I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 29 Report

The following afternoon, Gao Huaiyi carried the two wild rabbits he had caught that morning home, planning to treat his family to a good meal. In those days, food was scarce, and meat was even rarer; being able to stew a pot of delicious rabbit meat was considered a great blessing.

He deftly prepared the rabbit, cutting it into pieces and washing it. He then stir-fried it in a pot with his homemade marinade, releasing a rich aroma of meat before adding enough water to simmer. While the meat was stewing, he dug out a bunch of potatoes from the cellar, peeled and chopped them, and added them to the pot to cook together. The potatoes absorbed the broth, becoming soft, tender, and flavorful, perfectly balancing the greasiness of the meat. He brushed a thin layer of batter along the edge of the iron pot used for stewing, kneaded golden corn dough, flattened it into thin pancakes, and pressed them tightly against the side of the pot before covering it and simmering it over low heat. Before long, the yard was filled with the aroma of meat, potatoes, and the sweet scent of corn pancakes, drawing the whole family to the stove, their eyes eagerly peering into the pot.

The moment the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Tender, juicy rabbit meat simmered in a rich, red broth, potatoes were stewed until soft and fluffy, and a ring of golden-brown, fluffy cornbreads lined the edge of the pot, their bottoms soaked in the meat broth—they looked incredibly tempting. Such a lavish meal was something they wouldn't normally dare to dream of. Their parents, sisters, and other family members stood by, completely stunned, their eyes filled with delight.

Gao Huaiyi didn't just indulge his own cravings. He specially found a clean small bowl, set aside a full portion of rabbit meat and potatoes, along with two cornbreads, and packed them separately for Zhou Xiuying. Only after settling this meal did he invite the whole family to sit down and eat.

The family sat around the kang table, heads down, eating their fill, so engrossed in the rare delicacy that no one spoke. Chopsticks moved incessantly, and the meat and potatoes in their bowls were quickly devoured. Everyone scrambled for the crispy, sweet cornbread. The youngest brother, Gao Huaijun, ate with the most gusto, taking bites of meat and cornbread without stopping. When the food was gone, he was so full he could barely stand. Clutching his round belly, he slumped onto the kang mat, too lazy to move, his eyes filled with happiness as he gazed at his older brother beside him.

"Brother, I'm so lucky! Not only can I eat my fill, but I also have such delicious meat to eat. I've never been so happy before," Gao Huaijun muttered softly, his tone full of contentment.

The parents sat quietly by, watching their children eat with great satisfaction. Seeing their youngest son so full he could barely move, their eyes brimmed with tender smiles. These past years had been hard; their meals consisted mostly of coarse grains and vegetables, and the children rarely had meat. Today, this steaming stewed rabbit with flatbread not only filled their stomachs but also filled the long-lost warmth the family had been missing.

The table was covered with leftover food, the house was filled with the aroma of meat, and the family chatted and laughed. In the midst of ordinary and difficult days, this simple meal became a rare and precious happiness in everyone's hearts.

The dishes from dinner had just been cleared away when the mother pulled Gao Huaiyi aside, her expression downcast and her voice full of worry. Now that the village was implementing communal cooking, all the pots and pans from every household had to be handed over to the village office; keeping any kitchen utensils privately was against the rules. Pointing to the unwashed bowls and pans on the stove, she repeatedly instructed, "You must hide these utensils carefully and securely. Not a single one can be seen. If someone sees them and reports it, not only will all the pots and pans be confiscated, but our whole family will get into endless trouble. It's not worth it."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huaiyi smiled faintly and reassured his mother, "Mother, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I'll find a hidden place to store these things and make sure no outsiders notice anything."

The mother and son were talking in hushed tones inside the house, neither of them expecting that Gao Huai-ren was standing outside the courtyard wall. He was pressed against the earthen wall, his eyes fixed on the courtyard, his gaze filled with intense resentment and jealousy, and he could see everything clearly in the courtyard.

The aroma of stewed rabbit from Gao Huaiyi's house wafted through the cracks in the door and courtyard wall, fueling Gao Huairen's growing anger. When the communal dining system was first implemented, the food was passable, but as time went on, food supplies dwindled, and the daily rations became increasingly bland and watery, barely enough to fill their stomachs. Gao Huairen, naturally lazy and unwilling to work for work points, couldn't tolerate such a simple diet.

He had been wandering around the village aimlessly when he caught a strong smell of meat from afar. Following the scent, he finally stopped in front of Gao Huaiyi's house. The rich and delicious aroma of meat wafted into his nostrils. Thinking about how he could only eat coarse grains and wild vegetables every day, and comparing it to the rare stewed meat in the yard, the jealousy in his heart almost burned through his chest.

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he muttered to himself: Why can Gao Huaiyi's family enjoy delicious rabbit meat while I can't even get a sip of broth? They stewed the meat without even inviting me over to eat with them, showing no consideration whatsoever. Since you disregard neighborly relations and enjoy the good stuff all to yourself, then don't blame me for reporting you without mercy. If you can secretly eat meat, then I'll make sure no one can live in peace, and no one can enjoy this hoarded meal with a clear conscience.

Upon thinking of this, Gao Huai-ren's face darkened. Without lingering any longer, he turned around abruptly and hurried toward the brigade headquarters in the center of the village. He had already made up his mind to report Gao Huai-yi's secret possession of cooking utensils and his unauthorized stewing of meat, and he would not be satisfied until he had caused Gao's family no peace.

Inside, the lights were warm, and the family was still enjoying their meat feast, completely unaware of the malicious figure outside the wall, and that an unexpected disaster was quietly approaching their little home.

Not long after, Gao Huai-ren hurried to the village office compound. The villagers had just finished eating from the communal pot, and the kitchen staff were busy cleaning up the dishes. Many villagers, having wiped their mouths, stood in twos and threes in the courtyard, preparing to go home and rest.

Seeing this, Gao Huai-ren immediately pushed through the crowd and rushed to the brigade leader. As if afraid no one could hear him, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Captain! All the ironware, pots, pans, and utensils in the village are now being handed over to the village office for centralized safekeeping, but Gao Huai-yi is still secretly cooking for himself! He's clearly trying to detach himself from the collective, only thinking about his own selfish interests and completely disregarding the entire brigade. People like him who only care about themselves must be severely punished!"

At first, the team leader was annoyed by Gao Huai-ren's loud shouting and impatiently dismissed him with a few casual words. But after Gao Huai-ren finished speaking, the team leader frowned, his face filled with deep doubt. He immediately turned and went to the kitchen, grabbing a cook who was washing pots and pans and asking, "Did Gao Huai-yi and his family eat at the brigade canteen today?"

The cook wiped the water off his hands and answered truthfully, "They've arrived. The whole family came. Each of them took a bowl of rice, ate, and left not long after."

The captain turned to Gao Huai-ren and said in a calm tone, "The whole family has already eaten at the brigade canteen. Why are you still insisting that they cooked at home without permission? Besides, even if they did cook privately, you shouldn't have made such a heavy accusation. Saying things like 'abandoning the collective' or 'forming a clique' is too much for an ordinary family to bear."

Seeing that the team leader was unwilling to escalate the matter to the point of damaging the collective, Gao Huai-ren stopped dwelling on it and changed his tune, continuing to press the issue: "Even putting that aside, there has to be an explanation for them hoarding pots and pans, storing their own grain, and secretly cooking at home. Right now, the whole village is implementing communal dining, and everyone eats in the canteen. They're the exception, hiding at home and cooking separately. That's so unfair to the other members! The canteen food is getting blander every day; everyone else is just making do with coarse grains and wild vegetables, but they're doing it right, locking themselves in and stewing meat to satisfy their cravings. Who can accept that?"

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his voice so that all the commune members in the courtyard could hear him clearly.

When the surrounding villagers heard that Gao Huaiyi's family was stewing meat at home, they immediately erupted in a commotion. All the resentment in their hearts surged up, and they all gathered around, chattering and making a fuss.

"This is so unfair! We agreed to eat together from the same pot, so why is his family getting a separate meal with meat?"

"This person is too selfish; he only cares about his own family and doesn't care about the village or his neighbors at all!"

"Since we're part of the group, we should eat and live together with everyone. How can we hide food and enjoy it all by ourselves!"

A cacophony of noise echoed through the courtyard, everyone joining in the complaints. The team leader, seeing the agitated crowd, knew that suppressing the matter was no longer an option, nor could he downplay it. He gestured for silence and said in a deep voice, "Your words alone don't constitute solid evidence. We can't draw conclusions without proof. Let's all go to the Gao family's house together. If they truly did secretly start a fire to cook meat, hoard grain and rabbits that should have been handed over, and failed to deliver their pots and pans to the village office as required, I will give the entire village a fair explanation."

At this point, the captain glanced coldly at the arrogant Gao Huai-ren beside him and laid it all out beforehand: "But if we investigate and find that none of what you're saying is true, then the nature of the matter will completely change. It will be that you maliciously reported this out of personal resentment and deliberately framed an honest and law-abiding member. If Gao Huai-yi's family refuses to let it go and comes knocking on our door demanding an explanation, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand. You will bear the full responsibility for framing others."

Gao Huai-ren didn't hesitate for a moment, his face full of confident certainty. He patted his chest and assured him, "Captain, don't worry, I'm absolutely not making this up. There's a strong aroma of stewed meat wafting from his yard. The whole family is having a big meal of fish and meat at home. It's absolutely true, there's no mistake about it!"

The captain nodded and made a decision in front of everyone: "Alright, since you're so certain, let's all go to the Gao family to verify the situation. If it's true, we'll handle it impartially; if there's no evidence, then no one should make baseless accusations or wrongly accuse honest villagers in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of commune members followed behind their captain, surrounding Gao Huai-ren, and marched in a grand procession toward Gao Huai-yi's house. A storm was about to break through their door.