"Captain, isn't this delaying things?"
"Yes, if it doesn't rain, I have no objection to your arrangements, but I'm worried that the weather might change and they won't be able to keep up with us."
"Alright, alright." Captain Wang raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"With so many places, who can guarantee that the work can be completed immediately and done well?"
"Yes, the educated youth aren't as good at working as we are, but think about it carefully. We're so fast, if they work alongside us, the speed will pick up and everyone can finish sooner."
"Before we had any educated youth, we were all capable of doing the work. Now that there are more of us, you're all unhappy?"
"With more people, the harvest can be faster?"
"How come you can't do such a simple calculation?" After comforting the villagers, Captain Wang turned to the educated youth, "Some of you have done the autumn harvest, and some of you haven't. In any case, I want to have a good talk with you."
"The autumn harvest is the most tiring time of the year, and such a level of labor may be a bit difficult for you. But I believe that you scholars are very persevering and that you have brought your enthusiasm for building the countryside with you."
"We'll work together with you to overcome the difficulties and strive to complete the mission as soon as possible."
Several of them were newly arrived educated youth, and they were quite resentful.
After the team leader spoke a few words, the mutual resistance between the villagers and the educated youth was not so strong, and a rare harmony was achieved.
The educated youth felt somewhat uncomfortable when they heard everyone say that they were not doing a good job. However, they had been working for a while and realized that their abilities were indeed far inferior to those of the villagers.
I'd already heard that the autumn harvest was a very tiring task, and now that the village is having to specifically mobilize people for it, all I feel left is fear of the harvest.
Zhang Sanqian and the other veteran educated youth knew the situation best and understood that Captain Wang wasn't deliberately trying to talk about the educated youth; he was just stating the facts.
The older educated youth didn't have much to say, but one or two of the newer educated youth were very dissatisfied and wanted to say something, but they were all pulled back.
Now is not the time to waste time arguing. You'd be better off figuring out how to get some food in your belly.
Lin Xiaoxiao thought the same thing. She stood in the threshing ground for a while, thinking that she should cook more meat for dinner.
That evening, Lin Xiaoxiao and Han Qiushi cooked some pork and rabbit meat together, and made a simple cold dish and some green vegetables.
The two of them didn't chat or read anything today; they both went to bed early.
The next day, they were woken up early by the alarm clock.
Lin Xiaoxiao's place is a bit remote, so it takes her a while to walk to the threshing ground. Han Qiushi, however, got up earlier than Lin Xiaoxiao and cooked some mung beans.
First, put it in water to cool, and then put it in the well when you go out, so you can drink cool mung bean water at noon.
The two ate several large steamed buns with malted milk powder, made some mung bean soup, and then headed outside.
Not long after we started walking, we started to run into groups of villagers who were also walking out.
Everyone was wearing shorts and pants, and some experienced people wore triangular headscarves, which could protect them from the sun, prevent them from getting cut on their faces, and wipe their sweat off. It was a very practical item.
The educated youth who participated in farming also dressed like this, and some female educated youth did the same.
Only Lin Xiaoxiao and Han Qiushi were different; they wore straw hats with a cloth covering the bottom to protect their faces and necks from direct sunlight.
Lin Xiaoxiao cleverly installed a neck-hanging hair dryer inside to prevent stuffiness.
She really wanted to get one for Han Qiushi too, but she was afraid that bringing out something out of touch with the times would frighten Han Qiushi and put herself in danger.
It's not that she doesn't trust Han Qiushi, but with something like this, working so frequently, she's afraid something might happen. If she discovers something's wrong, she might have room, but Han Qiushi doesn't.
So Han Qiushi can only be patient; at his age, he can manage to get some ice himself.
You don't need to do anything; just a little saltpeter is enough to make ice.
It wasn't that Lin Xiaoxiao was unwilling to give Han Qiu something useful before; it was that she forgot, she really forgot.
When no one is around, you can slip into the space at any time, and you rarely need to use ice.
That's why she remembered it now.
The weather is fine now, the sun hasn't fully risen yet, and everyone is working well. Around noon, many people come out of the fields to cool off, because working for so long is really stuffy.
All morning, everyone was focused on their work, even the usually gossipy aunties and grandmas were quieter, which inadvertently motivated the educated youth around them to work harder as well.
By the time they finished work at noon, many of the educated youth could barely lift their arms and walked out listlessly. Many of them had mud on their faces and leaves on their clothes.
Lin Xiaoxiao was a little better. Even when she was working, she paid attention to her cleanliness. She ate meat every few days, so she was healthy and strong. But even the best back couldn't withstand bending and standing up all morning.
"Are you all alright?" the female leader of the educated youth team asked as she came over, her voice weak and listless.
"No, it's no good. That headscarf looks practical, but it's not useful at all when it's hot. Leaves and corn kernels keep sticking to it."
"Several times it fell and almost got into my eyes."
"When my eyes started to hurt, I didn't realize that my hands were dirty too. And when I did that, my eyes hurt even more."
"Look at me, my eyes are so red, and there are cuts from leaves on my face..."
Lin Xiaoxiao wanted to laugh when she heard this. The autumn harvest was really tiring, but such a harmonious time was rare.
"Go back and rinse yourself thoroughly with cold water. The lunch break is long, so make the most of it by eating and resting as much as possible. When you get back, try to move your hands and feet as much as possible. If you don't warm up properly, you'll be even more tired working in the afternoon."
Exhausted, Lin Xiaoxiao didn't even feel like chatting. She told them and headed home.
Putting everything else aside, my back feels like it's about to break.
Back home, without saying a word, she first washed her face to cool down. Feeling much better, she then found some saltpeter, put it in water, stirred it, and dissolved it.
Wait for this water to freeze. The ice made from saltpeter is inedible, but it's good for cooling down.
While Han Qiushi was away, Lin Xiaoxiao took out the food she had prepared from her space. At times like this, she just wanted to rest a little longer, and since she had the means, she should use it.
Let's wait until Han Qiushi asks before we talk about it.
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