The old man sniffed hard.
"This really does taste like steamed buns?"
The old lady held the basket right under his nose.
"Look, isn't this it?"
"Hey, how come... no, this was delivered by little Jian?"
"Yes, they said they'd send one to us and one to Weimin, but they left without even going inside."
The old man was used to her generosity. Of course, it was impossible for the whole family to be full from this tea tray. Jian Dan knew that, but each person could still try a few. The two children were still looking on longingly. The old lady was a little stingy after they finished eating. She thought that eating it tomorrow would last them another day.
But after looking at it, I still feel even more sorry for the child.
"Come on, each of you eat two, and we'll eat the rest tomorrow."
The adults were reluctant to part with it, but the two children nibbled on it little by little, their eyes filled with the joy of eating something delicious.
"Milk, sweet, delicious."
The old lady picked up a little bit of bean paste, put it on the tip of her tongue, and tasted it.
"Oh dear, this child put in way too much sugar!"
Upon hearing there was candy, the two children ate even more cautiously, taking tiny bites. They chewed the red bean paste for a long time, holding it in their mouths for a while before finally swallowing. It took them more than half an hour to finish the two half-cold red bean buns. Liu Guangming would glance at them from time to time, clearly wanting some himself, but after all, he was a father, so he had to maintain some decorum.
On the way back from Liu Weimin's house, when we arrived at the educated youth compound, we could see the warm yellow light shining from the gate, and the kitchen was already steaming.
Li Yan and Lin Zhaodi, who had just returned, were tidying up the table. Tan Yajun had been working in the countryside for several years and was already familiar with these tasks. Chen Jianguo was excitedly carrying firewood into the house, creating a lively scene.
With a small pot of steamed buns, Tan Yajun made a pot of potato soup, adding just a little oil and salt, and it was very delicious.
Tan Yajun was initially quite reserved, but since no one was being polite, she quickly relaxed. After eating and drinking her fill, she collapsed onto the floor. Chen Jianguo sighed.
"When will we be able to eat this much every day, every meal?"
"Yes, we go to the countryside hoping to have enough to eat."
"I'll be going back to work after the New Year, and I don't know how tiring that will be."
That makes sense; two batches of educated youth have gone through this, but neither of them got to work properly.
"I don't know. When I came, it was almost harvest time. The crops weren't growing well. It must be different from previous years."
Only Tan Yajun has the right to speak on this topic.
"These are all dry fields. In the spring, we need to plow the land and apply fertilizer, the kind of pure farmyard manure. Then we plant the crops. During this period, we have to get up at dawn and go straight to work."
I work for about three hours, then come back to cook and eat. When I go back in the morning, the sun is out. Even though it's only spring, it's still very hot. Sometimes I don't get as much work done in the whole morning as I did in the morning. The better the job, the more tired I get.
The midday sun here is extremely strong, so the lunch break is longer. We work in the afternoon and don't finish until it's almost dark.
"Get up and go to work as soon as it's light?"
"Yes, but it only happens during the spring planting season. It happens at other times when it's not in use."
Then water the seedlings. Once they sprout, check for any that haven't sprouted properly or have been missed. If there are still seeds left, replant them.
Then the seedlings sprouted, and the daily task was to weed, which kept sprouting in batches.
When the seedlings are small, it's alright, but once the corn seedlings grow up, as soon as you enter the cornfield, the corn leaves will scratch your face, and then you'll sweat profusely. Oh, that feeling! It gets hot then, and if you wrap too many leaves, it's stuffy. If you don't wrap them, by the end of the day, there's hardly a good spot on your body, and you have to wash several times after work to get clean.
Once the seedlings are established, we'll weed every few days and then follow the villagers to clear the land. I think it's the same here.
That land was full of rocks and sand; you couldn't even dig it up with a shovel. When I first came here, I gritted my teeth and persevered in the fields, but later, clearing the land exhausted me to tears.
"Summer is alright, but autumn is the most tiring time."
At first, I didn't know how to use my strength to break the corn cobs off, and other people could just snap them off easily. I just couldn't figure it out, so I twisted and turned them, which made me really anxious. By the time other people finished their shift, I hadn't even walked a few steps before they went home, and I was stuck here in the blazing sun, trying to break them off myself.
After finally catching up, I breathed a sigh of relief, but then it was time to start work in the afternoon. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and follow along. When I got home, my legs felt like they weren't even mine anymore. My hands were covered in huge, transparent blisters, blood blisters, and all sorts of cuts, big and small. My fingertips were also covered in cracks.
After a night's rest, I couldn't get out of bed the next morning. My legs and arms felt incredibly heavy, and my hands were sore and aching. Even the slightest movement of my fingers was excruciating. I had to soak them in water for half a day until they softened before I dared to move them, otherwise, any slight movement would cause them to crack. Those blisters had to be popped open quickly. If I accidentally damaged them while working, the tender flesh inside would just come out, and the pain of contact with the corn and corn husks was piercing; tears would well up in my eyes immediately.
"After picking the corn, we fill a basket and carry it to the field. After that, we cut the corn stalks, which is easier. We just cut them and put them in a neat row. The wind whistles through the air. Once the autumn harvest is over, we bundle them up."
Sometimes we would cut the corn stalks first, when they still had corn on them and were quite heavy, piled up in heaps. Then we would lie on top of them and rummage through them to find the corn and break it off.
Neither of them is easy, especially for those who haven't done it before, so be prepared.
The most common crops here are corn, sorghum, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Sometimes soybeans are also planted, but not much, as the yield is low. They need to be kept a close eye on in the fall, as they are prone to bursting when the weather is good. If you don't keep an eye on them, it will be a waste.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes were relatively easier to harvest. The men would use hoes or pitchforks to dig them out, while the women would follow behind to pick them up and then carry them back to the edge of the field.
Anyway, my biggest achievement over the past few years has been mastering farm work. Now, while I wouldn't say I can do everything, I'm not much worse than them. If the women here can lift nine or ten centimeters, so can I.
I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, but even though I had a partner over there, I still did all the farm work myself, without any compromise. However, it's true that the villagers were less hostile; after all, I was practically one of them, and they felt awkward about going too far.
His calm tone, without any complaints or sob stories, left several people speechless. Well, they had underestimated the situation.
Li Yan stammered.
"No, Tan Zhiqing, how did you manage to get through it?"
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