The farce on the banks of the Muling River finally came to an end after the captain of Chunyang Village arrived with the villagers.
Zhang Hongcheng also withdrew his gaze from Chu Miaohong.
The heroine doesn't seem as charming as described in the book.
It is probably because she has done something to her face.
The next morning at half past six.
The reveille sounded.
At the urging of squad leader Hao Aiguo, Zhang Hongcheng and other new members put on their clothes and came to the company square to attend the morning lecture.
Company commander Yan Jinrong was not at all verbose and quickly assigned today's tasks to each platoon.
The third row was assigned the task of cultivating the fields on the east side of the farm.
The newly formed Class 4 was assigned the task of harvesting soybeans amid the ambiguous laughter of the old educated youth.
The ten people in the fourth shift received their work tools and lined up to set off.
But everyone was a little curious. In addition to six hoes and six backpacks, squad leader Hao Aiguo also received three shoulder poles and ten buckets, all of which were placed on a wheelbarrow.
The fifth company reclaimed fifty acres of soybean fields in the lower reaches of the Muling River.
According to squad leader Hao Aiguo, more than 20 acres of soybeans out of 50 acres have matured.
Their task today is to harvest three to five acres of soybeans and irrigate the remaining twenty acres of soybean fields that are about to mature.
"This is an old tradition in our company," said Zeng Jianjun, the only veteran educated youth in the class besides Hao Aiguo, shaking his head and laughing. "All new farm workers are tasked with tending to these fifty acres of soybean fields during their first week."
The soybean field is located in the lower reaches of the Muling River, two kilometers away from the company headquarters.
Only when Zhang Hongcheng and his group of newcomers arrived at the place did they understand why tending to these soybean fields was an "old tradition" prepared by the company for newcomers.
This soybean field was cultivated 200 meters away from the river.
The ditches that irrigate this soybean field only have water during the spring flood season.
There is a rocky beach nearly 200 meters long between the soybean field and the Muling River.
The upper reaches of the soybean field were blocked by a small hill, so the ditch had to be dug with great effort from the lower reaches. However, during the dry season, no matter what method was used, the river water could not be prevented from flowing back.
"Once, a member from the south wanted to build a waterwheel," Hao Aiguo explained, pointing downstream. "They built it, but it was useless. They later tried turning it over, but water seeped badly along the way. It was better than nothing."
"Our company commander even got us a water pump," Zeng Jianjun lamented, "but later we found out it was too fuel-intensive. We might as well have picked one ourselves."
Kou Shihong pointed at the shoulder poles and buckets on the wheelbarrow in surprise.
"Captain, are you asking us to go to the river to fetch water?"
Hao Aiguo smiled.
"The distance from the soybean field to the river is about 200 meters, and it's all rocky. If you go there to fetch water, you'll sprain your ankle in at most two trips."
“So where we carry water is downstream!”
Zeng Jianjun chuckled.
"Not far, just over 600 meters, a little over a mile."
Hao Aiguo began to assign tasks.
"The male comrades followed me to fetch water from the river, while Su Beijing and the two female comrades followed Lao Zeng to learn how to harvest soybeans."
Zhang Hongcheng had already prepared himself for the hardships before coming here, but he didn't expect that the fifth company would have such a torturous "traditional project".
The 600 meters that Zeng Jianjun mentioned is the straight-line distance!
It is at least 800 meters from the nearest water point downstream to the soybean field.
Still uphill.
Kou Shihong and Ma Changjiang pushed six wooden barrels on a wheelbarrow, and the others took turns carrying three loads of water, walking breathlessly.
This is not something a human would do!
Yang Yongjun sat down on the ground and refused to get up.
"Squad leader, if it's so hard to get water, why are you still planting soybean fields here?"
Hao Aiguo gasped and shook his head.
"That was when the farm was first built. Even during the dry season, we could still bring in some water. Who would have thought that over the years, the water level would drop by almost a meter? It's really killing us!"
"These fifty acres of soybean fields are cultivated fields. Lian's sauce and vegetable oil are all produced from here. I can't bear to give them away."
Zeng Jianjun led two female comrades and the youngest Su Beijing and worked in the fields. The three educated youth who had just learned how to harvest soybeans were also sweating profusely.
Looking at their progress, although Zeng Jianjun knew that newcomers couldn't be rushed, he still couldn't help but complain a few words.
"Let's see who has the best brains. If you can solve the dry season irrigation problem here, the company commander and instructor have promised a salary increase of one level."
Su Beijing took the opportunity to stand up and stretch his neck.
"Brother Zeng, you're not lying to me, are you? I heard that the educated youth on our farm all get a fixed salary."
Zeng Jianjun counted on his fingers for him to see.
"We educated youth on the farm all received a first-class enterprise salary of 28 yuan, plus a 4 yuan military allowance. Men received a monthly food quota of 26 kilograms, while women received 23 kilograms."
"The company commander applied to the regiment several years ago. Anyone who can solve the irrigation problem of these fifty acres of bean fields will receive a direct salary increase!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, that's thirty-five dollars a month, plus the allowance it's thirty-nine dollars, and I get one more industrial voucher per quarter than others."
He smiled and spread his hands: "It's a pity that no one can get it!"
Zhang Hongcheng was sitting on a rock, taking a deep breath. When he heard Zeng Jianjun's words, his mind started to race.
He doesn't care whether his salary increases or not, but he is a little jealous of what a salary increase means.
After carrying water back and forth three times, it was already noon.
Zhang Hongcheng only felt a burning pain in his shoulders.
Fortunately, the comrade who was delivering the food arrived carrying a load on his back.
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