"Did you understand what I said?" Li Shuying asked once more, her gaze steady as it rested on the boy before her.
The boy nodded vigorously, his expression earnest despite his young age. "Don't worry, Sister Shuying. I understood. I'll do exactly as you said."
Li Shuying gave a small nod in return. Without another word, the boy turned and sprinted downhill, his two companions following closely behind, their small figures soon disappearing along the narrow mountain path.
Li Shuying stood quietly for a moment, her eyes lingering in the direction they had gone. Now, she could only hope the boy would carry out her instructions faithfully.
This… was the only method she could think of to prepare the villagers for what was to come. If it succeeded, there might yet be a way to save them from the coming famine. But if it failed...
Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides. She did not allow herself to finish that thought.
By the time the children reached the production fields, the morning sun had risen higher, not far ahead, three figures stood together in discussion.
Brigade Leader Liu stood with his hands behind his back, his expression grave. Beside him was Commune Director Chen Deshun and another brigade leader from a neighboring unit.
"We must exercise strict control over every single wheat seed," Chen Deshun was saying, his voice firm, each word measured. "From storage to distribution to sowing, every step must be supervised. Speak with the production team leaders, the storekeepers, even the women representatives. Everyone must remain vigilant. There is no room for negligence."
He paused briefly, then added, "The work must be completed within the allotted time. Even a slight delay could cost us the entire harvest."
Brigade Leader Liu nodded immediately. "I have already consulted with the village elders. They say the first snow may fall toward the end of next month. But…" he hesitated slightly, "…there is also a chance of early snowfall this year. The lack of rainfall and the dryness in the northern mountains are not good signs."
At this, Chen Deshun let out a quiet breath. "Then we can only tighten our belts and prepare for the worst. Hope is not a plan."
The two brigade leaders nodded in agreement, their expressions growing more solemn.
It was at that moment...
"Grandpa Liu! Grandpa Liu!" The sharp, breathless cries of children broke through the heavy discussion.
All three men turned and saw three boys running toward them at full speed, their faces flushed, their chests heaving as they struggled to catch their breath.
Liu Zhenshen recognized them immediately as children from his brigade. His brows drew together in concern as he stepped forward.
"What happened?" he asked quickly. "Did someone get hurt while cutting grass?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and called out, "Comrade! Bring the first-aid kit here, quickly!"
But before anyone could move, the leading boy waved his hands frantically, "Grandpa Liu, no...no one is hurt!" he said between breaths. "It's Sister Shuying, she sent us!"
Liu Zhenshen paused, his frown deepening. "little Shuying? What about her?"
The boy gulped in air and hurried on, "She told us to bring you to the temple on the mountain near the riverbank, right away! She said you must come, no matter what. She said… it concerns the future of the village."
At these words, Chen Deshun's expression changed, "Temple?" he repeated sharply, his tone laced with disapproval. "Why are you children going to temples? Have the elders not told you that such feudal superstition is not to be indulged in?" His gaze hardened. "And why were you even on the mountain in the first place?"
The boy shrank slightly under the scrutiny, his earlier urgency giving way to nervousness. He scratched his head and replied haltingly, "The pig grass near the riverbank… it's all dried up, yellow already. So we went up the mountain, near the temple, to gather the green ones."
Liu Zhenshen's attention remained fixed on the boy, "If that is the case," he said slowly, "then why call me there? What exactly is going on? Did little Shuying tell you what this matter is about?"
The boy shook his head, still panting from the run. "She didn't say what exactly it is," he replied honestly, "only that it's something you must see with your own eyes. She told us we had to bring you there, no matter what."
At this, Chen Deshun exhaled sharply, a trace of impatience surfacing on his stern face. "Children," he said, his tone firm yet restrained, "you should return to your work. The production tasks are already behind schedule. Stop running about creating trouble. Your Grandpa Liu has responsibilities, he cannot leave important matters for all this."
The boys' faces fell at once, their earlier urgency dimming into disappointment. Yet they did not retreat. Instead, they turned pleading eyes toward Liu Zhenshen.
"Grandpa Liu," one of them said earnestly, "Sister Shuying said it's truly urgent."
For a moment, Liu Zhenshen hesitated. Before he could respond, the other brigade leader, Comrade Shu, spoke from the side. "I think you should go and take a look," he said thoughtfully. "Even if it turns out to be nothing, at least you will have seen it yourself. But if it is something important or dangerous, then delaying might cost us."
Liu Zhenshen's brows drew together as he considered this. After a brief pause, he gave a slow nod. "You're right." He turned to Chen Deshun with a respectful inclination of his head. "Director Chen, I will go and see what the matter is."
Chen Deshun's expression softened slightly, though concern lingered in his eyes. "Very well," he said. "Take Comrade Shu with you. If there is trouble, you may need assistance."
Liu Zhenshen nodded. Without wasting further time, he set off toward the mountain path with the three boys leading the way. Brigade Leader Shu followed close behind, and Liu Zhenshen signaled for a militia member nearby to accompany them as well.
Their pace was brisk. The dry wind brushed against their faces as they climbed, carrying with it the faint scent of dust and withered grass. Though none spoke it aloud, a quiet tension settled among them.
When they finally approached the temple grounds, there was no chaos. No cries for help as they had expected. Instead, the area appeared… almost ordinary. Children were scattered across the clearing, bending over in small groups, gathering and piling pig grass into neat heaps. Their chatter rose and fell with the wind, lively and untroubled.
Liu Zhenshen slowed his steps, his frown deepening.
At that moment, Li Shuying, who had been waiting at the edge of the road, spotted them. She immediately ran forward, her face composed yet carrying a trace of urgency. "Uncle Liu, Uncle Shu," she greeted, slightly breathless, "you have come."
Liu Zhenshen glanced around once more, his eyes sweeping the surroundings carefully. Everything appeared orderly, "Little Shuying," he said, his voice edged with confusion, "why did you call us here in such haste? Everything looks normal. There is nothing unusual here."
Li Shuying shook her head at once. Her expression tightened, as though she were holding back something significant, "Uncle Liu," she said quietly, "there is indeed something wrong… but it is not outside." She lifted her hand and pointed toward the temple behind her, "I think… you should see it for yourself."
Liu Zhenshen's frown deepened. "What is inside the temple?" he asked.
But Li Shuying did not answer. Instead, she turned and began walking toward the temple entrance.
A brief glance passed between Liu Zhenshen and Brigade Leader Shu of shared uncertainty. Then, without another word, they followed her.
The temple stood silent, its weathered wooden doors half-open, swaying faintly in the wind. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place.
But the moment they stepped inside, all three men froze. Their eyes widened in shock, their expressions turning rigid with disbelief.
"What… what is that?" Brigade Leader Shu's voice broke through the silence, sharp with alarm. He instinctively staggered back a step, his face paling. "Brigade Leader Liu… tell me, is that real? Are we truly seeing this?"
Liu Zhenshen stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed ahead, unable to look away. The calm authority he usually carried was gone, replaced by raw astonishment. For a long moment, he did not answer.
He simply stood there, as though his soul had been shaken loose from his body. His lips parted, yet no words came out. Even his usually steady breathing had turned uneven.
"T...this…" he stammered at last, his voice trembling in a way no one had ever heard before. "This… what is this…? What is going on here?"
His gaze shifted slowly mechanically, from Li Shuying to the sight before him.
Endless, overwhelming piles of sweet potatoes, fresh, unblemished, stacked in mounds like small hills. Their earthy scent filled the temple air. Beside them were bundles of Chinese cabbages, crisp and green, layered in such abundance that they almost seemed unreal. Further back, tightly bound sacks of soybeans were arranged in neat rows.
The sheer quantity was suffocating. In these years of tightening belts and thinning gruel… such a sight was nothing short of miraculous.
Liu Zhenshen felt his mind spin. Almost unconsciously, he raised his hand and pinched his own arm hard, "Ah...!" he hissed sharply, flinching from the pain. His pupils trembled, "This… this is real…" he whispered hoarsely.
Beside him, Brigade Leader Shu was no better. He stared as if he had seen a ghost or perhaps something far more incomprehensible. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his voice breaking between awe and fear.
"Little girl…" he said slowly, almost reverently, "what… what exactly is all this? How could such things… appear here?"
Li Shuying lowered her gaze slightly, her expression perfectly composed into innocent confusion. She shook her head gently, "I don't know either," she replied softly. "When I came in, they were already here… just like this. And..."
She stepped lightly across the uneven floor, weaving between the piles. Near the dilapidated statue at the centre she bent down and picked up a weathered bamboo sheet. Turning, she walked back and handed it to Liu Zhenshen, "...I also found this," she said. "After reading it… I didn't dare delay. The first person I thought of was you."
At first, neither Liu Zhenshen nor Brigade Leader Shu reacted. Their minds were still trapped in the overwhelming presence of the supplies before them. A single thought kept echoing between them, if this were taken to the communal canteen… it could feed the entire village for a month. Even then, there might still be some left.
Only after a few seconds did Brigade Leader Shu seem to register the bamboo sheet in Li Shuying's hand.
He frowned faintly, his shock giving way, just slightly to curiosity, "A bamboo slip?" he muttered under his breath as he accepted it. "In this day and age… who still writes on such things?"
The surface was rough and slightly cracked. The characters carved upon it were uneven yet deliberate.
He began to read. At first, his brows knit together in confusion. Then, gradually they lifted and his eyes widened. And then all color drained from his face. By the time he finished reading, his hands had begun to tremble faintly.
Beside him, Liu Zhenshen took one look at his expression and immediately took the bamboo sheet from his hands. As his eyes scanned the contents, his face darkened, then turned ashen, "…Is this… true?" he murmured, almost to himself.
The air in the temple grew heavy.
Li Shuying let out a soft sigh, her tone carefully measured. "Who can say for certain? But… something like this cannot simply be ignored."
Brigade Leader Shu snapped out of his daze, though his voice still carried a trace of unease, "But how can anyone be so certain?" he said, pointing toward the bamboo sheet. "This is absurd... completely absurd. I say we set this aside for now. The real matter before us is this food." His gaze returned, almost hungrily, to the towering piles.
But Liu Zhenshen shook his head slowly. "No," he said, his voice low but firm. "We cannot separate the two."
Brigade leader Shu frowned, "are you saying you believe in this nonsense?"
Liu Zhenshen nodded and gestured toward the supplies, "Just look at this. Such an amount… in times like these. Whoever placed this here is no ordinary person." He paused, his gaze sharpening, "Tell me, who would give away such vast resources without reason? And if someone could do this… why would they leave it here, along with that message?"
Brigade Leader Shu fell silent. For the first time, doubt crept into his certainty, "…I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I truly don't know what to make of this."
Liu Zhenshen remained silent for a moment, weighing his thoughts. Then he spoke again, more resolute this time, "Whatever the truth may be, we cannot dismiss it based on our personal beliefs. Not when the stakes are this high."
He turned toward Li Shuying, his eyes probing, "When you came here," he asked, "did you see anyone? Anything unusual? Anyone watching from a distance?"
Li Shuying shook her head without hesitation, "No, Uncle Liu," she replied earnestly. "There was nothing. When I entered, everything was already like this. And when I read the bamboo sheet…" She lowered her gaze, her voice softening as she feigned unease, "I was frightened. The first thing I thought was to call you." She lifted her eyes again, letting a trace of anxiety show, "Uncle… is what's written on it… true?"
Liu Zhenshen's expression softened almost immediately. He reached out and gently patted her head, his tone reassuring. "Don't be afraid. No matter what it is, we will handle it."
Then his expression hardened again. Taking the bamboo sheet firmly in his hand, he said, "You gather all the children and return to the village. And listen carefully, do not speak of this to anyone. Not even to your mother."
Li Shuying nodded at once. "Yes, Uncle Liu." than without another word, she turned and began leading the children out of the temple, her steps calm and obedient.
Only when she had crossed the threshold did her expression shift a faint, almost imperceptible smirk curved her lips.
The first step… is complete.
Behind her, inside the temple, Liu Zhenshen turned to Brigade Leader Shu.
"We go back," he said gravely. "This matter must be reported immediately. We will see what the commune director and the others have to say."
Brigade Leader Shu, still shaken, could only nod silently.