mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 80 Qin Family Village
Chapter 80 Qin Family Village
In mid-March 1959, the spring scenery in the suburbs of Beijing was a picture that was struggling to unfold in the cold wind. The chill of winter had not completely faded away, and although the spring wind had quietly arrived, it was somewhat rough, stirring up dust and running rampantly through the fields.
Winter wheat has survived the harsh winter and is now turning green again under the nourishment of rain, turning the wheat fields a tender green. On the ridges of the fields, a few stubborn little grasses break through the soil, their tender yellow tips standing out against the withered yellow background, as if proclaiming the indomitable spirit of life.
Farmers were busy in the fields, their rough hands stroking the soil beneath their feet, their eyes filled with anticipation for a bountiful harvest. In the distance, oxen pulled plows, slowly moving across the land, raising clouds of dust that mingled with the spring breeze and filled the air above the fields.
Nourished by the spring rain, the distant mountains and forests have shed their winter desolation and are now bursting with lush greenery. On the hillside, the peach and apricot trees are sprouting tiny buds, tightly wrapped as if waiting to bloom. Occasionally, a few apricot trees, unable to resist the temptation, burst into bloom with a few pink flowers, standing out starkly against the withered grass, like twinkling stars in a desert.
In the scattered villages, the gray walls and black tiles appeared somewhat mottled in the spring breeze. The old jujube trees and grapevines in the courtyards were just sprouting tiny new buds, like old men who had slept through the winter slowly opening their sleepy eyes. Under the eaves, several sparrows chirped and chattered, sometimes landing on the woodpile in the yard, sometimes flying to the branches, adding a touch of vitality to the quiet courtyards.
"Young lady, could you please tell me where the village chief lives?"
After getting off the ride, Jia Dong walked three miles and arrived at Qin Family Village. At the village entrance, a girl was carrying her younger brother on her back and digging for wild vegetables by the field. He quickly asked her for directions.
The little girl's face was covered in dust, and her clothes were so faded that the color was indistinguishable. She was carrying her younger brother, who was not much younger than her, on her back, and there was a huge basket beside her. Jia Dongjin could only make out that the girl was by looking at her hair.
"Go straight ahead to the end, and the largest courtyard is the village chief's house."
After finding out the way, Jia Dongjin took out a piece of candy from his pocket to thank the little girl. Unexpectedly, the little brother on the girl's back started crying and insisted on taking the candy.
"Little brother, here's some candy. Don't cry, or your sister will get a beating."
No matter how reluctant the little girl was, she could only hand the candy to the little brother on her back.
The crying attracted another boy, who was also the girl's younger brother. He snatched the candy from his little brother's hand, causing the girl's little brother on her back to cry even louder.
Jia Dong came in in a hurry, and he only had four pieces of candy in his pocket. He wanted to save the remaining three for his father-in-law's little boy, and he was reluctant to give them to such a boy.
"Dongru, you little brat, you're bullying your brother again!"
At that moment, a gaunt woman rushed over and began to discipline the little girl.
"Auntie, please don't hit her. She didn't eat the candy; her younger brother took it from her. It has nothing to do with her."
Jia Dongjin couldn't bear to watch any longer and tried to persuade her, but the more he tried to persuade her, the more violently the thin woman hit him. In the end, he didn't dare to stop her anymore.
The little girl's face was dirty but it did not hide her delicate features. She did not resist her mother's slaps at all, and seemed not to feel any pain. She just kept looking at Jia Dongjin.
The girl was petite, with big, dark eyes, and looked a bit like the girl in the photo from Project Hope, which made Jia Dongjin feel inexplicably uneasy.
Fortunately, not long after, a woman came over and stopped the heinous act of hitting the child.
"Dali's mom, stop hitting Dongru! Look, Dongru's been beaten senseless. Oh, is that her son-in-law?!"
Only then did Jia Dongjin realize that the person mediating the fight was actually his mother-in-law, so he quickly went up to greet her.
In the countryside, daughters are worthless, but sons-in-law are considered honored guests, especially those from the city. The thin woman finally stopped hitting her daughter. She looked on with envy as Jia Dong went into Qin Huairu's family home, while giving the little girl a fierce glare. "Do you know why Huairu's family can eat their fill? It's because they have this son-in-law from the city. When you grow up, you should also find a way to marry into the city so that your two younger brothers can have enough to eat."
"A full stomach?!" The little girl's eyes lit up. She had never been full since she could remember.
"Of course, I heard that everyone in the city gets a monthly allowance. Your sister Huairu is beautiful, which is why she married a capable man. This brother-in-law earns 51 yuan a month, which is more than enough to spend. Sigh, you silly girl, what good is being strong? A girl has to be pretty."
"Mom, don't say that. My sister isn't bad-looking, and she's very hardworking," a young man said in a deep voice, while discreetly slipping a small sweet potato into the little girl's hand.
Upon arriving at his father-in-law's house, Jia Dongjin had just finished drinking water when his father-in-law hurriedly returned home.
Before he could ask about his family's life, Jia Dongjin explained his purpose. Seeing his father-in-law's incredulous expression, he quickly took out the letter of introduction issued by Li Huaide and led his father-in-law to the village chief's house.
The village chief was the father-in-law's distant cousin. This was Qin Family Village, where everyone was related by marriage. The rules were easily set, and Jia Dongjin's father-in-law was to report to the steel rolling mill the next day.
Qin Jingru also rushed over that evening. After not seeing her for a month, the girl had become much thinner and darker, and the two naturally chatted warmly once again.
When it was time for dinner, Jia Dongjin put down the steamed buns he had brought with him and started eating the Qin family's cornbread.
Seeing that there were only two cornbreads and only his father-in-law was eating with him, while the others only had cornmeal porridge with boiled potatoes, Jia Dongjin knew what was going on. He had eaten a full lunch, so he simply put down the cornbread and picked up the potatoes to eat as well.
Seeing that his father-in-law and mother-in-law were going to be polite, Jia Dongjin quickly waved his hand and said, "Dad, you don't need to persuade me or say anything. I understand things in the countryside. As long as our family can have enough to eat, that's all that matters. We can't worry about anything else."
Jia Dongjin genuinely didn't want to listen, nor did he dare to.
His heart wasn't hard enough; he worried that he wouldn't be able to control himself after hearing it and would do something inappropriate or out of line.
Even though he didn't want to hear it, he still overheard it. Qin Jingru sighed and said, "Brother-in-law, we were just being considerate. That Dongru you asked for directions is really pitiful. Look how short she is, you'd never guess how old she is. If it weren't for her brother protecting her..."
"Jingru, don't talk like that when you're not in the situation. Your son-in-law has helped us a lot, so don't bother him with your worries."
Jia Dongjin's mother-in-law wiped her eyes and scolded him sternly.
With the support of the Jia family, both families purchased grain in advance, making them among the better-off families in Qin Family Village, second only to the village chief's family.
Jia Dongjin sighed. He took out the last three pieces of candy, gave two to his two cousins, and asked Qin Jingru to give the other piece to Qin Dongru.
"Jingru, your brother-in-law is just a small-time electrician, he can't do that much. You can secretly give her the candy. Your brother-in-law will also give you some money and food coupons. If she gets really hungry, you can secretly give her some food. Don't give her too much at once, or she might burst."
For the first time, Jia Dongjin felt that the story in "To Live" had some truth to it, and he was very worried that the little girl would get hurt.
On the way to Qinjiacun, the steel mill driver mentioned a similar tragedy. Last year, an elderly man collapsed on the way to the hospital because he ate too many beans.
The next morning, when Jia Dongjin went to Jiajia Village, he felt that someone was following him, but he didn't notice anyone when he turned around several times.
Later, when he reached an open area, he suddenly turned around and saw that it was the little girl who had given him directions yesterday. Her name seemed to be Qin Dongru. The little girl was hiding on the edge of the field, staring blankly at him.
Jia Dongjin hardened his heart. He dared not give her any money, fearing it would cause trouble for the little girl. He simply took out two steamed buns to serve as her food, waved them at the little girl a couple of times, placed them on the ground and pointed at them, then waved goodbye and headed straight for Jiajia Village.
Under the clear blue sky, Jia Dongjin headed west, but dared not look back!