Chapter 12: How to Get Food

At this moment, Ma Yumei continued to use her pregnancy as an excuse.

Zhao Xiulan retorted, “Aunt Mei, my father just told me yesterday to continue promoting the spirit of mutual assistance. I helped someone not for their belongings! If I accept it, who knows what others might say about me!

“I’m afraid some people might think I had ulterior motives for saving someone and spread malicious rumors, which would tarnish my reputation and my father’s reputation.

“You can go and tell my father. He will definitely stand by me!”

Ma Yumei didn’t expect Zhao Xiulan to be so eloquent!

Ever since Zhao Xiulan fell into the river, she suddenly changed!

This statement from Zhao Xiulan silenced Ma Yumei, leaving her at a loss for words. All she could do was glare at Zhao Xiulan angrily.

Fine, this wicked girl was quite capable! Let’s see, once I complain to Zhao Weiguo, I’ll have him punish you!

Zhao Xiulan couldn’t be bothered to deal with Ma Yumei any longer. She tidied up and went straight to the paddy field.

There were already quite a few people waiting for the team leader to assign tasks.

In no time, the team leader, holding the work point book, began assigning tasks one by one.

Because Zhao Xiulan had done a “good deed” yesterday, she received praise from the team leader. Also, considering Zhao Xiulan’s poor health, the team leader specifically assigned her a relatively easy task — grazing cattle!

There were a few cows in the production team, and grazing them was considered one of the easiest tasks. All you had to do was, lead the cows to wherever there was grass and let them graze.

However, because the task was relatively easy, the work points were relatively low, usually only two work points per day, which was less than what one could earn by doing heavier tasks.

Some people who were willing to endure hardship in order to earn more food didn’t want to do this kind of work because it wasted time and didn’t earn much food. Only those who liked to slack off hoped to do this kind of work.

Liu Gensheng apparently noticed this and said to Zhao Xiulan, “Xiulan, you go graze the cows, and I’ll give you five work points later!”

Just like yesterday, Liu Gensheng was generous in recording Zhao Xiulan’s work points. For tasks that usually earned two work points, Liu Gensheng doubled them, earning more work points than some heavier tasks!

Zhao Xiulan also knew how to appreciate kindness. She led the two cows and expressed her gratitude, then went to graze them.

Over the past few years of steel production, the environment had been severely damaged, and there were very few places in the brigade where grass and trees were lush. Zhao Xiulan led the two plow oxen and searched for a long time before finding a place for them to graze.

Once the cows were grazing, Zhao Xiulan had nothing to do. She found a grassy area and sat down, pondering how to live in the future.

She had food in her hands, but she needed to find a reasonable excuse to take it out. Of course, she couldn’t take out too much, not only because it would arouse suspicion but also because Zhao Xiulan didn’t want to benefit Ma Yumei and her daughter!

Lost in thought, a voice interrupted her, “Xiulan, what are you thinking about?”

Zhao Xiulan looked up and saw Wu Jinhua, so she smiled and greeted her.

Wu Jinhua had been assigned the task of cutting pigweed, but she found Zhao Xiulan and greeted her on her way.

Because Zhao Xiulan had saved her Goudan’s life, Wu Jinhua felt more affectionate towards her the more she looked at her.

Wu Jinhua didn’t rush to cut pigweed. Instead, she sat down beside Zhao Xiulan, and the two chatted for a while.

It just so happened that there were some things Zhao Xiulan couldn’t ask others about. Now that she had a relationship with Wu Jinhua, she decided to extract some information from her to prepare for her future.

“Auntie, I want to ask, besides earning food and work points by working in the production team, are there any other ways to get food, and other things to eat?”

(End of Chapter 12)