After Tanner made his promise, he finally focused his attention and saw the special wooden grain storage containers, each with a lid to protect the grain from mice. This was a basement, and even though mice could smell the food, there were multiple containers.
The floor was very clean and solid, looking like tiles. The moisture-proofing and pest control were excellent, and the walls were plastered.
Tom opened the lid of one of the grain containers and said, "This is rice, stored from last year, plus some we bought ourselves. There's about 1,000 jin here. Don't think 1,000 jin is a lot — for a family, it only lasts about a year. There's also mixed grains and some wild vegetables."
Tanner nodded. Indeed, for their family of nine, 100 jin of rice per month, after milling, yields only about 60 jin — barely enough. With 12 months in a year, and sometimes relatives visiting, like their eldest uncle's family, the supply could be strained.
Among their able-bodied laborers, only Tanner's parents worked. His older sisters, being girls, ate less, and Tanner, being so small, didn't eat much either.
If a family had multiple sons, the middle-aged boys would eat even more!
"Our family has always stored grain. Your eldest uncle went to the provincial city. Even with ration tickets, they couldn't buy much, and even with money, not much could be bought. Sometimes they sent money back for me to buy grain and send over," Tom explained as he opened another container filled with the same rice.
He opened the containers one by one — some held sweet potatoes, some peanuts, and some beans.
Why not use sacks or other boxes? Farmers had their own wisdom. They needed moisture-proof, rodent-proof, and insect-proof storage, hence these specially made containers. Perhaps they also used pest deterrents!
Tanner mentally transferred the thousands of jin of rice into the Buddha Tower Space.
The sweet potatoes, about 1,000 jin, had been made into processed sweet potato bricks, which could last a long time. They could be boiled to soften before eating. The peanuts could be pressed into oil, though not all were processed — his parents had considered that.
Since they were stockpiling, they kept a bit of everything: other beans, a few large jars of peanut oil in clay jars with lids, and even some wine stored in large jars for many years. These jars had been there since Tom's father was a child.
Decades-old aged wine? This was valuable. The longer it aged, the more precious it became.
Tom touched each item with care, each holding many fond memories. Tanner did the same, transferring each item into the Buddha Tower Space to complete the storage of the warehouse.
Tom then opened a secret passage and explained the family layout. This passage connected the village to distant mountains. It was built many years ago, when invaders entered the village. Possibly, every family had one, though it's uncertain if newly built houses did.
Not every passage would connect; if they all did, homes could be robbed. Tanner realized the wisdom of the ancients — some villagers were indeed wealthy.
Usually, people complained of hunger, inadequate clothing, and poverty. Could it have all been an act?
After returning with Tanner, Tom went to the village committee and informed the secretary and small team leaders that he would be out that afternoon. The secretary and team leaders couldn't question the village captain (Tom) about everything. The secretary mainly handled party-related matters.
Sometimes when Tom attended meetings, the captain didn't have to. The captain's role was equivalent to a village chief, managing production with more authority than the secretary.
Meetings about production in the county or town would call the captain, not the secretary. That's how the roles were arranged here.
Tom went to the village to borrow a horse cart, but this time he didn't want Martin to accompany him.
Martin was curious and kept asking questions. Tom, a bit helpless, had to come up with an excuse. Any other reason might arouse suspicion, so he chose a somewhat inauspicious excuse.
"Taking my son for a check-up! While you're at it, prepare extra feed for the horses. Even though the rice seedlings are growing now, we need to dry some for storage. Also, prepare extra grass for the cows with your fellow caretakers!"
Tom thought again about what Tanner had said regarding the locusts. The peanut seedlings, sweet potato seedlings, and rice seedlings all needed preparation. If left in the fields, they could be used to distribute to villagers for firewood, which would be too wasteful. A month later, when the locusts actually came, the horses and cows would have no feed.
As village captain, Tom had this foresight. Whether right or wrong, he had to make arrangements.
Martin wondered: with all this fresh feed, why dry it all for the animals? But orders from the captain couldn't be disobeyed — though unwilling, no one dared speak up.
Tom drove the cart to the front of the house and went inside to bring out the just-awakened Tanner.
"Where's Dad going?"
Yao Snow was going to work today, taking the older daughters with her to pick beans. The younger children earned three work points each, while the adults earned six. Alongside them were sent-down youth and other village women and children, each team collecting separately. Their family belonged to the village center, not far from the bean fields.
During the busy harvest season, even elementary school students had holidays, and teachers helped earn work points. Their family couldn't be too special.
"Mom, I have business to attend to with your brother. You watch the younger ones; go to work without worrying about us."
Tom conveyed this silently with his eyes, and his wife understood, offering no objection.
"Dad, I want to go too!"
The three youngest daughters ran out to follow. The older girls also wanted to go — they hadn't been outside in a long time.
"Good girls. I'm taking your brother out for business. When we come back, I'll bring candy for you!"
Tom had to indulge despite the pain in his heart.
"Yes! Bring candy back, Dad!"
Hearing there would be candy, the girls were tempted under their father's authority.
The eldest daughter held back her younger sisters. The second and third daughters pouted, mumbling, "Dad is being unfair. During harvest season, he only takes our brother out. He's buying treats for him!"
"It looks like he's taking him out for goodies!"
Yao Snow stood aside, pretending not to hear her daughters, watching the cart drive away.
By now, some villagers had begun work and noticed the cart leaving the village. The cart was being driven by the captain himself. Curious eyes watched and whispered, "Where is the captain going? Isn't Martin supposed to drive? But the captain is driving. Who's in the cart? Who has this honor? The captain as a coachman!"
Tom drove the cart to the village entrance. Two young female sent-down youth, about eighteen or nineteen, tried to stop the cart.
"Why aren't you working? Why are you stopping the cart?"
Tom remembered them — city girls from northern towns. They had come to the south and struggled with the local climate and the hard, hot farm work. They often asked for leave, yet they weren't worried about running out of food since their families sent parcels and money.
They weren't heartless, and as long as they worked hard, they wouldn't starve. Who knew how they'd turn out later?
But since their families sent supplies, there was no need for Tom to worry about them.
( End of chapter)