"It wasn't the Zhucun Production Team's fault; it was the Gaozhuang Production Team that caused the loss of life.
If no one had died, we wouldn't have known that the couple was living such a miserable and depressed life.
In the production brigade next door, there was a family named Ma. They had two brothers. Their parents died early, and the younger brother worked as a farmhand for his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew for most of his life, but he had nothing and did not get married until he was in his forties.
Even when he got married, his brother was so stingy that he refused to give him a banquet.
The person Ma Youtie married was even worse off. She also had a brother and sister, whose parents had died early. The brother and sister-in-law never treated her like a human being, making her live in a cowshed and beating and scolding her at every turn. Because she gave a steamed bun to a village lunatic, she was beaten so badly that she couldn't walk for two weeks.
"Originally, their marriage was supposed to make their lives better and better, but one of them drowned, and the other couldn't handle it and drank pesticide and died. It was truly tragic," Zhou Guihua said, her eyes welling up as she sighed.
As soon as Zhou Guihua finished speaking, the whole room fell into a brief silence. Everyone was deeply touched by this tragic story, and their hearts were so heavy that they seemed to be able to squeeze out water.
"Alas, how can there be such a cruel brother and sister-in-law in this world who are so cruel to their own relatives." Xie Lin sighed and shook her head, her eyes full of sympathy and anger.
"Ma Youtie and his wife have such a miserable life! They thought marriage was the beginning of a new life, but unexpectedly it was the continuation of another period of suffering." Gao Erping also sighed.
When Zhang Qiurui heard this story, he thought it was the real-life version of "Hidden in the Dust", and he immediately decided to write this novel.
"Hidden in the Dust" happens to be a kind of scar literature, which is in line with the literary trend of this era.
Moreover, this novel is not very long, about 60,000 to 70,000 words. With my writing speed, plus some revisions, I can finish it and mail it out within ten days.
Zhang Qiurui's thoughts were like a wild horse running wildly in his mind.
She began to conceive the framework of the novel "Hidden in the Dust", and decided to use the tragic fate of Ma Youtie and his wife as the main line, interspersed with descriptions of the hardships and helplessness of rural life in the context of that era, as well as the brilliance and darkness of human nature.
The gradual exposure of the cruelty and indifference of the brother and sister-in-law, as well as the numbness and indifference of other people in the team, forms a sharp contrast, allowing readers to feel the complexity of human nature in sympathy and anger.
In the process of conceiving the plot, Zhang Qiurui also decided to add some heartwarming elements, such as the love between Ma Youtie and his wife, who supported each other and never left each other in the face of hardship, as well as the kindness and innocence they maintained during the difficult times.
........。
"This mushroom is actually grown like this? It really opened my eyes." After lunch, Zhang Qiurui and Zhang Wenmin rested at home for a while, then took Zhou Guihua, Zhang Wenfu and his wife, Mingxia, and Mingduo to the county.
After arriving at the backyard of the rented house, Zhang Qiurui took them to the mushroom planting area and taught them how to plant, water and maintain the temperature.
"Mom, second brother, and second sister-in-law, the first thing you need to do from now on is to maintain the temperature in the wooden house. As for the temperature, the current temperature is enough. The temperature can only be higher, not lower.
If the temperature is too low, it will affect the growth rate of mushrooms.
In addition, you need to water the plants every two or three hours during the day. It is enough to feel moist to the touch. You can figure out how often and how much to water them later.
Ventilate the room for an hour every day during the day. If there is sunshine, open the windows of the cabin partially to allow sunlight to shine in obliquely, but remember not to expose the room to direct sunlight, so as to prevent the mushrooms from stopping growing or deteriorating in color due to excessive light.
And....” Zhang Qiurui chattered for a long time with her second brother, second sister-in-law, and Zhou Guihua about the precautions for growing mushrooms.
These things were all gathered by Zhang Qiurui based on what he had seen in later generations and the experience he had summarized through his own exploration in recent days.
Zhou Guihua listened attentively, nodding frequently to show she understood. Zhang Wenfu and his wife also looked focused, afraid of missing any important steps.
Mingxia and Mingduo looked at the mushroom farm curiously, with excitement in their eyes.
"Is it that simple? Don't I need to fertilize these mushrooms?" Zhang Wenmin smacked his lips. He felt that this kind of mushroom seemed too easy to care for, which was different from the crops he had grown before.
"Before, growing crops took a lot of time and effort. Watering, fertilizing, and weeding were common tasks, and we had to constantly guard against pests and diseases.
But these mushrooms, it seems, can grow on their own just by being placed here and watered. It's truly miraculous." Zhou Guihua shook her head, a look of disbelief in her eyes.
"It's that simple. Simple things have been complicated. Otherwise, there's no way we can make money.
Mom! Second brother and second sister-in-law, I'll take you to pick mushrooms tomorrow, and then take you to the black market to sell them. From now on, caring for and selling the mushrooms will be left to you.
Mingqi, Third Brother, and I will also lend a hand. The main task still falls on you," Zhang Qiurui continued.
"Don't worry, Qiurui, just leave it to your second brother. He will definitely take care of everything for you." Zhang Wenfu patted his chest and promised with confidence on his face.
Xie Ling also nodded in agreement, his eyes shining with anticipation for a new life.
"That's good, second brother and sister-in-law, you don't know that the price of these mushrooms in winter is much higher than the crops we planted before.
"I won't sell mushrooms for less than 15 cents per pound right now. If Mingqi and I hadn't been in a hurry for classes during the day, if we'd spent more time selling mushrooms, the price could have easily been raised by 30 or 40 cents, and even 20 cents wouldn't be a problem," Zhang Qiurui said, glancing at her second brother.
When Zhang Wenfu heard what his younger sister said, his mind suddenly became active. His eyes rolled and he started to make up his mind.
Zhou Guihua was attracted by the mushrooms in the wooden house and did not notice her second son's expression. Otherwise, she would have known what her second son was planning.
I'm just wondering if I can make a profit from the price difference of mushrooms as they fluctuate in price.
Seeing the mushrooms in the kitchen and the wooden house in the backyard growing well and able to sell for a lot of money, the whole family was particularly happy during dinner, and the atmosphere was warmer and more harmonious than usual.
Zhou Guihua looked at the dishes on the table with a smile, especially the soup made with fresh mushrooms. The aroma was so fragrant that it made her mouth water. She said with emotion, "Qiu Rui, these mushrooms can be sold for 20 cents per pound. 20 cents can buy two or three pounds of rice. Let's eat less from now on."
"Mom! Our family doesn't need this little bit. Whether the mushrooms we grow at home are delicious or not, we can only sell them to others after we have eaten them ourselves." Zhang Qiurui couldn't help feeling sad when he saw that Zhou Guihua had worked hard for most of her life and was still haggling over a meager income.
Although Zhang Wenfu was active, he was also infected by the warmth of his family at this moment. He temporarily put aside his thoughts about the price difference and decided to fully support his family's mushroom business.
He picked up a piece of mushroom with chopsticks and put it in Zhou Guihua's bowl, saying with a smile, "Mom, this is all thanks to Qiurui and Mingqi. They are not only good at studying, but they can also think of such a good way to make money. Our future will definitely be more prosperous."
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