Chapter 3 "Looking for poor people"

Due to the redistribution of land, due to the thorough and clean abolition of exorbitant taxes that sucked the bone marrow of farmers, due to the decree issued by the people's government to develop production, due to advocating equality between men and women, respecting women's rights, and due to good weather... In the three or four years after the liberation of Bangzijing, something happened—first Economically followed by spiritual—amazing changes.A series of new tile-roofed houses were erected in the empty courtyard of the barren garden, tall animals were brought back from the market town of Shilipu to the village, and bachelor youngsters happily married their new wives.In the river in front of Bangzijing Village, you can hear the rough and heroic "Luantan" tune of peasants from time to time.

Jing Rong's fifth child is even more ambitious.He has long since given up on his wife's inability to have children, and the two children he adopted have filled his spiritual and emotional gaps. The important thing is that his new life has always inspired his ambition to work hard.What a wonderful world that you can't even dream of!Not afraid of being bullied by rich people, not afraid of bandits robbing houses, not afraid of recruiting soldiers to sell young men, not afraid of paying taxes for horses and fodder...Jing Rong's old fifth thought in his heart, what are farmers worrying about now?You don't have to worry about anything else!There is only one thing: work and produce, live a good life!In such a good world, whoever has a bad life and lacks clothes and food will not attract sympathy but will be reviled.

He was allotted one mu of sloping land and half an mu of paddy fields. Together with his own land, there were five mu of land.He handed over the crops of the five acres of dry land and paddy fields to the old lady Bangzi with complete confidence. He resumed his old bow and wandered around the familiar cotton-producing villages on the north bank of the Weihe River almost all year round. "Bang bang-bang-bang-bang-" the smooth jujube wood catapult bow played flowing music in his arms.It was not until his pockets were full that he rushed back to Bangzijing Village during the harvest and sowing seasons of summer and autumn.He has his own plan in mind: save money first, then buy land later, the people's government's paper banknotes, and don't have to worry about depreciation!Generally, when farmers have money, they are always eager to buy land.He is not in a hurry, think about it, once he buys a little more land, Mrs. Bangzi will be overwhelmed, and his hands and feet will be tied to the land, and it will be difficult to go out to play cotton and make money.He wants to save money and build a tile-roofed courtyard house first, so that he can live in a spacious and comfortable place, so he doesn't have to worry about leaking or dripping water in rainy days.When the adopted son grows up to be able to hold the plow and plow the land, buy fields and buy land. At that time, he will be the owner of a well-off crop farm.

"Each family has its own plans, and we have our own plans." Jing Rong's fifth brother revealed his unique plan to Mrs. Bangzi, and said confidently, "Just take care of our house, I can rest assured that I am playing cotton in a foreign country, and I don’t need to watch what other people do!" The next day, he left a thick stack of RMB and handed it to the old lady Bangzi for safekeeping. He picked up his slingshot bow and walked out of the house and walked out of Bangzi Well again. In the long spring before the wheat is harvested, the countryside on both sides of the small river presents a harmonious scene of the slack season.After the wheat was hoeed, there was no way to live in the field. Cotton was planted very little, and it didn't take much effort to prepare the land. The men looked for ways to make money, went to the city to work or wandered to other villages to sell their crafts.The women went from the spinning wheel to the loom, preparing summer clothes for the family and unpacking and washing the cotton-padded clothes and trousers that had been taken off.In the whole Bangzijing Village, the spinning wheel hums, the loom rattles, and the harmonious and elegant March of the farmhouse.

The old lady Bangzi finally failed to learn the skills of spinning and weaving.When Grandma was alive, she was too busy leading her to beg for gods and beggars in the ancient temples near and far away, so she didn't have the time to teach her to sit in front of the spinning wheel or on the loom to learn the interest of spinning and weaving.After her grandmother passed away, she had to learn simple mending skills, and she could barely sew clothes and pants with rough stitches (not to mention the style) for Jing Rong's fifth child and her adopted children.For the cotton in her family, she had to hire other women to spin it into thread and then weave it into cloth. Fortunately, Jing Rong Lao Wu was strong enough to make up for the shortfall by playing flowers and earning a lot of money.

The new order of life demonstrated by the new society has brought benefits to all farmers in Bangzijing Village almost without exception.The economy started to turn around, and the human rights were no longer bullied by the chief security officer and the wealth owner. The few peasants in Bangzijing Village dared to walk under the big pagoda tree in the village and gossiped with a smile.But only two years ago, this conspicuous place under the big locust tree was the territory of the chief treasurer and the wealthy owner, and poor people would tremble when they looked at it.Well, when Chuqing couldn't go to the fields to work, the peasants gathered under the big locust tree, joking and joking rather than gossiping, playing chess "rectifying squares" and "wolves eating babies" and having fun.

All the benefits that others can get, the old lady Bangzi and her man Jing Rong Laowu also got it.But... the regret of Mrs. Bangzi's inability to have children cannot be resolved.Although the adopted son and daughter were already knee-high, and they called her father and mother mercilessly, they still couldn't melt the ice land in her heart.Although the grandma has passed away, she still can't forget the resentful eyes that the grandma gave her on the way to beg God and beggars, it's chilling!Although Jingrong Laowu is now ambitious to earn money and make a fortune, she can't forget his indifference and contempt for her in those few years.She is different from other people!Ever since she lost confidence in her own childbirth, she felt inferior to others!When she talks to her husband and grandma in the house, she has an insurmountable feeling of aggrieved shortness of breath; when she talks to old women or daughters-in-law in the village, she also has an inescapable feeling of inferiority!

This spring, something unusual happened. The mayor of Hewan Township, Mr. Xu, came to Bangzijing Village. Accompanied by the village head, Hu Changhai, he personally convened a village meeting in Bangzijing Village to elect model workers.The men sit around the east side of the big locust tree, and the women sit around the west side of the big locust tree.The women were shy, while the old lady Bangzi consciously stood a little further away.Unexpectedly, the second aunt of Kuaizui was the first to speak, and she proposed Granny Bangzi, and the women agreed one after another.After liberation, the government advocated equality between men and women, and wanted to liberate women from the pot and the kang. Many women just smiled when they heard this, and they still walked around the pot and the kang willingly, unable to liberate themselves.But Mrs. Bangzi was equal to Jing Rong’s fifth brother long before the liberation. She pushed manure, carried water, stood on a rake with her legs apart, and grabbed the tail of an ox. Granny Bangzi was elected as a woman. The model worker is well-deserved.

"Comrade Huang Guiying, it's not easy!" The township head asked the old lady's real name, and said loudly in front of the women in the village, "Women in the old society were oppressed by the three obediences and four virtues, and they dare not publicize when they go out." He didn’t dare to speak loudly when he entered the door, and walked around the pot all day long. Comrade Huang Guiying was able to break through the shackles and participate in the production labor in the field. It’s really not easy...” The women cast their eyes on the old lady Bangzi one after another, surprised and envious, staring at the old lady Bangzi embarrassed.She lowered her head, her face was hot, and her heart was pounding.The words of the mayor Xu were like a fire being stuffed into her chest, and her whole body was hot.When Grandma was alive, she never said anything good about her face to face, and the taciturn fifth Jing Rong rarely praised her.Village head Xu—the head of a village in ten miles and eight villages in Hewan Township, such a big man praised her in front of everyone, she simply couldn't bear such an unexpected honor!

"Everyone should learn from Huang Guiying!" Xu Xiangzhang appealed to all the women present in Bangzijing, "What men can do, women can also do - Comrade Huang Guiying has set an example." The clapper old lady raised her head, the thick voice of the mayor Xu was flying under the big locust tree, and the men and women raised their heads, listening to what the mayor Xu wanted them to learn from her.The sunset glow is bright and beautiful, shining on the treetops and roof ridges, how blue the sky is! "You have to carry forward your achievements and take the lead." Xu Xiangchang turned around and looked at her, "Move all the women to give birth actively!"

Mrs. Bangzi noticed that the gazes of so many men and women in the entire venue followed the gazes of the head of the township to focus on her face, as if suddenly facing countless strong lights, she couldn't help lowering her head... Before leaving, the village head Xu arranged several tasks for the village head Hu Changhai, one of which was to take care of the family members of the martyrs and the widowed elderly. These people who need care sweep the house, fetch water, unpack and wash bedding.She was highly valued by the village head, and with all her heart, she recruited a group of young girls and daughters-in-law, and they started working hard.At that time, wages were not required, and work points were not recorded. It was completely voluntary labor and fellowship.Liberated, people are more intimate with each other. I just worked for a while, but no one came after a while.The old bangzi went from door to door to call, and the girls and daughters-in-law either avoided or refused to prevaricate.The old lady Bangzi was a little sad, this "leading role" was not easy to play... She finally learned from other people that those girls and daughters-in-law were all banned from the house by their mothers or grandmothers, and could not go out.why?Don't be with that barren fake woman, that's a disaster!It seems that the infertility of the clapper old lady will also be transmitted to their daughter and daughter-in-law, which is terrible! This is really scary!The heat on Mrs. Bangzi's body plummeted, and she trembled with anger.what to do?The quilts that are unwrapped and washed for military family members and widowed households are still hanging on the rope, and they can’t be sewn in the future. Do you let people pretend to be tigers at night? "Leading role" is not praised, but rather scolded.She went to the village chief and explained the whole story. She was so wronged that she almost shed tears. When Hu Changhai slapped the table, he was also angry.The first materialist in Bangzijing Village who joined the Communist Party felt strongly surrounded by feudal superstitions, and encouraged Huang Guiying to say: "Don't be discouraged! We have the support of the Communist Party. We can defeat the landlords and security chiefs, but the feudal mind is still afraid." Can’t it be broken? I’ll go mobilize with you…” The quilts for military family members and widowed elderly were finally sewn before going to bed after dark.Mrs. Bangzi went back to her house, hugged her daughter and cried bitterly. Tears poured out like a fountain, soaking her daughter's skirt.Grandma is dead, so many women in Bangzijing Village still look at her like grandma!The mayor Xu praised her loudly and boldly, but it didn't change her position in their family's heart. He even said that he could learn from her! She wept bitterly.The tears finally ran out, and a sentence was repeated in the heavy head: let others "take the lead"!Huang Guiying can't take the lead!Her heart is calm. The sun still rises from the east plateau and sets on the west side.The moon is full and short.The spring breeze is getting warmer day by day, peeling off the peasants' coarse clothes layer by layer. Some people are repairing the rice fields in the river beach with their backs bare, ready to transplant rice seedlings, and spring has turned into summer. The old lady Bangzi couldn't help but cast her eyes on every new daughter-in-law from Bangzijing Village.How are their needlework skills?Is the thread fine?Is the cloth woven evenly?When she learned that each of the new daughters-in-law could not only sew unlined cotton clothes, but also spin and weave, she often felt disappointed.Then, she waited more patiently and observed the abnormal changes in the abdomen of the new daughter-in-law. When she really saw the signs of the daughter-in-law's pregnancy, she turned her face away in frustration, and never wanted to look at her again. It seemed that the effort was wasted. Waiting for nothing, thinking about it. "Calf's daughter-in-law 'has'!" The old lady Bangzi couldn't bear it, and told her second aunt about her discovery. "'Have' is 'ha'!" The second aunt was not surprised. "It's so fast! We've only been married for half a year..." Mrs. Bangzi said. "In the new society, males are 20 and females are 18. The fruit is ripe." Second Aunt spoke sharply, "As long as the stubble happens to happen, sleep overnight and you'll have it." The old lady Bangzi immediately closed her mouth and lowered her head. Second Aunt's unintentional words hit the scar in her heart again.As long as Cha'er meets by chance... She and Jing Rong's fifth child have slept together for decades, and haven't met Cha'er once?She turned around and went home. "Gensheng's daughter-in-law stayed with her for eight months..." The old lady Bangzi met her second aunt in the alley again, and couldn't help telling her discovery, "Eight months...the baby fell into the grass at night." "As I said earlier, in the new society, men and women are also big, and the fruits are as ripe." The second aunt was also very proud. ..." "Fart!" The old lady Bangzi was not convinced by the second aunt's words this time, and said mysteriously, "In the new society, freedom of marriage is good. I haven't passed the door yet, you come and I go, I'm afraid I came with a 'belly'... ..." "Oh! Fifth old lady, don't say anything right and wrong about this." The second aunt looked around in shock, "Be careful that the family members of Gensheng hear..." As she said, she opened her enlarged feudal feet and ran away in panic. up. The old lady Bangzi secretly hoped that Bangzijing Village would marry a daughter-in-law who couldn't spin and weave, and couldn't have boys and girls.In that way, in this corner of the huge world of Bangzijing, she would have a companion and would not appear lonely.She would raise her head in front of anyone and say, I am not the only one who can't spin or weave or have children... However, she patiently observed every daughter-in-law who married back to Bangzijing Village, Everyone knows how to sew and weave, and they grow faster one by one like a competition.Disappointed again and again, it almost made the old lady of Bangzi jealous. Finally, Mrs. Bangzi observed a promising target. Hu Xuewen from Bangzijing Village is a teacher in the primary school in Shilipu Town. He is very respected. He is the first gentleman to emerge from the crop yard in the small Bangzijing Village. He is a man of culture.He fell in love with a daughter-in-law. After three years of marriage, the woman still didn't see any signs of "being".The old lady Bangzi speculated that the reason why the teacher Hu Xuewen was able to get a daughter-in-law freely without paying a lot of money was because she had this terrible problem, so she was willing to let him "free". The old lady Bangzi couldn't restrain her interest in this important discovery, so she approached her second aunt, and before she could open her mouth, the second aunt had already avoided it with an excuse.This fast-talking but timid old woman! "Did you see? Xuewen's daughter-in-law is not happy..." Mrs. Bangzi leaned closer to the young Gensheng's daughter-in-law and said. "How do you know?" asked Gensheng's wife. "It's been three years, and I haven't seen any movement in my stomach." The old lady Bangzi said, "If I can give birth, I should have given birth a long time ago. The age of marriage in the new society is older..." "You've put Baona in the air!" Gensheng's wife said with a smile, "The couple agreed, so I won't give birth to myself." "Can you let others do it?" The boss of Bangzi curled his lips in disdain, "Those who can have children can't let others not want to have children, and those who can't have children can't let others want to have children." "He is an educated person, so amazing!" Gensheng's daughter-in-law said mysteriously, "The young couple... avoid..." "Can it be avoided?" the old lady Bangzi asked aggressively. "I heard...Xuewen is wearing...a rubber cover...hehe..." "Ha! Heavenly things!" The old bangzi shook her head like a rattle, laughing at the young Gensheng's daughter-in-law for believing such absurd things about rubber sleeves.The infertile Xuewen daughter-in-law, in order to hide her ugliness and protect her shortcomings, actually released a smoke screen of a man wearing a rubber cover on that thing, she couldn't believe it!In the first two or three years when she was not pregnant with a baby, Grandma also told others in order to hide her embarrassment, that Jing Rong had been playing cotton in other places for many years, and she couldn't meet any trouble... After Hu Changhai, the president of the Agricultural Cooperative, gave the women who hoed the wheat the password to rest, Mrs. Bangzi had just sat under the poplar tree along the canal when the mother of the teacher Hu Xuewen came over with a small hoe in her hand and asked : "Old Wu family, let me ask you, why do you say that my wife is not happy? Huh?" She can knock people down as soon as she speaks, and she is full of troublesome posture. "I..." Mrs. Bangzi was caught off guard, her tongue was short, speechless, and she said, "I am also... a daughter-in-law who worries about Xuewen..." "Who wants you to worry about whether the daughter-in-law wants a baby or not?" Xuewen's mother refused to give an inch, and was relentless. "You worry about it and go on your own!" "I..." The old lady Bangzi couldn't retreat in time, and her weakness was exposed again, and she said helplessly, "I'm really... well-intentioned..." "Kindly keep it for my own family!" Xuewen's mother didn't appreciate it, and just attacked, "I think you are 'hoping for people to be poor'! I hope that others will be like you, who can't weave or want dolls." The old lady Bangzi was completely defeated, and she was too humiliated to retaliate.Fortunately, the president pulled Xuewen's mother away, and gradually calmed down.The women who hoeed the wheat did not try to persuade them, but instead they talked in groups of three or five: "Long talk! What do you care about whether people want babies or not?" "She won't have a baby, and she hopes that others won't!" "Hey! 'Hope people are poor'..." In the dim kerosene light, Jing Rong's fifth child sat on a wooden bench and handed over the work points to his daughter, asking her to go to the team office to record work points instead of his father.He had already hung up the slingshot bow and earned work points in the agricultural cooperative.Zhi asked his adoptive daughter who was already sensible, and he began to ask the reason for the quarrel between Mrs. Bangzi and Xuewen's mother.She said that she was bullied by others for no reason, and she shed tears of grievance.He listened quietly, keeping his composure, and did not show any anger to avenge Xuewen's mother. Instead, he calmly advised: "There are a lot of people working in the agricultural cooperative, and there are too many people talking. If a gossip comes out, immediately The whole village knows about it. Let's just do our work and don't gossip about it." She didn't get support from men, nor was she scolded, so the old lady Bangzi felt at ease.Jing Rong's fifth child put his slingshot bow on the wooden building, and a thick layer of dust had fallen; he couldn't use his slingshot skills, and he was short of change for work, so he was often depressed; He is tired of provoking right and wrong, no matter whether it is justified or not.The old lady Bangzi didn't expect such a man to support her, so she found Xuewen's family to fight. Jing Rong's fifth child continued: "We will do whatever work the president assigns us to do; just do the work, don't talk too much..." Mrs. Bangzi put a simple meal in front of the man, neither promised nor objected to his way of life, but felt sullen in her heart. It seemed that there appeared in front of her eyes the threatening eyes of Xuewen's mother, and the voices of those who were biased towards Xuewen's mother were ringing in her ears. Discuss... hope people are poor... Hope that people are poor is a derogatory term for those who are particularly jealous.If you are incompetent, you hope that others will be incompetent; if you are poor, you hope that others will be poorer than yourself; As if deliberately protesting to Mrs. Bangzi, the daughter-in-law of the teacher Hu Xuewen really gave birth to a baby within a year, which shows that Gensheng's daughter-in-law's words of "avoiding" are true.The old lady's hope of finding a companion in Bangzijing Village was completely shattered, and it seemed that the hope of successor was also very slim, so she didn't have the patience to pay attention to the matter of whose daughter-in-law "had" sooner or later.Her interest, with the sudden change of life, shifted quickly...