CHAPTER 130: 130 WORRIED

If it were previous years, they could have bought food with money, but this year is different; it hasn’t rained since the spring planting.

They’re all farmers and know this means a severe drought, so no one is selling grain. Even if they want to buy, they can’t find any.

Su Daqiang just keeps thinking about Yuanyuan saying Tian Xiaohua is a jinx, considering now it seems true.

It was her who wanted to go to Jiangbei, and her who wanted to return.

Coming and going like this, the family money is all gone, from a big house to this small one. These last three years have been a complete waste.

So, they are no longer close as before. Su Daqiang sees everything wrong with Tian Xiaohua.

During the heat of summer, there was a small rain. Although it’s not a total crop failure, having enough to distribute isn’t possible.

They’re eating in the cafeteria, going from having enough to eat to now having two thin porridge meals a day.

Working every day on an empty stomach, those irresponsible in the village are just idling their days away, and the workers are dissatisfied and stop working.

Su Daqiang comes back from the cafeteria. He knows households in the village have food; only they don’t. Now he realizes Yuanyuan set him up.

He’s heard from villagers that the girl’s two-acre land has produced very well these past two years, the best in the village.

Initially, she might have truly had a shortage, maybe didn’t pay back, but what about this year’s yield? How much can a little girl eat?

Yet she only left two bags of corn kernels and nothing else, not even cornstalks.

At that time, I was only thinking of having her replace me, so I didn’t give much thought. Even gave her a few hundred yuan. Really lost big.

Someone must have given her advice, otherwise, how would she come up with this idea on her own?

It must be Hu Chunhua. She is close to this girl. Perhaps the family’s grain is at her house.

All along the way, Su Daqiang thinks about this. Tonight’s dinner is vegetable porridge; the wild vegetables are old and bitter. Besides wild veggies, there is little grain. And even then they don’t serve enough.

Hasn’t even gotten home and is hungry again.

Although this year’s autumn harvest yields nearly half less than previous years, it shouldn’t have come to this, right?

On the way home, he passes by the fields, once individually owned and planted with wheat. Now they’re barren.

This situation seems in favor of Yang Hongwen. Only one rain this year with poor yields, other villages planted a lot of wheat.

Yang Hongwen only planted over ten acres, so people are unwilling to work. He thinks if next year is like this, it saves seeds and effort.

Su Daqiang comes home; they haven’t returned yet. At home now, it’s just the little over an acre of sweet potatoes in the yard. Thinking of harvesting them in the next couple of days as a food source. Others plant grain on their land, they did too, right by the door, but daily work left it untended, eventually turning barren.

Harvesting the seeds is good enough. He remembers Yuanyuan, never before found Tian Xiaohua so lazy and sloppy. Before the girl did the household chores. Now Tian Xiaohua just works and eats in the cafeteria, revealing her true self.

The weeds in the yard are taller than the crops. Honestly, the more he thinks, the more frustrated he becomes.

It’s now October, time to dig the sweet potatoes. Returning hungry and at least have something to eat.

Wait left and right, but they’re still not back. Su Daqiang, having no choice, stokes the kang himself. Otherwise, sleeping on a cold kang overnight makes his back ache the next day.

At night, Hu Chunhua and her husband visit Yang Hongwen’s home. Now, Yang Minggang is the team leader.

"Brother, really not planting wheat anymore?"

Yang Minggang feels uneasy. Every year, after the spring harvest comes wheat planting; people compare fields, planting over ten acres each. Now, the time is still ripe, why stop?

"Minggang, you look at this weather. Even if planted, there’s no guarantee of a crop. Look at those dozen acres of wheat, sparse. Don’t end up with even the seeds unable to harvest."

"Is it possible there won’t be snow this year?" Yang Minggang furrows his brows.

"Who knows? But even if it snows this winter, what good would it do if the wheat seedlings don’t sprout?

Since no one wants to work, then don’t plant. Let them learn the consequence of such actions."

"Then starting tomorrow, we’ll shell the corn and prepare to deliver the public grain."

"Hmm, everything’s sorted but no rush to deliver. See how other villages handle it. It’s not just our village taking the hit, all are. Better to follow suit rather than lead."

"How can they do that? My yard alone harvested over two hundred pounds of corn."

"Keep it well hidden, don’t let others know."

How can Yang Minggang not know this principle?

Hu Chunhua and Xu Chunjiao discuss Yuanyuan.

"Who knows how that girl is doing." Hu Chunhua really worries about Yuanyuan.

"No problem, that girl is more capable than us."

"What’s capability worth? Da Qiang wrote saying his hundred acres can’t recover even the seeds."

"Don’t they earn wages?"

"While reading Da Qiang’s letter, it didn’t mention wages.

Though heard before, if tasks aren’t completed, money might be deducted."

"Wonder if that girl got her wages?"

"Really worried about her, she probably sold all the grain. What does she eat over there?"

Xu Chunjiao sighs deeply after hearing, "We’re too far away, even wanting to help is impossible."

"True, she even gave us food before leaving, that girl really has heart.

Just looking at those three of Da Qiang makes me angry. See Tian Xiaohua, lazing through work, the land the girl painstakingly cleared is now barren again."

"Why bother with them? Seems Su Daqiang is annoyed with Tian Xiaohua now too. Who’d have thought Yuanyuan born on the eighth of December is tied to Tian Xiaohua’s greed? Doesn’t she fear a double tragedy?"

"Not very sensible, last time at the market she asked me where to get fried dough twists. Just thinks of herself."

The two men finish talking, so the women pause too, and Hu Chunhua and her husband return home.

"Our grain must stay hidden. Next year, won’t even think of being full, not starving would be good."

If public grain is delivered by count, little would remain. How do hundreds in the village eat?" Yang Hongwen is truly worried.

"Understood, our cellar entrance is concealed. To eat on our own, I’ll cook at night." Xu Chunjiao sees it too. This really is dire times.