Chapter 236: They Didn’t Agree to Lend Grain?

It was already late at night, yet many people in Shuangtian Village were still awake.

The predicament the village was facing now was so obvious that even the children were aware of it—let alone the adults. Who could sleep under such pressure?

Today, most of the people the village chief had sent out had already returned.

The situation was grim. None of them had managed to borrow any grain.

Though everyone had just brought their grain into storage, almost every village had come to the same realization: the grain was not enough to last.

Under such circumstances, who would be generous enough to lend grain to outsiders? Wouldn’t that be starving themselves? So, no matter how deep the ties or favors owed, none of it worked. Some declined politely, others spoke bluntly.

“Now we can only wait for the village chief.”

“Let’s hope he brings back good news.”

“I heard Zhoujia Village is doing really well. They had a great harvest. When they turned in their public grain quota, their wheat was even rated Grade A!”

“Let’s hope that’s true.”

“I doubt it, honestly, because—”

Before the person could finish, someone nearby shot him a glare. He shut up immediately.

At a time like this, you’re going to be a wet blanket?

You’d deserve a beating.

In fact, the later the village chief returned, the more hopeful the situation seemed.

After all, if it had been a flat-out refusal, the village chief would likely have come back by now. The fact that he hadn’t returned yet possibly meant he was bringing back grain, which might explain the slower journey.

Just then, someone came running from the entrance of the village.

“The village chief is back!”

Everyone perked up at once.

Someone asked anxiously, “Well? Are they carrying grain?”

The runner shook his head. “No, the chief and the others came back empty-handed, but—”

“Empty-handed? We’re finished,” someone cut in immediately, and everyone around them burst into worried chatter, their faces filled with despair.

Heaven was really going to abandon Shuangtian Village now.

Some were already beginning to think about which relatives they might turn to in the coming days, mentally digging through distant family connections—especially the wealthier ones.

“What’s with all the noise? Let Xiao Liu finish.” The team leader did his best to stay calm.

The crowd quieted down instantly.

The young man who’d run back continued, “But the village chief and the others seemed to be in good spirits. They were chatting and laughing, so I think they probably brought back some good news.”

Hearing this, hope once again flared in everyone’s hearts.

Maybe Zhoujia Village had agreed to lend a lot of grain, and the village chief and the others simply couldn’t carry it all back immediately.

Almost everyone was thinking the same thing.

It was the only way they could comfort themselves.

At the edge of desperation, people need some kind of “light,” even if it’s imagined.

Upon hearing this, Shuangtian’s team leader let out a breath of relief.

Before long, Village Chief Liang returned with his group.

They were immediately surrounded by villagers.

“Village Chief, how did it go? How much grain did Zhoujia Village agree to lend?”

“Yeah! Thank goodness for Zhoujia Village!”

“They really are generous and righteous.”

…

Everyone was praising Zhoujia Village as if good words cost nothing.

Village Chief Liang was a little confused.

Liang Zan spoke up, “Zhoujia Village didn’t agree to lend us any grain. Who told you they did?”

They had never said anything of the sort.

What?

They didn’t agree?

The villagers all froze, their gazes turning less than friendly as they looked at Xiao Liu.

Giving people hope, only for that hope to turn out to be false—that was hard to swallow. If you knew it wasn’t possible from the start, you shouldn’t have said anything.

“They… they didn’t agree? But then why were you all chatting and smiling?” Xiao Liu was baffled.

Village Chief Liang explained, “Although Zhoujia Village didn’t agree to lend us grain, they did offer Shuangtian Village a way to survive.”

The team leader was thrilled. “What way?”

“First, the commune has asked every village to send people to work on the canal. The commune will provide meals. Zhoujia Village gave up their 20-person quota and transferred it to us so our villagers can go in their place.”

At these words, the villagers lit up with joy.

Adding their own village’s quota, this meant 40 people’s meals were now covered.

“That’s definitely a good thing,” Team Leader Liang Qianjin nodded in approval.

He had once served as a volunteer soldier and lost an ear in battle. After returning home, he was appointed as the team leader of Shuangtian Village.

“In addition,” Village Chief Liang continued, “Zhoujia Village is planning a major project. They’re short on manpower, so they’ve agreed to hire 50 of our villagers to help. Meals will be provided.”

This announcement sent the villagers into a frenzy of excitement.

Now, they had 90 people with guaranteed food.

Though the issue wasn’t fully resolved, it had significantly lightened the village’s burden.

“We’ll start by assigning one person from each household,” Village Chief Liang added.

Shuangtian had a total of 88 households, a small village. With each household sending one person, there would still be two slots left.

No one objected to this decision.

As for which person from each family would go, that was for the families themselves to decide. The village wouldn’t interfere.

“I think Zhoujia Village will probably need even more help down the line,” Village Chief Liang added. “We should build a good relationship with them and see if we can send more labor over.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. As long as there was food to eat, they were willing to work.

At the same time, many couldn’t help but think: Zhoujia Village was truly wealthy.

Not only did they have enough food for themselves, but they could even afford to hire help. It was hard to believe. No wonder their grain was rated Grade A—this must have been a bumper harvest.

That very night, each household in Shuangtian selected someone and submitted their names.

Two days later, Village Chief Liang personally led Liang Zan and the others—more than fifty people in total—to Zhoujia Village.

To show how much importance he placed on this cooperation, Village Chief Liang accompanied them himself.

On the road, he also warned them sternly, afraid that any misstep might jeopardize their relationship with Zhoujia Village. If there were any conflicts or problems, he would not let it slide.

Seeing how seriously the village chief took it, Liang Zan and the others also understood the gravity of the situation and promised to follow Zhoujia Village’s arrangements. They would not do anything extra or cause trouble.

In times like these, having enough to eat was already a blessing. Even if it meant doing some hard labor, it was nothing compared to the hunger they’d been facing in the village all year long.

When they arrived at Zhoujia Village, the village’s team leader was already waiting.

Originally, the old village secretary had planned to welcome them himself, but a small problem had popped up—a pipe in the chick hatchery had ruptured. Since the hatchery was a vital asset to the village, the old secretary had rushed over to handle it.

“Village Chief Liang, we meet again,” the team leader said, pulling out a cigarette and handing one to Liang.

As for the others, he couldn’t afford to hand out smokes to fifty people. A pack or two would be gone in a flash.

“Team Leader Zhou, sorry to keep you waiting. Where’s your secretary?” Village Chief Liang said politely.

He wasn’t very familiar with Team Leader Zhou but had a closer relationship with the village secretary.

“Our secretary had some urgent matters to handle and asked me to host you all. Come on, let’s get everyone together. We’ll eat first, then get to work in a bit. Sound good to everyone?” the team leader asked.

“No problem!”

The moment they heard food was involved, how could anyone complain?

(End of Chapter)