Chapter 15

With the onset of winter, work had slowed down. After the snowfall, most people stayed indoors, making the Seventh Brigade’s grand meeting at the threshing ground feel as lively as the autumn harvest—it was truly a sea of people.

“Xiao Shu…” San Gouzi and his family arrived early, eager to play with Qin Jiashu.

“Brother Gouzi!” Qin Jiashu waved enthusiastically when he saw San Gouzi.

Xu Jiaojiao released Qin Jiashu’s hand, letting the two boys huddle together.

San Gouzi, though still a little afraid of Xu Jiaojiao, behaved himself. “Aunt,” he said politely.

“Good boy,” Xu Jiaojiao nodded approvingly.

This was the first time San Gouzi had ever addressed an adult with proper respect and been praised for it, and he blushed deeply.

“Your aunt is really nice,” San Gouzi whispered in Qin Jiashu’s ear.

“Yeah, my aunt is great,” Qin Jiashu agreed, feeling pleased.

He liked it even more when others praised his aunt than when they praised him—it made him feel even happier.

The Seventh Brigade consisted of three small villages: Qinjia Village, Qinzhong  Village, and Qinshang Village, with a combined population of over a thousand.

The threshing ground was exceptionally crowded. Those who had arrived early had already secured their spots.

Xu Jiaojiao only realized upon arriving at the threshing ground that nearly all the villagers had brought their own long benches.

“My family brought three benches. You and Xiao Shu can squeeze in with us,” Aunt Ju Hua said warmly, pulling Xu Jiaojiao over.

Aunt Ju Hua had a good impression of Xu Jiaojiao. Their families lived close by, and as the saying goes, “A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.” Xu Jiaojiao was sensible and never took advantage of others, so Aunt Ju Hua was naturally happy to befriend her.

“Alright, thank you, Aunt Ju Hua,” Xu Jiaojiao replied without pretense.

“Attention, everyone, quiet down…” Qin Zhiwen, the brigade leader of the Seventh Brigade, stepped to the front of the threshing ground at exactly eight o’clock, holding a military-green megaphone.

As the brigade leader, Qin Zhiwen commanded considerable respect among the villagers. When he began speaking, the crowd quieted down.

“In accordance with the spirit of the higher authorities’ implementation of the household contract responsibility system in rural areas…”

After delivering the obligatory formalities, Brigade Leader Qin quickly moved on to the main event of the day: the lottery!

To ensure fairness in the distribution of land to individual households, the lottery system was used. First, groups were formed through a lottery, and then each group drew lots to allocate land, livestock, and farming tools.

Xu Jiaojiao and Qin Jiashu had already been separated from the Qin Family to establish their own household. The fields of the Seventh Brigade were divided into shares based on the number of people in each household.

Xu Jiaojiao didn’t know how to farm and didn’t care which group they were assigned to. When it was her family’s turn to draw a lot, she let Qin Jiashu, who was standing beside her, reach into the basket.

“Aunt?” Qin Jiashu tilted his head to look at Xu Jiaojiao.

“Go ahead, Xiao Shu, pick one,” Xu Jiaojiao encouraged him.

Qin Jiashu obediently reached into the small bamboo basket and pulled out a slip of paper. Xu Jiaojiao calmly unfolded it.

“Group 26.”

“Oh my! Just like my family!” Aunt Ju Hua clapped her thigh in delight. But her smile faltered as she realized the implications.

After the groups were formed, the land would be divided. Each group consisted of four households, who would then work together to cultivate the fields. After the autumn harvest, they would hand over the public grain and divide the remaining harvest according to the number of people in each household.

This gradual transition from collective farming aimed to dismantle the old “big pot” system.

But Xu Jiaojiao was a frail woman, and Qin Jiashu was just a small child, neither capable of heavy labor. Being assigned to the same group as them might not be a good thing for the other households.

Although Aunt Ju Hua had never been to school, she was shrewd. As the thought crossed her mind, her expression instantly soured.

“What a coincidence,” Xu Jiaojiao said with a smile.

Aunt Ju Hua’s smile became strained. “Indeed!”

Xu Jiaojiao naturally noticed the change in Aunt Ju Hua’s demeanor and understood her concerns.

The original owner of her body had never worked the fields, and Xu Jiaojiao was even less experienced. A typical city girl, she had only managed to use the rural stove after transmigrating thanks to the original owner’s memories. Now, being asked to farm was simply too much to ask.

Xu Jiaojiao felt helpless. She hugged Qin Jiashu tightly, silently pondering a solution.

Soon, the Seventh Brigade’s group assignments were announced. Group 26 consisted of Qin Zhengye, Qin Datou (Aunt Ju Hua’s husband), Qin Zhuzi’s family, and finally, Qin Jiuer’s family, the largest household in the village.

When Aunt Ju Hua learned that Qin Jiuer’s family was the last group member, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her earlier dissatisfaction with Xu Jiaojiao’s family completely vanished.

Xu Jiaojiao’s household might be struggling, but Qin Jiuer’s family had sheer numbers on their side!

In rural areas, manpower was everything. The reason why Qin Jiuer’s family is called Qin Jiuer is that his family has nine sons, so it is named after him.

During those lean years, Qin Jiuer had single-handedly raised all nine sons to adulthood. Now, all nine sons had established their own families, creating a four-generation household of over fifty members. With over forty able-bodied adults and more than twenty grandchildren, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. So overwhelming, in fact, that no child in the village dared to provoke any of Qin Jiuer’s grandchildren.

Who would dare? With over twenty cousins ready to rally at a moment’s notice, a single shout from their ranks could scare anyone half to death.

After the group assignments were finalized, some members of the Great Brigade were satisfied, while others grumbled. But since the groups had been determined by lot, everyone had to accept the outcome, however reluctantly.

The Great Brigade quickly began distributing land based on household size, followed by livestock and farming tools.

Land allocation was straightforward: each household received land proportional to its population, with the location determined by lot.

The distribution of other resources based on population went smoothly, but disagreements arose when it came to allocating livestock.

The Seventh Brigade raised over forty sheep, divided into forty-seven groups of four households each, meaning each group received one sheep.

However, Xu Jiaojiao’s group, due to Qin Jiuer’s large family, was granted an extra ewe and her newborn lamb by Brigade Leader Qin.

“Why give them an extra ewe and lamb?”

“Exactly! Dividing land and tools by population is one thing, but there are only a few dozen sheep in the entire brigade. Every other group gets just one, and they get two? That’s unfair!”

“Right! Unfair! We won’t stand for it!”

“Because our family is large, and because we’ve contributed more to the brigade over the years!” Qin Jiuer’s family members retorted, slamming their hands on the table and rising to their feet.

Their sheer numbers proved useful. As the Eldest Branch of Qin Jiuer’s family stood up to refute the villagers’ complaints, the united clan rose in a formidable mass.

The intimidating presence of over fifty people silenced the protesters instantly.

We can’t afford to provoke them! Qin Jiuer’s family is too powerful to cross!

“Everyone take your tools home first. We four families will reconvene at two this afternoon to discuss next spring’s planting schedule and livestock distribution,” the patriarch of Qin Jiuer’s family declared.

“Alright,” Aunt Ju Hua’s family and Qin Zhuzi’s family agreed.

Xu Jiaojiao nodded naturally, got up, and went to collect a hoe and a sickle to take home.

The sickle had no protective sheath and looked particularly dangerous. Xu Jiaojiao handled it with extreme caution.

“Xiao Shu, let’s go home,” Xu Jiaojiao called out to Qin Jiashu, hoisting the heavy hoe onto her shoulder.

Hearing her voice, Qin Jiashu waved goodbye to his friend San Gouzi and ran toward Xu Jiaojiao.

“Stop! Stay right there! Don’t come any closer!” Xu Jiaojiao shouted immediately.

The tool distribution area was crowded and chaotic. Xu Jiaojiao was terrified that Qin Jiashu might accidentally get hurt.

“Oh,” Qin Jiashu stopped, his eyes confused, and hesitated.

Xu Jiaojiao walked over, carrying the hoe and sickle. “Walk on my left side, and keep your distance. This sickle is dangerous.”

Even she herself was afraid of the sickle. Having Qin Jiashu so close only made her more anxious.

“Okay,” Qin Jiashu understood her concern and obediently walked to his aunt’s left side.

The boy had initially wanted to help carry the sickle, but seeing Xu Jiaojiao’s stern expression, he kept his offer to himself.

“Xiao Shu, watch your step and don’t bump into anything,” Xu Jiaojiao reminded him.

“Okay,” Qin Jiashu replied.

The lottery for farm tools had ended, but the threshing ground remained lively under the scorching sun.

Qin Jiashu, now too hot, had taken off his little gloves. Clutching them in his hand, he walked ahead of Xu Jiaojiao, who followed protectively behind.

Sensing Xu Jiaojiao’s tension, Qin Jiashu grew uneasy, glancing back at her frequently as they walked.

Realizing she had frightened the little boy with her overly cautious tone, Xu Jiaojiao understood that it was normal for an insecure child to be sensitive. “Xiao Shu, do you remember the alphabet song Aunt taught you last night?”

“Yes,” Qin Jiashu replied.

“Then why don’t you sing it for Aunt?”

“Okay. A, B, C…” Qin Jiashu’s milky voice rang out, soft but clear as he recited the alphabet.

The hoe on Xu Jiaojiao’s shoulder grew heavy, and sweat began to trickle down her back. But with Qin Jiashu’s little voice singing the alphabet song in her ear, the long walk from the threshing ground to the Zhiqing Compound felt surprisingly pleasant.

Qin Jiashu had an excellent memory. Xu Jiaojiao had taught him the alphabet song before bed, expecting him to remember only a few letters at best. To her surprise, he had memorized the entire thing.

“Xiao Shu is so amazing!” Xu Jiaojiao praised him. “Aunt will reward you with an egg pancake for lunch.”

“Thank you, Aunt!” Qin Jiashu replied, his steps noticeably lighter with joy.

They walked home one after the other, Xu Jiaojiao’s shoulder bearing a red mark from the hoe’s handle.

“Where should we put the hoe and sickle?” Xu Jiaojiao set down the hoe, pondered for a moment, then placed it in a corner of the woodshed.

The sickle, being more dangerous, Xu Jiaojiao deliberately hung high in the woodshed, out of Qin Jiashu’s reach.

“Let’s go make lunch,” Xu Jiaojiao said, dusting off her hands as she headed to the kitchen.

Qin Jiashu trotted beside her, eagerly helping with the meal.

Xu Jiaojiao made Qin Jiashu an egg and potato pancake. After lunch, she pulled him in for an hour-long nap. When they woke, she locked the door and set off for Qin Jiuer’s family’s house.

The families needed to discuss how to share the sheep and manage their fields. Xu Jiaojiao had already considered how to manage her own three mu of land while cooking lunch.

“La la la, I’m the little newspaper seller…” she sang as they walked, teaching Qin Jiashu a new song to pass the time.