Lin Lan felt heartbroken seeing the children, still so small, already busy helping with the autumn harvest, so she racked her brains to find ways to improve their meals.
The half a jin of meat Han Qingsong had brought back earlier was long gone, and he refused to keep buying unticketed offal, at most going to buy some every few days just like the ordinary commune members.
Lin Lan didn't force him either. After all, he held a position, and his personality wasn't exactly flexible; constantly asking him to do so would inevitably feel like abusing his power for personal gain. However, she could get him to place special orders in advance for important days. For instance, when Lin Lan mentioned the beam-raising ceremony or the Mid-Autumn Festival, she insisted they needed to eat better, having him reserve a pig's head, trotters, or tail, all purchased at standard prices.
Lin Lan also basically cooked and ate the eggs laid by the three hens at home. If boiling them wasn't enough, she would make egg soup or stew eggs with pickled vegetables so the whole family could have a little.
Because ingredients were scarce, one had to put in more effort to make things taste good. Through trial and error, Lin Lan's cooking skills improved significantly.
The honest Sanwang could testify to this, as he never told lies just to make people happy.
In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, the day of the beam-raising.
Lin Lan had spent the day before making steamed buns for the offerings with Erwang and Maisui. She also had Han Qingsong pre-order a pig's head from the slaughtering team in advance. Eldest Brother Han sent over two carp raised in their own village, and Han Yongfang sent a bottle of wine.
Sister-in-law Han came over to help Lin Lan cook the carp and several dishes for the offerings, taking the opportunity to explain why Eldest Brother Han couldn't come. The old lady was causing a scene at home; if Eldest Brother Han dared to go help Han Qingsong with the beam-raising, she threatened to jump into the river.
Lin Lan naturally didn't hold it against them. In any case, if the eldest brother couldn't come, there would always be others. With Han Qingsong's standing, he wouldn't fail to find help.
Seeing that she wasn't angry, Sister-in-law Han felt relieved and put even more effort into helping Lin Lan prepare the offering dishes.
Lin Lan praised, "Sister-in-law, your cooking is truly excellent."
She had made them look, smell, and taste delicious.
Sister-in-law Han smiled, "For an occasion like this, one has to put in some effort."
Lin Lan knew that she usually couldn't be bothered to put much thought into daily cooking; after all, there were so many people, and she didn't enjoy serving them.
Furthermore, Old Lady Han often asked why she should make things taste good. If they were delicious, wouldn't people eat more? That would be a waste of grain!
Before raising the beam, one had to first present offerings, offer incense, and burn paper. According to custom, one also had to pay respects to the ancestors and inform them that the family was building a new house, asking for their protection.
Lin Lan naturally followed the local customs.
Taking advantage of the time before the end of the shift, Lin Lan asked Han Qingsong to take the three Wangs to do these things so they could raise the beam when everyone got off work at noon.
As it turned out, even before the shift ended, the brigade leader had already arranged for six strong, dexterous, and careful young men to help. They were the same ones who had previously helped Han Qingsong haul bricks and tiles; they were good people with close relationships and didn't talk much.
Carpenter Wang and the mason acted as chief directors. With strong laborers helping them, they were as efficient as an arm commanding a finger. Plus, with the high-quality wood and sturdy bricks and tiles, they felt quite a sense of accomplishment as if they were architects.
Carpenter Wang couldn't help but sigh again, "This is what you call building a house. Such a wide and tall house couldn't be supported without such good wood."
The good wood was also to Lin Lan's credit.
She had instructed Han Qingsong that he must buy good wood, avoiding anything worm-eaten. The wood used for the beams and purlins had to be long so that the house could be tall, spacious, and open. Even the thinner ones could be used as rafters. Wood was sturdier than stalks; placing wooden rafters at intervals made the house sturdier, and one wouldn't have to worry about the roof tiles being too heavy to support.
Of course, it also cost more money.
Carpenter Wang looked at this wood with great joy. He selected the most suitable tall, round logs for the main beams and used the rest for purlins, furniture, and rafters.
After raising the beam, they arranged the purlins and rafters, then applied yellow mud.
Finally, they covered it with tiles.
Han Qingsong intended for them to go busy themselves with other things, saying he could handle the rest alone.
Han Qingyun said, "Third Brother, you're looking down on us. How can we leave a job half-finished? Besides, we'll want to build houses in the future, and we'll inevitably have to trouble Third Brother then, right?"
Everyone agreed.
Han Qingsong didn't say anything more and just told Lin Lan to divide the pig's head so everyone could take a portion home.
Everyone was busy with the autumn harvest and didn't have time to eat here; it was better for them to take it home to reward their families.
This was exactly what Lin Lan was thinking.
She thought that since Sister-in-law Han had come to help cook, plus Grandpa and Grandma, she would divide a large portion for them, then one portion per person for the others. The rest would be eaten by her own children and the carpenter and mason who came to help, which would be just about right.
When the helpers finished laying the tiles and said their goodbyes, Lin Lan distributed a piece of meat and a large, half-foot-long mixed-flour pancake to each person. Everyone was quite happy, and after some symbolic polite refusals, they took them home.
Han Qingyun refused to take it, "Sister-in-law, that pig's head wasn't that big. You should give it to the children."
"I bought it specifically for the beam-raising. If we want to eat it in the future, we can buy more then." Lin Lan pushed it into his hands, telling him to hurry home to eat.
The two masters refused to eat with them and finished their meal over at the new house. Lin Lan sent the wine and dishes over, letting Han Qingsong accompany them to eat there. She also had Sanwang go call Grandpa over to keep the guests company and have a drink, but Old Han refused.
After lunch, the mason was responsible for laying the walls, and the carpenter began making furniture. Han Qingsong helped the masters, taking the opportunity to learn how to lay and plaster walls.
Because they were using bricks, tiles, lime, and yellow sand, and had even bought some cement, the mason worked with extra satisfaction.
Compared to building夾板 walls with yellow mud, this was infinitely smoother. This was truly working; this was truly building a house.
Could you call building a house with packed earth "building a house"?
It wasn't until it was too dark to see that the two masters left.
Lin Lan finished cooking and walked through the darkness to the new house to call Han Qingsong and the children for dinner.
Xiaowang was leading Wangwang in playing hopscotch in the main room. Seeing her, he immediately ran over, grabbed her hand, and called her softly, "Mother."
Lin Lan took his little hand, patted his head, and led him to the west room.
The other children were all in the west room brainstorming. The newly built room didn't have furniture or a kang yet, and their voices echoed hollowly.
Erwang: "Three rooms. One will be the main room, Mother and Father will sleep in the east room, and we will sleep in the west room."
That's how everyone did it; parents slept in the east room, and children slept in the west room.
Maisui was unhappy, "Then what about me?"
Sanwang laughed, "Sister, didn't we all sleep on one kang before? Of course, you'll be with us."
"I'm a girl. How can I sleep with you stinky boys!"
"Then... you go sleep with Mother and Father?" Erwang teased her.
Maisui stomped her foot, "How about we have Father build another kang space in the middle. I'll sleep at the head of the kang, and you guys sleep on the other side."
Maisui gestured at the place where the kang hadn't been built yet and stomped her foot forcefully, "Right here."
Sanwang: "Sister, you want to take up that much space yourself?"
Maisui: "Where is it big? Maybe Mother and Father will have little brothers and sisters in the future."
Sanwang: "Then when Xiaowang grows up, won't he have to sleep with us too? Surely he wouldn't sleep with you, right?"
Xiaowang gripped Lin Lan's hand tightly, "I want to be with Mother."
The older brothers and sister didn't have time to pay attention to him. Maisui: "By then, the eldest brother will be grown up and will have to move out to marry a wife."
Dawang rolled his eyes at her, "By then, you'll have long found a husband's family and been married off."
Maisui was so angry her eyes immediately turned red, "Humph!"
She turned to face Lin Lan, "Mother, look, they're bullying me."
Lin Lan immediately patted her shoulder, "Boys shouldn't bully girls."
Erwang immediately asked how they would sleep in the future. This was a major event. They had worked so hard to build a new house, wasn't it so they could sleep soundly?
Lin Lan subconsciously looked in another direction. Han Qingsong was standing there measuring dimensions to prepare for building the kang, and hearing this, he also looked up at her.
Lin Lan immediately turned her head and smiled, "That's simple. East room, west room. You men sleep in the east room, and we women sleep in the west room."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt her back get hot, as if she were being stared at, and she quickly moved to another position to hide.
Xiaowang emphasized again, "I want to be with Mother. I'll sing for Mother."
Lin Lan patted his head and said happily, "What a good boy."
Sanwang was unconvinced, "Then I can swim too, am I good?"
Lin Lan: "I don't care whether you swim well or not. Anyway, I like those who can sing, draw, dance, and do well in Chinese and math the most."
She just didn't like those who were strong-tempered and liked to show off by going to the reservoir to swim during thunderstorms, only to be struck by lightning and drown. Thinking about it, it was terrifyingly horrible.
She just didn't like those who were strong-tempered, arrogant, liked to show off and fight all day, wanting to be a gang leader, only to be executed in the end...
Dawang and Sanwang felt that Lin Lan had an opinion about them. Dawang acted nonchalant, while Sanwang just grinned, starting to touch the crescent-shaped scar on his forehead toward Lin Lan.
Lin Lan gave him a poke, "You can swim in the summer, but you aren't allowed to go when it's cold, to avoid getting cramps. Remember?"
Sanwang chuckled.
Lin Lan: "Go home for dinner."
Dawang darted out first, Sanwang followed closely behind, and Erwang didn't want to fall behind; how could he be slower than Sanwang?
Maisui also led Xiaowang and followed Wangwang out.
The wind stirred up by that speed made the oil lamp in the room sway.
Lin Lan hurriedly chased after them to remind them, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."
It was already very dark outside, and the building materials were in piles; it was easy to trip.
The oil lamp, which was already swaying, was blown out completely by the wind she brought.
Everything around was pitch black.
Lin Lan was startled, "Oh my, where are the matches?"
She entered the room and reached out to grope. She remembered there was a box of matches on the windowsill here.
After groping for a moment, she touched a hot body. She hurriedly smiled, "Where did you put the matches?"
She wanted to step back, but she was pulled into a scorching embrace.
His two sturdy arms hugged her forcefully, pressing her tightly against his body without a single gap. The man's aggressive, masculine aura instantly submerged her.
Lin Lan's heart beat faster, and her breathing became unsteady, "It's so dark, I just remembered a joke..."
His large hand had already撩開 her collar and reached onto her spine. The hot temperature spread through her entire body along her spine, making her tremble as if she had been electrocuted.
The calluses on his hand rubbed against her skin, causing a slight prickling sensation.
Lin Lan became nervous. She moved, wanting to break free, but was circled in his airtight embrace.
His scorching lips branded the base of her ear, his voice magnetic and hoarse, "What joke?"
Lin Lan instinctively wanted to crouch down to avoid his lips and tongue, but was firmly controlled by him. The next moment, a forceful kiss that brooked no avoidance landed on her lips. His scorching large hand clamped her waist like iron tongs, leaving her nowhere to escape.
The force was so great that it seemed he wanted to embed her into his body.
A voice in Lin Lan's heart shouted, this cannot continue, stop quickly!
But she was completely unable to resist. Her body was so soft she could barely stand, and she could only rely on his arms and body for support.
Fortunately, his hand didn't move wildly in the end. After rubbing her spine and waist, he held her waist with one hand and clamped her neck with the other, arranging her into the most suitable posture for kissing.
However, when his scorching lips landed on her chest, Lin Lan felt she was going to cramp, "Stop... stop..."
She didn't want to make love in a place like this!
He lifted his head, his lips and tongue lingering on her neck and lips.
Lin Lan retreated, causing him to lean forward, and she suddenly bumped into the wall behind her.
He supported the wall with his arm to prevent Lin Lan's back from hitting the hard brick wall.
"I remembered, someone got something in their eye, kept rubbing it with their eyes closed, and when they opened them, it was pitch black. They panicked and shouted, 'Oh my god, I'm blind, I'm blind!'" Her voice was soft, hoarse, and sweet now. Being funny like this was even funnier.
She also felt awkward herself, and laughed loudly to ease the atmosphere.
Han Qingsong: "............"
He cushioned her back with his hands, his body still pressing tightly against her, his lips gently rubbing against her ear. His voice became even more hoarse and full of desire, "Quite funny."
"Go home for dinner." Lin Lan tried to remain calm, but her voice betrayed her.
Han Qingsong suddenly chuckled, "What are you afraid of?"
Lin Lan puffed out her chest, "Me? What am I afraid of?"
Feeling that fullness and softness offered to his door, Han Qingsong: "...Then continue?"
"No, I haven't bathed yet!" Lin Lan hurriedly pushed his chest, "Go, go back and eat."
She felt Han Qingsong take a step back and was about to slip away.
Han Qingsong reached out his arm and effortlessly lifted her up.
"Ah—" Lin Lan was startled and hurriedly hugged his neck, her legs subconsciously wrapping around his waist.
He took a step forward and pushed her against the wall again, scaring Lin Lan into not daring to move.
"Director Han, can we... talk this out properly?"
Han Qingsong buried his head in her chest, listening to her gasp repeatedly, but didn't put her down, holding her directly as he walked outside.
Her foot tripped on something, scaring Lin Lan into holding him tightly, "Be, be careful not to fall."
"If I fall, I'll be the cushion," he said.
However, he didn't tease her on purpose anymore, and holding her, he easily bypassed the yard full of debris before Han Qingsong put her down.
Lin Lan was just about to slip away when her hand was held by him again.
His hand was large, warm, and powerful. Holding hers, it gave one a perfect sense of security.
Before they reached home, they heard the children shouting: "Father, Mother, what are you doing? It's time to eat!"
If it were before, whatever Lin Lan was doing wouldn't have mattered, but now, having just done something, she felt guilty and always felt that she would arouse suspicion.
"Coming, coming, what are you shouting for? Hurry up and eat."
She broke free from Han Qingsong's hand.
Han Qingsong said, "Should I eat first or bathe first?"
"Eat, eat first, I'm hungry." Lin Lan hurriedly went to pour water to wash her hands.
Han Qingsong nodded, "Then I'll bathe before bed."
He said it very calmly. Lin Lan felt guilty, always feeling that he was hinting at something, but also feeling that a person as dull and uninteresting as him couldn't possibly be hinting at anything. It was impossible.
Entering the room to eat, the children glanced at the two of them.
Xiaowang asked with concern, "Mother, were you bitten by a mosquito? Your lips are swollen."
Lin Lan: "!!!"
She hurriedly said, "No, no, it's just because the weather is dry and I pulled off the dead skin."
Holy hell, what dead skin, this excuse was absolutely terrible. She subconsciously threw a glance at Han Qingsong.
His expression was as usual, his handsome face serious, but his eyes were much softer, and when she looked over, his eyes immediately tangled with hers.
Lin Lan hurried to sit upright.
Sanwang looked at her suspiciously, and suddenly had an epiphany, "Mother, what did you steal to eat?"
He immediately stood up and peered at Lin Lan's face.
Lin Lan's face instantly turned bright red, "What are you spouting nonsense about, everything I eat is at home."
Sanwang scratched the scar on his forehead, "Hehe, I see Mother's lips look as if they were burned by eating something."
Damn! Lin Lan felt she was entirely falling apart.
She secretly gave Han Qingsong a cross look.
He was eating calmly, but the look he gave her carried a smile.
Lin Lan coughed, "Have you finished your homework?"
Erwang and Maisui sat like bells, "We finished it at school."
Dawang rolled his eyes, then looked at Erwang. Erwang returned a look that said he knew.
Sanwang was miserable, "Mother, you have to talk to the teacher. The autumn harvest is so busy, and I still have to go work, when do I have time to do homework? Seriously..." He looked at Xiaowang, "Why don't you go to school?"
Xiaowang, who was burying his head in his food, looked up, "Ah?"
Lin Lan tapped Sanwang's head lightly with her chopsticks, "Hurry up and do your homework properly. If you get the lowest score on the final exam, see if your father doesn't beat you."
Sanwang's expression changed. He stole a glance at his father and suddenly discovered his father's lips were swollen too? And his ears were red.
He and Mother must have stolen some good food!
Too excessive!
Adults are truly good; they don't have to go to school, can do whatever they want, and can eat all kinds of good food, but don't give it to children to eat.
So unhappy~~
Next, the autumn harvest, laying walls, plastering walls, tidying up the new house, building the kang, and making furniture kept Lin Lan's family busy with joy.
In two days, the walls were all built. The mason didn't need to come anymore, leaving only the carpenter's work. Windows and furniture all had to be made by hand. It was estimated that by the Mid-Autumn Festival, all the windows could be installed, and the remaining furniture could be done slowly.
Looking at it this way, they could move in first for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the remaining places could be tidied up after moving in.
Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the county let Han Qingsong go to a meeting. Lin Lan asked him to ride his bicycle and take the opportunity to go to the county supply and marketing cooperative to see if he could buy anything that didn't require coupons.
Lin Lan still quite liked Han Qingsong going to the county for meetings. The food in the county cafeteria was much better than the commune's, and there was meat in the dishes. Every time Han Qingsong went, he would buy an extra lunchbox of food to bring back to improve the family's meals. He also used the meeting allowance to buy her toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and snow cream.
Lin Lan also participated in the autumn harvest, just not having to suffer and work hard in the cornfields, nor having to go into the cotton fields to get her hands covered in thorns, but rather going to harvest peanuts.
She felt that this life was becoming more and more flavorful.
When harvesting peanuts, someone would drive an ox or mule to pull an iron plow to plow the peanuts out, and then people behind would pick the peanuts into piles, then pick the peanuts off and put them in baskets to carry to the threshing floor.
Lin Lan wasn't fast at harvesting corn or picking cotton, but she was very deft at harvesting peanuts. She comforted herself that this wasn't avoiding labor, nor was it being lazy, but rather one had strengths and weaknesses.
Some advanced members, in coordination with the team leader and militia, emphasized repeatedly, "It's forbidden to steal, it's forbidden to eat. You must maintain collective property. Wait until it's transported to the threshing floor for unified distribution! Every peanut you eat today is one more point of shame!"
Even so, it didn't stop members and children from stealing and eating.
For one thing, they were hungry. Without oil in their bellies, no matter how much they ate, they felt hungry.
For another, they were greedy. Such fresh peanuts, chewing a mouthful that was fragrant and sweet, how could one refuse such temptation?
So almost everyone's mouth was moving, and some women even hid them in their pockets.
Lin Lan didn't. After all, the education she received from childhood was not to take petty advantages. Furthermore, it wasn't the three years of difficulties when one was hungry all day and felt like they were going to float away. Her family's life was fine; at least they could eat their fill, so she naturally wouldn't do such things.
She also exhorted her several children that if they were greedy, they could eat a little in the fields—after all, everyone was eating—but they should try not to take them home.
Maisui was brainwashed by Lin Lan every day that girls should have self-respect and love themselves, that girls should know shame and not be greedy for petty advantages. Now that the family was eating their fill and Lin Lan added a little oil when cooking, even if she was greedy, she would just eat a few and let it go, and wouldn't be like other children who wanted to burst their stomachs and still steal them into their pockets.
Erwang, however, would eat them and then hide some to take home.
Lin Lan told Erwang that public property couldn't be taken.
Erwang was justified and confident; it was collective labor, everyone was taking it, and if he didn't, he would be the one losing out.
"And if I don't take it, others will think I'm a fool."
The commune members all believed that when harvesting grain, everyone would steal. If you didn't steal, they wouldn't think your ideological awareness was high, but rather that you were a fool.
Lin Lan exhorted Erwang several times, but Erwang couldn't turn the corner for a while.
Later, Lin Lan thought about it, and there was no need to force Erwang. He was a sensible child, and if it really caused him to have a rebellious psychology, that wouldn't be good either.
After all, this wasn't a simple issue of stealing, but a complex social issue of poverty.
For example, during the three years of difficulties, at that time, a person had 3 liang of grain a day. Everyone was hungry enough every day to eat dirt. When they saw grain, they didn't care about the future at all, just thinking about filling their stomachs first.
Lin Lan's maternal family had an uncle within five generations who had been hungry for several days. The production team finally managed to get some bean cakes, and each family was distributed ten jin. That uncle was carrying the bean cakes, but on the road, he began to eat frantically, eat frantically, and when he got home, he had actually eaten all ten jin of bean cakes!
His wife and children at home cried and screamed, and his wife also beat him. In the end, that uncle died.
Of course, it wasn't from the beating; it was from eating too many bean cakes, which didn't digest, causing him to burst to death.
That was originally the family's life-saving food for a month, but it was eaten by him in one meal. The family members weren't even heartbroken when he was stuffed to death.
One has to say that hunger can take away many things.
At that time, every harvest of crops was a tough battle. Commune members were always trying every possible way to steal grain home.
It was much more severe than now. It wasn't just peanuts; they stole whatever grain they could. When breaking corn, they would first eat their fill, and it went without saying when harvesting peanuts.
Even when planting, commune members would secretly stuff the seeds into their mouths, forcing the cadres to come up with all kinds of strange tricks: mixing in coal slag, mixing in urine, and finally even mixing in pesticides.
Even so, the planted seeds would still be secretly dug up and stolen by the children row by row.
Compared to this, it was already much better now.
It was just that peanuts were a rare thing that everyone liked, so they would steal and eat a little. When harvesting sorghum, basically no one stole it, and no one gnawed on raw corn.
Based on this idea, Lin Lan felt there was no need to force Erwang to be different; it still required gradual influence.
Lin Lan stood up and looked around, seeing Han Qingping leading students on the other side.
Dawang had gone to break corn, getting high work points, Erwang and Maisui and others were picking peanuts here, and Sanwang and several young children were responsible for picking up the peanuts that had fallen.
At this time, Erwang also looked toward her, and Lin Lan waved to him.
Erwang also raised both hands, spread his five fingers, and made a surrender gesture toward her.
Lin Lan knew this was him indicating he hadn't stolen anything and was clean.
Lin Lan smiled, very gratified.
Just at this moment, the production team leader walked over, hands behind his back, holding a stick the thickness of a small finger, and shouted: "I won't pursue what was eaten before, but from now on, no one is allowed to eat! If you eat again, I'm going to name names and deduct work points! Especially those stuffing them into their pockets, all bring them out quietly for me, don't wait for me to find out and lose face!"
He said this, and those who knew shame stopped quickly, but some people refused.
Lin Lan watched Yu Wuze stuffing them frantically.
Ever since Liu Chunhe was sent to the Shanshui Reform-through-Labor Farm, Yu Wuze had been to the south to curse at the streets and make a scene, venting her resentment. After being whipped by Lin Lan with a rattan stick, she didn't dare to go to the street to curse.
However, she didn't settle down either. Every day she caught an opportunity to speak ill of Han Qingsong and Lin Lan, cursing them at home as if they were three meals a day, cursing whenever she thought of them.
Her house was very far from Lin Lan's. She couldn't hear it, and Lin Lan couldn't be bothered to pay attention to it.
Anyway, she didn't dare to curse to her face. Behind her back, she could do whatever. Who could control other people's mouths?
The production team leader swept a glance, "Everyone have a little sense, eat a few just to satisfy your greed. With only so many peanuts, you eat them to death, what are the other commune members going to distribute? Isn't breaking corn tiring for others?"
Most of the women laughed and all said they wouldn't eat, they wouldn't eat.
Yu Wuze was still eating, stuffing them into her pant legs.
Maisui pointed at Yu Wuze and shouted: "The team leader said it's forbidden to eat, how come you're still eating!"
Yu Wuze was startled.
Maisui: "I'm talking about you!"
Yu Wuze cursed: "Dead girl, minding other people's business, didn't you eat?"
Maisui was justified and confident: "You guessed right, I really didn't eat. I came here full. My mother said not to eat the grain in the fields. My mother said that's for everyone to distribute. For every peanut you eat, every household in our team has a share. For every one you eat more, others get one less, it's not fair!"
The production team leader and the others listened to something fresh. Could that shrew really say such words?
Someone went to look at Lin Lan.
Not to mention, during this period of labor, although she was a bit delicate and unwilling to go break corn, she really didn't steal or eat when harvesting peanuts, wasn't lazy, and was quite diligent.
Many people had only been gossiping before, hadn't had direct conflict with Lin Lan, and it couldn't be called hatred.
Seeing Lin Lan acting normally now, and even having higher awareness than the average person, they also had a good impression.
Yu Wuze spat fiercely, "Pretending what, who can't say nice things? Once you become an official, of course you act pretentious. Even a little brat like you wants to step on me to show off, which eye did you see me eating with?"
Maisui's face changed from anger, "The team leader said it, your mouth is still chewing, we all saw it."
Erwang: "Why is your mouth so dirty? We all saw it, you're the one who stole the most! You greedy thing!"
The other students also immediately testified.
Sanwang: "Not only did you eat it, but you also hid it, your pockets are full of them."
Yu Wuze cursed them for minding other people's business and grabbed a hoe used for beating soil to hit Maisui.
The team leader hurriedly shouted: "Da Wuze, what are you doing!"
Yu Wuze, however, seized the opportunity to beat Maisui to vent her anger.
Lin Lan hurriedly went over and grabbed Yu Wuze's hoe, "You are an adult, how can you bully a child?"
"She framed me, of course I have to hit her. If she doesn't learn well at a young age, what will she be like when she grows up?"
"You were just stealing and eating, what are you pretending for?" Lin Lan was impolite. Thinking about hitting her child behind her back—the last one was still doing hard labor at the reform-through-labor farm!
Yu Wuze began to make unreasonable trouble, and said Lin Lan was relying on her position to bully others, bullying people when her daughter was still so young.
Lin Lan was furious and went to fetch a ladle of water, "If you have the ability, rinse your mouth."
Yu Wuze's face changed, "Why should I drink cold water."
If she rinsed her mouth, wouldn't they all be white dregs of chewed peanuts? Even a fool could see it.
"If you don't dare, don't say others framed you." Lin Lan snorted with disdain and put the ladle back.
Maisui wow-ed, "Mother, you're too amazing! This is really a good method."
The production team leader also walked over, "Well, not bad, let's do this in the future. If I say it's forbidden to eat, and someone eats, they have to rinse their mouth. If they spit out white dregs, deduct their work points."
As he said this, he muttered again, "It's not that I don't let you eat, eating a few is just about enough, how can there be no end to it? If you eat them all, what's left to distribute?"
The women all felt guilty and naturally didn't dare to have any complaints.
The production team leader was also very happy and praised her for thinking of a good method.
Lin Lan didn't want to let Yu Wuze go just like that. She was cursing and swearing at home all day, as ugly as it could be, and today they met on a narrow path, so of course they couldn't just part ways like this.
She said coldly, "Everyone just eats a few to satisfy their greed, why are you still stealing? It's better to take them out. Everyone has a share of these things you stole."
Yu Wuze jumped up violently, "You look down on people, who stole them!"
Sanwang: "You stuffed them into your pockets."
Yu Wuze violently opened both of her pant pockets and jacket pockets, there were soil dregs, but no peanuts.
"You see, where are they?" She even showed the team leader, then began to cry and scream, "The official is bullying people, relying on her position to bully people, is there any justice left?"
The women next to them also felt puzzled. Yu Wuze had indeed hidden them; they were watching too. She ate while hiding them in her pockets, so why were they gone now?
Lin Lan sneered, stepped forward, and grabbed Yu Wuze's clothes, "What counts as searching pockets?"
She reached out and grabbed toward Yu Wuze's underarm.
Yu Wuze immediately dodged, "What are you doing?"
Now that it was cold, everyone wore lined clothes, wore jackets outside, and the older ones who were afraid of the cold even wore little cotton-padded jackets. Wearing so much, it wasn't easy for hidden things to be discovered.
Sanwang's movements were agile. His hand reached under the hem of Yu Wuze's clothes and suddenly pulled down a cloth pocket from inside, "Wow!"
Everyone saw a bulging cloth pocket; it was afraid that there were three or four jin?
This, this was also too awesome!
Some people were angry; these were peanuts that everyone had a share of, why did she steal them?
Yu Wuze didn't expect to be identified, "Ah—I can't go on!" She sat on the ground and began to cry, "Sexual harassment, you guys are sexually harassing me!"
Xiaowang, who was playing on the side, also led Wangwang over and asked curiously: "What is sexual harassment?"
The production team leader said angrily: "Only a seven-year-old child, what sexual harassment, you are still arguing."
Sanwang blinked and pointed at Yu Wuze and shouted: "Look quick! She has grown a big JJ!"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Those with sharp eyes immediately discovered that Yu Wuze's crotch was bulging with a large lump, could it be...
Lin Lan: "..."
She patted Sanwang's head, this brat's eyes were truly venomous.
Yu Wuze couldn't care about crying and hurriedly hid it, but it was a pity that she hadn't worn cotton-padded pants yet. To be convenient for work, she basically wore single-layer pants. The cloth bag she was holding in her crotch couldn't be hidden no matter what, after all, she had stolen too many peanuts. It was originally covered up, not obvious, but she got excited just now and sat on the ground, and as a result, it was exposed.
Lin Lan pulled Sanwang's neck and whispered: "Don't look randomly."
Sanwang: "Mother, I didn't mean to, hers is as big as Father's, I saw it all at once."
The scene fell into an eerie silence.
Suddenly, a burst of loud laughter broke out, "Haha, hahahahahaha..."
The women all had looks of 'oh you are lucky' as they stared at Lin Lan.
Lin Lan: "!!!"
You wretched child, why are you always pitting your father?
She felt a kind of helplessness as if a child was coaxed by an adult to proclaim their parents' affairs outside. It was truly necessary to educate him well.
She took Sanwang to the side, "Sanwang, you aren't allowed to say such things in the future."
Sanwang: "Was I not telling the truth?" He was still a bit aggrieved, "Then they always say it, why can't I?"
In the countryside, there was no entertainment. Men would gather and often tell dirty jokes, and wives would gather and say quite a bit too, and even when old ladies weren't fastidious, they would say anything when teasing children. Those adolescent half-grown boys gathered together and muttered even more.
Sanwang followed them to join the fun, and naturally heard some.
The child didn't really understand, but heard what others said and regarded it as interesting, as if showing off and provoking. If he could cause girls to scream and adults to scold, they would feel it was even more interesting.
"They can't say it either, adults will beat you if they hear it." Lin Lan threatened him, "You are not allowed to say it anymore."
She listed several private parts that weren't allowed to be mentioned, saying that if they were said, everyone would laugh, and parents would beat him.
Sanwang pouted, "I know," and in the end, he had to mutter, "Hers is so big, I don't know if peeing is the farthest."
Children liked to stand in a row the most to compete about who could pee the farthest.
Lin Lan felt powerless. Shouldn't this be left to Father to educate?
After educating Sanwang, when Lin Lan returned, she could still feel all kinds of teasing, envious, and jealous eyes around her.
She was almost going crazy inside, didn't you have anything serious to do! Holy hell, big JJ.
Over there, Yu Wuze had to take out another cloth bag, which had a full five jin of peanuts. She didn't know how she hid them; it was hard for her to carry two large pockets while working.
"This is thanks to being old, if you were young, you would have to pretend to be pregnant." Someone ridiculed her.
Yu Wuze wasn't cursing anymore, looking gray-faced, wanted to run, but was caught back.
The production team leader said angrily: "It's too excessive, name and criticize her at the meeting tonight. If it's not made clear, who knows what will happen in the future."
When Yu Wuze heard she was going to be criticized at the meeting, her face changed from fear, and she hurriedly said: "Team leader, I won't dare to do it in the future, I won't steal again, you can't criticize me."
The production team leader was just scaring her. Naming and criticizing at a meeting was different from a struggle session; naming and criticizing wouldn't result in being hit or changing her status.
Yu Wuze started to cry again: "Everyone ate it, why are you criticizing me alone, why is my life so bitter, bullying people."
Listening to her acting like this, the production team leader got angry again, "If you don't accept criticism, then take the brigade's gong, and go acknowledge your mistakes yourself."
Yu Wuze covered her face and began to cry, "I have no face left—"
She turned her head and glared at Lin Lan, believing that Lin Lan was behind it, deliberately letting the production team leader humiliate herself to avenge the grudge of her cursing them. She didn't examine her own mistakes, determined that Han Qingsong was engaging in private revenge, and determined that other village cadres were humiliating her to curry favor with Han Qingsong.
Lin Lan didn't even bother to give her a glance, it could be said to be with utter contempt.
"Team leader, can the peanuts be distributed?" Someone shouted.
Transported to the production team's threshing floor, the floor was in the south. Some of them lived behind the village, and going back and forth, they still had to carry them home with effort.
Peanuts and soybeans, not many public grains were handed over, basically they were all distributed by the commune members, and this was their main source of edible oil.
One person said others responded, "Yes, distribute it."
The production team leader had no problem with this, anyway, they would have to distribute them sooner or later.
Only enough had to be left for public grain and the brigade's retention, and the rest was for the commune members to distribute.
Each production team had its own accountant and score recorder, sent people to pull the platform scale over, the score recorder sang out the names, the accountant managed the scale, and the freshly harvested peanuts were weighed pile by pile. Whoever's turn it was, that family would transport them home.
The commune members carried peanuts home joyfully.
This time, the first one distributed was Lin Lan's family.
Someone shouted: "Why was her family distributed first." It must be because Han Qingsong was a director now, after all, Lin Lan's family wasn't advanced, and they usually wouldn't be able to distribute first.
Those distributed first could transport them home first, and those distributed late might have to wait until dark, which was inconvenient.
And those distributed first were definitely the biggest and best piles, while those distributed late would only have some small ones left, inside which there would still be dirt lumps.
The commune members all liked to distribute their own homes first.
The team leader shouted: "Today Dawang's mother gave me a good idea, Sanwang made a great contribution, so her family gets it first. Why, do you have any opinions?"
So no one spoke anymore.
Peanuts were non-staple food, not staple food, and were not in the quota of rations. Basically, the total number was calculated, and then distributed according to the household population.
Of course, they also had to be distributed according to work points.
Now it was 40% population, 60% labor, distributing the total grain to be distributed, according to 40% population, 60% work points, which commune members could accept relatively.
Compared to the 70% population, 30% labor of before, or even 80% population, 20% labor, it was now considered to be taking into account both fairness and poverty alleviation. It both cared for those families with many people and few laborers, and also took into account those families with many laborers and few people.
If it were 80% population, 20% labor, whoever had more people in their family would take advantage, while families with many laborers and few people would lose out instead, damaging the enthusiasm of commune members, and laborers wouldn't put in effort, lazy to raise children for others.
Now many villages were still like this.
But Shanzui Village had been 40% population, 60% labor for a long time, and for a period of time, even 30% population, 70% labor was practiced, just to improve the enthusiasm of laborers, lest they not labor, and the total output value decrease.
Lin Lan's family of seven only got six people's distribution.
At this time, Han Qingsong had already been demobilized, was no longer an incumbent soldier, and of course couldn't continue to enjoy the full work point welfare previously given by the village.
Now he was demobilized as a cadre, had his own salary, and his grain and oil household registration relationship was in the commune, not the village, and his household registration was also in the county town, not the village, so Han Qingsong had no share.
Lin Lan said: "Team leader, can we top it up with work points, and distribute the child's father's share as well."
To supplement from the production team with money and work points was always more cost-effective than buying with money outside.
The production team leader naturally agreed, peanuts would come from the reserve, and it didn't have to reduce the number distributed to others.
This way, other families had no opinions.
Lin Lan: "Erwang and Maisui take Xiaowang home to cook, Sanwang watch here, I'll go home to take the implements to carry peanuts."
Sanwang: "I'll go call Father and Dawang, okay?"
"They are still breaking corn, I'll go myself."
Just as she was speaking, she saw Han Qingsong walking over from another direction.
At this time, a young man in the team who usually liked to take advantage of other families' women, whose mouth didn't have a latch and liked to tell dirty jokes, shouted: "Yu Wuze, hurry up and bring your cloth bag over to compare. Sanwang, is your father really that big?"
Sanwang had already been educated by Lin Lan and knew that he couldn't talk about mimi or JJ in public, and immediately snorted, "Anyway, it's bigger than yours!"
That man: "...Haha, you bear child, you haven't seen mine."
As he said this, he even glanced at Lin Lan, wanting to see some reaction from Lin Lan's face.
Some men didn't say anything to their own wives at home, but when they went out of their houses and met other people's big daughters and small wives in the village, they liked to tell colored jokes to others.
It was as if they could take a big advantage by doing this!
Sanwang snapped back: "My father peeing can spray you in the face!"
With this, the man turned purple in the face and left angrily.
Lin Lan: "Sanwang, speech should be civilized, you cannot be so vulgar."
Sanwang reacted quickly: "Oh, right, I should have let him go find Father to compare himself."
Lin Lan: ...
Other commune members who heard it also laughed out loud.
At this time, Han Qingsong had already walked over with large strides, looking at Lin Lan, "What are you talking about?"
Lin Lan originally had nothing going on, but in a blink of an eye, she saw the cloth bag carried by Yu Wuze's hand, and uncontrollably associated it with something indescribable, her face flushed instantly, she hurriedly squatted down to pick up her family's peanuts, even more afraid to look at Han Qingsong.
Han Qingsong saw that her neck was suddenly red, showing a shy expression like a young girl, his heart immediately stirred.
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