"Oh, sister, how dare we even think about fine grains?"
Let alone refined grains, any grain that you can eat is good.
You should know, there aren't any wild vegetables in the city either.
"I can't guarantee anything. Right now, everyone's pretty short on supplies. Let me ask around, and if they have anything to sell, I'll save it for you. How many days can you stay here?"
Liang Dashan paused for a moment. Was he going to buy it in the village?
It's obvious that the village is in a bad situation right now. Isn't this just an excuse to brush him off?
However, judging from Jian Dan's serious expression, he didn't seem to be lying.
"Of course, the sooner the better."
We don't have a time limit, and the leaders know this task is difficult to complete, so they're being quite lenient. But we're anxious. Not only are we struggling to find food at home, but every day we're out there incurs more expenses. Even if the city reimburses us, it won't buy us food.
If we can get a replacement, that's fine; but if we can't, then it's all been a waste of time.
We're fine with it; it's just work. It's just that if we don't go home, our families will still go hungry.
Given the current environment, this situation is almost everywhere this season, so it's not surprising.
"Alright, I'll do my best. You guys go back to the commune first? I'll come find you there tomorrow or the day after?"
The two exchanged a glance, seemingly having no other choice. After agreeing on a time and place, they didn't linger any longer, said goodbye to Cheng Chao, and left.
As for Cheng Chao, after this incident, he didn't enjoy the meal at all. Although he didn't seem to be there to seduce his sister, he still felt incredibly awkward.
Simple and carefree, she didn't think about anything at all, and didn't miss a thing when eating.
Even if Cheng Chao was still worried, he had to return to his unit after the tractor arrived.
Before leaving, he repeatedly gave instructions and reminders, emphasizing that we should not trust strangers, which left Jian Dan completely bewildered.
But what followed was truly Liujiatun's moment of glory.
In this tiny place, there are no secrets. The moment the tractor entered the village, almost before nightfall, the news that Liujiatun had acquired a tractor spread like wildfire throughout the entire commune.
The next morning, starting from the nearest village, Liujiatun, and then the slightly farther ones, the village offices were already packed with people, their eyes shining as they surrounded the tractors, even before work started.
Envy, jealousy, and resentment—no words can adequately express their current feelings.
Of all the villages in Xiangyang Commune, Liujiatun has consistently been at the bottom, the poorest village year after year.
Who would have thought that they would suddenly turn their fortunes around without making a fuss?
That feeling of going from last place to first is something that's different from an exam. To put it bluntly, there's the possibility of cheating, which is obvious and not something the other person tries to hide.
Even at the commune level, Secretary Lin didn't hide anything and openly stated that it was because of the educated youth that the village benefited from their influence.
That's what's really bothering them.
The educated youth in other villages all knew how to bring honor and rewards to their village, but those in their village were just causing endless trouble.
Liu Weimin was very proud, but by this morning, his smile had become stiff.
The villagers' conversations at work almost always revolved around the tractor and the farm tools from yesterday.
for example,
When will we be able to use those new farm tools?
"Didn't we say we'd be working on that these days? We can't just be using our heads as weapons, can we?"
"That's true. My husband went up the mountain yesterday and came back completely tanned, but he was still cheerful and didn't complain about being tired."
"Haha, whose family isn't like that? I think there are a lot more people on that mountain these days, so you can't be scared at night."
"Yes, yes, but when I think about it, I feel more and more hopeful for the future, and I have more energy to work."
"We old farmers work ourselves to the bone every day, just so that our parents, wives and children can have enough to eat and more meat."
We've overcome so many difficulties before, and now, with all these new sickles, pitchforks, rakes, and hoes, we can work half again as fast as last year! Haha, and we even have a tractor. Thinking about it all, I realize life is getting better and better.
Today, while weeding, the educated youth didn't stray too far. Listening to the villagers' discussions, they felt a mix of emotions.
They felt uneasy about the light they received.
In all the things people talked about—catching bad guys, hunting wolves, and killing wild boars—they were always the ones hiding behind others, afraid of getting hurt and needing protection. But think about it, how are the other educated youth any better than them?
This summer in Liujiatun was exceptionally joyful. Even as the corn was being slurred, the villagers and educated youth were still full of energy, and even earned one or two more work points than before.
The atmosphere was lively and morale was high, which made Liu Weimin the happiest; he didn't even need to give a pep talk.
After another round of weeding, Liu Weimin generously gave everyone another two days off. With better tools, efficiency improved significantly. Liu Weimin no longer had to carry a small whip and urge everyone on like a donkey, as he used to.
Jian Dan hadn't been up the mountain for quite a while, so he took advantage of the free time and led a few dogs up the mountain.
At this time, the mountain produce is not yet in season, but wild fruits are ripe one after another, and there are quite a few people going up the mountain. Just walk from the foot of the mountain up, and there is a constant stream of people.
There were men, women, and children everywhere, some digging for vegetables, some gathering firewood, and some picking fruit. They went from the foot of the mountain all the way up to the mountainside. But once you got up there, you regretted it. It took more time than just greeting someone you met.
So, after greeting the villagers ahead, she quickly slipped away and darted onto another path. It was a bit chaotic, but at least she had some peace and quiet. As long as the dog didn't bark, no one would notice her.
The path was narrow, and the plants on the side grew wildly and haphazardly. Even though she had reached the deep mountains, she inevitably got a lot of leaf sap on her clothes. The streaks were particularly noticeable against her light-colored clothes, and Jian Dan immediately felt a bit disgusted, thinking that she would retire these clothes when she got back.
Once inside the woods, the temperature dropped, and it became much cooler, allowing the pace of life to slow down.
She had no destination in mind, so she simply followed the dog. They wandered deeper and deeper into the mountains, and soon reached the heart of the wilderness. The temperature dropped, but it was still the hottest time of the year, no less comfortable than air conditioning in later generations. She was so engrossed in the fun that she forgot all about home.
When Jian Dan entered the deep mountains, several educated youths also reached the mountainside, their usual haunt. However, after searching around, Li Guang was somewhat disappointed.
"We couldn't find her. Didn't Sister Jian also go up the mountain? If she's not here, where could she be?"
I thought she came over to catch fish.
"What's wrong? Do you want to eat fish?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
