Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

The Intermediate People's Court, the Wang family.

Today is Sunday. Qin Jingru slept until eight o'clock in the morning before getting up to make breakfast.

By the time she finished making breakfast, it was already past 8:40.

After Lu Banxia finished a bowl of shredded pork noodles, it was already nine o'clock. She didn't even have time to drink tea before she hurriedly pushed her bicycle out the door.

After finishing his breakfast, Wang Feng pushed his bicycle and left the No. 95 courtyard.

After wandering around outside for about twenty minutes, I came to a secluded alley, took out two pheasants and two rabbits from my spatial storage, and returned to No. 95 Courtyard.

Along the way, Wang Feng saw countless ragged, emaciated refugees and many hungry children, but he only glanced at them and quickly rode past on his bicycle.

Since the rationing was reduced, not to mention these refugees, even the factory workers are starving and emaciated. There's nothing that can be done about it, and he can't do anything about it.

Two pheasants and two rabbits were hanging on one side of his bicycle handlebars, which aroused the envy of many people.

Upon entering the front yard, Wang Feng saw Yan Fugui watering the flowers again. Just as he was about to walk over quickly, Yan Fugui called out to him.

"Wang Feng, wait a minute."

Wang Feng turned around and asked, "Old Yan, what's up?"

Yan Fugui looked at the two pheasants and rabbits on Wang Feng's handlebars, rubbed his hands together, and grinned shamelessly:

"Hey Wang Feng, are you going to have Aunt Wu kill those pheasants and rabbits for you later?"

Wang Feng nodded, feigning confusion as he asked, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Yan Fugui stepped forward, touched the pheasant, then the rabbit, his face full of emotion.

"Wang Feng, you've lived in this courtyard for over ten years. Your third uncle watched you grow up. I've always known you've been clever since you were little. Look, now that everyone is almost starving, your family can still afford meat. What does that prove? It proves that my judgment wasn't wrong."

Wang Feng shook his head speechlessly. As soon as Yan Fugui stopped him, he knew what Yan Fugui wanted to do. Wasn't he just trying to help him kill pheasants and rabbits so he could take advantage of him? And he even made up all this nonsense.

"Old Yan, what's the matter? Just tell me already, I'm busy right now," Wang Feng said impatiently.

"Tsk tsk..."

Yan Fugui smacked his lips, sighed, and said, "Wang Feng, look at yourself! Don't you look down on your third uncle? I've only said a few words to you, and you're already getting impatient? Back in the day, your father and I were like brothers, drinking and laughing together..."

"Stop, stop."

Wang Feng raised his hand to interrupt Yan Fugui and said in a deep voice, "Old Yan, if you're not going to tell me, I'm leaving."

As Wang Feng made a move to leave, Yan Fugui immediately became anxious.

"etc."

Yan Fugui quickly stopped Wang Feng and said, "Wang Feng, since you're still busy, I'll tell you. Look, you're a great hunter now. Everyone in the whole compound knows that. You often catch pheasants and rabbits."

After a pause, Yan Fugui continued, "Uncle San knows that you and Jingru aren't good at killing pheasants and rabbits, and you don't like eating innards or chicken tails. Many of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet. Could you let the neighbors take turns killing these pheasants and rabbits? That would be a kind of benefit for our neighborhood, wouldn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng's face darkened. He knew it must be about this. Yan Fugui wouldn't have told him so much if there was no benefit to be gained.

Seeing Wang Feng's face darken, Yan Fugui quickly said, "Wang Feng, I'm doing this for your own good. Think about it, everyone's struggling to make ends meet these days. So many neighbors in the yard can't even afford cornbread and pickled vegetables, but your family eats meat every few days. Even if you hunted those pheasants and rabbits, what if someone gets jealous and reports you? Even if you're not afraid, it'll still be troublesome. You should understand the principle of 'not worrying about scarcity but worrying about inequality,' right?"

"Wang Feng, if your family eats meat, let the people in the yard have some soup too. That way, they won't be envious. After all, you and Jingru don't eat the offal or anything like that. Letting the people in the yard share it won't hurt you, right?"

Wang Feng smiled at Yan Fugui and said in a deep voice, "Old Yan, let me ask you this: is the prey I hunt myself truly mine?"

Without even thinking, Yan Fugui replied, "Of course it's yours."

Wang Feng nodded and said coldly, "You know this is my stuff. Since it's my own stuff, how I deal with it is none of anyone else's business. If anyone is so bored that they want to report me for eating the game I hunted myself, go ahead. Old Yan, if you can't stand my family eating meat, you can report me too, but my fists won't be merciful afterwards. Also, if they don't get enough to eat in the canteen, don't blame others for turning the food over."

After saying that, Wang Feng didn't want to waste any more words with Yan Fugui, so he pushed his bicycle and went to the Intermediate People's Court.

"Pah!"

"You little brat, you've grown wings and think you can look down on me, your great-uncle? What a piece of trash...!"

"You ill-mannered brat!"

Watching Wang Feng's retreating figure, Yan Fugui's face was extremely ugly, so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

He originally wanted to have a proper talk with Wang Feng, to make sure he didn't keep all the benefits to himself, but he didn't expect Wang Feng to be so disrespectful to him, the third uncle.

This time he was genuinely doing it for the good of the people in the courtyard. If this matter succeeds, his prestige as the Third Uncle in the courtyard will rise significantly. And when his prestige is even higher in the future, he might be able to get a scallion or a clove of garlic from everyone every day, just like before.

After all, Wang Feng's family eats wild chickens and rabbits every now and then. The families in the yard can share the offal and other things, so each family can get some meat, right?

Yan Jiecheng came out of the room and saw that his father looked unwell, so he hurriedly asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Yan Fugui's face darkened: "What's wrong? It's all because of Wang Feng. I saw him bring back two pheasants and two rabbits today. I kindly reminded him to share the entrails with the other neighbors, but he ignored my good intentions. So what if he's a good hunter? What's so great about that?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Jiecheng's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.

His family has always eaten sweet potatoes, but now that the ration has been reduced by 20%, many people can't even afford cornbread anymore, while Wang Feng can still eat meat often, which makes him feel very unbalanced.

"Dad, I don't remember Wang Feng ever hunting before. How come he's become such a good hunter in less than a year?"

"Dad, how about we make a few snares and go up the mountain with Jiefang next Sunday? Maybe we can catch a few pheasants or rabbits?"

Yan Fugui nodded: "I think so. Let's go home and make some condoms."