There are more and more people at the market.
A group of young Red Guards were parading a man with a sign hanging on his body through the streets.
When people came closer, Xu Nanxing saw that the sign read "Crime of speculation and profiteering" and "Wan Sanhong".
The man who hung the sign was a skinny old farmer about 50 years old with a rag all over his face.
After the group of people walked away, some people began to discuss quietly:
"This guy is so unlucky! He only had one kilogram of millet left at home, and his child was starving, so he ran to the neighbor's house to exchange it for two kilograms of corn kernels. Who knew he would be reported? He was even paraded for days!"
"Oh! I heard that the corn they exchanged for was also confiscated. I don't know how this family is going to survive!"
"Yes! It's still several months before the autumn harvest! What will the children do if there is no food at home?"
"I don't know who reported it, it's really..."
"Who else could it be except this family who exchanged the food? It was just one kilogram of food, and they exchanged it quietly. How could anyone know? Tsk, this family is really!"
Yes, with such a small amount of food, who would notice it except the family that exchanged the food?
It's just 1 kilogram of millet for 2 kilograms of corn, and fine grains for coarse grains. In fact, this exchange rate is not advantageous.
I wanted to make this change just to give my children at home more food.
Even so, someone reported me!
Even from such a distance, Xu Nanxing could feel the sinister malice!
Xu Nanxing looked at the group of Red Guards walking away. They were laughing and pulling the old farmer. They didn't feel that there was anything wrong with it. Instead, they felt that they had done the right thing.
This is the general trend and the political situation.
Even if some people think that it is too much to make someone suffer like this for such a small matter, they dare not say anything.
Xiaotian and Xiaoyu beside them also looked on helplessly. Xiaoyu felt a little uneasy: "Sister Nanxing, why are they pulling that uncle?"
Xu Nanxing quickly patted her back and comforted her, "Xiaoyu, don't be afraid! That uncle did something wrong and is being criticized. He can go home once he corrects himself!"
For a "crime" like this of eating 1 or 2 kilograms of food, the person will not be sentenced or given anything but peanuts. He will just be dragged around like this for a few days.
The warning function here is even greater!
As grain is an important strategic material that is purchased and sold by the state, private trading is absolutely not allowed!
On the other side, several aunts were still discussing in a low voice:
"Which village is this person from? Why is he so poor? Doesn't he have even a few kilograms of food at home?"
"It's the village on the mountain. The whole village doesn't have many acres of good land, so they can't grow much food at all."
"No wonder! We can't hunt in the mountains now, and we can't cut firewood to sell. We're really poor!"
"Hey, that kid over there, is he from Wan Sanhong's family? I keep seeing him following the parade these past few days."
"Yes, I saw this kid feeding water to Wan Sanhong. Look, he's holding a water bag in his hand."
Upon hearing this, Xu Nanxing also followed the aunts' gaze and looked over.
I did see a small, skinny 10-year-old child at the back of the crowd, his clothes patched, clutching a water bag, following the parade with an expressionless face. Only when he looked at Wan Sanhong, who was being dragged through the crowd, did his eyes reveal sadness and helplessness.
Xu Nanxing suddenly felt a little difficult to breathe.
She didn't know what to do.
All I know is that in two years, the end of this era will be the beginning of a new one.
But since she saw it, she still wanted to help.
She told Xiaotian and Xiaoyu to sit still at the stall and not run around, and that she would be back soon.
Then I ran to the stall next door and bought two roasted sweet potatoes.
While no one else was paying attention, he pulled the child away from the crowd, found a shady place, and stuffed the sweet potato in his hand into the child's hand.
"Kid, here's some food for you! Are you the kid from that family just now?"
Xiao Shan was so surprised when a roasted sweet potato was stuffed into his hand that he didn't react. But when he heard the last sentence, he suddenly became alert, "Why are you asking this?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Xu Nanxing signaled him not to attract the attention of people around him.
Xiaoshan didn't say anything, but still looked at her with vigilance.
Xu Nanxing gestured for him to eat the roasted sweet potatoes quickly.
Xiaoshan hesitated for a moment, swallowed his saliva, and asked, "Why did you give me sweet potatoes?"
"Um, I just heard someone talk about your family. The food was confiscated. Do you have anything to eat?" Xu Nanxing asked with concern. However, she didn't say that she wanted to treat him to roasted sweet potatoes because she felt sorry for him. She didn't want to hurt the self-esteem of a child of his age.
When Xiaoshan heard the other party asking about the situation at home, his eyes were red and he could only choke back tears and say, "There's no food at home. Now we have to go to the mountains to pick wild vegetables to fill our stomachs, and go to the river to catch some small fish and shrimp to eat. Grandma hasn't eaten for two days. She said she wanted to save some food for us..."
Xiaoshan couldn't say anything anymore. He hugged the sweet potato given by Xu Nanxing and started to cry.
Hearing the child crying sadly and desperately, Xu Nanxing felt bad too. He gently stroked the child's back with his palm. It took a long time for the child to calm down.
Seeing that the other person's mood had eased, Xu Nanxing took out 20 yuan and stuffed it into the child's pocket, whispering: "Little guy, don't despair of life! Come on, go home quickly!"
Xu Nanxing left after saying this.
Xiaoshan noticed when Xu Nanxing put the money into his pocket. He touched his pocket and felt that there was money inside. He was shocked. Before he could react, he heard the other party asking him to go home quickly.
Knowing that he had met a good person, Xiaoshan glanced at his father who was being dragged in the parade, gritted his teeth, hugged the roasted sweet potatoes, covered the money in his pocket, and ran towards home.
Xiao Shan ran home without delay. Fortunately, everyone on the road was heading towards the market, so no one noticed the child.
Xiaoshan ran back home in one breath, quickly closed the door, and sat down on the ground because he was so tired.
The family was shocked to see Xiaoshan come back suddenly.
Xiaoshan's mother's heart trembled, and she asked softly, "Xiaoshan, why did you come back so suddenly? Is it...your father..."
Xiao Shan was in a hurry, so his breathing was a little rough. He took a few deep breaths before whispering, "No, I met a nice person at the market! She gave me two roasted sweet potatoes. Look!"
Xiaoshan's 5-year-old brother saw the roasted sweet potatoes and his mouth watered: "Roasted sweet potatoes, I want to eat them!"
Upon hearing this, Xiaoshan broke the roasted sweet potato into several pieces and gave one to each family member.
People who have been hungry for several days can no longer bear the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.
I took the portion I was given and started eating immediately.
Only Grandma Xiaoshan refused to eat. She only wanted to leave the food for the children and had been surviving these days by drinking only water.
She is old and has lived enough!
If she didn't want to hold on and wait for her son to come back, she wouldn't even drink the water!
When will these hopeless days end?
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