Cuihong briefly explained the situation to the two sisters, who were genuinely happy for Tang Cuihong and also shared in their joy at getting perfect scores on their exams.
"Although we got perfect scores, we were the oldest in the class, which made us feel a little embarrassed."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Making you learn from the beginning is to ensure you learn solidly. As I said, we're in the same class now, so you'll be in the same class for grades one, two, and three. But you'll be separated in grades four and five. So take it easy and don't rush into advancing to the next grade."
Cuihong didn't really understand these profound principles, but with so many capable sisters in her family, she gradually memorized these words and would use them from time to time.
As Cuihong left the school, she ran into Uncle Wu, who was driving a donkey cart for the production team. He called her a few times but she didn't respond. Then he realized that the girl couldn't hear him, so he took the donkey whip, walked up to her, tapped her on the shoulder, and gestured for her to get on the cart.
Upon seeing Wu Sanhe, Tang Cuihong looked surprised and asked, "Uncle, where have you been?"
It was no secret in the production team that Tang Cuihong could speak, and she could occasionally chime in with a few words, so most of the time, people would overlook the fact that she had hearing problems. So when Cuihong asked him this, Wu Sanhe sighed and pointed to the seeds on the donkey cart.
Today's floods have caused a severe reduction in their yield. The higher areas were not greatly affected, as the floodwaters came and receded quickly. However, the corn in the low-lying areas was doomed and had to be cut down and crushed to feed livestock. After the water has completely dried up, they will have to strengthen the land, plow and level it, and then find high-yield wheat seeds to plant after the corn harvest.
There are certain rules to follow when planting wheat. It shouldn't be planted too early, as the roots are easily damaged by cold weather and snow. But it also shouldn't be planted too late, as the wheat won't grow properly in the cold weather. And it absolutely shouldn't be planted in dry conditions, as wheat in dry land will mature earlier, which will lead to a reduced yield.
A tiny seed requires a lot of preparation before planting, and after planting, it needs fertilization, weeding, and watering. When harvest time comes, the biggest fear is continuous rain. Farmers have it tough, relying on the weather for their livelihood.
Upon seeing the wheat seeds, Cuihong immediately understood: "You went to the agricultural technology station to queue up for seeds again?"
Wu Sanhe sighed and nodded, "We only bought thirty jin, which is far from enough to distribute. We have to go again when it gets dark. The seeds that arrive at the station each day only add up to five hundred jin. It's all divided among this production team and that team. There's nothing we can do. We suffered a disaster this year, and it's hard to catch our breath and recover."
As Wu Sanhe spoke, he gestured for Tang Cuihong to sit down, and without waiting to see if she understood or not, he sighed and walked into the village.
Cuihong couldn't hear everything he said; he spoke too fast. But seeing his pained expression, she knew that these seeds weren't easy to buy.
He quickly handed the cornbread and purslane buns he had bought to Wu Sanhe.
"Uncle, you must be hungry after working all day. Here, it's still warm, take it and eat."
Wu Sanhe shook his head as soon as he saw this, "Alright, girl, come on up. We don't need to be so formal. You've helped my old woman with a lot of work."
Cuihong, without saying a word, stuffed the steamed bun into Wu Sanhe's hand and took one out to eat herself. Seeing this, Wu Sanhe smiled helplessly and accepted it, also happily stuffing it into his mouth while driving the cart. To be honest, this cornmeal steamed bun was really delicious.
It's called a vegetable bun, but it's just a yellow-green vegetable ball made by kneading vegetables and cornmeal together. It doesn't need to be chopped. The vegetables soften the coarseness of the cornmeal, so the taste isn't bad. It's a food that Cuihong often makes. Her sisters would bring a few to school or work in the morning to eat when they were hungry.
After returning home, Cuihong went to find the production team leader. When the leader saw her return, he happily waved to her.
When I spoke to her, I even subconsciously slowed down my speech.
"Xiao Hong, can you start work normally tomorrow? Look at your group, without you, the whole pace has dropped, it's really unacceptable. You still have to lead the way!"
"Captain, I have to go work as a kitchen helper at the township government on November 1st. It's a temporary job; my sister got it for me through connections."
The brigade leader's eyes widened instantly: "What? You said you're going to the township government's canteen?"
Tang Cuihong scratched her head awkwardly, "Yes, I'm really sorry, I have to go there after the busy farming season."
Before November, the corn harvest was almost complete, and the wheat had been planted. As for the sweet potatoes, she probably wouldn't have had time to harvest them.
"Outrageous! Your family is really something! Good heavens, all of them have run off to work instead of going to work?"
"It's not that we won't work. Every time we're on vacation, we go to the fields to help out. Isn't this the perfect opportunity?"
Whether it was because the captain's voice was loud enough or not, Cuihong could tell from his roar that he was extremely dissatisfied.
Finally, he waved to her, telling her to leave quickly so as not to delay his task. Cuihong could see his annoyance and didn't insist anymore. She went home with an embarrassed look on her face.
But since no one was home, she went to the Tao family first to check on the elderly couple, boiled a pot of water for them, and prepared some dough, planning to come back in the evening to steam a basket of buns.
As soon as the workday ended, her team rushed to her house, immediately launching into a barrage of questions and complaints.
Out of jealousy and envy, they not only spat and spewed insults at her, but also tried to shove her. This made Tang Cuihong realize that she had been spoiling these lazybones too much.
When the first person pushed her, she endured it, her expression darkening but she didn't get angry.
When the second and third people followed suit and vented their anger, Tang Cuihong became furious and pushed all three of them to the ground.
He spoke without a trace of emotion: "My family has two permanent employees, one temporary employee, two college students, and I even sent my two younger sisters to school. What was the purpose of all this? It was so that I could help my own sisters in crucial moments."
My sister used her connections at the township health center to get me this temporary job. People always want to move up in the ranks, what did I do wrong?
Why wouldn't I seize the opportunity? What are you all getting so excited about? What's it to you?
What? Do you think that without me, a strong laborer, your workload will increase?
Don't think I'm stupid for how you treat me normally. I'm just too lazy to argue with you. You're all shrewd players.
The moment you mention starting work, even the laziest dog will be scrambling to get to work. But if this opportunity were given to you, you'd all be running for it faster than anyone else. So don't try to morally blackmail me. We're not related, why should I care about your feelings?
Tang Cuihong dumped all eight or nine of them, men, women, and children, out of her house.
Just as they were about to speak again, Cuihong turned around and glared at them.
"You all better behave yourselves. If you piss me off, you can all go about your own harvest. Do you believe I won't participate?"
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