C43 Returning to the 1960s: Starting with Digging for Fo-ti

“The order has been issued from above, requiring each region to organize its own hunting teams. This is basically a done deal.”

He Yong smiled as he handed Du Jianguo a cigarette and struck a match to light it for both of them.

Du Jianguo rarely smoked, but with his mind fully occupied by the formation of the hunting team, he did not refuse.

“Great, the hunting team is finally going to be established.”

For him, the hunting team represented the best opportunity to legally hold a firearm.

In the future, any game caught in the mountains that was difficult to sell could be sold under the name of the hunting team. Even if a commission was taken, the benefits would definitely outweigh the drawbacks.

He Yong chuckled, “I knew you would be happy. You have to thank my junior sister, Song Qingxue, for this. She argued the case and appealed to her superiors repeatedly until they agreed to discuss forming the hunting team.”

Du Jianguo nodded in agreement. “Qingxue is indeed a remarkable woman.”

Although he said this, Du Jianguo had his own thoughts.

Song Qingxue might have contributed a lot, but the leadership would never change their mind based solely on the proposal of a young woman.

Ultimately, it was because grain had been so scarce these past few years, and this winter would likely be even harder to endure.

He heard that the Hexi and Hedong regions had poor harvests and suffered from locust plagues. It was estimated that people would starve to death again.

Even in non-disaster areas like his own, the grain problem would explode completely once the heavy snow blocked the roads this winter.

The shortage of grain would last until the next autumn harvest. The decision to form hunting teams was likely intended to let each region sweep its own doorstep snow and rely on hunting to alleviate hunger.

“By the way, where is Comrade Song Qingxue? Why haven’t we seen her today?” Du Jianguo could not help but ask.

They had gotten along well recently, and Song Qingxue’s family had invited him to visit the provincial city over the phone multiple times.

Considering Song Qingxue lived in the provincial city and He Yong called her “junior sister,” Du Jianguo vaguely sensed she had an important background.

In his past life, he would have tried to attach himself to such connections. However, after being reborn, his personality had become much steadier. Now he only hoped to stay with his wife, live a good life, and successfully get through the winter.

“Sigh, don’t mention her. I don’t know what has gotten into her,” He Yong shook his head helplessly.

“Normally, with the hunting team matter settled, she wouldn’t need to be here for research anymore. Her family has already bought a train ticket for her return to the provincial city. I even asked her three times to send her off, but every time she arrived at the station to board, she disappeared. I guess she is still hiding right now.”

He irritably finished his cigarette and crushed the butt under his foot. “Let’s not talk about her. Today, when you go home, don’t let her affect your mood.”

Saying this, He Yong took a stack of money and two receipts out of his pocket and handed them over. “This is your subsidy as an instructor. It is calculated at 2.5 yuan per day. I also applied for a subsidy and compensation for lost work on your behalf. It adds up to over twenty yuan.”

Du Jianguo unfolded it and saw that the subsidy for 10 days plus the applied allowance totaled 46.5 yuan.

He was surprised. “This is too much. It is higher than the salary of an ordinary clerk for two months.”

“Do not push it away. You deserve it. You helped the bureau solve a major trouble,” He Yong insisted.

“With winter coming, life in the countryside will not be easy for you.”

He Yong proposed, “On the way to send you home, we can stop at the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some food and oil for the winter.”

“The cooperative just restocked yesterday. These past two days, many people have taken out their saved grain coupons and cloth coupons. They are all afraid that if the coupons are kept until winter, they will expire and be wasted.”

He Yong explained with a smile, “If you go to stock up now, you will catch the time when supplies are most complete. If you go later, you might only be able to pick what others left behind, and even moldy rice or bad flour might not be available.”

“Oh? The cooperative has restocked?”

Du Jianguo was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “Then thank you, Team Leader He. However, after buying things, I would trouble you to take a detour to the west of the city. I want to visit my wife’s parents. With winter approaching, I don’t know if I will be able to come to the county town often during the winter. I need to prepare some food and clothing for them in advance and also see my daughter.”

“Of course, that can be arranged.” He Yong immediately nodded, turned around to get the car, and did not delay for a moment.

The two soon arrived near the supply and marketing cooperative. From a distance, they saw a long line at the entrance. A sea of heads blocked every bit of space, and the noisy chatter mixed with conversations about rushing to buy winter goods drifted over. Du Jianguo made every effort to push a path through the crowd and squeezed into the cooperative.

He first bought a bucket of two jin of sunflower oil, then took out precious fine grain coupons to exchange all the soon-to-expire coupons for rice and flour. But he knew deep down that this amount was far from enough to last through the winter.

So Du Jianguo used most of the remaining money to buy cornmeal. This was two or three times cheaper than white flour. Although the nutritional value was lower, for ordinary families, just surviving the winter was already difficult enough, so they could not afford to be picky about nutritional value.

Earlier on the road, He Yong had already agreed that the Public Security Bureau would reimburse the coarse grain coupons used for buying cornmeal, so Du Jianguo did not stand on ceremony.

He waved his hand boldly, lifted a full bag of cornmeal onto the scale, watched the needle swing to the thirty-plus jin mark, and then turned to the sales clerk and said decisively, “I will take this whole bag.”

“Good guy, you have guts. You really intend to spend every penny?”

Although He Yong had advised Du Jianguo to buy more grain, he did not expect the young man to come with the intention of leaving not a single cent.

Du Jianguo was very honest. “Money is external. It is better to exchange it for grain. At least we will not starve to death.”

Afterwards, the two first went to his wife’s parents’ home. As soon as his father-in-law saw Du Jianguo, his face immediately sank, and he muttered to himself.

He probably came to ask for money and grain again!

After hearing that Du Jianguo was there to deliver gifts, the old couple exchanged glances, their eyes full of surprise.

Du Jianguo took out 5 jin of cornmeal and some fine grain and handed them to his mother-in-law.

“This won’t do! We cannot accept it!” His mother-in-law waved her hands in haste, her tone anxious. “You and Xiuyun are living in the countryside. Your days will only be harder than ours. Take these back and eat them yourselves!”

But Du Jianguo was firm. “This is for you and Tuantuan. I will come less often in winter. Do not let the child go hungry. When Tuantuan starts kindergarten next spring, I will come to take her away.”

His father-in-law moved his lips, wanting to mock, but ultimately held back. His son-in-law had indeed changed recently. If he pushed him too hard, he might turn back into a hooligan, which would be troublesome. Anyway, spring was still far away. He could find a reason to refuse to take the child then.

Afterwards, Du Jianguo secretly slipped some candied fruit and snacks to his daughter and told her to be obedient.

With no more worries, he followed He Yong into the jeep and headed out of the city.

The sky grew darker, and the bumpy road shook people painfully. Du Jianguo looked back, and the county town had shrunk into a tiny black dot.

Suddenly, white flakes began to fall from the sky.

Du Jianguo was shocked. “Is it snowing?”

“Yes, it is snowing! The snow this year is falling a bit early. It is half a month earlier than usual.”

He Yong, with a cigarette in his mouth, said, “Let us hope it is a good omen for a bountiful harvest!”

Du Jianguo sighed imperceptibly and softly echoed, “Let us hope so.”

A bountiful harvest, it seemed, was the exact opposite of what was coming.