Chapter 19: The Old Ladies’ Combativeness Rivals an Atomic Bomb…

Chapter 19: The Old Ladies' Combativeness Rivals an Atomic Bomb...

Fu Mingze was momentarily taken aback and instinctively glanced at his arm. Shen Moer had actually let go after a brief tug, but Fu Mingze still felt the warm, soft touch lingering on his arm. He was momentarily dazed and said, "Those mushrooms and wild veggies aren't much; you can keep them."

He thought Shen Moer was referring to the mushrooms and wild vegetables he had picked.

Shen Moer half-closed the door and took out three exhausted rabbits and a wild ginseng from the basket. She then poured the mushrooms and wild vegetables from the bottom of the basket into the bamboo basket and began to list them one by one:

"I'll have my dad take the wild ginseng to the commune's acquisition station tomorrow. The money will be split equally between us. There are three rabbits left; we’ll split them evenly. I’m not planning to sell any of them. I’m going to braise half of one and turn another into dried meat to eat slowly. Or, you can keep half, and I’ll braise it for you? For the wild veggies and mushrooms, I’ll take more mushrooms because they can be dried and stored. You take more veggies since your educated youth group has more mouths to feed."

Shen Moer looked up at Fu Mingze and asked, "Does this division sound okay to you?"

Fu Mingze didn’t expect her to want to split everything equally with him and was taken aback. He hurriedly said, "The rabbits were caught by you, and the wild ginseng was discovered by you. It has nothing to do with me. You don’t need to share them with me."

Thinking for a moment, he said, "Maybe I'll take some wild vegetables back."

Presuming that Shen Moer would feel bad not giving him anything, Fu Mingze chose the wild vegetables since her family consisted of only her and her father, and the wild vegetables were the most perishable items.

Shen Moer couldn’t help but smile when she heard him say that.

Although Fu Zhiqing appeared cold and aloof, he was genuinely a good person. Despite being so poor that his clothes were almost covered in patches, he earned only a couple of eggs for writing letters, which he could exchange for a few buns as a treat. Yet, he showed no greed for things that could clearly be sold for a good amount of money.

However, it was not acceptable for him to refuse everything.

Although Shen Moer trusted Fu Mingze’s character, she understood the principle of "finder’s keepers." She couldn’t enjoy the spoils without sharing, or she would feel uneasy.

"Since we found these things together, if you don’t take a share, I wouldn’t feel right keeping them." Shen Moer said directly.

Hearing this, Fu Mingze immediately understood and felt both amused and sympathetic. In times like these, when even blood relatives could report each other, it was normal to have such concerns.

Fu Mingze thought for a moment and compromised, "Okay, I’ll take one rabbit and some wild veggies. Since you caught the rabbits and found the ginseng, you should take more. I don’t need the rest."

He said seriously, "I won’t spread rumors about this."

Shen Moer guessed he wouldn’t want more and nodded decisively, "Alright, I’ll give you half of the braised rabbit later."

Fu Mingze couldn’t refuse further and agreed. After a slight hesitation, he asked Shen Moer if she could help him braise the other rabbit as well.

Braising one rabbit or two made no difference, but Shen Moer suggested braising half and turning the other into jerky. That way, they could eat one immediately and save the other for later.

Shen Moer was a bit curious why Fu Zhiqing didn’t want to sell the rabbit for some cash. His shoes were so patched up; selling the rabbit could at least buy him a new pair.

But then again, in times when food was scarce, clothes and shoes weren’t as important. As long as they were wearable, that was enough.

What Shen Moer didn’t know was that Fu Mingze was also puzzled why she hadn’t thought about selling the rabbits for money. Her family was very poor, and even if they got three hundred yuan, building a big tiled house and adding a bathroom would leave them with little to spare. With an empty house, they would still need a lot of money to buy necessities.

But thinking about it, her hunger had once caused her to faint in the field. Maybe her hunger mattered more than money.

Unknowingly, both of them found reasons for the other’s perceived poverty.

With everything settled, Fu Mingze initially wanted to help Shen Moer clean the rabbits, but he soon realized she handled the cleaver with remarkable skill. She dealt with the rabbits so proficiently that he couldn’t compare, so he borrowed a basket and took some wild vegetables with him.

At noon, the old ladies from the families who had gone up the mountain earlier brought their kids to Aunt Chen’s house. Everyone brought their own rice and some vegetables grown in their gardens.

It wasn’t unusual for rural folks to wander around with a bowl of rice. Some who loved to join in on the fun could tour the entire village with a bowl in hand.

Despite her carefree nature, Shen Moer had been raised as a county princess and had received over a decade of royal education. The thought of carrying a bowl of rice across half the village to Aunt Chen’s house was a mental hurdle for her.

Fortunately, her father had gotten some flour from somewhere the day before yesterday. It wasn’t the fine flour she used to eat, but a coarser mix blended with bran. Even this so-called "95 flour," considered to be of poor quality, was quite rare nowadays.

Shen Moer scooped a little flour and mixed it with water to make a thin paste. She then sliced the tender zucchini, a gift from the neighborhood aunts that she hadn’t eaten yet, and stirred it into the flour mixture. Rendering a bit of fat from a small piece of meat she had cut off the rabbit, she added scallions to remove the gamey flavor. Using a spatula, she spread the zucchini-flour mixture into the pan and made six pancakes about the size of her palm.

When both sides were golden brown, they were nearly done.

After taking the pancakes off the pan, Shen Moer tore off a small piece to taste. The fragrance of the flour mingled with the zucchini’s natural sweetness, and it was quite delicious.

Shen Moer put the pancakes into a bowl and then chopped up a rabbit to toss into the pot. She added scallions, ginger slices, star anise, cinnamon, and peppercorns, followed by soy sauce and cooking wine. After bringing it to a boil, she reduced the heat by pulling out two pieces of firewood, leaving only one thick log in the stove to let it stew slowly.

Luckily, her father had gone to the kiln factory, where Comrade Xu Weiguo, the section chief, had been good to him. As long as the work was done well, Xu Weiguo would generally agree to requests within his capacity. Her father wasn’t shy about asking, and after only a few days, he had gotten many vouchers from Xu Weiguo, including ones for soy sauce, vinegar, spices, and peppercorns. Now, their dishes were no longer just water with a bit of salt.

The cooking wine wasn’t bought; though called cooking wine, it was actually a nearly twenty-year-old daughter red wine stored in the treasury. Shen Moer had scooped a little into a jar for use as cooking wine.

It felt like a waste, but wine was hard to come by.

Leaving the pot to stew, Shen Moer placed the bowl of zucchini pancakes into a grass-woven basket, locked the door, and headed to Aunt Chen’s house.

There was only one bamboo basket at home, and since Fu Mingze had borrowed it, she couldn’t carry the pancakes in a bamboo basket to Aunt Chen’s.

Fortunately, her father knew how to weave baskets. Without bamboo, he had woven several small grass baskets. The original owner used these small baskets to deliver meals to her father, and they were perfect for carrying food.

Shen Moer arrived a bit late because she had to prepare the rabbit, but she unexpectedly ran into Fu Mingze at the door.

Fu Mingze was also carrying a basket—her basket—with a bowl inside containing a large portion of porridge, likely the group’s lunch that day.

Having bonded through shared experiences like eavesdropping, rabbit hunting, and wild ginseng digging, Fu Mingze greeted Shen Moer warmly. “Shen Moer.”

Shen Moer stopped and gestured for Fu Mingze to come closer. Though puzzled, he did so. Shen Moer lifted the vegetable leaf covering the bowl and wrapped two zucchini pancakes in it, placing them into Fu Mingze's basket.

“It’s made from zucchini. Try it and see if it’s good.”

Her actions and tone were so natural, as if she were giving away something as insignificant as grass, leaving Fu Mingze unsure how to refuse.

Before he could hesitate further, Aunt Cai arrived with her grandson, Dazhuang.

Aunt Cai said, “Moer, Comrade Fu, why are you standing at the door? Don’t be shy. Even if you didn’t bring anything, when Old Chen invites you, just go in.”

Being an old hand from Dongting Lake, she certainly wouldn’t mention the rabbit outside. She just said "that thing," and everyone understood.

Aunt Cai smiled and said, “Your Aunt Chen’s family takes good care of their private plot. We may not have much grain, but we’ve got plenty of veggies. Come on, let’s go in.”

Dazhuang slurped and said, “Come on, Sister Moer, Comrade Fu, let’s go!”

The smell of meat could be detected even from the doorway.

Meat!

A chance to eat meat!

Not excited about eating meat? Something must be off!

The grandmother and grandson quickly went inside, and Shen Moer hurriedly followed. Seeing the wrapped pancakes in his basket, Fu Mingze had no choice but to follow along.

Aunt Chen was both warm-hearted and meticulous. Logically, since the rabbit was cooked at her house, the other family members should have gotten a taste. However, after everyone had gathered, she used a large enamel cup to distribute the meat to those who had gone up the mountain earlier, not giving a single piece to her own family.

When a few extra pieces were left, she wanted to give them to Shen Moer and Fu Mingze, who had contributed the most, but they convinced her otherwise. She then gave the extra pieces to her children who hadn’t gone up the mountain.

Though the rest of her family didn’t get any meat, they were quite satisfied with the potatoes and mushrooms stewed with the rabbit meat.

The usual fried potatoes and mushrooms were cooked without a drop of oil, but this time, since they were stewed with rabbit, they were not only infused with the meat flavor but also glistened with oil. It was indeed a rare delicacy.

There were too many people, so no one cared about where they sat. Everyone just found a spot and crouched down with a bowl to eat.

The aunties weren’t the type to be ungrateful. They never forgot who provided them with essentials like water. As they ate the meat, they praised Shen Moer and Fu Mingze.

They complimented them for being clever. Rabbits are very fast, and usually, even if you encounter one, it’s hard to catch. Catching one was quite an accomplishment.

They also praised them for being generous. They caught the rabbit on their own, without letting anyone else join in. Instead, they shared it with everyone. That’s what you call generosity!

The children also chimed in with their praise. How could they not say nice things? These were the two people who had brought them meat!

Before this, these kids didn’t know Shen Moer and Fu Mingze well. That was normal since the two of them rarely interacted with others except when working, and they seemed quite unapproachable. Even if they ran into Shen Moer and Fu Mingze on the road, the kids wouldn’t dare talk to them.

But now, it was different. To these kids, Shen Moer and Fu Mingze were superheroes who could catch rabbits in the mountains and share meat with them.

Shen Moer was used to the admiration; she was indeed skilled at catching rabbits, so it made sense to the kids.

Fu Mingze, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed. After all, he didn’t actually catch the rabbit. He didn’t even touch its fur.

Luckily, his usual lack of expression hid his discomfort from others.

"Once the meat is in your stomach, don't go blabbing about it outside," Aunt Chen reminded, giving a stern look to her younger family members. "If anyone asks, just say we had wild mushrooms from the mountain today."

She didn’t mention the children from other families, but the aunties immediately understood her meaning and warned their own children as well.

The children understood, of course. In these times, every family had to secretly get some good food. Whether it was fishing in the stream or catching birds in the trees, when you snuck a tasty treat, you always cleaned up before stepping outside.

Although everyone didn’t get much meat, there were plenty of potatoes and mushrooms in the stew, and everyone was quite satisfied with the meal.

In fact, even when Zhou ManCang called everyone to the threshing ground for a village-wide meeting in the evening, some people were still reminiscing about the "feast" they had at noon.

Zhou ManCang gathered everyone to talk about the missing soap at the educated youth group and the incident where someone broke into Shen Laoqi’s house.

"Our Yangliu team is one of the best in all of Liuqiao Commune. Our reputation has always been excellent. Even during the hardest years, when some teams resorted to selling their children or fought to the death over food, or engaged in theft, our Yangliu team never had such incidents!"

Zhou ManCang’s face was as stern as still water, his sharp gaze sweeping over every commune member present. His voice carried a clear undertone of anger. "I see that as life has gotten better over the past two years and we’ve had enough to eat without going hungry, some people have started causing trouble. Let me make this clear today. Whether you are an educated youth or a commune member, if you have any designs on other people’s soap or anything else, from now on, I advise you to put those thoughts away!"

He said coldly, "If anyone is caught by the team with even the slightest bit of evidence, we will immediately report them to the police and have them locked up!"

The news of the missing soap at the educated youth group had already circulated in the village, and most people knew about it. However, this was the first time anyone had heard about the break-in at Shen Laoqi’s house.

As Zhou ManCang spoke, many people started whispering among themselves.

When it came to the missing soap, it was easy to guess that it was probably an inside job among the educated youths.

But the break-in at Shen Laoqi’s house was different. Many people thought to themselves that this wasn’t the same as casually stealing some soap. The educated youths probably didn’t have the guts to do something like this. It was most likely a commune member who did it.

This was very troubling.

If someone dared to break into Shen Laoqi’s house today, they might dare to break into someone else’s house tomorrow. This concerned the safety of every commune member’s life and property.

The team leader was right. There had never been such incidents in their production team before. This troublemaker had been hiding in plain sight. Could they be standing right next to us?

Looking around, people couldn’t help but look at those around them with suspicion.

Aunt Chen couldn't help but pat Shen Moer on the back as they stood together. "Oh my, you poor thing, why didn't you say anything about such a big incident? Did it happen last night? Did you see the person? Were you scared?"

Shen Moer nodded. "I saw a glimpse of him. He was tall and thin, a man."

The eavesdropping commune members exchanged glances. The short men among them immediately puffed out their chests.

Did you hear that? It was a tall, thin man, nothing to do with us short ones!

For once, the short men felt proud of their height.

Aunt Chen spat in disgust and muttered angrily, "I don't know which shameless bastard did this. These days, although we're not rich, we're at least not starving to death. Is there really a need to do such immoral things?"

She then soothingly patted Shen Moer. "You're different. The last time you fainted from hunger, it was because some people aren't human. Oh dear, you've really had a lot of misfortune, haven't you? Not one of your relatives is decent, and there are wolves and vultures lurking, eyeing your family. But don't worry, Moer, don't be afraid. Did you see how the captain is arranging for militia patrols? I'll go with you to talk to Qingguo later, and we'll ask the patrol team to make more rounds near your house."

The militia captain was Zhou Qingguo.

Shen Moer knew that Aunt Chen genuinely cared for her and was truly thinking for her benefit. Her heart felt warm, and she smiled as she softly agreed.

"Tsk, even a three-year-old knows not to flaunt wealth. Isn't it just some newly rich folks showing off and drawing unwanted attention?" someone said sarcastically. "Really, just causing trouble for the militia."

Shen Moer glanced over.

Oh, it was Cao Mei.

If she hadn't seen it was Cao Mei herself, Shen Moer would have thought it was Aunt Liu Huihua or Tian Fang talking, since the money came from those two families.

It just shows Cao Mei has no sense. It was clearly none of her business, but she still felt the need to stir the pot.

Shen Moer couldn't be bothered with her. Talking to someone so clueless made her worry she might start losing her own intelligence.

If she stayed silent, others would surely speak up.

Since Aunt Chen was here, the other aunties who were close to her were also standing nearby. They had just eaten meat together at noon, so there was no way they would stand by and watch as Cao Mei bullied Shen Moer.

"Cao Mei, you're really sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. The money came from the first and second families, so if anyone should be bitter, it’s them. Plus, they paid three hundred yuan for those two big houses. They’re not getting ripped off, so why complain?"

"Exactly, at the very least, the first and second families have been living there for years, haven’t they? If you were to calculate it as rent, it would cost quite a bit too, right? You older brothers and sisters-in-law haven’t exactly been shy about taking advantage of Shen Laoqi all these years. When he was younger, he used to help your families chop wood every single day. If you don't remember his kindness, at least don't bully him and his daughter like this, right?"

"The fact that we’ve got a thief breaking into homes here shows that someone’s trying to get something for nothing. And here you are, making sarcastic comments about Moer, who’s the real victim. Just because your family has some money, does that make you fair game for thieves? If that's the case, there are plenty of other people in our production team who should be stolen from too. Look at your own family—your husband Shen Laosan and your son Shen Jianhui earned plenty of work points helping with the reservoir project, which could be traded for good money. Does that mean your family deserves to be targeted by thieves as well?!"

"You're really something. The militia is supposed to train and patrol regularly. With a thief running around, it makes sense for them to step up their patrols. How does that become 'causing trouble'?"

...

The aunties’ verbal firepower was like dropping an atomic bomb—they shut Cao Mei down instantly.

Helpless, two fists couldn't beat so many hands, and one mouth couldn't argue against so many. Cao Mei was so angry her face turned red, and she could only glare fiercely at her daughter-in-law, Zhang Guiqin, and her younger daughter, Shen Chunfen, for not jumping in to help.

Shen Chunfen shrank her shoulders. How could she dare to stick her neck out? These old ladies were the most formidable in the village. If her mother couldn't win the argument, there was no way she could.

Zhang Guiqin, unlike the brainless Cao Mei, was a sharp woman. Seeing that so many people were siding with Shen Moer, she wasn't about to insert herself into the situation.

After all, it was her mother-in-law who was losing face, not her. Her mother-in-law had lost face before, so Zhang Guiqin was used to it by now.

Zhang Guiqin pretended she hadn't heard anything, but inwardly, she was secretly puzzled. How had Shen Moer suddenly become so popular that so many people were standing up for her?

After arranging the militia patrol, Zhou ManCang spoke seriously again, urging the commune members to supervise each other and report any clues to the commune immediately. Only then did he announce the end of the meeting.

Shen Moer walked with a group of elderly women. Many people in the village cast their eyes on her. After all, with Shen Shaoyuan not around, only Shen Moer, the victim, was present. It was natural for people to be curious and take a good look at her.

However, some people had the same doubts as Zhang Guiqin.

This daughter of Shen Laoqi—wasn’t she someone who used to be aloof from everyone? When did she get so close to this group of elderly women?

"Moer."

Someone called from behind. Shen Moer stopped and turned around to see Tian Fang, her eyebrows slightly raised. It was indeed rare for Tian Fang to approach her on her own initiative.

Tian Fang walked over, sighed first, and looked worried. She said, "That thief was really despicable. How could they be so bold as to break in? Fortunately, you were alert. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened?"

Unable to guess what Tian Fang was aiming for, Shen Moer nodded and waited to see what would happen next.

Seeing that Shen Moer wasn’t taking the bait, Tian Fang had no choice but to continue, "Actually, it’s not very safe for the two of you to live there alone. In case something happens, you won't be able to call for help."

With a serious tone, she continued, "Moer, you’re old enough now. Building a house isn’t the most urgent thing; finding a husband’s family is. Once you marry into a family, with your husband protecting you and your in-laws looking after you, which petty thief would dare to target you? Don’t think it’s bad to leave your father here. He’s working at the commune now. It’s troublesome for him to commute every day. It would be better for him to rent a place in the commune. You can visit him occasionally, and that would count as fulfilling your filial duty. This way, it’s good for both of you."

"I can’t bear to see you suffer and am considering your best interests. Don’t think I have any ulterior motives."

Aunt Chen, listening nearby, thought Tian Fang’s words made sense. These days, it’s hard to find a suitable groom. If Shen Moer were to marry someone without conscience who would take advantage of her, her future would be difficult. It would be better for her to marry into a good family, and they could figure out how to arrange for Shen Laoqi later.

After all, Shen Laoqi only had this one daughter, and he could earn money himself. As long as the son-in-law was a reasonable person, he wouldn’t neglect taking care of Shen Laoqi.

She patted Shen Moer’s hand, "What your second aunt said is right. It’s hard to find a suitable groom. It’s simpler to marry into a good family. As long as the man has good character, you won’t have to worry about him not taking care of your father in his old age. Leave this matter to me. I’ll help you find someone..."

Aunt Chen was surprised that Tian Fang had already chosen someone, "You’ve already picked someone?"

Tian Fang smiled, "Yes, an exceptionally good young man. He’s already here."

Aunt Chen was even more surprised, her voice rising a little, "He’s already here?!"

Tian Fang nodded, "This young man has excellent family conditions and personal qualities. Good men like him are very sought after. If we don’t hurry to arrange a meeting, someone else might snatch him. We have to seize the opportunity, don’t we?"

Aunt Chen felt there was something off, but what Tian Fang said also made sense. But how could the groom be brought over without the bride even knowing?

Tian Fang urged, "Moer, let’s go. He’s waiting at the village entrance."

She wasn’t afraid that Shen Moer or Shen Shaoyuan would blame her for this. She had made everything clear. It was for the sake of the father and daughter. A girl should marry at the right age. Can it be wrong for me, as an aunt, to help you find a match?

Shen Moer watched Tian Fang put on quite a performance, and then spoke calmly, "Second Aunt, this so-called exceptionally good young man, which of your relatives is he?"