During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

Ye Youyin shuddered, as if a frozen branch had suddenly been doused with boiling water, and a surge of warmth rose from his heart.

He blinked his cloudy eyes, staring at Ye Youliang's face, which was yellowed from the smoke of tobacco. He swallowed the last crumb of steamed bun with a "gulp" and reached for the kang table with trembling hands.

Cui Cui had already taken a neatly folded piece of paper from a small cabinet in the inner room and spread it out in front of Ye Youyin.

"Uncle, this was written by my second sister. Please take a look."

Ye Qingqing had already prepared the IOU.

On the rice paper, written in neat characters:

"Ten catties of miscellaneous grain flour will be lent out, at the market price before the price increase. Grain or equivalent goods will be returned next year. This will be written down as proof."

The following text reads: "Borrower: Ye Qingqing; Borrower: Grain."

Ye Youliang pushed the red inkpad-dipped seal towards him.

"Brother Youyin, you know what kind of temper my second daughter has, I just can't do anything about it..."

"Brother Youliang, don't, don't say that! Your family's willingness to lend me grain is a lifesaver, and I am already very grateful."

Besides, there's a food shortage everywhere, and that second daughter of theirs is already more than kind by lending us a single penny!"

Ye Youyin's hands, covered in cracks, trembled violently. The moment his fingertips touched the damp inkpad, his eyes reddened.

He recalled how, years ago, when Ye Youliang's family was so poor, he had laughed at them from behind the fence.

Now that he has sold everything he owns to pay the purchase fee, and is starving, people don't hold grudges and are giving him a life-saving meal.

He gritted his teeth, pressed his thumb hard against the corner of the paper, and a red mark appeared on his fingertip as if it were on fire.

"Brother... Cui..."

His throat tightened, and he could barely speak. "Then...then I'll take the grain. Don't worry, I'll definitely return it next year after the harvest!"

Ye Dazhuang remained silent, picked up a bulging coarse cloth bag, and handed it to him.

The bag was heavy, pressing down on my arm; it was a solid ten pounds of mixed grain flour, the aroma of wheat mixed with the smell of bran filling my nostrils.

Ye Youyin held him like a newborn grandson, afraid that he might bump or hurt him, and two lines of tears almost fell into the flour sack.

……

Ye Youyin stepped out the door with the grain in his pocket. A cold wind blew in his face, and he shrank his neck from the cold, but felt that the grain in his arms was burning hot.

Outside the courtyard gate, seven or eight villagers from Kaoshantun were already crowding around.

There was Old Li, who was as thin as a bamboo pole; Aunt Zhou, who stood with her hands on her hips; Er Gou, who peeked at people sideways; and an old man squatting against the wall smoking a pipe...

They were scared away by Ye Dazhuang's bare-chested firewood chopping earlier, but now that they saw Ye Youyin carrying grain out, they all swarmed around him.

"Hey, Uncle Yin, how's it going? Got the money?"

Li Geda craned his neck, his eyes glued to the bag, and asked, "How much did you borrow/take?"

"Ten pounds! Ten pounds!"

Ye Youyin caught his breath, switched the grain sack to his left hand, and raised his right thumb, which still had a red mark on it.

"Now I realize that Er Yatou's family cares about the people in our village!"

She had written the IOU well in advance, owing the original price before the price increase, not asking for a single penny more, saying that she would repay ten catties of grain next year!

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar.

Old Wang tapped his pipe and nodded.

"The brothers with grain are righteous, and Er Yatou also had foresight, storing up grain early on."

"I think it's quite fair that they lent money at the unchanged price during this famine year and even let us owe it until next year."

"Fairness? Bah!"

Er Gou turned his head and spat indignantly, his mouth pouting upwards.

"Fair my ass! We're cousins, why would I ask you to sign a contract and put your fingerprint on it? Ye Youliang is a cheapskate, do you think he can't pay you back!"

Everyone knows his yard is piled high with grain; if he gave us a few pounds for free, we'd be lucky to escape with a piece of flesh! He's damn stingy!

"Exactly, you think they're being generous by charging the original price?"

Sun Erniang twisted her arms and continued in a sarcastic tone,

"The price of grain in town changes every day. He owes a huge favor, yet he insists on having his fingerprint on it. Isn't that humiliating?"

If that second daughter were truly benevolent, she should emulate the ancients and establish charitable granaries, giving alms to us poor relatives even in our old age.

Old Li gave them both a worried look and frowned.

"Bullshit! Setting up a charity granary? Freebie! Why should I? Just because you're so arrogant! I'm telling you, don't be ungrateful. In a famine, everyone's pot is dry."

"It's already kind of them to lend us money, Er Ya's family is being so picky!"

"You...you people are utterly incapable of saying anything decent!"

Ye Youyin was already weak from hunger, but upon hearing these sarcastic remarks, his anger shot up to the top of his head.

He slammed the grain sack on the ground, straightened up, and pointed at Er Gou.

"Er Gouzi, you can't even scrape two ounces of chaff from the bottom of your own jar, yet you dare to laugh at others?"

Weren't you just peeking around outside the yard? If I actually asked you to come in and open your mouth, your legs would cramp up and you wouldn't dare step over the threshold!

The second daughter of that family has the ability to stockpile grain in advance with money! Now she's willing to lend me money at the price before the price increase, and even allows me to owe it until next year. She's treating me like a human being!

Look at yourself! Besides gossiping, can you produce a single grain of rice?

He then turned to Sun Erniang, his face already flushed a deep purplish-red.

"Second Aunt, stop being sarcastic! If you're willing to write an IOU, I'll beg you to lend me the money, but how will you pay it back?"

Second Sister doesn't give out food for free; it's just to help in emergencies, not to support people who are always looking to take advantage!

I borrowed this bag of grain by putting my fingerprint on it. I acknowledge the debt, and I will pay it back next year even if it means strangling myself!

You're calling them stingy? Have you lost all conscience? If you're so capable, why don't you try borrowing it yourself!

Zhao Ergou choked, his face turning red and veins bulging, and he started shouting, his neck stiff.

"Who, who wouldn't dare come in? I'm just worried about that ruthless Ye Dazhuang... Besides, his second daughter earns so much money, even a single hair on her head is thicker than our waists. He even writes a note when borrowing a little grain—what else is that but stinginess?"

"mean?"

Ye Youyin was so angry she laughed.

"I've lived for over fifty years, and only today have I truly opened my eyes. A while ago, I paid the fee for the birth of a son; my whole family sold everything we owned, and none of you offered a helping hand?"

Brother Ye Youliang's leg injury has just healed, Cui Cui is a sensible girl, and Da Zhuang is a mighty boy. People don't treat me like a beggar; they treat me like a real relative and give me a helping hand.

These days, food is more precious than life. They lent it to me at the original price; that's an immense favor! Try going hungry for two days and see if anyone gives you a bowl of noodle soup.

Sun Erniang was about to mutter something more when Old Man Wang stood up, tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe, and gave an impatient shout.

"Alright, what Youyin said makes sense! Lending grain during a famine is a matter of kindness, but who can afford to buy grain these days?"

Several shy villagers shrank back sheepishly, and Er Gou, seeing that he was outnumbered, spat and turned away.

Li Laogeda came over and patted Ye Youyin, "Uncle Youyin, go back and make a bowl of porridge for your aunt. Don't take it to heart."

The dilapidated walls of Ye Youyin's house groaned in the wind, and the two thatched huts were low and crumbling, their doors worn and brittle. He pushed open the creaking wooden door and shouted hoarsely into the house,

"Damn it, damn it! The grain has been borrowed!"