Chapter 128: A Spectacular Scene

After arriving at the threshing floor with the others, Yun Jingjing noticed that many villagers and educated youths were absent.

Village Chief Zhao and Brigade Leader Liang sat at the very front, with Zhang Chaomei standing beside them clutching a thick notebook. The scene where the three giants of Shanghe Village sat together was nowhere to be seen. Zhang Chaomei glanced at the area where the educated youths were gathered, then quickly averted her gaze.

The villagers had not met at the threshing floor for several days, so the atmosphere was lively as they chatted. Yun Jingjing observed the situation, concluded there was no major issue, and began to listen to the conversations around her.

The villagers were mostly exchanging information. Older women talked about which areas had a poor harvest of hazelnuts, which spots had a bumper crop of walnuts, or how much grain someone’s child had managed to forage. The men were discussing the situation in the mountains; although they spoke in veiled terms, Yun Jingjing could easily guess what they were referring to. After all, Han Li had secured a wild goat a couple of days ago that they still hadn't finished eating, and today the three of them had caught several badgers, leaving them struggling to figure out how to consume all that meat.

Thinking of this, Yun Jingjing paused for a moment. Ever since her sister began seeing Han Li, even though they were still providing grain and occasionally trading for vegetables and eggs at the villagers' homes, their lives seemed even better than when they were in Beijing.

As she was lost in thought, Brigade Leader Liang shouted out, “Quiet down! There is only one thing to discuss today, and once I’m done, everyone can head back.”

Once silence fell, Brigade Leader Liang continued, “We can start delivering grain to the granary tomorrow. Everyone knows the drill. If we arrive late and miss our turn, we’ll have to leave people to stay overnight on the commune street. Tell those who aren't here today; we leave at dawn tomorrow. Anyone who doesn't show up will have 50 work points deducted.”

After the announcement, the brigade leader dismissed everyone. As the crowd dispersed, they chattered about the grain delivery. To the villagers, this was good news, as it meant the harvest would soon be distributed. The villagers could start planning to buy necessities for their homes, while the veteran educated youths calculated whether they had saved enough money to return home.

Back home, Yun Jingjing poured the cooled badger fat into a clean jar. Yun Yingying mentioned that the blood had been sufficiently soaked out of the badger meat, so they decided to have it for dinner. However, Yun Jingjing hadn't expected the meat to be so tough; it still wasn't fully cooked by the time Han Li returned.

When Han Li arrived home, Yun Yingying immediately poured him some water to wash his face. While he washed, she told him about the meeting and the early departure for grain delivery the next day.

“Delivering grain is a good thing,” Han Li said. “Once it’s done, everyone gets their share of this year’s harvest.”

Yun Yingying replied, “It’s not a good thing for everyone. Those with few work points will be miserable when they see how little grain they get.”

“There’s nothing anyone can do about that. Just make sure you don’t get soft-hearted and lend your grain out. You barely have enough work points to feed yourselves; lending it out will only bring trouble.”

“I’m not a fool. Why would I do something like that?”

“I’ll have to test you to be sure if you’re a fool or not.”

“You can test that?”

“Of course. Come here, and I’ll whisper the method to you.”

Yun Yingying leaned in, and Han Li whispered into her ear, “In a moment, I will... and if you say..., then you aren't a fool.”

Blushing, Yun Yingying stuck her tongue out at him and ran to the outer room to help her sister with dinner.

The next day, while Han Li was practicing his martial arts, the village bell rang—earlier than it ever did for work. Realizing there was no time for the sisters to come over and cook, Han Li went inside, lit the stove, and warmed up the leftover badger meat from the previous night. Although it was just a simple reheating, the sisters were still moved when they arrived in a rush.

With time pressing, they ate quickly. When they stepped outside, the sky was still dark, but several torches were already lit at the granary gate. All the handcarts and wheelbarrows in the brigade had been brought out, and the four livestock animals were being harnessed as the main transport. Even then, there weren't enough carts, so the villagers had brought their own.

Wheelbarrows were handled in pairs—one person pulling in front and one pushing from behind. Handcarts could carry more but were easier to operate, so they were worked in teams of three.

At Brigade Leader Liang's command, they began loading. Soon, the convoy stretched out in a long line. Once all the grain was loaded and Zhang Chaomei had carefully registered it, the brigade leader signaled the start.

Village Chief Zhao and Brigade Leader Liang led the way with the animal-drawn carts. Those lacking strength and speed were told not to crowd the front, as pulling a cart from a standstill was exhausting, and maintaining a steady pace was more efficient. Everyone hated it when those in front fluctuated their speed, as it made the work much harder for those behind. If the lead carts were unstable, they would be met with complaints from the rest of the line.

Having been tipped off by the older women, Han Li had already positioned himself and those close to him at the very back of the convoy. The group started off slowly, but as they traversed the bumpy, uneven dirt road, the strain began to show.

Han Li, however, felt no difficulty at all. He pulled the handcart with ease, while the sisters simply rested their hands on the sides to keep up appearances. Seeing that He Mi and Hao Hongmei, who were behind them, were struggling, Han Li told the sisters to go and help them.

Suddenly, the convoy halted. After a few brief shouts of frustration, silence returned. Han Li let go of the cart handles and looked ahead. They had reached a fork in the road and had run into the grain convoy from the Zhonghe Brigade. Both sides wanted to reach the granary first, leading to a standoff between the leaders.

Village Chief Zhao stepped in front of the Zhonghe Brigade and looked at their leader with utter disdain. “What? You haven’t practiced in two years and now the people of Zhonghe have grown some backbone? Either move aside, or tell me how you want to settle this—one-on-one or a group brawl, you pick.”

The Zhonghe leader wore a bitter smile; he could have killed the educated youth who had insisted on blocking the road. He knew the reputation of the man from Shanghe Village, who had bested all the surrounding villages a few years back. Most importantly, this man had powerful connections; despite numerous complaints filed by other villages over the years, nothing ever came of them.

Wiping sweat from his brow, the Zhonghe leader forced a smile. “Uncle Zhao, Village Chief Zhao, how could I ever block your way? It’s just these new educated youths who don’t know any better. I’ll have them move immediately.”

With that, the villagers of Shanghe pushed their carts forward with an air of pride. The Zhonghe villagers said nothing, though their educated youths were seething with indignation; seeing their leader back down, they dared not speak up.

The convoy began to inch forward again. By the time they reached the commune, everyone was drenched in sweat. Outside the granary, a long line had already formed. There were dense rows of carts, wheelbarrows, and people—some villages had even arrived carrying grain on shoulder poles. Seeing that Shanghe Village had four large draft animals, Han Li realized the stark disparity between the villages.

He finally understood why they had to start so early; the line was so long that people were even ready to fight just to gain a few spots on the road. Behind them, more brigades were arriving, and the crowd of people and carts grew ever larger.