Lin Xue and her two children left this morning. Since Lin's mother refused to lend her money and forbade her to borrow from her eldest and third brothers, this trip had completely broken her heart towards her natal family, and she didn't want to come back ever again.
Fan Shuting noticed her daughter's reluctance but didn't try to stop her. Lin Xue got married the latest, and her in - laws' betrothal gifts were all given back to her. Moreover, Fan Shuting even gave her fifty yuan as a dowry. What more could she ask for?
Fan Shuting had also informed her daughter about the drought on the land, fearing that she might not take it seriously and end up suffering a great deal.
After dinner, Eldest Brother Lin and his wife went back to their room. Zhou Wei tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
"Jianguo, do you really think there will be a drought? Why didn't Dad say a word about it before?"
Eldest Brother Lin replied impatiently, "Didn't they say that a meteorological expert will come tomorrow to check? Besides, even if Dad had said something, would you believe it?"
Zhou Wei was used to her husband's attitude and wasn't angry. "Our family has only saved a little over two hundred yuan. I'm not sure if the food we can buy with it will be enough. Why don't you go and borrow some money from Dad?"
Lin Jianguo sat up abruptly on the kang. "What are you up to? Mom and Dad just made up the betrothal gift for the second sister - in - law, and they still need to buy food themselves. Where would they get the money?
Moreover, we have quite a bit of money. If we can save the crops in time, we might get some more. It'll be enough for our family. Let me tell you, don't even think about taking it to your parents' house!"
This hit the nail on the head for Zhou Wei. "You know the situation of my parents' family. There are so many people to feed. If the brigade can't provide enough food, they'll starve to death. How can I just ignore them?"
Lin Jianguo got angry too. "Take care, take care. Haven't you taken things to your parents' house every year? Have I ever said anything? This time is different. We're barely making it ourselves. How can you take care of them?"
There were five children in Zhou Wei's parents' family, and each family had many children. The kids were too young to work, so they lived in poverty. Zhou Wei had been a good daughter - in - law to the Lin family over the years and had given birth to two sons. Lin Jianguo just turned a blind eye when she took a few things to her parents' house occasionally.
To put it bluntly, the family had only saved a little over two hundred yuan over the years because of her parents' family.
"After we buy the food, can we send some to my parents' house? Just two hundred catties?"
"Absolutely not!"
Lin Jianguo refused without hesitation. "Don't even dream about it. There won't be enough for our family of four. You still want to send it out? Not only do I disagree, but even if you send it, it won't solve the problem."
Lin Jianguo felt uneasy. After thinking it over, he asked Zhou Wei to hand over all the money, saying that he would keep it.
Zhou Wei dawdled and was reluctant. Finally, she was beaten by him and became obedient.
"Good for you, Zhou Wei. You've been lying to me. There's nearly four hundred yuan in the family, but you told me there was only a little over two hundred. You wanted to take it back to your parents' house, didn't you? I'll beat you to death!"
Zhou Wei kept crying for help.
"Stop hitting me!"
"I'm wrong!"
"Spare me!"
There was chaos in the eldest son's room of the Lin family. They had locked the door when they went to sleep at night, so their two sons couldn't get in for a while. They could only plead with Lin Jianguo outside the door.
"Dad, talk it out nicely. Mom can't stand your beating at her age!"
"Yes, Dad. Mom has worked hard for the Lin family over the years. For our sake, spare her!"
Lin Jianguo stopped beating his wife until she couldn't even get out of bed. He did it on purpose, afraid that Zhou Wei would cause trouble.
After getting out of bed and opening the door, the two sons rushed in and were shocked by Zhou Wei's miserable state.
"Dad, you're going too far. Do you want to beat Mom to death?"
Zhou Wei could only sob. Every part of her body ached.
Lin Jianguo took a breath. "I don't want to kill her. I just want her to stay in bed quietly for a few days."
After so many years of marriage, he wouldn't have been so cruel if it weren't a matter of life and death.
"You all know that over the years, your mom has taken a lot of grain, vegetables, potatoes, and sweet potatoes to her natal family. She's almost emptied our house, and I didn't say anything, right?
Now our family needs money to buy food, but she hid over a hundred yuan. How daring! In her heart, there's only her natal family and no room for the three of us!"
If she really sent the money away, when their family faced difficulties in the future, they wouldn't have a single cent. How hard would that be?
This heartless woman didn't think about their own family at all!
Zhou Wei looked up and pleaded with her two sons. "Help your grandparents. Are you going to watch them starve to death? If so, I won't be able to live either!"
Sizhong and Sicheng were in a dilemma. They wanted to help, but there were nearly twenty people in their grandparents' family. Who could support them all?
Lin Jianguo went out to soak a face towel and came back to wipe his wife's face. "Zhou Wei, I'm only capable of doing so much. I can't help your family. At most, I can take your parents in. You decide."
Putting himself in her shoes, he couldn't watch his own parents starve to death either. His wife could be filial, but she couldn't ruin their own family.
Zhou Wei cried even more sadly. She knew her parents wouldn't come. They'd rather exchange it for food and take it back.
What should she do...
The old couple of the Lin family also heard the commotion in their eldest son's house but pretended not to know. It was already difficult enough to stay out of it.
In the middle of the night, there was suddenly some noise at the door. Nan Sheng and Sizhe glanced at each other and picked up the flashlight to go outside. It was Mingli riding a bicycle into the yard.
None of them said a word. They only started talking after entering the house. "Let's go, sister. Dad is still waiting over there."
Sizhe also wanted to go with them, but Nan Sheng disagreed. She asked him to stay at home with his sister. She even forgot about buying knives, which was really a miscalculation.
She grabbed her straw hat and walked with her brother to the appointed place. It was one o'clock in the morning, when the villagers were sleeping soundly.
When they got there, Nan Sheng took the goods list. It was exactly what she wanted, and Nan's Father had also checked it. The food was fine. The people in the black market were quite reliable.
She took out the 130 yuan she had counted and gave it to the other person. Then she whispered, "Do you have any sharp knives or firewood - cutting knives?"
"We have firewood - cutting knives and daggers. The firewood - cutting knife costs eight yuan, and the dagger costs five yuan."
Nan Sheng didn't hesitate. She asked for two firewood - cutting knives and two daggers. She also got some for her natal family.
The people in the black market helped pour the food onto their flatbed cart and then made a gesture, indicating that they could wait for them. It would be safer to walk on the night road in a group.
This place was less than 300 meters from Nan Sheng's house. The things were too heavy, so the father - son duo took turns pulling the cart and quietly transported the goods to the Lin family's place.
In the east room, there were rice, white flour, coarse grains, and some miscellaneous things like red beans and mung beans. In the west room, they put the cornmeal. This stuff took up too much space, so the small grains had to be placed on the kang in the east room.
Seeing the father and son about to leave, Nan Sheng immediately brought out the pig's trotters and served each of them a bowl of porridge. They quickly finished them and finally felt better.
This whole night was exhausting.
"Dad, I went to the pig farm in the town today and bought a lot of meat. Take this piece back and have something good to eat tomorrow to replenish your energy."
Nan's Father didn't want it, and Nan Sheng immediately glared at him, looking extremely angry. These days, she had put on some weight and her skin had become a bit fairer. She looked quite cute.
Now Nan's Father couldn't hold out any longer. He immediately told his son to take the meat. He stroked Sizhe's head and whispered, "Come to Wangshan Village to have fun in a few days. Grandpa and Uncle are leaving now!"
Sizhe also whispered, "Goodbye, Grandpa. Goodbye, Uncle!"
When they came, the car was full of grains. When they left, it was empty, carrying only a piece of meat. Sizhe saw it clearly.
"Aren't we giving Grandpa some grains? We have a lot at home!"
Nan Sheng locked the door of the house. "They also bought 1,500 catties of cornmeal. It's enough for them to eat. I also gave them 20 catties of rice, which I exchanged with industrial tickets. It was sent back with their grains."
Sizhe was very satisfied. The step - mother didn't hide it from him when giving things to her natal family!
