It was almost New Year’s, and several more snowfalls had occurred. Even more villages came to the county to borrow grain. They even brought the elderly former village chiefs as persuaders. These village chiefs were usually prominent figures in their villages.
Now they were crying with snot and tears in front of the county magistrate. Although the county had given advance warnings, most people were still insufficiently prepared.
The weather was bad – going up the mountains, they couldn’t find a bite to eat. They heard that wild beasts on the mountains, searching for food, had come down the mountains and forcibly broken into farmhouses, nearly injuring people!
This winter was particularly difficult.
The county magistrate did have grain, but he had many people to guarantee – the government-run tofu workshop, the government-run brick kiln factory, plus several villages making cotton clothes. The county’s snow-clearing teams all needed to be fed.
Although they ate coarse grains, the speed of grain consumption was very fast in a single day.
Too many people came to borrow grain, making the county magistrate troubled. He said: “Each village can borrow one thousand jin of grain.”
The village chiefs all shed tears at this moment. Don’t think one thousand jin of grain sounded like a lot, but each village had at least one hundred households, and as many as two hundred households.
When divided among families, each got ten or eight jin – what could that accomplish? New Year’s was approaching, and next year would be spring. This year, being pressed down by snow, next year would definitely be a harvest year, but every household had no rice in their pots. They feared they wouldn’t see next year’s abundant harvest.
Head Constable Zhu saw them crying and sobbing and said: “What are you crying for? The county magistrate has already given special grace. The county is also short of grain – this is all saved from our own mouths!”
Head Constable Zhu now sent people out to patrol every day, hearing that more people were coming this way. When those disaster victims came, they’d be busy for another while.
Since the snow disaster began, he hadn’t rested for many days and had lost all patience.
Several village chiefs said: “We know the county is in difficulty!” They held back their tears with effort.
Head Constable Zhu then left. Only a few village chiefs remained in the room, still discussing solutions.
“How about we buy grain?” No matter how important silver was, it wasn’t more important than life. They had all brought silver before coming.
The other village chiefs frowned and said: “Are you crazy? The county’s coarse grain costs twenty wen per jin. And each person can only buy ten jin.”
They heard it was often out of stock. This was controlled by the county magistrate – those merchants would love to sell it for fifty wen per jin!
Villages had no way to make money, unlike the county with its good conditions. In the countryside, many people couldn’t earn even one tael of silver in a year.
This matter was difficult no matter what. The county magistrate had lent them one thousand jin – they could only go back and manage for now. Future matters would be dealt with later.
“How about we ask the deputy head constable? We heard from the old village chief that he’s young and promising.”
When the village chiefs said this, their eyes immediately brightened: “Right!”
Most village chiefs had received care from the old village chief. Over the years, the old village chief had helped many young people, but very few could earn the title “young and promising” from his mouth.
They heard he also came from the countryside and could better understand rural hardships.
So they went to find He Zifeng.
The runners said: “Alright, we’ll go find him for you.”
He Zifeng was someone who couldn’t stay idle. He was generally checking around various places. Recently, he often went to the medical clinic.
He heard that the medical clinic didn’t have enough medicinal materials. He had some relationship with the escort agency and could think of solutions.
Indeed, when the young runner went to find him, He Zifeng was helping to pound medicine.
Seeing this, the young runner quickly took over He Zifeng’s work and said: “Deputy Head Constable, why are you here?”
He Zifeng said: “The frostbite ointment made here isn’t enough.”
The doctors treated patients, and those young apprentices had to care for patients while also taking care of boiling medicine. Now even the young medicine boys were too busy.
He Zifeng saw that those young medicine boys were only a little older than his own son. Feeling sorry for their hard work, he helped for a while.
In any case, he was used to doing work in the countryside and did it very neatly. With He Zifeng’s help, the medicine-pounding work became half as easy.
Only when the young runner came to find him did he get up.
The young runner then explained about those village chiefs crying and wanting to find him. He Zifeng said: “Understood.” Then he told the young runner to go first.
He returned to his home in the main courtyard, went down to the cellar, and calculated how much grain he still had.
During this time, grain had been constantly used – the grain flowing out to the soup kitchen! He still had twenty thousand jin of surplus grain in his hands.
Grain was something that would spoil – it wasn’t the case that hoarding more was better. If not preserved well, it would grow insects and mold. Over time, even the best-preserved grain would have a musty smell.
However, He Zifeng had originally collected the best quality. Grain of this quality, if put on the market, could sell out in a day.
He Zifeng left the cellar and returned to the county.
As soon as he went, these village chiefs came to find him, saying all kinds of nice things, hoping He Zifeng could think of a solution.
“We really can’t survive without grain over there.”
“Please help us.”
After speaking, an old man was about to kneel down, but He Zifeng quickly grabbed him and didn’t let him kneel – otherwise it would shorten his lifespan.
He Zifeng said: “How much more grain do you still lack?”
There were people from five villages present. They wanted to say ten thousand jin, but were afraid others would say they were asking for too much. If they were thought to be insatiably greedy, that would be terrible!
They looked at each other and said tentatively: “If we could have another two thousand jin, that would be good.”
This was the minimum.
He Zifeng said: “Can you accept buying grain?”
Everyone knew how scarce grain was now. Sales couldn’t meet demand – who would give it away for free? One village chief said: “We’re willing. We didn’t come without money! Those merchants won’t sell even if you have money.”
Someone nearby said: “But please make it as cheap as possible.”
Twenty wen per jin was sky-high priced grain that most villagers couldn’t afford.
He Zifeng said: “I’ll be straight with you, but you can’t tell others. If word leaks out, I’ll settle accounts with each of you!”
Everyone listened, not knowing what he was going to say, but had a good feeling and said: “Don’t worry, our mouths are the tightest.”
“We guarantee not a single word will slip out.”
“Right!”
He Zifeng said: “I have a friend who has grain for five wen per jin. If you’re willing, he can sell each of you at most three thousand jin. Come get the grain in ten days.”
He Zifeng calculated – fifteen thousand jin should be enough. This was life-saving grain. He had kept a backup plan in advance, not letting the grain be collected by grain dealers. Keeping it with him was safer.
Now it could be used.
He Zifeng didn’t seek fame or profit, only mentioning his friend’s side. These former old village chiefs were many from He Zifeng’s grandfather’s generation.
In this bitter cold weather, coming to such a distant county town to borrow grain – they definitely had no choice.
Everyone heard five wen per jin and their breathing became heavy. This price simply didn’t exist anymore.
They said: “If it’s five wen, is there any more? Our village can afford ten thousand jin too.”
“Right, however much there is, we want it all!”
How could it be so perfectly divided – saying three thousand jin per person would distribute it all.
He Zifeng said: “Enough. You only wanted two thousand jin, but getting an extra thousand jin distributed is already not bad.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re our village’s great benefactor.”
“This is wonderful.”
With grain, they could get through this winter.
