Chapter 54: Busy Farming in April
In the countryside, April brings a new rush of activity. By this time, the corn and peanut seedlings in the fields have sprouted, and they need watering, fertilizing, and weeding. Crops are like children; you must diligently tend to them so they yield a good autumn harvest. If you act like a lazy wife or man, lying on the kang every day, you'll be left hungry in autumn while others harvest their crops.
Chen Youfu was full of energy. He assigned tasks to everyone and asked them to go to work every day. The members also worked hard to earn work points. In the evening, after work, they hurried to their own private plots to work, weeding and fertilizing.
The Gu family's pigs are now quite big. The shiny black pigs are strong and have meat on their bodies. They are bigger than the pigs from the other eight families. Everyone who sees them can't help but praise them.
The pig manure excreted by the pig was cleaned out together with the output from the family's manure pit, and pushed into the family's private plot on a wheelbarrow and spread out.
There were no chemical fertilizers in those days, and crops relied entirely on the manure in the pits, so every household had to save up manure. If a family lived a comfortable life and felt the urge to urinate while visiting a neighbor, they would hold it in and go home to relieve themselves in their own manure pits, so that the fertilizer would stay in the family's fields.
Miao Xiujiu is very satisfied with her pig. The pig is fattening, so she can eat meat during the Chinese New Year. The manure is applied to the fields, and the crops grow well. She kills two birds with one stone.
On this day, the Gu family borrowed a donkey cart from the production team in the evening. The Gu brothers personally acted as donkeys to pull the cart, and several children from the Gu family pushed it from behind, pulling the full cart of manure to the field.
Several young children were watching over their own manure here to prevent the old man who picked up manure from shoveling it into their basket with a shovel.
The other children watched and covered their noses and ran away. Finally, even Gu Shengtian couldn't stand it anymore: "Fubao, Fubao, you watch first, I have to go over and see what they are doing!"
Having said that, he ran away.
Of course Fubao understood that they were just being lazy and just disliked the smell, but she didn't care. It was a bit smelly, but she could bear it. There had to be someone watching over it.
As she was watching, she saw Shen Hongying coming to the back of the house with a basin of slop. When she saw her, she stopped, as if she had something to say to her.
Fubao was puzzled: "Auntie?"
Shen Hongying has not been able to sleep well recently. She has been thinking about whether Fubao is a jinx or a lucky star. She feels uneasy and uneasy, so much so that she has two white hairs on her forehead.
Now she finally couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to come over to test Fubao, see what he had to say, and then consider what to do about this matter.
If Fubao is really a lucky star, that won't do. How can he let the fourth family get it so easily? It was clearly her who caught the word "Fu" in the first place. She has to find a way to get Fubao back.
Shen Hongying tentatively walked to Fubao and said with a smile: "Fubao, where are your brothers and sisters?"
Fubao pointed to his brothers and sisters who were playing skipping rope and throwing sandbags not far away and said, "They're playing over there."
Shen Hongying: "Fubao is really sensible. You are the youngest and the most well-behaved among these children. The other children are just ignorant."
Fubao smiled and said, "Auntie, I don't want to play skipping rope either. I'm just watching here."
Chen Hongying: "Is that so... By the way, Fubao, I want to ask you something. Can you tell me the truth?"
Fubao was puzzled.
She felt that her aunt was acting strangely. Not only had she been secretly looking at her with strange eyes recently, but now she was getting close to her and talking nonsense.
Fubao tilted his head and said, "Auntie, if you have anything to ask, just ask."
Chen Hongying: "I, I actually want to ask, when you were at Nie Laosan's house before, they said you were a jinx. Why is that?"
ah?
Fubao didn't expect her to ask these questions.
These are things that Fubao doesn't want to recall, as they are not good things after all.
Fubao hesitated, thinking about what to say, but at this moment, a "whoosh" sound suddenly came from the front.
Before Fubao could react, he saw something suddenly hit Shen Hongying.
Suddenly, something hit Shen Hongying in front of her eyes. She was startled and stepped back repeatedly: "Ah——"
When she stepped back, Fubao was startled and shouted, "Be careful!"
But it was too late.
What happened next was a bit unbearable to watch.
Fortunately...this is all dry, and dry feces just smells bad, not sticky.
Despite this, Shen Hongying was still furious, struggling in the dung heap in frustration: "Who threw it? Who threw it? Which brat did it!"
The boys from the Gu family nearby were shocked when they saw that they had gotten into trouble.
They were playing a game of throwing sandbags, and somehow the sandbag ended up in Shen Hongying's arms.
Shen Hongying cursed: "My clothes were fine, there was not even a patch on them, they were new clothes, and they fell into the cesspool!"
The boys looked at each other and then ran away.
They have to go to their own fields, help apply fertilizer, and work!
Shen Hongying finally crawled out of the dung pile and wanted to ask Fubao again, but when she saw Fubao's dumbfounded look, she suddenly became discouraged.
Fuck you!
Could she be a lucky star?
I just got close to her, and I was hit by an unexpected disaster and thrown into the pit. If I had adopted her, it would have been terrible. I'm afraid I would have died!
Fubao looked at Shen Hongying cursing and scratched his head helplessly, and had to shut his mouth and say nothing. It was strange, she had been standing here for a long time without seeing the sandbags hit her, why did the sandbags hit her directly when the aunt came?
Just as he was thinking about this, the Gu brothers happened to come back with an empty cart, so Fubao stopped thinking about it.
This time, the Gu brothers loaded all the manure directly into the car, so Fubao finally didn't have to look at the manure pile and could follow everyone to spread manure in the fields.
When spreading manure, you can use a shovel to scoop up a shovel, then throw it into the air, and the dried manure will be scattered all over the field.
At this time, the sun had not yet set, and the afterglow was scattered over the quiet fields. The mountains in the distance were lush and green, and the evening breeze brought the fragrance of unknown flowers from afar. The emerald buds in the fields were swaying in the wind, and the children were running, jumping and playing in the fields.
In the western sky, a bean-sized flying object glided across the distant horizon, leaving a faint black line. The children screamed excitedly: "Plane, plane, pull the string, plane, pull the string."
Little Fubao stood on the edge of the field, facing the wind, looking at the distant and mysterious airplane string.
She suddenly remembered the comic book stories in the books her grandmother asked her to buy, and which her brothers had occasionally told her.
The world is big, and it is not just about the nunnery, Dagunzi Mountain and Pingxi Production Brigade as she thought.
In the distant place, there were many people and things she didn't know about, including the airplane tow line that she didn't know what it was, and the exciting little sisters on the grassland.
She thought that one day, she would grow up, leave this world, and see the outside world.
……………………………………
In April, people in rural areas can apply fertilizers on their own, but watering depends on the water source.
In the early years, the production brigade dug several canals, but due to the terrain, the stream water in the mountains could not be brought in. Irrigation could only be achieved by carrying water manually, which required a large amount of manpower. When the irrigation season came, men, women, young and old all went to carry water, and traces of spilled water could be seen everywhere on the country roads.
Everyone was busy fetching water that day. Chen Youfu came back from the commune on his bicycle and said excitedly, "The commune said the district government has specially approved three brand-new diesel water pumps, and they're giving us one!"
Compared to his excitement, the members around him all looked at him in confusion with dull expressions. Then it was time to water the plants and fertilize them.
He was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood.
He had heard about diesel water pumps in the commune a few years ago. He knew it was a good and rare thing, but the other members didn't know about it.
So he eloquently explained to everyone what a diesel engine water pump is.
"It means that with this thing, water can automatically flow from the well and river to our fields?" Wang Fugui was puzzled. Is there such a good thing?
"Isn't this just like a magic trick? Youfu, it can't be called feudal superstition nowadays, so stop teasing us." The old bachelor Chen Youliang couldn't believe it.
"What is a diesel engine water pump?" Naturally, the brothers of the Gu family didn't believe it, but Gu Weidong was interested and couldn't help asking.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Chen Youfu was amused: "Let's go, find a few people, pull an ox cart, and go to the commune to move our diesel water pump. Everyone will be curious and learn more about it. With this thing this year, we can save energy."
Everyone immediately became interested and quickly followed Chen Youfu to pull back a diesel water pump using a ox cart.
At this time, the entire production team heard the news and couldn't help but come to watch the fun. Fubao was also pulled over by Gu Shengtian.
I saw a big thing placed next to the ox cart. It was made up of two parts: a red iron thing in the front with a cylindrical mouth, and a blue iron thing in the back with two big handles and a hole opening upwards.
This was so rare that everyone gathered around and talked about it, wondering how this thing could produce water directly from the well or the river.
The commune specially sent an old master to help install the water pump next to a well, and wrapped the pumping belt around the mouth of the cylinder. Then he began to give orders, saying that diesel should be added and water should be poured into it.
After doing this, he turned the handle and began to shake it violently.
With the sound of banging, the circle of hands was spinning rapidly, and faster and faster.
Everyone in the Pingxi Production Brigade opened their eyes wide, waiting for the diesel engine water pump to perform magic tricks for them.
Of course, Fubao also stared at the water pump without blinking, afraid of missing a glance.
Xiao Dingkun and several educated youth stood in the crowd, glanced at the little girl who was crowded there watching the excitement, and then looked away.
The several male and female educated youth next to Xiao Dingkun all went to the countryside with him. The one standing next to him is called Huo Jinyun, who is 21 years old this year. He has a gentle and steady personality and is meticulous in his work. He is currently the leader among the educated youth, responsible for communication between the educated youth and the production team, helping to convey orders and give instructions, and of course also leading the educated youth to work.
Although he was not very old, he had previously interned in a research institute, but it did not lead to a formal job, so he followed them to the countryside.
Xiao Dingkun asked Huo Jinyun, "Don't you understand this?"
Huo Jinyun nodded: "Yes, I know a little bit, but——"
He looked at the technicians who seemed to be very knowledgeable and said: "Don't rush into this matter first. Let's take a look first."
Next to them were two female educated youth, one named Su Wanru and the other named Sun Lina. They were both about fourteen or fifteen years old, good-looking, and had two big, shiny black braids.
Su Wanru was concentrating on looking at the diesel engine water pump with great interest, but Sun Lina followed Xiao Dingkun's gaze and saw the little girl squeezed in the crowd.
When she saw her for the first time, she was stunned. After going to the countryside, she had seen many rural children, but she had never seen such a beautiful girl.
She leaned close to Xiao Dingkun and couldn't help asking, "Do you know that kid?"
She was not mistaken. Xiao Dingkun, who never liked to talk to others, actually glanced at the little girl and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Xiao Dingkun held a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth, one hand in his trouser pocket, and asked calmly, "What's it to you?"
Sun Lina was choked and stopped talking for a moment.
Sun Lina, who was silent, looked at the little girl again and felt something was strange.
At this moment, the old man suddenly stopped turning the wrench and looked at the diesel engine water pump in confusion: "What's going on?"
This is how it should be installed, but why is there no water?
There were whispers among the crowd, and someone joked, "Is this trick impossible?"
Some people simply didn't believe it and were discouraged: "In my life, I've never seen water come out of a well by itself. Stop teasing us and just go and fetch water!"
Chen Youfu, who had been full of confidence and ready to give the other members a stunt, saw this and came over to the old man, whispering, "What's going on?"
The old master frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. It's installed correctly, so why isn't there any water? Could there be something wrong with the water here?"
Someone in the crowd chuckled: "Well, this thing is completely useless. What's the difference between the water in our Pingxi Production Brigade and that in other places? You're blaming the water!"
Chen Youfu was already feeling annoyed, and upon hearing this, he became furious: "Stop messing around and just do your job!"
After fiddling with it for a while, the old man sighed and said, "Let's forget about it today. I'll have someone from the commune come over and take a look tomorrow."
He had installed this, but only twice. Now he encountered a problem and he didn't know what went wrong.
Chen Youfu was a little discouraged. He had finally pulled it over excitedly, so why didn't it work? Didn't he have to carry water again today?
But there is nothing we can do. The old master said it is not possible. We can only wait for people from the commune to come tomorrow to talk about it.
At this moment, he heard a voice saying, "Jinyun, why don't you try?"
Looking back, I saw that the person who said this was Xiao Dingkun.
Xiao Dingkun directly pushed Huo Jinyun over: "Let him try, he understands."
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