Qiu Yuling ran into Qiu's mother who was walking back halfway.
"Mom, I'll help you carry some." "Why are you here?"
The two people said in unison.
"No need. I just tied it tightly. It will fall apart if you take it away. You can walk by yourself. Mom can carry it."
"I was originally going to pick you up at the other end of the sandy land, but on the way I ran into Aunt Hua who told me you were at Jiantan today, so I didn't go the wrong way."
"Okay then, let's go back."
"Mom, are we going to invite Uncle Jianjun to dinner today? We used the brigade's donkey cart this morning, and I pestered grandma to make something delicious. Today, she's making spicy diced rabbit."
Mother Qiu thought for a moment before replying, "Go ahead and call your uncle Jianjun to come up to our house for dinner."
"Well, that's fine. I'll go back to the farm and call for help later."
After entering the village, the mother and daughter split up into two groups. Li Qingmei went home first, and Qiu Yuling went to invite the team leader to dinner.
It was not until it was almost dark that the voices of Qiu's father and the team leader chatting were heard outside the gate.
"Aunt Li, there was something going on in the team just now, so we were delayed for a while. I really shouldn't have made you wait for the younger generation." The captain apologized to Grandma Yuling as soon as he entered the door. He and Father Qiu were cousins, so he didn't call her aunt like others did, but followed Father Qiu in calling her Aunt.
"No, I'm an old lady, so it doesn't matter if I come early or late, as long as I don't delay the work of you young people."
After a day's work, their stomachs were rumbling with hunger. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they went to the dinner table.
"Ah, Auntie's cooking skills are still so good. When I was young, I went to your house with Jianshe to eat once, and I still remember it all these years."
Qiu Jianjun only took one bite and could taste the fragrance.
"Come to think of it, our little Yuling is also very capable. You raised the rabbit successfully. Look, your uncle can enjoy the fruits of your labor." Qiu Jianjun already knew that Qiu Yuling was the host today, and he joked happily.
"Rabbits are easy to raise, but they reproduce too quickly. After a while, there is no place for them to live. My dad has helped me expand their nest twice." Qiu Yuling chattered about her troubles.
"Is it easy to raise?" Qiu Jianjun's eyes lit up. No one in his family raised that thing, but there were many kids in the team who caught rabbits. He had never heard of other families raising one and raising it so well.
"Just clean the rabbit hives regularly, feed them clean grass, and add some salt when you water them every few days. They are very easy to raise." Qiu Yuling said it lightly, as if raising rabbits was a very easy thing.
Qiu Jianjun thought she was just a child who didn't know the hardships. He just smiled and complimented Qiu Yulin a few times.
"Dad, why doesn't uncle trust me? Tell him that I take care of our rabbits all by myself. That's how I raise them anyway."
"Brother, it's true. We were all busy. At first, we just let her play around. Who would have thought that this child would be so persistent in doing anything? I actually raised her a rabbit. The other day she even asked me, rabbits are so easy to raise, why don't other families in the team raise them? What do you think of this child, hahaha..."
Hearing this, Qiu Jianjun was also somewhat tempted. It didn't make sense that if a child could do it, an adult couldn't do it well. There was more rain this year, and the water level of the Yellow River upstream had risen. The water level in their wells had also risen, and the crops looked better than in previous years. But what if they encountered the same situation as last year or the year before?
Then he quickly ate two mouthfuls of rice, followed by Qiu Yuling, who looked unhappy as if she didn't believe him, and went to the backyard to witness her great achievements.
"Her uncle, eat some more, add another bowl of rice. You are such a big guy, why do you only eat a few bites?"
Grandma Yuling was worried and was urging people to eat as usual.
"Auntie Li, you're full. You've already eaten three bowls. If you're not full, you'll be a glutton." Qiu Jianjun refused with a big laugh.
"Well, I have to go see how powerful our little Yuling is. Come on, girl."
Mother Qiu and grandmother cleaned up the dishes, and everyone else followed the team leader and Qiu Yuling to the backyard to see the rabbits.
Qiu Yuling originally built a large two-story villa above and below ground. Later, she made many changes and fenced off a large area on the ground. She used old jars, broken bricks, wicker baskets and mud to build two neatly arranged rows of small townhouses of various types.
There was a ditch dug around the rabbits like a moat, which was a very clever idea.
"Yuling, uncle will go discuss this with the team. If, I mean if, it's possible in the future, would you be willing to give your rabbit seedlings to someone else in the team?"
Qiu Yuling pretended to be embarrassed for a moment, then muttered, "Okay, but they can't let me raise them to death."
"Hahaha, uncle is just teasing you. I'll lend you one of your baby rabbits and give you two work points. I'll return the baby rabbit to you when they grow up and give birth to rabbits. Is that okay with you?"
"Ah? You're still giving me work points? Of course I can, Dad. See, I told you I wasn't kidding!" Qiu Yuling was so happy that her face lit up with joy.
Qiu Jianjun did not stay long. He was anxious to go back and call a meeting with their small team first. Since the team had tasks assigned by the commune, they would not raise rabbits. However, he could encourage the members to raise a few rabbits at home. Those who wanted to exchange them for food could exchange them for food, and those who did not want to exchange them for food could also have a snack for themselves. As long as it was not a big deal, he felt that this was a good way to improve the living conditions of the members.
Qiu Jianjun raised questions and ideas, but both the secretary and the team leader remained silent, which was a good thing, but no one dared to speak out. Now everyone advocates that all productive forces belong to the collective. Even though they knew that the team leader had no selfish motives, they did not dare to support him.
"What's wrong with you? Why haven't you said anything? We're all from the same village, related by blood. Seeing some members can't even afford a cauldron at home, let alone proper clothes and blankets, it worries me as the team leader."
Seeing someone's interest, Qiu Jianjun took a deep drag on his pipe and continued, "The commune's official document also mentioned the 'Three Selfs and One Package' policy. It encourages members to develop wasteland around them to grow vegetables to overcome the difficulties, resume agricultural production as soon as possible, and improve farmers' living conditions. It also mentioned the policy of allowing small livestock breeding as long as it does not occupy productive capacity."
"But it doesn't say we can raise rabbits," the team leader of the third team said in a low voice.
"You can, but I didn't say you can't!" Qiu Jianjun glanced at the whispering team leaders and made the final decision, "Adhere to the rule that open trading is prohibited. Notice this to every household. If you have the idea and the drive, get started. Let's make a living first. And keep your mouths shut and don't make any noise outside. If anyone is too incompetent and ruins the good things of other members, I'll punish him."
He tapped his pipe twice more and said, "Let's adjourn!"
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