They would dig their dugouts whenever they had free time, and they lived a very comfortable life.
Wang Tieniu would sometimes join in the gossip, and other times he would lend a hand to other groups that were making slow progress, in order to gain some goodwill.
In contrast, the Ma siblings were practically living in misery.
My foot and butt injuries haven't fully healed, so I'm already slow at work. Plus, I'm feeling resentful, so I'm being passive and dawdling.
While everyone else had finished work and gone home for a hot meal, the two of them were still toiling away in the fields, barely getting by.
When they dragged their exhausted bodies back to the canteen, all that was left in the pot were some cold cornbread, hard enough to kill someone, and the soup was almost gone.
Smelling the occasional aroma of stewed meat wafting from Du Jianshan's house, and then looking at the cold cornbread in my hand, the taste was more bitter than eating bitter melon!
What's even more infuriating is that Du Jianshan can occasionally "skip work"!
Several pigs at the company's pig farm went listless today, and the veterinarian was at a loss.
Du Jianshan strolled over and, without anyone knowing what kind of grass roots and tree bark he had mixed into the pig feed.
Hey, those pigs were lively and energetic the very next day!
The old tractor in the regiment broke down again tomorrow. The mechanic fiddled with it for ages but couldn't fix it, and the company commander was jumping up and down in frustration.
Du Jianshan took a blade of grass in his mouth, squatted down, and tapped and banged on it for a while, and actually managed to make a sound!
The company commander was so happy that he patted him on the shoulder and granted him a day off on the spot!
Seeing Du Jianshan receive praise without having to do any work and eat the hot meat and vegetables specially reserved for him by the canteen, Ma Chunmei and Ma Jinbao were green with envy!
Why should I?!
Why should he get to eat meat, take walks, and repair machines, while I have to work myself to death eating cold cornbread and planting those damn trees!
Every time I see Du Jianshan looking so relaxed and carefree, even chatting and laughing with Ayiguli...
Ma Jinbao was so angry that his liver, stomach, and body ached, and the thought of reporting him grew wildly in his mind like weeds!
He stared intently at the two men, his fingernails digging into his palms.
“Wait… Du Jianshan… Ayiguli… you just wait…”
The sun in the Gobi Desert is scorching, and time flies by.
In the blink of an eye, ten days or so had passed, and Du Jianshan's dugout on the slope at the edge of the company was finally completely cleaned up.
Two small earthen houses with arched roofs are nestled side by side in the slope, with only half of the yellow earthen walls and openings with simple wooden-framed windows showing. They look inconspicuous, but once you step inside, you'll find a hidden world.
Wang Tieniu worked tirelessly, and looking at the sturdy, sheltered nest that was warm in winter and cool in summer, he rubbed his hands together with envy: "Brother Shanzi, your craftsmanship is amazing! It's even better than the earthen kiln in my hometown!"
Du Jianshan patted the yellow dust off his hands and grinned, "It'll do. Tie Niu, work hard and save up enough work points, then I'll dig one for you too, I guarantee it'll be even more comfortable than this!"
"Really? Brother Shanzi, you're like a real brother to me!" Wang Tieniu's eyes lit up, and he became even more enthusiastic.
Inside the dugout, Du Jianshan had already quietly moved some inconspicuous "belongings" out of his spatial storage.
A sturdy earthen kang (heated brick bed) occupied half of the inner room, covered with thick straw and an old felt blanket.
A fairly decent earthen stove was built against the wall in the outer room, and a fire poker was still left at the opening of the stove.
A low table made of rough wood, several stools made of tree stumps, and a few earthenware jars for holding water in the corner.
Although simple, it could be considered a "luxury suite" in this Gobi Desert.
"It's a joyous occasion to move into a new home, let's have some fun!"
Du Jianshan was in a great mood and called to Wang Tieniu: "Tieniu, go and invite Comrade Ayiguli, as well as Lao Zhang, Accountant Liu and the others who get along well with you."
"Just tell them I'm cooking here and they should try something new!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
