Chapter 107

Chapter 107

The team leader held the work-point ledger in his hand. Although his voice wasn’t loud, the villagers were much more enthusiastic than usual.

Listening to everyone’s cheers and thinking about this year’s harvest, Chen Zhuangshi felt confident. When he calculated the work points yesterday, he was so happy that he couldn’t sleep.

This morning, before dawn, he had already gotten up.

This year’s grain was good, and the stored seeds in the warehouse were better than in previous years. Next year would surely be even better.

"Our team, with three villages, has had a bountiful harvest this year. In our village, children under ten will receive one hundred pounds of grain per year. Children over ten and elderly people who average three work points per day will receive three hundred pounds per year.

Laborers earning eight to ten work points per day will receive six hundred pounds per year.

Those earning five to seven work points per day will receive four hundred pounds per year.

One work point in our village is worth eight fen this year.

Our village has a total of two hundred and forty work days, but those earning less than seven points only average one hundred and fifty days. Those earning ten points average two hundred days."

Chen Zhuangshi spoke confidently about this year’s situation.

No matter where you looked around here, no other village had such a good harvest.

"The allocation of grain types is fixed for everyone. I don’t care how you exchange it privately; in the team, we must distribute according to the regulations. Now let’s start distributing the grain. Don’t rush, take turns.

Rest assured, I won’t delay anyone.”

Seeing the villagers eager to move forward, Chen Zhuangshi quickly shouted to prevent any accidents.

They all lived in the same village; if someone got hurt, they’d still have to see each other later.

If anyone was anxious, he was the most anxious right now!

After all, the other two villages were waiting for him.

"Qinghe, watch the kids; I’ll go help first." Bai Xiuxiu needed to help Miao Miao verify the work points with the accountant, which would speed up the distribution process.

Wang Qinghe responded affirmatively.

Watching his wife go to help, he found her beautiful both when she stayed at home and when she worked energetically outside.

She was beautiful no matter what.

"Sister Xiuxiu, you finally came! I thought you weren’t going to queue up." Miao Miao was excited to see her.

This task was tedious, and with only her helping the accountant, mistakes were inevitable.

With two people, there would be fewer issues.

In the crowd, Zhou Jiaojiao stood next to her husband, glaring at Bai Xiuxiu, digging her nails into Wang Qingqi’s arm out of anger.

"Ouch... Wife, what are you doing?" Wang Qingqi, preoccupied with thoughts of reporting early the day after tomorrow, snapped back to reality from the pain.

Zhou Jiaojiao remained silent and withdrew her hand.

If not for Bai Xiuxiu, the Women’s Federation job would definitely have been hers.

Then she would be the one leading the distribution.

This prestigious task should have been hers.

Xiahe Village had over three hundred households, but the team organized enough people to distribute the grain.

Soon, it was Wang Qinghe’s turn.

"This year, the young couple isn’t living with the extended family anymore?" Chen Zhuangshi looked at Wang Qinghe, who was holding their two children, and patted his arm.

"You’re one of the most capable in our village."

Miao Miao began calculating Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe’s work points: "For Wang Qinghe and Bai Xiuxiu, each child gets one hundred pounds of grain, totaling two hundred pounds, twenty pounds of rice, twenty pounds of cornmeal, and one hundred and sixty pounds of sweet potatoes. Wang Qinghe and Bai Xiuxiu both earn ten work points.

Together, they get twelve hundred pounds of grain, two hundred pounds of rice, two hundred pounds of cornmeal, and eight hundred pounds of sweet potatoes.

In total, they receive fourteen hundred pounds of grain, two hundred and twenty pounds of rice, two hundred and twenty pounds of cornmeal, and nine hundred and sixty pounds of sweet potatoes.

Their combined work points this year are five thousand eight hundred, totaling four hundred and sixty-four yuan."

After calculating the work points, Miao Miao was astonished by the amount of money and grain.

Although this year’s abundance was due to the good harvest, it was still very enviable.

When Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe’s work points were converted into money, the Wang family turned red with envy.

Wang Shoucheng lamented deeply. If only they had known Wang Qinghe hadn’t hunted anything in the mountains, they never would have agreed to let them separate from the family.

What was even more infuriating was the eldest daughter-in-law. If not for her constant troublemaking, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.

It wasn’t the old society anymore, and he couldn’t force Wang Qinghe to stay with the family.

In front of so many people, he couldn’t snatch their money either.

Over the years, their family hadn’t treated Wang Qinghe well, and both the team leader and Chen Jinhua knew it. They couldn’t cause a scene, and they wondered if they could use the four hundred yuan as pension money when they eventually separated.

Wang Shoucheng pondered this matter.

"I’ll watch the children for you." Seeing the Yang brothers pulling the ox cart over, Chen Jinhua offered to hold the children for Wang Qinghe.

"Thank you, Auntie." Wang Qinghe placed the grain on the team's ox cart and looked worriedly in the direction of his wife.

"You take the children back first. I'll help finish distributing the grain and come home later." Bai Xiuxiu knew he was concerned about her, so after putting away the money, she went over to persuade him to go home.

The Wang family wouldn't dare do anything to her with so many people around.

"I'll go back first then, and return after delivering the grain." Wang Qinghe lifted both children onto the ox cart and hurriedly drove them home.

There were only ten oxen in the production team, and they had been brought out today specifically to help everyone transport the grain. Usually, they were treated as precious assets. After taking their share of the grain, they would have to bring the oxen back for others to use.

Soon, the grain distribution continued.

When it was the Wang family's turn, Wang Shoucheng was still feeling the pain of losing four hundred yuan from the eldest son.

"Your family will still be taking the grain together as before?" The team leader’s tone was not friendly when he saw Wang Shoucheng.

"Yes, our family will still take it together." Zhao Guifen quickly confirmed this to prevent any of the daughters-in-law from having other ideas.

Bai Xiuxiu and Miao Miao began helping Accountant Wang verify if there were any mistakes in their family's work points.

After confirming everything was correct, Bai Xiuxiu took the work point ledger: "Your two granddaughters and one grandson amount to three hundred catties of grain. As for the daughters-in-law, Old Fifth's wife's work points are recorded at her natal home. Second's wife averaged about three work points per day this year.

Third's wife got five work points, and Fourth's wife got three work points. The old lady worked an average of one work point per day this year.

The second and fifth sons got three work points each, while the third and fourth sons got seven work points each.

Wang Shoucheng also got three work points this year."

As Bai Xiuxiu read out the figures, the Wang family's faces turned sour.

Not a single person in the family could work!

"The total comes to six thousand five hundred work points."

"That's impossible!" Wang Shoucheng felt completely undone. How could this be?

With so many people in his family, how could they end up with roughly the same as the eldest son's family?

Was this reasonable?

Hearing this, Bai Xiuxiu wanted to laugh. What was so impossible? With her husband around, no one in this family would starve, so they were all slacking off.