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

The old man called Zhang Quhun, and the two of them took half a day off and borrowed a handcart.

They carried ten sacks of grain up the stairs, tied them tightly with ropes, and pulled them one after the other towards the village.

Once outside the city, the number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased, and some of the crops in the fields on both sides had already been harvested, leaving only bare stubble shivering in the wind.

Zhang Quhun pulled the cart for a while, then suddenly said, "Uncle, Brother Kun is such a kind-hearted person."

Chang Dashan pushed the cart from behind, but didn't reply.

Zhang Quhun added, "Back when Brother Kun was fired from his job in the city and returned to the village, there was a lot of gossip going around. People said all sorts of things: some said he was lazy and good-for-nothing, some said he had offended someone, and some said his life was over. I still remember those words."

Everyone says he's stupid, but there are some things he understands perfectly well.

Chang Dashan sighed, pushed the cart for a while, and then slowly said, "That's all old almanac, why bring it up?"

"I just feel sorry for Brother Kun." Zhang Quhun lowered his head, his voice muffled.

"Those who gossiped back then are now starving, and Brother Kun didn't hesitate to give them food to save their lives. I don't know if I could have done the same."

Chang Dashan was silent for a while, then patted the sack: "Qu Hun, when you live in the village, you're bound to be talked about. You can't shut people up, and you can't control what they think."

Those women, they all talk like that, gossiping about this family one day and that family the next. If you take every word to heart, you can't live like this.

He paused, then said, "Besides, all those people in the village are related, and if you go back a few generations, they've all eaten from the same pot. Now that they're starving, we can't just stand by and watch them starve to death."

People should remember the kindness they deserve, and forget the minor conflicts they should. Your brother Kun is better than you in this respect.

Zhang Quhun nodded, then remained silent, pulling the cart forward with his head down.

Chang Dashan pushed his cart, looked at the winding dirt road ahead, and sighed again: "These days, no one has it easy. If we can lend a hand, we should. Once we've done it, we'll feel at ease."

To get back to the village from the city, you have to pass through Qin Family Village.

Chang Dashan had walked this road for most of his life; he knew it by heart, with his eyes closed. The cart rumbled along the dirt road, the dust it kicked up being swept southward by the autumn wind.

As we approached the entrance to Qin Family Village, we saw a man squatting by the roadside, dressed in a worn blue cloth outfit, his hat askew on his head, a cigarette dangling from his hand, which he was smoking in silence.

Chang Dashan squinted and glanced at him, recognizing him as Qin Baowei, the security captain of Qin Family Village.

The two saw each other frequently in the nearby villages, so they weren't exactly close, but their faces were familiar.

When Chang Dashan lived in the village, he would sometimes offer cigarettes and chat with people about farming if they bumped into each other at the market.

Qin Baowei also heard the sound of the cart, looked up, and immediately saw the neatly stacked sacks on the cart.

His gaze lingered on the sack for a moment, then he looked at Chang Dashan and Zhang Quhun, a hint of surprise on his face.

As a farmer who has spent half his life working the loess soil, he recognized at a glance that the sack must be filled with grain.

These days, who has so much grain?

Ten sacks, weighing at least a thousand or eight hundred pounds, and they just walk around like that, aren't they afraid of attracting envy?

"Dashan, where are you going?" Qin Baowei stood up, stubbed out his pipe on the sole of his shoe, and forced a smile.

Chang Dashan stopped the car and wiped his sweat: "I'm going back to the village to bring some things for the villagers."

Qin Baowei walked to the cart, reached out and patted the sack; it was hard and solid, filled with real grain.

He made a gurgling sound in his throat, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "That must be a lot of grain, right?"

Chang Dashan nodded without saying anything more.

"Where did you get it?" Qin Baowei asked again, his tone tinged with envy.

"My son got it..."

Chang Dashan chuckled, his face expressionless, but he was secretly pleased.

A father is proud when his son is capable.

Qin Baowei looked on with envy, stood there for a while, sighed, and ran back to the roadside to squat down.

He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a muffled puff.

Seeing his worried expression, Chang Dashan asked, "What's wrong? You look like you've run into some trouble."

Qin Baowei took two deep drags on his cigarette, the smoke billowing from his nose and obscuring his face.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

"What else could have happened? The village's corn seeds were stolen, and the entire family of four was arrested by the police. But what's the use of arresting them? The seeds are gone forever."

He looked up at the barren land in the distance, his eyes reddening.

"Autumn planting is just around the corner, but there are no seeds in the fields. What are we going to do? The production brigade has held several meetings, but nobody has a solution. The higher-ups are pressuring us, saying that if we don't plant soon, we'll miss the planting season. But what can we use to plant? We can't just spread sand in the ground, can we?"

As Chang Dashan listened, the smile on his face slowly faded.

He had heard Zhang Quhun mention the theft of grain seeds from Qin Family Village before, and at the time he only felt it was a pity. Now that he heard Qin Baowei talk about it in person, he realized the weight of the matter.

A season's harvest is a year's worth of food.

If we can't plant, the whole village will go hungry next year.

Chang Dashan opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words of advice, but swallowed the words back.

At times like this, saying anything is pointless. He glanced back at the sacks on the cart and sighed inwardly.

This grain is not even enough for our own village, so how can we have the spare capacity to help others?

Besides, these grains aren't even seeds; they probably wouldn't grow into good crops if planted in the ground.

Qin Baowei also saw his gaze, gave a wry smile, and waved his hand.

"Dashan, I was just venting, don't take it to heart. Your village is blessed to have such a good young man as Chang Kun. Our village... sigh, never mind, never mind."

He stood up, dusted off his pants, nodded to Chang Dashan, and turned to walk into the village.

After taking a few steps, he turned back, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything. He just waved and strode away.

Chang Dashan stood beside the cart, watching Qin Baowei's figure disappear at the village entrance, feeling as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

Zhang Quhun, who had been silent the whole time, finally whispered, "Uncle Dashan, Qin Family Village is probably in real trouble this time."

Chang Dashan didn't reply. He bent down, pulled up the cart, and muttered, "Let's go."

The cart continued forward, its rumbling sound echoing across the open fields.

Chang Dashan walked with his head down, step by step, his mind churning over Qin Baowei's words.

With grain seeds stolen and no autumn planting in sight, what will the people of Qin Family Village eat next spring?

These days, life is tough for everyone. But for some, the difficulties are truly dire!

Grain seeds, grain seeds...

He muttered to himself, then suddenly frowned and had an idea.

He hurriedly turned around and shouted, "Old Qin! Wait a minute!"