Chapter 114: Returning Home

On his way, Xiao Weiguo pondered whether he should bring his grandparents to live in the city, as the countryside was set to become a living hell. However, he was unsure of their wishes. If all else failed, he would bring the elderly couple to the city next year.

By the time he reached the Xiao Family Production Brigade, it was mid-afternoon. The "autumn tiger"—the lingering summer heat—was intense, and his clothes were soaked through from the ride. Seeing that Xiao Weijun was not by the river, Xiao Weiguo felt relieved, guessing the boy had gone to school. He realized he would eventually need to transfer his younger siblings’ schooling to the city, though that was contingent on moving their household registrations first. In this era, children’s registrations typically followed their mother’s; he wasn't sure if his siblings’ registrations could be transferred along with his father’s, so he would have to inquire about it tomorrow.

He then thought of Zhao Di and her three sisters—the four girls from his second uncle’s family. For now, there was no easy solution, so he would simply have to provide more help during the coming difficult times. He certainly could not watch his sensible young sisters perish.

Arriving at his grandparents' home, he found his grandmother alone; his grandfather had not yet returned from the fields. Xiao Weiguo remembered the small stash he had helped his grandmother save before the communal canteen era began, so he pulled it from his storage space and placed it into a bag. Having returned in such a rush, he hadn't brought much else, so he added some peach blossom cakes from his storage into the bag, hung it on his bicycle handlebars, and pushed his way inside.

His grandmother, who was sweeping the floor, looked up at the sound and saw her eldest grandson. Her face instantly lit up with a broad smile. She walked slowly toward him on her bound feet, murmuring, "My good grandson, why have you come back again? It’s not a holiday or a festival—you shouldn't be coming home every day. You should focus on doing a good job in the city."

Xiao Weiguo quickly propped up his bike and took a few steps forward to support her. "Grandma, the nature of my work requires me to run around, procuring supplies in the countryside. Whenever I’m nearby, I’ll stop by to see you, so don’t worry about my job."

"That’s good. A job in the city is hard to come by, so you must cherish it. Don't learn from those city folk; they get things too easily and don't know how to value them. No matter what you do, those who know how to cherish what they have are the ones who are truly blessed," his grandmother said as she walked, looking back at him. Xiao Weiguo nodded in agreement; he could not dismiss the kindness of his elder.

He asked, "Grandma, when will Grandpa and the others finish work? I have some good news to tell you all when they get back."

"They don't finish until six. My good grandson, are you hungry? Let me fix you something to eat," she replied.

Xiao Weiguo quickly stopped her. "Grandma, I had a banquet for lunch with plenty of meat. Let’s wait until evening to eat. We’re still eating at the communal canteen, right? How is the food there these days?"

His grandmother sighed, sat down on a chair, and said, "My good boy, there is no communal canteen anymore. It was disbanded a while ago. A few days back, they distributed a bit of grain based on the number of people in each household and told everyone to go back and cook for themselves. They said to wait for the resale grain to arrive, but we’ve been waiting and waiting, and there’s no sign of it. Every time we ask your Uncle Gonglin, he just says it’ll be soon. I think it’s hopeless."

Lowering her voice, she added, "I heard the leaders of the brigade handed over all the grain we produced, which is why we have nothing to eat now."

Xiao Weiguo quickly pressed her, "Grandma, how much grain did each household receive? Is it enough to last until next summer’s harvest?"

"Summer harvest? I’d be surprised if it lasts until the New Year. Each person only got 20 jin of cornmeal and 50 jin of sweet potatoes. It’s a sin," she said, beginning to sob.

Xiao Weiguo did the math. Such a small amount would barely sustain an adult for two months with strict rationing, yet it was expected to last until the following summer’s harvest. And that harvest would be the first to be affected by the weather—a man-made disaster followed by a natural one. It was no wonder the consequences would be so severe. He hoped Uncle Gonglin could manage to secure some resale grain; at the very least, they could survive this season, and they would worry about next year when the time came.

As they chatted, the brigade primary school let out. Xiao Weijun had originally intended to find his friend Little Stone to play, but he saw his eldest brother’s bicycle parked at the gate. Realizing his brother was home, he rushed into the yard, shouting, "Big Brother!"

Xiao Weiguo looked at the boy charging toward him. He seemed to have grown quite a bit. It made sense; between the communal canteen and the extra food he had been slipping him, his nutrition hadn't been poor. Xiao Weijun threw himself into his brother’s arms, nearly knocking the chair over. Xiao Weiguo patted his younger brother’s head and asked, "Where are your sisters?"

He took the peach blossom cakes out of the bag and handed them to Xiao Weijun, adding, "Here, divide these among you and your sisters, but remember to save some for Grandpa and Grandma."

Seeing the cakes, Xiao Weijun nearly drooled. With the decline of the canteen, he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days—just steamed sweet potatoes or corn porridge. The canteen hadn't officially closed, but it had suspended operations, leaving the commune members to cook at home while they waited for a reopening.

Xiao Weijun fetched several bowls, set aside a portion for his grandparents, and divided the rest equally. "Big Brother, keep an eye on these for me, I’m going to get my sisters," he said, darting off.

His grandmother stood up and said, "Grandson, you rest. I’m going to make dinner." She took a ladle, went to the inner room, and carefully unearthed a grain bag. She scooped out one bowl, hesitated, and then scooped out another.

Xiao Weiguo wondered if he should bring some grain home tomorrow to relieve the pressure on his grandparents. The elderly couple wasn't as resilient as the young, and they couldn't afford to go without proper food. He would see how things went; for now, the household had some grain left, and they hadn't yet reached the point of utter desperation. He would deal with that after settling his father Xiao Pingle’s work situation.

Before long, Xiao Weijun returned with Xiao Hongmei and Xiao Lianxin, with Hongmei holding the hand of the fifth child, Xiao Qigong. After their stepmother left, Xiao Hongmei had been the one mostly responsible for Qigong; only when she was at school would he be left with their grandmother. It was true that the eldest daughter often acted as a mother. In this era, the older children raised the younger ones, and the eldest girl was usually the pillar of childcare, helping her parents raise one sibling after another. That was the reality that supported the trend of every family having five or more children.