Chapter 99: Recognition [VIP]

After the sky cleared up, the rainwater in the wheat fields was gradually drained. As for how much grain they could harvest after the autumn harvest, the villagers had only one thought in their minds: do their best and leave the rest to fate.

After the government's document about building roads and houses was announced, young and middle-aged men from all villages came into the city, and everyone wanted to grab the job of building roads for the government.

Although I didn't get any food or drink for a day's work, I could still earn three cents, which meant ninety cents a month.

People in the city don't care, but the people in the villages who have suffered from the disaster are trying their best to get it.

But not everyone can get this job. Only those who live close to the city have the opportunity.

So no one from the distant villages participated in this matter.

The villagers of Shanghe Village repaired their own houses and came to help Xiahe Village build houses early on.

The men gathered together to discuss. Since the adults allowed them to open the mountain, the strong laborers had to go to the mountain to quarry stones and cut wood and transport them to the village. First of all, they had to rebuild the Shen family school. They couldn't let the children lose all the knowledge they learned.

The elderly are even busier. They have to level and compact the land of each house and lay a solid foundation before the ground dries out completely.

The women in the family set up a simple stove on the drying yard, drew water from the well that had been cleaned early in the morning to cook, and picked the few remaining edamame on the wasteland and cooked them to serve to everyone.

Even if it is just thin bean porridge, it must be enough for those who come to help to have something to eat at noon.

Huang Dongsheng got up early and drove an ox cart into the city. He had to apologize to all the shopkeepers he cooperated with in the city one by one.

Due to the continuous heavy rain, the food ordered from various places could not be delivered as scheduled. We had to wait until everyone had recovered before we could continue to provide it.

Shopkeepers Ren, Tong and Li were the closest friends to Huang Dongsheng. Seeing him covered in mud, they knew how difficult life was for the tenant farmers.

You say that life is about to get better, but things don't always go as we wish, not to mention that these tenant farmers cannot pay taxes and will have to serve in the military later.

Life is really hard.

Not only did the three shopkeepers not make things difficult for him, but when Huang Dongsheng was leaving, they each gave him over a hundred pounds of brown rice, saying that it was damp, but actually they wanted him to take it back to the village to feed the children.

Lord Li organized these merchants to fund the education of poor children. The three shopkeepers also donated a lot of silver, so they would not feel sorry for this little bit of food.

Shopkeeper Ren even pulled Huang Dongsheng aside and gave him a heads-up: "If you still have some extra money at home, stock up on food now while the price hasn't gone up. If you can't afford it, I can lend it to you first."

Huang Dongsheng bowed deeply to him. This was a good man who really wanted to help them.

The ox cart carrying grain arrived at Huangji Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Huang Dongsheng removed the door panels to ventilate the space. The food piled up in the container had grown mold because they hadn't been there for a few days.

After a lot of cleaning up, I threw away all the rotten ones and took home the edible ones.

The clerk next door saw Huang Dongsheng coming and ran over quickly: "Boss Huang, are you not doing business anymore?"

Huang Dongsheng took five eggs from a basket and gave them to the waiter. "I've been busy at home these days, so I'm afraid I can't come to the city. I'd like to trouble you to keep an eye on the door for me. If there are any letters or packages, please take them to me."

"Okay, don't worry about me. I can't accept these eggs. You are in a much harder situation than us right now." The clerk pushed the eggs back and turned back to the shop.

When Huang Dongsheng was leaving the city, he happened to see Liu Chuang counting the people who were building the road at the city gate. He didn't know when the road would be built to their village.

Xiahe Village.

Today it was the turn of Zhang Chunya and Zhang Chunwang, brother and sister, to guard the village entrance. As soon as they saw the ox cart on the stone bridge, they asked their younger brother to go back and inform the adults of the Shen family.

Huang Dongsheng came back from the city.

"Chun Ya, there are no criminals entering the village, right?" Huang Dongsheng looked at Zhang Chun Ya who was staying where she was and asked.

Zhang Chunya held the wooden stick in his hand and shook his head. With the two siblings guarding there, those people didn't dare to come.

"Brother Dongsheng, do you need my help?" Zhang Chunya asked as he looked at the miscellaneous goods on the ox cart.

"No need, I can ask Shitou and Luo Dunzi for help." Huang Dongsheng had just finished speaking when he heard the little girl say, "You can't find them."

Ask them where they are going?

Zhang Chunya covered her mouth, which was leaking air from her missing front teeth, and said, "Sister Yao and the teachers are taking the students to the Yan River to scoop up fish with nets, while Luo Dunzi and Shitou are picking up fish on the shore!"

Why didn’t my cousin tell him about such a big thing!

Huang Dongsheng hurriedly drove the ox cart home, stood outside the door and called his mother, then left a bunch of things and ran away.

Miao was a little surprised when she saw the food on the cart, but she didn't dare to say anything. She called her eldest sister to help move it into the house first.

By the Yan River.

The tall students followed their teacher into the river. The water level reached their waists, and everyone held the nets in their hands and walked carefully towards the two banks.

Yang Jizong, Zhao Xiaofu and others rushed down from upstream.

When the scoop net was closed, the fish jumped out of the water, trying to escape but unable to, and had to be pulled ashore by the crowd.

"Children, hurry up and get into the bucket!" Chen Yao, who was waiting on the shore, gave the order, and the younger children rushed forward.

The slippery fish was held in the hand and kept swinging its tail.

All the animals, whether jumping or not, were picked up by the children and put into wooden barrels. If one barrel could not hold them all, they would be sent back to the drying yard for the elders to deal with. Then the empty barrels would be used to fill the remaining ones. It was a huge harvest.

When Luo Dunzi and Shitou were talking, he was still reciting poems when he was suddenly stopped by Huang Dongsheng, which frightened him.

“Brother Dongsheng, why did you scare the fish that was wagging its tail and put it back in the bucket and glare at the person who came?

Huang Dongsheng was looking at the fish in the bucket. Who scared you?

With the addition of Huang Dongsheng, the fishing team expanded again.

In the end, everyone didn't even want the small fish, shrimps and snails. You can't be too decisive in doing anything, right?

After getting ashore, everyone was so tired that they sat down on the shore and gasped for breath. When they had rested enough, their clothes were dried by the sun, and everyone's stomachs were growling with hunger.

"Let's go home and have dinner. We'll share the fish among everyone in the afternoon." Chen Yao helped Yang Jizong up and signaled everyone to get up and go back to the village.

Huang Dongsheng patted the mud on the soles of his feet, put on straw sandals, and followed the two of them, whispering.

He told them about the brown rice sent by Manager Ren and others and the possible increase in food prices.

"Sis, since this food is for the children, should we distribute it when we get back?"

"We can't divide the food. If we divide it now, the food may not be eaten by the children. After the Shen Family School is rebuilt, we will use the food as food for the children. The students will have lunch in the school at noon." Chen Yao strongly disagreed with her cousin's idea.

"Dongsheng, you didn't tell anyone about this, did you?"

"No, no, I didn't tell anyone. As soon as I got home, I ran to help catch fish without even unloading the goods." Huang Dongsheng's voice gradually faded.

Yang Jizong and Shen Yao were both at a loss whether to laugh or cry when they heard this.

The children came back first and hung the fishing nets on the ropes to dry.

When the women saw Chen Yao and Yang Jizong coming back, they all put down the fish in their hands and asked, "Ayao, what about these fish?"

"I'll divide the fish among you all this afternoon, and you can take them home and kill them yourself!"

"Hey, good Ayao, let us handle this matter. You guys should go home quickly."

As soon as Chen Yao returned home, she saw a familiar figure standing in her yard, chatting with Carpenter Hong with his back to her.

"Dad, why are you back? How are the grandmas in Wanhe Township? How is the silkworm room?" Chen Yao let go of Yang Jizon's hand and ran to Shen Qingshan. She hadn't seen him for many days and missed him very much.

Shen Qingshan, with his unshaven beard and dark circles under his eyes, perked up immediately upon seeing his daughter. "Everything's fine, everything's fine. Grandma and I are more experienced than Dad. We went out the night the hailstorm hit and dug up dirt with sacks to block the water. Although the houses in the village collapsed, the silkworm rooms and the cassava fields were not damaged at all."

Even the chicken claw millet is more tenacious than the wheat in our village.

A blessing in disguise.

He was worried about his family, so when the weather cleared up, he said goodbye to Chen Youfu and brought Baolai back.

"What about Brother Baolai? Why don't I see him?"

"Your brother Baolai is at home looking after his mule and the crops in the fields. He said he'll be home soon."

Chen Yao looked at her father's weathered face again, pushed him to sit on the bench, and massaged his shoulders and back very attentively: "Dad, you have worked hard!"

"Why is it hard? Dad is not tired either. Did anything happen to you at home?" Shen Qingshan felt relieved when he saw that his wife and daughter were safe.

He hadn't slept a full night in Wanhe Township. He was worried about home, but couldn't let go of the silkworm room. He was anxious on both ends. These days, he wished he could have three heads and six arms.

"Nothing happened. A few thieves broke into the rabbit house. After being discovered by Brother Xiaofu, Zi'an and the villagers taught them a lesson." Chen Yao whispered in her father's ear.

Shen Qingshan suddenly stood up from the stool, walked towards Yang Jizong, and patted him on the shoulder: "You are worthy of being the son-in-law of my Shen family. Well done!"

Yang Jizong finally got his approval, his eyes drifted to Shen Yao, and then he bowed to Shen Qingshan and replied loudly: "Father-in-law, this is what a son-in-law should do."

Shen Qingshan's hearty laughter attracted everyone's attention.

Craftsmen Hong and Li led their apprentices and fellow villagers to help the Shen family continue building the house. In addition to the two back houses, they were now building the east and west wing rooms and the winding corridors.

Soon, Tian Baolai rushed over from home.

Yang Wenying carried the prepared meal and called out to her brother in the yard, "Brother, take down the table. We are ready to eat."

Yang Jizong and Tian Baolai immediately went to carry the table, Chen Yao went to help get the bowls and chopsticks, and Shen Qingshan asked everyone to wash their hands and prepare to eat.

There were three tables in the yard. Although the family had suffered a disaster, they had stored food, dried vegetables and meat, so the meal at the Shen family was definitely better than the meals of the villagers.

Shen Qingshan sat at the main table and thanked the helpers with water instead of wine, thanking them for their help.

Craftsmen Hong and Li stood up on behalf of everyone to respond. They felt that the Shen family had not treated them unfairly these days.

After lunch, Chen Yao and Yang Jizong went to the drying yard to distribute the fish to everyone. Each family could get three or four fish from the fish the children caught.

Luo Dunzi hurriedly called his parents while holding the fish he had caught, and kept asking for fish soup. He hadn't eaten meat for a long time.

Yang Jizong held Chen Yao in one hand and three fish in the other, and the corners of his mouth couldn't stop curving. "Ayao, let's make fish soup tonight and let mom and dad have a taste."

Chen Yao looked up and saw the red corners of Yang Jizong's eyes: "Okay, let Dad and Mom also taste the fish we caught ourselves."

As soon as they arrived at the door of their house, they heard their aunt crying from inside.

Huang Mei has been worried about the father and daughter who are away from home these days. Due to many things going on at home, she has been keeping it to herself. Today, Dongsheng came back from the city and learned that her daughter had not sent any letters yet. She was suddenly panicked.