I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 230: Chapter 197: The Most Handsome Man at the Big Market (3)

”Excellent, excellent! It’s good you’re here! Quick, Comrade Zhao Wendong, Comrade Zhao Weiguo, and the committee members and militia comrades from Dragon King Pond, come inside and warm up. The winter market won’t start for a little while, so let’s have a quick meeting to go over the arrangements.”

They entered the room the Commune used as a large meeting hall. Dozens of people were already sitting on the long benches, puffing away. The entire room was shrouded in smoke, filled with the pungent smell of burning homegrown tobacco. When they saw Yang Wenxue and the others come in, especially the dozens of militiamen who filed in in neat formation and stood against the wall, the atmosphere in the room instantly quieted down. Seeing this display, quite a few production team captains and cadres felt their legs begin to cramp.

’What are all these people doing here with weapons during the New Year? Are they going to slaughter us like pigs just because we didn’t send men to help the Commune?’ Many had already started desperately trying to remember if they had ever done anything that violated organizational principles.

”Come, everyone, a round of applause to welcome Comrade Zhao Wendong!”

Yang Wenxue entered the room, his face glowing with excitement. He paid no mind to the rather ugly expressions on the faces of those present and excitedly led the applause. Hearing this, all the production team captains and cadres of the Commune immediately stood up and clapped along. ’So it’s him,’ they thought, ’the legendary Civilian Militia Captain from Dragon King Pond, the one we’ve heard so much about our ears are sore, the one the old man gifted with the words ”Man Can Conquer Nature”.’

CLAP CLAP CLAP~

Amid the enthusiastic applause, a young man wearing an officer’s-style greatcoat and a shiny mink hat walked into the room with a smile. Many were so stunned they forgot to keep clapping. ’Damn, that outfit is just too cool, isn’t it?’

”Secretary Yang, you’re giving me too much credit. Our captain is still behind me!”

Zhao Wendong pointed behind him sheepishly, only to see Zhao Weiguo and the others looking even more excited than he was, clapping their hands like seals.

”Hahaha, it’s not too much credit! You’ve earned it!”

”Come on, comrades! Keep the applause going, don’t stop! Comrade Zhao Wendong has brought great face to our Commune this year and earned us supreme honor. Let’s continue our enthusiastic applause and ask him to say a few words!”

This time, even the militiamen began to applaud enthusiastically. Zhao Wendong had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up. He walked to the front, unbuttoned his officer’s-style greatcoat, and pulled a script from an inner pocket. The applause gradually died down as everyone watched Zhao Wendong, waiting for him to speak.

”Respected comrades, leaders, hello everyone. My name is Zhao Wendong. After this period of re-education, I have been reborn thanks to everyone’s care and concern...”

Zhao Wendong couldn’t read any further. ’Holy crap, I screwed up,’ he thought. ’I trusted my father-in-law too much. I should have read the script beforehand. The writing is decent, but my father-in-law must be used to writing self-criticisms. This tone is way too strong.’

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded, staring at Zhao Wendong with their mouths agape. What was this? Why did he come up here to repent?

”Hahaha, Dongzi, you’re too much!”

Zhao Weiguo suddenly burst out laughing, doubling over with mirth. Seeing this, the militiamen thought their captain was joking around with everyone and joined in with boisterous laughter. The next moment, everyone was laughing. The Commune cadres, who had previously been envious, jealous, and resentful of Zhao Wendong, now let go of their hostility. With this kind of self-deprecating humor, how could Comrade Zhao Wendong possibly have any bad intentions?

Watching Zhao Weiguo, Zhao Wendong was so moved he almost cried. ’Uncle Weiguo really came through for me. He’s so reliable. I’ll definitely get him some real liquor to drink from now on.’

”Heh, it’s the New Year, and everyone looked so serious. I just wanted to tell a little joke.”

”Truth is, I’m just an ordinary farmer. With a bit of good luck and everyone’s kindness, I managed to make a small splash this year. I won’t say much more. Consider this little brother paying his respects to all you big brothers here. In the future, if I ever need to ask for a favor, please don’t forget to give Dongzi a little face. I’ll wish you all an early Happy New Year: may your lives be prosperous, and may every family have eight fat baby boys!”

”Alright!”

”Don’t worry, Dongzi. If you need anything, just say the word.”

CLAP CLAP CLAP~

Applause rang out once more. Everyone was very satisfied with Zhao Wendong’s performance. If he had really come up and given a long-winded, grandiose speech, they would have definitely cursed him out in their hearts. But instead, he came up, said his piece quick and clean, didn’t waste everyone’s time, and gave them plenty of face. Their favorability toward him shot right up.

Yang Wenxue was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Zhao Wendong to finish so quickly. He could only continue by addressing the crowd on a few matters. It was mostly the same old tune: reminding each production team to pay attention to the issue of feeding their members during this disaster year. But this topic had been brought up countless times, and upon hearing it, everyone wore a look of misery. Did he think everyone was Zhao Wendong? That they could just go out to sea and run into a school of fish? That kind of thing was hard to come by even in the summer.

”And finally, I’d like to thank Comrade Zhao Wendong for providing so many militiamen to help maintain order at the Commune’s winter market this year. Meeting adjourned. Everyone is free to go look around the market, but you are absolutely not allowed to leave the area. If an incident involves someone from your village, you must be on-site immediately to handle it. Those who don’t want to browse the market can stay here. No one is to go home until the market is over.”

”Secretary, are you providing a meal?”

Someone shouted from the crowd.

”There’s no food, but there’s plenty of hot water.”

After saying this, Yang Wenxue exited, pulling Zhao Weiguo with his left hand and Zhao Wendong with his right. The militiamen followed them out. Li Dawei brought over a large pile of red armbands and distributed them to the militiamen to wear. He then began assigning their tasks: some were assigned to fixed posts, others to mobile patrols. Zhao Wendong then called over a few of the guys who had fought the hardest in the last brawl and made them team leaders, each responsible for a specific area and mission with a few men under their command.

Once all the arrangements were made, Zhao Wendong eagerly left the Commune courtyard and met up with his family, who were waiting for him. They began to wander through the winter market. Today, the streets of Qianjin Commune were packed with people. There were the social butterflies, going stir-crazy after being cooped up all winter; those hoping to use the market to get more grain; and people like Zhao Wendong, who had a surplus of grain and wanted to trade for other goods. At long last, the day of the rare, Commune-wide winter market had arrived.

At this time, the concept of a ”free market” was still vaguely defined. There was no clear distinction between selling and bartering. This kind of large market was only possible in a lower-level Commune like this one; it would have been absolutely forbidden in the county seat. As a result, it wasn’t just people from Qianjin Commune who showed up—many from the county seat and neighboring communes also came to join in on the excitement.

Though it was called a winter market, it was really just a collection of informal stalls set up around the Commune’s threshing ground and the two main streets next to it. People could set up a stall wherever there was space and freely display their goods, but most transactions were in the form of barter.