Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

"I have 20 yuan. I can live comfortably on the interest alone. In a few years, I'll be able to work in a government department, and my future will be bright. Why should I risk my life for a group of people who are not related to me by blood?"

"Master, give me a reason first?"

Zhang Dabiao dared not gamble with human nature.

Qin Dingsong sighed deeply, as if all his energy had been drained away.

"Da Biao, I have no reason. Your master has run out of ideas."

He walked hunched over to the door, then opened it...

Outside, there was a huge crowd of people, all from the village.

They didn't know anything else, they only knew that Zhang Dabiao delivered grain to his master every month, delivered grain to Lao Pizi in exchange for things, and could also get grain, milk candy, biscuits and the like for everyone.

Zhang Dabiao is a very capable man, and I heard he also has 20 yuan.

The entire commune didn't even have 20!

Now, the only one who can save them is Zhang Dabiao.

Zhang Dabiao's pupils contracted. What did this mean?

If I don't help today, are you saying I can't leave?

Kidnapping?

Zhang Dabiao felt a chill in his heart. "Damn it, I come twice a month, rain or shine, to deliver grain and exchange it for mountain products. I also show respect to my master. You could say I've done my duty, and I've been very kind to the villagers of Qinjiatun."

But now they've revealed their true colors and are trying to pull this stunt on me?

Poverty breeds cunning!

Should we break out and escape? Once we get out, we'll never come back.

Find a corner to slip into your "little nest," then exit through the cabin; you won't be blocked and have nowhere to escape.

But Qin Jingru is still in the crowd...

Is it alright to leave her here? She's from Qinjiatun anyway.

But when he saw everyone looking at him with such despair, Zhang Dabiao froze.

There were elderly people, children, young women, and...

Hundreds of people looked at him with pleading eyes, and for a moment, Zhang Dabiao really didn't know what to do.

He understands that this is moral blackmail, and he understands the current situation, but he really doesn't dare to gamble.

"Brother Da Biao, I'm begging you."

Qin Huairu's father, Qin Dashan, didn't explain anything, but immediately knelt down before Zhang Dabiao, and then—

A huge crowd knelt down before Zhang Dabiao.

"What are you doing!"

"Damn it, all of you, stand up! Stand up!"

Zhang Dabiao quickly went up to pull people away, saying that so many elderly people and children kneeling down for him would shorten their lifespan.

Qin Jingru didn't kneel down. She had no idea that everyone was doing this, and just stood there dumbfounded, staring at Zhang Dabiao.

Zhang Dabiao tried to pull them up one by one, but none of them would get up. Several of the children looked at Zhang Dabiao pitifully and said weakly—

"Uncle Da Biao, I'm hungry—"

Zhang Dabiao's hair stood on end: "Damn! Damn! Damn!"

"Little friends, Uncle Da Biao is giving you candy, he's giving you candy."

"Eat it all, eat it all..."

"Get up, all of you!"

"Old man, you've won. Tell them to stand up and speak!"

No one moved, and Qin Dingsong remained silent.

Left with no other option, Zhang Dabiao shouted, "I'll take care of the grain issue!"

Zhang Dabiao compromised; he had no other choice.

------------

Qin Dingsong nodded, and everyone stood up. Without saying a word, Zhang Dabiao took out the grain he had brought to offer to his master and to exchange with the old hunter. He then asked Qin Jingru's parents to organize the cooking, and everyone ate.

They dared not divide the property, fearing that some families would favor sons over daughters, or only feed the able-bodied while the elderly continued to starve until they died.

We only brought a few hundred catties of grain. Let's make a hundred catties first so that all the men, women, and children in the village can have enough to eat. The clan chief can arrange the rest later.

In the brigade headquarters, Zhang Dabiao scratched his hair in frustration, smoking one cigarette after another.

Nima knew this was moral blackmail, but when Zhang Dabiao pulled the people up, he touched their arms...

They were skin and bones, incredibly thin, some were swollen rather than fat, some were practically starving to the point of being skeletons, but had huge bellies... In short, it was a sight to behold, too painful to look at.

Knowing it was a trap, Zhang Dabiao still jumped in; he had a soft heart.

So he became less polite to his master, Qin Dingsong.

"Hey old man, what happened? How did you get like this?"

"I accept that you betrayed your apprentice, but as a captain and clan leader, how did you manage to turn Qin Family Village into this mess?"

Inside the house, Qin Dingsong and the old hunter were also smoking their pipes incessantly. After a moment of silence, Qin Dingsong explained helplessly.

"This year was still a severe drought, and we didn't harvest much grain in the autumn, but the commune still had to pay grain taxes."

"What if we don't have enough public grain? We can only use our own rations to make up the difference. It's a national task, there's no other way."

"We went door-to-door to do a survey, and everyone's food rations won't even last until the Lunar New Year."

"A few days ago, several elderly people in the village starved to death to save food for the able-bodied men in their families, and another went to the mountains; his body has not yet been found..."

"And you still bring us food to exchange for food without fail, and I heard you made 20, so..."

Zhang Dabiao covered his face: "So, honest people are just meant to be taken advantage of, right?"

"Damn it! I rode this far on my tricycle to give you this as a favor, and it still caused you problems?!"

Zhang Dabiao was truly speechless. He came from the future, and the spirit of contract was very important to him. He had said he would come twice a month. It wasn't that he was sick or that there was hail or anything, so why wasn't he coming?

In his later life, he even worked as a food delivery driver, and he would get fined if he was late!

To save time, he climbed all 30 floors!

How can you go back on your word?

As a result, Nima was too trustworthy and got outsmarted by his own master. What kind of mess is this?

Good people don't get good rewards?

"Old man, let me tell you, you really don't do things like this."

"Do you even know what 2000 jin of grain a month means? How much risk am I taking?"

"If I make one wrong step, I'll be doomed!"

"I just wanted to learn some boxing from you, what's all this about?"

"I……"

Zhang Dabiao didn't know how to even begin to complain. He had just agreed, and now he was going back on his word...

It wasn't a matter of shamelessness, but rather the pleading, life-or-death gazes of those children were etched into Zhang Dabiao's mind. Zhang Dabiao felt that if he left like this, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Something needs to be done...

But before Zhang Dabiao could figure it out, Qin Dingsong stood up and tapped his pipe: "Come on, come with me to the back mountain."

"Huh? What?"

"I'll get you some good stuff; I can't let you work for nothing, can I?"

Zhang Dabiao's eyes lit up when he heard there was something good!

This can be!

Qin Dingsong and the old hunter, carrying guns and two hunting dogs, went to the back mountain with Zhang Dabiao.

We walked along the river towards the Yanshan Mountains, but this Qintun River...

The river has dried up completely, and small puddles have formed in many places along its course...

Has the river dried up completely? Anyway, it hasn't rained in Beijing for the past few months.

Zhang Dabiao couldn't bear to look; for 61 years, poor harvests were inevitable.

I wonder how things are going for Old Zhang's family in Shunyi right now; they're probably not doing much better.

This is the Yanshan Mountains. It took the three people and two dogs almost two hours to get here.

"Old man, Uncle Pi, why did you bring me here?" Zhang Dabiao was a little confused. When they arrived at the place, the old hunter pushed aside a pile of dry grass and pushed over a large rock. Suddenly, a cave appeared in front of them, and a cool breeze blew out.

"Huh?"

"A hidden troop shelter?"

"Old man, what are you doing?"