Chapter 250: Relief Food
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The accountant’s job in the production team had been vacant for more than half a year. Many people were desperate to get the job. It was a stable job and not tiring. They were usually in charge of the accounts and knew clearly how much food and how many people there were in the village. There were many people who fawned over the accountant.
Old Madam Jiang had made numerous trips to the village chief’s house and the production team, wearing down her legs in the process, in an attempt to secure the position for her eldest son. However, to her surprise, the job fell into Jiang Chuan’s lap. This infuriated her eldest son to the extent that he couldn’t even chop wood properly.
Jiang Gui complained, “How can someone who barely went to school and can’t even recognize characters be qualified for the accountant’s job?”
Old Madam Jiang was even more upset, “This ungrateful fellow, why didn’t he mention this opportunity earlier? He always thinks of himself first!”
In her anger, Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Gui stormed into Jiang Chuan’s house.
On the other hand, Jiang Chuan had followed Zhou Fang back to his place. Zhou Fang’s house was undeniably impressive. Made of wood and green bricks, it might not be considered luxurious in the modern era, but in the village, it stood out as an opulent abode.
Within the yard was a small dried-up pond that once bore lotus stems, suggesting it was used for cultivating lotus roots and maybe raising a few fish.
Before the drought, almost every household in the village had their own farmland for growing extra vegetables without having to hand them over to authorities. But after a year without rain and increasing water scarcity, the county issued a notice prohibiting private farming. The dried pond in Zhou Fang’s yard was a result of adhering to that directive.
Zhou Fang led Jiang Chuan into the house and sat down. There was a bowl of leftover eggs on the table. He didn’t clean it up and only covered it with a basket to prevent flies from crawling on it.
Jiang Chuan looked around Zhou Fang’s house and thought of Zhao Xin’s shabby house. He knew that Zhao Xin’s house was the majority in Pushan Village. There was almost no family like Zhou Fang who could afford breakfast, eggs, and have leftovers.
Jiang Chuan didn’t have such treatment in the old Jiang family before. Now, having been transported to this era and with the blessings of the golden finger, his life had improved significantly. But the villagers still struggled, with some on the brink of starvation. He wanted to do something for them.
Zhou Fang quickly drafted a certificate, but when he tried to stamp it, he realized that the official seal was at the production team’s office.
“Come with me to the production team. After stamping, you can take the certificate and leave,” Zhou Fang told Jiangchuan.
At the production team’s office, Jiang Chuan realized that compared to Zhou Fang’s house, the official building was even more grand.
Made of green bricks and high tiles, it looked cleaner and more grandiose than the houses in the village. Jiang Chuan couldn’t help but think that when conditions got better, he would build a similar house for his family. He didn’t want his wife and children to suffer.
While Zhou Fang was stamping the document, a man with a crew-cut hurried in, unable to suppress his excitement. He went straight to Zhou Fang, not even noticing Jiang Chuan, and exclaimed joyfully, “Chief captain, the grain has arrived! The state’s relief grain is here!”
Jiang Chuan didn’t recognize the man with the crew-cut but remembered him from the original owner’s memories. He was Li Qing, the vice-captain of the production team.
The production team was responsible for multiple villages, each team overseeing one. Among the neighboring four villages, Pushan Village was the largest, so the main production team was based there.
Li Qing and Chen Xing were responsible for the Pushan Village team, while Zhou Fang was the overall head of the production team. Upon hearing the news about the grain, Zhou Fang, despite his usual poker face, showed a hint of excitement by the slight trembling of his hand.
Zhou Fang quickly stamped the certificate and handed it to Jiang Chuan. Then, he followed Li Qing to inspect the relief food.
Li Qing said, “The grain for the other villages has been transported. This is for our village.”
Having nothing else to do, Jiang Chuan followed them out. The cart carrying the grain was pulled by a donkey Jiang Chuan often borrowed for trips to town. It seemed to recognize him, braying in his direction. But in reality, the donkey was probably attracted by the scent of the grain on Jiang Chuan..