before, was more reliable.
Ding Tao looked at the pile of one-cent and two-cent money in Ding Xiang's hand, paused in cracking melon seeds, and didn't even notice a piece of melon seed shell stuck to the corner of her mouth. She was a little surprised: "You guys are still picking up rags and selling them?"
Dingxiang uttered a soft "hmm", and somehow, a sour feeling came over her nose.
Ding Jiandang spoke quickly, "Xiangxiang is worried that my father and stepmother will send us to the countryside in two years, or let Xiangxiang get married..."
Dingxiang pushed him away, stopping him from continuing.
Their current situation is embarrassing enough, there is no need to expose something uglier.
In the second letter, Ding Tao wrote to Ding Guo: "Looking at that handful of change, I felt bad. I took the money out of weakness. Later I realized that I was a little impulsive. I was afraid that they would betray me if they knew about it. If Jianguo's mother knew about it, she would think I was greedy for her children's money... Oh, forget it, let's talk about it later. Dayong reminded me to write a note stating the reason for keeping it, the date and the amount, and ask Ding Xiang and Ding Jiandang to sign it."
Ding Tao didn't think about all this at the time, and went back to tell Dayong about it. Dayong said that since they had accepted it, they should just accept it and make a note and have the three of them sign it, so that it would be in black and white and they could produce evidence if there was any accident in the future.
Ding Tao quickly wrote a document and asked Ding Xiang and Ding Jiandang to sign it. Only then did she feel much more at ease.
As for whether the neighbors in the housing estate had told Ding Zhigang about Ding Xiang and her friend selling junk, Ding Tao did not mention it in the letter.
Having forced the two youngest children in the family into this state, Ding Guo was too lazy to complain about Yue Hongmei and Ding Zhigang anymore.
Yue Hongmei is mean to her own children, and so is Ding Zhigang.
The former will express it very obviously, in actions and words, and will show it without reservation; the latter may not take the initiative to attack verbally, and may even think that there is nothing wrong with him.
But sometimes ignoring something can be more hurtful than verbal attacks.
Especially since there are step-sons in the family, Ding Zhigang will never stand on the side of his children when there is a conflict between the two parties. On the contrary, he will even blame his children, hoping that they will take a step back and give in to the two step-sons for the sake of family harmony.
If he accuses his stepson, not only will people not buy into it, but word will also spread that he will be known for being harsh on his stepson. Ding Zhigang naturally won't allow himself to have such a reputation.
What to do? I can only let my own child suffer.
You can scold your own children however you want; after all, they are your own children and you can’t drive them away by beating or scolding them.
But they didn't know that this situation was even more cruel to Ding Xiang and Ding Jiandang.
If their father had given them enough sense of security, why would they have to learn to plan for their own future at such a young age?
Ding Guo put away the letter and sighed.
It must be said that Dingxiang in this life is stronger than the original owner in the book.
If she can remain sober all the time, she won't be morally blackmailed by her relatives with just a few words in the future, and her future life will be good.
It depends on whether she can hold on.
She did not comment on Ding Jiandang.
Construction has begun at home.
Before starting the construction, Ding Guo had cleaned up the yard next door, moved the bed in the main house to a vacant room, and temporarily moved out the other furniture, to be put back in place after the kang was completed.
Ding Guo was at work during the day, and Aunt Qiao would go to see him from time to time. When the old man heard about this, he also came to see him.
A few days later, Pei Che came back from vacation again, opened two packs of cigarettes and sent them over, then watched over him at home for two days.
Master Zhu and his team worked together to complete the kang, toilet and bathroom renovation, and the first attempt at a bread kiln in half a month. They also broke down a wall and added a gate connecting the east and west sides of the courtyard.
Her own courtyard was in the west, and the other one was in the east. Construction began on the east courtyard, so Ding Guo and Aunt Qiao packed up the east courtyard and moved to the west courtyard.
The construction progress of the East Courtyard was relatively fast and was completed in less than ten days.
Master Zhu and his team also helped clean up the construction waste, and Ding Guo paid them their wages.
The kang in the east courtyard needs to be aired out, so there is no rush to move it back.
The bread kiln in the west courtyard is now usable.
When Ding Guo had a day off, he would go home from work with ingredients for making bread, such as sugar and milk, and he would show off his cooking skills by baking a batch of bread.
The bread that had been made in Fengning and stored in the space had been eaten up long ago, and Ding Guo had been craving for the bread he made himself for a long time.
The freshly baked bread had a crispy crust and was soft and fluffy on the inside. She had reduced the amount of sugar in the bread, so it wasn't too sweet. It had a mixture of the aroma of wheat, eggs and milk. Ding Guo ate three loaves of bread, each bigger than her fist, in one breath and satisfied her craving.
Only then did Aunt Qiao and Wang Chunhua know that Ding Guo used to work at Fengning Food Factory, which specialized in producing pastries.
Aunt Qiao and Wang Chunhua were very interested in seeing Ding Guo making bread, but after looking at the ingredients used, they gave up the idea of learning from him.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "Learn first, and then talk about it after you learn it."
She also has a batch of rusks to make.
Dabao and Xiaobao were sleeping in the stroller not far from them, and Ding Guo was leading them to make biscuits.
Wang Chunhua asked curiously: "Guoguo, can you make egg cakes, peach cakes, etc.?"
Ding Guo: "Yes, but I have never used a homemade oven to make egg cakes and peach cakes. I can try it some other day."
Dayong wrote her a letter and told her something serious: it hadn’t rained in his hometown for more than two months.
Ding Guo didn't react when he first saw it, but then his heart skipped a beat: Drought?
Drought will mean a reduction in grain production, and there will be a food shortage in my hometown.
She continued reading and saw what Ding Dayong wrote at the end, saying that the drivers in their unit had also discussed this matter together. Not only had it not rained in Huiyang for a long time, but drought had occurred in several other places.
Although it is not a complete loss, there will definitely be a decrease in grain production this year.
Drivers who often drive sports cars often have first-hand information. They quickly realized what this meant and discussed buying food from outside in advance.
Dayong wrote to tell Ding Guo that the capital that Ding Guo had placed with him had accumulated to over three hundred yuan, thanks to the small amounts he had earned for her during this period. He planned to use part of it to buy food and store it at home to be prepared.
Ding Guo went to call Dayong, and the transport team said that Dayong had gone out and would be back in four days.
Two days later, Huang Aifeng came over, and with her was her brother Huang Qingsheng.
Huang Qingsheng works for the Capital Transportation Company, but he cannot drive independently yet.
So Dayong was lucky, because he had saved his master from a disaster at that time, he was valued afterwards. He was not asked to serve like other apprentices, such as serving tea and pouring water. The master would teach him a few words when he was happy, and it was not known when the next time he would teach him would be.
Huang Qingsheng and Dayong joined the transport team at about the same time. They haven't finished their training yet, but they are also doing internship.
But he has a master after all, so he knows a little about the news brought back by the drivers of the transport team.
I came here to talk about this and to remind Ding Guo to buy some food.
Huang Aifeng pulled Ding Guo aside, away from Aunt Qiao and Wang Chunhua, and whispered about the possible food shortage. Finally, she said, "My brother is still interning at the company and doesn't have much say. Even if we ask the fleet to help buy food, we can't buy much. It's better to let Grandpa Pei think of a way, and you can find a way to buy some by yourselves." Then she added, "Don't worry too much. Maybe it's just an ordinary drought. It will have an impact, but not too big. Anyway, prepare a little."
Ding Guo nodded and said, "Thank you, Sister Aifeng, I understand. This news is very important."
Although Dayong had reminded them, she was also grateful that Huang Aifeng came to inform them after she knew the news.
Ding Guo also understood how difficult it was to be someone's apprentice at this time, and asked Huang Qingsheng to help buy food from outside, which was purely making things difficult for him.
Ding Guo brought a small bag of potatoes to Huang Aifeng, but Huang Aifeng didn't want them, so Ding Guo chased her out and hung them on the handlebars of her bike.
Huang Aifeng picked the fruits and stuffed them back, saying, "Guoguo, keep them for yourselves. If you really don't have enough food later, potatoes can make up for it."
Ding Guo put it back on her and said, "Sister Aifeng, listen to me." She said, "You can take these potatoes back and not only eat them yourself, but also plant some in flower pots at home. The more you can harvest, the better."
Huang Aifeng was startled for a moment, her eyes slightly brightened, and she whispered: "Guoguo, your brain works too quickly. I also planted potatoes when I was in the countryside, but I never tried using flower pots."
They don’t have a yard, so they can only plant a few trees on the balcony. Three or five trees won’t attract attention.
After seeing off the Huang brothers and sisters, Ding Guo rode his bike to the compound and told the old man about this.
The old man was not surprised. He nodded and said, "I heard about it, but the situation is not particularly serious. There is no need to panic. I will find a way to buy some food later."
Ding Guo said, "Grandpa, don't buy grain from here. Leave this matter to me."
The old man was in the compound, and she was worried that if the noise was too loud, she would be reported. She had no shortage of food in her space, only a way out.
Dayong is her way.
"My brother has a sports car and will help us buy food, which will make it more convenient for me to be outside."
Life in the compound was not peaceful, and there were people keeping an eye on the Pei family.
The old man's actions and her actions are completely different.
Old Master Pei nodded, went to the study and took out three hundred yuan, saying, "Don't put all the pressure on Dayong. Collecting a large amount of grain is also risky. Tell the child to be careful. It's okay if he can't collect it. I'll find someone to help buy it."
Ding Guo disagreed. This time, the stockpiling was not a small matter. Asking someone to buy large quantities of grain was equivalent to handing someone a handle. She said, "Grandpa, how about this? Don't ask anyone for now. Let's see how much I can stockpile first."
And things haven't gotten really serious yet.
However, without rain for such a long time, wheat will not get irrigation during several key growth periods, which will indeed affect this year's wheat harvest.
Unless there is enough water stored in rivers, lakes and reservoirs everywhere.
But if it doesn't rain for a long time, there will be a chain reaction and the autumn harvest will also be affected.
Mr. Pei was not a stubborn person. Since his granddaughter-in-law was thinking about him and worried about the Pei family, he agreed and asked about his hometown in Huiyang, "What's the situation in your hometown?"
Dayong only mentioned it once, and Ding Guo didn't know the details, so she had to write back to ask.
Ding Guo had not originally intended to take the old man's money, but he was worried that the old man would not be able to resist using the money to find someone to buy food, so he simply took it first and then find a way to return it to the old man later.
After returning home, Ding Guo took Aunt Qiao and others to open a small vegetable garden at home, preparing to plant two rows of potatoes and some vegetables.
I didn't add much because I was afraid of violating the regulations.
Aunt Qiao began to process the potatoes that Ding Guo brought back, finding the buds and cutting them into pieces to help them germinate.
Ding Guo also asked Haozi to replace all the vegetables that needed to be removed with wheat, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.
The food stored in the space is enough to last for several years, so let’s stop eating for now.
"Mouse, there's no such plot in the book, right?"
System: "No, this period mainly describes the heroine's success in the black markets of the capital. It focuses on the heroine's quiet earning of money, her smooth accumulation of assets, and her use of her own abilities to win over the hero's childhood friends, who have become the heroine's party."
Ding Guo also reads books mainly for the plot, for the sake of excitement. Apart from the college entrance examination and the reform and opening up that are mentioned repeatedly, he doesn't read many other specific details.
I didn't expect that I would have the experience of traveling through a book. If I had known earlier, I should have memorized more historical materials. Even if there are deviations, it can at least be used as a reference.
But even if she remembered all of history, what could she really change?
Just like now, knowing that drought will lead to food shortages, she can still provide large quantities of food. Not to mention in this special era, even in the future, no one would dare to blatantly provide large quantities of food.
Ding Guo didn't dare to gamble, especially since it might involve the Pei family.
I can only make a few small moves in batches without involving my family.
A few days later, Ding Guo contacted Dayong. She didn't dare to talk about the food issue on the phone. She just asked him if he was going on a business trip in the next few days and she would go back to Fengning.
It's better to talk about this in person.
She was also worried that Dayong would be impulsive and buy large amounts of food, which would cause unnecessary trouble.
Ding Dayong was also smart. He also did not mention the food issue. He just said, "Sister, I'm going on a short trip these two days and I'll be back the same day. If you have anything to do, I'll do it for you if I can."
He wanted to say that his sister didn't need to come back, and he would take some time to go to the capital.
Ding Guo said: "I'll go back. I'll be there at noon tomorrow."
We can’t always let Dayong find time to come here.
Seeing his sister insist, Ding Dayong had no choice but to say, "Don't go at noon. Go buy the ticket for Wuxin in the evening. After you buy the ticket, call me and tell me the time you will arrive in Wuxin. I will pick you up."
Ding Guo did not refuse again. He asked for leave from his unit and went directly to buy a ticket. He confirmed the time of arrival in Wuxin and called Dayong. Then Ding Guo went home to pack his luggage.
She would be away for a whole day, so she could only feed the two little ones with milk powder.
Fortunately, because the two little ones’ appetite has increased, her granary is no longer enough to feed the two little ones with one meal, and they need to drink some milk powder after each feeding.
Aunt Qiao didn't know what Ding Guo had to do in Fengning, so she said, "Be careful on the way, and don't worry. Dabao and Xiaobao are drinking milk powder well now."
Before leaving, Ding Guo fed the two kids with breast milk. If it was not enough, she used formula milk. Then she picked up her bag and went to the train station.
She bought the ticket early and arrived at the station at 3:40 in the morning, but the train was a little late and arrived at around 4:00.
When I came out, I saw Dayong.
Only after getting in the car did the brother and sister start talking about food.
"Sister, you don't have to be afraid. The latest news I just heard is that it's not a nationwide problem. It's just that a few provinces have seen this situation. Some are more serious, while others are not too bad. In short, it won't be like the situation in those years." He said, "I've already gotten more than 2,000 kilograms."
Ding Guo was shocked: "You made so many?"
Dayong’s movements are too fast!
Ding Dayong said, "Sister, it's not much. This is just the beginning. I plan to get at least 1,000 kilograms for you, as you have a lot of people to take care of. I plan to get 500 kilograms for Yuling's family, and we will stockpile some here. I will also get 1,000 kilograms for my hometown, and we will split it in half with Second Aunt. Taozi asked me to stockpile it for her family, and she will be responsible for making Second Aunt keep her mouth shut and not tell anyone."
"Sister, this is just the basic amount. If the drought continues, this amount of food won't be enough. If you have a chance, collect more."
If the situation is not so serious and the autumn harvest this year is normal, this amount will only be enough for the family to have enough food.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
