I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 25 Jian Da Cafeteria

In the open space of the commune compound, a cacophony of chatter rose and fell. Villagers huddled together in small groups, whispering and speculating about the reason for the meeting, their faces filled with trepidation and anticipation. Just then, the brigade leader walked onto the makeshift earthen platform with a microphone, tapped it, and a series of "feed, feed, feed" test sounds came through the loudspeaker, clearly echoing throughout the entire commune compound.

As the noisy crowd gradually quieted down, everyone's attention focused on the stage. The village head cleared his throat and began to speak with a serious expression. His loud voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, resounded in everyone's ears: "Fellow villagers, please be quiet! I've called you all here today to announce a very important matter concerning the lives of everyone in our village!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the vast crowd below, his tone growing increasingly solemn: "In response to the nation's call, to fully support national development, and in accordance with the latest instructions from the Party Central Committee, our village must also keep pace with the policies and advance the establishment of a collective canteen! From now on, everyone will no longer cook separately, but will eat together, sit together, and gather together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of commotion arose from the crowd below. The villagers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock. Seeing this, the brigade leader raised his hand to signal for quiet and continued, "Think about it, everyone. We eat, live, and work together. When our hearts are united, our enthusiasm is boundless. Whether it's earning work points in the fields or participating in the commune's collective construction, we'll be more motivated, and our lives will become increasingly prosperous! This is a good path the country has shown us, one that allows us ordinary people to work better and live more peacefully!"

"Since we're going to run a large canteen, we must follow the rules. All supplies must be collectively allocated and used." The brigade leader's tone turned serious. "From now on, every household's grain, whether it's rice, flour, miscellaneous grains, dried sweet potatoes, or corn grits, must be handed over to the commune and stored in the canteen's granary. All household items, including pots, pans, tables, chairs, water tanks, ladles, and various iron utensils such as iron pots, knives, shovels, basins, hoes, and sickles, must be moved to the commune for collective use and unified distribution by the canteen."

He emphasized his words, speaking very clearly: "Especially all kinds of iron farm tools and household iron utensils, after being handed over, will be collected and smelted again, all of which will be used to support the country's industrial construction! This is our share of the country's effort, and it is everyone's responsibility and obligation that no one can shirk!"

"I'll emphasize this again!" The brigade leader's gaze, tinged with authority, slowly swept over every face below the stage. "After this meeting, everyone must immediately go home and pack up their supplies. Organize all the grain, tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, and ironware that need to be handed over, and move them to the commune compound as quickly as possible. After everyone has moved, the commune cadres, along with the militia, will conduct a door-to-door inspection. No household will be missed! I'm warning you now, if any household is found to have hidden grain or ironware, it will not only drag the entire village down, but it will also violate national policy. You'll lose face, have to make a self-criticism at the meeting, and have your work points deducted. You'll bear the consequences!"

These words were resounding. After speaking, the brigade leader put down the microphone and quietly looked at the villagers below the stage, waiting for them to digest the news.

As soon as the brigade leader finished speaking, the commune courtyard erupted in a cacophony of noise, even more lively than before. The villagers' reactions were starkly different; some were happy, some were sad, and their expressions were a complex mix of emotions.

Those families who were slightly better off and had more resources were all frowning and their hearts ached. Some still had plenty of fine grains stored in their jars, some had secretly hidden leftover cured meat and pickled chicken from the New Year, and others had saved up white flour and brown sugar for a long time—treasures they usually couldn't bear to eat or use. The thought of handing all these things over, without being able to keep even a single grain of rice or a piece of meat, made everyone feel as if they were being pricked by needles, their faces filled with heartache and reluctance.

"My God! We still had half a jar of flour and two pieces of cured meat hidden at home, and now it's all gone!" A middle-aged woman complained in a low voice to the person next to her, her face full of worry and helplessness. "I've worked so hard to save up for so long, and I haven't even enjoyed a single meal of it. It's all going to be handed over. How am I going to survive from now on?"

A man next to him sighed repeatedly, his brows furrowed tightly: "That's right! My family's iron pot has been used for several years, it's sturdy and works well, and there's that new set of bowls and chopsticks, which we bought specially at the market last year. Now we have to hand it all over, it really doesn't feel good!"

Many well-off villagers could no longer contain their eagerness. Their eyes kept glancing towards the village entrance, and they were all thinking: before the inspection starts, hurry home, eat what you can, hide what you can, and keep as much as you can. It's better to hand over everything than to hand it all over.

Those families who were already impoverished and chronically hungry instantly beamed with joy upon hearing the news. They danced with delight, their hearts filled with anticipation. Their families had long struggled to make ends meet, surviving on thin porridge and wild vegetables, two meals a day barely enough to fill their stomachs. They had had enough of hunger. Now, hearing about the planned communal dining halls where everyone would eat together, with the commune providing meals, meant they would no longer have to worry about food or endure hunger. For them, this was undoubtedly a tremendous blessing.

"Great! We've finally made it through!" An old man in tattered clothes rubbed his hands together excitedly, his face beaming with a simple, honest smile. "We'll never have to eat thin porridge and wild vegetables again. We can finally have enough to eat, and we won't have to suffer from hunger and cold anymore. This policy really has our best interests at heart!"

"Yes, yes!" Several poor villagers nearby echoed, their faces beaming with hope. "If we work hard with the commune, we'll have enough to eat every day and won't have to worry about food anymore. That's wonderful!"

For a time, the commune courtyard was filled with a stark contrast of joy, sighs, complaints, and discussions, as everyone was immersed in their own emotions.

Looking at the noisy crowd, the captain picked up the microphone again and shouted, "Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. Everyone, stop dawdling here, hurry home and pack your supplies, and hand them in as soon as possible! Remember what I said, don't take any chances, there's no benefit in hoarding supplies, we'll find them all!"

After hearing the brigade leader's words, the villagers no longer had the will to stay in the commune compound and turned to run towards the village. Everyone's steps were hurried, but their thoughts were different: some were overjoyed and couldn't wait to go home to pack supplies; some were anxious and thought only of secretly hiding things at home; some looked helpless and could only accept this fait accompli.

Along the way, the villagers walked in twos and threes, chatting quietly, making the whole road noisy and lively. Some people walked in a hurry, wishing they could fly home immediately; some people walked with sighs and worried faces; and some people walked with expectation on their faces and light steps.

Soon, the villagers returned to their homes one after another, and the whole village was instantly thrown into chaos. Busy figures were everywhere, chickens were flying and dogs were barking, and noise, arguments, and children's cries rose and fell, making it incredibly noisy.

Those families with substantial wealth and a reluctance to part with their belongings immediately closed their doors upon entering their homes and began frantically searching for hiding places. The adults tiptoed around, looking for corners to hide things—under the bed, under the mat on the kang (heated brick bed), in cracks in the walls, deep within the woodpile, in the corners of the cellar, and even on the roof beams.

Some people carefully poured out the flour and grains from the jars, wrapped them in layers of cloth, and stuffed them deep into the stove hole; some secretly wrapped cured meat and pickled meat in oil paper and hid them in the innermost part of the firewood pile; some carefully hid their long-saved grain coupons and cash on their bodies, afraid of being found during a search; and some quietly hid their favorite small iron spoons, exquisite bowls and chopsticks, and useful small knives, unwilling to hand them over.

The family had a clear division of labor: some kept watch, others hid things, and they moved quickly and quietly, afraid of being discovered by the neighbors or by the approaching cadres and militia. After hiding the things, they took out some ordinary grains, old bowls and chopsticks, and rusty ironware, pretending to be carefully packing them up, preparing to hand them over, in order to deceive the authorities.

The adults in the family were frantically busy, while the children, bewildered by the adults' serious expressions and hurried actions, burst into tears. Some children wanted snacks but were scolded by the adults; others tried to help but were pushed away, and the whole house was in chaos.

Those who were already impoverished and destitute returned home calmly, without the slightest panic. They had very little food; their jars were empty, their pots and pans were old and worn, and they had very few iron utensils—there was nothing to hide.

The family calmly packed up their meager belongings: a worn-out iron pot, chipped bowls and chopsticks, a peeling wooden table, a rusty sickle, and a pitifully small amount of dried sweet potatoes. They carefully arranged everything, carrying it on shoulder poles and in baskets, and headed towards the brigade headquarters. Smiles graced their faces, their hearts filled with anticipation, hoping the communal dining hall would be completed soon, allowing them and their families to have a full meal every day and never have to suffer from hunger again.

In the village, every household was busy, presenting completely different scenes. Some houses had their doors and windows tightly closed, and there was no sound, with only faint moving sounds that could be heard; some houses were bustling with noise, with adults arguing and children crying clearly audible; some houses were quiet, with the family silently packing supplies and heading towards the brigade headquarters.

In the courtyard to the east, the sounds of a couple arguing could be heard, arguing endlessly about whether or not to hide some grain; in the alley to the west, several children cried incessantly, tugging at their parents' clothes and refusing to listen; to the south, farmers carried supplies, walking briskly towards the brigade headquarters; to the north, adults tiptoed, carefully stuffing things onto the roof beams.

The sounds of roosters crowing, ducks quacking, children crying, adults arguing, and footsteps carrying supplies mingled together, echoing throughout the village. The smoke from every chimney had long since died down, replaced by a flurry of activity and chaos. Everyone was caught up in the turmoil of setting up the communal dining hall and handing over supplies, experiencing joy, sorrow, anticipation, and helplessness—a vivid and realistic portrayal of the ordinary people's lives during that extraordinary era.