Chapter Twelve: The Unseen Suffering
The clatter of hooves broke the silence of Xiaba Village. Through the billowing dust, one could see donkey cart after donkey cart following behind, with neatly stacked red bricks.
"My God, how many red bricks must that be!" exclaimed a villager who saw it, as they followed the donkey cart toward the village chief's house.
Then you see a group of people walking in the same direction.
Knowing the inside story, Shen Zhiyi didn't join in the fun. However, she didn't expect that six truckloads of red bricks would be brought over. Were they going to build a wall for their courtyard?
I once again have deep doubts about Lord Lu's and his subordinates' administrative abilities.
Fortunately, only one of the six donkey carts came, followed by seven villagers. They were probably arranged by the village chief to learn how to build a kang (heated brick bed). The village chief and Lord Lu walked in front, talking about something.
Once inside the courtyard, the village chief spoke first: "Girl, there are many of us, so don't bother greeting everyone individually. First, tell Dazhuang how to set up this kang (heated brick bed), and then you can go out and play."
“Okay,” Shen Zhiyi replied.
The man named Dazhuang stepped forward, and Shen Zhiyi led him aside to talk. Right there in the mud, they began to draw and explain.
She noticed that Lu Jingbai was eavesdropping, probably trying to correct her mistakes, but the truth would likely disappoint him.
After explaining from the beginning and making sure the other person understood, Shen Zhiyi repeated herself before leaving with peace of mind.
She went to the small room next door, took out the peanut plants, still attached to the stalks, and placed them in a sunny, well-ventilated area to dry. She would take them back to the room when the humidity was high at night. Given the conditions here, they would need to be dried naturally for six or seven days before they could be harvested for seed.
No one would deliberately trample on it here, so Shen Zhiyi put it away and left.
The dirt roads in the village originally had no roads, but because so many people walked on them, they gradually became compacted and flat.
Shen Zhiyi passed by the wheat field. The harvest time was estimated to be the day after tomorrow, but seven out of ten wheat husks were empty, and the remaining thirty percent still had to be used to pay taxes.
If it weren't for my uniqueness, I don't know what would have happened.
Thank goodness we arrived.
She couldn't help but think that realizing one's ideals in another time and space is also a form of inheritance!
If chili seeds alone can transform a village, then with peanuts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelons, at least four more villages could see improvement!
That meant she would have to go to various villages to check the soil conditions, and if possible, she would try to plant as much as possible, as she couldn't predict the upcoming climate.
With the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), she could control the temperature relatively effectively, at least when raising seedlings indoors.
As she was thinking, she walked to Tang Huaya's house. The gate opened from the inside, and she could hear voices saying, "Mother, I understand!"
"Zhiyi! I'll come help you after I deliver food to Dad!" Tang Huaya said repeatedly, then called out to the people inside, "Mom, Zhiyi is here!"
Before Shen Zhiyi could speak, Aunt Zhao came out from inside, pulled her into the house, pressed her down to sit on a stool, and handed her a bowl of water: "This is water that has been boiled and cooled. Drink it quickly to soothe your throat."
"Thank you, Aunt Zhao," Shen Zhiyi said sweetly. She picked up the water and took a sip, noticing a slight sweetness in it. Seeing Aunt Zhao's friendly smile, she knew that this was a sweet drink specially made for her.
All the affection is conveyed without words.
"If it weren't for you, I don't know how our family would have survived." Aunt Zhao said, quickly wiping away the tears falling from her eyes. "On such a good day, we shouldn't say anything discouraging. By the way, you wait here for a bit, Auntie will be right back."
“Okay,” Shen Zhiyi replied obediently.
In just a few breaths, Aunt Zhao came over with her bundle.
Upon seeing this, Shen Zhiyi suddenly felt a familiar sensation welling up in her heart. She stood up to leave, but Aunt Zhao grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to sit.
“Da Ya, no, Zhi Yi, these are clothes I made for you.” Aunt Zhao said with a hint of helplessness, “I’m a bit shameless, I made a set for Hua Ya and Er Leng, and an outer garment for the old man…”
"It's alright, this cloth was bought for your family, Auntie, so there's no need to make it especially for me!" Shen Zhiyi quickly said, the bundle in her hands was burning hot.
She didn't ask, "Auntie, why don't you make one for yourself?"
It seems that the word "loving mother" can provide the answer; perhaps in the end, she won't even think about herself.
"Looks like I'll have to buy more fabric in the future, so my aunt's family and I will have an endless supply of new clothes!" Shen Zhiyi said playfully.
“No, we must save our money!” Aunt Zhao said quickly.
Shen Zhiyi never argued with her elders. Their experience shaped their ideas, and they couldn't be changed by a few words. She had no intention of doing so, so she said, "Alright, alright, Auntie's decision is final."
Aunt Zhao immediately beamed with joy, thinking that she had finally persuaded the younger generation who spent money recklessly.
However, Shen Zhiyi was thinking about other things. Once Tang Huaya returned, she could stand up confidently and say to Aunt Zhao, "Auntie, please keep this for me. Huaya and I are going out for a bit, and we'll come back to get it when we get back!"
"Huh?" Tang Huaya hadn't even stood up straight when Shen Zhiyi, who was like a gust of wind, pulled her outside.
"Don't go yet, let's eat first..." Before Aunt Zhao could finish speaking, Shen Zhiyi grabbed her and ran forward like crazy until she shook off the words.
If this continues, who knows how much longer it will be delayed? We must act decisively!
"Phew." Shen Zhiyi breathed a long sigh of relief. Seeing that Aunt Zhao hadn't followed, she briefly summarized what she needed to do next, "We'll go find Sister Cuihua in a bit and ask her to bring some food. We'll eat on the way, and then we'll go to the neighboring village to take a look."
"What are we going to see in the neighboring village?" Tang Huaya asked, puzzled.
“Back then, someone from the neighboring village said that going to Master Lin’s house to be a tenant farmer, a maid, or a servant was a good thing… You’ve seen what’s going on in our village…” Shen Zhiyi reminded him appropriately, “I always felt that this matter was not simple. If it really was a good thing, why would everyone suddenly know about it? So I wanted to go and see what the situation was like over there. I heard from Sister Cuihua that one of her neighbor sisters married into the neighboring village, so I could use that as an excuse to go and see her.”
"Do we need a reason to go to the neighboring village?" Tang Huaya was even more surprised. Although she couldn't understand it at all, she was obedient enough to say, "Then let's go find Sister Cuihua first."
After they made their agreement, the two arrived at Aunt Deng's house together. Shen Zhiyi went up and knocked on the door, and Wang Cuihua's voice came from inside: "Coming! Coming!"
"Sister Cuihua, don't rush, take your time," Shen Zhiyi said from outside the door.
"Oh, it's Zhiyi! Then I'd better hurry up and get here!" Wang Cuihua said with a smile.
In the blink of an eye, the courtyard gate in front of them opened.
"What's up? Have you eaten yet? Come in and eat with us." Wang Cuihua greeted them, and without waiting for a reply, pulled Shen Zhiyi and Tang Huaya into the room.
Just as Deng Ashun was about to peek out from inside the house, he was suddenly slapped by Aunt Deng, so he reluctantly withdrew his head and looked pitifully at her as she put pickled cabbage stalks on his plate.
"Mother, Zhiyi and Huaya are here," Wang Cuihua called out.
Just as Shen Zhiyi stepped into the house, she caught a glimpse of Deng Ashun carrying a bowl and walking away hesitantly. Aunt Deng smiled and said, "Sit down and eat quickly."
Her voice was gentle and soothing, and Shen Zhiyi was powerless against it. With Wang Cuihua's strong hand pressing her down, she sat down at the dining table.
Seeing that Shen Zhiyi didn't react, Tang Huaya obediently sat down beside him.
"The food is simple, please don't mind it," Aunt Deng said gently, moving the dishes closer to Shen Zhiyi and the others.
"No, no, I don't mind at all," Shen Zhiyi quickly replied.
At this moment, Wang Cuihua brought over the bowls and placed them in Shen Zhiyi's and Tang Huaya's hands respectively, saying, "Mother, you should talk more so that Zhiyi will behave."
Aunt Deng smiled demurely and said no more.
After finishing her meal, Shen Zhiyi learned that at Aunt Deng's house, the task of washing the dishes was done by Deng Ashun.
Taking advantage of this moment, she explained her purpose. Although Aunt Deng did not speak, it was clear that she was listening attentively.
After listening, Wang Cuihua first looked at Aunt Deng and then said, "Okay! I'll go with you. It's been so long since I've seen Lan Hua!"
“I’m going too!” Deng Ashun shouted from the other side. “Mother, it takes half a day to go back and forth from the neighboring village. They are all women. Without me, a man, to accompany them, some people might have bad intentions.”
Shen Zhiyi silently looked at Deng Ashun's slender figure, and in comparison, she believed that Wang Cuihua could protect them better!
"Don't go and cause trouble," Aunt Deng said sternly.
Deng Ashun's momentum instantly vanished, and he reluctantly continued washing the dishes.
In the blink of an eye, Aunt Deng said gently to Shen Zhiyi and the others, "While the weather is just right, you should hurry back."
"Okay," Wang Cuihua replied, getting up to wash her hands at the sink. She wiped the stray hairs from her temples with the remaining water, looking somewhat embarrassed in everyone's eyes. "Let's go."
Normally, walking to the neighboring village and back would take half a day, but Shen Zhiyi always knew that if she had money in her pocket, she wouldn't skimp on herself.
It was also by luck that they saw an oxcart slowly approaching as soon as they stepped out of the village. There were only three empty seats on the oxcart, and for just one coin, they could take the three of them to the neighboring village!
Shen Zhiyi got on the bus without hesitation, while Tang Huaya and Wang Cuihua were not the type to hesitate. Knowing that the situation could not be changed, they sat there without worry.
The journey that used to take an hour was immediately halved. The wheat stalks swayed in the wind, and the empty husks were blown away. Yet, there were still people in the fields bending over to pick up the fallen husks. Everyone's face seemed to be filled with sorrow. Four- or five-year-old children huddled listlessly by the edge of the field, their lips pale as if they were suffering from some serious illness.
If it weren't for the inscription "Yugou Village" on the stone tablet, Shen Zhiyi would have doubted that she had gone to the wrong place.
Is this lifeless scene the fate of the entire village becoming tenant farmers?
Tang Huaya was clearly startled and instinctively walked towards Shen Zhiyi.
Farmers who sell their land and then lease it out to cultivate are called tenant farmers. Even if the land they are currently cultivating was once their own, they are still subject to rent payments.
As for how much to deliver, that depends on the contract they signed beforehand.
If they didn't want to lease the land, they could leave at any time, but after that, those who relied on the land for survival would only starve to death.
In Shen Zhiyi's view, they were essentially in the middle stage between dying early and dying late, which deeply shocked her.
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