Reborn in the 60s, I hunt to support my family and even seduce the village beauty.

Liu Meifen was busy preparing the yellow deer, skinning, deboning, and cutting the meat with swift movements.

These past few months, her son has been hunting and bringing home game from time to time, and now she's quite skilled at handling the prey.

Her hands were busy working, and her mouth didn't stop either.

"These deer antlers are good. We'll saw them off, grind them into powder, and make them into liquor for your dad... I've heard that deer antler powder is the most effective for backaches and leg pains."

Chang Kun responded and watched his mother busy herself.

Liu Meifen cut off a piece of venison leg: "We're inviting our in-laws over for dinner tomorrow. Keep this piece of meat and send it to Xiaomei's mother-in-law later."

Now that there are two in-laws, it's not appropriate to invite them both at the same time. If we only invite Chang Kun's father-in-law, Yang Shunong might think we're looking down on his family.

It has to be said, women are just so meticulous.

Chang Kun was listening to his mother's arrangements when he suddenly remembered something.

When we got married, Director Wang ran around helping with all the arrangements, and we even gave the matchmaker a gift, but we never had a chance to thank him after the wedding.

He went back into the house, rummaged through the things he had brought back from Guangzhou: a package of Cantonese sausages, a box of chicken biscuits, and a package of dried lychees, wrapped in oil paper, and carried them out.

"Mom, I'm going to see Director Wang."

Liu Meifen didn't even look up: "Go ahead, come back for dinner early."

After leaving the alley and turning onto the main road, I saw Zhang Quhun coming from the opposite side after only a few steps.

He was no longer the simple country boy he once was. Dressed in a nearly new uniform with his hat neatly worn, he rushed over as soon as he saw Chang Kun.

"Brother Kun!" he grinned foolishly.

Chang Kun smiled too. It had been a while since he'd seen Zhang Quhun, and he looked more energetic than before, with a fuller face.

"Is this the end of the workday?"

"It's still early, let's patrol a few more times." Zhang Quhun rubbed his hands together, glanced at what Chang Kun was carrying, and then looked away.

Chang Kun patted him on the shoulder: "That's perfect. I'll go see Director Wang. Shall we go for a walk together?"

Zhang Quhun nodded, followed beside him, took a few steps, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

Chang Kun turned his head: "What's up?"

"N-nothing..." Zhang Quhun scratched the back of his head, his face slightly red.

Chang Kun didn't urge him. The two walked side by side for a while, and Zhang Quhun couldn't hold back any longer, speaking in a low voice.

"Brother Kun, um... Aunt Liu, did you ask Xiao Cui's family for me?"

Chang Kun was taken aback, then remembered.

Before I left, my mother promised to help Zhang Quhun find out what the family's attitude was towards that girl named Xiao Cui.

I've been so busy with my mother-in-law's affairs these days that I completely forgot about this matter.

Seeing that Chang Kun didn't say anything, Zhang Quhun waved his hand: "Brother Kun, I'm not urging you... I'm just, just asking."

Chang Kun laughed: "Alright, I'll ask around for you later. You can trust my mother to handle things."

Zhang Quhun smiled shyly, his face slightly flushed.

"That girl... Xiao Cui, have you seen her recently?"

Zhang Quhun nodded, his voice barely audible, "I've seen her a few times... she's quite nice."

Chang Kun knew in his heart that as long as these two people showed interest, the matter was almost certain.

After walking for a while, Zhang Quhun suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Brother Kun, have you heard? Something happened in Qin Family Village next door."

Chang Kun raised an eyebrow: "What is it?"

"Qin Meiru's whole family has been arrested by the police!" Zhang Quhun looked around and leaned closer. "I heard they stole corn seeds from the brigade, and now all four of them have been sent to a labor camp."

Chang Kun chuckled. He knew he had played a part in this, so how could he not know?

Zhang Quhun sighed: "Qin Family Village is in a terrible state now. Their grain seeds have been stolen, and they don't know what to do with the corn seeds to be planted in the fall... The villagers are starving, and they still have to share their grain to make up for the seed shortage. Many families can't even afford to eat."

He lowered his head and kicked at the pebbles at his feet: "Now my family can eat our fill, but seeing my fellow villagers starving makes me feel terrible... It's a pity I don't have any skills to help."

Chang Kun patted him on the shoulder without saying anything.

These past two or three years have been the busiest time of his life, and he hasn't been back to the village for a long time. Grain seeds from the neighboring Qin family village were stolen; he doesn't know how difficult this winter will be.

Thinking about this, he felt a lump in his throat.

The grain was piled up in the space, and it would be difficult to explain taking it out out of thin air. But the older relatives in the village had helped their family a lot back then.

These past two years have been difficult, and I can't just stand by and watch.

"I'll go back to the village to visit in a while," Chang Kun said. "There are some old relatives I can help out with if I can."

Zhang Quhun nodded, then sighed, "I wonder when these miserable days will end."

The two remained silent until they reached the neighborhood office, without uttering another word.

Chang Kun carried his things into the director's office. Director Wang was sitting behind his desk reading documents. When he looked up and saw it was him, he immediately smiled.

"Xiao Kun's here, please have a seat." Director Wang stood up, took the oil paper package from his hand, and said, "You're here, why did you bring anything?"

"These are local specialties I brought back from Guangzhou. They're not worth much, but Aunt Wang can have a taste."

Director Wang smiled, put the things down, and poured him a glass of water: "Did things go smoothly on this trip?"

"Thanks to Aunt Wang, the person was found, and the family is reunited."

"That's good." Director Wang looked him up and down. "You must be tired from this trip. You look like you've lost a lot of weight."

Chang Kun smiled, chatted casually for a few minutes, then, remembering what he had just talked about with Zhang Quhun, asked a question.

"Aunt Wang, is the monthly food distribution by the neighborhood committee still being carried out normally?"

Director Wang paused for a moment, his smile slowly faded, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times, and sighed.

"You're not an outsider, so I won't lie to you. Food is getting increasingly scarce... Last month, each person could get 28 catties of grain, but this month it's been reduced to 25 catties, and that's mixed with sweet potato flour. Many families have gone without food and are drinking thin porridge every day. They're so hungry they're dizzy and lightheaded, and some old people's faces are starting to swell."

She paused, then pulled a notebook from the drawer and showed it to Chang Kun.

"Look at this month's report. In our neighborhood alone, there are more than a dozen households that can't afford to eat. The adults can still manage, but the children are crying from hunger. Last month, Old Li's grandson was so thin he was skin and bones. We took him to the clinic, and the doctor said he was malnourished and prescribed some glucose, but what good is that?"

Chang Kun looked at the densely written words on the notebook and felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Director Wang closed his notebook, lowering his voice even further: "I heard it's been decided from above that in two months, the regular grain rations will run out, and they'll start issuing substitute grains... which are basically corn stalks, rice stalks, peanut shells, and the like, ground up, mixed with some coarse grain flour, pressed into blocks, and distributed!"

She paused, picked up her glass, took a sip of water, and then continued.

"That stuff, even livestock would have trouble defecating after eating it, let alone humans! It's really...sigh!"

The office was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.

Both of them felt very depressed. After a long silence, Director Wang finally waved his hand with a wry smile.

"Forget it, let's not talk about it. It's pointless. These days, it's already good enough if you can manage your own family and not cause trouble for the town government!"