Chapter 92 Militia Platoon: Militia Patrol, Protecting the Watermelons!

After the Lantern Festival, each production team resumed work. Usually, the team leader would talk about which crops to plant on which plot of land this year, and what to do with the winter wheat that had survived the winter. The work in the fields was not heavy at the beginning of spring, but the Tonggan production team was very busy because people were not only working, but also building houses. You could see a house with its foundation being laid almost every few steps.

People who came to stay with their relatives had transferred their household registration and grain ration to the Tonggan production team. They stayed temporarily at their relatives' homes, and as long as they didn't work, they would settle down on the allocated homesteads to build houses.

As for those families who were only engaged, they couldn't move over so quickly. Zhong Ying negotiated with them, allowing them to stay in their original production teams for another six months. After the busy summer harvest and the settlement of work points and grain, they could then move to the Tonggan production team. By then, those who wanted to get married could get married, and those who wanted to move could move. This six-month period was also enough time to build new houses. If they were too busy during the day, they could still work at night. Unlike before, when people had to go home to sleep as soon as it got dark, now that there was electricity and lights, they could still work at night!

Zhong Ying was a little guilty when she said these words. Making new employees continue to do their work at the old company during the day and work overtime at the new company at night would make even an ant passing by in modern times curse her as a "heartless boss". But at this time, people seemed to have inexhaustible energy. Hearing Zhong Ying's arrangement, they felt that the team leader was thoughtful and were even more looking forward to the relocation of the Tonggan production team.

This is also because Zhong Ying is a good person. In the end, she only chose to accept honest people who were carefully selected. None of them were cunning or had bad intentions. This was all thanks to the information that Li Linshi obtained from the guardians of the land in other production teams.

Over the years, the guardian deities of each region have become accustomed to the influx and outflow of people and do not care. Therefore, when the water ghosts asked, they simply told the truth.

The team leaders of several production teams were inwardly furious, but they were not landlords like in the old society, and the members were not slaves. If others wanted to go to production teams with better development prospects, the team leaders could not force them to leave. Now it was an era in which the people were the masters, and who dared to say that they were the masters of the people?

He couldn't vent his anger on the commune members; they were all the team leader and public servants. Surely a little outburst wouldn't get him reported.

The team leaders of the three production teams that had the most people traveling between Shenjiagou, Yuqianwa, and Liwangou formed a group. Zhoujiawowo and Panpokou were both production brigades, and they thought the two were just chickens fighting amongst themselves, so they didn't bother with them.

Would Zhong Ying, who was being ostracized, care if a few men didn't talk to her? No, she didn't care at all.

Isn't it common for employees to switch jobs? Companies with good prospects and room for advancement can attract more talent, so Zhong Ying has nothing to be ashamed of.

So what if no one pays attention to her when the commune organizes meetings? She's not alone; she has a ghost with her.

"Secretary Cai, the tractor will be used by our production team this week. When I leave later, can the tractor driver come back with me?" Zhong Ying caught up with Secretary Cai of the commune, who was about to leave after the meeting.

Secretary Cai nodded, "No problem, the tractor is idle right now, I'll go get someone right now..."

Ignoring Zhong Ying, the production team leaders, who were in turn ignored by Zhong Ying, were filled with impotent rage. They were so angry that their faces contorted with rage, they stomped their feet, and their hearts, livers, and lungs ached.

Zhong Ying didn't care whether they were angry or not. She happily moved her bicycle to the back of the tractor, climbed on herself, and rode back to the village.

At this time, the tractors had a boxy shape and were painted in a striking red. They made a lot of noise when they were running, but the eye-catching color and deafening sound made them look cool and attracted the attention of many people on the road.

Amidst the bumps and noise, Zhong Ying covered her ears with both hands. "They were all red, they all made huge noises, they all attracted people's attention. It's practically like riding in a sports car! A sports car is... I'll draw it for you when we get back!"

Li Linshi nodded, watching as Zhong Ying was once again jolted upwards by the tractor, before falling heavily back down after it passed a pothole.

Zhong Ying winced in pain. This was terrible. It couldn't compare to a sports car, and the dirt roads were nothing compared to a smooth asphalt road. The bumpy ride back would be a nightmare for her backside.

Just then, Zhong Ying suddenly saw the ghostly figure in front of her disappear. In the blink of an eye, Li Linshi solidified his body behind her again, his long legs supporting Zhong Ying's body on both sides, trapping her in the middle. Her waist was also encircled by his strong, pale arms, and the tight embrace greatly reduced the swaying sensation.

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhong Ying continued to cover her ears, but her lowered head couldn't hide the ever-widening smile on her lips.

Li Linshi turned his head to look at the scenery along the way, as if he was attracted, but it had a self-deceiving feel to it. Making such intimate gestures while out in public was beyond his usual values, but fortunately no one could see him, which slightly relieved his embarrassment.

Praise be to intelligent humankind!

The process of spring sowing involves plowing the land once, harrowing it lightly once, applying base fertilizer, plowing it again, and harrowing it thoroughly before sowing crop seeds. This whole process would take several days by manpower and animal power. However, a tractor with a matching five-furrow plow in its trailer can save time and effort, completing this step in just two days.

Based on the principle of "since we're already here, let's make the most of what we have," Zhong Ying asked the tractor driver to help her clear another twenty acres of wasteland around the production team.

The villagers in the production team looked at the tractor with increasing fervor, their eyes practically screaming "I want it!"

"I thought that switching from a hoe to a plow was already very convenient, but I didn't realize there could be something even more powerful until I saw a tractor," Li Ming remarked.

Qiu, who had lost a lot of weight from hard labor, burst into tears. He had only managed to clear three acres of wasteland, while a tractor in the distance could catch up with the fruits of his labor throughout the entire winter in just half a day.

“So you see, the mechanization of farm tools is constantly progressing,” Zhong Ying exclaimed, then began to paint a rosy picture for the commune members, “When we have money in the future, not only tractors, but also electric harvesters and threshers, we can have them all!”

This shot in the arm immediately boosted everyone's morale.

After the tractor left, the people of Tonggan Production Team began their work in full swing. The plowed fields were planted with sweet potatoes and peanuts, and of course, watermelon seeds as a reward. The newly cleared and leveled fields were first planted with beans to nourish the soil. In the winter wheat fields, fertilizers were applied and water was irrigated...

The seeds sprouted, grew into seedlings, and grew taller and taller. The yellowish-brown soil was gradually covered with green, and flowers and fruits began to grow among the dense branches and leaves. Just like in a watermelon field, the fruits were first the size of sugar grains, slowly grew to the size of a fist, and grew bigger and bigger over time until they became spherical.

After the harvest season, Zhong Ying, dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt and dark gray trousers with the cuffs rolled up to reveal her slender ankles, bent down and parted the green leaves to see the size of the watermelons underneath.

Lai Hunzi couldn't wait to ask, "Can we pick them now?"

“According to what the comrades from the commune’s agricultural group told me, the watermelons can be harvested after fifty to fifty-five days after flowering,” Zhong Ying straightened up. “So they will probably have to grow in the field for another week or two.”

Deng Xia nodded in agreement, "It can grow even bigger if it grows longer."

Everyone else understood this principle, so they all suppressed their impatience.

“However, there’s something we need to plan out quickly,” Zhong Ying said as she led the group out of the watermelon field. “The other day, all the production teams were busy harvesting, drying, and delivering grain, and had no time for anything else. Now that the busy period is over, many people should have some free time now.”

Before Zhong Ying could finish speaking, some people already understood and started to get anxious.

"That's terrible! In a few days, Liu Qiang's family will have a bumper harvest, Nie Wu's family will have Erni... one after another, the young people in the team will get married and have banquets. When the production team is bustling with people, someone will definitely sneak over and steal a melon." Hu asked anxiously.

Zhong Ying walked to the open space in the field. "So I thought, at this time, the team should organize a militia to protect the watermelons!"

"This is the result of our hard work for half a year, a reward for our hard work last year," Zhong Ying said. "So every melon should be earned by others without any effort!"

"That's right!"

"Yes, militia patrols are here to protect the watermelons!"

"Those who can serve in the militia must be young and strong, otherwise they won't be able to deal with the melon thieves!"

"If we're talking about strength, then it's definitely the Liu brothers! They're tall, strong, and powerful!"

The five Liu brothers mentioned had no objections; they were all willing to contribute.

Zhong Shuanzhu and Nie Xiaolong also volunteered, saying, "I'm willing to be a militiaman to protect our watermelons!"

Zhong Ying pointed to the names, "Then it's Liu Fushun, Liu Mancang, Liu Guangtian, Liu Fengshou, Liu Laicai, Zhong Shuanzhu, Nie Xiaolong..."

Someone else pushed their way out of the crowd. It was a spirited young woman. Liu Ximei raised her hand and said, "Me too! I'm very strong!"

Nie Xiaolong grinned and reached out to pull her, "You're only sixteen, what are you doing as a militiaman—"

Liu Ximei simply twisted his outstretched hand away, saying, "You're already twenty-two, how come you can't beat me in an arm wrestling match?"

Nie Xiaolong's arm was bent backwards and he couldn't move. His face quickly turned red. Finally, he managed to get away amidst the laughter of the crowd, muttering, "I'm not going to argue with you Lius who are born with superhuman strength."

Zhong Ying, having had her fill of the excitement, said, "Then let's add Ximei too! That makes up our production team's militia. We still need to select a responsible squad leader from among them."

Liu Ximei raised her hand high again, "Please choose me!"

Just as her brothers were about to speak, their little sister pointed at them with her finger.

“My eldest and second brothers have many children and can’t spare that much energy; my third brother’s son was just born not long ago;” Liu Ximei “eliminated” her competitors one by one. “My fourth brother is getting married soon and my fifth brother has to take care of the hydropower station.”

Liu Ximei then looked at Zhong Shuanzhu and Nie Xiaolong, "You two should also be busy getting married."

After "taking out" the last two people, Liu Ximei looked at Zhong Ying with bright eyes, "Captain Zhong, please choose me as the squad leader in charge. I don't have to take care of my child or get married, so I have the most free time!"

Her fourth brother, Liu Fengshou, opened his mouth as if to say something, but his father, Liu Qiang, elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to fall silent in pain.

Liu Qiang glared at her, "What are you, as the older brother, doing fighting with your sister!"

Liu Fengshou pursed his lips and remained silent, only thinking to himself that having many boys was worthless, not as valuable as having a daughter late in life.

Zhong Ying readily agreed, "Okay, then you must stand guard in the watermelon field."

Liu Ximei jumped up excitedly, then quickly stood up straight, gave a proper salute, and said seriously with a stern face, "Please rest assured, leader! Leave it to me!"

Zhong Ying was amused by her.

However, Zhong Ying observed carefully afterward that Liu Ximei, though small in stature, was indeed capable in her work. She understood her family's daily routine and asked Zhong Shuanzhu and Nie Xiaolong for advice. Then, she arranged shifts according to each person's free time, with the two of them taking turns to guard the melon field.

Liu Ximei's level of conscientiousness and responsibility is comparable to that of her fifth brother, Liu Laicai. When Zhong Ying discovered that the little girl was about to go to the melon field to keep watch at night with a straw mat and a pillow, she quickly stopped her.

"You want to sleep in the field so late at night?" Zhong Ying was shocked by Liu Ximei's behavior. "You're really brave!"

Liu Ximei didn't care. "It's okay. My second brother will be there later. We should be most vigilant at night. Someone will definitely try to steal melons under the cover of darkness! My second brother and I can take turns sleeping for a while and keeping watch for a while."

"No need, you should go back to sleep. You're still growing at your age, how can you not sleep?" Zhong Yingqiang pressed Liu Ximei around and pushed her back. "Trust me, no one needs to watch over you tonight, nothing will happen."

Liu Ximei wanted to say something more, but she couldn't persuade Zhong Ying otherwise, so she had to give up.

After Zhong Ying repeatedly instructed Liu Qiang and Lin Shuhong to keep a close eye on their daughter and not let her sneak out to guard the melon field late at night, Li Linshi finally spoke up quietly.

“If you feel sorry for her because she still needs to grow, then let me go and protect her.”

Li Linshi knew that some men were exceptionally attentive before they got married, either helping their future in-laws with chores or eagerly offering their help. But once they actually married her, this attentiveness gradually faded over time, and they began to take the initiative, believing that it was only right for their wives to do whatever they wanted.

Li Linshi wondered if his relationship with Zhong Ying had also gradually faded into that of a married couple over time.

Zhong Ying simply turned around and gave Li Linshi a strange look, "You don't need to sleep."

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Author's Note: Zhong Ying, a straight woman: A natural-born night shift goddess!