The seedlings aren't very tall yet, so weeding isn't too difficult.
By July or August, the corn seedlings are as tall as a person, and the weeds grow wildly. Weeding is a real chore then.
It was already hot, and the tall corn stalks and lush leaves blocked out the air, making it stuffy and uncomfortable inside. The corn leaves were also tough, so no exposed skin, whether it was your face or arms, was spared. A single pull from the corn leaves would leave a splatter.
Even the old farmer's not-so-delicate skin is the same; when soaked in sweat, the sourness is indescribable, almost making his whole body tremble.
So, from the time the corn seedlings grow until the autumn harvest, when the corn stalks are laid down, the triangular headscarves are the standard attire for all the village women and mothers-in-law. No matter how hot it is, they wear long sleeves and trousers, as if they want to cover themselves up completely without showing any skin.
Planting only one crop a year has its advantages. In times like now, when things aren't particularly busy, farmers still have a lot of freedom. Of course, they are reluctant to take leave, since they earn work points for each day they work. Compared to other times, the workload at this time is not very tiring.
Spring passed quickly, and the weather gradually warmed up. The days were busy and then quiet. Not to mention the villagers, even the educated youth weren't so tired that they couldn't get out of bed. It was much easier than the autumn harvest.
Li Yan and her husband happily moved out of the educated youth compound. Apart from Wang Jiancheng and a few others, almost everyone in the compound came to join in the fun. Even Tang Cui, who hadn't had much contact with them, brought two eggs with her.
The gap is immediately apparent.
The few isolated people in the educated youth compound stood out even more. Wang Jiancheng was furious, but he also knew that it was all their own fault. They were a bunch of useless teammates who had been dragging him down at crucial moments, and now they were being left out in the cold.
Putting everything else aside, what kind of image have they created now?
Wang Hongmei and the others watched them head over there in groups, making sarcastic remarks, but what they were really thinking was anyone's guess.
Over such a long period of time, although there was no deep-seated hatred, the educated youth in the educated youth compound did not like to associate with them. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were isolated. However, they were not restricted and instead became very close with some people in the village.
Like Chen Hongli, she had been flirting with a young man in the village for quite some time. When she wasn't working, they would meet in a secluded spot on the back mountain, holding hands and playing hard to get.
Although it hasn't been long since the children started learning to read, kids always like to show off what they've learned. When they get home, they take the sand tray and write characters, or they put their little hands behind their backs and tilt their little heads back to count, which always makes the elders laugh.
Not to mention that when they get home, they know to help with housework, wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet, and they no longer fight over food like before, always waiting for the elders to sit down and speak before they start eating.
And then there are the diligent ones, who even know to bring their grandparents and parents water to wash their feet.
Especially for families with many sisters, the old sayings like "worthless" or "sell them later to pay for dowry" have almost disappeared. While the sisters are not treated particularly well, the bullying words and actions have indeed decreased.
The children in the village are actually a large group. Now, although it is only the children who have learned some things, the overall spirit of the village has changed dramatically.
They used to think their situation was fine, but now they realize that the children are making progress every day and changing in a better direction, which gives the villagers some hope.
Sometimes I would mutter to myself, "I can't go to university now, so what's the point of studying this?"
But after a while, I figured it out. At least I'm not blind. I won't get cheated when I go out to buy or sell things, and I won't be foolish enough to be sold off.
It was a butterfly effect, too. As a result, the educated youth in the village received different looks from the villagers, not to mention Mingzhu.
Mingzhu's belly was already showing at the beginning. After teaching for a few months, before the harvest season, it was already Mingzhu's due date.
Right now, the work in the fields is almost all weeding. For the past month, Lin Dongfang has wanted to stay by Mingzhu's side all day long, never leaving her side. Only after Mingzhu persuaded him again and again did he reluctantly agree to take her there in the morning and pick her up after work. He wouldn't budge an inch.
Even the most doting husbands in the countryside wouldn't be this extravagant. His actions must have made many people envious, especially newlywed couples in the village. Even Li Yan, who was newly pregnant, was filled with envy. However, she knew very well that her situation couldn't compare to Mingzhu's. While comforting Chen Jianguo, she was also glad that she wouldn't give birth until winter, after the New Year, which was a good time since it wasn't the busy farming season.
Walking back and forth wasn't a problem, but Lin Dongfang was worried that the child might bump into something again because he was with the child all day. Seeing how anxious he was, and with the due date approaching, Mingzhu went to find Liu Weimin.
As mentioned before, Liu Weimin knew that she was pregnant and it wasn't a long-term solution for her to take over.
As Mingzhu's belly grew bigger day by day, the educated youth were also watching closely, counting down the days to go see Liu Weimin. Almost all of them were thinking about this easy job. In the past few days, he was almost constantly being blocked at home by the educated youth.
Upon hearing this, he first sighed.
"Oh dear, I'm so worried, and now this job has become so sought-after!"
When Mingzhu thought about the people in the educated youth institute, she understood. They had never done farm work before and were not used to it. They finally had this opportunity, but Mingzhu took the lead. It was a simple suggestion, a simple textbook, and a simple recommendation. At that time, her belly was already showing, so others were too embarrassed to say anything openly.
However, seeing that she could only teach for a few days, others were already eyeing her.
Mingzhu didn't want to worry about so much. Although she was indeed quite happy spending time with her child during this period, there were priorities in everything, and she didn't plan to come back and take over the job after giving birth.
She handed over her textbook, then stood up, clutching her stomach.
"Uncle, you're in too much of a hurry. This job, to put it nicely, is that of a teacher, but Uncle, while the work is easy, the work points are quite different from those in the fields."
After a pause, Liu Weimin slapped his head hard.
"Oh dear, I'm such a blockhead, it's not like you've got it easy with just a few work points,"
After seeing the couple off, Liu Weimin had some free time. Putting aside everything else, these educated youths, even if they worked themselves to the bone in the fields for a year, they still couldn't make enough to eat, let alone earn a few work points. Did they really think it was some kind of good job?
"Are you relieved now?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com