Chapter 67

Cotton Picking Competition

"Lao Gao, we are busy at the oil refinery, why do we have to go to the farm to pick cotton? You don't know how many thorns there are on cotton bells. They are very irritating. A day of picking cotton will make you itchy and unable to sleep for at least three days."

Director He was not happy to hear that she had to go to the farm to pick cotton. Of course, she was also fully armed.

District Chief Gao was sitting in the front, and because his secretary Xiao Zhang was there, he couldn't argue with his wife, so he coaxed her by saying, "Didn't Secretary A say that everyone will be given 20 kilograms of cotton after they help pick cotton for the farm? Your mother asks you for cotton every day, so when the time comes, give her 20 kilograms. I have no objection."

"Helping to pick cotton and then delivering 20 kilograms of cotton each, this idea was thought up by He Min, it's very good. He is a very qualified leader. I think he should be credited with a great achievement." He Lanshan said immediately.

"Then I have to tell you responsibly that this method was thought up by Director Chen himself. Also, He Min, why don't we let him go back to Daqing? He doesn't know how to get things done and is just giving orders blindly. I now feel that his resume is all lies."

"Gao Feng, you look at everyone in our He family with tinted glasses." He Lanshan immediately became angry.

"Then let me ask you, if he really did a good job in Daqing, did an excellent job, and was appreciated by his leaders, why would he run to the border? I simply think that he came here because he couldn't make it in Daqing with this work style."

"Yes, he was only a level 16 cadre in Daqing. If he was transferred to the frontier, he would be promoted to level 15. Not only would his administrative level be higher, but his salary would also be higher. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Yes, his mother is the principal, she makes at least 50 yuan a month, and he is in the 15th grade, he makes more than 100 yuan a month. Such a high salary is hard to find these days. Your second mother's family is completely greedy."

"What about you, Gao Feng? Aren't you trying to improve your chances and climb to level 12?" He Lanshan started pointing out District Chief Gao's shortcomings.

"Okay, okay, let's stop talking about this topic. We can't talk about your family anymore." District Chief Gao said quickly.

The driver, Xiao Zhang, very compassionately handed the gloves to District Chief Gao and said, "District Chief, how about I pick the cotton for Director He?"

If a person is rationed to pick 50 kilograms of cotton, he or she really has to pick the cotton from morning till night, and still may not be able to complete the task.

"Do your own thing. Others can do it, so why can't I? Let me tell you, when it comes to picking cotton, I'd be second to none in the entire mining area." Director He was still angry. He got out of the car, picked up a bag of cotton and went to the field.

District Chief Gao's only daughter, Gao Xiaobing, was also in the car. After her parents got off the car, she was taken to Chen Lili's home by Secretary Xiao Zhang.

It was the little girl’s first time at the farm and she was quite excited. She didn’t care whether her parents were arguing or not.

Not only the workers in the mining area, but also the workers in the three bases were called to the cotton fields, and everyone was working hard.

"Secretary, you look really handsome in this pose. Come, let me take another picture of you." He Min ran around in the cotton field with a camera in his hand.

Well, he finally found a place to use his energy, that is, taking photos for the leaders.

"Minister Gao, you have picked 20 kilograms of cotton in just this morning. Come on, let me take a picture of you and your trophy, okay?" As he said that, he pointed the camera at Gao Dayong again.

Gao Dayong was fully armed, except for the protective mask. He was holding two cloth bags that were taller than himself, and showing off his trophies to the camera.

Snap, Snap, Snap. He Min took three photos of him in a row.

"Ah, Chief of Staff Yu, the cotton you picked today is a little less. What's going on? Can't you hear me?" He Min asked loudly.

Chief of Staff Yu's ears were damaged by Gao Dayong's yelling the night before, so of course he couldn't hear anything.

However, as long as there is a camera, men are willing to show themselves.

Because he couldn't hear, he spoke in an especially loud voice. "Well, Secretary, the party the night before yesterday was ruined by bad elements. Can we hold a make-up party after we finish picking cotton?"

In the cotton fields, people were very far from each other. He shouted so loudly that Secretary Ah also had to shout back, "Okay, the mining district will approve some money to buy soda for everyone. There are melon seeds and peanuts in the farm. I declare that we will hold a social gathering."

"Then Minister Gao, can we arm wrestle again? I still want to have my first dance with the beloved Director Chen."

Chief of Staff Yu turned around and saluted deep into the cotton field. Oh, that’s right, his fiancée Xiao Bao was in that direction. “But this doesn’t mean that I don’t love our beautiful Red Women’s Army Comrade Xiao Bao. I just want to tell Minister Gao that no matter how despicable he uses, he can’t beat me.”

All the armed forces personnel in the cotton fields burst into laughter.

Arm wrestling can be said to be the favorite entertainment of the comrades in the armed forces.

When Minister Gao first arm-wrestled with Staff Officer Yu, he first asked Staff Officer Yu to participate in a heavy military exercise. Staff Officer Yu told everyone that Minister Gao's victory was unfair. This time, everyone picked cotton together and competed fairly. He still wanted to win.

"How about this, I break up with you?" In the corner, Nie Bozhao, who had been silent all the time, suddenly spoke.

"Nonggong, that's right. I remember that we once failed to arm wrestle. So, how about this, when we finish picking the cotton, we will have an arm wrestling competition together, and the winner will have the first dance with Director Chen. How about that?"

"Sure, what's wrong with that?"

The laborer works slowly but meticulously. Well, for someone like him, don't expect to earn cotton for his family. All we can say is that the most important thing is to participate.

"Nian Gong, do you think it's necessary for Director Chen to return to her family? These rough guys are always making fun of her."

After taking the photos, He Min held the camera and ran to talk to Nie Bozhao.

Nie Bozhao didn't think so. "My wife is a very good woman. Moreover, the good harvest of the farm means that at least this year everyone in the mining area doesn't have to eat wo wo tou every day since the New Year. It means that everyone has quilts to cover themselves. I think the comrades in the armed forces just want to express their respect for her.

But He Min, you have already moved to the base, why didn't you let Yuan Hua come over? It's not good for the two of you to live apart, right?"

"She is just a spendthrift woman. If she comes, she will only make me angry. If she doesn't come, it doesn't matter." He Min said carelessly and nonchalantly.

After all, she is his aunt's sister. Yuan Hua married He Min when she was very young. Nie Bozhao hated He Min calling his cousin a spendthrift woman. In addition, he gave blind instructions when the cotton field caught fire. Suddenly, he felt that this man was not worthy of his current position.

During the lunch break, in order to save working time, everyone just sat in the cotton fields and ate the big pot of rice brought by the educated youth.

For leaders, this kind of life experience is quite novel.

The big white steamed bun paired with a big pot of stir-fried cabbage and mutton soup has a unique flavor.

"Secretary, please listen to my news article. The title of this news article is "The cotton fields are harvesting a lot. The secretaries of the mining area take the lead in harvesting cotton." What do you think? If you think it's okay, I will add this photo and submit it to the New Youth Daily."

"That's great, Comrade Xiao He. You can actually write news articles. It's probably not easy to get published in the New Youth Daily, right?" Secretary Ah looked at He Min with a different eye. "Our mining area is currently recruiting people vigorously. If this article is sent out, there should be a large number of aspiring young people rushing to the frontier, right?"

"That's right, leader. How about I go home and write the article right now?" He Min said.

"Okay, hurry up."

Well, with chicken feathers as arrows, He Min didn't put in any effort, didn't pick any cotton, but just by flattering and showing off some literary talent, she won the appreciation of the leaders.

Nie Gong felt that he should discuss this with his wife. He felt that He Min was a nuisance on the farm.

If he is allowed to continue to do this, the leader's potential for vanity and ostentation will be aroused, and flattery and face-saving projects will become popular on the farm again.

However, after searching in several circles, he still couldn't find Director Chen.

There is no way, the cotton field is too big, and there are too many people in it.

Gay men, you are just rough guys. You think it’s embarrassing to wear a mask, and it’s easy to deny it.

To protect their skin and hair, the female comrades, especially those from the art troupe, wore masks, hats, and protective sleeves, just like the paramedics during the Chernobyl nuclear leak.

"Manager Chen, is that you?" The worker approached a woman and asked tentatively based on his familiarity with his wife's body shape.

"It's me, Engineer Nie. I heard that you want to arm wrestle Chief of Staff Yu. I want to ask you, as an engineer, can you beat him? Do you want me to find a way to break his hand tonight to help you?"

The woman took off her mask and asked with a smile, "Oh, it's Staff Officer Yu's girlfriend Xiao Bao."

The red female army of the art troupe has a first-rate figure, but her face is a little overbite. But she is also a very straightforward girl.

"Comrade Xiao Bao, don't even think about damaging Chief of Staff Yu's hand. I think I should have no problem arm wrestling. At least, we should compete fairly. On behalf of the farm, I have to pay my highest respects to beautiful women like you. Thank you for coming to help the farm pick cotton."

As he was talking, Nie continued to walk forward in the cotton field. In the distance, he saw a short woman trying to move forward. This was District Chief Gao's wife, He Lanshan. Nie Bozhao was familiar with her figure and could recognize her at a glance.

"Hey, Director. Have you met my family?"

He Lanshan only showed his two eyes, pointed forward, and said, "Bo Zhao, is there a small motor inside your wife's body? Also, your Erdan is too aggressive, what do you feed him to keep him in such good health?"

Nie Bozhao took a look and, lo and behold, there was a woman at the far end of the cotton field. Well, even though she was wrapped like a silkworm, it was still Chen Lina. He could recognize her at a glance.

Erdan, carrying a cotton bag, followed closely behind Chen Lina, helping her carry the cotton.

The kid is not good at studying, his little butt is bouncing around, but he's a real thug at work.

"Director Chen, if a helicopter were to take a picture, they would be able to see that you are the fastest and the one who picks the most. Can you tell me why you work so hard?" Nie Bozhao took off his military water bottle from his back and handed it to her. Chen Lina took off her mask and took a gulp of water, then filled Erdan's glass with water. She took off her hat, her forehead covered with sweat.

"The soldiers are all worried. Just now, Director He met me and asked me if I could pick cotton and if I was afraid of the cotton bells pricking my hands. I told her that if anyone could pick cotton better than me, I would let my husband Nie hold the accordion and sing a song for them."

"What song?" Nie Gong's face was slapped like a poker, and he was about to jump up and get mad. "I can play the accordion, but I have never sung a song, okay?"

"Why are you in such a hurry? They can't beat me anyway." Chen Lina said with a smile.

"How's Alamuhan? She's neither fat nor thin..." Erdan squinted his eyes and yelled, singing in a very good manner. "Mom said that if she loses, you will have to sing for the big sisters in the art troupe."

Nie Bozhao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Erdan, go ahead. Dad will help Mom pick the cotton."

For workers, it is better to be abused than to sing in public.

While everyone was struggling to harvest cotton, He Min was wielding a pen at home, writing so-called news and bragging about the leaders.

Now, all the cotton has almost been stored in the warehouse, and everyone can hardly lift their arms.

However, Minister Gao and Staff Officer Yu still had a grudge against each other and were ready to have another fight at any time.

The female comrades in the art troupe and female comrades including Deputy Director Wu Qiong were different. They were also picking cotton with all their might, hoping to surpass Chen Lina.

Well, just thinking about being able to get those rigid and strict laborers to sing a love song while holding an accordion, the female comrades in the art troupe were inspired.

Finally, on the last day that the mine officials helped, Chen Lina had only a slight advantage of five kilograms over He Lanshan. If she lost, Nie Bozhao would have to sing "Alamuhan" in public.

The song had a very fast tempo, and one had to sing, dance, and shake one's head at the same time to sound joyful.

In order to outperform Chen Lina, Comrade He Lanshan gave up wearing gloves, a mask or a hat. He was not afraid of being burned by the scorching sun. He just put on a cotton bag and put on a desperate posture.

Of course Chen Lina was determined not to admit defeat and even gave up her little follower Erdan. After all, with Erdan around, it would be unfair to win.

"Leader, after seven sleepless days and thirty sheets of manuscript paper, I finally finished my manuscript." He Min, who liked to be sneaky and cunning, hiding when working and then coming to claim the credit when the harvest came, of course also appeared at the right time.

And people like him are the most likely to win the favor of leaders. Isn't it infuriating?

"Wow, Secretary Yu in the photo is so awesome. I'm not bad either. Heroes in peacetime are workers. Secretary He took a great photo." Right in the field, everyone sat on the ground, eating dry food and passing the photos taken by He Min to each other.

After He Min finished reading the manuscript, everyone was even more delighted when they heard that all the leaders were praised in the press release.

"Secretary He, next year, you will still be in charge of the farm's guidance." Secretary A said sincerely.

"I would work without sleep for a whole year to try to increase the production. Oh, I am really exhausted from working without sleep for the past few days." He Min continued to boast about his achievements.

"Uncle, I testify that Uncle He has been working non-stop these days." Suddenly a child ran out of the cotton field. He was fair and clean, tall and thin, with a clear voice. He was really the handsome guy in Base No. 1, and now the best student in the first grade, Nie Weimin.

"Oh, classmate Wei Min, tell us why Uncle He is so sleepless?" Secretary Ah asked with a smile.

Nie Weimin said loudly, "He listens to Katyusha and Moscow Evenings on the outskirts of the city on his radio every night, and even dances in the living room by himself, pretending to be holding a lesbian."

Captain Gao slapped his thigh, roared to the sky, and laughed like a donkey.

He Min was a little embarrassed. "Wei Min, children are not allowed to joke around. Go play somewhere else."

"He danced for a while, wrote a few words, and when he got tired of writing, he crossed them out. He also said that leaders were all fools and that we could just fool around and be done with it." That's why Nie Weimin refused to leave.

"Nie Gong, you haven't educated your son well, and he's talking nonsense." He Min was so anxious that she almost jumped up and tried to catch Nie Weimin, but the child hid behind his father.

"Uncle He wrote one piece of paper after another and discarded it. Finally, after thinking for a while, he said, oh, just copy an article from the newspaper and replace the name and that's it." As he said this, Nie Weimin suddenly waved his hand, and sheets of letter paper appeared. Of course, they were all the discarded manuscripts written by He Min. He swept out of the house, and Nie Weimin picked them up with Sandan. The ones with messy scratches on them were of course all his discarded manuscripts.

He Min was busy picking up bills here and there.

One of the sheets was blown to District Chief Gao, who opened it and saw He Min scribbling a few words and then writing in large letters at the bottom: Gao Feng is a bastard.

District Chief Gao crumpled up the paper and felt that he had to let his wife He Lanshan eat the paper tonight.

Minister Gao of the Armed Forces laughed at the right moment, "Secretary, I told you that He Min is a coward, but you still didn't believe me."

"Okay, Weimin, you are children, and you can say whatever you want, but Uncle He is an adult, and adults sometimes make small mistakes. You can't say anything more."

Sometimes when Nie Bozhao himself had written a manuscript and had it wasted, he would still scrawl a few words on it. That was Chiang Kai-shek's classic saying. Fortunately, he had the habit of tearing up the manuscript paper, otherwise if he was caught, he would probably be able to make a fuss about it.

However, Nie Weimin stopped talking, but Sandaner still had something to say, "Dad, there's wine and pork elbows at Uncle He's house. I'm so hungry."

As he said this, the child smacked his lips and said, "Dad, let's go to the State-owned Hotel and have some pork elbow, okay?"

Sandan, who had become more eloquent, dealt He Min a heavy blow.

District Chief Gao immediately jumped up and said, "He Min, you said that the Corps Farm came to learn from you and you wanted to host them. You ordered several tables of food at the state-owned hotel for 30 yuan a table. It seems that you got the money from me, but you ate it yourself?"

"Leader, please listen to my explanation!"

"There's nothing to explain. Life on our frontier is so hard and the workload is so heavy. When the work is busy, even primary school students have to take a holiday to work. And you're just enjoying yourself at home. Do you think you can get away with it by being a little good at writing?" Gao Feng was so angry that he raised his fist, ready to punch his disappointing brother-in-law.

"Secretary A, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have transferred this person here. Although he has literary talent, his character is really bad." Without saying anything about whether it was private or not, District Chief Gao said this in front of Secretary A.

“Brother-in-law!”

"I don't have a brother-in-law like you. Go wherever you want. Hurry up and get out." Gao Feng said angrily, "Really, Beijing University of Technology has trained you for nothing, you bastard."

On the other side, in the cotton fields, all the girls from the art troupe and the female educated youth had stopped to rest, except He Lanshan and Chen Lina who were still competing.

Everyone was cheering for the two of them. Some thought that Director Chen would win, but others thought that Director He would come out on top.

As the sun was setting, Director He worked harder and harder, just like he was driving a cotton picker.

Chen Lina was picking the fruits, and suddenly stopped.

Well, according to her estimation, her clever comrade Xiao Nie should have revealed the secret of He Min.

That bastard He Min can finally get out of her farm.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Chen Lina thought to herself, what a waste of time, I'm sorry, I really can't pick it up anymore, He Lanshan is a real strong woman, so awesome, please sing a song for everyone.