RYEY – Chapter 48 The Grain Distribution Dispute

“Cheng Qiao, I beg you, please leave me some, otherwise I’ll starve to death this year.”

“Village head, you promised me before that Xu Laidi’s work points would be calculated in my name. That’s my money! She borrowed two hundred yuan from me!”

“Didn’t I already return a hundred to you?”

“If it wasn’t for Sister Yuefang helping me, you would’ve kept hiding that hundred yuan instead of paying me back. You knew I was about to starve, yet you hid the money and refused to return it. How could you be so vicious?”

“But I really don’t have any money now!”

“No money? Yet you drink malted milk, no money? Yet you put on Snowflake Cream, no money? Yet you eat cornmeal.”

The villagers all stared at Xu Laidi in disbelief at this conversation. At a time like this, when everyone else was surviving on husks and wild greens, this woman was drinking malted milk, eating cornmeal, and even smearing on Snowflake Cream.

“Return the money to Cheng Qiao, or I’ll go to the Public Security Bureau and report you for robbery.”

The village head shot Xu Laidi a look of disgust. Lately, his wife had been whispering in his ear nonstop—saying how kindhearted Cheng Qiao was, and how malicious Xu Laidi was—until he was sick of hearing it.

Xu Laidi gritted her teeth, wanting to argue, but seeing the unfriendly gazes of the villagers, she backed down. She threw the money to the ground and turned to run. But before she had taken more than a few steps, Li Huan’s words stopped her in her tracks.

“Village head, RMB is the people’s currency. Xu Laidi dares to throw our people’s currency on the ground? That’s disrespectful to the people, disrespectful to the motherland, disrespectful to the Party! Could it be that she’s a spy? Who else would throw RMB on the ground like that?”

Xu Laidi spun back immediately, bent down, and carefully picked up the bills one by one. Straightening them neatly, she handed them respectfully to Cheng Qiao. Cheng Qiao took them and counted carefully, one by one.

“There’s a total of 100.26 yuan here. You still owe me 19.74 yuan.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be 114.46 yuan? How is it only 100.26?”

Xu Laidi cried out in shock. That wasn’t just a few cents missing—it was more than ten yuan! At three cents a jin, that could’ve bought over three hundred jin of sorghum flour.

“How should I know? You’re the one who scattered the money, you’re the one who picked it back up, and you’re the one who gave it to me. I counted it openly, in front of the village head and all our elders. If you don’t believe me, count it again yourself.”

Cheng Qiao handed the money back. Xu Laidi hurriedly counted it through again, and again, and again. The numbers never changed. Cheng Qiao smirked coldly—she had already spotted a ten-yuan bill crushed under Auntie Wang’s foot.

After counting three times and confirming Cheng Qiao’s total was correct, Xu Laidi regretted it bitterly, wishing she could slap herself. She stuffed the money into Cheng Qiao’s hands and immediately started searching the ground.

“Here’s a dime!”

A sharp-eyed aunt spotted a coin blown near a stone and picked it up. Xu Laidi rushed over and snatched it away.

“Here’s another dime!”

A little girl held a dime in her hand, then quickly covered her mouth with regret. If she’d kept quiet, she could’ve pocketed it.

Xu Laidi snatched that one too, glaring sharply at all the villagers, as though they had stolen her money.

“Village head, are you distributing the grain or not? Our families are waiting for rice to cook.”

Auntie Wang avoided Xu Laidi’s gaze and shouted loudly. With her leading, the other villagers all nodded quickly. Eating came first—who had time to care about these messy matters between educated youths?

“Educated Youth Xu, you still owe my wife nineteen yuan and two jiao. Remember to repay it, or I’ll come to your educated youth spot and take something instead.”

Li Huan glared coldly at her, his tone harsh. Xu Laidi stumbled back several steps in fright. She suddenly remembered—she only had twenty cents left on her. How was she supposed to live from now on?

“Village head, I only have these twenty cents. Do you really want me to starve to death?”

“You borrowed money, of course you must repay it. What do you mean ‘starve to death’? Watch your words.”

Village head Chen Weidang’s expression darkened. What was wrong with this female educated youth? How could she throw accusations around so casually?

“Educated Youth Xu, after everyone has collected their grain, if there’s extra, you can borrow some from the village. If you want to repay your debt quickly, next week we’ll be repairing the river. Twelve work points a day, three meals included. Sign up.”

Cuihua, though she disliked Xu Laidi too, couldn’t accept her trying to pin a label on her man. Rolling her eyes, she added:

“That river work is tough and exhausting. No women join unless they’re desperate. Those who do are given the title ‘Iron Lady.’”

“I’m not going! I’ll freeze and drop dead out there.”

Xu Laidi refused flatly. Every winter, during the slack farming season, villages organized waterworks projects. The strong young men usually scrambled to sign up for the work—more meals and more pay.

“Better to freeze than starve. Do as you like. Lazy and greedy, no gratitude for others’ kindness.”

Cuihua turned away with a cold face. The villagers ignored Xu Laidi too, hurrying to collect their rations. Mother Li and Li Le didn’t have many work points, so they only got coarse grains, which Li Huan carried back home.

“Starting this afternoon, we’re building my house. Anyone with time, come lend a hand. I’ll provide two meals a day, plus fifty cents in wages. Anyone with extra mud bricks or timber, bring them—I’ll exchange food for them.”

Carrying the grain, Li Huan shouted loudly. Auntie Wang was the first to raise her hand—she could help cook for Mother Li. Normally, cooking didn’t come with pay, but at least there’d be food.

Cuihua raised her hand too. Her sons were grown, they needed money to marry wives—how else could they earn it?

Within three minutes, Li Huan had over a dozen young men signed up. Even Jiang Guangrong from the educated youth spot volunteered, making Chen Dazhu envious. If only he had money, he wouldn’t have to work so hard.

“Cheng Qiao, we’ll help cook too. We don’t want money, just a meal, is that okay?”

Zhang Yuefang came with Han Chunmei, holding her hand. They knew Cheng Qiao was always generous—she wouldn’t mistreat those who helped.

Cheng Qiao smiled and agreed. In the countryside, a mud-brick house only took about a week if the materials were ready. With so many helping, it might be finished in three or four days. During that time, she could openly bring food out from her space.

Watching Cheng Qiao’s bright smiling face, Xu Laidi burned with hatred, wishing she could destroy it. Chen Dazhu quietly observed her distorted expression, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Soon, it would be his turn to step onto the stage.