Chapter Fifty: Year-End Bonus Distribution

The next morning at dawn, Hongbing Wang blew the long-missed whistle to call everyone to work. “Time to start. Everyone head to the south side of the village to weed the cornfield.”

Weeding corn meant removing the weeds from the cornfield and loosening the soil to help the corn grow better and faster. The villagers lined up in rows and weeded side by side. Those who worked quickly could cover a wider area and stay ahead, feeling proud in their hearts. Those slower, even if they weeded narrowly, would be left behind, naturally feeling embarrassed.

Yulan was working for the first time. Caiyun worried she might not be steady-handed, so she stayed close beside her, reminding her to keep the weeding narrow and keep pace with the group, especially not to uproot the corn seedlings.

Though young, Yulan was nimble and efficient, quickly catching up with the chores. By the second day, Caiyun felt relieved and stopped shadowing her.

A few days later, some production team leaders grew impatient and began reclaiming the “responsibility fields” ahead of schedule.

In early August, the commune received notice from the county committee demanding all “responsibility fields” be reclaimed by the end of the month. Thanks to Hongbing Wang’s leadership, the Wangjiayu Brigade completed the rectification smoothly within a week.

At the commune’s summary meeting on the “responsibility field” rectification, both Hongbing Wang and Secretary Yang of the brigade received special commendations.

That same night, the commune screened the film "Liu Qiao'er." Caiyun and Yulan had seen it before but insisted on watching it again.

They ate dinner early and walked for over an hour to reach Tangling just as the movie started.

On the way back, Yulan asked her mother, “Mom, why was Qiao’er’s father so cruel? Why did he want to sell his daughter to that old man, and he was a lame man leaning on a cane?”

“Didn’t the movie say? Qiao’er’s father was greedy. That old man was a wealthy landlord, and Qiao’er’s father just wanted his money.”

“Have you ever met such a person?”

“No. I heard about such people in the old society, but now in the new society, they shouldn’t exist.”

“The man Qiao’er liked, Zhuer, was really handsome. I like men like that too.”

“You’re so beautiful, Mom will definitely find you a very handsome man you’ll like.”

As they walked and talked, they came upon a peanut field. By late August, the peanuts were ready for harvest. Seeing no one around, Caiyun said, “This is the peanut field up ahead. I’ll watch here while you pick a couple for us to eat by the river.”

“Okay.”

Yulan picked a few peanuts. They crossed Tangqiao Dam, went upstream to the riverbank, washed the peanuts, and enjoyed a hearty snack. Afterwards, they tossed the peanut shells and vines into the river, letting the current carry them away, leaving no trace behind.

One morning, Yulan went to feed the pigs and found one lying motionless. She tried to shoo it up, but it still wouldn’t eat. Caiyun came over, felt the pig’s back, and noticed it was very hot. She suspected the pig was ill.

Caiyun immediately went to Yangjiagang to call the veterinarian, Dongping Zhang, who was well-known in the area for treating collective and domestic livestock—cows, pigs, sheep alike—whenever they fell ill.

This time, he brought his son, Youyun Zhang, hoping to pass on his skills.

“Brother Zhang, do you think this pig is sick?”

“Yes, it has a high fever but it’s nothing serious. I’ll give it an injection, and it should be fine.”

“You have such good skills, why don’t you take on an apprentice?”

“Well, he’s already my apprentice.”

“I see you’re father and son. Keeping the good fortune in the family. How old is your son?”

“Auntie, I’m fifteen this year.”

“So young to be a vet! You should really thank your father.”

“I mostly taught myself. He didn’t really teach me much.”

“Did you hear that? What an ungrateful brat. No conscience. Is this your daughter?”

“Yes, call him uncle.”

Yulan called out to Dongping Zhang, “Hello, Uncle!”

Zhang smiled happily, “Good, good. Your daughter is very pretty. How old is she?”

“Thirteen.”

“She looks tall, like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old.”

“Yes, she looks older but she’s still a child.”

“Is she betrothed?”

“Too young, no rush.”

Youyun interjected, “Little sister, would you like to learn veterinary medicine from me?”

“I don’t know how to read.”

“That’s okay, I can teach you to read too.”

Caiyun asked Dongping, “Does your son have a girlfriend?”

“Lao Hong introduced someone, but he wasn’t interested. He wants to find his own. I can’t do anything about it.”

“Your son’s handsome and skilled, he’ll surely find a girl he likes.”

“That depends on fate.”

After treating the pig, the father and son collected two yuan and left.

At the end of the year, the team held a work points evaluation meeting. All members participated, assessing each person’s physical strength, labor skills, and attitude to assign a base score. The highest was ten points, the lowest ranged from four to five points.

Adult male laborers usually scored ten points; adult females only a few reached ten, most fell between nine and a half to eight points. Minors generally ranged from four to nine points.

A member’s base score represented how many work points they could earn per day. For example, a ten-point base earned ten work points per day of labor. The family’s total annual work points determined their year-end dividend and bargaining power. The more points, the greater their share of money and grain. Thus, one’s base score was a recognition of their labor’s value.

It was Yulan’s first time being evaluated. When the team leader mentioned her name, her heart tightened. Some suggested four points, others four and a half, some five. Finally, Hongbing Wang said, “Though young, Chen Yulan works with proper form and strong effort, so let’s set it at five points.”

Yulan was delighted—she was now considered half a labor unit.

When Caiyun’s turn came, some proposed nine points, others eight and a half. Hongbing Wang decided on eight and a half.

“I’m not sick; I’m healthy. Why only eight and a half?” Caiyun stood up and questioned Hongbing Wang.

Everyone understood her meaning. Hongbing Wang’s wife, Xiuxia Han, had been paralyzed and bedridden for years, only able to move around for about a year, capable of only light farm work. Caiyun was rated the same, which was clearly unfair.

Fafu and Datou Langzi also argued on Caiyun’s behalf, but Hongbing Wang refused to change the score. Caiyun had no choice but to endure.

The evaluation lasted until after ten at night, covering only forty-one people; thirty-eight remained.

The next morning after breakfast, Yulan went to feed the pigs but found the pigpen door open and two pigs missing. She panicked, running and shouting, “Mom, the pigs are gone!”

Caiyun hurried over, “Don’t worry, maybe they were hungry and wandered off.”

“No, I always tie the pigpen door with wire. They can’t get out.”

“You go east, I’ll go west. Let’s search around the village and meet behind the village.”

They searched everywhere, front and back of the village and nearby areas, but found nothing. Caiyun grew anxious, asking villagers working in the fields, but no one had seen the pigs or had any clues. Fafu and Yunfeng also helped search.

Fafu took Yulan to watch the market on the main street, while Caiyun and Yunfeng searched neighboring villages. By the end of the day, they had no luck.

The next day, Yuliang skipped school to join the search. After several days with no results, Caiyun reported the loss to the police station. They registered the case and said they would investigate but asked them to wait for news.

Caiyun felt the pigs were likely lost for good but refused to give up. Like Yulan, she wandered aimlessly nearby, hoping for a miracle.

Once the base scores were finalized, the record keeper calculated each family’s total annual work points, paving the way for the year-end dividend settlement.

The dividend settlement meant the production team took all income, subtracted expenses and reserves, then divided by the total annual work points to determine the value per point. Each family’s total points multiplied by this value equaled their income.

Expenses were deducted from the grain payments allocated by the team. If the result was positive, it meant cash dividends, known as “surplus households.” If negative, the family owed money to the team, called “deficit households.”

The team’s annual grain production first fulfilled state procurement quotas, then reserved enough seed and reserve grain. The remainder was distributable grain.

Procurement quotas consisted of two parts: the “levy,” an agricultural tax paid in grain without compensation, and “purchase,” where the state bought grain at a set price, forming the team’s main cash income. Grain trade was state-controlled with no private transactions allowed.

Reserved grain was mainly used for the laborers working on irrigation and other emergencies.

Seventy percent of the distributable grain was allocated as basic rations per capita, equal for men, women, and children. The remaining thirty percent was distributed according to work points. Families paid for grain at state-set prices, which formed their primary expenditure.