Reborn before the famine, kicking away the scumbag's family and living a carefree life.

89. Disappointment (2)

Du Mei said, "Do you think you can just take whatever you say as fact? I don't believe it. How can someone who has never been to school develop a new product? Even those who specialize in learning how to farm scientifically haven't been able to do it."

Dingxiang: "It's your business if you don't believe it, no one needs you to believe it. But you slander the technicians, disrupt production, and damage the collective. If everyone were like you, it would discourage those who wholeheartedly serve the people. Captain, shouldn't such people be punished? Otherwise, who will dare to contribute to the people in the future?"

Sanbao summoned four militiamen.

He pointed to Du Mei and Zeng Jianying.

"Arrest them both and lock them up in the neighborhood security committee's dark room."

Du Mei's expression changed instantly.

"Why are you arresting us?"

Sanbao: "Just because you spread rumors and slander against technical guidance, deliberately sabotaging production, undermining unity, and destroying the collective."

This is no small crime. Being locked up in a dark room by the security committee is a minor matter. If it really is a new product developed by Su Jinru that has saved so many people, then slandering her might lead to imprisonment. Zeng Jianying immediately backed down.

"I was wrong, Captain, I was wrong. I shouldn't have doubted Su Jinru's technical skills. I believe in the new products she developed, and I will never doubt her again."

Du Mei initially felt it was unfair and was still resentful, but seeing Zeng Jianying's sincere attitude in admitting her mistake, she became frightened. If she were released just because of her good attitude and instead sent to a dark room alone, she would be left alone.

Du Mei imitated Zeng Jianying and said, "Captain, Ding Xiang, I was wrong too. I believe it. I believe Su Jinru is the technician who developed the new product. I will never doubt her again."

Sanbao: "You two are quite eager to admit your mistakes, but I don't think you realize you're wrong at all, because you're only admitting your mistakes to avoid punishment."

Du Mei: "I really realize that I was wrong."

Zeng Jianying: "I also realized that I was wrong."

Sanbao snorted coldly: "Take him away!"

Both of them were taken away by the militia.

Du Mei and Zeng Jianying were taken to a small dark room in the local security committee and locked up for three days and three nights.

Having finally recovered from hunger, the two were once again experiencing the agony of unbearable hunger.

The neighborhood committee members said that they were just too full and needed to fast for a few days to recover.

On the fourth day, when they were released, both of them were so weak in the knees that they almost fell over.

After Du Mei returned home, she was given a severe scolding by Qi Zhengyang.

"You're really good at stirring up trouble. Are you feeling better now?"

Du Mei didn't have the energy to argue with him, and said weakly, "Is there anything to eat at home? I'm hungry."

"Don't you know we eat in the communal canteen now? How could you possibly have food at home? Just go hungry! Wait until the canteen opens tomorrow morning."

"Didn't we still have some food left?"

"There were a few sweet potatoes left, but the children ate them. You know, children are growing..."

Du Mei was so angry that she kicked the stool over.

“Children, children, are these children reincarnated from starving ghosts? All they do is cry out for food and eat. Your older brother and sister-in-law are pigs, all they do is give birth, like rats, so many of them, and they don’t care about themselves, so why should we care about them? Why don’t they all starve to death like their parents?”

Qi Zhengyang slapped Du Mei.

Du Mei was hit so hard that she fell to the ground.

Du Mei couldn't help but burst into tears.

Qi Zhengyang yelled at her, "You're still crying? How dare you cry? The communal dining hall has been reopened, production has resumed, and classes will resume soon. You've caused this trouble now, and you still have the nerve to cry? Do you think you've been wronged?"

Du Mei immediately stopped crying.

She wanted to ask if he had heard rumors about classes resuming, but she didn't want to bow down to him, so she could only sob as she got up and lay down on the bed in the room.

Du Mei went hungry for three days and three nights, and when she got home she was beaten by Qi Zhengyang. She felt really wronged, but she didn't dare to do anything to Qi Zhengyang, so she could only vent her anger on her brother-in-law's children.

She made the fifth and sixth daughters do the laundry and tidy up the house.

If they were unhappy, they would pinch them and threaten them not to tell their second uncle.

She didn't dare do anything to her three youngest sons, but she said that the two boys were quite grown up and had to go to the fields to work and earn work points.

The children had just returned from the brink of starvation and lost their parents. Now they were barely able to eat their fill and were being looked after by their second uncle. So they endured Du Mei's open and covert harassment without daring to utter a sound.

Two months passed quickly, and the third production team of Daben Township ushered in its second bumper harvest of grain.

This time, the yield per mu was 8,300 jin, which is 3% higher than before.

Planting in other areas has also yielded harvests, with an average yield of about 8,000 jin per mu.

This bumper harvest yielded enough grain to supply the entire Nanyang County with food and seeds for two months, meaning that Nanyang County had escaped famine, and the whole county rejoiced.

Zhang Jingui, the deputy county head in charge of agricultural production, was also commended by his superiors. The superiors called on other places to send technicians to Nanyang County to learn the techniques. After the next harvest in Nanyang County, the grain received, apart from his own family's food and seeds, will be used to help disaster victims in neighboring counties to resume production.

Nanyang County had just recovered from the famine and was in dire need of reconstruction. Their assistance to other places was not without reason.

Besides the sweet potato vines which can be donated free of charge, sweet potatoes and potatoes are supplied at the lowest price of two cents per pound, which is considered a wholesale price, also in the spirit of humanitarianism to help other brother counties.

There is a severe famine across the country. Some areas are suffering from drought, others from floods, and in some places, landslides caused by floods have destroyed villages and fields.

At this time, food was scarce and prices soared, so the government cracked down on selling grain at high prices.

After suffering from the locust plague, Nanyang County was able to overcome difficulties, emerge from its predicament, and become self-sufficient, even having surplus grain to help other neighboring counties. It was listed as a model of overcoming difficulties in Nanyang Province and received commendation from the provincial government, which encouraged other counties to learn from Nanyang County.

Despite the bumper harvest from the three-wheeled production, the members of the third production team in Daben Township still couldn't eat their fill.

The collective canteen of the third production team in Daben Township has resumed normal three meals a day, but children under the age of twelve receive two liang (100 grams) of grain per meal, while people over the age of twelve receive three liang (150 grams) per meal.

Although we still weren't full, it was much better than when we were starving.

So no one dared to complain.

Life has returned to normal, and schools are preparing to resume normal classes.

That afternoon, while eating in the communal canteen, Sanbao announced in front of everyone that starting tomorrow, all school-age children could go to school.