Xiao Yuehua was also ruthless; no matter how much Feng Jianjun scolded her, she wouldn't back down an inch.

She had long since figured it out: she couldn't get the men in the city, but she wasn't willing to settle for the men in the countryside.

Domestic violence is very common in rural areas. In this area, how many men don't beat their wives?

Marrying into a rural family? Just ask around, and you'll find that most of them beat their wives, and if you're unlucky, the whole family will bully you.

No matter how strong you are in combat, you can't beat their whole family.

Not only are they constantly busy at home and in the fields, but they also have to have children one after another.

She spent her whole life having to watch her mother-in-law's mood and didn't have a single penny to her name.

Waiting for someone to rise to the top? Forget it, many daughters-in-law have died, but the mothers-in-law are still alive.

Men in the city, not to mention anything else, at least the number of men beating their wives has greatly decreased.

People who have been to school are at least reasonable.

Just like Feng Jianjun, despite his daily outbursts of rage, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on her.

Therefore, the educated youth still smell better.

However, Feng, the educated youth, was exceptionally stubborn, and Xiao Yuehua gradually lost patience with him.

That day, with everyone at work, the educated youth settlement was empty.

Xiao Yuehua gave him some drugs to make him feel dazed, and then crawled into Feng Jianjun's bed.

When Feng Jianjun regained his senses and looked at Xiao Yuehua in his arms, he was utterly devastated and questioned the meaning of life.

Xiao Yuehua only said one thing: "We've slept together. If you don't marry me, I'll go to the commune and report you for indecent assault."

Feng Jianjun has completely lost his temper.

At this time, hooliganism could get you shot, so he didn't dare gamble.

Before Feng Jianjun's legs had fully recovered, he wrote a letter home, took out all his savings from the past years, got approval from the brigade leader for land, built a one-bedroom apartment next to the educated youth settlement, and moved out to live with Xiao Yuehua.

Compared to Feng Jianjun's indifferent expression, Xiao Yuehua was much happier.

They even bought the cheapest candy and gave one to each of the educated youth at the settlement.

After Feng Jianjun moved out, the Meng brothers, who shared the house with him, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

They were genuinely afraid that Xiao Yuehua, unable to handle Feng Jianjun, would turn her attention to them instead.

They were even more afraid that Feng Jianjun would shift the blame to other areas.

Su Qingci became even more vigilant because she noticed that the look in Feng Jianjun's eyes was now filled with undisguised hatred.

The crops are growing well, and there is much less farm work to do than before.

The brigade leader and the village accountant, carrying a small notebook, began collecting money from door to door.

There is a large pond in Gaotang Village, which is about five or six acres in size.

Every year at the end of spring, when farming is less busy, the brigade leader would arrange for everyone to drain the water from the pond and clean up the silt.

After sun-drying it for two days to disinfect it, we went door-to-door collecting donations and buying fish fry to release into the tank.

Then, according to the amount of money contributed, a list would be drawn up on cardboard, and everyone would take turns collecting fish grass.

When they arrived at someone's house, that person would gather a load of fishweed and throw it in, and then pass it on to the next household.

"Captain, how should we calculate this payment?"

"One share costs 50 cents. Families with more members usually buy two shares, but most people only buy one share."

"At the end of the year, after the fish are harvested, they will be distributed according to everyone's share."

"But I have to make this clear to you first: once we collect this money, I can't guarantee how many fish we'll be able to collect by the end of the year."

"Fish farming is also dependent on the weather. A few years ago, during the severe drought, not a single fish could be harvested; they all died from the sun."

"If you're lucky, you might have a bumper harvest that year, and it's normal to get ten or twenty pounds of fish from one stock."

The veteran educated youth already knew the situation, and the brigade leader's words were mainly meant for the new educated youth.

Li Lisu, Su Qingci, Luo Song, and Lu Linping discussed it and decided to jointly purchase a share, paying 50 cents.

The Meng brothers, Liu Fuqun, Zhou Huijuan, Chen Haiying, and Chen Xiuxiang each contributed one yuan, representing two shares.

Liu Dazhu came and went in a hurry, having the accountant collect the money and make a record before rushing off to the next place.

The accountant collected the money that same day and took people to the city to buy fish fry.

After lunch, Liu Dazhu picked up a gong and started banging it loudly.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"Qingci, bring the bucket, we need to dry up the fishpond."

"I heard from the old commune members that on the day the fishpond was drained, everyone went down to clear the silt, and whoever picked up that stuff kept it."

"I heard that if you're lucky, you can collect a whole basket of river clams, as well as snails, small fish, loach, and eels."

“The village’s teenagers are already waiting by the pond.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Song and his companion immediately grabbed their buckets and ran off.

Su Qingci changed into a pair of rubber shoes and followed Li Li slowly.

As soon as we arrived at the pond, the slope was indeed densely packed with people, creating a lively scene.

The water in the pond had been drained, exposing the muddy surface, and many women and children had already gone into the pond barefoot.

The mud was up to an adult's knees, but not very deep.

Some of the younger children found it fun and wanted to go into the pond. Before long, they were covered in mud, stuck in the mud and unable to move, crying and calling for their mothers.

The adults laughed and cursed as they went back to pick up the dolls.

Luo Song and Lu Linping rolled up their trousers and went into the pond, quickly rummaging through the mud.

Soon I felt something hard. I took it out and saw that it was a clam. I was happy, but then I felt that the weight was wrong.

Upon closer inspection, it was empty.

I threw it onto the shore, and after taking just two steps, it felt like I was stepping on something slippery. I reached down and dug, and there it was—another big river clam.

"Haha, Lin Ping, look, this clam is so big, this one has meat, this one has meat."

"Wow, this must weigh at least a pound."

Lu Linping glanced at Luo Song with delight and sped up his mud-scratching.

Su Qingci carried a small bamboo basket and walked around the pond, picking up any snails she saw.

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