"Erniu! Take a few men and keep an eye on the threshing ground! Turn it over frequently!"
"Everyone else! Get ready! Start a fire! Cook!"
Her voice broke the silence of sorrow, pulling everyone back to reality.
"Hey! Good! Good!" Old Sun was the first to react, wiping away his tears with his sleeve. His voice was hoarse from crying, but unusually loud. "Did you hear that? The Fairy Maiden has spoken! Get moving! Harvest the grain! Cook the meal!"
The crowd seemed to awaken from a dream, hastily wiping away their tears, but the sorrow in their eyes had been replaced by a deeper, brighter hope. They looked at Jiang Chan, at the golden mountain and silver carpet, and nodded vigorously!
"Get moving, get moving!"
"Start a fire! Cook!"
"Thank you, Fairy Maiden! We...we will never go hungry again in this lifetime!"
In the open space where dinner was served, the campfire crackled. In a huge iron pot, snow-white new rice mixed with previously stored grains was bubbling and steaming, filling the air with its aroma.
In another pot nearby, large chunks of pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, along with freshly picked "Fengrang" cabbage and radishes, were stewed until tender. The oil was bubbling and the aroma permeated the air along the riverbank.
No longer is it a matter of carefully dividing the food. Tonight, the rice is piled up like a small mountain, and meat and vegetables are served generously in the rough bowl.
"Eat! Eat as much as you want!" Jiang Chan held up a bowl piled high with rice, topped with a thick layer of glistening meat and cabbage.
"Thank you, Fairy Maiden!"
"Thank you, Miss Xie!"
The crowd held their bowls, their voices loud and clear, filled with heartfelt gratitude. They no longer ate sparingly as before, but instead shoveled food into their mouths, chewing meat vigorously until their cheeks were bulging. They didn't seem to care about the grease smeared on their lips.
The sounds of chewing, satisfied sighs, and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks mingled together, creating a simple yet satisfying symphony. The firelight illuminated each face. The former sourness and pallor of the food had faded, replaced by a healthy rosy glow and a satisfied sheen.
His eyes were no longer numb and desperate, but full of vitality and anticipation for the future. His strength seemed to have returned, and his voice was much louder.
Xiao Tao held her small bowl, her tummy round and full, and let out a satisfied burp. She leaned against Jiang Chan's leg, her little face full of happiness.
Chen Yan also sat a little further away, holding a large bowl of rice, eating quietly. The firelight danced on his face as he looked at the lively and contented scene before him, then at his teacher's wife, Zhou, who was eating quietly beside him, his eyes filled with peace.
After finishing their meal and clearing away the dishes, the group didn't immediately disperse. Full and refreshed, they sat around the campfire in small groups, enjoying the rare tranquility of the night, free from the threat of hunger.
The topic naturally returned to that long-held expectation.
A man gazed at the leaping campfire, his voice low and menacing, "If only... we could have a full meal like this..."
“My mother…I don’t know…” A woman hugged her knees, her voice choked with sobs.
"Fairy Maiden..." Old Man Sun looked at Jiang Chan's retreating figure as she spoke to the male protagonist in the distance. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, "So much grain... we can't finish it all..."
These words were like a pebble thrown into still water. A brief silence followed.
"Yes...the fairy is merciful...if only...if only..."
"I...I just want to know...if my family...is still alive..."
"If... if we could bring her here... we'd be her slaves! We'd work twice as hard!"
A low murmur arose, filled with cautious probing and intense anticipation. Their gazes frequently drifted towards Jiang Chan, tinged with awe and longing.
Jiang Chan and Chen Yan were chatting casually, mainly about the arrangements for tomorrow's rice harvest.
She heard the conversation but didn't respond. She simply stared at the flickering campfire, her gaze calm, lost in thought. Little Peach had already fallen asleep in her arms, breathing evenly.
Chen Yan heard it too. He glanced at Jiang Chan's calm profile, then at the expectant eyes around the campfire, and finally said nothing, simply looking up at the night sky. The late autumn night sky was filled with brilliant stars, tranquil and vast.
Inside the iron house, a fan sent out a gentle breeze. The night by the river was peaceful and deep. The people, having eaten their fill, felt a quiet undercurrent of longing for their loved ones and anticipation of "bringing their families back," waiting for dawn to break.
The next morning.
When the first rays of sunlight fell on the vast, silvery drying ground by the river, everyone was stunned! In just one day and one night, the golden wheat grains, which had been slightly damp yesterday evening and spread out to dry on the silvery-gray composite material, had become exceptionally dry!
Each grain is distinct, plump and firm, shimmering with a dry and inviting luster in the morning light! Grab a handful, and it's slightly warm and dry to the touch.
"Done! All done!"
"Amazing! This mat is incredible!"
"The fairy's magic weapon! One day of this is equivalent to ten days of sun exposure!"
The crowd erupted in delighted cheers!
The drying efficiency of this "Guangxi" floor mat far exceeded expectations! The new wheat, which I originally thought would need to be exposed to the sun for at least three or four days, actually reached the standard for storage overnight!
"Quick! Collect the grain and bag it!" Jiang Chan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered, "Be careful! Don't spill it!"
The crowd was full of energy! They carefully used winnowing baskets, wooden boards, and even the hems of their clothes to sweep the dry wheat grains from the silver-gray mats and fill them into the thick burlap sacks they had prepared.
Golden wheat grains flowed like gold dust, filling one bulging burlap sack after another. Soon, dozens of large sacks were neatly stacked along the edge of the threshing ground, resembling small golden hills!
The air was filled with the pure, dry aroma of wheat, intoxicatingly sweet. Jiang Chan walked to the sacks, preparing to store them in her spatial storage—the safest, most moisture-proof, and never-spoiling way to preserve them.
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