Reborn in 1965, I can obtain resources just by sweeping the floor.

"Brother Erlin, to be honest, if they were really those wicked capitalists, they would have been dealt with at the beginning of the founding of the country. The reason why these people were spared is because they were not that bad or made any contributions."

"Now some people are digging up old problems to punish them, perhaps because they deserve it, or perhaps because some people have ulterior motives, just like Yu Qian and Zhang Juzheng in the Ming Dynasty, weren't they all doing it for..."

"Comrade Xiao Su, what you said is excellent. Although I don't quite understand it, I think what you said makes a lot of sense. No wonder the village chief said you are a capable person. Tell me about those two people you just mentioned, what is this 'humility' and 'righteousness'?"

Yang Erlin scratched his head, chuckled, and, regardless of whether he understood or not, treated it as just listening to a story.

Su Chen did not refuse. He went through the two people's deeds in his mind and then used some embellishment techniques to make it sound like he was telling a story. Yang Erlin clapped and cheered from time to time.

"Comrade Xiao Su is back! How was your trip to the county?"

As soon as Su Chen and his group entered the village, they saw Yang Dazhuang leading a few people carrying a cart full of dry grass. When they saw Su Chen return, Yang Dazhuang hurried over.

"Don't worry, Uncle Yang, it's all taken care of. Brother Fang and his wife even asked me to bring you two some food."

Seeing Yang Dazhuang's hesitant expression, Su Chen knew he was worried about his son-in-law. He immediately took a net bag from the oxcart, which contained several packets of fruit and two cans of food, and handed it to Yang Dazhuang.

"That's good, that's good. You can go back now. We still need to get some dry grass for the roof of the cowshed. Why do they have to bother us like this? Is that cowshed a place for people to live?"

Yang Dazhuang originally approached Su Chen as a last resort, but he didn't expect that the young man could actually solve his son-in-law's troublesome problem. Suddenly, Su Chen's importance in Yang Dazhuang's heart increased even more.

Su Chen knew about the cowshed in the village; it was a shed supported by four wooden sticks, so cold that even the cows felt cold inside, let alone people.

"Uncle Yang, you go ahead with your work. I'll come to see you tonight; there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Yang Erlin drove the oxcart all the way to Grandpa Hu's door. Before leaving, Su Chen slipped a pack of cigarettes into his pocket.

"Comrade Xiao Su, I can't accept your things. Take them back quickly, or my dad will scold me."

“Take it if Erlin is giving it to you. I’m very happy that you came to the village to pick me up in this cold weather. If you don’t want it, then I won’t let you pick me up next time. Besides, you can take this cigarette and show it off. Have you forgotten how Erdan showed it off in front of you last time?”

"Hehehe, you're right. That kid had two cigarettes last time, and he was showing them off everywhere. I'm going to go and make him jealous."

Thinking of Erdan's reaction to the pack of cigarettes in his hand, Yang Erlin stopped refusing, chuckled, put the cigarettes in his shirt pocket, and drove away in his oxcart.

That evening, after dinner, Su Chen carried a bottle of wine and a bag of sugar to Village Chief Yang's house.

"Xiao Chen, you can come as you please, but why bring that stuff? You're going to take it with you when you leave, or you'll never be allowed to come here again. I really have to thank Hao Yu for what happened this time."

"Uncle Yang, I bought these things at the county department store. I just wanted you to have a taste, that's all. If you consider me family, you can keep them. If you don't, I'll take them now."

"You little rascal, I really can't do anything with you. Come on in and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed). I'll have your aunt heat up the leftovers and fry some peanuts. You'll have a drink with your uncle."

Yang Dazhuang took the things Su Chen handed him, put the wine on the table, and his wife carefully put the sugar into the cabinet, afraid that the boys in the house would squander it.

After having a couple of drinks with Yang Dazhuang, Su Chen hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Uncle Yang, what do you think of those people who were sent down to our village?"

Upon hearing Su Chen's question, Yang Dazhuang picked up his wine glass, downed the wine in one gulp, let out a long breath, and then slowly spoke.

“Xiao Chen, I don’t consider you an outsider. There are some things I shouldn’t say, but since you’ve asked, I’ll say a few words.”

"Actually, what these people did or didn't do doesn't mean much to us. We can only say that they were unlucky to encounter such a thing. A few days ago, when I went to the township for a meeting, Secretary Geng specifically mentioned this issue and suggested that each village should make better arrangements for them, but this suggestion was not passed and was rejected by the Revolutionary Committee."

"The Revolutionary Committee also proposed that these people be put in cowsheds, saying it was to give them a profound education. They also said that the Revolutionary Committee would send people to various villages to supervise their reform. After the Revolutionary Committee members came to the villages, Xiao Chen should try to say as little as possible, whether it was something he should or shouldn't say. You never know which word he said wrong and they would punish him."

These words made Su Chen realize that Yang Dazhuang truly didn't consider him an outsider; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have spoken so frankly. Although it's just the beginning, it could be a big problem if someone with ulterior motives reported it.

“Uncle Yang, I understand. Actually, I came here to discuss with you how to improve the cowshed, so that it can at least provide shelter from the wind and rain. You know, those people have been sent down to the countryside, but what if one day this storm passes and they go back to their old ways? They will definitely remember the kindness you showed them.”

“You’re really only sixteen, but you sound more mature than me. You’re right, it doesn’t matter if that day never comes; consider it as accumulating good karma for your children and grandchildren.”

Yang Dazhuang looked Su Chen up and down, and after a long while, he smiled and said something.

A few days later, a dilapidated truck arrived in the village. Yang Dazhuang, who had been notified in advance, had already gathered all the villagers together. Today was the day those capitalists arrived, and it was also the first day that the Revolutionary Committee had moved into Kaoshantun. Therefore, the comrades of the Revolutionary Committee were going to hold an educational meeting for all the villagers of Kaoshantun.

The person in charge of the Revolutionary Committee who moved into Kaoshantun was a woman in her thirties named Zhang Cuihua. She was not very tall, only about 1.6 meters. Her dark face revealed a sharp and mean attitude. She had short hair that reached her ears and wore a badge with a portrait of the Great Man on her chest.

"Comrades! Bring those stinking intellectuals and capitalist roaders up here and let them face the people's judgment."

Standing on the platform set up by the village committee, Zhang Cuihua first shouted a series of slogans with great enthusiasm, and then waved her hand vigorously.

Four haggard-looking old men were pushed onto the platform by several teenagers dressed in green military uniforms, wearing military caps and bright red armbands. The four old men were wearing tall hats made of white paper, like the White Impermanence, and their faces were covered in bruises. They also had signs hanging on their chests that read "Capitalist Scoundrels."

"Kneel down! Kneel down now! You must repent to the people! You must accept the people's criticism!"

Without a word, several young men quickly pushed the four elderly people to the ground and made them kneel on the high platform facing the villagers.

"Comrades, these people are sabotaging the revolution and hindering socialist construction. We must fight against such behavior..."

"Good! You're absolutely right. We can't tolerate such people destroying our great country."

"Pah! You bunch of morally corrupt old bastards, you are simply traitors to the country. You are capitalists who came to corrupt us. When I see scum like you, I wish I could beat you to death."

No sooner had Zhang Cuihua’s righteous words fallen than a man rushed out from behind the crowd, shouting and cursing as he ran up to the platform and began punching and kicking the four elderly people.

Seeing the person rushing up the platform, almost everyone in the village frowned. For the past few days, Yang Dazhuang had been admonishing the villagers that even if they didn't help those who had been sent down, they shouldn't kick them when they were down. They never expected that the first person to rush up would be him.

"Comrade, you are absolutely right. We need comrades like you who are persistent, idealistic, and dare to fight against bad elements. I hereby announce that from today onwards, you are the deputy director of the Kaoshantun Revolutionary Committee. What is your name?"

"Hello Director Zhang, my name is Wang Fu. I will definitely educate these bad elements under your leadership and make them realize their mistakes."