Chapter 387 The First Riot
Ten days of continuous heavy rain had passed, and from the mountaintop, one could clearly see the villages completely submerged.
However, the strong winds had subsided considerably. Ye Shenge felt a pang of sadness looking at the disappearing houses. Bai Rong's brigade had been her official home in this world, and it was gone within a year.
Zi Yisheng put his arm around Ye Shenge's shoulders, understanding her feelings.
"Everything will pass. When the rain stops, we'll rebuild."
"I don't know when the rain will stop."
Zi Yisheng looked up at the dark sky, feeling as though the rain was about to pierce through it. He too had no idea when this disaster would end, nor how the country would cope.
The two of them watched the rain in silence. Everyone was trapped on the mountain. At first, it was a novelty, but as time dragged on, people grew bored and spent their days lying in bed.
"Young Master Zi, why don't a few of us go scout around? See what the situation is like on the other sides of the mountain. And maybe we can hunt something."
They had been eating dried meat daily. The vegetables they had brought up the mountain were long gone, leaving only some fruits for variety.
Zi Yisheng knew these fellows couldn't stay put. He wouldn't restrict them, as long as there was no danger to their lives, they could do as they pleased.
"No solo missions."
"Alright, everyone get ready to depart."
With a flurry of activity, more than a dozen people left the cave. Even Bai Chufan and Bai Chumo had gone with them.
Qi Xuan watched enviously as others left, feeling herself rusting away in the cave.
Meanwhile, in the village, the first riot had broken out. Some households had run out of food.
The brigade leader and the party branch secretary tried to quell the unrest, but their efforts were ineffective. After all, when hunger sets in, who can remain rational?
Gong Aidang looked at the subdued individuals on the ground, his eyes filled with helplessness. They were all people from the same village; who wouldn't want to help?
But if they helped today, their own families might go hungry tomorrow.
"Brother Songlin, this cannot go on."
Ji Songlin usually only conveyed and executed documents and directives from higher authorities. This was his first time involved in village disputes, and indeed, he could not ignore it.
"Aidang, the only solution now is to use the village's reserve grain. Although it's not much, it can last a few more days.
And everyone needs to brave the rain to find food. Otherwise, even after a few days, we'll still be starving.
Think about it, even if the rain stops, how long will it take for relief supplies to arrive? We have to rely on ourselves and fight for it."
Gong Aidang usually enjoyed listening to his uncle's advice, as there was always someone to make the final decision. But now, with no one to offer solutions, he was hesitant.
What if someone got hurt while searching for food? That would be a life lost, and how would he bear that responsibility?
Ji Songlin, being an old fox, couldn't he foresee these problems? If something truly happened, he wouldn't be able to escape either. But if no other plan was made, and everyone starved, the trouble would be even greater.
"One person per household still?"
"Not this time. Families can send out as many people as they want. And whatever they find is their own, belonging to them personally. If anything happens, they bear the consequences themselves."
Gong Aidang took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered one to Ji Songlin. They sat silently at the cave entrance, smoking.
"Brigade leader, you have to find a way. We can't all starve to death in the cave."
"That's right. The children are too weak from hunger."
Gong Aidang glanced at the speakers and retorted angrily.
"How do other households still have food? It's because you are lazy! It's because you knew disaster was coming and didn't ration your food."
"But you can't just ignore our plight! We're all in the same brigade. If we die, you won't escape either."
Gong Aidang, angered, threw his cigarette butt down and stood up. Seeing many people nod in agreement, he smiled. If it truly came to no food and no water, he would be the first to feed his own flesh to these villagers.
"Distribute the grain! I will immediately distribute all the grain stored in the village. After you finish eating, you will figure out your own solutions. Whether you go out to search or to rob, it's none of my business. But if anyone dares to harm their fellow villagers, I will be the first to send them to the security office."
Ji Songlin also stood up. At this moment, as long as the villagers didn't riot, it would be fine. Otherwise, it would truly be uncontrollable.
"The brigade leader's intention is also my intention. We will organize everyone to search for food together shortly. The village will not take any portion of what you find. And anyone can go out, but you will be responsible for your own safety."
Gong Aidang said no more, calling for the brigade accountant, Ji Pengcheng, and began moving the grain.
"Pengcheng, start distributing. Distribute per head, and deduct the work points directly."
Ji Pengcheng began calculating. It turned out that adults could only receive three and a half jin each, and children under twelve years old, one and a half jin each.
Looking at the grain in their hands, many villagers wept. They knew this was all the grain the village had stored. Once it was finished, they would truly have to brave the rain to find food.
The educated youths had even less. They earned fewer work points normally, so they received less grain, especially the new female educated youths.
An Xia tightly clutched her grain bag, which contained only a few jin. She lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. She just wanted to live, but how long could she hold on now?
The older educated youths were not much better off. No one wanted to go out; the rain outside could kill them.
"Why don't we try to find Chen Tangtang and Chen Tonghua? We're educated youths who came down to the countryside together. It's only right to offer help in times of difficulty. At worst, we can repay them later."
Wen Mei, who should have been expelled, was now being ignored. But her suggestion resonated with many.
"Heh, you have the courage to go and ask for help, but why don't you think about going to find food? Whether they'll lend you grain or not is one thing, but can you even find them?"
Cai Zhiyi sarcastically retorted, trying to instigate others to act while she could reap the benefits later. Did she really think everyone was a fool?
To Cai Zhiyi's surprise, there were indeed fools who responded, and they responded with enthusiasm.
"I think Comrade Wen Mei's suggestion is reasonable. That group Chen Tangtang is with was arranged to go up the mountain long ago. They must have prepared a lot of food. We can try looking for them and perhaps receive some to tide us over this immediate difficulty. After all, even if we go out to find food, we might not find anything."
Wang Qing stood up, speaking with some excitement. He was no longer hungry and was full of energy.
"Whoever wants to go can go. I don't have the face to borrow grain."
Cai Zhiyi was the first to state her position. She would rather brave the rain to find food than to brave the rain in search of unreliable hope.
"I'm not going either."
"Don't count me in."
...
In the end, only Wang Qing, Wen Mei, and Zhang Chunli stood united. But with so few people, it didn't stop them from making their decision.