Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

6:10 PM.

Qin Jingru was riding her bicycle, carrying Aunt Wu and Ya Ya, when she returned to courtyard number 95. She saw Director Wang and a street office worker walk into the courtyard.

"Hello Director Wang, hello Officer Chen," Qin Jingru greeted Director Wang with a smile.

"Hello, Director Wang. Is there something you want to announce at our hospital today?" Aunt Wu asked with a smile.

Director Wang nodded, sighed, and said, "There is something I need to discuss. Let's talk about it at the hospital-wide meeting later."

Seeing Director Wang's somber expression, Qin Jingru and Aunt Wu knew it probably wasn't good news, so they didn't ask any more questions.

Qin Jingru returned to the room, drank a cup of tea, and said to Wang Feng, "Brother Wang Feng, I just saw Director Wang. She said there's a hospital-wide meeting today, and she said there's something to announce."

Qin Jingru had just finished speaking when Yan Jiefang shouted.

"A college-wide meeting is starting! A college-wide meeting is starting! Come out here and start a college-wide meeting!"

"Brother Wang Feng, let's go. Director Wang is here to hold a hospital-wide meeting today, so there's probably no good show to watch."

Qin Jingru was clearly not in high spirits. She loved watching the excitement, and the courtyard had been quiet for quite some time now. Director Wang's meetings for the whole courtyard were all about serious matters, so what was there to see? Anyway, no matter how the policies changed, her family didn't lack food or drink, so it didn't have much of an impact on them.

Wang Feng nodded: "Let's go."

Qin Jingru took a stool, and the two of them strolled leisurely toward the conference venue, completely devoid of the previous sense of urgency.

When the two arrived at the meeting venue, there were already quite a few people there. At this time, most people in the institute were at home. After the notice was given, they would be able to come out and hold a meeting for the entire institute soon.

"Sister Jingru, over here."

When Lu Banxia saw Wang Feng and Qin Jingru, she quickly greeted them with a smile.

Wang Feng and Qin Jingru came to Lu Banxia's side and sat down next to her. On Lu Banxia's other side was Li Sumei. Xu Damao did not come out to hold the hospital-wide meeting, probably because his injury had not yet healed.

Today, the three elderly men, Yi Zhonghai, did not set up a traditional eight-immortal table. Instead, they stood behind Director Wang and the street office staff, behaving unusually obediently.

After waiting a few more minutes, most of the people from the institute who could come had arrived at the conference venue. Liu Haizhong walked up to Director Wang and said in a low voice with a fawning smile, "Director Wang, everyone has arrived."

Director Wang nodded, looked at the crowd below, and said loudly, "The reason for holding this hospital-wide meeting today is to announce something to everyone."

"As everyone knows, due to reduced grain production since last year, as well as other factors, our national grain supply has been relatively tight. Starting last month, our grain ration has been reduced by 10%."

"Due to a series of reasons, our food supply is now even tighter. After a meeting of the higher-level leaders, it was decided that starting this month, the ration will be reduced by another 10%."

When Director Wang called a hospital-wide meeting, everyone behaved themselves very well, and even Jia Zhangshi didn't dare to cause trouble.

But when everyone heard that the quota had been reduced by another 10%, they started to get restless and began to shout.

"Director Wang, this won't do! Last month, the ration was reduced by 10%, and our family used all our savings to buy expensive grain. Now it's going to be reduced again? Won't we starve to death?"

"Director Wang, we can't reduce the portion sizes! If we reduce them any further, people will starve! Even if we adults eat less and feel a little full, what about the children? We can't let them go hungry, can we?"

Jia Zhangshi stood up from the stool, then plopped down on the ground, pounding her thighs with her hands and yelling, "I can't live anymore! I can't live like this! Old Jia! Come and take me away! It's better to die sooner than to starve to death, to avoid this suffering!"

Director Wang knew that everyone would complain once this news came out, but when she saw Jia Zhangshi performing the soul-summoning ritual again, her face instantly turned ashen.

"Jia Zhangshi, stand up right now! If you dare to promote feudal superstition and make trouble again, I will send someone to send you back to your hometown tomorrow."

Upon hearing that Director Wang was going to send her back to her hometown, Jia Zhangshi was terrified. She stood up and cried out, "Director Wang, it's not that I want to promote feudal superstition, but our family was already struggling to survive last month when our ration was reduced by 10%. Now they're going to reduce it by another 10%! We really can't live like this!"

"Yes, Director Wang, please think of a solution! The rations really can't be reduced any further! Cornmeal in Pigeon Market is selling for 80 cents a pound now, and with our meager salaries, we simply can't afford such expensive grain!"

"Director Wang, please have mercy and help us think of a solution. My son, Er Gou, is only eight years old and is at the age where he's growing rapidly. He can't be hungry! What if he doesn't grow tall enough?"

Wang Feng was shocked to hear that cornmeal had risen to 80 cents a pound. A few days ago, when he went to the black market, cornmeal was only 50 cents a pound. In just one week, it had risen from 50 cents to 80 cents. This was simply outrageous.

Director Wang gestured with his hand, sighed, and said, "Comrades, this is a decision made from above. The whole country is tightening its belts right now. Let's all hang in there. I believe these difficult days will soon be over."

"Before these difficult days are over, if any families in our compound are relatively well-off, we should do our best to help families in need, so that we can all get through this together."

Upon hearing this, the crowd below immediately erupted into chaos.

Jia Zhangshi had the loudest voice. She shouted, her neck stiff, "Director Wang, Director Wang, I don't have any rations! My family has always been the poorest in our compound. You must get everyone to help us, otherwise we'll really starve to death! If my son Banggeng gets sick from hunger, how can I face Old Jia!"

"Director Wang, what about my family? My son Erleng is the only one earning money to support our family of five. He only makes 27.5 yuan a month. We could barely make ends meet before, but now we really can't!"

Seeing the chaos in the courtyard, Wang Feng sighed inwardly.

Previously, a 10% reduction in rations was enough for most families to manage, but now that it's been reduced by another 10%, they're really struggling to make ends meet, since very few families can afford the current high prices of grain.

In the entire courtyard, only Jia Zhangshi and Li Sumei had rural household registration. They were not subject to rationing and had to buy expensive grain.

Li Sumei is supported by the Xu family, who are quite wealthy, so there's no need to worry; the Xu family can easily afford to support her.

The Jia family is in dire straits. Jia Zhangshi, that fat pig, can eat more than Qin Huairu and Jia Dongxu combined. Moreover, she doesn't have a ration. With Qin Huairu's meager salary, let alone 27.5 yuan, even 50 yuan a month wouldn't be enough to cover the Jia family's expenses.