"I guess it's a waste of time, and also because the corn husks can still be burned, and the clean inner layers can be steamed on a mat to make dry food or something. They're all usable. If you peel them off, they can only be used to burn along with the corn stalks, or ground into powder to feed the cattle. Isn't that a complete waste?"
Only then did Li Yan belatedly realize that...
"Right, when we steam cornbread, those are corn husks on the steamer rack, right?"
He scratched his head in distress as he spoke.
"So, this is actually a good thing? Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it."
Liu Weimin and the others were so angry at Du Xiuling's words that they laughed.
"Want to be a key player? Fine! You've got high aspirations!"
"Come here, Qiangzi, tell me, how much work does the main force do in a day?"
Liu Guoqiang, the scorekeeper, squeezed through from the side, holding a book of work points recorded for the first half of the year. He glanced up at the eloquent female educated youth.
“In our Liujiatun village, a strong young man earns ten to twelve work points a day. You might not understand what I mean, so let me put it this way: in the cornfield in front, from one end of a row to the other, about two rows can earn one work point. Ten work points would be about twenty rows.”
The female educated youth followed the gaze and immediately gasped. The older educated youth had been working on this land for the past six months, so they could roughly tell what the situation was like and how much work was involved. Wang Hongmei's resentment resurfaced, and she felt a pang of bitterness.
"Don't underestimate these two or three rows. It sounds simple, and it looks simple, but let's see how many rows you can finish in a morning."
Or are you saying you can do more and faster than the male educated youth?
When the topic of male educated youth comes up, the villagers' attention inevitably falls on the few male educated youth. The newly arrived Ling Weidong and a few others are fine, but Chen Jianguo, Li Jianye, Wang Jiancheng and a few others who have been working with him for more than half a year become the focus of attention. Lin Dongfang is the same, and he also receives the villagers' attention.
Du Xiuling, pulling Chen Hongli who was trying to shrink back, also looked at the group of male educated youth.
“Chen, you were the first to arrive. Wang, Li, let’s not even talk about us girls. Are you willing to be discriminated against like this? We’re here to contribute to rural development. We haven’t even started construction yet, and we’re being insulted like this. I can’t stand it.”
Even Wang Jiancheng, who is usually a nice guy, couldn't laugh. He couldn't understand which sentence had become discrimination or insult.
"Is the village chief wrong? You've just arrived and haven't done farm work before, so you need time to adjust. This is the village's thoughtfulness towards everyone."
If you don't understand, you can ask me, ask the older educated youth. What you're saying is a bit off.
Li Jianye didn't say anything. In the past six months, even when he went to work, he could only get five or six work points. He didn't have much confidence in talking about this topic.
However, Lin Dongfang was also unhappy. He was in a hurry to go back, as the autumn harvest was tomorrow and he hadn't made enough dry rations yet.
"Stop talking nonsense about being a main force or not; strength is what matters."
If you can earn ten work points a day, I'll admire you, no matter what.
Besides, what exactly is a "main force"?
Being able to shine in your area of expertise is a contribution in itself. Do you have an advantage over farmers in farm work?
The words were blunt and the tone was quite aggressive, so Du Xiuling immediately took two steps forward.
"What did you say? You..."
Chen Hongli, standing beside her, held on tightly. Du Xiuling wouldn't let go, and Chen Hongli had nowhere to hide.
“Xiuling, although we came here in response to the country’s call, what Lin, the educated youth, said is right. We have no experience in this area, and compared with the villagers, we do need to learn. The villagers mean well and certainly don’t mean to look down on us.”
Jian Dan and Mingzhu, who had come with her, exchanged a glance. What were they saying?
Then I heard a cold laugh from not far away.
"Ha!"
The two of them immediately turned their heads to watch the spectacle.
Oh, it's Qian Cheng, the male educated youth who was with Ling Weidong.
Du Xiuling also heard the sound, turned around and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
"What are you laughing at? Don't forget you were also sent-down youth. Do you think it's something to be proud of that I was talked about like that?"
Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of Jian Dan chatting and laughing with Mingzhu, occasionally sharing a few words with Liu Xiu beside her. The atmosphere was very cheerful, and her displeasure surged upwards.
"Hmph, don't all be like that guy, so shallow-minded, chatting and laughing with a bunch of uncultured peasants. Who knows what underhanded methods they used? For a bite to eat, for avoiding work, they really will stop at nothing."
Jian Dan was momentarily stunned. As soon as she heard "joking and laughing," she knew they were talking about her. But what kind of methods were they using? What heinous things had she done that made her so unknown?
The moment the words "mud-legged" were uttered, the other educated youths' expressions changed immediately. Even Chen Hongli tugged at her several times, her teeth itching with hatred. "If you're so capable, why don't you rush up yourself? Why are you dragging me along to bolster your courage?"
However, we still need to deal with the immediate situation first. Can't you see that the villagers are unhappy?
He immediately rebuked him.
"Du Zhiqing, what nonsense are you talking about?"
The other educated youth also tried to make amends.
"Seriously, are you crazy? Saying whatever comes to mind?"
"You don't even need to go back three generations. My grandfather and great-grandfather were peasants, and my grandmother still grows a garden. What? We poor and lower-middle peasants with impeccable revolutionary credentials are now considered wrong? When was this policy implemented?"
Like a bucket of cold water, Du Xiuling sobered up a bit. Her expression changed. She had just said it casually, in the heat of the moment. What policy? What does it have to do with policy?
"I..."
Seeing that she didn't dare to say anything, Liu Weimin snorted heavily. These two batches of new educated youth really dared to say and do anything. It seems that the work was too easy and they weren't tired. He immediately made up his mind to increase the workload for these people. If they were tired, they wouldn't have the mind or energy to think about anything else.
"Let's not talk about anything else. Our Liujiatun village is made up of three generations of poor peasants with impeccable revolutionary credentials, and we also have several honorable veterans. Putting aside everything else, their support for policies, their personal awareness, and their loyalty to the collective are all impeccable. I have the trust and support of the leaders and villagers to serve as the village cadre. If anyone feels that there are problems with the management of our Liujiatun village or that the educated youth are treated unfairly, then you can come to me at any time, or go directly to the county town to find the educated youth office to seek justice."
I, Liu Weimin, am not afraid of being sued. If I have done something wrong, you can sue me all the way to Beijing, and I will not be afraid.
However, as long as you remain in Liujiatun, you must abide by the rules of Liujiatun, uphold national policies, fulfill the duties of an educated youth, and live alongside the working class, integrating into their ranks as soon as possible to contribute your light and heat to rural development.
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