Chapter 33 Goodwill
The former wheat-drying ground is now bustling with activity, and the commune members, who haven't eaten meat in a long time, all have bright smiles on their faces.
"Gu Zhiqing, this is some pickled cabbage I made myself. I'm bringing you a jar!"
The elderly woman's face was etched with the wrinkles of time, and her eyes held a mixture of kindness and gratitude as she looked at Gu Zuozuo.
Her husband and son both died before the founding of the People's Republic of China. She now only has a grandson by her side. Her grandson has been married for eight years and is almost forty this year. His wife is finally pregnant, but the family is too poor and they are not getting enough nutrition. Her nine-month belly looks like it is only six months old. Her granddaughter-in-law is so thin that she is skin and bones. If she doesn't eat something better, she is afraid that she will have to bury her son again. At this time, the sudden appearance of meat is a lifesaver for her family!
Gu Zuozuo initially refused to accept the gifts, but the old woman's clothes were truly tattered. Her jacket, the color of which was no longer discernible, was patched with layer upon layer of patches, and her trousers were frayed at the edges. In some places, the fabric was even severely faded. It was obvious at a glance that her family was not wealthy, so how could she possibly accept her things?
Dingxiang smiled, revealing her two remaining teeth, her eyes filled with loving tenderness. She patted Gu Zuozuo's arm, her voice soft and gentle.
"Take it, my dear. You've come all this way to the countryside, it must have been so hard for you. You risked your life to hunt this wild boar and now you want to share it with us. I'm sorry to have to do this for you."
Gu Zuozuo's eyes curved into a smile. Although she didn't have the kind of selfless righteousness that the old man described, she was still very happy to be comforted by him.
"I……"
"Gu Zhiqing! These are insoles embroidered by my mother-in-law. They're so nice! She asked me to bring you two pairs!"
“Gu Zhiqing, these are salted duck eggs that my mother pickled. She said that you city people like to eat salted duck eggs with your porridge in the morning, so she asked me to bring you a few.”
"Young Master Gu! These are dried mushrooms that my son picked at the foot of the mountain. They're great for stewing meat or making soup. I'm bringing you some to try!"
“Gu Zhiqing…”
“Gu Zhiqing…”
"Little Gu, the educated youth..."
Gu Zuozuo was surrounded by layer upon layer of people. They didn't give her a chance to refuse. They delivered the things and left as soon as they were done. They still needed to get work points to exchange for meat. If they delayed any longer, those shameless people would snatch all the fatty meat!
In just a few breaths, Gu Zuozuo's basket was filled with countless other things, except for half a basket of chestnuts. Even the ground was covered with jars and pots of all sizes.
“Gu, you are a educated youth! After discussion among the villagers, as the one who contributed to handing over five wild boars, you can receive an extra fifty jin of these five wild boars without having to exchange them for work points.”
Gu Zuozuo was somewhat surprised. She had prepared herself not to get even a pound of meat, since the relationship between the villagers and the educated youth was really not good. They usually gave each other a cold shoulder when they met.
The people reacted differently to this decision.
Some villagers might object, but for the sake of those five wild boars, they silently swallowed their complaints, fearing that if they spoke up, their wives and mothers would chase them two miles away with a rolling pin.
The older educated youth at the settlement were green with envy, their eyes practically glowing with greed as they looked at the wild boar.
Not only were the villagers craving meat, but they were too. When they heard that Gu Zuozuo could get an extra fifty catties of pork, they almost immediately looked at Gu Zuozuo with envy, jealousy, and a hint of something meaningful in their eyes.
Gu Zuozuo completely ignored the reactions of others because the captain had said she was the first to receive the pork, so she stood at the very front under the gaze of everyone present.
"Hey sis, the captain said he'd give you a backdoor job, how about this?"
The five wild boars weighed a total of about 1,400 jin, so the extra 50 jin given to Gu Zuozuo was really not much.
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