Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

Chapter 43: Many Strange Things Happened in the Disaster Year

"In a disaster year, strange things happen a lot. It's always better to be careful when going out. Come on, it's your turn. Let me rest for a while."

How could a young boy like Zheng Hu, who had not yet been beaten by society, understand the wickedness of human nature?

When people are hungry, they tend to do anything and nothing. What can't they do for a bite of food?

This load of sweet potatoes and potatoes is not worth much in normal years, but nowadays, if someone sees it, there may be some bold person who will come up and snatch it.

However, he did not tell Hu Zi about these things. It would not be too late to tell him when they met again in the future.

Fools have their own luck, so there is no need to let him get in touch with these things too early.

Along the way, the two took turns carrying the load and arrived at Shizizi smoothly.

"Second sister, are you home?"

When he arrived at his second sister's house, the door of the courtyard was closed. Fang Wei put down his burden and started shouting.

After my second sister and brother-in-law got married, they separated and lived on their own. There are two little nephews at home, one is four years old and the other is less than two years old. Logically, there should be someone at home by now.

Sure enough, after he shouted twice, he heard someone coming out of the house.

"Is that the Third Brother? Why are you here at this time?"

Fang Mei was preparing to cook and closed the yard door because she was afraid that the two little ones would run away.

She was a little surprised to hear her third brother's voice, but at the same time she was also afraid that something had happened at home. After all, it was almost the New Year, and people only went out during the New Year.

Fang Mei looks 60% similar to Fang Wei. Maybe it's because the Fang family has good genes. The three siblings all look good, and Fang Wei is the most handsome among them.

However, Fang Mei's personality is quite different from her two brothers, she is more aggressive.

"Second sister, everything is fine at home, don't let your imagination run wild. I brought you some things, but I have to go back soon."

Fang Wei also breathed a sigh of relief, carrying the load on his shoulder and following his second sister into the house.

Zheng Hu was sitting in the main room drinking tea. Fang Wei took the things to the backyard and saw his two little nephews playing there.

"Call me uncle!"

"uncle."

The eldest child heard what his mother said and quickly called for help. The second child was still young and his speech was not very clear, but he seemed to call for his uncle as well.

Fang Mei drove the two children back into the house and asked:
"Third brother, everyone is starving right now, what are you bringing? Your brother-in-law said that in some places people have started eating wild vegetables and gnawing on tree bark, but I don't know if that's true or not."

"Second sister, we planted some sweet potatoes and potatoes at home in the fall, and the harvest was pretty good, so my eldest brother asked me to send some over to you."

Fang Wei didn't ask how his second sister was doing. Looking at the complexion of her and her two little nephews, he knew that they must not have enough to eat.

He put down his burden, opened the lid of the basket, took out a piece of cured wild boar meat from the bottom, and asked his second sister to find a place to put it first.

"Ah? You and brother can get this stuff? Third brother, I haven't smelled meat in half a year."

Fang Mei almost shouted out loud, then grabbed the bacon and went to the kitchen.

These days people can’t even get enough to eat, so how much energy do they have left to raise pigs?

In previous years, after the production team completed its task, they could slaughter the remaining few pigs and have a good New Year. But this year, there was not even a speck of meat to be found.

It’s no wonder Fang Mei reacted like that, anyone else would have done the same.

Then Fang Mei put the other things away.

Not to mention rice, there isn’t even much sweet potato left at home, and we can only eat them until after the New Year.

She was packing her things while crying. She had originally planned to wait until the New Year to go back and see how her eldest brother and third brother were doing before speaking to them. Unexpectedly, her eldest brother asked her third brother to send life-saving food before the New Year.

"Second sister, where is your brother-in-law?"

"He's gone to fetch some water and will be back soon. Third brother, go sit outside and chat with your friends while I go cook."

The second sister wanted to keep Fang Wei and Zheng Hu at home for dinner. They had come all the way here, so how could they go back hungry?
Fang Wei couldn't refuse, so he stopped talking.

Not long after, my brother-in-law Tian Bingyi returned to the house.

"Third brother is here? Sit down. I'll get some sweet potato wine for you to drink at noon." Tian Bingyi is handsome and well-educated. He is the accountant of the team.

He and Fang Mei have a good relationship as husband and wife, so he is quite enthusiastic towards his brother-in-law Fang Wei.

At the same time, he did not forget Zheng Hu. He opened the cabinet and rummaged through it for a long time. He took out a pack of locally produced cigarettes and handed one to the other party.

During lunch, Tian Bingyi actually got half a pound of sweet potato wine.

After two drinks, he and Fang Wei talked about the current situation, and both of them felt not very optimistic.

Because they had to rush back soon, Fang Wei and Zheng Hu each drank three cups and then stopped.

Because there were guests at home, Fang Mei made a rare meal of shredded sweet potato rice. The only meat on the table was bacon fried with sour beans, and the bacon was brought by Fang Wei.

After dinner, Fang Wei didn’t want to stay any longer, so he and Zheng Hu set off on their journey home.

When I got home, I told my eldest brother about the situation of my second sister's family. They were not as well off as others, but better off than others. However, if no one helped them, they would have to go out to borrow food after the New Year, and if they couldn't borrow any, they would starve.

Now with the more than 100 kilograms of sweet potatoes and potatoes sent by Fang Wei, we should be able to hold out for a while longer.

When my second sister's family is about to run out of food, the two brothers will definitely find a way to help them through the difficult times.

"Third brother, educated people are different!"

Fang Ping couldn't help but sigh. He didn't think reading more was useful before, but through a series of things, he had to admire his third brother's vision.

If my third brother had not suggested growing sweet potatoes and potatoes in the valley earlier, how could our family's situation be much better than my second sister's?

The Spring Festival is here in a blink of an eye.

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for everyone. In previous years, every household would find a way to have a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner.

But this year no one has the mood to do so, and no one can afford anything decent at home. Many people are still worrying about the days after the New Year.

Fang Ping killed a chicken, Fang Wei contributed a dozen eggs, and there was also cured rabbit meat, cured wild boar meat, and some vegetables, which made it a pretty good New Year's Eve dinner.

Before the New Year, Tian Guihua made some sweet potato vermicelli. She also had some dried mushrooms at home, and stewed them with chicken. It was really delicious.

After the reunion dinner, the family sat around the stove to celebrate the New Year.

The two little ones couldn't hold on any longer after eleven o'clock, so Fang Fangwei let them go to bed.

Recalling the New Year's scenes in his previous life, Fang Wei was filled with emotion.

It is hard for people who have not experienced it to imagine what it was like in an era of material scarcity. It also happened to be a year of disaster, and people's energy and spirit were almost exhausted.

"Third brother, you should go back to sleep too. Your sister-in-law and I will be watching over you."

There is a local custom of staying up all night to celebrate the New Year. Seeing that his third brother began to doze off, Fang Ping told him to go back quickly.

Fang Wei didn't refuse, got up and went back to sleep.

This Spring Festival was the quietest one in his memory. All activities such as New Year's greetings and visiting relatives were suspended, and most people didn't even leave the house.

The more activities you do, the greater the consumption, so try to save as much as possible.

The sixth day of the new year.

Fang Wei was very surprised that there were guests suddenly coming to the Fang family.

The man who came was Guo Yongqing, the uncle who had given Fang Ping a Type 38 rifle. He worked at the county People's Armed Forces Department, a high-ranking official, and they didn't usually interact much.

The last time Fang Ping asked Guo Yongqing for a gun, the other party's implicit meaning was that from now on, everyone was clear of all grudges.

Unexpectedly, he took the initiative to visit the Fang family today.

"Uncle Guo, please have some tea."

Fang Wei went to make tea and then poured a teacup for Guo Yongqing.

Then the two brothers sat aside, waiting for the other to speak.

(End of this chapter)