Fortunately, most of the farm tools that the local area had previously stockpiled, besides those that had already been distributed to the group of people from the city who went to the countryside, were requisitioned by them this time, with a promise that they would be replaced later.

Transforming several mountains into terraced fields by human effort would be a massive undertaking.

Fortunately, the team that came with us this time included some engineers, who, after measurement and planning, finally came up with the most reasonable solution.

Of course, while the surveying and planning were underway, others began digging trenches in the previously planned areas. For those accustomed to farm work, these tasks were commonplace, but for those who were used to a life of luxury in the city, it was a difficult job to accomplish.

"Brother, my hands are covered in blisters." Si Liang looked at the small blisters on his hands and felt like crying.

"Why don't you go rest for a bit and see if anyone has a needle to pop those blisters first?" Si Ming had also developed blisters on his hands, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. Being used to protecting his younger brother, he still told Si Liang to go rest first.

Si Liang shook his head, "Let's not. If we don't finish this mission, they still won't let us rest. Anyway, we already have blisters, so we can just bear with it."

Even though that's what I said, tears still welled up in my eyes every time I swung the hoe.

"I wonder how Mom and the others are doing. Her health hasn't been good these past two years. I wonder if she can handle such heavy work?" Si Ming was worried about his younger brother, but this was just a minor injury, and he would get used to it eventually. What worried him most was his mother. Her health had been weak these past two years, and she definitely couldn't do such heavy work. Moreover, tasks were being assigned to different people. Thinking of this, he sped up his work. If he could finish this job sooner, he could go over and help his parents.

Meanwhile, Si Zhengwei and his wife were also worried about the two brothers.

"I wonder if the two of them can adapt?" Huang Yun spoke up. She was sitting on the side watching Si Zhengwei swing the hoe in his hand. It wasn't that she wanted to be lazy, but her back hurt terribly with every movement, and she couldn't bear it even if she wanted to.

“Those are two young men now. They need to adapt. They'll have to make a living this way and support us in our old age. The burden on their shoulders is much heavier. If they don't do it, are we supposed to do it?” As a man, Si Zhengwei didn't feel as sorry for his son as Huang Yun did. In his view, men need to experience setbacks and hardships to grow up.

“I don’t like what you say. Even if they want to farm in the future, it will take time and a gradual process. Who can stand such intense labor all of a sudden?” Huang Yun stood up and looked around, wondering which plot of land the two of them had been assigned to.

"I think their arrangement is quite interesting. Why don't they put the whole family together instead of separating them like this?"

Huang Yun not only couldn't help, but also kept nagging on the sidelines, which annoyed Si Zhengwei. "Why don't you go ask her? If you're so free, then come down and help. Look around, who else is taking your rest for granted like you do?"

"Well, Si Zhengwei, are you getting impatient now? If my back wasn't hurting, would I let you do everything by yourself?" Huang Yun's eyes reddened as she spoke, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Fine, I give up. You can continue sitting there and resting, but could you please stop nagging? Don't you know it's really annoying?" She was already furious from doing all that heavy work, and Huang Yun was not only not helping but also adding fuel to the fire.

“Then I won’t study anymore. I’ll go find my two sons.”

Si Zhengwei waved his hand. He couldn't wait to let her leave for a while. He used to love listening to her gentle and soft words when he had nothing to do. They made her seem very down-to-earth.

But now that I'm doing something, and I'm already feeling irritable because of all sorts of trivial matters, hearing this makes me feel even more irritable.

"Son, how are you?" Huang Yun finally found her two sons' place of responsibility, and when she saw Si Ming and Si Liang gritting their teeth and persevering there, she felt heartbroken.

"Mom, why did you come here? Where's Dad?" Si Ming didn't believe that he had already fulfilled his responsibilities to his parents.

“Your dad is still digging over there, so I came to check on you.”

"Isn't my dad working there all by himself?" Si Ming asked, somewhat surprised.

"My health isn't good, so your father will have to do more." Huang Yun had never suffered so much in his life. Along the way, the three of them, father and sons, took care of almost all the chores.

Si Ming was speechless when he saw his mother like this. Before, it was fine for the three of them to share the burden, but now it was divided according to the responsibility of two people. With his father's health, when would he ever be able to finish the work of two people?

Si Liang didn't think much of it. He handed the hoe in his hand to Huang Yun, "Mom, you've come at the right time. Look at my hands, they're covered in blisters. Can you help me for a bit?"

Huang Yun looked at the hoe in her hand, and then saw her youngest son sitting next to her looking at the blisters on his hands. She gritted her teeth, picked up the hoe, and took over Si Liang's spot to continue digging.

Seeing that his mother only left a shallow mark on the ground with each swing of her hoe, Si Ming was speechless and could only turn his head and continue doing his own thing.

Of course, they hadn't completed either of their tasks in half a day. But the soldiers on patrol didn't reprimand them; they simply told them that the order would be based on the amount of tasks completed, and those at the top of the list would get to choose their fields and houses first.

The family of four was stunned. If they continued at this pace, their family would end up last in line, farthest from the water source, and with the worst land, their future would be even more difficult. In the following days, the four discussed how everyone should work together diligently, no one could slack off, and they should supervise each other.

Besides the mountains by the lake being transformed into terraced fields, the wasteland behind Pinghe Village was also not spared. On this day, Captain Liu brought people over to reclaim the wasteland again.

"Are these the people who will be living in our village in the future?" Yun Mingwu looked at so many young men and was a little unsure.

"The personnel here haven't been determined yet; we're just here to tidy up the land first." Captain Liu didn't know exactly what the higher-ups wanted to do; he just told the remaining soldiers to come and clear out the wasteland and plow it deeply.

"I see. I just wonder if the people who are to be sent here can inform our village beforehand?" After getting to know the other villages over this period of time, Pinghe Village also knows that the people who moved here before had more or less conflicts with the locals. He doesn't want the village to fall into such trouble in the future.

Captain Liu readily nodded in agreement. "That's only right. We'll give the village a copy of their information before they enter the village."