Chapter 25 Internal strife
After finally getting off work in the afternoon, Chen Miaomiao's arms were almost tired. She had to squat to plant the cotton seedlings, and when she stood up, her calves were so sore and swollen that they didn't feel like her own legs at all.
Chen Miaomiao sat in the ditch for a long time before she came to her senses. She didn't understand why Fu Jingyou broke his promise.
Feeling extremely angry, Chen Miaomiao waited until all the educated youth in the fields had returned, then she took her small hoe and went straight to the Fu family, wanting to ask for an explanation.
Although she had the advantage of memory, Chen Miaomiao was well aware of the strict control people had over relationships between men and women at that time.
She didn't dare get too close to the Fu family, so she could only wander around the threshing ground, occasionally glancing at the Fu family's door.
There was a rope tied to the door knocker of the Fu family's gate. After listening for a while, there was no movement in the house. Fu Jingyou should not be at home.
Fu Jingyou must have had something else to do temporarily, so he broke the appointment!
Chen Miaomiao tried hard to convince herself, picked up the small hoe and prepared to go back to the educated youth site, when she suddenly heard faint voices coming from behind the Fu family's house, and the voices sounded a little familiar.
Afraid of being seen, she took a few steps back and leaned against a pile of straw, using the cover of the straw to listen attentively.
"Then I'll go first? Turtle, you pack your things and don't let it get away, or I'll make you pay for it!"
"Well, you go first."
When Chen Miaomiao heard the delicate yet arrogant tone, she immediately recognized who it was. However, it was not until Fu Jingyou's voice came from behind that she vaguely realized that something was wrong.
Fu Jingyou's voice was low and gentle, unlike the cold and harsh tone he had when he spoke to her, and he didn't have the cold and aloof look she remembered...
Chen Miaomiao's lips trembled and she subconsciously clenched her teeth.
I'm so mad!
She also convinced herself that Fu Jingyou was busy with other things, but it turned out that was not the case at all!
It’s because of Lu Miao!
Chen Miaomiao didn't dare to show her head. She waited until Lu Miao and Fu Jingyou had walked away for a long distance before she put on a stern face and slowly walked out from behind the straw pile.
Lu Miao got some ready-made seedlings and vegetable seeds from Chen Guifen. After returning to the educated youth site, he immediately clapped his hands and shouted in a sweet voice that he wanted to hold a meeting.
The other educated youth didn't know what she was up to, but they cooperated with her and came to the door of the female educated youth.
They stood at the foot of the stairs, while Lu Miao stood on the threshold, holding up green rice seedlings and vegetable seeds wrapped in old calendar pages and said:
"I brought back some vegetable seeds and seedlings today. There's a vegetable patch right in front of our educated youth settlement, but it's a shame it's now abandoned. I won't say anything else. We can all share the vegetables we grow. So, who among you is willing to take a small risk and spare some time to tidy up this patch?"
Geng Xiaoyun was the first to raise her hand, but instead of taking on the work of tending the vegetable garden, she asked:
"Hey Lu Miao, how big is the vegetable patch?"
Lu Miao said: "Just one mu of land."
After a moment's thought, he added, "But you could plant some climbing beans or melons along the edge. They'll climb up the trees, so it should be fine if they extend beyond the boundaries of the plot."
Geng Xiaoyun nodded and said "Oh", and it seemed that she wanted to take the job, but there were too few people speaking out in the crowd, so she didn't really want to stand out.
Chen Miaomiao came back with a small hoe. Although she was absent for a short time, she heard clearly what Lu Miao said when she walked around the corner of the pond.
Chen Miaomiao put down the hoe, and when she stood up, she restrained the cold expression on her face, pursed her lips slightly, and suggested softly:
"Lu Miao, since we all eat the vegetables we grow together, why can't we all work together? This is too unfair to those who take the initiative to work..."
Among the old educated youth, Yang Xiaojing had been humiliated several times by Lu Miao. She had long since developed a dislike for Lu Miao. At this moment, she quickly jumped out and echoed Chen Miaomiao indignantly:
"Yeah! We grow vegetables together and eat them together, so why can't we work together?"
Yang Xiaojing has flat facial features, and her hairstyle is neither the neat short hair that reaches her ears like Geng Xiaoyun, nor the shiny, thick and long pigtails like Lu Miao and Ren Bingxin.
Yang Xiaojing's hair was about seven or eight centimeters long. She tied part of it into two small pigtails on the sides of her head, and left the rest of her hair loose as it could not be tied up.
This hairstyle is actually not uncommon in this era, but to Lu Miao, it still seems a bit funny.
At this time, Yang Xiaojing jumped out anxiously. Lu Miao looked at her and didn't think that she was being used as a gun. He just thought that she was really stupid.
The others were whispering, and seemed to agree with what Chen Miaomiao and Yang Xiaojing said.
Lu Miao simply stopped being anxious and put the seedlings and seeds aside. She brushed off the dirt on her hands and just put her hands around her shoulders with her chin slightly raised, looking at him lazily and with contempt.
She wanted to see how far Chen Miaomiao and Yang Xiaojing could push this matter and what kind of achievements they could make.
And these people around me, do they really have no ability to discern things?
Chen Miaomiao vaguely heard voices of support, and felt more confident.
Looking around at everyone, Chen Miaomiao pretended to have made up her mind, bit her lip and said:
"The busy farming season is coming soon, and there's more work to do in the fields. It's not easy for everyone. I think it's better to divide the work for the sake of fairness."
Yang Xiaojing snorted and said, "Exactly. How can we be fair?! Some people are just trying to shirk their responsibilities by saying they're considering everyone else and asking people to work voluntarily. Ha! They're really taking people for granted!"
Fool?
Lu Miao snorted and laughed, thinking that Yang Xiaojing really looked like a big fool.
Before Lu Miao could say anything, Ren Bingxin, who was closest to her, stood up and said, "How dare you talk like that!"
Geng Xiaoyun also said, "That's right. It's just a matter of a mu of land. What's there to argue about? If none of you want to do it, then I'll do it! I don't mind making a contribution. When there are vegetables, we can all eat them together. When there are melons, we can all eat them together."
When they heard someone coming out to take a job, the crowd that had been whispering just now gradually fell silent.
Seeing that the matter was basically settled, Geng Xiaoyun was ready to pick up the hoe and get to work. On the steps, Lu Miao stood up proudly, "Who allowed you to move? I haven't finished the meeting yet!"
Geng Xiaoyun was cheerful and quickly made gestures of begging for mercy and apologizing.
Lu Miao snorted proudly, looking at Chen Miaomiao and Yang Xiaojing. She raised her hands and clapped them, deliberately flattering them:
"I think what you two said is quite right. So let me ask you, do you two want to do the work on this private plot yourselves?"
Chen Miaomiao stopped talking at the right time, lowered her head timidly and said nothing.
That's not what she meant.
Yang Xiaojing was really like a young fool, jumping around vigorously:
"If they don't do it, why should I?"
Lu Miao smiled with her rosy lips and said meaningfully:
"I thought you were here for team harmony and to lead by example, but it turns out you're not. All you've been saying is to stir up internal strife!"
(End of this chapter)
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