Just because Chen Ming said he owed no one, did it mean he truly owed nothing?
Jiang He certainly didn’t think so.
Without a certain status, without connections, it was impossible to acquire these few hundred kilos of life-saving grains.
Jiang He didn’t utter a word, but he treasured this kindness in his heart. The warmth he hadn’t felt for over a decade was so tumultuous and quick now, he didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
Chen Ming and Xu Aiguo were very busy. After they delivered the goods, they didn’t stay long.
Feng Qingxue, with her sister, descended the mountain with them. To Jiang He, who was seeing them off, she said: "Go back quickly, don’t send us off. You have to personally handle all those affairs of our Brothers and Sisters!"
"Alright, Auntie Xue, Uncle Chen, Uncle Aiguo, take care!" Jiang He waved his hand, watched them walk away, and then went back.
Walking at the foot of the mountain, Feng Qingxue said to Chen Ming and Xu Aiguo: "Brother Chen, Brother Aiguo, thank you this time."
"There’s no need to thank us, what for? We’re all struggling to get by, merely lending a hand to each other." Chen Ming didn’t want to take credit. "The leader of the farm often brings some fodder grain to me in exchange for food grains. We’re quite close, I told him it’s for saving people, he didn’t say a word, just offered up this edible stuff, asking for nothing in return."
"That’s true, but when we have some things at hand, we should go thank them." Said Feng Qingxue.
Chen Ming nodded. "That indeed should be done. Favors should be exchanged, more the interaction, better the bond. Thus, it becomes easier to ask for help without feeling ashamed. Don’t worry, time is plentiful, no need to rush."
Feng Qingxue smiled, her dimples faintly visible.
On their way home, the silent Feng Qingyun suddenly asked what fodder grain was.
Feng Qingxue was also unsure. After giving it some thought, she said: "It might be grains used to feed pigs and livestock. I remember our country had assigned tasks, our brigade also had two task pigs. In order to raise them big and fat and to have enough energy for the oxen, horses, mules, etc. to work, the brigade had allocated grains for feed."
During those years, livestock lived better than people.
She had heard her neighbours and villagers say this more than once.
When they got home and asked Feng Shuanzhu, her explanation to her sister indeed turned out to be correct.
Just as Feng Shuanzhu was about to leave, she suddenly stopped her, "The weather has warmed up, we can’t laze around, we must go out and work. I plan to split the people into two groups, one group weeding in the fields, and the other digging canals. The canal digging needs large labor forces, but also people to cook food. Xiaoxue, I’m assigning you this task, what do you think?"
Compared to the task of weeding in the field, cooking was much easier and many women were eagerly eyeing the task.
Feng Qingxue quickly said, "I’ll follow uncle’s arrangement."
"Good, we’ll start tomorrow. Prepare yourself. It’s not too far, we leave at four in the morning and return when it gets dark." Feng Shuanzhu smiled, if it wasn’t for the big favor Feng Qingxue offered, she wouldn’t have been considered for this cooking task.
Canal digging should be a winter job, but winters were extremely cold, the water and soil were frozen solid like iron blocks, unmovable however much you dug, even breaking several iron shovels. The chief secretaries of a few production teams gathered together and after much discussion, decided to finish the job before the busy farming season starts in the ensuing spring. That’s why they needed early starts and late returns, to rush the job.