Through the troubled times and famine, I just want to farm peacefully

Hu Shao smiled and explained to Yun Yu, "Brother Yu, the villagers are afraid that bandits will come to rob the village. They are worried and think it is more reassuring to take the things with them."

Yun Yu was silent, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He had been dealing with villagers in various villages for more than half a year and understood very well the harm that the war had brought to them.

Ultimately, the villagers don’t trust them enough, but it’s okay, time will prove everything.

So, Yun Yu found a piece of vacant land for them and asked the villagers from East and West villages to put all their belongings together and let the women, the elderly and the children who did not have to queue look after them.

Just one or two people from each family need to go and queue up with their household registration.

Su Yunzhi was attracted by the noise from Longtan Grain and Oil Store early in the morning.

He knew that today was the day when Longtan Grain and Oil Store would sell affordable meat to the villagers, and every decision made by Lin Yinan was beyond his expectations.

In extraordinary times, it was rare to raise so many livestock. She did not sell them immediately, but instead sold them to the villagers at a low price. Su Yunzhi was impressed by her broad-mindedness.

Luo Shouxin and Pan Qingfeng stood by to supervise and direct, and the division of labor in the grain and oil store was clear.

There are villagers who are responsible for cutting meat, and there are also people responsible for checking and purchasing the agricultural and sideline products brought by the villagers, while the ones who register and check are Lin Tiezhuang and Lin Fu.

It was the first time that Lin Tiezhuang and Lin Fu faced so many villagers. They were a little flustered for a moment and it took them half a day to register one by one.

Su Yunzhi rushed forward to help, "Brother Tiezhuang, I'll help you find it. Ah Fu will register. It will be faster this way."

The two of them looked at him with gratitude.

On the table next to the meat exchange, there were several baskets of eggs, the eggs were buried in rice husks, and the villagers who bought the meat hesitated and did not dare to ask

The daughter-in-law standing in front of the egg basket smiled and called to him, "Buy a few and take them home. These eggs will hatch into chicks soon."

The villagers asked in a low voice, "How much do you want to sell this for?"

The wife said cheerfully, "Two for five coins, five for ten coins, and the purchase limit is only five."

The villager was very tempted, but his family was poor. When he first arrived in Longtan, he had to buy rice seeds on credit. He finally saved up a few hundred coins from corvee labor and had some money in his hands. He wanted to buy two pounds of meat for his mother and children during the New Year.

Thinking about the bamboo weavings he brought with him and the dried vegetables his wife had dried, he asked tentatively, "Can I exchange them with my own dried vegetables or bamboo weavings?"

"Good workmanship can be replaced."

The villager was very happy to hear this. He quickly took off his backpack and took out a few handfuls of dried vegetables that were so crispy that they could be squeezed easily, as well as a few pretty little bamboo baskets and straw sandals.

"Which ones do you think can be exchanged?"

The daughter-in-law looked at the clan leader next to her. Luo Shouxin's father and the clan leader came forward to take a look. There was no burr on the bamboo basket and the straw sandals were also well woven.

"No problem, your craftsmanship is really good."

The clan leader nodded, and his wife followed the process they had been taught at the meeting and took the bamboo baskets and straw sandals, which were in short supply. They had planted a lot of dried vegetables today, so they harvested them only after they had no choice.

The villager put the five eggs he had exchanged into a basket and carried it carefully on his back.

Once the first person tried it, others followed.

When there are more people, there will be doubts.

"Big sister, what if the chicks don't hatch after you buy them?"

Others nodded in agreement, "If time passes, the chicks won't hatch and the eggs will go bad. This money will be wasted!"

After he said this, the others became even more hesitant to leave. Although ten cents was not a lot of money, it would be difficult to earn it back.

Even the villager who had just exchanged his eggs stopped and listened to everyone's discussion. He felt a little hesitant and didn't know whether to give it back or not!

As the villagers were talking in private, they saw an egg buried in a rice husk in a bamboo basket shake a few times, and then crack in full view of everyone. Then the eggshell was pecked open little by little by the chicken's beak, and a yellow fluffy chick broke out of the shell.

"Ah! The chicks have really hatched!"

"Give me five!"

"I want five too!"

No matter how much we say, it is better for everyone to see it with their own eyes.

The villagers in the queue kept their eyes and ears open, and after buying meat they hurried over to exchange it for eggs, fearing that they would run out of eggs if they were slow.

After buying the meat and ten fertilized eggs, the Dashi couple were very satisfied. They whispered that they would go back quickly to hatch the chicks.

"Grandma, I'm hungry." The young grandson looked at them eagerly.

After walking with the adults for a whole day, the two children were already dizzy and hungry. The eldest grandson was sensible and didn't dare to complain even though he was hungry.

Looking at the many closed shops on both sides of the grain and oil store, the old couple Dashi were in a dilemma. With so many shops closed, where could they buy food?

The Dashi couple took their two grandsons back to the grain and oil store and asked Pan Qingfeng who was standing at the door of the store somewhat embarrassedly.

"Brother, is there any place to buy food in the county town?"

Pan Qingfeng slapped his head, he almost forgot such an important thing.

He hurriedly said, "Auntie, if you keep walking along this road, you will reach the county cafeteria. There is food inside and the price is not expensive. Hurry up and take the children to eat."

"Thank you, young man!" Aunt Dashi thanked him sincerely.

"You're welcome. Go quickly and don't let the child starve." Pan Qingfeng said considerately.

After everyone left, Pan Qingfeng found a few children from the tribe and stood at the intersection, holding a sign with large characters on it, to show the villagers the way and instruct them to tell them where they could eat if anyone approached.

The canteen was also prepared early. Today, white porridge with pickles was served. It only cost one cent per bowl. The bowl was a large one and an adult could be full with just one bowl.

There are also multi-grain vegetable cakes, the size of a palm, also costing one penny each.

After buying the meat, the old couple Dashi were reluctant to buy more porridge, even if it was only one penny. They gave one bowl to each of their two grandsons and one bowl to the couple.

Walking out of the cafeteria, the two children touched their round bellies.

"Grandma, the white porridge in the cafeteria is so delicious." The little grandson said happily with a smile on his face.

The eldest grandson is still savoring the taste of the pickles. Hmm, grandma’s cooking is delicious.

"I saw some oil in the pickles."

Uncle Dashi touched the heads of his two grandsons, with a smile on his wrinkled face.

"Let's go back after we've eaten! These days are becoming more and more promising."

Hearing that a large bowl of thick white rice porridge with pickles in the canteen only cost one penny, many villagers gritted their teeth, stomped their feet, and ran to the canteen with their families.

Never mind, I’m so hungry!

No matter what, I have to eat a bowl before going back.

For a while, Longtan Grain and Oil Store and canteen were crowded with people.

After eating, everyone consciously took their bowls outside, scooped water to wash them, and placed them in a bamboo basket beside them.

It is a rare trip to the county town, so after dinner the villagers would go shopping in the few shops in the county town to buy daily necessities such as needles and thread.

After the villagers of Dongxi Village confirmed that the city had really sent troops to suppress the bandits, they stayed in the city for one night. On the second day, under Yun Yu's persuasion, the villagers collectively pooled some money and rented a mule cart from the county town to help them pull back the heavy things.

Although Yun Yu had not experienced the hardship of fleeing or the loss of his family, after half a year of living together, the villagers still listened to what he said.