Zhu Fanfan comforted her, saying, "It will be over soon, and the train tickets will be refunded for free soon."
Now that the Revolutionary Committee has been established ahead of schedule, all rules and regulations are being formulated. These young revolutionaries won't be allowed to cause trouble for too long. She and her grandfather have also discussed it, and it should be resolved within a month. As long as train tickets and meals are no longer free, who would bother to go out and cause trouble?
Yu Xin didn't know the inside story, but he knew the Zhu family was no ordinary family. If the eldest brother said it was coming soon, then it was coming soon. He said, "As per the eldest brother's request, I used the money from selling grain to exchange for a batch of gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques. They're all stored in the basement. I didn't dare deposit the rest of the money in the bank, afraid it would get damp in the basement, so I specially packed it in a leather bag. Boss, when are you going to collect it?"
Zhu Fanfan replied, "Just tell me the location, and I'll send someone to take it quietly. If you find anything missing, don't worry, I took it myself since I didn't contact you."
She can now use her mental powers to retrieve things from a distance, so she told Master Xin in advance to avoid him panicking: "Tell me what kind of food or meat you need, or give me a list and I'll have someone prepare it. I'll be staying here for a while longer."
Even if Master Xin signed a contract with her, she couldn't let him know that she was fighting alone, a lone commander.
Xinye was delighted: "We need to wait until these youngsters stop causing trouble before we start work. At that time, everyone will want to make a big purchase. It's too dangerous now."
Nowadays, state-run restaurants provide free meals to those young soldiers, which has led to the surplus grain in the village being bought up and not sold. Without a source of goods and without business, they naturally cannot continue their business. Moreover, if they were to open for business, they would inevitably be targeted. It is unknown how those young soldiers have such a keen sense of smell that they can find them anywhere. For safety reasons, the black market has been shut down. Fortunately, the boss had given them a lot of grain before, so they had money in their hands and did not go hungry, thus surviving this period.
Zhu Fanfan asked, "I need information about the Red Leaf Brigade of Qingfeng Commune. Who among you is a member of the Red Leaf Brigade? I have something to ask him. I will reward you handsomely for any useful information."
After thinking for a moment, Xin asked, "You want to know about those who were sent down to the countryside? What do you want to know? I know a little bit about it."
Their black market has grown to a considerable size, and their information network is much more efficient. The biggest news recently has been about those who have been demoted, and I heard they came from Beijing, holding quite high-ranking positions. Their boss is also from Beijing, so they probably want to know about these things.
Zhu Fanfan nodded: "Master Xin is indeed smart. What do you think of that place?"
Xinye laughed: "In other places, there might be the saying that 'poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people,' but that's not the case at all in Qingfeng Commune. Those people will only go hungry and nothing else."
But to be honest, Qingfeng Commune had a really bad reputation. It was privately known as the Beggars' Commune. Every year, it survived on relief grain. Anyone with a little ability went out to work, and the wages they earned were used to help the people in the village. It was a true clan village.
Grandpa Xin continued, "The Red Leaf Brigade, the Green Leaf Brigade, the Yellow Leaf Brigade, and the Blue Leaf Brigade—these four brigades form the Qingfeng Commune. Each brigade is composed of its own clan members, and they are very united. The four brigades intermarry, and their relationships are intricate and inseparable. During times of war, a pound of grain can be exchanged for a wife. Except for the people of the Qingfeng Commune, they seem to be cursed. Every daughter who marries out will have her husband's family die of poverty. So, over time, everyone has stopped considering the Qingfeng Commune when choosing a son-in-law or a wife."
Zhu Fanfan asked curiously, "Did they deliberately create this illusion?"
Uncle Xin laughed: "It's not something we're making up, it's true. Girls in their commune want to get married but no one will marry them. It's better for men to get married, but basically all the women who marry into Qingfeng Commune cut off ties with their families because they're poor. They go back to their parents' homes to beg for money and get kicked out and cut off all ties."
He had once suspected something was amiss, but after visiting the village himself, he realized it was no exaggeration at all. There was no seaside, no land, just mountains, and the food on the mountains was incredibly unpalatable. He ate some wild vegetables and had diarrhea for three days. From then on, that place became a forbidden zone for him, and he never wanted to go there again.
Zhu Fanfan was puzzled: "Why not move out? If the situation is true, the government will provide subsidies."
Grandpa Xin sighed helplessly: "They're too stubborn there. They say it's a rule passed down from their ancestors that they can't move even if they're starving or poor. It's their foundation, so everyone who's capable goes out to earn money. The money they earn buys food for the village's daily needs. They're too united there."
Such situations usually don't last long, but their commune has persisted for decades. Now there are some conflicts. Some young people who have accepted the new China want to go out, but their elders are holding them back. Sooner or later, there will be conflicts.
Zhu Fanfan felt that something bad was bound to happen sooner or later: "Unless you are a saint, you will hand over the food you have worked so hard to earn, and you may not even be able to eat your fill. Something bad is bound to happen sooner or later."
Perhaps she was overthinking it; some clans are just so old-fashioned, regarding self-sacrifice as the ultimate truth.
Grandpa Xin was also pessimistic: "People in the commune are actually quite easygoing, but the young people haven't inherited that trait. They might not want to go back after they leave. Without relief food, a lot of people will probably starve to death, starting with those who were sent down to the countryside."
No one would starve themselves for outsiders. Even if there were orders from above, those sent down could not die. The entire commune was united. If someone really died, there was really no good way to deal with it. Sometimes, clans were even more difficult to deal with.
Zhu Fanfan asked again, "Are there any people from Qingfeng Commune among your men? I want to go there, please have him lead the way."
Xinye replied, "Datou is from there and can take you there. When are you going? It's quite far, and there's no road yet. You'll have to take a bus for a while, and we'll also have to see if any oxcarts pass by. A long stretch of the road is full of potholes, so it's better to walk. It'll take more time."
Is it really that far? Zhu Fanfan frowned. "Approximately how long will it take?"
Uncle Xin wasn't sure either: "I'll call Da Tou in, you can ask him yourself."
After saying that, he called out loudly to Big Head, and soon a naive-looking young man came in, his attitude very respectful: "Boss, what do you want?"
Uncle Xin asked, "How long does it take to get from here to the Green Leaf Brigade of Qingfeng Commune?"
Although Da Tou didn't know why his boss was asking this, he still scratched his head and said, "We have to go out and walk for a while to get into the city and catch a bus. There is a bus that goes directly to the commune. Once we get to the commune, there is only one oxcart that goes there in the morning and then goes back at noon. There are no buses at this time, so we have to walk. It will take about three hours. If there is no bus, it will take even longer, at least five hours."
Zhu Fanfan felt it was a pity that she couldn't go today.
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