I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Early the next morning, Er Gouzi arrived, carrying the betrothal gifts his family had prepared: some meat and fifty yuan. It was all the money they had saved up recently, a clear sign of how seriously Zhang Yufen was taking this.

Niu Yuesheng’s truck arrived soon after. Zhao Wendong immediately pulled him into the house to eat, refusing to let go even when he said he’d already eaten. Things were different now. Before, they were just buddies, but now they were about to become family. Seeing Niu Yuesheng, Zhao Ergou lost his usual composure, smiling awkwardly as he greeted him.

"Brother Niu."

Zhao Wendong clapped him on the back. "What’s this ’Brother Niu’ nonsense? From today on, you call him brother-in-law."

"It’s fine. Call me whatever you want."

Seeing how awkward Zhao Ergou was, Niu Yuesheng tried to smooth things over. ’This is the brother-in-law I picked out myself. Of course I have to dote on him a little.’

"This is my mom, my dad, this is my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and this is..."

Zhao Wendong introduced his family members one by one, and Niu Yuesheng greeted each in turn. He was particularly respectful toward Zhang Yufen, who would be his sister’s mother-in-law. He couldn’t help but feel a little smug. ’See that? My status just got upgraded from friend to family. I’m such a clever guy.’

After breakfast, the large truck drove directly to Third Master Zhao’s doorstep. The militiamen from yesterday had also arrived early. Third Master Zhao had originally asked them for help, and yesterday they had even been given two wolves, a massive windfall. Thus, everyone was exceptionally motivated. They loaded the two coffins into the truck, and the group climbed aboard. Third Master Zhao was given the passenger seat in the cab, and the truck set off toward Song Family Village in the neighboring Minle Commune.

In Song Family Village, a crowd had gathered in front of a low, dilapidated adobe house. A woman, surrounded by a group of children, was speaking to the people gathered there.

"Team Leader, you have to help us! If anything happens to Yongguang, our Guan Family... all of us... we won’t be able to survive! He said he was going to the market to trade for grain. He should have been back by today at the latest! He’s still not back. I’m afraid something’s happened to him too!"

The speaker was Guan Yongguang’s aunt. After Guan Yongguang failed to return, she had waited anxiously for two days before she couldn’t bear it any longer. She had sought help from the production team committee and the village folk, hoping they could help search for him.

"Listen, from the Guans’ family... it’s not that we won’t help you look. The market at Qianjin Commune is supposed to be a sea of people. We’d just be searching blindly; we’d never find him. Besides, it’s so far away. It would take a whole day just to walk there and back. In this freezing weather, none of us have any food in our bellies."

After the Song Family Village production team leader finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help; their circumstances simply didn’t allow for it.

"I have some! I still have grain at home!"

After saying this, Guan Yongguang’s aunt went inside her house. When the crowd saw her emerge with the only remaining small half-sack of sorghum, they all shook their heads without a word.

"This is all the grain we have left! Team Leader, can you please arrange for some people to help us find Yongguang?"

The production team leader looked at it and sighed.

"Listen, ma’am from the Guan family. This bit of grain isn’t even enough to feed your family for a few days. If you give this away, what will you all do, starve? This isn’t enough to make a difference. Keep it for your family to eat. Ai, forgive me for being blunt, but given the situation... you should prepare yourself for the worst."

Guan Yongguang’s aunt looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She stared at the production team leader in disbelief, her lips trembling.

"T-Team Leader, what do you mean by that? Are you saying Yongguang... he’s had an accident too?"

The production team leader sighed and said nothing. Guan Yongguang’s aunt’s legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. A girl standing beside her, who, despite her ragged clothes, had delicate and pretty features, quickly caught her.

"Mom, it’s okay, don’t worry! I... I’ll go find my brother."

This was Guan Yonghe, the second daughter of Guan Yongguang’s uncle. She had turned twenty after the New Year, an age when she should have long been married. However, due to her family’s poverty and her own high standards, the matter had been delayed until now.

"Heh, why don’t you all just come live with me? I’ll support you."

A filthy man in his forties suddenly spoke up from the crowd, flashing a set of yellow teeth. Though his words were directed at Guan Yongguang’s aunt, his eyes were glued to Guan Yonghe. This man was the village’s old bachelor.

"Your Guan Family doesn’t even have a single male over the age of ten left. Come live with me. I have grain at my house, and I have a skill. I’ll take care of you."

Both Guan Yonghe and her mother recoiled. The mother gritted her teeth and cursed.

"Song the Leper, you shameless bastard! My whole family could starve to death before you’d get to take advantage of us! Why don’t you go look at your own reflection in the river? What the hell do you think you are? If my husband were still here, he’d break your damn legs!"

Only her curses rang out; everyone else, including the production team leader, remained silent. Although Song the Leper was an old bachelor with a skin disease and seemed like a poor match, he at least had a considerable amount of grain at home.

Because Song the Leper was an excellent carpenter, he earned many work points during the summer, which naturally meant he received a larger share of grain. He could also take on private jobs from time to time. Following him was a path to survival, and it was better than starving to death. The other villagers wanted to help, but they were powerless to do so. Their own families were also struggling to get by.

"Team Leader, can you really bear to stand by and watch him ruin us, a family of widows and orphans?"

Guan Yongguang’s aunt stared at the production team leader and demanded furiously, "The Guans’ family has made contributions, haven’t we? My father-in-law was a pioneer of the revolution, wasn’t he?"

Seeing her fierce reaction and that she had even brought up Guan Xiangying, the production team leader could no longer pretend not to see. He pointed a stern finger at Song the Leper and roared.

"Song the Leper, you fucking get the hell out of here! If you say one more goddamn inappropriate thing or try to take advantage of their plight, I’ll fucking arrest you and lock you up for three days!"

Seeing the production team leader fly into a rage, Song the Leper ducked his head and scurried back into the crowd. Just then, a large truck could be seen roaring toward them in the distance. The sight of the approaching truck made everyone stop talking. They stared curiously. In those days, a truck coming to the village was a truly rare event.

The Song Family Village production team leader also found it strange. ’Why would a big truck be coming here? Could it be officials from the Commune or the county?’

With this in mind, he quickly straightened his clothes and led the way forward to greet the truck as it slowly rolled to a stop.