Chapter 23 : Taking the blame

She first counted her possessions and found that the stack of bills Qi Shaoqiang had given her last time amounted to 48 yuan.

After making some purchases, she had more than six yuan left. She gave Xiaolan one yuan to make clothes and returned 10 cents to Zhu Xia as compensation.

In the closet, she found 30 unity notes left by Xu Shuzhen but had no plans to use them for the time being.

Thus, the total cash on hand was now 53 yuan, not counting the loose change.

Jiang Li set out, following her memory, to Widow Liu’s house.

Widow Liu’s household consisted of just her and her seven-year-old son, Doudou. A widow with a frail child, her life wasn’t easy. The team tacitly allowed her to raise more than 20 chickens at home to get by.

If a pregnant woman in the village needed better nutrition, she would secretly visit Widow Liu to buy eggs or a rooster to supplement her diet.

When Jiang Li arrived, she heard a dog barking. A small black dog bounded out, wagging its tail as it circled her without any shyness, licking her new leather shoes with its tongue.

Hearing the commotion, Widow Liu put down her bowl, peeked out of the kitchen, and looked outside.

Jiang Li stood gracefully under a tree, wearing small leather shoes and a scarf on her head, looking as though she had undergone a transformation.

“Lizi, why are you here? Come in and sit down!”

“Auntie, are you eating?”

Jiang Li’s gaze fell on a big rooster in the yard, its head held high, feathers gleaming under the sun, and its comb a vibrant red. She licked her lips.

“I heard you have big roosters for sale. I want to pick one.”

Widow Liu smiled and put her bowl down, catching a large rooster. “Sure, roosters are 1.2 yuan per pound. For you, 1.1 yuan per pound.”

She brought out a scale from the house. “Six pounds and four ounces, 7.4 yuan.”

Jiang Li handed her 7.5 yuan and then pleaded, “Auntie, could you cook it for me here?”

Widow Liu was momentarily stunned. She looked at Jiang Li sympathetically. “Did your grandma refuse to let you eat again? Or won’t let you into the kitchen?”

Jiang Li hadn’t anticipated such a misunderstanding but chose not to explain. With a pitiful expression, she said, “Auntie, I’m so hungry.”

Widow Liu sighed. As she suspected, Old Mrs. Zhou and Wang Juhua were heartless.

“Just wait, I’ll make it for you,” Widow Liu said, rolling up her sleeves.

Doudou, holding a bowl of rice, immediately set it down to help start the fire. The chicken was quickly plucked, cleaned, and placed in the pot.

“Lizi, how do you want the chicken cooked? Boiled or braised?”

Jiang Li, squatting by the stove, replied, “Braised.”

Widow Liu nodded. “Alright, I’ll braise it for you. Save the soup for noodles tomorrow. I’ll stir-fry the chicken offal with chili and sour beans for you to eat with rice.”

Jiang Li paid an additional 40 cents for the cooking. Widow Liu, feeling sorry for her, generously added extra seasoning and wild mushrooms she’d picked in the mountains.

The final dish was a pot of golden-brown braised chicken with a rich aroma, its scent blending with the earthy flavor of mushrooms. Jiang Li and Doudou squatted by the stove, their mouths watering.

“Lizi, eat,” Widow Liu said, placing her own food at a small table in the main room and leaving Jiang Li to enjoy the feast in the kitchen.

Doudou’s eyes fixated on the chicken, his nose sniffing at the aroma. Though his collar was damp with drool, he didn’t beg for food. He obediently followed his mother out.

Feeling generous, Jiang Li took a few pieces of chicken and a bowl of soup to the main room. “Auntie, let Doudou have some.”

Widow Liu panicked and refused. “Lizi, you paid for this! How could we eat something so precious?”

Jiang Li didn’t accept her refusal, quickly placing the bowl on the table. “Auntie, it’s for the child.”

Widow Liu hesitated but finally gave in, urging Doudou to eat.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and a heavy downpour ensued. Raindrops pelted the dry, yellow earth, cooling the village.

The rain brought chaos to the village. The roof of the granary leaked, and part of the barn collapsed. Villagers rushed out, carrying doors to shield the grain from the rain.

Widow Liu returned with urgency and handed Doudou to Jiang Li. “Help me watch him. I need to check the granary!”

As the rain gradually subsided, Jiang Li took Doudou and observed the warehouse from a distance, keeping an eye on the activity there.

One by one, team members wearing straw raincoats and carrying door panels emerged from the other side of the warehouse.

Jiang Li ran into Aunt Jingui and quickly asked, “Aunt, what’s happening at the warehouse? Is the grain safe?”

Aunt Jingui frowned. “Half of the pigsty collapsed, and a pregnant sow ran out and got scared. Veterinarian He is helping it give birth right now; we’re not sure how it will turn out.”

She continued, “As for the grain, it’s fine. The branch secretary noticed the bad weather and covered it with plastic sheets last night. Only two or three bags got damp, but once the sun comes out, we can dry them and save them.”

Jiang Li let out a sigh of relief. At least nothing major had happened.

“Someone’s going to be unlucky this time!” Erlaizi said gleefully as he passed Jiang Li, wearing a patched straw hat.

“Aunt, who’s going to be unlucky?” Jiang Li asked.

Aunt Jingui sighed. “Who else? The educated youth responsible for the pigsty it’s probably Guo, that educated youth. During lunch, I was so tired I didn’t notice the pigsty collapsing.”

“If anything happens to the pigs, the captain won’t let him off easily.”

Guo Haifeng, the subject of their conversation, stood nearby looking dejected. He was pleading with a female educated youth.

“Xiaoting, please help me this time. Tell the captain you were the one on duty at the pigsty last night.”