I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 20 Visiting the Commune

Gao Huaiyi gently shook his head, looked at Zhou Xiuying, and said softly:

"It's getting late, I'll take you home first, and I'll come find you again tomorrow. Now that we're friends, we should get to know each other better. If you ever have any difficulties or need any help in the future, just let me know, don't hesitate to ask."

Zhou Xiuying nodded and replied, "Okay, let's go then."

The two walked for more than half an hour before finally entering the village where Gao Huaiyi's uncle lived. After entering the village, Zhou Xiuying led the way, guiding Gao Huaiyi towards the back of the village.

Behind the village stands an abandoned temple. In previous years, during the campaign to destroy the Four Olds and overthrow the monsters and demons, all the Buddha statues in the temple were smashed, and the monks inside were taken away for labor reform. The entire temple was already dilapidated, with only a few empty rooms remaining, cold and deserted.

Soon, the two arrived at their destination. Zhou Xiuying pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped aside to invite Gao Huaiyi:

"Come in and have a seat. I've only been here for a little over two months. This is the place the village assigned me; it's simple, so please don't mind."

Gao Huaiyi followed them into the courtyard. Directly opposite the gate was a tall wooden building, which must have been the main hall, but now it was devoid of its former incense and solemnity. Zhou Xiuying's residence was behind the main hall, presumably formerly the monks' quarters.

The two entered the house one after the other. A large kang (heated brick bed) was laid out under the south-facing window. Next to it was a small room, presumably used as a kitchen. The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a worn wooden table and two small stools. The possessions were meager, yet the room was impeccably clean. The floor had been repeatedly swept and was spotless. Two old wooden boxes stood against the north wall, appearing to be remnants from a former temple.

Although the house was simple, it was kept spotless and dust-free, showing that Zhou Xiuying had put a lot of effort into tidying it up. There was an oil lamp on the table, which Zhou Xiuying lit. The dim yellow light spread out, and the scene inside the house became clear.

Gao Huaiyi looked around and made up his mind. He then said goodbye, "It's getting late, so I won't bother you any longer. I'll come see you again tomorrow. If you have any difficulties, just let me know, and I'll help you if I can. If you don't have enough food, I'll bring you some tomorrow."

Zhou Xiuying quickly thanked him, "Then I'll have to trouble Comrade Huaiyi."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Gao Huaiyi turned and walked out of the courtyard, heading towards the edge of the village.

Actually, Gao Huaiyi brought her back tonight not just out of concern for her, but more importantly, to confirm her address and verify the truth of her previous statements. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, Zhou Xiuying's words were largely credible. As for her true identity and hidden motives, that would require further observation. Now that her address was known, there was no need to rush. There was plenty of time; with more interaction, he would naturally see through her.

They traveled in silence, and after more than half an hour, Gao Huaiyi returned home. He briefly greeted his parents and went straight to his room to rest.

The next morning, Gao Huaiyi told his parents about Zhou Xiuying's situation, saying that she had just moved in and the family was short of many things, the most important being food. In those days, every household was struggling financially, and no one had much surplus food.

"This afternoon I plan to take the wild animals I caught recently to exchange for some food and send it to her. I'll go to her place this morning to see if there's anything I can help with."

The parents exchanged a glance, a hint of a smile in their eyes. Huaiyi was getting on in years, and the two knew this, so they didn't say anything more, simply assuming it was normal interaction between young people.

After breakfast, Gao Huaiyi headed straight for Zhou Xiuying's residence. After traveling for more than half an hour, he had just reached the village entrance when he saw Zhou Xiuying carrying tools down from the back mountain.

"Comrade Xiuya!" Gao Huaiyi called out.

Zhou Xiuying looked up when she heard the voice, and when she saw it was him, her face immediately lit up with joy. She quickly came to greet him: "I thought you were just saying it casually yesterday, but I didn't expect you to actually come today. I was planning to go to work at the team, but since you're here, I'll ask the team leader for leave and go this afternoon."

When the villagers along the way saw Gao Huaiyi, they greeted him warmly. Some called him "Xiao Yi" and others called him "Brother Yi". Gao Huaiyi responded with a smile to each of them, and then stood still to wait.

Two or three minutes later, Zhou Xiuying rushed back and said with a smile, "I've already taken the leave, so I won't be going to work this morning. Let's go."

Finally, the two returned to Zhou Xiuying's residence together. Gao Huaiyi looked around and noticed that the door creaked when it opened and closed, and that several windows had large gaps, letting in drafts from all directions.

He then found nails, an axe, and borrowed a hammer, carefully nailing the gaps in the window securely one by one. He then adjusted the hinges and repeatedly tested the door until it opened and closed smoothly, the abnormal noises disappeared, and the doors and windows were no longer drafty.

After finishing his work, Gao Huaiyi took a breath and looked at Zhou Xiuying, asking, "Comrade Xiuying, are you settling in well here? Is there anything you need to buy?"

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "I'll tell you a secret. The day before yesterday, I hunted two wild animals in the mountains. I found a safe place to sell them; I can get a good amount of food and supplies in return. The place is a bit risky though, though. Do you want to come check it out with me?"

Zhou Xiuying blinked and said softly, "You're probably talking about the black market, right?"

Gao Huaiyi was slightly taken aback: "You know too?" Gao Huaiyi stared at Zhou Xiuying to see her reaction.

"I've only heard of it, never been there, and don't know the exact location." Zhou Xiuying's eyes were filled with curiosity. "If it's convenient, I'd like to go and see it for myself, and also buy some spare supplies. The ink, brushes, and lamp oil I brought from my hometown are almost gone, and I haven't been able to replenish them."

"Don't you find these places objectionable and want to report them?" Gao Huaiyi asked. "No! What's the big deal? There are places all over the country; do you think I could report them all?" Zhou Xiuying replied.

"That's perfect." Gao Huaiyi immediately agreed. "I'll take the two wild animals I hunted yesterday with me to sell, and I'll also help you exchange them for some supplies and some food."

After that, the two went about their own business, and before they knew it, it was noon. Neither of them had time to eat, and they headed straight for the commune.

Upon arriving at the commune, they first visited the supply and marketing cooperative and the shops along the street, but bought nothing. In those days, the two of them had neither extra money nor necessities such as grain coupons and cloth coupons. They could only look at the items on the shelves with longing and were reluctant to spend their coupons to buy anything.

At noon, Gao Huaiyi used his food coupons to treat Zhou Xiuying to a bowl of hot noodles, which was their simple lunch.

After strolling around for about three hours, around 3 PM, Gao Huaiyi led Zhou Xiuying towards the other side of the commune. Soon, they saw small groups of people moving towards a grove of trees. The two exchanged a glance and followed the group in.

At the entrance to the woods, the same man who had been there before was still on duty. Each person could enter for a dime; the price remained the same, unchanged. However, there were significantly more people today than when Gao Huaiyi had last visited; it was much more lively, though the reason was unclear.

Once inside the woods, they discovered that while the outside didn't seem crowded, the inside was teeming with people, much more so than last time. Zhou Xiuying followed behind Gao Huaiyi, quietly tugging at his sleeve, and asked with curious eyes, "Why are there so many people here? Is it always this lively?"

Gao Huaiyi shook his head and replied in a low voice, "There weren't this many people last time I came. I don't know what's going on today."

Feeling the same doubt, he stepped forward and pulled aside a kind-looking man next to him, and started chatting casually.