Chapter 33: Pioneering...
One piece of good news after another burst out at once, and excited voices gathered in the air above the square, lasting for a long time.
Miya and her friends found the families who were also assigned to plot No. 3 on the mountain and discussed the planting plan together.
After all, the foundation of the mountainous terrain cannot be ignored if you want to create terraced fields.
If some families simply want sloping mountain land and are too lazy to put in so much effort, they need to plan ahead even earlier.
Otherwise, if you dig up the ground above and the ground doesn't cooperate, you'll also run into trouble.
Upon hearing this, everyone was so excited that they couldn't speak, realizing that the fields could also be used for paddy fields.
Some people imagined the terraced fields they had seen along the way from the city to the military base, and were even more satisfied with the future of the land.
“Of course! Auntie, your idea is brilliant! Our family wants to cultivate terraced fields too.”
"We also grow rice back home, and we were worried about what to do since the land here is all on slopes. Water is everything! Water is everything!"
“Since everyone is willing to cultivate terraced fields, why don’t we all work together to cultivate them? From top to bottom, let’s also call on the men in our families to build the ditches.”
"Okay, okay!"
The family members gathered together and quickly came up with a way to cooperate.
The speed was so fast that even Mia couldn't react in time.
After returning home, she memorized everyone's cooperation plan through her mother Cui Dani's retelling.
Ren Qingsong also thought everyone's idea was very good. He happened to be on vacation recently and could help to cultivate the terraced fields.
If we call on our comrades from our own battalion, we'll probably be able to get there even faster.
Not only him, but the other soldiers all nodded in agreement when they heard their wives' ideas.
Especially since Zhou Qiang was Ren Qingsong's direct superior, assigning a small rest team to help the military and civilians build terraced fields was a very simple matter.
We need to find a local to oversee how to properly repair these terraced fields.
The first step is to expand the pond next to Miya's house again, dig a ditch to allow water to flow downhill for later use in the paddy fields.
A group of people gathered around the pool, ready to take action.
The family members who came to participate couldn't help but look at the unique house next to them with envious eyes.
“Auntie, your house is much bigger than ours. Climbing up the mountain was a bit tiring, but if I could have this much more land, I would be willing.”
"How did Battalion Commander Ren get assigned to this position?"
"I think this courtyard wall is nice, but the house is different from everyone else's."
The doubts on everyone's faces were obvious, and some even had a hint of jealousy in their eyes.
Miya glanced at Ren Qingsong, and seeing that he didn't seem to mind, she embarrassedly explained the origin of the house to her mother.
“Our house was not built by the military.”
"Why?"
“I came in a hurry and didn’t tell my third brother in advance, so the quartermaster assigned this long-abandoned house to us.”
Cui Dani realized that she was also involved and helped explain:
“We heard back in our hometown that our son had settled down in the military, so we asked his sister to come and take a look.”
The reason didn't sound very reasonable, but no one was interested in getting to the bottom of it, and they continued discussing the house.
Only then did everyone realize that the house was in dire need of repair before they could move in.
The expenses were naturally paid out of pocket.
As a result, no one discussed the topic anymore.
After all, their houses were built by the military, without costing them a penny.
Although the house doesn't belong to them, as long as their husbands continue to serve in the military, they naturally don't need to worry about housing.
People are always busy when they're in an awkward situation.
Sure enough, as soon as the topic ended, a group of people immediately got to work.
"First dig the ditch, then draw the water!"
"good!"
The men and women got to work quickly.
Younger children like Miya were responsible for picking up the stones they encountered while digging the ditch and throwing them aside.
It wasn't as strenuous as digging or trenching, but it wasn't much easier either.
The group of people were busy until almost noon, which was when Miya and her group of young girls started preparing lunch.
Since we're all working together, it's more convenient to eat lunch together, and it also saves everyone from having to travel and get tired.
The younger children were responsible for picking wild vegetables, washing them, and helping with small tasks such as starting a fire and pouring water.
For several days in a row, everyone ate, drank, and worked together.
Hard work pays off.
The hard work over the past few days has finally paid off.
As the highest-ranking person present, Zhou Qiang stood imposingly at the ditch on the mountaintop, looking down at the terraced fields below, his heart filled with boundless pride.
He waved his hand as the rising sun emerged from the distant mountains.
"Open the sluice gates! Release the water!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qiang quickly squatted down and twitched the wooden plank blocking the ditch.
The long-accumulated water immediately flowed down the ditch with a gurgling sound.
The first field to fill with water was naturally Miya's family's field. Everyone looked excited as they watched the water continuously accumulate in the field.
Soon, the first field was filled with the required water. The baffle that was blocking the water flow was removed, and the water flowed down again.
Seeing this, everyone was truly satisfied.
Nothing could soothe people's minds and bodies more than the scene before them, so it would be no problem for every household to plant an acre of paddy field.
However, the first time the land is cultivated, it is inevitable that the yield will be poor due to the infertile soil.
As a seasoned farmer, Cui Dani naturally has her own set of formulas for fertilizing the land.
"Fertilizing the fields is important, but we can't neglect filling our stomachs with food."
"We didn't manage to buy many rice and wheat seeds. So we'll plant one mu of wheat and one mu of rice. On the remaining two mu, we'll intercrop soybeans and corn, and finally plant one mu of sweet potatoes. Then we'll have everything we need."
Anyway, they have already grown a lot of vegetables in their own yard and the vegetable garden next door, enough for the three of them to eat and drink.
Miya habitually listened to the elders and immediately took action.
Other families have different populations and different vegetable garden sizes, so naturally they also have their own plans.
For example, Liu Limei's family has five members. If they don't grow enough grain, they definitely won't have enough to eat.
Sweet potatoes, which have high yields and are relatively easy to grow, are naturally their first choice.
We grow less refined grains, just to change things up occasionally.
In the following days, family members could be seen busily working on many of the mountains where the troops were stationed.
Once all the newly cultivated fields were planted, it was time for Ren Qingsong to end his vacation.
He could have returned to the team much earlier, but he couldn't bear to see his mother and Miya both responsible for the five acres of land, so he extended his leave again.
As a result, Ren Qingsong was sent on a mission as soon as he returned to the team.
Ever since Cui Dani came to the army, she has been able to see her third son every day.
Ren Qingsong's sudden assignment made her feel uneasy and listless.
Miya wanted to offer comfort, but didn't know what to say.
It's almost May now, so it's too late to start school, but we can start literacy education ahead of time.
September of the second half of the year is the start of the school season.
In an instant, the entire residential compound was in an uproar.
In this day and age, which family doesn't have several children?
For everyone, reading is of paramount importance.
Families with children of primary school age, junior high school age, and high school graduates, in particular, are anxiously pacing back and forth at home.
This is especially true for families with junior high or high school students.
Because everyone knows that as long as your child is of the right age and you pay the tuition, they can go to school.
But being a teacher at a school is different; it's a job, a highly sought-after position.
In no time, the logistics department where Qian Jinbu worked was almost bursting at the seams with the throngs of family members.
"Quartermaster, please tell me the standards for recruiting primary school teachers so I can prepare my child."
"Quartermaster, why is it only primary school? I want my child to finish primary school and then go to high school."
"Quartermaster, are primary school teachers recruited through open recruitment, or are they directly assigned by your unit?"
...
Qian Jinbu looked at the group of people who seemed determined to get results from him today, and sweat poured down his face.
Some things are not suitable to be said publicly, so why do people insist on making things difficult for him?
After much deliberation, Qian Jinbu could only offer a temporary excuse.
The group left reluctantly, agreeing to come back and ask again the next day.
Qian Jinbu, on the other hand, quickly took the problem and passed it on to his superior.
Since no one could make a decision, they had to choose a compromise.
They were assigned to them, and their troops accepted them.
However, the interests of the residents in the family compound should not be ignored. We should also adopt a public recruitment method to hire two primary school teachers, who only need to have a junior high school education.
The moment the news broke, the entire residential compound was like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil, leaving everyone's minds buzzing.
Liu Limei looked at Da Ni at home, feeling a pang of self-reproach, and a hint of remorse crept onto her face.
"If only I had known! If only I had known, I should have taken you to school right away when your grandma tried to stop you, otherwise you would be the one with a job now."
"Mom, I'm fine. I don't like studying anyway."
Da Ni smiled indifferently. She really had no talent for reading, and reading her sister's books was no different from reading gibberish.
Erni strongly disagreed with her eldest sister's words, pouting as she said:
“How can that be the same? If you can’t continue your studies, that’s your fault. But if you don’t even have the opportunity to study, it’s all Grandma’s fault.”
Even though Liu Limei was dissatisfied, she didn't dare to say such things directly.
She quickly covered her second daughter's mouth, her eyes darting left and right warily, afraid that her husband would hear.
After confirming that no one was around, she withdrew her hand and warned, "No matter what, she's still your grandmother."
"I'd rather not have a grandmother like that."
Faced with her stubborn second daughter, Liu Limei really didn't know what to do.
In the end, it was Da Ni who acted as a mediator, mediating the relationship between her mother and sister.
Erni glanced at her eldest sister, pouted, and said softly, "Mother, I'm definitely going to study."
Liu Limei had never considered that her second daughter and son would not go to school, so she quickly nodded in agreement.
What troubles her more is her eldest daughter.
Da Ni is 17 years old this year, and she'll soon be of marriageable age. It's really not a big deal for her to go to elementary school and study with a bunch of other kids.
The fact that Da Ni was somewhat resistant to reading made her even more anxious.
But no matter what, girls who can read and write always have an easier time finding husbands.
Despite her eldest daughter's objections, Liu Limei immediately arranged for her to attend night school to improve her literacy.
“Da Ni, these days, whether you’re a girl from the countryside or the city, you still need to be literate to be valued. You need to go to school too. Once the army’s literacy program is finalized, you can go there.”
"Mother, I..."
Liu Limei raised her hand to stop her daughter from speaking further, her tone solemn, "This matter is settled, and there is no room for change."
Seeing that she could not resist, Da Ni, who was used to being submissive, calmly accepted her mother's arrangement.
Seeing her daughter like this, Liu Limei put even more effort into finding a suitable partner for Da Ni.
If my daughter accidentally marries into a heartless family, she will surely suffer.
She must pull herself together and examine the object carefully.
Soon, the recruitment process for the military primary school began.
Although many family members had expressed their opinions to Qian Jinbu beforehand, only five people were able to attend the recruitment event on the actual day.
After all, most of the families in the residential compound come from poor backgrounds, and only a minority are willing to send their children to school.
Furthermore, among the five people, only one was a girl, and her family came from the city.
As a result, the selection rate for those who participated in the recruitment was quite high.
On the very day the results of the primary school teacher recruitment were announced, Ren Qingsong returned from his mission.
As soon as he returned, he saw the crowd gathered in the square and learned that the recruitment of primary school teachers had ended.
They also learned that literacy education would begin in September when school started.
Ren Qingsong didn't expect the army to be so fast; he had only been gone for less than half a month, and so many things had been settled.
Having achieved his goal, he quickened his pace and headed home.
As soon as he entered the house, Ren Qingsong saw Miya busy in the field and quickly told her what he was thinking.
“Miya, the army is about to start literacy education, you should participate too.”
"What!"
Miya was both surprised and delighted, and she was so startled that she dropped the gourd ladle she was holding.
She never imagined she would have the opportunity to read and write.
Although Ren Qingsong had told her more than once that in this new era, it was normal for women to be literate and go out to work.
But Miya really never thought she could become one of them.
Ren Qingsong failed to notice the barely perceptible joy hidden beneath Miya's surprised expression, and continued to express his thoughts.
“I consulted with the regimental commander about this earlier. You can first go to the night school run by the army to participate in literacy education. If you want to continue your studies, the primary school that will be opened in the second half of the year will also be suitable for you.”
Clearly, Ren Qingsong had planned everything out.
Miya was still in a daze, overwhelmed by the surprise of having the opportunity to study, and couldn't come to her senses for a long time.
She awkwardly picked up the gourd ladle from the ground and said somewhat nervously:
"Third Brother, can a girl as big as me go?"
"Why not? Literacy campaigns are aimed at all the people, and many new recruits in the army also have to participate."
"But I...but I..."
Cui Dani walked over from outside the courtyard and, upon hearing Miya's hesitant words, immediately spoke up to persuade her.
“Miya, now that you’ve joined the army, you should know the benefits of being able to read and write. Those in the village missed out, so those in the army shouldn’t miss out.”
She even felt that this wasn't enough, and asked Ren Qingsong directly:
"Third son, your mother is helping you find a girl. What level of education do you hope she will have?"
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