Chapter 240: Comparison Breeds Resentment

When Liang Huan and the others returned to the village, they were utterly exhausted.

They did get food, but the labor intensity was truly brutal.

The supervisors didn’t care which village you were from—any sign of slacking off and you’d be scolded. No one dared to slack. If the meals hadn’t been decent, they wouldn’t have made it through. Even so, people were still collapsing on the worksite.

“Did you bring any food back?” a village woman asked her husband when she saw his empty hands.

The man instantly flared up.

Already worn out to the bone, and now getting questioned the moment he walked in—who wouldn’t get angry?

“You should be grateful I didn’t eat what little we have at home, and now you expect me to bring food back? Do you even know how grueling that job is? We were assigned to hammer rocks! A few buns aren’t nearly enough!”

The woman was both disappointed and regretful.

“If I had known what the commune was like, I’d have chosen Zhoujiazhuang instead. You wouldn’t believe it—Liang Huang brought back ten buns!” she said enviously.

If only she could take it all back!

Just a couple of days ago, their household had drawn the lot to go to Zhoujiazhuang. But they weren’t happy about it and kicked up a fuss. Eventually, Liang Zan came to them and offered to switch.

Back then, they thought Liang Zan was a fool—he agreed to the trade without hesitation. And with the village chief and others as witnesses, both families signed a formal agreement.

It clearly stated: no matter what happens, neither party can back out.

But now, their neighbor Liang Huang came back with ten mixed-grain buns, while their family returned empty-handed. That comparison hit hard.

It was painfully clear—they had made the wrong choice.

And the worst part? It was all their doing. They signed that agreement and even left their thumbprints. No way to go back now. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Mama! I want buns too,” said one of the three kids nearby, all of them gazing up with pleading eyes.

They were hungry but only had coarse corn buns to eat—and not enough. Each kid only got one, and they often woke up hungry in the middle of the night, forced to drink water just to fill their bellies.

Hearing his wife’s words, the man froze, then stared in disbelief. “That’s impossible.”

How could he believe that?

Zhoujiazhuang not only fed them well but even let them bring ten buns home? Who would buy that story? Was Zhoujiazhuang really that rich in grain?

No matter what anyone else thought, he didn’t believe it.

He refused to believe that Zhoujiazhuang was wealthier and more generous than the Hongxing Commune.

As for the children, he simply ignored them.

What else could he do? Their family only received so much food. Once it was gone, there’d be none left. Right now, they had to ration. Eating just enough to not starve was the only option.

“How is it impossible? Go ask around yourself if you don’t believe me. Everyone who went to Zhoujiazhuang brought buns back. It’s not just something I saw!” the woman insisted.

There were plenty of people who went to Zhoujiazhuang, and all of them came back with food—it wasn’t something that could be hidden.

She added, “I heard they get five buns for breakfast. Liang Huang saved two. Lunch and dinner were seven each. He skipped one at lunch and brought all seven back from dinner. That makes ten, doesn’t it?”

Her husband was dumbfounded.

Zhoujiazhuang was that generous? Three meals a day, and the quantity was even better than what the commune provided?

“I’m going to ask around.” He still couldn’t believe it and rushed out the door.

Others who had worked at the commune were also coming out to see what was going on.

Very soon, they got the full story—and sure enough, it was all true.

What a miscalculation!

Had they known, they would’ve gone to Zhoujiazhuang too.

“With food like that, Zhoujiazhuang won’t last long. Just wait, they’ll be crying soon. Think about it—even if they had a bumper harvest this year, how much can they possibly spare after paying grain taxes? You think they’d really feed outsiders like kings?” someone said, unable to accept the reality and speculating aloud.

“Exactly! I bet it’s just the first day. Zhoujiazhuang probably gave them extra food to make a good impression,” another person chimed in.

…

Some even went to the village chief to “report the situation.”

But really, they were just hinting, hoping the village chief would switch them over to Zhoujiazhuang.

Village Chief Liang flew into a rage and cursed them out thoroughly. First you volunteered to go to the commune, and now you want to switch? What do you take this for?

Who do you think I am? You think I can just change things on a whim?

The names are already submitted. You think it’s up to me?

He gave each of them a tongue-lashing until they slunk away in shame. They knew they had no ground to stand on—there was no room to argue.

“Liang Zan, you’re going to the commune tomorrow. I’m taking back the trade,” one man said, trying to backtrack right at Liang Zan’s doorstep.

Liang Zan just smiled and pulled out a sheet of paper—the agreement. “You think this is nothing? Want me to bring the clan elders in? If the village chief and the elders say I should give it back, then fine, I’ll do it.”

The man stared at the agreement, tempted to rip it to shreds.

Regret gnawed at him.

Some people had been trying to comfort themselves, saying the food was probably only good on the first day. But no one was stupid. The Zhoujiazhuang team leader had made it clear—the food amounts were fixed.

Even if they were to change it, it wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

In the end, the man slunk off, defeated. If he actually caused enough of a fuss to involve the elders, not only would he fail to get what he wanted, but he’d also get a taste of how ruthless they could be.

Don’t be fooled by their age or frailty—one word from them and he could be driven out of the village.

That would be a disaster.

He’d have to find another solution.

At this rate, his family wouldn’t last long. They might not even make it to the next harvest, let alone the New Year. How would they survive the winter?

There were still some unharvested cornfields in the village. When it was time, each household might get a bit more.

Meanwhile, when Xu Xiangbei returned to his home in the city, he made quite the impression.

Three jin of pork and a fat rooster. That kind of meat was a rare luxury for his family—they hadn’t tasted it in ages.

That’s right! In the end, Zhou Yimin insisted on giving him the three jin of pork and the rooster to take home, so his family could enjoy it.

Xu Xiangbei hadn’t intended to accept. After all, his situation wasn’t that bad.

His family had money and meat ration coupons—but they simply couldn’t buy any meat.

Tomorrow, he’d be heading to Zhoujiazhuang again, and he’d bring money with him. This meat—he’d consider it paid for.

A few days ago, he’d told his family he’d be working in the countryside for a while. They’d reacted with scorn, saying things like “what’s so great about the countryside?”

But now, staring at the three jin of pork and that big rooster, their jaws practically hit the floor.

“From now on, you’d better stop looking down on the countryside. Zhoujiazhuang has even fenced off an entire mountain to raise chickens,” Xu Xiangbei said.

“That’s amazing! Make good connections—then we might get eggs too,” Mrs. Xu said joyfully.

They had a lot of kids and needed the nutrition. Their first pregnancy had produced triplets—they hadn’t exactly planned for that.

(End of Chapter)