Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 55

Aside from the older folks, even seven- and eight-year-old children came to help. They were busy moving bricks and cement, working energetically. It was an all-village effort, so there was hardly anyone left at home to cook. For the first time in decades, a huge pot of communal food, which had only been seen at banquets before, reappeared in the village.

However, there were always a few families with conflicts. For example, Fang Jinlei and his second uncle were like enemies. Lei Chenggen and Lei Chengji had a similar relationship. In recent years, with rising prices, Lei Chengji wanted Lei Chenggen to contribute more, even though they had agreed that Lei Chenggen's family would leave with nothing and would provide a monthly allowance for their parents. The bulk of the responsibility fell on Lei Chengji's family.

As costs kept rising, Lei Chengji wanted more from Lei Chenggen. But with Lei Chenggen having children of his own, he had to think about his kids and could only send a portion of the food according to his parents' needs each month.

Lei Chengji wasn't actually lacking food; it was more about wanting money. Since Lei Chenggen only sent food, Lei Chengji had no argument, and their relationship grew increasingly strained.

The third uncle was also old and weak, his mind even a bit muddled, showing signs of early dementia. Without someone to mediate, the brothers' relationship worsened to the point where even sitting down to eat together was difficult.

Then there was Lu Mingyou and his second uncle's family. They had a complete falling out over a house. Even if the old couple wasn't around at the time, they wouldn't have tried to reconcile with people who had once been close.

So, the communal meal was divided into two groups.

Lei Li and his group, along with a few other families, combined their efforts to prepare the communal meal. Lu Mingyou and his elderly group, who were around the same age as the grandmother, were not asked to help with the brickwork. They contributed by offering advice on where to leave a door or water outlet. Since everyone in the village was eating together, it helped to foster a sense of community, and they also contributed food for the shared meal.

In the past, while the second uncle and his group didn't have a high reputation, their age commanded a certain respect, whether genuine or not. In this situation of taking sides, more villagers chose to join the side with the majority.

The village chief was helpless. He knew it wasn't ideal, but he couldn't force everyone to be united. If he pushed too hard, it might make things worse. Keeping some distance was perhaps the better option.

Lei Chenggen's wife, Xiang Li, was from the north and was skilled with communal cooking. She took charge of the kitchen, with several younger women helping out.

The communal meal was based on contributions. Men aged sixteen to sixty contributed one pound of rice each, while children, women, and the elderly contributed six ounces each, enough for two meals a day. Vegetables were picked from the fields, and to ensure fairness, they were divided equally among the families. There was no meat; even if some families had meat, they kept it for themselves.

Yao Ziqing was lifting bricks for the first time. The hot weather made him sweat even when he stood still. It was so hot and stuffy that he felt like stripping off his clothes. Seeing that people were working hard and trying to do as much as they could before daylight, he moved closer to his second brother and used his elemental energy to create a gentle breeze to cool him down.

Lei Xiao saw him sweating heavily, his shirt collar soaked, and frowned slightly. "You should go back. Grandma is at home. I can handle things here."

Yao Ziqing refused. "Grandma isn't home. I just saw her and Aunt Xiu helping with the cooking. Grandma said she needed to move around a bit. I thought it would be okay to help pick vegetables. I don't mind."