Chapter 17 Moving out? You didn't pay for it, why would they agree...?

“Of course, I’ve been busy recruiting workers lately, and we’ll be starting to pick cotton soon,” Aili said.

Ayili wiped the sweat from her forehead and muttered a complaint that she was destined to be a workaholic. She had just finished her son's wedding and hadn't even had a few days of rest before she had to start working on the farm again.

However, with the arrival of a new wife this year, she finally has someone to share some of the burden.

Every year, the harvest season is the busiest time for them. Recruiting workers is only the first step. During the harvest season, they also need to take care of the workers' food and accommodation.

After the cotton is picked, it needs to be sorted and dried a second time. Their farm is large and they hire many workers every year, and sometimes they even argue with each other...

When Chen Mian heard about the job recruitment mentioned by Ayili, her eyes flickered slightly, and she tightened her grip on the chopsticks in her hand, remembering what Chen Zhelan had said before that cotton pickers could earn a lot of money.

She's currently looking for a new job. Although Aunt Yu has been very kind to her, there's not much work left at the goji berry farm.

With some time still to go before the New Year, Chen Mian glanced up at Yu Xiaoyue furtively, hesitating about how to begin.

But Yu Xiaoyue had already asked on her behalf, "Ayili, have you filled all your worker positions?"

After receiving a negative answer, Yu Xiaoyue signed up for Chen Mian. She knew the girl was shy and embarrassed to ask her in person, but she also understood that the girl wanted to take the opportunity to make more money.

Yu Xiaoyue turned to her and said, "Ayili's farm isn't far from here, so you can still come back to stay tonight."

Chen Mian smiled and nodded in agreement; she quite liked living with Yu Xiaoyue.

Ayili was also very happy that her new friend was willing to come and help at the farm. She really liked the jujube cake that Chen Mian made last time; it was sweet, soft, and glutinous, just to her liking.

Of course, she preferred the mutton stew she made today.

The matter of Chen Mian going to pick cotton was settled. The three of them had just finished eating when Ayili hurriedly went back.

Before leaving, she specially brought back a bowl of mutton stew. Ayili said, "This food is so delicious, I want to eat it again tomorrow. I'll return the bowl to you in a few days!"

Yu Xiaoyue curled her lip in disdain, "It's just a broken bowl, you can have it..."

Chen Mian chuckled: If you want to eat it, I can make it for you again next time, so there's no need to be so appreciative.

As the sun sets, the distant clouds and mist are layered and diffused, like a gradually changing ribbon, floating lightly in the sky, draping passersby in a soft glow.

As Chen Mumian watched Ayili's receding figure, she thought to herself that these two were truly good friends, sharing the same generous and enthusiastic personalities, and both were also very efficient in their work.

Yu Xiaoyue also went inside to call her son, asking him to come back and try Kapok's new cooking when he had time. But to her surprise, the person on the other end of the line wasn't Ji Yu.

Colleagues at the police station said that Ji Yu was recently transferred to the municipal bureau to participate in the investigation of previous theft gang cases, and he is probably staking out a residential area in the city right now.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaoyue had no choice but to hang up the phone and shrug. "If you can't enjoy it yourself, then there's nothing I can do. I've already notified them..."

Over the next few days, Chen Mian borrowed Yu Xiaoyue's sewing machine to make herself a set of cotton-picking equipment, including a white cloth hat and a white cloth bag.

The focus of cotton harvesting differs slightly from that of goji berry harvesting. For goji berries, the emphasis is on keeping the fruit intact and avoiding damage; however, for cotton harvesting, cleanliness is paramount.

The cotton plants must be completely cleaned, the cotton pods must be cleaned, and any cotton that has fallen in the fields must be picked clean. In particular, hair, fibers, and other such things must not be mixed into the cotton.

Therefore, the hair of the flower picker must be completely covered with a hat or cloth, and the cloth bag carried in front of him must also be kept clean.

During the harvesting process, if a cotton plant is of poor quality, it needs to be separated from the others. This is to ensure the quality of the cotton to the greatest extent possible, so that good cotton can fetch a good price and inferior cotton can fetch a lower price.

On the first day of official mining, Chen Mian carried her small water bottle and harvesting equipment, ready to set off for the new farm.

Before leaving, Yu Xiaoyue noticed that she hadn't brought any food with her, so she quickly stuffed two meat buns into her hands and told her to eat them if she got hungry at noon.

Chen Mian walked along the path for twenty minutes and saw in the distance that there were already hundreds of people standing by the farm. Everyone was dressed similarly, both men and women.

Upon approaching, I found Ayili standing in front of a table, and she greeted me warmly.

Everyone followed Ayili's instructions, divided up their work areas, and then dispersed. A gaze seemed to be fixed on Chen Mian's back in the crowd.

At the beginning of the harvest season, the cotton stems and leaves are still dark green, and fluffy, soft cotton bolls, like clouds, are dotted among the green leaves, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye can see.

After a few more days of intense sun exposure, the green leaves and branches will wither, leaving only the white clouds hanging forlornly on the branches.

Chen Mian deftly wrapped all her hair into her cloth hat, then hung the cloth bag she had prepared in advance in front of her and began picking.

However, since it was her first time picking cotton, her technique was still a little stiff. She held the cotton plant with her left hand, and carefully used her right thumb and forefinger to pick up the cotton fibers, then slowly pulled them out.

Liu Juan, who had just walked over, couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw Chen Mian's slow and deliberate movements. She handed her a pair of gloves and said, "Put these on, or your fair hands will get a few more cuts later!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mian looked up and glanced at the woman beside her with slight surprise. It turned out to be the older woman she had chatted with at the wolfberry farm before. She never expected to run into her here again.

Liu Juan was also quite surprised. She had seen Chen Mian's back in the crowd a while earlier and thought she looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place the name.

It wasn't until she saw the farm owner greeting her that Liu Juan suddenly realized that this was the person who had come with Sister Yu earlier. She hadn't expected that she would know the owner of this farm.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two began a new round of cotton picking. Liu Juan had been a cotton picker for three or four years, and before starting, she specifically taught Chen Mumian how to pick cotton quickly and well.

In no time, Chen Mian had mastered the picking technique. With her fingers flying, one after another, the snow-white cotton bolls obediently jumped into the pocket in front of her.

As Chen Mian worked, she hummed a Northwest nursery rhyme softly, her body swaying slightly to the rhythm of the music.

"Are you also from Northwest China?" Liu Juan asked excitedly as she heard the singing.

Chen Mian replied blankly, "My hometown is Fengxi City."

Liu Juan: Me too! Oh my god, I never thought we would have this connection.

Chen Mian was also a little excited when she heard this. Everyone who came with her had gone to southern Xinjiang, and this was the first time she had met other fellow villagers.

Her eyes sparkled as she stepped forward and shook hands with the woman, a sweet smile spreading across her face, her shallow dimples appearing and disappearing.

Liu Juan asked curiously, "Then how did you get to know Sister Yu and the others? I thought you were a local."

This time, Chen Mian did not make excuses to refuse. Instead, she patiently explained that she had been tricked into meeting Officer Ji, and then he introduced her to work on his farm.

Liu Juan: "So where did you live after that? I looked for you after that day, thinking you had gone home."

Chen Mian's cloth bag was already full of snow-white cotton. She got up and prepared to walk to the roadside. Liu Juan followed her when she saw this.

As Chen Mian walked, she explained in a low voice, "I live at Sister Yu's house."

Liu Juan looked at her with a wasteful gaze, "How can you bear to spend so much money to stay in a local's house?"

"I asked before, and even the cheapest one costs several dollars a day."

Chen Mian asked in confusion, "I didn't spend any money."

Liu Juan: "Why would they let you stay for free if you didn't pay any money?"

The two poured the cotton wool from their bags into the pile of snow-white cotton and moved to another path to continue picking.

Chen Mumian gently held the branch, the fluffy and soft cotton fibers wrapping around her fingertips, carrying the warm scent of sunshine, reminding her of the new cotton quilts her family made last year.

She actually felt that Ji Yu and Yu Xiaoyue were being a bit too kind to her, but what did they, a policeman and a farmer, want from her?

Chen Mian: Maybe they just feel sorry for themselves and want to do a good deed every day?

Liu Juan poked her head with her finger, exasperated. "What else could you be after? To find yourself a wife? Don't you think you look like their child bride now?"

"If you stay any longer, are you planning to marry Sister Yu's son directly?"

Chen Mian froze upon hearing this, and her hands paused. She remembered how warm and trusting Wu Wei and his wife had been when she stayed at their house.

She thought she was doing the work of a counselor, but she didn't expect Wu Wei and the others to assume that she had come to join this family.

This time, I've stayed at Officer Ji's house for so long again. He's been on blind dates many times without any results. Could it be that they also have the same idea?

Ji Yu, who was still staking out the location, felt as if a huge pot had been thrown from the sky, leaving her speechless: How could I possibly be that kind of person?!

Seeing her lost in thought, Liu Juan's eyes flickered, and she urged, "Just listen to your sister, move out quickly, what kind of behavior is this..."

“It’s just the beginning of the work here, so you can take your luggage and stay with me. I’ll protect you, and we’ll go back to our hometown together for the New Year.”

Chen Mian nodded silently in agreement. She would pack her things and move out as soon as she finished her work today.

We've troubled Officer Ji and Yu Xiaoyue for so long; it's time to say goodbye.

In the evening, Ji Yu, who had just returned home from her shift to rest, heard Chen Mian say that she was planning to move out as soon as she stepped into her house.

Ji Yu's first reaction was, "Did I do something wrong that made you unhappy?"

Chen Mian shook her head.

"What did my mom do to upset you?"

A note from the author:

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Mini-theater:

Little Cotton: You are all bad people, I want to move out.

Crucian carp: I'm innocent! Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare lay a hand on my good brother's sister!

Yu Xiaoyue glared at her son: Did you do something secretly?

Random thoughts:

Mei Bao's thought process is a bit peculiar, but it's always good for a girl to be more vigilant when traveling alone.

P.S.: Humble Peach Milk is begging for your favorites again! The upcoming weekly rankings are all really great, please let someone join me! o(╥﹏╥)o