Rebirth in Famine: She Thrives by Lucky Space-Chapter 850: Reception

Liu Xuefa pulled a few roots from his inner pocket. "I’ve kept these with great difficulty, we’ll all have a sip later."

They were worldly men and recognized that these were ginseng roots, a real treasure.

Keeping these was no easy feat. Each of them only brought two sets of clothes, a lunchbox, and a set of bedding; their belongings had been searched countless times.

They wanted to wash up, but there were no basins. A few of them sighed, thinking that with an environment like this, they were already very content.

They had heard that those who were sent down had to live in cattle sheds; forget about new heated beds, there weren’t even cooking pots.

Just then, they heard noises outside, and Wen Zhenzong promptly went out.

Two middle-aged men were carrying grain towards them.

"This is sorghum rice and cornmeal for you. From now on, you’ll have to peel and grind it yourselves."

"Thank you, fellow villagers. What should I call you?" Wen Zhenzong quickly tried to get acquainted, accepting their kindness in this new place, and felt the need to show sincerity in return.

"I am Li Yunqiang, the accountant in the village, and this is Captain Li Cunshan.

We also have potatoes and cabbage, follow us to get them.

The grain is lent to you first; you’ll have to repay it when you earn credits."

"Thank you, Accountant and Captain."

What a pleasant surprise, they could actually have vegetables to eat. They had come for reformation. They hadn’t expected such treatment.

They had heard before that villagers were uneducated, quite wild, and uncivilized, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Who would have thought they’d have such an opportunity?

The five men went together, including Zhu Mingbao.

They received a bag of damaged sweet potatoes, a bag of small potatoes, and a basket of cabbage.

The five of them were filled with joy, planning to work together to transport everything back.

"Captain, we’d like to buy two basins for washing." Wen Zhenzong cautiously asked.

"Mm, there’s a carpenter in the village, I’ll take you there."

"Thank you, thank you."

Wen Zhenzong had some money tied to his thigh, otherwise he couldn’t keep it.

The four of them moved the goods to their dwelling. Wen Zhenzong and Li Cunshan went to the carpenter’s house.

"Captain, why are you here?"

"Chengzi, I’m bringing someone to buy basins."

Wen Zhenzong quickly chimed in, "Fellow villager, I’d like to buy two wooden basins for washing, and I’d like to buy a bucket too."

"Alright, pick them yourself."

Li Chengshan leaned closer to Li Cunshan, "Are these the troublemakers coming to our village?"

"Yes." Li Cunshan sighed. These people are about the same age as himself but look even more miserable.

In the end, Wen Zhenzong spent five yuan to buy two medium-sized wooden basins and two buckets.

Li Chengshan even gave them a carrying pole. There was no other choice but to pity them, seeing them as more pitiful than the villagers.

Wen Zhenzong marvelled yet again at what a wonderful place they had come to. The villagers were honest and kind. He thanked the two and carried everything back.

Li Cunshan informed them that work would start tomorrow.

They could receive help for living, but they absolutely couldn’t be a burden to the villagers. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Currently, there wasn’t much heavy labor; they just needed to spread manure in the fields.

All able-bodied people in the village had to go to the fields, while the old, weak, sick, and disabled stayed home to work. There was plenty to do at home, like cutting sweet potatoes into slices, drying them, and grinding them into sweet potato flour. They were also preparing home-preserved sauerkraut.

Every household had its own plots that needed tending.

That evening, the eight of them washed briefly using hot water and enjoyed warm ginseng-infused sorghum porridge.

Even without pickles, it was already a blessing.

After cleaning up, a few of them lay in bed, feeling grateful just to be alive.

"Tomorrow, the five of us will go to work, and you three should find a way to buy essentials. I still have twenty yuan here," Wen Zhenzong said.

"I have some too."

...

It turned out everyone had brought money.

"Old Wen, we’ll each give ten yuan, and you only need to take five yuan, since you already spent five yuan today."

Wen Zhenzong didn’t refuse, understanding the days ahead would be long, and everyone contributing money was the way to sustain themselves.

"Tomorrow we three will ask around the village to see if we can buy salt and pickles; anything else is manageable, but people can’t go without salt," said Xie Chunfen.

"We don’t have any ration tickets, but I have a few kilos of national food tickets."

"Let’s keep them; they might come in handy later."

"Yes, we must save wisely for the future. Here in the mountains, as we grow older, how can we not have good food?"

"We must remain low-key, even if the villagers are all good people; we still shouldn’t show off."

Everyone agreed, having reached an age where vanity was irrelevant; they understood what was best.

The eight of them had the most comfortable sleep they’d had in a while, and the next day they woke feeling much healthier, their spirits greatly restored.

After breakfast, they went to the brigade office as discussed the day before.

Village Chief Li handed them shovels and took the five of them to the fields.

On the way, they remained silent, just following behind Li Cunshan. The villagers were curious about them but did not speak ill.

This was a job assignment, and Li Cunshan sighed as he assessed their bodies and ages, yet proceeded as he should.

Among these five were two professors, one doctor, one leader, and two researchers. Had they ever engaged in farm work?

But at their age, what couldn’t they endure? So they imitated the villagers, using shovels to spread manure.

Li Cunshan watched them, although they were slow and not great at it, they did not slack off, which was good. Yesterday Yun Gui had already informed him of their previous occupations; none had worked before. To see this, he was satisfied.

At noon, when work ended, the five lumbered home with heavy steps. Yes, they now regarded this new place as home.

Lunch was already prepared; the women had also bought a rice sifter and steaming basket.... So for lunch, there was thick sorghum porridge, corn buns, and stir-fried cabbage.

There wasn’t any oil, but they had bought pickles and salt.

The three women felt sorry seeing the stark contrast in their appearances now compared to when they went out in the morning.

"Alright, this is already the best situation. In a few days, you’ll get used to it," Wu Jiucheng comforted his wife.

What’s a little physical exhaustion? This wasn’t really suffering; this alone meant quite a lot.