I began to remember that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, mutual aid groups were implemented in rural areas, and I had not joined primary cooperatives, advanced cooperatives or even people's communes.
In the early 1950s, under the leadership of the Party and the government, the mutual aid group was established on the basis of voluntariness and mutual benefit to solve the problem of insufficient labor, animal power and farm tools in agricultural production. There are two forms: one is temporary mutual aid groups, which are usually organized temporarily by several farmers during the busy farming season to exchange jobs and help each other. Dissolve immediately after the busy farming, which is the primary form of mutual aid groups. Second, perennial mutual aid groups are generally larger than temporary mutual aid groups, and their members are relatively stable. In addition to the major agricultural mutual assistance throughout the year, other agricultural and sideline products were also helped and combined, and members had a preliminary division of labor.
The data shows that 1950 has a total of 2.72 million support groups, with the highest number reaching 9.93 million in 1954. The further development of mutual aid groups is the primary society and the advanced society. By 1957, all mutual aid groups were transferred to agricultural production cooperatives, and by 1958, they entered people's communes.
I didn't understand these things at that time. What I remember most is "eating". I wake up every morning without opening my eyes. When I tilted my head, I met a piece of kang cake. When I am moved by it, I will wake up immediately. Dad bought it specially for me when he came back from a small business. Go to bed early when you come back at night. I wanted to surprise me, but I didn't want to wake me up, so I put it next to my pillow. When I opened my eyes, I saw a kang cake. I don't need to mention that kind of happiness, but I don't want to eat it. I held it in my arms and hugged it affectionately for a while.
Children remember to eat best. I also like octopus with eight claws. It has no thorns and is not afraid of piercing its throat. Its claws squeak when chewing. There are seeds in that fat place. It's delicious. Soup is often made with vegetables or spinach. There is also Ma Gao fish, named Bayu, which is a specialty of my hometown. It is also fried first, and then made into soup with vegetables or spinach. I remember it was very satisfying.
What I don't like most is Datong crab, which seems to be the hairy crab of the boss now, but Datong crab belongs to the sea. Not only I didn't like it, but also the adults at that time didn't like it, because it didn't have much meat to eat except the shell and the ten claws. At that time, everyone was talking about benefits. If it is not good, it is not good. No one wants to buy it, so the price is naturally very cheap. Now people's tastes have been upgraded, and Datong crab has become more expensive seafood. But I like its thumb. There is a little meat in it. Digging and eating is fun. I prefer its shell. You can make a violin drum and take it to the street to play.
I can eat these because of my father's hard work. Dad did small business in those years, getting up early and getting greedy. Although I didn't see when my father put the kang cake on the pillow, I can guess that it must be very late, and I have fallen asleep. I couldn't see my father when I was holding the kang cake in the morning. He has been early, maybe he left before the fifth watch!
At that time, there was no later "foreign painting" or Chinese painting. During the Chinese New Year, every family put up a statue of Kang and a statue of the God of Wealth, all of which were earth paintings, that is, the kind of earth prints. Many people in Weifang know this craft. Dad goes to Weifang to sell Kanghua every year before the Chinese New Year, and it may be six or seven hundred miles back and forth, all on foot, carrying goods back and forth, not empty shoulders. I've also been to the Huanghua Flower Shop in Zhucheng, the street market in Wulian to do some small business, and Xinpu in Jiangsu is a frequent place. I always pick and sell them back and forth. I can make a little money. At that time, just after the founding of the People's Republic of China, everything was in ruins, politics was clear, and the state advocated small business, but it did not crack down on speculation.
Dad is hardworking, can bear hardships and is not afraid of hardships. Getting up so early and working in the dark is for the life of the whole family, because grandpa is in the northeast and dad is the pillar of this family.
Children from poor families take charge early! Dad started working when he was sixteen or seventeen, helping the Eighth Route Army to transfer to a hospital or something. 1948 also participated in supporting the huaihai campaign and sent artillery shells to the front. Dad often tells me those cruel, proud and unforgettable fragments.
In those years, my father was able to do some small business to make up for his livelihood. Besides being good at this and working hard, I am even luckier to meet a good person.
This support group, I only know that there are X Sifang, the elders of their own family, with great prestige, X Jingxi, and our family. The Sifang family is simple and thoughtful. He is more than ten years older than my father, but he is grandparents by seniority. My father called him Sir Zhong, and X Jingxi was his father's contemporaries, several years older than his father!
In the early days of the People's Republic of China, my grandfather rushed to Kanto, and my grandmother and my parents led our brothers and sisters to live a poor life. No cows, no plows, no production tools.
Grandma, father and mother are very popular in the village, and everyone, old and young, doesn't praise them. At that time, the mutual aid group had very little land, so it would be a waste of labor if they all worked in the fields. X Sifang sympathizes with my father's poor family and values his loyalty and honesty. Because dad can read a few words and keep accounts, I think he may be able to do some business. So I will discuss with you that our land will be cultivated by the group and distributed as usual after the autumn harvest, so that dad can do some small business and earn some oil, salt, sauce and vinegar and daily pocket money.
As for how to help each other, although there are no clear rules, my father knows well. Every time he earns money, he can buy them a few jins of dried tobacco leaves or bring something else, or give them one yuan and two yuan each. Formally, it is considered as mutual assistance. The important thing is to take care of my father's family.
Not only do we have no tools for production, but we also have no tools for daily life. We also took the cymbals and grinders to Xsifang's house. Use it at any time, day or night, and never refuse, just like using your own home. Dad also did the kang cake business. He had to grind wheat into flour at night, then make it into a big cake, and then catch up with the big party to sell it during the day. In the evening, he also grinds flour with their mill!
Dad often mentioned that time with us in his later years, recalling the warmth of the support group and being grateful. I went back to the village the year before last, and the descendants of Xsifang invited me to his house for dinner. When chatting, I didn't forget what my late father said. Yes, people helped me, and I will never forget it; I help people, remember. Gratitude should be passed down from generation to generation.
(End of Chapter II)