It's harvest time again. Looking at the fields laden with fruit, the joy of a bountiful harvest is etched on everyone's face. The golden wheat waves are like a sea of golden waves. Even the sun can't dampen the eagerness that wells up in everyone's heart.
"Harvest season..."
"Enough of the nonsense, everyone hurry up. Once the harvest is finished, it's time to distribute the public grain. Don't be lazy."
The village chief stood in the fields and spoke loudly to encourage the people. This was the time when no one objected and everyone was happy. The fields before them represented their annual food supply and harvest.
"Ashu, take those educated youth to their assigned places. Don't eat until you finish your work."
The autumn harvest is a big pot of rice, with meat dishes prepared long ago, so that the nutrition is sufficient. Except for the elderly and the weak, all laborers are required to participate in the autumn harvest, without exception.
"No way... can we harvest all this wheat?"
"That's too much! It's a dictatorship. He won't give us food until we finish the harvest."
"I want to protest against authoritarianism in the village."
The educated youth looked at the three acres of land before them and felt a pang of despair. They simply couldn't do it, and they didn't know how to do it. They were used to working slowly, ensuring no one suffered any loss. Now, looking at the land allocated to them by the village, their first impulse was to protest; they were unwilling to do hard labor.
They were willing to do farm work, but they had never imagined such hard work. They could not endure hardship and could not do anything. The villagers around them looked at them with indifference, which made the group of people who were proud to be here to lead the countryside feel that it was impossible for them to receive education in the countryside.
"If you want to protest, go ahead. I don't care about you. All I know is that your work points are clearly recorded in my notebook. If you don't want the work points, that's fine. I completely agree."
The scorekeeper nearby looked at the noisy educated youth with a wave of disdain. It would be fine if they just ate plain rice, but they were also trying to stir up trouble. They didn't even consider the time and place. Did they really think that everyone in Xiashan Village was a vegetarian?
"You...you...you are using public power to seek personal gain."
"You...you guys, I'm going to report you guys if you do this."
"Hmph?" The villagers snorted coldly, looking at the educated youth with eyes as cold as iron.
"Uncle San, when are we going to get these educated youths out? They're getting a bit annoying just looking at them."
"Just... let's get rid of these educated youth! None of them can read my instructions."
They're clueless, ignorant, and I don't understand why these people are so arrogant. Do you really think they'll tolerate any behavior that crosses the line? If you want to commit suicide, they won't stop you. Don't think they're all fools.
"Alright, forget about it." The elders glared at their children, who were trying to stir up trouble. Don't think they were unaware of their plans. While teaching the educated youth a lesson was fine, they didn't want their own children to be ruthless.
"You are all being bullied, yet you are really able to tolerate it."
"Dad...we all want to teach these ignorant brats a lesson."
Don't think they don't understand their actions or the little calculations in the minds of these educated youth. Humph, no matter what they think, the girls and boys of Xiashan Village are not something these ungrateful wolves can afford to pursue. Any children who have small aspirations or small intentions are kept under close watch. When they hunt, that's when they take action.
"I see you're doing more than just teaching a lesson."
The insightful eyes and the certain tone of voice all showed that everyone knew what was going on in their hearts.
…
The autumn harvest is well underway, and the bustling scene of work is enviable. The industrious people of Xiashan Village, with no one lagging behind, naturally yield a bountiful harvest. Heavy ears of wheat weigh down the fields, and the joy of a bountiful harvest is everywhere.
"This year's harvest is great, you can tell by looking at the wheat."
"Well, it's indeed a bumper harvest. I estimate that the output value of one acre of land is at least 400 to 500 kilograms. This figure is more than half of that in previous years."
The old farmer can roughly estimate the yield just by looking at the wheat field. This is a skill that not everyone can master.
"I didn't expect that this year's harvest would be beyond my expectation." The village chief smiled, and a smile broke out on his wrinkled face.
"This is all the result of the villagers' hard work. No one is lazy."
"Yeah! Everyone is motivated this year, and I feel much more at ease seeing this."
Looking back on the past, the days of famine made them dare not imagine the good life they have now. As long as there is food, there is no need to worry. No matter what, just looking at the food makes them feel at ease.
"Hurry up, don't act like a woman who hasn't eaten. Everyone, remember, after we're done and the grain is stored in the warehouse, we'll distribute it. This is our annual rations, so don't waste time."
On the ridge of the field, the village chief, mobilizing everyone, shouted slogans, and the villagers below also worked hard. No one wanted to get less than full marks for work points. Work points were the most important thing in the world.
Chen Yun and Miao Guihua were also busy, both inside and outside the house. The granary and the cellar needed cleaning. The laborers had to earn work points, and the women didn't have it easy either. They'd already prepared mung bean paste and chilled it with well water, and they'd also brewed and cooled herbal tea to cool them down. And because of the heavy autumn harvest, they needed to eat plenty of meat to supplement their nutrition. The food during this time rivaled even that of the Lunar New Year.
"Mom...it's too hot, let's make some cold dishes!"
Chen Yun thought of cold-mixed bamboo shoots, cold-mixed cucumbers, shredded kelp, lettuce, bean shoots...a bunch of dishes that really made her salivate.
"By the way, did you put the watermelon in the well?" Miao Guihua asked, thinking of the fruit after dinner.
"Yes, I picked a big watermelon."
I chilled the water in the well early in the morning, hoping it would be ready by the time Dad and my brother got back from their work. There were no refrigerators or electricity in the countryside; everything depended on an ancient well. The water from the well was sweet and refreshing, and incredibly cool in the summer.
"Well, that's good. I'm really worried about getting heatstroke in this weather!"
Miao Guihua fanned herself constantly. While calming the mind naturally brings coolness, this wasn't something most people possessed. They were ordinary people, so they still felt the heat and sweated profusely. Chen Yun, at this moment, deeply missed electric fans, air conditioning, and cold air.
"Well, the weather is too hot. I don't know why it is so hot this year."
It's so hot, so hot! The vegetables in the fields are wilting. Without water, the air is incredibly hot and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. Being outside in this kind of weather without shelter is truly exhausting. I don't know if my dad and brothers can handle it, if their bodies can handle it.
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