Affection for Sidaogou during the Famine

"I'm sending a bucket of dried sweet potatoes to your grandmother Wang's home. She has many children and only her son works, so it's really hard for her to get enough food.

If I don't help, she might starve to death for the sake of her grandchildren."

The old lady really couldn't bear it. She had been in Beijing for more than ten years, and there were only two or three people she could talk to. She was really afraid that they wouldn't be able to make it, and that no one would listen to her when she wanted to chat in the future.

"Then you can ask her daughter-in-law to come and get it herself. It's dark out here, aren't you afraid of something going wrong?"

"What can happen? I have a flashlight! Her daughter-in-law is timid and her family doesn't have a flashlight. I can't borrow food during the day, so I have to go there myself.

Okay, if this happens again, I'll ask her son to come."

Han Zhaozhao was comforted and went back to his room to sleep.

She returned to the house and entered the space directly. She still had to plant more sweet potatoes. Tonight, her grandmother reminded her that it was not appropriate to give other food to others, so it was better to give sweet potatoes.

Dried sweet potatoes are also sold on the black market. They are coarse grains and the government does not control them very strictly, so they can be stored for several years.

It was discovered by someone else, and it can be said that it was saved last year. Anyway, everyone knows that she grows sweet potatoes and potatoes in her backyard every year.

Han Zhaozhao seldom visited others, but through Niu Xiaoyun's third son, she knew that food was becoming increasingly scarce.

Grandpa Guan came to her twice to invite her to go fishing. He felt that if Han Zhaozhao followed him, his luck would improve and he would not return empty-handed every time.

"Grandpa Guan, that was in the past. Look, this year there are more people fishing than fish. No matter how fertile the fish in the water are, they can't keep so many people fishing!

That big fish, before it even had time to lay eggs, was caught by you both, male and female.

In my opinion, not only will you not be able to catch fish this year, you will also have a hard time catching fish next year! The fish are almost extinct, how can there be so many fish for you to catch? "

Master Guan nodded, "What you said makes sense! But why would I go if I don't go fishing? I can't go to the suburbs and compete with those children and old ladies to dig wild vegetables!

I can't snatch it away either. You don't know, those old ladies are very powerful. If they don't agree with you, they will really annoy you!"

Han Zhaozhao smiled secretly, it turned out that old man Guan had been tickled by the old lady, there must be something going on here!

She blinked her big eyes and her face was full of gossip.

Old Master Guan was an experienced man. When he saw her like this, he knew something bad was going to happen, so he turned around and left.

"I haven't had any meat for a month. Let me know when you guys are going to trap rabbits in the mountains. I'll go with you. I have a gun, so we can go hunt some wild animals and have some meat to eat."

Han Zhaozhao curled his lips, "How old are you? Why are you still following me up the mountain? You have old arms and legs, how can you run? Are you eating meat or do you want to feed the wild animals?"

But her family hasn't had meat for half a month, so it's time for them to go out and hunt.

On Saturday night, the friends gathered at Han's house to discuss whether it was possible to go into the mountains.

There are too many people nearby and all the wild animals have fled into the mountains, so it is impossible to go back and forth in one day.

We have to go to school on Monday and can't be late.

They had to find a place to get meat from which they could return within the same day.

Suddenly, Han Zhaozhao saw the clam shells on the table and said, "Let's go touch the clams!"

Niu Xiaolian followed her line of sight and said, "Are you talking about touching the giant clam we brought back last time?

That's fine too, big clams have lots of meat, spit out the mud, add some chili and stir-fry, it's pretty delicious."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go home and prepare the food. We have to get up early tomorrow so that we can go earlier and come back earlier." Niu Xiaoyun thought of the taste of the fried clams she had eaten last time and immediately agreed.

Xiao Sanzi had never eaten before, so he asked with a sullen face, "When did you guys eat secretly behind my back? Why didn't you call me? Where are the good friends you said you were? I'm the only one who took you seriously. Are you all liars?"

Niu Xiaomin: "Don't bring me up, I haven't eaten it either!"

Han Zhaozhao laughed angrily: "You said it as if we deliberately left you out. I won't talk about Xiaomin, but your family did it too. Who made you live in the school dormitory and didn't catch up?

Xiao Sanzi, we are not isolating you on purpose. This is our first time eating it too. Sister Xiaolian and the other two thought it was dirty and couldn’t be eaten!

The three of us clearly served as guinea pigs for you and tested the poison for you. Why didn't our kindness get rewarded? "

After setting a time to meet up the next morning, everyone dispersed and went home to prepare buckets, baskets and basins.

Xiao Liang and Wu Ni squeezed forward and said, "I want to go too!"

She rejected Wu Ni's application and approved Xiao Liang's application. She told Aunt Shu Fen to prepare some stuff for Xiao Liang.

Shufen moved her lips, wanting to say that she wanted to go too, but she was afraid that the children would not agree.

The old lady understood what she meant and thought that the road along the river was flat and it would not be difficult to take Wu Ni there.

Just say, "Zhao Zhao, your aunt Shufen and I won't be working tomorrow, so come with us!

There is strength in numbers. Let's catch more clams while no one knows about it. We can peel the meat, dry it and save it. We will have more to eat in the future."

Han Zhaozhao thought: Why not? The river is so long, it is impossible that there are clams only in that section of the riverbed. If not, they can search along the riverbed. Regardless of clams, they can always find something else to eat.

Thinking of this, she went to Guan's house and asked Grandpa Guan to come along. The old man had a bicycle, and if he went along, he could also carry two more children.

The next day, at daybreak, a group of people set out in a mighty procession.

There were several more people in the team than planned last night: Aunt Qian from the Qian family, Uncle Niu and his wife and the eldest son Niu Xiaojun from the Niu family, and another neighbor Qi Mudan.

There were fifteen people, young and old, men, women, and children, walking on the road, which was more than a whole class.

The children and the basins, baskets and buckets rode on tricycles, while Uncle Niu rode Uncle Guan's bicycle with a half-grown child on each side. The rest of the people first took the bus and then walked to the suburbs, dividing into two groups and gathering at the riverside.

When they reached the river, they did not dare to go where there were crowds of people. They walked downstream along the river until they disappeared from people's sight. Only then did the group stop and go down to the riverbed.

The water in the river had dried up again, even drier than the last time I came. There were only a few small puddles in a few places, and the riverbed was white under the sun.

Han Zhaozhao's heart tightened. Oh my god, there are so many big clams. I hope they don't get sunburned to death!

The boys ran like a flock of sheep out of the pen, faster than Han Zhaozhao. They ran to the bottom of the river and searched everywhere for clams.

"How could that be? It's so clean here, there's nothing but mud."

Niu Xiaojun shouted first.

Niu Xiaomin's third son said nothing, but bent down and dug in the mud.

Grandpa Guan and Grandpa Niu picked up their buckets and walked towards the puddle. They were still fantasizing about catching fish and shrimps!

Unfortunately, there were no big fish, only a few almost invisible finger-sized fish fry hiding among the pebbles.

It’s hard to catch and impossible to fish it out. It’s more cunning than humans!

The women stood on the shore and looked at each other, "We can't get down yet?"

Han Zhaozhao, Niu Xiaolian and several other half-grown children had already walked to the riverbed carrying baskets.

Several people kicked the mud as they walked, and when they saw a wet spot, they stopped and dug with sticks.

After a while, Niu Xiaoyun shouted: "Found it, it's here!"