Chapter 79: Delivering the Public Grain
The long-awaited day for delivering the public grain finally arrived.
The team leader, the party secretary, and the accountant all came out, and the members of the drying team had been busy since early morning.
Ning Xiyue followed Aunt Yangliu, loading sack after sack of grain onto flatbed carts and ox-carts.
When the loading was finished, she hoisted the bamboo basket she’d brought on her back and set off with everyone toward the place in town where the grain would be delivered.
Once the public grain was turned in, there wouldn’t be much left to do in the fields. The autumn harvest was nearly over, and everyone had time to go into town for the market.
On the way, Ning Xiyue ran into many of the aunties from the team, and all the people from the educated youth dormitory were also heading into town.
Of course, most of the veteran educated youths just wanted to follow the grain-delivery team to keep track of the situation in real time — it would help them figure out how the “worker-peasant-soldier university quota” was progressing.
The new educated youths were mostly planning to get familiar with the town and pick up some necessary daily supplies.
Liu Yao, who had run ahead to catch up with Ning Xiyue, asked, “Xiyue, what’s your plan once we get to town? Are you going to watch the grain delivery first or walk around the town? Want to go together?”
Ning Xiyue pointed to the grain on the cart she was guarding and waved her hand.
“Don’t worry about me. Our drying team has to stay with the grain until it’s delivered. I don’t know how long that will take. Go ahead and explore with your cousin. Today’s a market day — it’s bound to be lively. Once I’m done, I’ll wander around on my own.”
She was half-joking. She needed an excuse to pick up some things to bring back to the team. That big iron pot of hers was still waiting to “see daylight” again — and that was something best done alone.
“Alright, then we won’t wait for you. I’m a little excited — it’s my first time going to the market in town.”
Liu Yao’s small face flushed with excitement, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“I heard from the aunties in the team that whenever there’s a market day, members from the whole Yongchuan Commune come to town, and the Supply Station is always packed. It’s so lively — I have to make the most of it.”
Liu Yao then turned and shouted to Chen Yechu, “Yechu, do you want to come with us?”
Chen Yechu smiled and declined. “No, I have something to do. I’d rather wander around on my own.”
Ning Xiyue felt a bit sympathetic for Liu Yao — she had asked two people, and both of them had secrets. Chen Yechu’s secrets were even deeper, and since she knew the area well, of course she didn’t want anyone tagging along and limiting her movements.
Liu Yao nodded, not disappointed. Since both people wanted to go alone, she understood. There was no need to ask anyone else — everyone probably preferred their freedom.
She grinned brightly. “Alright, let’s all go separately. Maybe we’ll run into each other again on the way back.”
Wang Mengmeng came up from behind and said to Liu Yao, “I’ll go with you.”
Liu Yao looked at Wang Mengmeng in surprise, then glanced at Xia Zhipeng chasing after them. “You’re not going with your brother Zhipeng?”
Wang Mengmeng wrinkled her brows in disgust, clutching her chest as if nauseous. “Please don’t call him my brother. He’s not. I don’t have a brother like that.”
Ning Xiyue almost laughed. Was Wang Mengmeng so disgusted by even hearing his name?
That’s how it was — when you liked someone, even hearing their name sounded sweet. When you didn’t, just hearing it made you sick.
No wonder Wang Mengmeng didn’t end up with Xia Zhipeng in Chen Yechu’s previous life. She probably discovered something gross and, with her cleanliness obsession triggered, felt utterly repulsed.
And so, the scumbag ended up being “picked up” by Chen Yechu.
Xia Zhipeng ran up just in time to hear Wang Mengmeng’s hurtful words. He called out unhappily, “Mengmeng.”
But when Wang Mengmeng saw him coming closer, she held up a hand to stop him and shouted, “I can’t help it. Don’t come near me. Stay one meter — no, two meters — away. Just seeing you makes me uncomfortable.”
Xia Zhipeng felt wronged. “Mengmeng, what’s wrong with you? You weren’t like this before.”
The gossip-loving aunties and Ning Xiyue, who were pushing the cart forward, kept their eyes on Xia Zhipeng and Wang Mengmeng while walking.
Aunt Liu whispered to Ning Xiyue, “Didn’t expect to overhear gossip even on the road.”
“Adds a bit of fun for us, doesn’t it?” Ning Xiyue winked at her, signaling to keep watching.
Wang Mengmeng sighed and shook her head. “Nothing. Can’t I grow up and become sensible?”
“Mengmeng, you really have changed,” Xia Zhipeng said, wounded, gazing at her.
Ning Xiyue shook her head privately. Xia Zhipeng’s behavior was classic scumbag stuff.
When Wang Mengmeng liked him, he strung her along and ignored her.
When Wang Mengmeng didn’t like him anymore, he tried to reel her back in.
What a trashy man.
When Wang Mengmeng saw him getting closer, an image of him falling into the manure pit flashed before her eyes. She shuddered, then glanced around. Knowing Xia Zhipeng was afraid of Ning Xiyue, she quickly shuffled closer to Ning Xiyue and stuck by her side.
Sure enough, Xia Zhipeng stopped near Chen Yechu and didn’t dare come closer.
Yu Zhiyu subtly stepped in front of Chen Yechu, blocking Xia Zhipeng’s way.
Ning Xiyue, who had been happily watching the drama, was startled when Wang Mengmeng suddenly ran up and practically pressed against her. She gently pushed her away. “What are you doing? Too close. It’s hot.”
Wang Mengmeng looked up at her pitifully, tugging at her sleeve, her eyes pleading. “Xiyue…”
Ning Xiyue thought of Little Gray — the dog who would beg for meat — and decided to let her stay. “Hold onto the grain, don’t let it fall.”
“Okay!”
Wang Mengmeng happily steadied the tall stack of grain sacks.
Ning Xiyue found this version of Wang Mengmeng a little smarter — and not annoying anymore.
Now scumbag Xia Zhipeng was truly left with nothing — Chen Yechu wasn’t interested, and Wang Mengmeng had snapped out of it.
Looking at Xia Zhipeng’s dejected face, Ning Xiyue wondered if he regretted it now.
With no more drama to watch, the aunties started chatting about other gossip, and time passed quickly. Before they knew it, they had arrived in town.
Everyone split up.
Liu Yao, Yu Zhiyu, and Wang Mengmeng left together. Chen Yechu and Wang Jiandong each went off alone.
Xia Zhipeng glanced at the direction Chen Yechu went, then at Wang Mengmeng’s, and finally left by himself with a gloomy face.
Ning Xiyue stayed with the main group, pressing down the grain as they headed to the grain depot. Wu Guifang and Zhao Jianshe followed behind, concerned about the progress.
The area outside the grain depot was packed with people. Ox-carts, horse-carts, and flatbed carts were everywhere, all loaded with grain. Teams from different brigades lined up to deliver their grain, while staff directed traffic.
Huge piles of grain had already been stacked high inside the warehouses ahead.
Wu Guifang, who had walked around and come back, whispered beside Ning Xiyue, “I checked — the grain the teams ahead of us turned in wasn’t as good as ours, but they still got rated as Grade One. Ours will definitely be in the top-quality batch.”
Zhao Jianshe sighed as he looked at the team ahead that had been ordered to redo their work. “As long as we’re not sent back to redo it, it’s fine.”
Aunt Yangliu lifted her chin confidently. “That’s impossible. Our drying team carefully selected everything. There’s not a trace of impurity — no way we’ll be sent back.”
“Exactly. My eyes are practically going blind from picking through it all these past two days.” Ning Xiyue agreed with Aunt Yangliu and shared with Wu Guifang and Zhao Jianshe how meticulous their team had been in sorting the grain.
Ding! [Sign-in location detected: Yongchuan Commune Public Grain Delivery Site. Does the host wish to sign in?]
Just as Ning Xiyue was talking animatedly, she heard the system’s sign-in prompt — and the location wasn’t the grain depot itself, but somewhere else. Her heart filled with anticipation.
“Sign in.”
