nucmednet Chapter 122: Good and Evil in People’s Hearts
Chapter 122: Good and Evil in People’s Hearts
After the farmers and survivors got busy, Gu Wenxuan took Bai Jingshan, Ning Qirui, Jia Yuelan and several of her cousins to collect second-hand fur coats in this county and the neighboring county.
In any place and in any world, there will not be only poor people but also rich people. While the vast majority of people in Baijia Village are struggling to survive, the rich are still living a comfortable life with no worries about food and clothing.
What Gu Wenxuan and the others were targeting were the old fur coats that the wealthy families no longer wanted.
The price they offered was not low, so we soon received two trucks full of old fur coats.
Gu Wenxuan picked out those half-new fur coats that were nominally old but in fact had only been worn a few times by their original owners, and gave two each to Bai Jingshan, Ning Qirui, Jia Yuelan, and her several cousins, and five each to her grandmother and Bai Jingzhou's mother.
In addition, Gu Wenxuan also gave Li and Ning Cuizhi ten genuine old fur coats each.
Both families have relatives who are not well off. Although the washed old fur coat looks shabby, it is a good item for keeping warm that many people want but cannot get. It is still very popular as a gift.
After Ning Cuizhi received them, she first distributed the five half-new fur coats to Bai Jingzhou's grandparents, two to his eldest uncle, one to his second uncle, and one to his uncle. Then she distributed the ten really old fur coats to the first and second wives of the Bai family, as well as the families of Bai Jingshan, Bai Jingzhou's uncle, and Bai Rong, Bai Lizheng's nephew, two each.
Among them, Ning Cuizhi didn’t give the two coats to the Bai family’s elderly couple. She told her parents-in-law, “Jingzhou bought new fur coats. I will make new fur coats for you two before winter. These two coats are for my mother to give away.”
Liu had a good relationship with her family, so she gave her two half-new fur coats to her family, which was considered as giving face to the old lady.
As for Li, she gave one of the five half-new fur coats to Gu Tong from the third room, one to each of her two brothers from her natal family, and one each to Gu Xing and her husband.
Of the ten really old fur coats, Li gave two to Gu Tong's family, two to Gu Tong's married daughter Gu Yonghe, two to Gu Xing's married daughter Fang Chunxi, and two to each of her two brothers from her natal family.
Li planned to give brand new ones to her daughter-in-law Jia Guizhi and Lin Shuzhen's family members. After all, her granddaughter said that the leather she reserved was for everyone in her family, her grandparents, her second aunt, father, mother, brothers and sisters-in-law, and nephews and nieces.
Apart from those given to their relatives, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou have no plans to touch the vast majority of the rest for the time being.
They planned to distribute it to those who were going to serve first to ensure that each of them could get one.
After they have divided it up, Gu Wenxuan and Bai Jingzhou will send the rest to the farm and distribute it to the farmers and survivors who have been helping for free during this period.
It is worth mentioning that when distributing the old fur coats, pills and powders, as well as the fried rice, fried beans, pancakes and dry steamed buns that are easy to carry and store, Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan did not step forward to take the lead in the matter.
They entrusted the matter to Bai Lizheng, who brought some members of the Bai clan, including his nephew Bai Rong, and distributed the things to the surprised and delighted young men on the day they left for service.
Although most of these able-bodied men brought food and money, given their family circumstances, the things they could bring were all very limited without exception.
Not to mention that a small number of them simply brought only a set of patched clothes and an old, stiff quilt.
It’s not that they don’t want to bring it. With Bai Lizheng going door to door to persuade people earnestly, who among these people going to serve wouldn’t want to bring some money and food to increase their chances of survival?
But not all of these able-bodied men were loved by their parents, or had already been separated from their families long ago.
A small number of them were not loved as much by their parents as their other brothers at home. Not only were they pushed out to serve this time, but their families were also reluctant to prepare dry food and thick clothes for them.
If they were allowed to serve in the army with nothing but the clothes on their backs and empty-handed, it would be strange if they didn't die outside.
Bai Lizheng knew the situation in the village very well, so the families he focused on persuading were those where the parents were partial to their parents and the brothers were indifferent to their parents.
But his words were obviously no match for the selfishness of these people's parents and brothers. The few among them who were already married, their wives and children pulled at the sleeves and trouser legs of their husbands and fathers and cried bitterly; those who were not married, all stood alone on the side with sad faces.
Their parents and brothers also came, but they did not come to see their sons and brothers off. Instead, they came to escort the autumn tax to the county town with everyone.
When they saw that the head of the village actually gave each of the people who were going to serve an old fur coat and a bag of dry food of unknown origin, their parents and brothers' eyes immediately turned red.
A bag of dry food as big as this! And a warm old fur coat! They want it too!
Some people are impatient and will do so just because they think so.
They squeezed out of the crowd and strode towards their sons or brothers.
However, before they could open their mouths to ask for it, Bai Lizheng pointed at them and shouted, "Stop! All of you stop right there!"
Bai Lizheng had great prestige in Baijia Village. These people did not dare to disobey his orders. They stopped and looked at the village head.
"Let me be frank with you." Bai Lizheng stared at them coldly, "These things were prepared by Jingzhou and Wenxuan. They did this to prevent the villagers who were serving in the army from dying outside as much as possible! If you think your own children and brothers don't need these, then fine, I will take back their share immediately!"
"This..." The little calculation in their hearts was exposed, and those people felt aggrieved and unwilling, but what could they do? The things were given by Bai Lizheng, and if he wanted to take them back, it would only take a word from him.
In Baijia Village, do they dare to snatch Bai Lizheng’s things?
These people retreated with regret, but the others were in an uproar, buzzing with discussions.
The villagers were shocked. They were shocked when Bai Lizheng asked his nephew and others to distribute things to the men who were going to serve as laborers. They were even more shocked when Bai Lizheng said that these things were prepared by Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan.
At this moment, all kinds of thoughts were flashing through everyone's mind.
Where did they get the money?
Why do they do this?
them......
Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan were both helpless. They looked at each other and then looked at Bai Lizheng in unison.
Bai Lizheng waved at them, indicating that they should talk about this matter later.
Originally, he did think about doing as Bai Jingzhou and Gu Wenxuan said and not making public their efforts behind the scenes, but when these strong men gathered together, Bai Lizheng immediately changed his mind.