Chapter 53: Bean Selection

Chapter 53: Bean Selection

Just as everyone was at a loss, they saw Tang Yuan approaching with a soup pot.

She shouted, "Quickly get water to rinse the pesticide off him!"

She then had someone pry open Liu Laosan's mouth, squatted down, and directly poured soap water into his mouth with a spoon.

The villagers were uneducated and inexperienced. They would bicker endlessly over trivial matters, but when it came to serious issues, they were clueless, as it exceeded their understanding.

At such times, if someone took charge, they would instinctively follow orders.

Tang Yuan briefly inquired and learned that Liu Laosan had been poisoned while applying pesticide to cotton plants. He hadn't ingested it, so the dose should be small, but the toxicity of DDT was severe, causing strong symptoms even in small amounts.

In the early stages of poisoning, washing the stomach with soap water to induce vomiting was effective, though it was very painful for the person.

Feimao Tui ran over, shouting, "What happened to my third brother? Is it serious?"

Liu Laosan was his distant cousin, and they had a good relationship.

An old man said, "Fulin's daughter is giving him medicine."

Feimao Tui was skeptical, "She doesn't know what she's doing. How can she just give him medicine?"

The old man replied, "It must have been taught by Cadre Ji. She is Fulin's daughter, and she's capable."

People's opinions of Tang Yuan had drastically changed; they no longer criticized her for being temperamental or disrespectful. Instead, they praised her for being capable, filial, and kind-hearted.

In those days, praising someone as capable, filial, and kind-hearted was the highest commendation one could receive. Good looks were secondary.

Ever since Tang Yuan, under the guise of a fish deity, gave Tang Bingde advice on pest control and wheat harvesting, which benefited the brigade, Tang Bingde treated her with respect in public and often praised Dad Tang.

Additionally, Feng Chen's outstanding performance during the wheat harvest and his escorting Cadre Ji to the city and bringing back a wild boar improved his reputation among the villagers.

Tang Yuan also provided valuable suggestions on composting, pest control, and rice planting, for which Tang Bingde commended her at the commune meetings. Most villagers' impressions of her had significantly improved.

Moreover, she distributed wild apricots and peaches to the village's elders and children, making her the second-best person in the village after the brigade leader in their hearts.

Whatever she did seemed normal, and whatever she knew seemed natural, leaving no room for doubt.

Feimao Tui, however, remained skeptical. Due to Liu Guangming's influence, he harbored biases against Cadre Ji and others. He admired Liu Guangming, and if Liu Guangming disliked something, Feimao Tui did too.

Cadre Ji was seen as an incompetent relation who couldn't make it in the county and came to Tangjia Village to show off.

If not for Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, Cadre Ji wouldn't have come to Tangjia Village.

While he was lost in thought, Liu Laosan had already vomited several times.

Seeing Feimao Tui standing there in a daze, Tang Yuan yelled, "Are you sleepwalking? Go fetch some salt and sugar water!"

Feimao Tui was startled by her yell, "You're yelling at me?"

Tang Yuan replied, "No one else has white sugar, but your family does."

If they didn't have any, they could borrow from Secretary Liu.

Liu Laosan's wife had been helping Tang Yuan and immediately asked Feimao Tui for assistance.

Feimao Tui had no choice but to run the errand. Not knowing the proper ratio, he brought the sugar and salt jars, keeping a close eye on Tang Yuan to ensure she didn't use too much or sneak anything into her mouth.

Using too much would upset Auntie.

Someone brought more water, and Tang Yuan mixed the salt and sugar water according to the right ratio and gave it to Liu Laosan.

Afterward, she asked Liu Laosan's wife, "Have you started boiling rice porridge? He needs to drink some later to soothe his stomach."

His stomach was definitely damaged, and there were no good medications available in the countryside, so rice porridge was the best option.

Liu Laosan's wife nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I've started boiling it."

Earlier, while Tang Yuan was giving Liu Laosan water, she had instructed her to prepare the porridge, and she had sent her daughter home to start cooking.

Liu Laosan had regained consciousness but was still somewhat disoriented.

Tang Yuan checked and said, "There's no danger now. Take him home to rest."

Going to the commune hospital would yield similar results, as they could only administer saline solution.

Liu Laosan's wife was grateful and kept thanking Tang Yuan.

Tang Yuan waved her hand, feeling exhausted. She sat down on the ground, needing a moment to rest.

Many of the watching elders and children commented, "This girl is both capable and kind-hearted. She's truly a good person."

"Feng's boy is lucky."

Uncle Tang, upon hearing that Liu Laosan was saved, breathed a sigh of relief.

Someone remarked to him, "Fulin's daughter is really something. We didn't see it before."

Uncle Tang initially felt relieved that Liu Laosan was safe, but hearing others praise Tang Yuan made him feel conflicted. Since her sudden change after the family split, she had become a different person—previously temperamental and not particularly capable, now praised for her filial piety and capability, and always seeking attention.

Especially when people praised her for being filially devoted to Grandma Feng, he felt resentful. Why not be filial to her own grandmother instead?

Before the family split, Uncle Tang hadn't minded Tang Yuan's poor performance much, as he was generally lenient towards his niece. However, after the split, her continuous improvement made him uncomfortable.

He was influenced by Auntie's suspicions, wondering if his second brother and sister-in-law were deliberately hiding something about their daughter.

Thinking that his honest and straightforward second brother might be hiding something made him feel betrayed.

So when Dad Tang went to visit Liu Laosan after work, he ran into Uncle Tang, who didn’t sound very pleased.

"You’re not the team leader, so why are you trying so hard?"

Dad Tang: "Big Brother, Liu Laosan was poisoned; I just wanted to check on him."

Uncle Tang: "Oh, it was Yuan’er who saved him. When did that girl become so capable? She wasn’t like this before."

Dad Tang didn’t catch his sarcasm and proudly said, "It must be because of the Fish Immortal. Even Seventh Uncle knows about it."

Uncle Tang thought he was being deliberate, still pretending at this point. What Fish Immortal? It’s just Ji Hongyue, isn’t it?

"Second Brother, when did Yuan’er get to know Cadre Ji? We didn’t know anything about it."

Dad Tang: "She met him when she and Feng Chen went to the mountains to gather wild vegetables and firewood."

Uncle Tang got so angry he didn’t want to talk anymore. Just keep pretending!

He clearly knew Ji Hongyue for a long time, and Ji Hongyue advised them to make Yuan’er act crazy and split the family!

Now, except for Dad Tang, who firmly believes his daughter was genuinely crazy before the split and only got better afterward, the rest of the Tang family suspects that Tang Yuan was faking her madness to force the split.

Only Grandma Tang refused to admit it, insisting that Tang Yuan got better after the split because she wasn’t under stress anymore.

Seeing Big Brother leave in anger, Dad Tang was puzzled and chased after him a few steps. "Big Brother, Big Brother, what’s wrong? Please give our mother my regards when you see her. I’ll visit her after these busy days."

Uncle Tang walked even faster.

Tang Yuan saving Liu Laosan was something Tang Bingde took seriously.

The next morning, he publicly praised and thanked Tang Yuan on behalf of the team.

Tang Bingde always gave practical rewards to the team members, such as extra work points, food rations, or the privilege to buy two more pounds of pork the next time they slaughtered a pig. Of course, verbal praise was also given.

He carried the tin megaphone from one end of the village to the other, making sure everyone knew what good deeds the praised member had done.

Because of his fair rewards and punishments, all the team members respected him.

After announcing at the village’s end, Tang Bingde went to the Feng family and presented five catties of wheat and ten catties of corn as a reward.

Tang Yuan gratefully accepted.

In those times, food was the most precious thing, and getting it openly was a must.

Tang Bingde: "Good job, girl! Excellent!"

Tang Yuan immediately lied with a smile, "Seventh Grandpa, it’s all thanks to Cadre Ji."

Tang Bingde: "Oh, no more talk about the Fish Immortal?"

He didn’t ask further, praised her a couple more times, and then left with his hands behind his back.

By evening, when Liu Laosan could get out of bed, he personally brought his wife and children to the Feng family to express their gratitude.

They brought a freshly killed and cleaned old hen and a small basket of eggs, fearing that a live chicken might be refused, so they killed it and brought it over.

Liu Laosan made his children kneel down and bow to thank Tang Yuan, which scared her away.

Tang Yuan widened her eyes and waved her hands. "Please don’t do this. Take the chicken and eggs back. You need to recover well since your body has been damaged."

Liu Laosan earnestly said, "Take it, please take it."

Last night, Tang Zhonghe came home and examined him, saying that if not for Tang Yuan’s timely rescue, he would have either died or become a living corpse.

Tang Yuan saved his life, which meant she saved his entire family. How could they not show their gratitude properly?

His wife kept urging Tang Yuan to accept the gifts.

Even though the children craved the eggs and chicken, they held back their desires and agreed with their mother.

Tang Yuan smiled. While she didn’t seek rewards when helping others, the gratitude of those she helped brought her greater satisfaction.

She said, "The team has already rewarded me. Please take these things back. If you feel indebted, go tell Secretary Liu and ask him to persuade Director Liu to approve the new pesticide. Although the new pesticide is also toxic, its poisoning rate is lower and less frightening."

Tang Bingde wanted the new pesticide but had applied several times without success from Liu Guangming.

If Secretary Liu insisted, Liu Guangming would likely agree, as he did with rice planting previously.

Liu Laosan immediately agreed, "Alright, I’ll talk to Uncle."

Tangjia Village had two major surnames, Tang and Liu, along with a few other surnames that moved in later.

Team affairs were mostly handled by the Tang and Liu families. Previously, the Tang family had the upper hand, but now the Liu family does.

Currently, the secretary is from the Liu family, and the team leader is from the Tang family. However, the accountant and militia leader are both from the Liu family, while the production team leaders and sub-leaders are elected, effectively rotating between the two surnames.

Some issues that Tang Bingde felt needed improvement required approval from higher-ups, and his words might not carry much weight. The Liu family might find it easier to handle such matters themselves.

Or perhaps it would be better if the Liu family caused a fuss?

If Tang Yuan were a native, she would never have suggested that Liu Laosan talk to Secretary Liu about upgrading the pesticide, as it might offend people.

But she was a time traveler, free from the complex psychological constraints of growing up with various social norms and shame. Her thoughts were purer.

For example, when she participated in poverty alleviation efforts, she could advise the team leaders purely based on the problem at hand, without considering their personal relationships.

Liu Laosan agreed because the current pesticide was indeed too toxic.

Everyone knew how poisonous the pesticide was and didn’t want to apply it. Whenever the team leader assigned someone, they would try to avoid it, hoping the team leader, being from the Tang family, would assign the task to the Tangs first, preferably only to the Tangs.

How could Tang Bingde possibly let them get their way?

He arranged for the village men to take turns applying pesticides, with four rotations per year, ensuring representation from each family.

Despite this, the pesticides were highly toxic and required dilution with water, making it easy for someone to accidentally poison themselves. Over time, a few meticulous and capable men were designated for this task.

Dad Tang, Tang Aiguo, and others would carry the sprayers, while on the Liu side, it was him and a few other young men.

Initially, he wore a mask, but its strap broke. Given the heat, he found it suffocating to wear the mask, so when the strap broke, he decided not to wear it anymore.

Carrying a heavy sprayer filled with pesticide back and forth was exhausting, and he found himself breathing heavily with his mouth open.

After spraying large areas of cotton under high temperatures, he encountered sudden gusts of wind twice, which blew the toxic mist onto his face.

At first, he didn't feel poisoned, but by the time he lost consciousness, it was too late, and he collapsed into the field.

His misfortune continued as the sprayer was still full when he fell, drenching him in pesticide that likely seeped into his mouth.

It was also his arrogance that led to this; having never been poisoned before, he believed he was immune. However, pesticides punish every overconfident sprayer.

As Tang Yuan and Zhonghe had said, if they had used something like long-lasting phosphorus, he might have been poisoned, but not as severely—just dizzy and nauseous, needing rest and water.

Today, however, he was truly poisoned!

Almost died!

He wouldn’t reflect much on his own mistakes; instead, he blamed the pesticide. If there was a better one available, why not switch to it?

A couple of days later, when Secretary Liu returned from the county, Liu Laosan gathered the men responsible for spraying and the survivors and families of those who had been poisoned by pesticides. They went to Secretary Liu's house to request a change in pesticides.

Secretary Liu was at home organizing documents from the county meeting, planning to convene a committee meeting, when he saw Liu Laosan and the others arrive.

He showed concern for Liu Laosan and reminded him, "You must be careful when spraying. Always wear a mask; otherwise, accidents will happen."

Liu Laosan replied, "Uncle, I heard there’s a better pesticide—one that kills pests without harming people. Why haven’t we approved it yet?"

Others chimed in, "That’s right. We’d be less likely to get poisoned. Can Brother Guangming help us get approval?"

The group of seven or eight men started talking all at once, creating a chaotic scene.

Secretary Liu frowned, "Everyone, calm down. I’ve already applied for it, but we need to wait for the higher-ups to sign off. There’s a process to follow."

"Uncle, how long will that take? Will we have new pesticides next year when we plant cotton?"

Secretary Liu assured them, "Definitely."

It was still early for next year, and Secretary Liu brushed off their concerns with a casual promise.

Getting better pesticides wasn’t that simple.

They now had better urea in granules, but half of their cooperative still used volatile ammonia water.

Everyone faced difficulties, but the cooperative should strive to overcome them independently without burdening the state.

This is the awareness an advanced cooperative should have!

Well, explaining this to these uneducated members with no sense of honor was futile. He simply reassured them with a vague promise.

Everyone was pleased with Secretary Liu’s assurance.

Liu Laosan cautiously suggested, "Uncle, don’t pesticides need to be bought in advance? Next year, everyone will want to buy them, making it difficult. Why not buy them now? They won’t go bad after two years."

Others agreed, "Yes, yes."

Secretary Liu patiently explained, "I’ve already applied. We’ll definitely have them next year. Now, I need to prepare for the meeting. You can go back."

Liu Laosan wanted to say more, but Secretary Liu gave him a stern look, "Laosan, you need to be more careful when working. Don’t be careless. Set a good example for your younger brothers and nephews."

He shifted the focus to criticizing Liu Laosan, effectively diverting attention.

Once they left Secretary Liu’s house and felt the night breeze, they regained their senses.

"Uncle promised, so we can get them, right?"

Liu Laosan wasn’t optimistic, sensing it might not be possible. He understood Secretary Liu’s tactics: initially placating everyone and then denying responsibility later, delaying the matter.

After all, Secretary Liu didn’t worry about his own sons and nephews carrying pesticide sprayers. For years, he hadn’t let his son or close nephews do this work.

If his own son or nephew were poisoned, would he be as calm?

Feeling resentful, Liu Laosan returned home.

He and his wife had a good relationship and always discussed matters together.

Seeing his demeanor, his wife asked how the meeting with the secretary went.

He recounted the conversation and sighed.

At that moment, his youngest son, Benchai, who was playing with a tin frog, suddenly said, "Dad, I know! Jinbao said his dad got approval slips to exchange for a toy train and a big boat!"

What?

Liu Laosan couldn’t understand.

Benchai, only six or seven, didn’t understand either. Once, Liu Guangming brought his son back, and the boy played with a running toy train, boasting about the big boat his father bought him.

Envious, Benchai couldn’t help asking Liu Guangming’s son where his father got so much money. He asked his father to get some too.

Liu Guangming’s son proudly replied, "You need approval slips. Fertilizers, pesticides, seeds—all cost money."

The Bench was quite envious. Although he didn't know what was going on, he remembered the phrase about making money through approvals.

After hearing The Bench's story, Liu Laosan and his wife were both stunned.

To be honest, they had suspected that village and county officials might be profiting somehow, but they had no firsthand experience and didn't know the specifics of how it was done.

Suddenly learning about this point, the couple was a bit bewildered and then somewhat angry.

Every time Secretary Liu said that there wasn't enough fertilizer and pesticide from the county, everyone should tighten their belts and not make demands on the government, contributing to the country in this way.

It turned out that someone was selling these things for money?

Knowing this, he wanted to confront Secretary Liu, but he didn't dare; they were usually quite afraid of the secretary.

But keeping such a big secret to himself was suffocating.

Should he go tell the team leader?

No, no, absolutely not. Telling the team leader about Director Liu would be considered betrayal.

If Secretary Liu and Liu Guangming found out, they might retaliate against his whole family.

Liu Laosan kept this big secret, though he didn't dare speak up, he started to pay more attention.

He couldn't help but observe and compare the behavior of the secretary and the team leader.

In the end, this honest man thought of a good way to express his dissatisfaction while also showing gratitude.

~~

~~

Tang Yuan and Feng Chen went back into the mountains to gather wild fruits for a few days, picking all the remaining peaches, plums, wild apples, hawthorns, and pears.

Usually, they didn't have the energy to care for them, so the birds and insects had eaten a lot. They could only pick about two baskets from each tree.

Previously, she had distributed the perishable peaches, plums, and apricots to the elderly and children in the village. Now, she stored the apples, pears, and hawthorns that could last longer for slow consumption.

At this time, autumn harvest began.

Autumn harvest could start at the beginning of autumn and continue until wheat planting after the Cold Dew period, spanning three months, which was normal.

There were many crops to harvest during autumn, but it wasn't as urgent as wheat harvesting, so daily work was sufficient.

During the early stages of the autumn harvest, their team also had an election for the new captain of the second production team.

The Forward Team had three production teams. The first team's captain was Tang Bingde, and the third team consisted of two small villages combined, with the captain rotating between them.

The second team rotated between the Tang and Liu surnames. As long as there were no major mistakes, the captain changed every two years, and this year it was the Liu surname's turn.

Of course, this rotation was tacitly understood, but officially, it was decided by a bean vote.

For example, if the Liu surname was pre-selected, there would be three candidates: two from the Tang surname and one from the Liu surname. Members would cast beans marked with their choice, and whoever received the most votes would win.

Naturally, Secretary Liu would have someone like Feimao Leg help coordinate, ensuring that all Liu surname members voted for the chosen candidate.

The two Tang surname candidates would split the votes, and even the Tang surname members could vote for the Liu surname candidate, ensuring that the pre-selected Liu surname candidate would receive the most votes.

Any candidate from Tangjia Village was eligible, but only household heads from the second team could vote.

Tang Bingde wanted to groom Dad Tang to become the next Tang surname captain after this term. This time, he nominated Tang Fulin as a candidate, along with the current captain.

Tang Bingde wanted to see how many votes Tang Fulin could get without any coordination.

Given Tang Fulin's reputation within the team, he believed he could gain some votes.

This would make it natural for him to be elected in two years.

The current second team captain was obedient but lacked ability, which wasn't his fault; it was mainly due to the general level of the team members.

They could only choose the best among the limited options.

When Tang Yuan heard her father was nominated as a candidate, she was quite happy. "Dad, can I go vote for you?"

Dad Tang smiled. "Our family is in the first team; only second team members can cast beans."

He would find another opportunity to let his daughter represent him as the household head to cast a vote.

He knew that children were eager to cast beans on behalf of adults, finding it quite impressive.

Feng Chen said, "I'm from the second team; you can vote for me."

He was the household head, and she was his wife, so it was fine for her to vote on his behalf.

Tang Yuan immediately became excited, rubbing her hands together.

Ji Hongyue poured cold water on them, smiling. "You two are only engaged, not married yet. Yuan Yuan's registration is still in Tangjia, not at your place."

Tang Yuan glared at him. You're not a paparazzo anymore; now you're just a professional wet blanket!

Although she wasn't eligible to cast a bean, Tang Yuan still followed Dad Tang and Feng Chen to the team office early the next morning.

Ji Hongyue also went, claiming to be a supervisor to ensure fairness.

Tang Bingde was particularly efficient in meetings and handling affairs. For instance, the bean voting process, which other teams might take a whole day to complete during a rainy day when work was suspended, he started early in the morning before dawn.

After all, women were cooking at home, and men could easily come over to cast their beans; there was no need to dawdle.

Uncle Tang knew that his younger brother was nominated as a candidate and felt a pang of envy, even though it had nothing to do with him, he still came to join the crowd.

To ensure the fairness of the voting, Tang Bingde selected several members from other surnames in the first team to act as supervisors and invited Ji Hongyue to be the final vote counter.

When Tang Yuan arrived, she saw that she was the only woman in the entire meeting hall.

Those men waiting to vote all glared at her, their faces showing clear dissatisfaction that a woman was there.

Tang Yuan held her head high, not afraid of their glares. "If you can, glare harder than Dahēi!"

"Why are women here for the bean voting?" Liu Youfa complained.

He was another nephew close to Secretary Liu and the candidate for the second team leader in this internal selection.

Tang Yuan smiled. "My dad is a candidate; I came to cheer him on!"

Liu Youfa scoffed. Everyone knew her father was just a placeholder and wouldn't get elected. What's the point of cheering?

He wanted to say something more demeaning about women but suddenly felt a chill down his spine, turning to meet Feng Chen's icy gaze.

Damn it!

Liu Youfa wanted to curse. What did this thug mean by glaring at him like that?

No, why were this kid's eyes so terrifying? It reminded him of the time he encountered a wolf in the mountains as a child, standing on a rock, staring at him coldly, ready to pounce and snap his neck.

If Tang Bingde and his uncle hadn't brought guns into the mountains to find him, he might have been killed by the wolf.

Intimidated by Feng Chen, he turned away and ignored Tang Yuan.

Secretary Liu didn't like such noisy gatherings and didn't come.

Everyone was familiar with the bean voting process, so Tang Bingde didn't need to explain the rules and simply announced the start.

Dad Tang, the current second team leader, and Liu Youfa sat on stools, each with a bowl behind them.

The household heads of the second team held beans and took turns to vote.

Tang Yuan found it fascinating. She had heard her grandfather talk about the village's bean voting when she was little, but this was her first time seeing it in person.

She waved at Feng Chen, making a heart gesture with her fingers.

Feng Chen didn't know what it meant, but seeing her sweet smile, he knew it must be good and returned a smile.

Tang Yuan: Wow, my fiancé is so handsome!

Ji Hongyue made a face, teasing them.

Naturally, Feng Chen voted for his future father-in-law.

Everyone lined up, taking turns to vote and then moving to the other side to wait for the results.

Uncle Tang stood next to Tang Bingde, craning his neck to watch, worried that his brother would be embarrassed if he got no votes. Seeing Feng Chen, he thought, at least there would be one vote, which wasn't too humiliating.

If only he were a candidate. He was the small team leader; becoming the production team leader would be perfect.

Seventh Uncle is really biased!

As he watched, he suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, you..."

Tang Bingde frowned, glaring at him to keep quiet.

Silence during voting, what's the fuss?

Uncle Tang was stunned. Wasn't that Liu Laosan? Did he vote for his brother?

But this time, they were supposed to vote for a Liu captain. How could a Liu vote for... Hey, hey, another Liu voted for my brother?

Uncle Tang's jaw dropped, wondering why several Lius voted for his brother.

Soon, he realized it wasn't just the Lius; most of the Tangs also voted for his brother.

What's going on?

Did Seventh Uncle help his brother campaign?

Why didn't he tell me!

Not just Uncle Tang was surprised; the supervisors were also shocked.

How did Tang Fulin get so many votes? If Tang Fulin wins, does it count or do we re-vote?

But the Tang-Liu rotation was a private agreement, not public. Publicly, it was based on bean voting.

Initially, they tried to remember which Lius voted for Tang Fulin, but soon realized it was too many to track.

Quite... a lot?

It's crazy.

Still, they preferred Tang Fulin over Liu Youfa.

Liu Youfa usually didn't work honestly and was good at talking people into things.

If he became the captain, he'd give easy jobs to his friends and assign dirty work to others.

Tang Fulin, on the other hand, was skilled in plowing, harrowing, sowing, and threshing, and was honest and hardworking, never shirking his duties.

They, being from different clans, had no say in the village. They only hoped for a fair captain who would rotate dirty work rather than always assigning it to the same people.

The bean voting was quick, and everyone went through the process.

In the end, Tang Fulin received the most votes!