This time, Zhang Deben was completely silent, watching the receding crowd with bloodshot eyes.
When the whole village was poor and every family couldn't eat their fill, it was bearable. After all, if your family was struggling, so were others.
If one family suddenly started doing a little better, people would just be envious.
They would treat this family as an exception and wouldn't be too jealous.
But what would it feel like if the whole village was now carrying strings of fish, and only your family had none?
Isolated, forgotten, or even targeted!
This was an era where everyone lived within the collective.
At this time, if an individual was isolated, it was no exaggeration to say that at best he would struggle, and at worst he wouldn't survive!
In the past, whenever something happened, Zhang Deben usually got the news relatively early.
The situation today was truly abnormal. Zhang Deben turned back and asked Liu Guixiang, "Did you hear any news today?"
Liu Guixiang rolled her eyes at him and said, "The Great Brigade's loudspeaker just went off, saying something about a task, but I didn't hear clearly!"
"What use are you!" Zhang Deben said angrily, "You mess around with a pile of rotten fish, and when there's something good happening at the Great Brigade, you don't even listen!"
For the first time, Liu Guixiang didn't argue back, but instead mumbled, "What good thing?"
Suddenly, she widened her eyes, "I know, the loudspeaker said there was a fishing task!"
"Now that the fish are back, there must be a share for our family! Let's go, let's go to the Great Brigade to get fish!"
Saying this, she hurried back into the house and took out a dough-mixing basin.
After thinking, she threw it aside and ran into the storage room, carrying out a large wooden basin for bathing.
She swung her legs and ran straight towards the Production Team.
Hearing what she said, plus seeing dozens of people from the Great Brigade carrying fish with his own eyes, Zhang Deben felt that Liu Guixiang's analysis made a lot of sense.
So he also ran out, picking up the sled from the yard along the way.
He caught up to Liu Guixiang in a few steps, snatched the large basin, and threw it onto the sled.
"Such a big basin, it'll be quite heavy when filled with fish. How will you carry it home without a sled?"
Zhang Deben scolded.
Seeing this, Liu Guixiang actually showed a hint of appreciation and smiled, "Alright, you finally used your brain for once!"
Hearing his wife's praise, Zhang Deben also forgot about the bloody marks on his face.
Thinking that after the fish were distributed, he could go to the Steel Factory again, he felt as if he was walking on air, filled with strength.
The village wasn't big to begin with, and Zhang Deben's house wasn't far from the Production Team.
Soon, Zhang Deben and his wife arrived at the location.
They just happened to see Zhao Kaishan and the others dragging several sacks of fish to the side.
A large group of villagers stood there listening to Zhao Kaishan speak.
"Everyone worked hard, today's task is successfully completed!"
Zhao Kaishan wanted to be a little serious, but he couldn't help but want to grin and laugh.
He thought to himself, it's a good thing Fugui turned and went home as soon as he entered the village, otherwise it would be a bit awkward if he saw this.
The fish in the sacks beside him solved a considerable problem for the Production Team's mess hall.
Although there wouldn't be much meat per person when divided among the whole village, it was still enough to have a good New Year.
After all, this was a famine year, and there weren't many Production Teams with fish and meat in their mess halls.
"Everyone, go back. You few come and lend a hand!"
Zhao Kaishan pointed to Zhang Quanfu and a few other young men who were closest to him, the same ones who went into the mountains with him to look for the educated youth last time.
"Carry these two guys to that storage room!"
Zhao Kaishan pointed at the Wang brothers on the ground.
Afraid of scaring the villagers, the two bodies were rolled up in quilts and tightly bound.
He then pointed at the sacks on the ground and said,
"Put these in the storage room first, and send them to the mess hall tomorrow!"
Just as a few people were about to start, Zhang Deben and Liu Guixiang, the couple, jumped in.
Zhang Deben was pulling a sled with a large bathing basin on it.
Liu Guixiang put her hands on her hips, pointed, and raised her eyebrows,
"Hold on!"
Everyone was startled by the two of them, and the villagers who were about to disperse also stopped.
The few people carrying fish also stopped their movements.
They all looked at Liu Guixiang in surprise.
"Well, well, Captain Zhao, forming cliques, are you?"
Seeing that she had caught the Production Team's Captain distributing spoils on the spot, Liu Guixiang immediately felt a surge of momentum and shouted in a sharp voice,
"You're actually secretly dividing the fish! I'm going to report you to the Commune!"
Zhao Kaishan's face twitched, and he strongly resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
What nonsense, even if you want to report me, do you need to bring a bathing basin?
"Don't talk nonsense! These fish are collective property, the mess hall will cook them later, and everyone will be notified!"
"The fish everyone has in their hands are the results of their own labor!"
Zhao Kaishan didn't intend to tell this couple about killing the fugitives; there was no need, and it wasn't their business!
Fugui performed a meritorious service, what does that have to do with them!
"You're farting! You're just forming a small clique!"
Liu Guixiang shouted.
As soon as these words came out, Zhao Kaishan couldn't keep a straight face.
Who could stand having the hat of "forming cliques" put on them?
Seeing that he couldn't explain it to her, Zhao Kaishan looked at Zhang Deben beside him and shouted,
"Zhang Deben! What do you two mean?"
Zhang Deben shivered with fright. He had always been afraid of Zhao Kaishan, and this time he was driven to desperation.
He desperately wanted his son to become a worker in the city. If this matter could be accomplished, falling out with Zhao Kaishan was nothing!
Thinking of this, Zhang Deben straightened his back and said,
"Captain, what my wife said isn't wrong. Why didn't you call me when you were secretly dividing the fish?"
"Oh, damn it, well done, Zhang Deben, I really underestimated you!"
Zhao Kaishan said angrily, "I've finished explaining the matter. When the mess hall cooks fish, you can come and eat,"
"As for the rest, go report wherever you want!"
Zhao Kaishan waved his hand, "Everyone, go back to your respective homes, do whatever you need to do!"
"No!"
Liu Guixiang rushed up and grabbed Zhang Quanfu, who was carrying the largest fish. That big fish was almost two meters long,
Seeing it made her eyes burn with desire; this could feed them for a whole winter!
Liu Guixiang shouted, "Put it down for me!"
Zhang Quanfu: ???
You're trying to snatch this too?
Zhao Kaishan really couldn't stand it anymore. He rushed over, pulled Liu Guixiang away, and shouted at Zhang Quanfu, "Hurry up and get it out of here!"
Hearing this, the few people quickly lifted the bodies and sent them to the storage room.
Liu Guixiang seized the opportunity, lay down on the ground, and began to wail, "He's hitting people, the Captain is hitting people!"
The development of events had gone beyond everyone's expectations. A group of villagers stared at each other, unsure of what to do.
Seeing this, Zhao Kaishan quickly pulled Zhang Deben aside and advised, "What are you two doing? If you want fish, come find me at my place tonight, and I'll give you a few, wouldn't that be easier!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Deben leaned into Liu Guixiang's ear and whispered a few words. Liu Guixiang immediately got up and left without looking back.
Everyone: ???
On the way home, Liu Guixiang whispered to Zhang Deben, "How many did he promise to give us?"
"He didn't say, but it must be three to five big fish, right?" Zhang Deben replied.
"That won't do! I lost face so much today, how can three or five be enough?"
"Then what else do you want?" The calmed-down Zhang Deben was already starting to feel a bit guilty.
"Anyway, he promised to give them to us. Since he didn't say which ones, we'll pick them ourselves!"
"Tonight, the two of us will go to the Great Brigade office and get those two biggest ones back!"