Chapter 716: Fleeing Famine 21
A few days later, the large group of villagers who had fled the famine returned.
Geng Dalin, who was weaving baskets in the yard, heard the commotion and thought strangers had come to steal from the village. He quietly climbed up a wooden ladder, poked his head over the courtyard wall, and looked outside.
Seeing that it was the villagers returning, he excitedly shouted, "Mom, Mom, the village head and others are back, the villagers are back."
"Husband, are the villagers really back?"
Sun Chunfeng threw down the half-woven vegetable basket in her hand, eagerly opened the courtyard gate, and ran out.
She soon returned, yelling, "Mom, Mom, the villagers are back, they’re all back."
"I know, it’s just the villagers coming back, why so loud?" Yuan Chun came out of the house, and just at that moment, the Zhu Family who lived to the west of the Geng Family were passing by the entrance.
Yuan Chun raised her voice and shouted, "Big Flower Sister, weren’t you all fleeing the famine? Why are you back?"
The Zhu Family then noticed that the Geng Family’s courtyard gate was open.
Mrs. Zhu said, "Sister-in-law Geng, the commune is distributing relief grain, so we came back to the village. Did you... did you come back early?"
"We’ve been back for nearly half a month. I can’t walk long distances because of my legs, and my second son and his wife with their five children are so filial, they accompanied this old, nearly dead woman back."
Yuan Chun paused, then asked with a puzzled look, "Big Flower Sister, what did you mean by the commune distributing relief grain?"
Mrs. Zhu excitedly told her, "Sister-in-law Geng, it’s a pity you came back too early and missed the good news. While fleeing the famine, we found a water source, a whole lake of clear water. The young men from our village who are good swimmers jumped right in to drink and wash, not minding it at all."
"Later, we reached the neighboring county where the officials told us that the country had distributed relief grain and we should return to the village to collect it."
"So, here we are, we all came back."
"Sister-in-law Geng, haven’t you heard any news these days while living in the village?" Mrs. Zhu inquired.
Yuan Chun shook her head, "Our family hasn’t been anywhere or left the house, so even if there was news, we wouldn’t hear it."
"That relief grain distribution is great news. I’ve been barely moving to save energy these days, oh, I’m starving..."
Yuan Chun rubbed her somewhat full stomach and added, "Big Flower Sister, you’ve been away from home for so long, there must be lots to do. I won’t keep you any longer."
Sun Chunfeng quickly stepped forward, slammed the courtyard gate shut, blocking the Zhu Family from scrutinizing them.
In truth, eating meat and rice every day, every member of the household looked rosy and had gained quite a bit of weight, nothing like people suffering from hunger.
Mrs. Zhu opened her mouth, wanting to tell Sister-in-law Geng about her eldest son and daughter-in-law being struck by lightning, but seeing the Geng Family’s gate closed, she swallowed her words.
"Never mind, such an inauspicious thing should be someone else’s news to tell the Geng Family." Mrs. Zhu muttered, taking the Zhu Family back to the neighboring yard.
Yuan Chun returned home and instructed Sun Chunfeng, "Let’s just cook some rice porridge tonight, don’t make any stir-fried dishes, a cold salad with garlic and black fungus as a side will do."
Cooking stir-fried dishes gives off a smell, and if people find out the Geng Family is having cooked food during a famine, they’ll surely become a target of public outrage.
It’s not about scarcity, but about inequality.
The Geng Family eating well during a famine is bound to cause resentment.
Better to avoid trouble than cause it.