The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Aunt Zhao’s Calculation

Some carried shoulder poles, others held baskets, and a few pushed flatbed carts, all waiting to haul their grain home as soon as it was distributed.

Gu Jiaojiao walked over and greeted Aunt Zhao when she saw her.

Aunt Zhao pulled Gu Jiaojiao to her side and said with a smile, ”Jiaojiao, you’re here. The grain distribution hasn’t started yet. The accountant is still settling the books. Once it’s your turn, I’ll have Tie Zhu haul your share back for you with his cart.”

Gu Jiaojiao nodded and thanked her.

Then, she turned her gaze to the distribution site.

All the village brigade cadres were present. The brigade leader and the accountant were in charge of verifying work points, the village chief organized the people for the grain distribution, and the tallyman was responsible for weighing the grain.

Everyone brought their own sacks for the grain. When their name was called, they would go up to fill them. The sacks were then weighed, and if everything was correct, the tallyman would put a checkmark next to their name on the list, completing the process.

This distribution was for a whole year’s worth of work points. Although there was also a summer harvest, after handing over the state grain tax from that, each person only received a small portion.

The remainder was stored in the brigade’s granary to be distributed all at once after the Qiushou.

For the Qiushou grain distribution, the grain received during the summer was deducted from the total calculated based on a full year’s work points. The result was what each person was due.

”Chen Jiefang, family total of eleven thousand six hundred fifty-four work points! Coarse grain: three thousand four hundred sixty jin. Fine grain: fifty jin. Cash payment: eight hundred ten yuan, nine jiao, and four fen.”

The accountant at the front called out Chen Jiefang’s name, and Chen Jiefang immediately stepped forward.

The accountant announced the work points. Chen Jiefang nodded; the number matched his own calculations.

Then came the grain and cash amounts. After confirming there were no issues, he broke into a wide grin, collected his money, and took the slip from the accountant to go claim his grain.

Such a high amount of work points and grain caused a stir among the remaining villagers.

In this day and age, getting over eight hundred yuan was a considerable sum.

Even Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t expected it to be so much.

Combined with over three thousand five hundred jin of grain, it sounded like a huge amount.

But Chen Jiefang’s family was large. He had four sons, three of whom were married, and the youngest had yet to start his own family. Counting Chen Jiefang and his wife, that made nine people earning work points. On top of that, the children who were too young to work also received a basic grain ration.

When you added it all up, it wasn’t actually that much per person.

It came out to less than one jin of grain per person per day.

It only seemed like a lot because Chen Jiefang’s family was so large.

The families that followed didn’t receive nearly as much, but anyone who was a steady, hard worker still got a respectable share of grain.

Gu Jiaojiao was mostly there to watch the spectacle. She didn’t have many work points, and neither did Leng Yuan. However, Leng Yuan received a monthly grain subsidy and a salary from his job.

While Gu Jiaojiao was taking it all in, Aunt Zhao counted on her fingers for a moment before saying with a grin, ”A work point is actually worth twelve fen today! That’s a whole two fen more than last year.”

When work points were worth more, life would keep getting better.

’Aunt Zhao’s knack for mental math is impressive,’ Gu Jiaojiao thought, ’even for someone like me from the future.’

As the line of people moved forward, the pile of grain slowly shrank.

Those with flatbed carts loaded them up and hauled their shares straight home.

Those without carts had their children stand guard over their share while the adults of the family began shouldering the sacks home one by one.

Back then, everything truly depended on sheer physical strength.

Watching them, Gu Jiaojiao felt a sense of admiration rise in her heart.

’The working people of this era are so capable, but their lives are so hard.’

Since Gu Jiaojiao and Leng Yuan had few work points and wouldn’t be receiving much grain, they weren’t in a rush.

As she was watching the proceedings, she felt a hostile gaze fixed on her. Gu Jiaojiao turned her head and was met with a pair of critical, judgmental eyes.

Gu Jiaojiao: ’???’

’I don’t even know that person.’

Seeing Gu Jiaojiao turn around, Aunt Zhao glanced back as well. When she saw who it was, she immediately turned back to Gu Jiaojiao and spoke.

”That’s the second aunt Leng Yuan cut ties with.”

’Oh,’ Gu Jiaojiao realized. ’No wonder she was looking at me with such disdain.’

”She’s been asking around lately about what all Leng Yuan bought for you when you two got married. She must have her eye on his money.”

”You should be careful around her.”

Aunt Zhao whispered a reminder.