Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

In Kaoshantun, news travels faster than the wind.

Before a single night had passed, the news of San Lengzi's family stewing meat and Er Ya wearing new clothes had spread throughout the entire village.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several old smokers squatted there with their sleeves tucked in, their faces showing an increasingly sour expression, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

"Have you heard?"

A man spat and pointed towards the west end of the village, his tone full of sourness:

"That kid Er Gou rode back a Phoenix brand bicycle first thing this morning! It's brand new! The big chain box is still wrapped in oil paper!"

"Ergou?!"

The person next to them almost popped their eyes out:

"That Er Gou, who couldn't even afford firecrackers for last year's Lunar New Year and whose pants were torn and he didn't even have a patch?"

"you do not say!"

The man slapped his thigh, his face full of disbelief—it was genuine jealousy.

"This kid used to be dirt poor, he'd pick up a cigarette butt from someone's house and take a couple of puffs. Look at him now? Riding a big Phoenix cigarette, with a pack of cheap cigarettes in his pocket, handing out cigarettes to everyone he meets! He's really got it now!"

"And there's Sanlengzi."

An old man squatting at the very edge tapped his pipe, his voice full of sighs:

"I just saw him go to the clinic and slam all the money he owed for medicine over the past three years onto the table. That was fifty or sixty yuan! Not even a penny, all brand new ten-yuan notes!"

"That's not all!"

Another one chimed in, her eyes a little red:

"Dazhuang just found a bricklayer, and he's measuring the land for his house in his yard. He said he's going to tear down those drafty, dilapidated thatched huts in the spring and build three big red brick houses instead!"

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The men squatting on the ground were in turmoil; the feeling was worse than if they had drunk vinegar.

San Lengzi, Er Gou, Da Zhuang...

What were these people like in the village before?

Those were impoverished households living in dire poverty.

When Zhao Shanhe was recruiting workers, the group under the tree were tempted. After all, fifty yuan a month was quite attractive.

But after they all discussed it, they realized:

"That job is too tiring, and you have to go into the mountains. It's money earned by risking your life."

"We have a family and a business. Although life is a bit tight, at least it's stable. It's not worth going through that kind of hardship."

Especially for people like Zhang Dali who have a secure job, they feel it's unnecessary.

Although he didn't earn as much at the forest farm, he had a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, and he was a government employee.

But now?

These poor bastards who were once willing to risk their lives are suddenly wearing new clothes, riding new cars, and building new houses, acting as if they can walk sideways.

Meanwhile, those who crave stability are still worrying about a few cents for soy sauce and losing sleep over the meager wages withheld by the factory.

This is hardly a peaceful place!

This is what I've done to myself!

"Tap tap tap..."

A series of heavy footsteps approached.

Zhang Dali walked over with a dark face, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his old cotton-padded jacket, and his head down.

Last night, Liu Guilan scolded him all night, saying he was "living on empty hands." He was so angry that he didn't eat breakfast. He went out for some fresh air and happened to run into this group of people talking.

"Hey, Dali's here."

Someone saw him and spoke with a hint of mockery:

"Dali, I heard Dazhuang is going to build a tiled house. You've been a permanent employee at the forest farm for ten years now, when are you going to renovate our house?"

If this had happened in the past, Zhang Dali would have definitely stuck his neck out and used his status as a "state worker" to suppress it.

Available today.

Zhang Dali opened his mouth, but the words "I have a government job" just wouldn't come out.

The forest farm recently cut its quota, resulting in a backlog of timber. The factory has announced that everyone except those who remain on the front lines will be on "rotational leave."

It's called a rotation leave, but it's really just staying home and unemployed. They only get five yuan a month for living expenses, and who knows when it will actually arrive.

This "iron rice bowl" has now become an "empty rice bowl" that will starve people to death.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Zhang Dali waved his hand irritably, took out a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, and tried to light it for a long time without success.

"I just want to ask one question."

Zhang Dali took a deep breath, looked up at the crowd, and his eyes revealed an urgent look:

"Zhao Shanhe...does he really pay people in cash for the work?"

"Why give me cash?"

The person next to him got anxious and slapped his thigh:

"I heard that in addition to cash, they also give dividends! Er Gou bought the car with real money! If they only gave him that meager salary without any dividends, where would they get over a hundred yuan to buy a Phoenix with their meager savings?"

"Oh shit."

Zhang Dali spat angrily, threw the broken matchstick on the ground, and the anger in his heart suddenly flared up.

Even a down-on-his-luck guy like Er Gou, whose pants were so worn out during the New Year, can now ride around the village on a big phoenix, handing out Daqianmen cigarettes to everyone he meets.

What about myself? As a regular worker in the forest farm, am I supposed to hold onto a "secure job" that I can't even afford porridge, while my whole family starves to death?

He finally understood.

A living person should never let themselves die from holding in their pee!

I have to keep this job as a government employee. If the factory is doing well and pays full salary, then I'll obediently go back to work as a government employee.

The factory is shut down and can't pay wages, so I'll secretly go outside and do manual labor to earn cash!

As long as he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't gossip, he can have the benefits of both sides. Who can take away his secure job?

This is called "riding a donkey while looking for a horse," this is called self-rescue!

"Let's go!" Zhang Dali suddenly turned around and walked directly to the west end of the village.

"Dali, where are you going? Aren't you going to the factory to report for duty today?" someone called from behind.

"What kind of reporting is this!"

Zhang Dali didn't even turn his head, his voice stiff:

"The factory gates are all locked, what am I supposed to do? I'll find Zhao Shanhe!"

"I refuse to believe it! I'm a regular worker, I have skills and strength. Aren't I better than Er Gou, who can't even afford pants?"

"I'll do any job, even short-term, as long as I get paid!"

That shout was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.

The seven or eight men who were already extremely envious collapsed when they saw that even the "permanent employees" had gone into business.

"Walk!"

"Let's go together!"

"Even Dali Ge (Brother Dali) is there, what are we still pretending for?"

In a flash.

Following closely behind Zhang Dali, they marched in a grand procession toward the Zhao family compound.

……

The Zhao Family Compound.

Zhao Shanhe was directing Erga Zi and Dazhuang to build a stove in the yard.

We're having a feast tonight, so we need to stew that half-pig.

"Brother, isn't this pot a bit too small?"

Erga looked at the large iron pot, a little worried:

"I think this half-portion of pork is quite a lot."

"Then let's stew it in two pots!"

Zhao Shanhe, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a cleaver in his hand, was cutting pork.

"Make sure it's stewed until very tender, and there's plenty of glass noodles and pickled cabbage!"

I'm busy right now.

"Mountains and rivers..."

A somewhat awkward shout came from the courtyard gate.

Zhao Shanhe stopped wielding his knife and looked up.

Good guy.

A large group of people stood at the entrance of the courtyard.

Leading the group was Zhang Dali, followed by a group of arrogant old men from the village.

Standing at the door, looking at the mountain of raw pork in the yard and smelling the aroma of meat wafting from the pot, the group of people's Adam's apples bobbed violently.

That's because they're greedy.

"Hey, Brother Dali?"

Zhao Shanhe slammed the knife down on the cutting board, then smiled and wiped his hands.

"What a rare visitor! Is the forest farm on holiday?"

These words, though neither too harsh nor too mild, struck Zhang Dali squarely in the heart.

Zhang Dali blushed slightly, but his desire for life quickly overwhelmed him.

He took a step forward, abandoning his pretense, and went straight to the point:

"Shanhe, I was blind before, and some of my words were harsh. Please don't take them to heart."

"I'm here for no other reason than this."

Zhang Dali pointed to the group of people behind him, then to himself, gritted his teeth, and asked loudly:

"I just want to ask one question."

"Do you still need anyone?"

"I have a lot of strength. I'm not afraid of hardship or cold."

"Just give me cash..."

Zhang Dali stared into Zhao Shanhe's eyes and spoke the minds of all the men in the village:

"I'll do whatever you tell me to do."