Most people in the village knew the news. When Gu Xue was walking home after class, she could clearly see that everyone's spirit and energy had changed.
After the grandfather and granddaughter finished their meal, Gu Qianshan could clearly feel that his mood today was exceptionally pleasant, and he felt as if he had an inexhaustible amount of strength in his body.
He took the opportunity to turn over the soil in the courtyard. The Chinese cabbage, radishes, and other things originally planted there had all been eaten, so he planned to tidy up and plant some more vegetables.
At this time, there were regulations on the size of everyone's private plots at home, which were just enough to feed their own families.
Most people would plant vegetables that could meet their daily needs, such as Chinese cabbage, radishes, and potatoes.
However, the radishes and potatoes now were all very small, and they would certainly be different from the radishes and potatoes after seed cultivation in the future.
While everyone was very happy, the atmosphere in another household was not so good.
Heiya's father, also known as Gu Lao Liu, had a house full of frowning, miserable faces.
Only one person was feeling lucky that such a thing had happened.
It turned out to be the idiot from the neighboring village who was engaged to Heiya. For some unknown reason, he had recently drowned while playing by the river.
The two families had only been in discussions and had not yet finalized the relationship. Now that the person on that side was gone, the promised bride price was naturally gone as well.
When Wang Dahua heard this news, she immediately became quite unhappy.
She had originally wanted to rely on that money to save a bit more to marry off her son.
She had already set his sights on a female cousin from his own village; she had heard the girl was steady and hardworking, with "big hips and thick arms," meaning she should be able to bear children.
Unfortunately, the bride price required 16 yuan. Originally, the family could have scraped it together.
Combined with Heiya's bride price, there would have been a surplus.
What a pity!
Gu Lao Liu and Wang Dahua, the husband and wife, were sighing and lamenting, and even their eldest son sat to the side, momentarily speechless.
"Do you think our daughter's fate is just not good? Just as we were discussing marriage, she went and cursed him to death," Gu Lao Liu said from the side, somewhat helplessly.
In fact, that was exactly what he was thinking in his heart.
How could a girl's fiancé die just as they were discussing marriage?
Wang Dahua quickly spat several times—*pei, pei, pei*.
"Husband, don't talk nonsense! If that reputation spreads out, how are we going to find a partner for her in the future? If this 'money-losing goods' ends up stuck in my hands, I'll truly die!"
Gu Lao Liu felt the same way upon hearing this and immediately felt that what he had just said was inappropriate.
Heiya sat to the side, looking coldly at her family, saying nothing.
Even when the couple spoke of her "cursing her husband," she didn't interject a single word.
She simply ate her meal silently by their side, even taking advantage of their lack of attention to eat several extra pieces of meat.
When the people at the dining table discovered this, Heiya immediately ran out, rushed to her small room, and lay down.
Thinking about the recent events, her heart felt a surge of bitterness.
She couldn't help but feel lucky; fortunately, that idiot died. Otherwise, if she truly had to marry a fool, her life would be ruined.
She couldn't possibly have a worse life than in her previous life. At least in her previous life, she married someone steady and hardworking; although they weren't wealthy, she at least had enough food and clothing for the rest of her life.
In her previous life, she had heard that although the idiot from the neighboring village wasn't very bright, he was incredibly strong and used to beat his wife.
In her previous life, it wasn't Heiya who married him, but a girl from their own village. Later, she couldn't endure the beating and was beaten to death.
Heiya calculated in her heart: when exactly would Gu Xue's husband from her previous life come to the village?
Calculating the time, it should be around this period. As long as she followed him, even if she had to live through a few years of hardship, once the future arrived, she could become the wife of a rich man and live a life of ease.
Thinking of this, Heiya's heart burned with anticipation.
After Gu Lao Liu finished eating, Wang Dahua went straight to Heiya's room and dragged her out.
"You dead girl, hiding away right after eating! What use are you if you don't do any work? Hurry up and wash the dishes, then sweep the floor after you're done."
As she spoke, she tried to strike her, but Heiya bolted away in a flash.
By the next day, the Great Captain rushed to the town. On the way, he encountered many Great Captains from other villages.
Gu Qianshan followed behind, and seeing everyone looking so frantic, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Times were truly difficult now. If it weren't for the fact that they were truly starving, no one would be rushing to the town like this.
Soon, they arrived at the town government office and saw that Great Captains from several surrounding villages had also arrived.
He even saw two Great Captains sleeping directly under a tree; it wasn't until the morning that people realized they had arrived in the dark right after finishing work the previous night.
At this time, the government office doors were tightly shut. Even though it was time for work, no one came to open them.
As they waited until nearly noon, the secret panic in everyone's hearts grew heavier.
Gu Qianshan's internal uncertainty also increased.
Finally, the doors opened. The person who came was the Secretary responsible for them. Seeing everyone crowding the entrance, sweat broke out on the Secretary's face in waves.
"Great Captains, I wonder what business you all have?" The Secretary spoke with a bureaucratic tone, his words slick and oily.
"Secretary, we just wanted to ask if there is any news regarding the relief grain. When can it be distributed? The grain in the granaries is gone, and the stored grain in everyone's homes is running low. We can hardly survive here anymore."
The one speaking was from a very remote village. That village had always been very poor and was also the most anxious.
The entire village was waiting for relief grain; several people in the village had even fainted from hunger.
The Secretary took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow and said somewhat anxiously, "Where did you all hear this news? What relief grain? We aren't in such dire straits that we need relief grain; nothing has been allocated from above at all."
As soon as the Secretary finished speaking, it was like a bolt of lightning striking everyone's hearts.
"No grain?"
"Secretary, do we really have no relief grain?"
"I heard that the neighboring town already received their grain. Why don't we have ours?"
"Yeah, why not?"
...
The Secretary waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet!
"Naturally, the most difficult areas must be prioritized for distribution. Didn't the neighboring town just suffer a flood? They are letting the more difficult areas eat their fill first. We just have to endure for now."
When these words came out, Gu Qianshan and the Great Captain felt a bit better; their village still had some grain, and if they tightened their belts, they should be able to make it until the harvest.
But the other villages were not as lucky as them.
Suddenly, a Great Captain from one of the villages fell to his knees with a thud.
(End of Chapter)