The loudspeakers in the military compound blared, and the political commissar's voice echoed in every corner.
"Attention all soldiers, due to the possibility of severe frost in the near future, we are urgently calling on all personnel to proceed to nearby villages to assist villagers in harvesting crops ahead of schedule and ensuring that the grain is safely stored. All companies are requested to assemble immediately, take their tools, and proceed to their designated villages."
As soon as the broadcast ended, the entire military headquarters sprang into action.
The soldiers who were still training ran out, quickly changed their clothes, and assembled into neat ranks on the drill ground.
Jiang Linchuan was among them. He strode towards the first company and said, "You all follow me."
Many companies selected squad leaders and set off separately.
Before leaving, I did a final check on all the tools I had.
Bring a sickle, burlap sacks, and other necessary items.
Jiang Linchuan led the way at the front of the group, his steps steady and powerful.
He specially changed into his military uniform. Tall and upright, the uniform's broad shoulders defined the silhouette, and the buttons were fastened tightly, outlining a sharp jawline. His waist was slender, and his entire being exuded the crispness characteristic of a soldier, giving people a sense of security.
This was the first time Xu Xinghe had seen him in military uniform, and she was momentarily lost in thought, her heart skipping a beat.
He looks so handsome in his military uniform, like a tall and straight pine tree...
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Jiang Linchuan turned his head, his deep eyes meeting hers.
Xu Xinghe hurriedly lowered her head, her ear tips turning slightly red.
She gripped her sleeves tightly... What was there to hide from? But for some reason, she felt inexplicably guilty.
Jiang Linchuan pursed his lips and looked away. "Let's go!"
Xu Xinghe did not follow him, but instead followed the squad of military wives.
They also need to help; it involves food, which is a really big deal, and everyone needs to get involved.
Considering that they were all women, the nearest village, Hongxing Village, was chosen.
Jiang Linchuan is also in charge here, which conveniently allows him to protect the safety of the military wives.
The black soil area in Hongxing Village is vast, and the villagers who live here have relied on farming for a living since ancient times.
Upon suddenly seeing so many soldiers entering the village, all in uniform, the villagers came out to look around curiously.
The village chief is 67 years old this year. Years of hard work have made him somewhat hunched over, with deep lines on his face, dark skin, and a head of white hair that makes him look even older.
He quickly stepped forward, "Oh, isn't this Commander Jiang? What brings you here so suddenly?"
Jiang Linchuan stopped and said in a low voice, "Village Chief Li, we have received news that there will be a severe frost in three days. The crops in the fields need to be harvested in advance, otherwise they will be damaged."
The adjutant next to him nodded repeatedly, "Yes, we've all come here to help our fellow villagers harvest their grain."
"A severe frost?" Village Chief Li frowned, took out his pipe from his pocket, and tapped it with the sole of his shoe. His grandson, who was quite observant, stepped forward to help him pack the tobacco. "The weather has been fine lately, how could there be a frost?"
He looked at the fields in the distance and said, "It's too early to harvest the grain now. We should wait at least another ten days or two weeks. If we harvest now, we'll lose at least 30%, which is a huge loss. We work in the fields all year round and rely on the grain to survive. If we lose so much, we won't have a good year next year."
The surrounding villagers nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the soil isn't fully ripe yet; harvesting it now would be a waste."
"I don't believe there's any major frost. It was much colder at this time last year, and there wasn't a frost this early."
"Could there be a mistake? Did the government say this?"
Knowing that Jiang Linchuan wasn't good at handling such situations, Lieutenant Wang stepped forward, his face beaming with a friendly smile, "Village Chief Li, we have our own channels, and the news is most likely true. A 30% reduction in harvest is better than no harvest at all, right? Let's all cooperate and try to finish the entire harvest in Hongxing Village within two days, what do you say?"
The village chief was still unwilling. If it were anything else, they would definitely cooperate, but it concerned food, which was enough for the whole family.
Moreover, their village has been farming since ancient times and they consider themselves very experienced in this area. They couldn't see anything wrong with the weather, and it didn't seem like an early frost, let alone a severe one.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a slovenly demeanor strode out of the crowd and stood in front of Jiang Linchuan, his expression unfriendly. "Commander Jiang, do you even know how to farm? You're just spouting nonsense. Tell me, how does this look like it's going to frost early? Look up for yourself, it's a sunny day, do you see?"
After saying that, he sneered, "I see you think you're some big shot just because you're an official. You even dare to interfere with our farming. Let me tell you, harvesting early is impossible! If we lose 30% of our grain, that's a lot of money. If there's no frost in a few days, can you afford to compensate us?"
These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the villagers.
"Yes, it doesn't look like the weather is going to turn frost early."
“If we harvest now and there’s no frost by then, we’ll not only have less grain, but we also won’t be able to sell the grain we harvested earlier, and we’ll just have to eat it ourselves.”
"I think we should stop harvesting unless the government actually mandates it, but I listened to the radio today and they didn't mention it at all."
Among the many villagers, only a very few did not speak up; the majority of the rest did not want to collect the money in advance.
Jiang Linchuan could understand, but the problem of this middle-aged man deliberately provoking trouble had to be dealt with, otherwise it would become a major obstacle!
This man had been caught stealing chickens and dogs once before, which made him lose face, and ever since then he's been at odds with him.
When Lieutenant Wang saw Jiang Linchuan's darkening expression, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly whispered, "Please don't do anything. Let me handle this."
After saying that, he smiled again, his manner both approachable and dignified. "Village Chief Li, we are soldiers, we don't joke with you. Besides, this is an order from our political commissar. In addition to us, other villages also have companies responsible for the harvest. If the frost comes and all the other villages have harvested, but you haven't, who will bear the loss then? Am I right, Village Chief Li?"
The implication is that if Village Chief Li continues to obstruct the process, and the Frost's Descent solar term actually arrives, then he will be a sinner in the village, and he probably won't even be able to continue serving as village chief.
But if he goes along with the military's wishes, and something goes wrong later, it won't be his responsibility as the village chief. He can just go and cause trouble for the military.
Village Chief Li wasn't stupid; he naturally understood the deeper meaning behind the words. He took a puff of his pipe and said, "Well, since it's the political commissar's idea, then I have nothing more to say. You can make the arrangements."
Upon hearing this, the other villagers quieted down and obediently followed the company's orders, going home to get their farm tools in preparation for going to the fields together.
Only the middle-aged man was filled with resentment. "Village chief, why are you listening to them? They don't know how to farm at all, they're clueless. What will we do when the food runs out!"
Village Chief Li turned around and gave him a cold look. "Ma Lao Er, do it if you want, don't do it if you don't. There are some things that even I, as the village chief, can't control."
Ma Lao Er retorted angrily, swinging his arm and shouting, "I won't accept it! All that 'Frost's Descent' stuff is a lie! I'll see what you do when your fields fail to yield a harvest!"
After saying that, he immediately ran into his field and blocked the soldiers who were about to come over, saying, "Don't come any closer, I won't harvest!"
The soldiers exchanged embarrassed glances.
Jiang Linchuan's cold voice came, "Based on the principle of voluntariness, you go and help the others."
If you don't want to accept it, then don't. If you end up not having enough to eat, you can only blame yourself!
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