Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The sky was gloomy, and it had gotten noticeably colder by several degrees. The kids had an even tougher time getting up this morning, yet they were anything but quiet, messing around in their blankets for ages before Wang Guizhi personally hauled them out of bed one by one.

After washing up and having breakfast, the group of kids clattered to the storage room to fetch sickles, small hoes, and bamboo baskets, ready to head out.

Wang Guizhi glanced at them and asked, "What are you up to this time?" It was freezing cold; she'd hoped they'd finally stay quiet today.

Xiao Jie imitated the adults by hoisting his small hoe onto his shoulder, lifted his chin, and announced proudly, "We're going junk collecting! Sell it for money to get Uncle a wife—oh, no, to buy Uncle a gift!"

Xiao Dizi, holding a three-pronged rake Shen Banyue had secretly made for her using her powers, shouted, "Get Uncle a wife, buy a gift!" No one was quite sure how she'd been raised before. She looked fair, tender, and soft, but her reactions and speech lagged behind kids her age. However, after several months, she had improved noticeably, her little mouth now much more talkative.

"Oh my, when your uncle comes back, he'll probably be moved to tears," Wang Guizhi said with a laugh, then instructed, "Alright, go play. Don't go play in the stream. Who knows what's in the soil? Be careful not to cut or hurt yourselves."

After a pause, she added a reminder, "If you run into those three big brothers from yesterday, shout for help right away or run to where there are more people."

She pointed at Shen Banyue. "Especially you, Xiao Yue. Those three aren't like Xiao Shunzi and the others—older boys you can handle with your agility. They're adults; they could beat you as easily as snapping up little chicks."

Lin Mian wasn't convinced. "They didn't hit Sister Yue last night." So that proves Sister Yue is the best.

Wang Guizhi glared at him. "Last night, there were commune members around. Could they hit a child right in front of us? If you run into them outside today and can't fight them off, wouldn't Xiao Yue get beaten up?"

Lin Mian thought about it. Those people last night didn't seem to hit any kids; they fought with the parents instead. Although he believed Sister Yue was the strongest, he didn't want her to get beaten up either—just in case.

He had no choice but to nod seriously and say, "If we see them, we'll run. Xiao Jie has a loud voice; he can shout for help or cry."

Xiao Jie brought his feet together and gave a crooked salute. "I'll complete the mission!"

Wang Guizhi: "..."

Shen Banyue: "..."

Alright, as long as you're happy.

The children scampered out the door, heading toward the homes of Shen Wendong and Zhao Xuehai.

Shen Wendong was still eating breakfast. Peeking out and seeing them, he immediately gulped down the porridge at the bottom of his bowl, wiped his mouth, and dashed off.

His younger brother, Shen Wenkai, reached out and called after him, "Brother!" He wanted to follow his brother out to play, but his brother didn't even look back. The little one immediately burst into tears. He Yingyu sighed and pulled him into her arms. "Ignore your brother. It's cold outside—freezing to death."

Shen Wendong, halfway out the door, was intercepted by his father, Shen Zhenhua, who grabbed him by the waist and jammed a Liberation cap on his head. "It's cold outside. Don't go near the water, and take good care of your younger siblings."

Shen Wendong smiled shyly. "Got it."

Shen Zhenhua looked at the group of little ones and chuckled. "You kids are really something. Even your great-uncle gets to eat meat thanks to you. Before the New Year, Great-uncle will fry some crispy pastries for you."

Shen Wendong immediately said, "My dad's crispy pastries are super delicious!"

It was almost the twelfth lunar month. Soon, every household would be making New Year cakes, mochi, and various snacks. That's what the New Year was about—scrimping all year long just to eat a little better during this time, bringing out oil and sugar they usually hoarded.

The little ones immediately responded loudly, "Thank you, Great-uncle!"

When they reached Zhao Xuehai's house, Zhao Xuehai had been waiting outside the courtyard for a long time. As soon as he saw them, he rushed forward, lowering his voice and saying urgently, "Let's go, let's go, hurry! Otherwise, Little Black Girl will catch up!"

With that, he took the lead and ran toward the outskirts of the village. The others naturally hurried after him.

Older kids generally didn't like playing with younger ones—this was true in almost every household.

Shen Banyue, carrying Xiao Dizi, easily caught up. As she ran, she gently tapped Xiao Dizi's nose and said with a laugh, "See, you're the only little one who can follow us around all day long."

Xiao Dizi had a cloth tied around her head, the classic "old hen" look, with even her mouth hidden under the cloth. Feeling her nose tapped, she thought Shen Banyue was playing with her and immediately giggled, calling out, "Sister!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xuehai, running ahead, stopped in his tracks and monkey-like, darted into a nearby alley. The ones behind couldn't stop in time and almost crashed into the wall. Shen Banyue, catching up, grabbed one with each hand and kicked the others, herding them all into the alley.

Just as they ducked into the alley, three red armband wearers, their faces even more bruised and swollen after a night's rest, strutted past with their noses in the air.

These guys were probably used to looking down their noses, easily missing creatures on the ground. They completely failed to notice the group of kids slipping right under their noses.

"My dad said we should stay away from these three if we see them recently. He said if they beat us up, he and the team leader wouldn't be able to do anything about it," Zhao Xuehai explained his actions, then looked at Shen Banyue and asked curiously, "Xiao Yue, can you beat them?"

Shen Banyue stared back at him expressionlessly. "What nonsense are you talking? They're three adults."

Zhao Xuehai felt he understood and sighed. "Alright, then we'll avoid them."

The other children also nodded seriously. Those three looked really fierce; they didn't want to get beaten up for no reason either!

Only Lin Mian kept a cold little face, thinking to himself that Sister Yue hadn't actually said she couldn't beat them. But they just needed to listen to Sister Yue.

In the freezing cold, the willow grove by the stream was actually whistling with north winds. But kids being kids, they weren't afraid of the cold as long as they had something fun to do. As soon as they entered the willow grove, they began joyfully searching for "treasure." Anyone unaware might have thought this damp soil was truly littered with gold everywhere.

Since the goal was just to earn a bit of money to buy Shen Guoqing a gift, and it was still early, Shen Banyue had already set a mental quota for today's "harvest"—about one-fifth of last time's would be enough.

If they really dug up a pile of valuable scrap from the ground every day, soon no one in the village would have the heart to work, instead spending their days digging for scrap by the stream.

That wouldn't do.

Moreover, if these little ones discovered that collecting scrap could earn money easily, their outlook on life and values might become distorted, making them unambitious. That would be even worse.

The children had no idea someone had secretly lowered the success rate of this treasure hunt. They worked with fiery enthusiasm.

It wasn't like last time where every dig was a hit anyway. This time, it just took a few more digs to find something—wasn't that normal? If it's treasure, it shouldn't be that easy to dig up.

The children had an excellent mindset. They didn't feel discouraged by the lower success rate. If they didn't find anything, they weren't disheartened; if they did, they cheered together.

Xiao Dizi, now with a proper tool, dug even more vigorously. With her little bottom stuck up in the air, she grunted and strained. Before long, she let out an "Eh?" and reached her small hand into the mud, grabbing a handful of muck.

"Tsk, this mud is so dirty..." Shen Banyue started to say, then halfway through her sentence, she sensed something. She pulled some wild grass leaves from nearby, took the clump of mud from the little one's hand, and gently rubbed it. A small, round golden bead appeared before her eyes.

Shen Banyue: "..."

Talk about being the darling of heaven—this luck.

Today, because she had planned in advance to lower the digging success rate, Shen Banyue had actually sensed things more roughly than last time. She had roughly marked out an area, ensuring they could dig something up, so she had once again overlooked the fact that there really was "treasure" buried in this ground.

However, Shen Banyue stared at the small golden bead for a moment. This bead, whether in size, roundness, or even the purity of the gold, was almost identical to the previous one. Clearly, they were likely from the same piece of jewelry.

So, this willow grove might indeed hold more than just two golden beads. If they dug them all up, they might be able to string together a necklace for the little one.

Of course, Shen Banyue was just thinking. These days, hardship and simplicity were encouraged. Even if they assembled a necklace, she couldn't wear it—it might even cause trouble. It was better to leave them buried, like opening blind boxes, letting the little one uncover one from time to time. That seemed more fun.

These thoughts flashed through Shen Banyue's mind and were quickly dismissed.

She found some more grass leaves and carefully wiped the bead before tucking it into Xiao Dizi's pocket. "This bead is the same as the last one. Keep it safe."

Xiao Dizi smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and patted her pocket with her little hand. "Treasure!"

That wasn't wrong. In Shen Banyue's previous life before the last, when she had time-traveled, gold prices were high. At those prices, this bead would have been worth at least five thousand.

The weather was cold. Staying by the stream in the chilly wind for too long could lead to a cold. After digging for about an hour, Shen Banyue called for everyone to leave.

The haul was about as she had estimated, probably worth seven or eight yuan at the scrap station—not a small amount by any means.

With a decent haul, the group of children marched back triumphantly, chattering excitedly about how much the day's finds might sell for. It wasn't until they were almost at the village entrance that they covered their mouths, trying to stifle their giggles.

As they passed the edge of the willow grove, none of the kids noticed the figure crouched in the weeds nearby.

Shen Banyue did notice, but she didn't care. It was just picking up scrap; being seen was no big deal.

—

Shen Aizhen didn't stand up until the kids were long gone, muttering to herself, "Is there really good stuff in the willow grove? They were only digging for a little while and can sell it for seven or eight yuan?"

Her family lived at the east end of the village, with a view of the path leading to the stream. She had seen the children walk past earlier. After finishing her chores at home, she had grabbed a basket, pretending to go to the stream to gather wild vegetables.

The willow grove only really had one kind of edible weed, and it wasn't even tasty, so few villagers usually came here to gather. But since her family lived at the east end, it was normal for her to take the shortcut.

Shen Aizhen picked at the weeds while observing the children from a distance.

She couldn't quite explain why she had followed to watch them. Perhaps it was the thought of the blue-brick, tile-roofed house she used to live in, now occupied by these children from who-knows-where, that made her uncomfortable.

And also, these children who didn't even know their parents or where their home was—how could they be so happy every day? Their smiles really got under her skin.

But now, none of that mattered. What mattered was that the scrap dug up from this grove could sell for so much money!

Shen Aizhen remembered overhearing her parents talking a couple of days ago. Her mother had said that with New Year's approaching, they didn't even have money to buy some candy or prepare New Year's goods.

In theory, their family shouldn't be this short of money.

When her eldest brother got married, her mother had spent quite a bit on preparations, thinking that Second Uncle would always help out later and that Grandpa and Grandma wouldn't just stand by. Who would have thought they'd end up splitting the family? They hadn't saved much to begin with, and after the split, expenses increased significantly. Plus, her parents were used to spending freely, so the little money they had saved was quickly gone.

If not for the production brigade forcing everyone to work, her family might soon be unable to put food on the table.

Thinking this, Shen Aizhen, basket in hand, ran to the spot where Shen Banyue and the others had been digging. She looked around, quickly found a place, and started digging.

A full three hours later, Shen Aizhen returned to the old Shen family house at the east end of the village, carrying a bamboo basket. Besides wild vegetables, the basket held four or five pieces of scrap.

When Hu Huaihua saw her, she immediately shrieked and cursed, "You good-for-nothing! Did you roll in the mud? Your pants are covered in it! You've been gone all morning without a trace—do you want to work me to death?"

Shen Aizhen trembled under her scolding. After a long moment, she handed over the basket. "Mom, look, how much can these sell for?"

Hu Huaihua glanced at it and cursed even more fiercely. "Are you out of your mind? How much can these worthless scraps be worth? You'd be better off going up the mountain to gather more mushrooms and wild vegetables for me! What did I, Hu Huaihua, do to deserve a fool like you! One after another, either idiots or lazy bums! I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to marry into your Shen family!"

Shen Aizhen's face darkened. She had dug for so long, her hands hurt, and she was covered in mud, yet she had only found these few pieces. And her mother said they were worthless... What was going on? Were those wild children playing a trick on her because they noticed her? Or did they have some special technique?

Suddenly, she remembered what the person with the red armband said at yesterday's criticism meeting: expose the class enemies hidden among the people. Yes! These wild children picking up scrap from the brigade's willow grove to sell—that was milking Socialism!

—

Rewind three hours.

Shen Banyue and the others carried their scrap metal and junk back to the village. As they reached the village entrance, Zhao Xuehai suddenly said, "It's still early. Why don't we go check the bamboo grove again?" Whether it was scrap or bamboo shoots, anything they could dig up was treasure.

Shen Banyue had no strong opinion either way, so the group of children changed direction and headed for the path behind the cowshed.

They hadn't gone far, just reaching the stream's edge, when they ran into Nie Yuanbai coming up with a broken enamel basin. Inside, four finger-length fish flicked their tails gently.

Nie Yuanbai: "..."

Shen Banyue: "..."

A sent-down personnel caught red-handed milking Socialism.

Zhao Xuehai, carefree as ever, laughed heartily. "These fish are so tiny! Just this big! Not like the ones we netted last time—each one was this big!" Even with a basket in hand, he couldn't resist gesturing to show the size.

Shen Banyue: "..."

Nie Yuanbai: "..."

A young commune member comrade confessing to milking Socialism without being asked.

This was a bit awkward.

Shen Banyue glared at Zhao Xuehai, handed Xiao Dizi to Shen Wendong, and waved. "You all go to the bamboo grove first. I need to talk to him for a moment."

Lin Mian and Shen Wendong exchanged a glance. The two children with brains had already realized Zhao Xuehai's words were somewhat inappropriate and quickly dragged him away. "Come on, let's go dig bamboo shoots."

Watching the children walk away, Nie Yuanbai smiled and said, "Xiao Yue, it's been very cold these past few days. Uncle Lü and Aunt Xie, who share the cowshed with me, have fallen ill. I caught these few small fish to make some fish soup to help them recover. Could you ask your friends not to mention this to anyone?"

Given their previous "secret-sharing" rapport, Nie Yuanbai had basic trust in this child. Despite her young age, she was quite tight-lipped.

Shen Banyue nodded. No wonder she thought Xie Tingqin and Lü Fang looked unwell last night. She had assumed it was due to the criticism meeting, but they were actually sick.

No wonder Nie Yuanbai was risking fishing, even with three red armbands in the village.

She thought for a moment and asked Nie Yuanbai, "Uncle Nie, what did you use to catch the fish?"

Nie Yuanbai was taken aback. He looked around before lowering his voice. "I found a roll of nylon rope in the cowshed—don't know who left it—and made a small net. But the fish in this stream are all too small. These few are the slightly bigger ones."

Shen Banyue suddenly smiled. "I know a place with big fish. I have a net too, but it's cold now, so going into the water isn't convenient. If we could make a bigger net, we could probably catch quite a few fish. How big a net could you make with that nylon rope you found?"

Nie Yuanbai: "..."

He wanted to say this child's courage was simply too great. For someone of his status, using a small net to catch a few small fish was already a huge risk. And this kid actually wanted to go after big fish!

But in an instant, he remembered the size the little boy had gestured earlier—those were really quite big fish!

Then, he heard the child before him say, "I also have connections to trade fish for other things."

Nie Yuanbai: "..."

You're just a tiny kid! What do you know about 'connections'?

Shen Banyue giggled. "I've heard adults talk like that. Actually, I know a waitress sister at the commune's state-run restaurant. She said that fish, shrimp, bamboo shoots, or dried mushrooms we gather ourselves can also be sold to their restaurant, just like at the purchasing station. She can also help trade for other things."

Actually, she had found out through indirect questioning. Sister Li probably thought she wanted to gather mushrooms or such to trade for snacks, so she had confidently assured her it was no problem.

Besides Sister Li, Zhou Yaoyao could also help sell things. In places like residential compounds, helping each other trade for food was perfectly normal.

Oh, right, and there was Shen Guoqing too.

Don't think that just because people in the county town ate state-supplied grain, everything was easy. Even a scallion or a garlic bulb had to be bought with money. Fish and meat were rationed with coupons. Actually, getting food was more inconvenient than in the countryside.

Whenever Shen Guoqing brought some dried bamboo shoots or mushrooms, they were very popular.

Shen Banyue had been considering fishing for a while now. However, she guessed that given Wang Guizhi's personality, she probably wouldn't agree to her making a big net to catch fish.

This Uncle Nie was different. He clearly wasn't the type to stick rigidly to rules or just wait for things to happen. Even after being sent down to this remote village, he had been trying to adapt and improve his life. Faced with such an opportunity, he probably wouldn't miss it—

Spending winter in a cowshed without supplies could easily lead to freezing to death.

Shen Banyue had a sudden inspiration upon seeing those fish in the enamel basin, and the more she pondered it, the more feasible it seemed.

By collaborating with Nie Yuanbai, she could temporarily keep it from Wang Guizhi and the others, act first and report later, and simultaneously secure a future favor from an influential figure—killing multiple birds with one stone.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Nie Yuanbai finally nodded. “I can make you a larger net.”

He didn’t specify whether he’d join the fishing—after all, no net yet existed.

This time, Nie Yuanbai didn’t even bother reminding Shen Banyue to keep quiet. He’d already realized this girl was bold but not reckless—she’d even sent her little friends away before “discussing matters” with him.

After their conversation, the two parted ways—one hurried through the back door into the cowshed, the other strolled leisurely toward the bamboo grove.

Due to the angle, even Shen Banyue failed to notice someone stealthily peering from around the corner of a distant intersection.

Only after both had vanished did Zhao Yingzi, who’d been hiding by the wall, step out, muttering to herself, “What’s that little girl doing, chatting and laughing with a sent-down cadre? And why did that sent-down cadre carry an enamel basin inside? Looked like something was in it.”

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Could these class enemies be secretly shearing wool from Socialism?”

Zhao Yingzi suddenly recalled what the Red Armband had declared at yesterday’s criticism meeting: commune members must dig deep and inspect thoroughly; if no reports were submitted that day, each production team would have to nominate someone for criticism.

Zhao Yingzi was certain that, should her team need to nominate someone, it would almost certainly be her.

After all, she’d been punished before, had fought with Hu Caidie, and rumors even claimed she harbored feelings for that unattractive Zhu Juncai.

Those two good-for-nothings were truly going to be her undoing!

Better to strike first than wait for someone to report her—that’s what Zhao Yingzi thought, and that’s exactly what she intended to do.

—

That night, the production team leader knocked on their door again, notifying them to attend the criticism meeting at the brigade headquarters.

The brigade leader had announced the previous evening that the meeting would last a full week, with sessions held daily—so Wang Guizhi was already prepared. As soon as the team leader called, they grabbed their stools and headed out.

Seeing the couple leading a group of children once more, the team leader twitched his lips, glanced at Shen Banyue, and couldn’t help saying, “Auntie Wang, it’s quite cold—shouldn’t the kids stay home?”

Wang Guizhi turned to look at Shen Banyue and chuckled. “With so many people packed together, how could it possibly be cold? It’s far warmer than staying at home.”

The team leader gave a dry laugh and said nothing further.

At least he’d issued a warning. If anything happened later, that would be the brigade leader’s problem.

The meeting hall was still packed to capacity—and Shen Banyue even felt there were more people than the night before. Yesterday’s notice had stipulated at least two attendees per household, yet many families had sent more than two. Today was even more extreme—it seemed entire families had turned up.

And why did everyone’s eyes gleam with anticipation, as if they’d come to watch a film rather than attend a criticism meeting?

Yesterday, upon arrival, several kind-hearted commune members had made way for them, letting them sit in the front row to experience the learning atmosphere up close.

Today was different. Today, it wasn’t just one or two members making way—it was nearly all of them. Upon spotting the group, they collectively cleared a path, their eyes shining as they pointed to a spot.

Right there, in the first two rows—the spot later generations would dub the “center stage”—was a small, concave-shaped area, perfectly sized to accommodate their entire group.

Shen Banyue: “…”

She couldn’t tell whether the commune members genuinely cared about the criticism meeting, but she could clearly see that every single one of them eagerly anticipated some drama.

Did they think she’d stir up trouble again today?

Just based on her—a little girl not yet ten years old?

Shen Banyue deeply felt that the people of Xiaodun Brigade possessed a peculiar ability: they often acted as though they couldn’t see she was merely a child.

She wasn’t the sort of brat who went around looking for trouble—unless provoked first.

Really!