Chapter 621 - 615_1
Lin Yue chatted with the villagers she met on the road for a while before walking towards the village chief’s house. After the chaos caused by the refugees, she did not know what had become of the village chief’s home. Although the walls of his courtyard were not as high as those of her own family, they were considered sturdy in the village. She did not know if the refugees had broken in, but it was improbable that it had remained untouched, given that the refugees had grown increasingly frenzied and aggressive in recent days and someone had even dared to climb over their walls, let alone the village chief’s.
However, the atmosphere at the village chief’s house was far from harmonious. Because the refugees had forced their way in, the family’s grain had been looted by the refugees. Fortunately, the village chief’s wife was astute and had secretly hidden some grain beforehand. With this supply, they wouldn’t be able to fill their bellies, but at least they wouldn’t all starve to death. Yet the village chief still wanted to divide the little remaining grain in half to give to the two neighboring families.
"No way, this is all the grain we have left. We don’t even have enough for ourselves. We don’t know when the refugees will leave. If we give the grain to others, what will we do? Don’t even think about it. I won’t divide the grain," she said.
The village chief’s wife clutched the bag of grain tightly, refusing to hand it over. In normal times, she wasn’t this stingy, and she could even be considered generous. But what were the circumstances now? Her own family was barely getting by, how could she care for others? Didn’t she see how her two grandsons had become so emaciated in such a short time, their bodies visibly thinner? The sight pained her heart as a grandmother. She had already been very dissatisfied with the village chief’s decisions and actions, and she wouldn’t consent to such folly.
The village chief did feel some guilt towards his wife and family, as it was his decision that had dragged them all down. But no matter how he tried to persuade his wife, she wouldn’t listen, and he became increasingly angry at her obstinance. After all, he had always made the final decisions in the family, and his tone grew harsh.
"I have the final say in this house. If there’s not much grain left, we’ll just ration it. As long as we don’t starve, it’s fine. What’s the problem with giving away a little? After all, they are our neighbors of many years. Besides, I’m still the head of Zhao Family Village. How can I just watch someone starve to death beside me without doing anything? When did your heart become so hard? You’re being completely unreasonable," he said.
Having been terrified by the refugee situation for days and managing all the family affairs, the village chief’s wife always ate the least. She endured not eating until it was unbearable, hoping to save more grain. With such persistence, being accused by the village chief of being heartless and irrational was something she couldn’t bear. In a burst of sorrow and tears, she no longer cared about the grain and pointed her finger at Zhao Youfu.