Chapter 39

When Shuiqing first handed the rice to the old village chief, the villagers all cast admiring glances.

The conditions at the old village chief’s house were the best in the village, thanks to the men in the family frequently going to the city to do short-term work, and the capable women managing the household affairs in an orderly manner while also raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs to sell in the city.

Usually, their family rarely dealt with rice like this, after all, with sufficient grain, most of their time was spent raising poultry.

So yesterday, the old village chief’s family only contributed seven catties [a unit of weight in China], which wasn’t considered much among everyone, but it wasn’t considered little either. However, overnight and into today morning, their family managed to produce twenty-three catties of rice husk and even contributed to four other families!

This indicated that their entire family had been peeling rice husks overnight.

Twenty-three catties all at once! Adding yesterday’s seven catties, the old village chief suddenly became the one with the most in the village.

“Here, this is seventy-five catties of rice. Sister Guifeng, take it.” Shuiqing instructed the helping man to measure it and handed it with effort to Wang Guifeng.

Wang Guifeng replied with an “ai,” and rubbed her hands vigorously on her clothes in front of her before finally reaching out to accept.

Seventy-five catties of rice, pure white rice. Thinking of the thick layer of rice oil when making rice porridge, she swallowed her saliva.

No, one catty of rice could almost buy two catties of millet. Millet might be a bit rougher, but it’s more filling.

The remaining rice would be exchanged for silver, to give to Lin Ge for tuition…

The second most in the village was Auntie Zhang’s family.

Except for Zhang Xiaocao following to see the situation, the rest of them were either fishing or peeling. They were the most hardworking!

Now, upon hearing about the rice distribution, holding a sack, they hurried to Shuiqing’s house following their daughter.

Along the way, they were filled with surprise and doubt, until they saw the white rice laid out in front of them, and their anxious hearts finally settled.

This year, perhaps they could have a good year.

“Here, Auntie Zhang, you have a total of twenty-seven catties. The rice is sixty-seven and a half catties. Pour it into your sack.”

Auntie Zhang watched the gleaming white rice pour into the rough sack, feeling a sense of unreality.

How many years had it been since she last saw rice, touched rice?

She inserted her rough hands into the rice, grabbing and releasing it repeatedly, enjoying it.

She murmured softly, “The smell of rice is really good.”

Zhang Xiaocao responded beside her, “Mom, rice looks so good! It’s much better looking than buckwheat, isn’t it delicious?”

“Wait a moment, I’ll cook it for you later.” Auntie Zhang really wanted to cook rice porridge tonight, but she resisted the temptation firmly.

One catty of rice could exchange for three catties of buckwheat, enough to make porridge for the family for a day. If they cooked rice, even three catties of rice might not be enough.

It’s not the time for extravagance yet, just wait.

The old village chief continued to distribute to the remaining people, some getting a few catties, some getting a dozen catties. After all, those who got dozens of catties the day before were a minority.

Shuiqing strolled over to Auntie Zhang, grateful for her trust and grateful to Zhang Xiaocao for worrying about them and coming to report early. Just as she was about to express her gratitude, she heard their conversation, turned back, quietly packed two to three catties of rice in a cloth bag, and discreetly handed it over, “This is a token of appreciation. Keep it low-key; it wouldn’t be good if others saw it.”

She didn’t pack much, fearing Auntie Zhang wouldn’t be willing to cook it, estimating it was enough for a family’s meal.

Auntie Zhang instinctively wanted to refuse, but after hearing Shuiqing’s words, she didn’t dare to speak. After Shuiqing stuffed it into her arms, she whispered softly, “I… what you’ve given us is already a lot.”

“That’s what you earned through your labor. This is a token of appreciation, it’s different.” Shuiqing made it clear.

Auntie Zhang opened her mouth to say, “Isn’t it the same? It’s all given by you guys.”

Shuiqing continued, “Auntie, I didn’t pack much. It’s probably enough for your family’s meal. Cook it for the children at noon.”

Zhang Xiaocao understood. Sister Shuiqing was aware her mom might be unwilling, but she wanted to eat rice, so she specially sent it over.

Her nose tingled with sourness. It was the first time in her life she felt helping someone was worth it!

Every time she helped her cousin, Zhang Chunhua, it never ended well.

She decided, from now on, no matter what, she would help Sister Shuiqing!

Auntie Zhang instantly understood!

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

She choked up, saying, “Alright, when we return home later, let Xiao Cao return the cloth bag.”

The cloth bag is also a good thing, it needs to be returned.

Shuiqing nodded, then remembered something and said, “Oh right, were you all working this morning? If there’s extra rice today, you can bring it over at noon, exchange it for the rice we’ve peeled, and take it back.”

It’s better to bring it earlier for freshness.

Auntie Zhang nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, pleasantly surprised, “Me and Jinniu, we’ve been working non-stop this morning, peeled over ten catties already, they’re still peeling, we’ll send it over when we have lunch!”

Although rice won’t run away if left there, for some reason, she just wants to exchange it and bring it home.

Just the thought of having rice at home makes her feel relieved.

The two thanked Shuiqing profusely, then carried the rice back home — they had to hurry back to continue working!

“Mom, Old Village Chief’s family was peeling all night last night, should we peel at night too?”

“It’s not good to do it at night, is it?”

“It’s fine, we can catch more in the afternoon and peel under the moonlight at night.”

“Alright, may the weather be good, please don’t let it rain.”

“Whether it rains or not, it’s just over ten days.”

“Wasn’t it over a month in previous years?”

“Mom, think about it, in previous years, everyone was peeling and catching half-heartedly, can every family catch the same amount this year? Most likely, it’ll be gone in just over ten days, we have to seize the time.”

“Yes, our daughter is right! But it’s fine, this thing is everywhere in the water, later I’ll have your brother go to other places to catch some more, it’ll just take a bit more effort.”

…

Shuiqing listened to the discussions with satisfaction.

Being poor isn’t scary, being lazy and poor is.

Even if the opportunity to earn money is right in front of you, if you’re not willing to work hard, it’s like mud can’t be used on the wall. The miserable life of suffering has its reasons.

Seeing others getting rice, Wang Mazhi and Zhang Tuzi were all cheerful, they stepped forward with faces beaming, reminding Fan Jin, “Fan Er, we thought about it, and we trust you! We’re all villagers here, if we don’t support you, who else will we support? We, the elders, would be happy to see you making money.”

The children of the two families nodded behind them incessantly, looking at Fan Jin expectantly.

The other villagers were stunned.

They had seen shameless people, but they had never seen such shameless people!

In less than an hour, their faces changed so quickly.

Fan Jin still smiled warmly, his voice not loud but enough for everyone nearby to hear, “Two of you, I also want to accept everything, but my classmates said, it’s not necessary to take too much; Since you’ve withdrawn, I thought it’s just right, now if I accept yours again, then what about others?”

Upon hearing this, they couldn’t stand it!

Immediately, they began to curse: “Zhang Tuzi, Wang Mazhi, do you have no shame? You agreed at Old Village Chief’s house, if you withdraw, you withdraw, and you can’t cause trouble again!”

“Not only did you agree at Old Village Chief’s house, didn’t your eldest daughter of Fan’s family also threaten us? What, do we need to remind you?”

Their faces turned red and then white as they listened to these words.

Fan Jin looked gentle, but his words were not, “Please forgive us, we only accept things from people we trust. In the future, it’s better if our families never cooperate again.”