Chapter 397: Chapter 0397: Reaping the Consequences 1_1 Chapter 397: Chapter 0397: Reaping the Consequences 1_1 Wang Zhengguo squatted outside, waiting while Li Dazhu went looking for Wang Zhengjun.
Whenever he encountered soone, he would ask where Wang Zhengjun was. People are naturally curious, so when they asked him why he was looking for Wang Zhengjun, he replied cheerfully, “Wang Zhengjun has a good brother indeed. When Wang Zhengjun went ho to borrow grain reserves, he was busy and didn’t imdiately agree. But once free, he quickly collected his family’s food and brought it here by mule cart. He didn’t know where Wang Zhengjun’s house was, so he ca here.”
When anyone would ask the sa question, he gave the sa answer.
Hence, the entire mining bureau, except for the head cook in the canteen who was still cooking, and the office leaders, nearly everyone else knew Wang Zhengjun’s elder brother from the countryside had brought him food, which originated from Wang Zhengjun’s request to borrow grain reserves.
After Old Li left, those who got the answer imdiately began to gossip.
“Life in the countryside is certainly more difficult than ours, why did he go ho for food?”
“Exactly, the majority of the food is supplied to the city, how much can the countryside have? More than 10,000 people in Wang Zhengjun’s ho county have starved to death, mostly the farrs; one can only imagine how tragic the situation is.”
“In my hotown, there were originally over 30,000 people, now there are only over 10,000 left.”
“Ah, nearly everyone from the production brigade in my mother-in-law’s hotown has starved to death.”
“Is it this tragic? Is that the case back in your hotown? I’ve always lived in the city and am not too familiar with the situation there.”
“We have comrcial grain; our chances of survival are far greater than the farrs who have little food after delivering their public grain. We are grateful to the state, to the leaders, imnsely grateful. Even though we can’t have our fill, at least we won’t starve.”
“I rember in ’61, my production brigade in my hotown only divided five pounds of wheat for the whole year, how could he lower his pride to ask his brother?”
“What’s so surprising? Doesn’t his wife ask her family for food every year? Don’t you rember a while ago when she held her newborn niece and asked for food? It could be a tradition in their ho to ask for food.”
“He’s from Wanglou Brigade, a famous one, where no one has starved to death.”
“That’s what they say, but I’m pretty sure everyone in Wanglou Brigade has been tightening their belts, and food is rationed out. If soone gives their food to others, they’ll go hungry.”
“Just look at him, pretending to have a heart, did you listen to what Old Li said, his brother doesn’t even know where he is living.”
“I haven’t heard him ntion his relatives in his hotown either.”
Amidst the buzzing discussion, Wang Zhengjun, with a stony-faced expression, walked out. Seeing his face, everyone pretended like they hadn’t just been talking, and each went back to their own jobs. But their gazes lingered on Wang Zhengjun’s retreating back. Once he reached the door and saw Wang Zhengguo, he lowered his voice and growled, “What are you doing here? Do you understand the impact this could have on ?”
Wang Zhengguo touched the patch on his cap, feigning an oblivious expression. He didn’t seem to notice Wang Zhengjun’s suppressed anger and said with a smile, “Youngest, I brought you so food, didn’t you say your niece is pregnant and there isn’t enough food at ho? Your big sister-in-law and I are old now, we’re not as good at working as in our younger years. The food we get must still be shared with your nephews and nieces and your great-nephews. It was not easy to squeeze out this much; don’t think it’s too little. If you think it’s too little, I…”
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Why did you have to co to my workplace?”
He didn’t refuse the food Wang Zhengguo brought, but was rely offended that Wang Zhengguo ca to his workplace at an inappropriate ti.
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