They both know this is just a taste, the real exhaustion cos from spring planting, autumn harvest.
In their hearts, they are very grateful to Li Yungui, even though the Captain’s face looks unpleasant, knowing it’s because he disdains their work, but he hasn’t made any other moves. He hasn’t forced them, letting them gradually adapt.
Xu Chunshan sighed, "Let’s get up and cook, we can’t rely on them now."
The two young intellectuals have also learned to cook over the past month, resignedly getting up, and simply made cornal pancakes. Below were frozen tofu with pickled cabbage.
With plain soup and bland food, they have no choice. Even if they have money now, they can’t exchange it for good food. Previously, they could swap for a few eggs, but these days, there are none, all used for hatching chicks. Where can they get eggs for exchange?
The young female intellectuals truly feel aggrieved, crying for more than an hour, one stopping only for another to start wailing loudly, prompting the one who stopped to begin again.
Xu Chunshan and the other kept cooking, listening to their cries and curses.
When lunch was ready, they called the four won to eat, finally bringing so peace.
"Tomorrow we still have to continue working, I heard digging foundations is very exhausting," Shen Youjun muttered quietly.
Xu Chunshan saw the young won’s eyes reddening again, glared at Shen Youjun, but knew what he said was true.
After the al, the two young n cleaned up, while the four won shifted back to lie down.
Actually, it’s not their fault; they all lived in the city and never did such work. Several consecutive days of high-intensity labor left their hands and feet blistered.
In the afternoon, the four of them lay on the kang, "When will these days end? Tomorrow we have to work again."
"Thankfully, we get a day’s rest. Can’t eat well, yet must do heavy labor. It’s really unbearable. I’m taking leave tomorrow, going to the county’s young intellectual office, our subsidy hasn’t been collected yet. I want to buy sothing good to eat at the supply and marketing agency," Hou Wenhui said firmly.
The other three also wanted to go, but knew if all went, the village chief certainly wouldn’t agree. They regretted not speaking up first.
"Collect our subsidies too, and buy two pounds of snacks for . As for oil, grain, we’ll split them when you return," Yan Shuping said.
"Do you think it’s possible for us four to talk to the village chief? Even if it doesn’t work out, we won’t lose anything, right?" Pan Xiaoying was still eager to go.
Guo Shuling thought for a mont, "Shouldn’t we ask Xu Chunshan and the others?"
"Alright, call them over, ask their opinion, let Xu Chunshan talk to Village Chief Li," Yan Shuping also felt it was feasible.
Xu Chunshan and the others heard they were called, also quite puzzled, what’s the matter now? Why not ntion it earlier?
"What’s wrong?"
"Intellectual Xu, we want to go to the county’s young intellectual office tomorrow, what do you two think?"
"All going together, Village Chief Li likely won’t agree?"
"Just ask, and we’ll find out. We haven’t collected our subsidies for two months. The kitchen is out of oil and salt, we’re worn out, need to buy sothing tasty to replenish," Hou Wenhui expressed her thoughts.
"You four go, collect for us too," Xu Chunshan felt Village Chief Li definitely wouldn’t agree.
"How do we collect for others for the first ti?" Pan Xiaoying asked.
Xu Chunshan thought about it, realizing it made sense.
"Fine, let’s the six of us talk to the village chief. We’ll have to walk to the township, then take a bus to the county."
That’s what the four girls dreaded most, walking to the township takes over an hour, thinking about it made their legs hurt.
But to work a day less, to get sothing good to eat, they decided to go.
"Let’s go, we’ll find the village chief now."
Then the four young won got off the kang. All dressed up, together heading to Li Yungui’s house.
There was nobody at Li Yungui’s ho today, locked up.
The six of them faced disappointnt, deciding to go to the chicken farm to find Li Yungui.
From afar, they saw everyone working enthusiastically, not a single lazy person. Xu Chunshan felt embarrassed, and ashad.
Li Yungui was also working, told by soone that the young intellectuals were here. Helplessly, he put down the big hoe.
"What brings you here?"
"Village Chief Li, the six of us want to take a leave tomorrow to go to the county’s young intellectual office. As it’s our first ti collecting subsidies, we can’t let soone else collect for us."
Li Yungui nodded, "Alright, go, be safe."
The six were pleasantly surprised, not expecting the village chief to be so agreeable.
Actually, Li Yungui thought even if they worked tomorrow, they wouldn’t accomplish much; rather, it’d be more irritating to watch. So, let them go.
The six happily returned. Pan Xiaoying laughed, "See, I said we should ask."
After the young intellectuals left, Li Cunshan sighed, "Yungui, why let them all go?"
"Even if they stayed, they wouldn’t do anything? I’m worried they’ll slack here, affect our work."
Li Cunshan sighed again, "That’s true, let them go then."
"We have three days left to dig the foundation, let’s start laying the stones. When the night freeze ends, we can build directly."
"Alright, let Jiushang drive the tractor to bring soil, after the foundation is buried."
In the evening, Xu Chunshan went to Li Yungui’s house for the introduction letter, can’t go without it.
The next day, the six of them set off at six in the morning before daylight. Along the way, despite their cotton shoes getting wet, they had to tread carefully, fearing a fall.
At seven thirty, they reached the township bus stop, waited a while only to feel their feet icy cold.
But they had hope ahead, about to take the bus, relieving their suffering.
An hour’s shaky bus ride later, they arrived in the county, excitedly heading to the young intellectual office only to receive a thunderous shock, future subsidies were just so vouchers, no money. The few were dumbfounded.
Lantian looked at them, "This is this year’s new regulation."
The young intellectual office was packed, all young intellectuals had sallow faces, expressions of despair. Although previously earning few work points, at least they had subsidies. Now, no subsidies. What to do?
To survive, to eat, ans they must work.
Young intellectuals newly arriving this year were even more desperate. They hadn’t worked yet, daily fed by the village, though not enough, it was acceptable. But what about later? The food would be deducted from their work points. Those planning to drift through life now found the future bleak.
Chen Hui and Fu Xiaoping also ca, shocked by the news, but being hardworking, they didn’t find it unacceptable.
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