Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The next morning, the snow stopped.

The atmosphere inside the room was even warmer than the heated wall. On the kang table, the stack of "big unity" bills that Lin Xiu had brought back last night was already warm from Lin Xiu's handling.

Zhao Shanhe divided the money into two parts. One part was thick, and the other part was thin.

"Xiuer, here's fifty yuan and these meat coupons, wrap them up carefully. Also, pack in the two jars of fruit and brown sugar we bought yesterday."

As Zhao Shanhe put on his shoes, he said, "I'll go to Grandpa Liu's house at the east end of the village first."

Lin Xiu paused for a moment, holding the dozen or so yuan she had prepared to return to the brigade: "Aren't we going to the brigade headquarters first? That accountant Wang was making sarcastic remarks by the well yesterday, saying that our family is taking advantage of the collective and not returning the money, and that we won't get any grain rebates next year..."

"Let him talk nonsense."

Zhao Shanhe buttoned up his cotton-padded coat, his eyes steady: "He's an outsider, but Grandpa Liu is my benefactor."

"When Niu Niu had a high fever and was on the verge of death, all of Old Zhao's relatives avoided us like the plague. Only Uncle Liu, who was not related to us at all, took out his own savings for his funeral."

There's a proper order to things.

Zhao Shanhe picked up the net bag, his tone solemn: "This money from Uncle Liu is a 'debt of conscience,' which must be repaid first, and repaid with utmost respect. The money from the brigade is a 'debt of face.' I'll settle my conscience first, then I can go get the money to slap that snobbish jerk's face!"

Hearing her husband's words, tears welled up in Lin Xiu's eyes again. She nodded vigorously.

My husband has truly figured things out.

……

At the east end of the village, in the Liu family's courtyard.

The yard was swept clean, and even the firewood stacks in the corners were neatly arranged.

Grandpa Liu Changshui is over sixty years old this year. He is a veteran who returned from the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and is also a well-known "stubborn old man" in the village.

He is usually quiet and will say a few words to anyone he doesn't like, but he will help out whenever there is a wedding or funeral in the village.

At this moment, the old man was sitting on a small stool, rubbing a rusty sickle with a whetstone.

"Squeak."

The courtyard gate was pushed open.

Liu Changshui looked up and saw Zhao Shanhe coming in carrying large and small bags. His two gray eyebrows immediately furrowed.

"Are you not going to live a normal life anymore?"

The old man didn't get up, his sickle still whirring loudly in his hand, his tone harsh: "You've already learned to show off after just dividing the family property? What's the point of buying all this expensive stuff? Wouldn't it be better to save the money for Niu Niu to buy some better food?"

He was genuinely angry. In his view, Old Master Zhao's family was poor, and any money they had should be spent wisely; buying canned goods was wasteful.

"Sir, this is a gift for you."

Zhao Shanhe wasn't annoyed. He smiled, placed the items on the windowsill, then took out the pre-wrapped red cloth package from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"This is the fifty yuan that Niu Niu borrowed from you last December for her medical treatment. It's been a year, so I'm bringing it to you today."

Liu Changshui stopped what he was doing.

He put down the sickle, wiped his hands on the old military overcoat, raised his cloudy eyes, and scrutinized Zhao Shanhe, his gaze suddenly sharpening:

"Shanhe, tell me the truth."

"Where did this money come from?"

Fifty yuan is no small sum. He knew Zhao Shanhe well; he used to be a coward and indecisive. Where did he get so much money in just a few days?

"Don't you dare do anything like speculation, theft, or other petty theft to try and turn your life around. If you do, I won't take the money; I'll whip you with my belt!"

This is what the older generation was like back then. Money was important, but having the right connections was even more important.

"Don't worry, sir."

Zhao Shanhe stood ramrod straight, his eyes bright: "This is what I got from hunting deep in the mountains. I hunted a lynx the day before yesterday and sold it for a good price. Every penny was clean, and I'm not afraid of the authorities checking."

Looking into Zhao Shanhe's open and honest eyes, a slight smile finally appeared on Liu Changshui's tense face.

"Good! Well done!"

The old man stood up and patted Zhao Shanhe's shoulder hard, so hard that Zhao Shanhe's shoulder ached: "I told you, we men from Northeast China, as long as we're willing to put in the effort, there's no hurdle we can't overcome! A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold!"

He took the red cloth bag, opened it, and only took the fifty yuan principal.

Then, he put the extra five yuan "interest" that Zhao Shanhe had deliberately slipped in directly back into Zhao Shanhe's cotton-padded jacket pocket.

"Take this back."

"Sir, this is your interest payment..."

"What kind of interest is that?!"

The old man's eyes widened, his soldierly temper flaring up: "We're neighbors, not some old-fashioned landlord! You saved a child's life, if I charge you interest, where will I put my face? How can I face my old comrades after I die?"

"But……"

"Take it!"

Liu Changshui's tone left no room for argument, "Make Niu Niu a new cotton-padded jacket. That child suffers; she doesn't even have a decent coat in the dead of winter. It breaks my heart to see her like that. If I see you using this money to buy alcohol, I won't let you off the hook!"

Zhao Shanhe clutched the five yuan that had been returned to him, his eyes welling up with tears.

Who says the world is full of snobs?

These are the kind-hearted people who are tough on the outside but warm on the inside, and who lend a helping hand when you're in trouble without asking for anything in return. They are the backbone of this village.

"Okay, sir, I'll do as you say."

Zhao Shanhe didn't stand on ceremony anymore. He lit a cigarette for the old man, and the two sat in the courtyard and chatted for a while.

Before leaving, Zhao Shanhe mentioned his idea of ​​building a house.

Liu Changshui took a puff of his cigarette, nodded, and offered some reassurance: "Go ahead and build it. Now that you've separated the family, stand tall. Your mother's biased to the core, it's good for you to stay away. If you need any help, just let me know, this old man can still lend you a brick."

After leaving the Liu family's house, Zhao Shanhe felt light and relieved, as if the last weight had been lifted from his heart.

My conscience is at peace.

Next, it's time to go to the brigade headquarters and meet with Accountant Wang.

Accounting Office, Kaoshantun Brigade Headquarters.

The house was warm and cozy, with a stove burning inside.

Wang Changgui was chatting with the women's director while holding a chipped teacup.

"Hey, Changgui, now that Zhao Laoda's family has been separated and settled separately, shouldn't we prepare some relief grain for them this winter?" the women's director casually mentioned.

"What should we prepare?"

Wang Changgui blew on the tea leaves on the teacup, without even raising his eyelids, and said slowly and deliberately:

"Director, no offense, but a kind heart doesn't make a good commander, and righteousness doesn't make a good manager of finances. Our brigade's grain is the collective's hard-earned money; it must be used wisely. Old Zhao is perfectly capable; he just separated from his family and is already asking for handouts? If word gets out, what will the other members think? We have to uphold fairness within the collective, don't we?"

Those words sounded incredibly righteous and awe-inspiring.

"But……"

"There's no 'but' about it. Young people need to experience some hardship to learn to strive for improvement. I'm doing this for his own good."

As they were talking, the curtain was lifted.

Zhao Shanhe walked in, exuding a chill.

Wang Changgui glanced up, but didn't move an inch, nor even look directly at Zhao Shanhe. He simply tapped the account book on the table with his finger, his tone businesslike and condescending.

"Hey, Boss Zhao's here?"

"Perfect timing, that's exactly what I was looking for. We just discussed it, and although you're in trouble, there are laws for the country and rules for the village. If you delay paying the thirty jin of cornmeal you borrowed the year before last, and the levies you've accumulated over the years, I can't protect you this year either. To balance the brigade's accounts and ensure next year's grain resale quota, I have to prioritize families with good credit. You have to understand the brigade's difficulties."

Zhao Shanhe didn't say anything, but just watched him perform quietly.

Seeing that Zhao Shanhe remained silent, Wang Changgui assumed he was there to feign pitifulness and beg for mercy, so he sighed and adopted a disappointed and disapproving expression:

"Shanhe, I'm not trying to criticize you, but poverty makes people lose their ambition, and a thin horse has a long mane. Now that you've separated from the family, you need to act like you're living a proper life. Stop thinking about taking advantage of the collective all the time. We're all new socialist farmers; we need to have some awareness. We can't keep lagging behind the brigade and make the whole village lose face because of you, don't you think?"

These words are all reasonable and piercingly insightful.

If it were Zhao Shanhe from his previous life, he would have been so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head, and might even have knelt down to beg him to be lenient.

But Zhao Shanhe just smiled faintly.

He walked to the broken desk and put his hand into the pocket of his cotton-padded coat.

"Accountant Wang is right."

Zhao Shanhe said calmly, "We need to be aware of the situation, and we also need to settle accounts. We can't let our family drag down the collective."

After saying that, he gently placed the neatly arranged stack of money on the account book in front of Wang Changgui.

"That's ten dollars and seventy-two cents in total. Please check, including principal and interest."

Ga?

Wang Changgui was about to continue his long-winded lecture when he suddenly saw the money on the table, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

He paused for a moment, then his brows furrowed even more.

He didn't take the money immediately. Instead, he looked Zhao Shanhe up and down with the scrutinizing gaze one would use on a prisoner, then glanced at the money, his tone becoming even more serious:

"Shanhe, where did this money come from?"

"Let me make this clear from the start. Our brigade is an advanced collective, so this money has to be earned legitimately. If you use it for any speculation, theft, or other petty crimes, the brigade can't accept the money, and you'll have to be sent to a study session at the commune! This is a matter of principle!"

Zhao Shanhe met his gaze, his back ramrod straight, his voice clear and resonant:

"Don't worry, it's money I earned by hunting in the mountains. We live off the land, we earn our living through hard work, and we won't bring shame to socialism."

Wang Changgui was speechless for a moment. He picked up the money suspiciously, examining each bill repeatedly, even holding it up to the light to check the watermark, fearing it might be counterfeit.

His petty and narrow-minded demeanor contrasted sharply with the grand principles he had just been spouting.

"Alright."

After confirming that there was no problem with the money, Wang Changgui reluctantly opened the drawer and took out the inkpad.

As he slowly wrote out the receipt, he couldn't resist taking one last jab at Zhao Shanhe:

"Since you've paid it back, that's a good thing. But Shanhe, I still have to remind you. Young people, don't be extravagant with your money. Don't pay it back today and then go out drinking, gambling, and whoring tomorrow. Live a frugal life, don't come to the brigade headquarters crying poor again, or I won't show you any mercy then."

"Smack."

A red stamp was affixed.

Zhao Shanhe took the receipt, looked at it carefully, then folded it and put it in his pocket.

He looked at Wang Changgui, a slight, meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Accountant Wang is right."

"But don't worry, from now on, even if I starve to death, I will never trouble you to use your 'principles' again."

"Keep your abacus for scheming against others."

After saying that, Zhao Shanhe nodded to the women's director who had been silent until now: "Auntie, let's go."

Then he turned around and strode out the door.

inside the house.

Wang Changgui's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Zhao Shanhe didn't curse or throw a tantrum; in fact, he went along with what he said the whole time.

But for some reason, looking at that tall and straight back, Wang Changgui felt that his long-winded speech was like punching cotton, making him look like a petty clown.

"This Boss Zhao..."

The women's director looked towards the door and said thoughtfully, "It seems different now. That's a firm statement."

……

Outside, the sunlight was blinding.

Zhao Shanhe exhaled a breath of stale air.

It's not worth getting angry or arguing with this kind of person. Settling the score and becoming strangers is the best way to retaliate.

He touched the remaining two hundred yuan in his pocket, and his eyes instantly turned fiery.

All those old, trivial matters are now behind us.

Next comes the real big deal.

"Let's go! To the brick factory!"

"I'm going to build the first big red brick house in the whole village!"