If I finish work early in the afternoon, I won't have to wait for the commuter bus, and I can go home for dinner.

"Uncle, I'll go home now. Everyone's waiting for me."

"When you have some free time, Uncle, come visit me. My dad always talks about him."

Sheng Xiping exchanged a few polite words and then got up to take his leave.

Old Hu and his wife made a token attempt to persuade him to stay, but Sheng Xiping insisted on leaving, so the two of them quickly followed and saw him off.

Old Hu's wife also returned the cleaned enamel basin to Sheng Xiping.

"Nephew, these are your basins, I've cleaned them all."

Oh dear, I really have to thank my nephew. I've benefited a lot from you all year round.

Sheng Xiping took the basin, exchanged a few polite words with Old Hu and his wife, and then quickly left the Hu family's house.

Instead of going straight home, he went to the farm headquarters first and made a public announcement through the farm's loudspeaker.

The educated youth in each family were notified to assemble at the livestock shed of the family team at seven o'clock, as they would be working on the back field today.

There was no other way; the educated youth settlement in the forest farm hadn't been built yet, and everyone was living in their own homes.

Sheng Xiping couldn't possibly go door-to-door to notify everyone, could he? He could only use a loudspeaker to announce it.

Every morning at 5:30, the loudspeaker at the forest farm starts broadcasting announcements.

Most of the time, production tasks are arranged based on the weather conditions, with news broadcasts interspersed throughout.

In winter, if there is heavy snow, the workers would wake up in the morning and crane their necks to wait for the loudspeaker to announce the news.

As soon as they heard that production was suspended for the day, everyone would cover their heads and go back to sleep.

Today, the educated youth don't have to go up the mountain to work, so they don't have to get up early.

So when many people hear the loudspeaker announcements, they simply stay in bed and sleep a little longer.