Carrying soil is an extremely hard and tiring job.
It was even harder and more tiring than carrying grain during the autumn harvest.
The grain is the fruit of the harvest. Carrying it back is tiring, but it brings a sense of peace and joy.
The harvest from the soil remains uncertain; there's no idea how much can be gained, and there's no sense of security or joy in it.
The villagers of Shanshui Village remember the last time they carried soil from the mountain to repair the road connecting the village entrance to the official road outside.
Everyone was experienced, so they each chose a spot. The women dug through the weeds and bushes, scooped soil into bamboo baskets, and the men used carrying poles to load the two baskets of soil onto a cart, which they then pulled back to their own fields.
And so it goes.
Even if a family doesn't have a cart or lacks sufficient manpower, women still have to do the hard and tiring work of carrying soil on their backs.
Wang Guifen's family has one of the largest fields in Shanshui Village, so even with three strong laborers, it's still not enough. If they relied on the three men to carry and haul soil, they would probably be exhausted before the planting season even begins!
Therefore, the three sisters-in-law would take turns carrying soil from time to time.
After most of the day, everyone's shoulders were red and swollen, and their arms were so sore they could hardly lift them.
We found a shady spot to sit down, and each family took out the dry food they had brought to eat—this was also the case during the busy farming season, as most people wouldn't go back to cook in order to save time.
Prepare your lunch early in the morning and pack it with you; just enough to fill your stomach.
Zhao Lan endured the pain and rubbed her shoulders. If she didn't rub them to clear the blockage, they would swell up tomorrow. The pressure from the carrying pole made it even more painful, bringing tears to her eyes.
Zhang Lan was in the same boat, gasping for breath in pain, yet still pressing and rubbing her shoulder.
Wang Guifen was taking out the prepared food from the bamboo basket. Her two sisters-in-law were taking care of her, and only let her carry soil once or twice before stopping. Her shoulders were the lightest among them.
The bamboo basket was covered with gauze, and inside was the family's lunch.
Mix cornmeal with a few goose eggs, then add finely chopped scallions. Spread the mixture into goose egg and scallion pancakes, then fill them with pickled vegetables, fresh and crisp cucumber strips, and stir-fried potato strips. Roll them up tightly into small pancakes—they smell amazing!
Wang Guifen first handed one generously filled egg roll to each of her two sisters-in-law, then one to each of her two brothers-in-law and her husband, and finally to herself.
"It smells so good! It's delicious!"
"Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are getting better and better."
"With this food, the work is worthwhile."
"These are all things we have at home, and we eat them often. But today, we've tried cooking them in a different way, and they taste so good!"
The five people showered Wang Guifen with praise, making her ears turn red.
Being praised and recognized is a very happy thing, but she didn't keep it to herself and said directly, "I learned it from Shuiqing. I think this way of eating is suitable for lunch during busy farming seasons. It's more convenient than dry food."
Fried noodles are fragrant and sweet, but if you only use cold boiled water without hot water, the aroma will be greatly reduced. Also, fried noodles can't be served with side dishes, and it's not very convenient to carry bowls and chopsticks in the fields as they are easy to break.
The flatbread is still the best, and this one has both goose eggs and vegetables, so it's nutritious. Shuiqing says this is called... what do you call a balanced diet!
She didn't know that the nutrition was unbalanced; all she knew was that it tasted delicious!
"It's all thanks to my sister-in-law's excellent learning! If I had learned it, it might not taste this good."
I want to eat this wrap again tomorrow.
The women narrating the scene saw Wang Guifen's family eating with relish, and hearing the praise, they craned their necks to see what it looked like.
Several people have already gathered around to ask how to do it.
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