Aunt Guo looked up and asked in confusion, "Mo Xue, didn't you hear the announcement?"
"Auntie, what broadcast? I just got back from town, I don't know." An Moxue was unaware of the reason.
"No wonder! Our village has been recognized as an advanced village in the county and has even been listed as a model. We just received a notice that leaders will be coming to inspect the village and cadres from various villages will be coming to learn from us. After that, we will go to the county to attend a meeting and receive commendations! Everyone is very happy. The village has also notified everyone to clean up their homes and tidy up the streets to give people a good impression."
"That's great news!"
"Of course! I'm so happy! Your uncle even sent people to look for you, but they couldn't find you."
"I didn't run into him. I went to town early, so we probably missed each other. Where is he? I'll go find him."
"He's probably at the brigade headquarters. If he's not there, he's probably at the warehouse in the drying yard. The town will start collecting grain quotas the day after tomorrow, right? Your uncle said our village should try to be the first to complete it this year."
"Auntie, do you think all these good things happen at once? Well, I'm not going to chat with you anymore. I'm going to go find my Uncle Guo and see if he needs me to do anything for him."
"Okay, go ahead. Come over when you have time and chat with me."
“Okay, Auntie, I will.” An Moxue said, standing up and walking out of the house.
As she walked through the village, many villagers were cleaning their own yards while chatting with those passing by. "Have you finished cleaning your yard yet?" "I've finished cleaning my yard, but I still need to tidy up the house!" "It'll be a while before we're done." "I wonder if the leaders will be satisfied with how it's done?" These kinds of conversations were all preparations for her inspection and study visit.
An Moxue went to the brigade headquarters but couldn't find anyone. She then went to the drying ground and saw the brigade cadres at the warehouse entrance, discussing the delivery of the grain quota.
She didn't say anything, just stood quietly to the side listening, nodding and greeting everyone.
This year's quota is how many kilograms of grain to deliver to the town. Even a kilogram less won't count as completing the quota, and too much won't do either. The village doesn't have much grain to begin with, and if we deliver too much, the villagers won't have anything to eat. Every year, we just deliver a hundred or so kilograms more and that's it.
So before delivery, they would randomly select a dozen or twenty bags of grain, weigh them, and make an assessment to determine roughly how much grain needed to be delivered to the town. It was usually impossible to finish delivering it in one day.
The notice says to deliver corn in the next few days, and that means to deliver corn. In a few days, to deliver rice, that means to deliver rice. Sometimes, if the delivery is late, the requirements will be particularly strict, and the grain grade will be lower. A lower grade means that more grain will have to be delivered, and the village will have less grain left, which means that the villagers will receive less grain.
These days, food is life. Few farmers can even afford to eat their fill, let alone eat well. Sometimes, one of her parents' salaries is more than the entire annual income of a rural family, excluding food. Moreover, there are only three people in their family, and no elders to support. It is clear that their family's conditions are among the best in Beijing.
An Moxue only truly understood the hardships of farmers after arriving here. Before, it was just a series of cold numbers, without any tangible feeling. Now, she truly understood how difficult it was for farmers. They did the hardest and most tiring work, and their food and supplies were the worst. They were even looked down upon by some city people and called "country bumpkins."
However, when they handed over their grain to the state, they still gave the best grain to the state and kept the less desirable grain for themselves. They didn't complain at all and continued to deliver their grain with the same enthusiasm. They are a group of people who are worthy of respect and love.
An Moxue waited silently on the side until the group of people dispersed. Then, Village Chief Guo looked at An Moxue and said to her, "Moxue, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
"It's nothing, Uncle Guo, I didn't have anything to do. Is there something you need me for?"
"Yes, we want you to escort the grain and people with the militia when you deliver the grain."
"Do you need an escort? Are you planning to rob us?"
"No, it's because there's a lot of grain to transport, and the village's carts aren't enough, so manpower is needed to deliver it. That takes longer, the procession is longer, and they have to leave earlier. They set off before dawn, so they have to arrange for a few militiamen to patrol along the way at intervals to prevent wild animal attacks. We've encountered them before."
"Okay, no problem."
"And another thing, when the county notified our village to evaluate advanced individuals, they also said that you were selected as a model and named an outstanding educated youth. In a few days, the leaders will come down and you'll have to learn from them. Dress smartly that day, make sure your green military uniform and cap are neatly put on, and wear a pair of leather shoes. You have to look smart, understand?"
"Uncle Guo, when did this happen? How come I had no idea?!"
"It's almost the end of the year, and every year there are these kinds of things. The deeds are reported, and they still need to be evaluated by the higher-level leaders, right? The main thing is that you've been here for almost half a year and you've done a lot of things. I reported everything, so of course you had to be included. The fact that our village was selected so quickly is probably related to your deeds. In previous years, it wasn't this early. This year, the results came out a full half month earlier."
"Ah!! Uncle, this is such a pleasant surprise!" An Moxue beamed with joy.
"What's wrong? You're overjoyed!" Village Chief Guo's wrinkled face couldn't hide his joy, like a withered old chrysanthemum.
"Mmm, mmm." An Moxue nodded like a chick.
“The county is holding an awards ceremony in a few days, and you have to go. The county specifically asked you to speak when they notified us, so you should write a speech.”
"Huh?! There's a comment too!"
"Yes, that's right, they've called your name, so you have to say it."
"Uncle, I don't have much experience with giving speeches! What should I say?"
You usually have a good mindset, right? Just follow that approach; keep it positive and constructive.
"I know how to do that."
"That's good. Don't be nervous, but you have to take it seriously."
"Okay, Uncle Guo, is there anything else?"
"Clean your house up a bit, I think the boss will want to take a look."
"No problem, I guarantee I'll complete the task."
"Alright, that's all. Go have some fun."
"Goodbye, Uncle Guo."
An Moxue bid farewell to Guo Xiwang and returned home excitedly. Suddenly, she had a clear goal: no matter where she was, she had to strive to stand at the top of the crowd and be the most dazzling one. Even if she couldn't eliminate the hidden enemies, she had to make them hesitate to attack her for a short time, so that they wouldn't dare to easily capture her, and then she would find a way to break through.
Previously, I only had some ideas, but they were neither complete nor clear.
Now that she has a goal, as long as she takes steps towards it and continues to strengthen herself, she believes that one day, those despicable rats in the gutter will have nowhere to hide and will reap what they sow.
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