Rebirth in Famine: She Thrives by Lucky Space-Chapter 965 Comes Again

"Got it, Chief. How much firewood will we need for a day?"

"There’s no way around it. Scheduling people to come at this time, we can’t really let the kids freeze, can we?

Also, I thought about having them stay with families with fewer people, but everyone is unwilling. I’m just stuck here." Li Yungui was also worried.

He knew life in the village was much better than outside. Just afraid that newcomers might stir things up, speaking nonsense outside. It’s fine if he gets criticized, as long as it doesn’t impact everyone.

This time, if there are more people sent down, it’s good to have them sent down because, although the village effectively supports them, they are quiet and less troublesome.

During lunch, Qu Xiaoli asked him, "What’s up, husband?"

"Going to the town the day after tomorrow to bring some educated youths over."

"Are you going to walk there?"

"I’ll drive a cart. I’ll haul their luggage, let them walk back themselves."

He wasn’t willing to use the tractor; it required diesel, which wasn’t easy to come by.

"Second Uncle, Red Army, Lu Family, Zhao Xiaoli were all considered educated youths. Our village already has five educated youths and eight people sent down. We have a small population, so educated youths wouldn’t come in large numbers." Li Xue comforted Li Yungui.

"Who knows, I would definitely say this: for our small village, I wouldn’t agree with too many coming."

In the afternoon, Wei Kaiyun found Li Yungui again, "Village Chief Li, someone should be sent to the city to haul back those cartons."

"Hmm, using the tractor to haul them?" Li Yungui thought there weren’t many cartons.

"Yes, let’s have Jiushang drive the tractor."

"Okay, I’ll let Jiushang know later, Xiao Wei. The day after tomorrow, educated youths are coming to the village."

Wei Kaiyun laughed, "Village Chief Li, are you scared of a few young folks? Most are honest and upright. There’s always that special few, but let them come. You need to make them fear you right from the start; it’ll make things easier later."

"True, good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news spreads quick. Any slight misstep from the educated youths will be known to all. They really have scared me."

The next day, Li Yunqiang and Jiushang drove the tractor to the city. But they didn’t go empty; they took a full load of cabbages to the city’s supply and marketing cooperative.

Although Li Family Village wasn’t designated as vegetable farmers, being directed by town and county authorities, and given the current vegetable shortage, the city’s supply cooperative was happy.

The whole load of cabbage was exchanged for eighty yuan.

Li Yunqiang particularly sent a bag of cabbage, half a bag of potatoes, half a bag of radishes to his elder brother’s house, enough to last them a while.

What was rare was there was still a big watermelon, given by Teacher Jiang for him and his second brother’s household. Since his sister-in-law was pregnant, his wife boldly asked for one more.

Lu Fengzhen was truly delighted seeing the watermelon.

"Is there still watermelon at this time?"

"It’s Teacher Jiang in the village who preserved it himself. We don’t know if the watermelon’s good or bad. The one at our house was okay and sweet, still quite tasty.

Sister-in-law, I have stuff to do, so I’ll go, if the house lacks anything. I’ll bring it next time."

"No need, there’s plenty of grain at home, and now enough vegetables to last a while."

"Alright, I’m off, need to visit the carton factory."

By the evening, when Li Yunqiao and Hong Lin returned, Lu Fengzhen cut open the watermelon. It wasn’t too bad but not spoiled, still edible.

Eating watermelon in the dead of winter was already quite surprising.

"Actually, if this watermelon were eaten during New Year’s, wouldn’t it be even better?" Hong Lin said while eating, a delicacy his wife couldn’t eat.

"Now your Second Uncle is thinking smart. Maybe by this year we’ll be storing watermelon."

Early in the morning, Li Yungui drove the ox cart to the town. The snow pressed down firmly, making it especially hard to walk, but there was no choice with all the luggage. He couldn’t let them carry everything back themselves.

He arrived at the town, and Wang Shulin had been there for half an hour.

"Old Li, why are you so late?"

"It’s tough on the road, always slipping; my old mate is really suffering." Li Yungui spoke while feeding the ox.

By this time, the village chiefs from several villages had come over.

All knew what was happening, so they came with carts.

During the meeting, no one said anything. Whatever allocation from above was accepted, speaking wouldn’t change it.

This time, for Li Family Village, there were six people assigned, four women and two men.

Li Yungui didn’t say much; honestly, they all preferred male educated youths, as they could work. They feared city girls who couldn’t shoulder burdens or carry goods.

Leading the six to the ox cart, "Place your luggage on the cart; our village is far, but you’ll have to follow the ox cart back."

"Why can’t we ride the ox cart?"

Li Yungui glanced at the girl speaking, fully wrapped.

"You’ll find out soon why you can’t ride the cart.

Wait a moment, I’ve got something to attend to."

When Li Yungui went to find Peng Chong, the six outside were freezing and unhappy.

"Why not deal with it earlier? Letting us wait outside? I’m not staying out here; I’m waiting inside till he arrives."

The other three female educated youths followed suit. The two male educated youths didn’t want to stay either, but with the luggage on the cart and hands sticky all around, they couldn’t leave it unguarded.

Li Yungui found Peng Chong, "Leader, for the six assigned to us, I have no objections. But with only over two hundred people in our village, we shouldn’t get the same quotas as larger villages, right?"

"There’s no choice. It’s just how it is, Village Chief Li; you have to accept it."

After hearing this, Li Yungui knew his words were futile.

"Won’t there be more educated youths than villagers in the future?"

Peng Chong sighed, "It’s unavoidable."

Seeing the leader’s difficulty, Li Yungui turned and left. Returning to the ox cart, he noticed only the two male youths, frowned at them.

"Village Chief Li, I’ll go call them. It’s too cold outside, and they went inside for shelter."

Li Yungui nodded, and when they mumbled out, he led the reins onward.

These six youth were all from the South. How could they have experienced such cold weather?

The wind cutting their faces felt like knives. The road was slippery, and if the old ox struggled, they’d have to push the cart.

This hour-long journey was sheer torment for them.

No complaints now about not riding the ox cart. Even with a chance to ride, they’d come down and walk.