Chapter 40 Eating from the Same Pot

"Why are you back? Don't worry about home, everything's fine. Luckily, you had Ah Lin notify us in time, and everything is safe and sound." Ma Quan explained everything without waiting for any questions.

Wenli breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Oh dear, this is what they mean by 'everyone eats from the same pot'! I'd better come back and take a look first. After a few days, once I've figured out the situation and the rules here, it won't be too late for me to go back and take care of my daughter."

Ma Quan nodded in agreement, replying, "Yes, that's right! We need to figure out the situation first before making any plans."

And so, time passed peacefully, day by day.

However, as time went by, two days later, the team leader clearly noticed that since the implementation of the system of eating from the same pot, although everyone was full of energy and enthusiasm at the beginning, they gradually started to slack off.

After all, nobody wants to work hard all day, only to end up eating the same amount of food as those who idle away their time and do nothing.

In this situation, where would anyone find the motivation to work hard? Everywhere you look, there are people who are passively slacking off, going through the motions but not putting in any effort, and simply wasting time.

Faced with this terrible situation, the captain could only shake his head and sigh helplessly, secretly lamenting his predicament, completely at a loss for what to do.

“Wife, I’m thinking of telling the brigade leader about the natural disasters that will last for the next three years by talking about dreaming.”

“Once this matter is settled, we can finally live our own peaceful lives! We won’t have to worry about anyone in the village going hungry, or about our conscience bothering us.”

Shen Zishan knew very well that the village chief and the brigade leader were truly good people. It would be best if they could know the news sooner and prepare a countermeasure in advance.

Hearing her husband's words, Ma Aning nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Okay, Brother Shan, I'll go and invite the brigade leader and the village chief over right away. But... you'd better think carefully about how to talk to them properly!"

As she spoke, she carefully supported her already protruding belly and slowly stood up, then walked towards the door with slightly clumsy steps.

"Hey, wife, slow down! You have to be careful of your health, especially your belly. I'm not in a hurry, so don't rush!" Shen Zishan quickly reminded her upon seeing this.

It was the time when everyone was at work, and Ma Aning guessed that the two of them were probably busy in the fields.

However, the edge of the field was very slippery, and being heavily pregnant, she dared not go there rashly. If she accidentally fell and bumped herself, it would be no laughing matter.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to ask a child to run an errand and call the two elders over.

Not long after, the village chief and the brigade leader arrived in a hurry.

Before they even got close, the village chief couldn't wait to ask, "Shen family's daughter-in-law, has something serious happened? Is Shanzi feeling unwell? Just tell us, and we'll do everything we can to help you!"

The brigade leader standing to the side nodded hurriedly, indicating that he completely agreed with the village chief's words.

"Could you two uncles come to my house? Brother Shan needs to talk to you about something," Ma Aning said apologetically.

The villagers who had been eavesdropping nearby didn't hear anything and stopped listening, watching the three figures walk away into the distance.

Thinking something had happened, the two walked very fast, leaving Ma Aning behind at a distance.

"Shen San's family, we'll head out first! You take your time, don't rush!"

The village chief and the brigade leader, eager to get back to work as soon as possible, quickened their pace and arrived at Ma Aning's house. They pushed open the half-closed door and went straight into the room.

At this moment, Shen Zishan had already thought about how to deal with the situation. He smiled and said very politely, "Uncles, you've arrived. Please find a stool and sit down to rest."

After he finished speaking, he glanced behind him a few times, but he didn't see his wife anywhere.

The captain quickly explained, "Your wife is heavily pregnant and her body is heavy, so she walks slower. That's why we came first and let her walk slowly behind us."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zishan nodded slightly, then took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his inner tension, while secretly pondering what he was going to say next.

Just then, the impatient village chief couldn't help but speak up: "Shanzi, we've watched you grow up since you were little, so just tell us what's on your mind."

"We will absolutely not shirk our responsibility to help in any way we can. Please don't be shy or hesitant like a woman!"

Shen Zishan quickly replied, "Alright, alright, Uncle Village Chief and Uncle Brigade Leader, since you two are so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush anymore and will tell you the truth."

After a brief pause, he took another deep breath and then slowly said, "Actually... I had a very strange dream last night."

As soon as he finished speaking, the brigade leader and the village chief looked at each other in bewilderment. When their eyes met, they could clearly read a hint of undisguised anger in each other's eyes.

The village chief's fiery temper flared up instantly. He glared at Shen Zishan with wide eyes and a furious expression, and began to curse.

"You ignorant brat! Just because you had a stupid dream, you dare to summon the two of us here in such a big way! Don't you know we're busy as bees spinning tops? Especially at this critical juncture, the higher-ups have given our village a lot of thorny problems!"

Hearing the village chief's angry rebuke, Shen Zishan's face showed a wronged expression. He quickly explained, "Uncle Brigade Leader, Uncle Village Chief, if it were just an ordinary dream, why would I have so rashly disturbed you?"

"The key thing is that some of the things that happened in my dream have actually come true one by one! For example, this communal meal..."

Before he could finish speaking, the village chief and the brigade leader exchanged a suspicious glance. Then, the brigade leader frowned and asked, "Are you telling the truth, kid? Did you really dream that the village was going to implement a communal dining system?"

As if grasping at a lifeline, Shen Zishan nodded repeatedly and replied, "That's right, Captain! What I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but I have personally experienced and verified it. It's absolutely true, without a single falsehood!"

"Hurry up and tell us! Stop dawdling. We'll verify it ourselves!" The village chief, his fiery temper finally flared, urged impatiently.