Han Zhuang yawned: "These days, who doesn't count the grains of rice before putting them in the pot?"
Li Qiaoqiao glanced at Han Zhuang: "Your family isn't one."
"That's because my second brother and sister-in-law are capable. Alright, go to sleep."
Li Qiaoqiao pinched Han Zhuang: "Sleep? What are you sleeping for?"
"What else are we going to do if we're not sleeping? Or," Han Zhuang hugged Li Qiaoqiao's waist, "shall we do something else?"
Li Qiaoqiao hit him: "No, my mother said you can't touch me now."
"I'll be gentle."
Li Qiaoqiao hit Han Zhuang again: "That won't do. Let go."
"Then let me touch it."
Li Qiaoqiao glanced at Han Zhuang and said, "Look at you, you pathetic sight."
"Hehe..." Han Zhuang patted Li Qiaoqiao's body for a while before letting go.
Li Qiaoqiao lay down in Han Zhuang's arms: "Zhuangzhuang, I want to talk to you about something."
Han Zhuang's hands started to wander again: "What do you want to discuss?"
"I want to borrow some grain from my father."
"Borrow grain? Your family is out of grain?"
"Yes, but it's not enough to eat. My parents don't dare to eat their fill. Could you talk to my father for me?"
"Okay. I'll talk to Dad."
Li Qiaoqiao kissed Han Zhuang on the cheek: "Zhuangzhuang, you're so sweet."
Han Zhuang placed Li Qiaoqiao's hand under his body: "Okay, then do it for me."
Li Qiaoqiao pinched Han Zhuang: "Why don't you do it yourself?"
"You're my wife. Hehe..."
The next day, after lunch, Han Dashan was about to take a nap when Han Zhuang came in: "Dad, I want to discuss something with you."
"What are you discussing?"
"Could we lend Qiaoqiao's family some grain?"
Han Dashan glanced at Han Zhuang. In a year of famine, who would lend their grain to others? "What? Is your mother-in-law's family starving?"
"We can get food, but we don't dare to eat our fill."
Han Dashan wanted to slap Han Zhuang, but then thought better of it. After all, his son was about to become a father. "Fine. I'll divide your and your wife's food among yourselves, and you can lend it to whomever you want. But if you run out of food, don't come looking for me; I don't have any extra food for you."
Han Zhuang was startled: "Dad, aren't we not going to separate the family?"
“Who said we wouldn’t divide the family property? We just said we’d divide it after your wife gives birth. Right now, we don’t have much food left. If you want to lend some to your mother-in-law, I can only divide up the food that you and your wife have. Then you can lend your own food to your mother-in-law.”
"This...isn't this just like splitting up a family property?"
Han Dashan glanced at his son: "Borrowing grain now is like borrowing lives. I can't let the whole family starve to death with you. I'm giving you the grain now. If you want to lend it to someone else, then go hungry. I won't care if you starve to death."
Now, Han Zhuang dared not separate from the family: "Father, doesn't my second sister-in-law have grain?"
Han Dashan didn't even want to get angry with him anymore: "Your second sister-in-law is a human being, not a god. In this day and age, it's good enough that she keeps us from starving to death. What more do you want? Not enough to eat? Go to the village and see which family has enough to eat?"
Han Zhuang didn't even need to look to know: "Then...then I won't lend it to you."
"You're not lending it anymore?"
"I won't lend it to you."
"Alright then." Even if Han Zhuang is immature, he's still Han Dashan's son. Han Dashan couldn't possibly separate them now, no matter how much he wanted to. If they were separated now, they'd be starving. It's one thing for the adults to suffer, but it's another for Li Qiaoqiao's unborn child to go hungry.
As soon as Han Zhuang returned, Li Qiaoqiao asked him, "Did Dad agree?"
"No. Dad said we don't have much food left. If we really need to borrow, Dad will share our food with us, and we can borrow with our own. Dad said that if we run out of food in the future, he won't help us."
Now, Li Qiaoqiao didn't dare lend any more. The little grain they received wasn't even enough to feed themselves. "Your second sister-in-law is out of grain too?"
"Um."
Li Qiaoqiao fell silent.
After dinner, Li Qiaoqiao was about to tidy up when Han Dashan spoke up: "Wait a minute. I have something to tell you."
Li Qiaoqiao's eyelid twitched.
Han Gui: "Father, what do you want to say?"
Han Dashan looked at everyone and said, "We don't have much food left. Starting tomorrow, everyone except your grandma, Da Ni, and Da Bao can't eat as much as they want."
Every family in the village was starving, and Han Gui and Tian Dahua had long been prepared for this.
Li Qiaoqiao glanced at Han Zhuang. (Implication: Was your father doing this on purpose?)
Han Zhuang shook his head. Actually, Han Dashan was doing it on purpose. First, the grain Xiaoman brought back was only enough for the family to eat for a year. If it was the same next year, Xiaoman didn't know if she would be able to get any more grain. Second, Han Dashan wanted to put a tight rein on his family, to prevent them from thinking that they had more grain than they could eat. Especially Han Zhuang and Li Qiaoqiao. Han Dashan wanted to starve them to see if they would dare to cause trouble again.
As long as the children are full, Tian Dahua has no objections: "Dad, how much less?"
Han Dashan thought for a moment and said, "Let's reduce the number of layers by two." That way, they won't starve, and it will also let them know that if they lend out their food, they will go hungry themselves.
Li Qiaoqiao nudged Han Zhuang.
Han Zhuang: "Dad, Qiaoqiao is pregnant, look..."
Han Dashan glanced at Han Zhuang and said, "If you want your wife and kids to be well-fed, you'd better eat less."
Han Zhuang wanted to say something more, but Han Dashan stood up and left.
Seeing Han Dashan leave, the others followed suit. Li Qiaoqiao glared at Han Zhuang: "Did your father do that on purpose?"
Han Zhuang was also frustrated. He could only eat until he was about 80% full, and if he shared some more with Li Qiaoqiao, he would starve: "How should I know?"
Li Qiaoqiao stared at Han Zhuang and asked, "Are you blaming me?"
"How could that be? Alright, you pack up, I'll go talk to Dad again."
"Then go ahead."
"Um."
Han Dashan was washing his feet when Han Zhuang came in: "Dad, I was wrong. Please don't be angry."
Han Dashan took a puff of his cigarette: "These days, everyone's tightening their belts. If your mother-in-law's family goes hungry today, I'll help them out without you even having to ask."
"Yes. Father, what about Qiaoqiao..."
Han Dashan wanted to teach his son a lesson. "Give her some first. I'll see if I can get any more grain in a few days."
Han Zhuang had no choice but to go back.
Starting from the second day, there was less food on the table.
For half a month, Han Zhuang could only eat until he was half full.
Two weeks later, there was more food on the table. Han Zhuang was so excited to finally have a full meal again that he almost cried. From then on, whenever Li Qiaoqiao asked him to do something, he would first think it over in his mind.
On the other side, several military spouses in the family quarters sat chatting under a tree.
A: "My mother-in-law wrote again."
B: "Are you asking us for grain again?"
A: "Yeah. I'm so worried."
C: "My father-in-law also wrote to my husband, asking us for grain. My husband had no choice but to send some back. These past few days, my family has been drinking porridge every day, and we don't even dare to make it thick."
Ding: "Was Commander Han's family unaffected by the disaster?"
A: "Oh no, my sister-in-law's family is from the same area as Commander Han's family."
Ding: "How can Commander Han afford to support so many people?"
A: "Exactly. He's a regimental commander, and my husband is also a regimental commander. How can he support so many people? And support them so well?"
B: "You didn't know? Wang Xiaoman can gather herbs."
A: "Gathering herbs?"
B: "Hmm."
A: "Well... can we ask her to teach us?"
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