Chapter 57(1)
The couple went to the cafeteria and had a bowl of hot noodles. There happened to be cooked food today, so Gu Yan bought two pounds of pig's head to take away.
She left the cafeteria and got on the carriage, leaning against the man. "The tractor seems to still have gas, why are you driving the car here?"
"That's all." The man smiled. "The secretary saw that I could drive, so he let me drive a few times these days to haul stuff. ... If you feel sleepy, lie on me and take a nap."
"Ha..." As soon as he said he was sleepy, he started yawning. Gu Yan hummed, pulled his arm for support and began to doze off.
The carriage went all the way back to the village and arrived just in time for work to end at noon. This was a serious matter. Gu Yan was immediately surrounded by the members in three layers.
"Director, you have brought honor to our Kono Brigade this time."
"Of course, our county is unique. Not to mention the Kono Brigade, our director is also a well-known figure in the county now."
"Director, have you met the leaders of the provincial capital? Will there be a chance to meet the chairman again in the future?"
"Really? That's incredible. Is the Director like that scholar, a disciple of the emperor?"
"Go away, stop talking nonsense. What era is this? Why are you still messing around with the almanac? Our director is a glorious worker and a role model for women in the new era."
The man was not angry after being criticized, but happily agreed. "Yes, a role model, a role model."
Being surrounded by everyone and praised to the sky, Gu Yan didn't want to interrupt and went home. The key point is that the branch secretary also joined in the fun and insisted that she talk about what the provincial capital was like and what it was like to receive the award.
In order not to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, she picked up the new things and told everyone about them. The old-fashioned people who had never seen the world were fascinated by the colorful world she talked about and their eyes were full of stars.
"Hey, Director, is this a sewing machine?"
The accountant's wife noticed the cardboard box in Li Zhongxia's car and pointed at it in surprise and asked. She had seen this thing in the supply and marketing cooperative, but had no idea what the real thing looked like. When she said this, everyone looked over here. Sewing machine, it is said that one machine can do the work of several people. Is this really the thing?
"Yes. This time I got the ticket. I bought this with the money from selling the pig. It will give me a machine for sewing."
"Oh my god, this is so good."
"What does a sewing machine look like?"
"Stupid. Didn't you see the picture on the cardboard box? It must look like that."
"How does it work? How can it sew clothes?"
Faced with everyone's curiosity, Gu Yan invited everyone to his home to see. "I'll assemble it this afternoon. If you want to see it, come over in the evening. I'll show you how to use it."
"Oh, okay. Director, you can use this? How do you know how to use it?" a woman asked in surprise.
"He is an advanced individual and a March 8th Red Flag Bearer. He can drive a tractor, so of course he can use this thing. You think you are the one who can do nothing."
"That's right, who is the director? He can use anything."
The woman who was squeezed felt a little embarrassed. Scratching my head to explain. “I just think the director is amazing.”
"Of course. Otherwise, I can be the director."
Gu Yan smiled and said goodbye to everyone and went home. When he arrived in the yard, it was bustling again. Everyone enjoyed the noodles Xiaohua made and the pork head they bought.
When she took out the gifts she had bought, the children all cheered and came over to kiss their mother to express their joy. The old lady held the silk and touched it left and right, unwilling to let it go. Niu Niu sat on her mother's lap holding the baby in her arms and kissed her several times, silently expressing her expectations for her mother.
Li Zhongxia came over and reached out to hug her daughter, but the little girl turned away and refused to let him hug her. The man smiled, patted the child on the back and started talking.
"Mom is tired, let me go and have a rest. Can you play with your sister?"
"I'm with my mom." After saying that, his big eyes rolled around, "I'm not making noise."
Gu Yan stood up and carried his daughter to the ear room. I didn't get enough rest after lying down all night, so I might feel drowsy for a while at noon. "I'll carry her to bed. Please help me carry the bag to the wing room."
"It's all empty, why did you bring it here?"
"Everyone gets a share. Don't you want any?"
"I'm a grown man, how can I fight for this?" Li Zhongxia smiled and said, "You didn't buy me a gift, did you?"
"Find it yourself."
Inside the deflated bag was a small velvet box. Li Zhongxia guessed what it was as soon as he picked it up. When I opened it, it was indeed a watch.
"I can still use it. It would be better to buy it as a lady's."
Gu Yan shook his wrist: "Mine is newer than yours. Your mirror is scratched, so you can see more clearly with this one."
The man said he didn't care, but in fact he was in a good mood with a smile on his face as he held the watch. He took off his old watch and put on a new one, adjusted the time, raised his arm and looked left and right.
"Yes, I know it! I didn't notice it before, but the new one looks better now." After saying that, Xiaoxiao sat next to her and said, "Lie down and take a nap. Niuniu, I'll watch you."
"Um."
After a short separation, the two of them couldn't do anything with a child between them. Gu Yan closed his eyes and went to sleep. Li Zhongxia vaguely heard someone coming to see the sewing machine, so he went out to greet them. She turned over and continued to sleep. When she woke up, the thing had been assembled and placed under the window of the main room.
The man went to work, and Xiaohua took the twins to school. The old lady and Niuniu, an old man and a child, sat on the kang and played with the tumbler. Seeing her come in, the little guy jumped over and asked for a hug.
"No matter what you say, I won't go to school with my sister today. I miss you so much after not seeing you for a few days."
Gu Yan reached out and hugged the child, then kissed the baby's rosy face hard. "You miss me so much! Can you take Niuniu with you next time you go out?"
The little guy nodded happily, but the old lady still disagreed as before. "It's fine to stay at home, but it's hard to go out. It's okay to take care of adults, but it's inconvenient to take care of a child. There are people at home to take care of it, why do you have to endure that trouble?"
Nowadays, it is troublesome to take children out without diapers. Moreover, there are many children, and if you only take one with you, the other children will be jealous. Of course, compared to the powerful plug-in of space, these are all small dishes. The main reason is that I feel that children won’t gain much experience if they go out when they are young. So I will wait until they are older and conditions are better, then I can take them out to play.
After chatting with her mother-in-law for a while, she took Niu Niu to the party branch of the brigade. Spring is about to start and it’s time to sow seeds. As the director, she needs to see how the work is progressing.
"Seventy percent of the land leveling work has been completed, and it will definitely be completed before the Qingming Festival. This year, like last year, corn is the main crop, followed by sorghum. The sorghum seeds with hair are said to have a higher yield than ordinary ones, but we don't know how much higher. If this is really a lot, we can give more food rations to the members this year."
The branch secretary was sitting there writing documents. When he saw her come in, he looked up and told her about the work situation. Then I handed her the manuscript paper and pen.
"It's a task from above. I have to write a work log. I can't do it. I can only write two lines in half an afternoon. This is harder than watching the production in the fields. You should do it!"
"Okay. I'll do it if I can. I won't trouble you these days. Let's stick to the old rules. I'll be responsible for the written materials, and you'll be responsible for the specific implementation. What do you think?"
"No problem!"
The branch secretary smiled when he heard this. I have been doing this job for half my life, and the specific work is a piece of cake. This was the division of labor with the previous director. Now that Gu Yan has taken over, he can still take on the written work for him. It doesn't matter whether you write it yourself or let your man do it when you go home, just get the job done.
Seeing that she was about to write, the old branch secretary reached out to pick up Niu Niu to help her share the burden. As a result, the little girl refused to let him be held. Gu Yan smiled and waved his hands, indicating that she didn't need him.
"It's okay. I can hold her."
"Okay, I'll go to Houling to take a look, and you can write slowly here."
I held my daughter while working. She was very well behaved and not impatient at all. He patted his belly only after his mother finished writing.
"Pee."
Gu Yan quickly carried the child to the grass in the yard. Since she was small now and there was no one around, they could take care of her here. He pulled up the child's pants and locked the door of the Party branch. The mother and daughter prepared to go home.
"Baby, next time you need to pee, tell mommy earlier, don't hold it in. Holding it in for a long time will damage your bladder, do you know that?"
"Don't hold it back."
"You have so much urine, why don't you hold it in? It's ok if you don't feel anything when you fall asleep at night, but don't hold it in during the day, okay?"
"Okay." The little guy smiled and hugged his mother's neck tightly, and the mother and son went down the hill quickly back home. Gu Yan met a woman who was coming home from work to look at her sewing machine at the street entrance, and invited everyone to go into the house.
"I just happened to be making clothes. I'll show you how."
After putting Niu Niu on the kang, Gu Yan took out the clothes he had just cut. Li Zhongxia had carefully put the upper and lower threads in place. She put the clothes in place, gently turned the wheel with her right hand, and the machine started to run with a clattering sound.
With a sound like a machine gun, a straight line was quickly completed. Change the angle and start another one. He continued to sew the front and back lapels together before he stopped pedaling.
"Mom, this is too fast."
"The stitches are really nice, even and dense."
"This single garment can be made, but can a single shoe upper be made?"
"Yes." Gu Yan took out a half-made shoe upper and rolled the edge of it with a few clacking movements. You know what, the quality of machines during this period was impeccable. An ordinary household sewing machine could sew such thick materials without any skipped stitches or tangled threads.
“This works great.”
"That's great." Wang Xiaomai shook his head in exclamation.
"Director, how much is this?"
"One hundred and fifty-two."
"Mom, this is too expensive."
“Good stuff, good price!”
"You need a ticket for this, you can't just buy it with money."
A group of women drooled and left the Li family's compound with envy on their faces. That honor is only given to the March 8th Red Flag Bearers, so they can forget about it. Just use needle and thread and do it manually.
If this thing was bought by Li Zhongxia, these women would definitely not be just envious like they are now. Let’s not talk about hatred, but jealousy is definitely there. I'm jealous that you have a good man and that you marry someone better than us. But since this was bought by Gu Yan based on his own financial ability, they had nothing to say. There is no comparison as we are not as strong as others.
After dinner, Mrs. Li still looked satisfied. She doesn't flatter or look down on others. But even though I am envied by others, I still feel very satisfied.
In the past, it was only my son who brought me glory, but now the glory brought by my daughter-in-law makes me feel even more happy. Before going to bed, he held his wife's hand and told her some secrets between women.
"Wife, give Zhongxia a baby!"
"Mom, why are you saying that again? We have five children, so we don't need any."
"You still don't understand." The old lady shook her head and sighed, and the experienced people advised her earnestly. "What was the reason for the last quarrel between you two?"
“That…that is…”
"It's because you two didn't stick together, and you fell apart when something happened. Wife, I've lived a lifetime and have seen a lot of things. You listen to me and give birth to a child of you and Zhongxia. This child will have your blood and will be related to all five children. In this way, you will be a solid family that can't be separated or broken up by anything."
Li Zhongxia and his ex-wife did have two children, but they separated when something went wrong. Gu Yan really doesn't care much about blood ties. Someone who can be your friend through thick and thin is not necessarily a blood relative. But the old lady has lived a lifetime and has her own set of ideas. As a junior, Gu Yan would not argue with her directly.
"You, even if it's not for these, don't you want to give your man a child?" The old lady seemed to see what she was thinking and continued to persuade her.
"When a man takes a fancy to a woman, he definitely wants her to give birth to a child for him. Regardless of whether it's a man or a woman, this is the common blood of the two. Zhongxia loves you so much, he definitely wants you to give him a child."
is that so? Gu Yan was a little confused. Would Li Zhongxia want her to give birth to a child for him? But she already has five children, and she really doesn’t think there’s any need to have more.
"Ask the old head of Qinghe Brigade to prescribe some Chinese medicine for you so that you can have a baby in midsummer." The old lady held her hand and said, "I am old and I just hope you get well. The kid from the Wang family said that you are fine. But you haven't had any movement for such a long time, you should find another doctor to take a look. Whether you can have a baby or not is another matter, but since you haven't had any movement, we should check if there is something wrong with your body."
I'm taking birth control pills, so of course I won't get pregnant.
Faced with the old man's concern, Gu Yan felt a little sorry for a moment. But having a child is not like raising cats and dogs. You have to be responsible for it after you give birth. Let’s ask Li Zhongxia what he thinks. Personally, she thought there was no need to have more children. Raising these five children well would be worth her life.
"I wonder if I can see him? I've been dreaming about your father coming lately..."
"Mom, don't keep talking about this. You are in good health and will live a long life."
"Haha... you don't understand. To be able to pass away without illness or pain requires a lot of good deeds. You are a blessed person, blessed."
"What is mother talking to you about again?" After blowing out the lights, Li Zhongxia put his arms around his wife. Now that the weather is warm, we have moved to the small shed outside to cook, and there is plenty of space on the kang. But the two of them still shared one bed like in winter.
"Say... let me give you a child." It was dark and difficult to see people's expressions, so Gu Yan repeated his mother-in-law's exact words to him. "It would be better if we had a child. What do you think about this?"
"Yes, we need to go and see. Did you hurt yourself when you gave birth to the twins? But your period is normal, isn't it?"
Gu Yan raised his hand and patted him: "We are talking about the child now, your thoughts have strayed."
"It doesn't matter whether you have children or not. We have five children, so we don't need them. As for the bonding issue, I think we are doing well now. A harmonious relationship between husband and wife is more reliable than relying on children as glue.
But normally you should be pregnant, so why haven’t you shown any signs of pregnancy? I need to see a doctor for a thorough check-up to see if I was injured anywhere during childbirth. ”
"But what if I don't want to have a baby?"
"Well...you should have told me earlier."
"What's the meaning?"
"Does our commune health center have condoms?" The man quietly stepped back and was ready to pull another quilt. "I'll go ask tomorrow."
"Haha..." Gu Yan buried his face in his chest and laughed, very satisfied with the man's attitude. He completely respected her thoughts. Since she said she didn't want to have children, he was actively trying to find ways to avoid it. He is even retreating. Is he afraid that his will is not strong enough and he cannot control himself?
"I bought short-acting contraceptive pills in the provincial capital, so don't worry about it."
"Is this medicine harmful to the body? How long will it last?"
"No. Don't worry about it. If you are really pregnant, just give birth to one."
People are just so strange sometimes. It's not something that has to happen, but if the other party disagrees with you, this slight reluctance will be magnified many times. But now that I have gained the other party's respect, my reluctance doesn't seem to matter much. It's just a child. It's not like we can't afford to raise it.
After a good night's sleep, Gu Yan came back from exercise early the next morning and went to cook. Xiaohua had gone to school after morning reading, and she heard the children calling when the meal was almost ready. She went in to dress Niu Niu, only to find that the old lady, who always woke up early, was still sleeping.
The little girl pointed to the kang opposite her and said, "Grandma was sleeping so soundly today that she didn't even hear me when I called her so loudly."
Lei Lei nodded and said, "I called her too, but grandma didn't agree."
Gu Yan suddenly felt something was wrong. He put the child down and ran to the kang on the east side in two or three steps. Looking at the old man's kind but pale face, her outstretched hand began to tremble involuntarily.
There is breathing. Gu Yan calmed down in an instant and reached out to feel the aorta. The pulse is still there, but he is unconscious. I didn't dare move the old woman, and now I had to do at least enough to keep her breathing unobstructed. She ran out quickly and asked the neighbors in the yard to call a doctor.
What is going on? Is it a cerebral infarction? She is not a doctor and cannot judge. I don’t dare to use the medicine in the space casually. I am waiting anxiously and miss 120 in the future very much. It would be fine to determine what emergency measures to take over the phone! But this is great, there is nothing we can do except wait.
I have never felt that time is so slow, every minute and every second is torture. Several children also stood in front of the kang with their mother, looking at their grandmother without saying a word.
When Li Zhongxia came back, he brought the brigade's barefoot doctor with him. Gu Yan quickly made way: "Please take a look at what's going on. He was still talking to me last night when he was sleeping, but he lost consciousness this morning."
"Hey, don't worry, let me take a look."
After a thorough examination, the old Chinese doctor stood up and said to Li Zhongxia, "Hurry up and go to the commune health center to find Lao Xu and ask him to bring an IV. The patient should have had a cerebral infarction. He needs IV and medication to clear the blood vessels immediately. If the brain is deprived of oxygen for a long time, the consequences will be disastrous. Hurry up, I'll give him two injections to see if it can provide some relief."
Gu Yan got an accurate diagnosis and asked Li Zhongxia to go to the commune to find a doctor. She stayed home and waited. The old Chinese doctor used a long silver needle to give the old lady acupuncture treatment, and Gu Yan secretly prepared the medicine to clear the blood vessels in the space.
In that fucking era, the brigade didn’t even have an IV tube, which was so common in later generations, and there was no distribution of liquids. There were only three tubes in the commune health center, and they were all boiled in water and reused after being used.
After the injection, Gu Yan sent the old doctor away and also sent away the neighbors who came to check on the situation. She asked Xiaohua to take her younger brother and sister to eat, and she secretly gave the old man a tube of medicine, directly injecting it intravenously above the arm to prevent the doctor who would come to give the infusion from noticing anything.
The medicines searched for in hospitals in later generations took effect very quickly. In less than ten minutes, the old man's complexion began to recover and was no longer so pale and creepy.
Before Li Zhongxia could invite the doctor from the commune health center back home, the old lady had already regained consciousness. Gu Yan saw the old woman open her eyes and waved his hand in front of her eagerly.
"Mom, can you see me? Do you know who I am?"
"daughter in law."
"Oh my god, you're finally awake. Do you know you were in a coma? We were all scared to death by you. How do you feel now? Can you move? Try to move your arms and see if you can lift them up."
The old lady raised her arm upon hearing this. Although the movement was a little strenuous, it did not affect her activities. Only then did Gu Yan feel relieved.
He can understand words and control his limbs, so it seems that there is no serious injury. Fortunately, it was a cerebral infarction. If it was a cerebral hemorrhage, in this backward era and backward place, there would be no time and conditions to treat it.
After the commune doctor came and examined the team, he praised the barefoot doctor. "Awesome, it seems that acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine is very powerful! Lao Wang, please teach me when you have time, I will take you as my teacher."
"Come on. Go learn what your old man knows."
"My old man doesn't have the same effect as you. Your ability is really extraordinary. You can't keep it to yourself. You have to share it with everyone in the next medical training."
The two doctors chatted casually while they prescribed medicine and gave the old man an IV in a relaxed manner. "Be careful not to move the hand that's inserting the needle, or the needle will roll out and you'll have to find a new vein to insert the needle. I have to go back to the commune and give you the infusion tomorrow. After the infusion is finished, you can remove the needle yourself, and then put the infusion tube and needle in this small pot to boil."
"Uncle, how long does it take to cook?" Xiaohua asked.
"Fifteen minutes. I'll just heat it up again when I come tomorrow."
After seeing the doctor off, Li Zhongxia sat next to his mother with a look of fear on his face. The old man is over 60 years old this year, which is beyond the average life expectancy of this era. He was really afraid that she would never wake up like her father.
"Mom, are you feeling better?"
"It's okay, don't be afraid."
"I'm going to cook you some dragon beard noodles, don't move!"
"Here, child."
"Both." Gu Yan smiled, patted the man and asked him to accompany his old mother while he went to cook noodles.
After breakfast, Li Zhongxia continued to work, while Gu Yan stayed at home to take care of the elderly and children. After watching her finish the infusion and remove the needle to let the old woman rest, she busied herself with cleaning and washing clothes.
The next day, she asked the commune doctor about the medication and considered adding a dose of nicardipine for her mother-in-law. After a week of treatment, the old lady basically recovered to normal.
"Oh! My fingers are not working well. I should have pierced the east side, but it went to the west side." The old lady put down the clothes she was going to sew and sighed. Looked very unhappy.
"Don't be impatient! You are still taking medicine. As the saying goes, three parts of illness and seven parts of recovery, you can't be so impatient. Our family doesn't need you to do some needlework. Now we have a sewing machine, which can make clothes very quickly. You can use scissors to cut window paper-cuts to exercise your nerves."
"well!"
"Don't sigh, old lady. This disease needs to be cured slowly, and people who are recovering from it should not be impatient."
Sister Xu came in with a basket and started to comfort the old man. Gu Yan put a cushion on the edge of the kang for her to sit on.
"You're about to give birth, why are you still running around?"
"Don't mention it. I had a stomachache a few days ago and thought I was going to give birth. I even called the midwife. Then I felt nothing. Look at this child. Isn't she deliberately trying to make her mother suffer?"
"It's a little naughty boy." Gu Yan reached out and touched her big belly. The child raised his foot and gave her a Foshan Shadowless Kick. "He's so lively, he looks like a healthy child."
"It moves so frequently. My mother-in-law said it might still be a boy." Sister Xu sighed and gently stroked the big ball. "I don't care about the boy or girl anymore. As long as they are born safely, it's fine. It's really uncomfortable to carry a big belly. It's inconvenient to do anything."
"Yes. Being safe and healthy is better than anything else." The old lady spoke clearly, and except for her shaky hands, everything else seemed fine.
After visiting the patient, Sister Xu hurried home to do her work, saying that she had to go to work in the afternoon. Gu Yan kept the big pumpkin she brought and gave her several pounds of eggs in return.
"Girl, what are you doing?"
"Shh." Gu Yan deliberately acted like a thief so that she didn't dare to refuse openly. "You're not allowed to keep chickens anytime soon. I'll give you the eggs first so you can eat them during your confinement period."
"Why can't you raise pigs? It seems like you didn't raise pigs this year. Is there a new policy from above?"
Gu Yan nodded slightly. "Don't tell anyone outside."
"I know. I keep my mouth shut and won't tell anyone."
The two women sneaked out of the yard and waited for Sister Xu to return home before they reacted and patted themselves.
"How stupid! We are not allowed to raise chickens, let alone take her eggs! She has a large family, and my mother-in-law is still sick and taking medicine. We have to spend money everywhere."
I wanted to return it to her immediately, but then I thought about it and withdrew my outstretched foot. "Maybe the officials don't allow us to raise chickens and pigs? Then I have to feed a few more chickens and feed her some as well. I can just cover for her."
The woman thought it through, so she went to her neighbor to find an old hen that was sitting on broth that afternoon and laid fourteen eggs for it to hatch.
Sow in spring, weed in summer, harvest in autumn, and store in winter. Just after the first season of the year, when people in the fields were calculating when they could harvest the summer crops, the vigorous movement came.
From top to bottom, sweeping across the country. There was no chain reaction in small places, but the commune cadres held several meetings and repeatedly emphasized the revolutionary situation.
Gu Yan was not in a hurry. He informed everyone to gather all the task pigs together and raise them in the team, and give a certain subsidy based on their weight.
"Just keep three or two chickens per family. If you are cut off as a capitalist tail, don't come here to complain."
After receiving the notification from every household and yard, she went home and quickly cut the neck of her own chicken. "Well, we'll have meat to eat for the next few days."
At noon, I had braised chicken nuggets with chili peppers, which was very flavorful. You can smell the fragrant aroma from a long distance away. Wang Xiaomai in the east room hung up clothes and came over following the smell.
"Director, is it true that we are not allowed to raise chickens? How can you kill chickens for food and not let go of the egg-laying hens?"
"I've told you so many times, if you're not afraid of having your tails cut off, just keep them. That's the message from the higher-ups, how can I lie? If your chickens are taken away, don't come and cry to me."
"Ah? Then... I'll kill one too. But I still have eight half-grown chicks at home. Can't I keep them?"
"It's better not to keep it."
Overcorrection has always been the case. Once you lean in one direction, it's easy to fall completely to that side. Those poor lazy guys and those who take advantage of the situation will seize on this little bit and magnify it infinitely, acting like they are glorious because they are poor. He is endlessly critical of these hardworking people who want to live a good life, and wishes that everyone could just lie at home and sleep, or bask in the sun on the street, and be as poor as him. Or poorer than him.
Wang Xiaomai nodded and went to kill a chicken. The one in the west room also wanted to kill one, but she had never done this job before and she didn't dare to do it with the knife. In the end, it was Gu Yan who slit the chicken's throat. If you really can't keep it, it's better to put it into your own stomach. Exchange it for salt or a basket tomorrow. Anyway, we can't let others get away with it.
When people come back from work or school, they all drool over the delicious smell. Many people in the team killed chickens today. When this movement started, the chickens suffered before people did. This is really a case of the fire in the city gate affecting the fish in the pond.
May is as hot as fire. We ate chicken at noon and it started to rain in the afternoon. Now that I have eaten my fill and lie on the kang, I have nothing to do.
At night, the waiter in the east room cried miserably. Gu Yan looked at him with amusement and had no intention of interfering in other people's business. Beating children on cloudy and rainy days is just a waste of time. It's true that in this day and age, adults are so busy that they have no time to care about things. It was finally raining and I had some free time, so I remembered all the stupid things the kids had done during that period, and started doing them as soon as they disagreed.
"Xiaoer failed the exam this time. His father had boasted before that he was very good and would definitely be admitted to junior high school. Now he's embarrassed, so why not beat him up as much as possible!"
Xiaohua was lying on the table doing her homework, and her mother curiously opened her mouth to answer her questions. Gu Yan nodded and went over to take a look at her homework.
"What about you? You have final exams soon. Do you think it's okay?"
"No problem. Don't worry, Mom. I ranked first in the whole commune during the midterm exam. It will be a piece of cake for me to get into junior high school."
"Okay, that's fine. If you don't know anything, just ask your dad."
"Yes, I know. My dad tutors me every day. I have already learned a lot of Chinese and math for the first grade of junior high school."
A few days later, the brigade officially started harvesting summer crops. As the director, Gu Yan took the lead in working on a piece of land of more than ten acres.
The sun was shining brightly overhead and everyone was sweating profusely. In this era without machines and when everything depends on manpower, every grain of rice is hard-earned. The children behind were carrying baskets and picking up wheat ears, not wanting to drop even a single one.
After a hard morning's work, she went around to the shack when she got off work, wanting to pick some green onions from the ditch beside the field to take home and dip in sauce. She had sown seeds here before, and every year some of the seeds would fall by themselves and reproduce on their own. As a result, as soon as he stood up after picking the vegetables, he saw Han Lao Er and his gang of gangster brothers.
This guy has been doing nothing all these years. After his wife was sentenced last year, he repeatedly distanced himself from that woman outside, for fear that others would talk about him having a wife who was in labor camp. This guy is a coward and has always avoided her. Why is he coming towards her? There must be something wrong when things are abnormal, and Gu Yan had a bad feeling for a moment.
"Director, this isn't your private plot, right? How can you just grow vegetables on your own? Aren't you taking advantage of the members?"
The skinny guy with him gave a lewd smile, and Han Laoer started to agree with the man. "Yes, the director cannot undermine socialism."
"That's right. As a leader, you should set an example. Your behavior is wrong. You don't act like a public servant at all. You are not as conscious as us members..."
The lazy guy got stuck and forgot the words. He stuttered for a long time without saying anything else. "Anyway, it's not a good idea. It's wrong for you to do this."
Li Zhongxia delivered his last load of wheat and made a detour to pick up his wife to go home together. As soon as he came over, he saw that the place was surrounded by people, and his wife was being bullied by several men wearing red armbands and looking smug. He kept saying that the man had bad manners, and his wife's face was already full of gloom.
Han Laoer was actually here too. This guy usually hides himself in silence, but why did he suddenly jump out? Gu Yan had a very bad impression of him and looked like he was going to attack him whenever he was mentioned. At this moment, he was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, and it looked like he wanted to beat him up.
"Give me the vegetables." He walked up and grabbed the green onions from his wife's hand, then turned around and distributed them to the onlookers passing by. "There are still some in the ditch. If you want to eat them, feel free to pick them. This is a public space and the things belong to everyone. It's just like the wild vegetables all over the mountains. If you want to eat them, just dig them yourself."
The members all smiled, and one of them said honestly, "Oh, it's just two bunches of green onions. What's the point of talking about public servants? Do public servants have to keep their mouths shut? You guys are just idle. It would be better if you had the time to go to the fields and harvest wheat."
"You know nothing. You are a bunch of ignorant people. If you dare to look down on us, that is contempt..."
"Yes, arrest him. This is a red-handed ..."
"What did I say?" He stepped back in fear at the woman who was clamoring to be arrested. "It's just a bunch of green onions. You can give it to me if you want. Why are you putting a hat on me? I won't say anything else. I'm leaving now."
The woman turned around and ran, and several men wanted to chase her. The road was blocked by members. "Forget it, this rough guy doesn't know how to talk, so stop nagging him."
"You have no idea at all. What time is it now? Hold on tight..."
A few lazy and idle people have finally found a job that does not require them to work, but allows them to be praised for finding faults. One by one, they boasted to the workers who had worked for the whole morning and were sweating profusely, and they calmly criticized them for being unconscious.
Those who were criticized and those who criticized have all been replaced. Those who were previously pointed at and laughed at are now in the upper hand, and a group of laborers who worked hard and suffered dare not say a word after being criticized. Otherwise, a big hat will be put on you, and at the very least you will be scolded, but at the worst you will be beaten to an unknown extent.
Li Zhongxia held his wife's hand tightly, fearing that she would pick up branches and sticks on the roadside to beat these bastards. When villains succeed, demons will run wild. These guys can only be dealt with behind the scenes, and you must never give them an advantage in front of everyone. Otherwise, as soon as the other party mentions the lower lips, a big hat will be put on you.
The real working proletariat is not afraid. At most, they will be criticized for saying something wrong. But you are the director and a party member. If it is really exploited by someone with ulterior motives, it can be exaggerated infinitely. Even if you are not crushed by the big hat, you can still hold a few conferences.
We were exhausted after working for a whole morning and then got scolded on the way home. Everyone returned exhausted. Gu Yan walked back empty-handed, being pulled by Li Zhongxia.
Han Laoer originally thought that this was his ultimate move. Once he released it, not only would he fry her to a crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, he would also be able to give her a good scolding. Everyone would come together and beat her up a few times to vent their anger.
But how come the plan was ruined just as he made his move? The man was unconvinced and pointed at Gu Yan and kept complaining.
"You are the director, and you have been a model worker for several years. But you have no awareness at all, and you just pick onions from the public land. That is..."
"Han Lao Er, I'm going to beat you to death today."
Gu Yan seized the opportunity, broke free from Li Zhongxia, snatched the sickle from his hand, and rushed towards the bastard. This guy had sequelae from being beaten by Gu Yan. Seeing her rushing towards him madly, he turned around and ran away in fear.
"Don't hit me... I am now..."
Gu Yan ignored him and started to chase after him. There is a long uphill slope from here to the village. The two of them ran one after the other, panting. The man had no time to talk. He looked so anxious that he wished he had two more legs. The commotion attracted many onlookers on the roadside.
The villains in power are the most difficult to deal with. Li Zhongxia was afraid that his daughter-in-law would fall into their trap and be punished for the wrongdoing.
"Calm down, Gu Yan."
"Stop her quickly. Secretary, stop her quickly..."
The branch secretary came from another direction and we met in the center of the village. Han Lao Er was so scared that he hid behind the branch secretary. Now, this person was probably the only one who dared to stop him.
"Gu Yan, Comrade Gu Yan, what are you doing? Put down your sickle and talk nicely."
Gu Yan was no longer crazy at this moment. He put his hand down and looked very reasonable.
"Since I've met you, you can come and judge for yourself." After saying that, he pointed at Han Lao Er, his face full of anger and grievance. "Secretary, do you think the ditches on the edge of the land are considered wild land?"
"Yes! Except for the brigade's land, everything else is considered wilderness."
"I was picking a few onions in the wilderness, and this guy
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