Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Daily Work

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The rolling hills were soaked by rain, and the trees growing wildly in the forest had long been robbed of their vitality by the scorching sun. Dead branches were scattered on the ground, and rotten leaves were mixed with slippery mud. The once vibrant forest was now in ruins, like a swamp full of dangers.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

Axes collided with wood, and more than a dozen shirtless men battled wits and courage with the bare trees in the forest. From time to time, a loud shout was heard, and the loud sound echoed, and another big tree fell to the ground.

The thick trunk of the tree was splashed with mud, and four or five men swarmed forward like a swarm of swarms. They worked together to move the big tree to the edge of the hillside, and then with just a light push, the intact tree rolled down the slope along the smooth and soft ground.

Using the most primitive tools and the simplest methods, on his first day at work, Gu Mengran went out in the rain to chop trees with others in the woods, and he spent most of the day chopping trees.

Tired! I really experienced what it means to sweat like rain. Even though he was wearing a raincoat, Gu Mengran's clothes were soaked through, not because of the rain, but because of the sweat.

The right hand holding the axe was sore and painful. He repeated the action mechanically and could hardly lift his arm. If there were not people everywhere in this forest, he really wanted to take out an oil saw from the space and saw it off in a few strokes.

No wonder there is a shortage of staff, these jobs... are so wasteful.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

The sharp axe continued to chop and after dozens of hits, the bowl-thick tree began to wobble and was about to fall. Gu Mengran stood up with the axe in his hand and imitated the others, shouting at the top of his voice: "Make way, make way, the tree is falling!"

He raised his leg and kicked the tree hard, and the tree fell to the ground. Others came to help and used the natural slide to send the tree down the hillside.

The rain was getting heavier, and Gu Mengran's face was covered with water, and he couldn't tell whether it was sweat or rain. He stood there for a while and was about to climb another tree when a hand suddenly came to his shoulder.

"It's almost time, little Gu, let's go downstairs and have dinner."

Gu Mengran turned around and saw a middle-aged man in his forties standing behind him with his bare chest. The man was a little bald and had a face full of stubble, which made him look a little untidy, but he always had a smile on his face, giving people a simple and easy-going feeling.

"Brother Luo, are you eating so early?" Gu Mengran smiled at him politely, raised his hand to check the time. It was just past four in the afternoon.

Although I had eaten some dry food on the mountain at noon and was already hungry, I got off work at four in the afternoon...isn't it a bit too early?

As if he had guessed what he was thinking, Luo Yuan grinned and nudged him lightly with his elbow, "What are you thinking about? We have to lift the tree back down, run back and forth, and it will be good if we can have dinner at six or seven o'clock."

Gu Mengran touched his nose angrily, "It seems so."

There was no rush to go down the mountain. Gu Mengran turned around and looked around. He saw Liang Zhao walking down the slope with the others, and then he followed Luo Yuan down the mountain.

The mountain road was slippery and difficult to walk on. A thick layer of mud appeared as soon as he stepped on it, and his shoes became much heavier. For fear of rolling down like the trees, Gu Mengran walked very slowly and carefully, and was soon left behind by the others.

Luo Yuan is a kind-hearted person. He was the one who gave instructions to Liang Zhao and Gu Mengran when they cut down trees in the morning. Now that they were going down the mountain, he did not think they were dawdling. He patiently walked in front to lead the way, and from time to time he turned back to tell him and Liang Zhao where to step.

When they reached the slope with a gentler terrain, Gu Mengran breathed a sigh of relief and followed Luo Yuan's steps, thanking him quickly: "Thank you so much, Brother Luo. The old saying is true: it's easier to go up a mountain than to go down."

"That's right. Mountain roads are the most difficult to walk on rainy days." Luo Yuan laughed and said, "I fell hard when I first came here. Fortunately, there was a tree stump to block me, otherwise I would have rolled down the mountain."

Just arrived? Gu Mengran looked at him in surprise, "Brother Luo is not a local?"

"Local? Don't you see it yet?" Luo Yuan asked him back.

Gu Mengran blinked blankly, "What did you see?"

Luo Yuan shook his head helplessly. "Like you, I used to be a boatman in Huangjiang. We used to be colleagues on the same river. Otherwise, why would I be hanging around you two kids?"

So that's how it is, Gu Mengran suddenly realized.

As a new arrival, I thought the enthusiastic villagers would be caring towards me, but I didn't expect that the care came from my former colleague.

Gu Mengran had always thought that Luo Yuan was from the same village, so he was very honest and didn't dare to ask any questions. This local suddenly became half of his own, and Gu Mengran couldn't help but smile and said, "I was wondering why Brother Luo looked so friendly, it turns out we are in the same industry! How long have you been here? Is it the bulk carrier at the dock?"

"You kid." Luo Yuan looked at him meaningfully and grinned. "Yes, the bulk carrier at the tourist wharf is ours. We... arrived more than ten days earlier than you. When you just arrived, we had already decided to stay and started working."

Luo Yuan was shirtless. Gu Mengran scanned his upper body without leaving a trace. There was a flash of surprise in his eyes, and his tone became cautious: "Brother Luo, I heard...someone on your ship was infected with chickenpox? Now..."

"Well, just ask if you want to. Why are you hesitating? Do you think it's strange that I don't have any scars on my body?" Luo Yuan waved his hand in disapproval. "Four of the five people on our ship were infected. I was the only one who escaped with luck."

"It was a dangerous situation. Several of them were seriously ill and almost lost their lives. Fortunately, we arrived at Fengjin Lake and they were willing to take us in and find a doctor for us in time."

Talking about the past, Luo Yuan's smile gradually disappeared, and a hint of sadness appeared on his brows.

"Good luck comes naturally." Gu Mengran subconsciously reached out to pat his shoulder, but halfway through he realized that the other person was not wearing a shirt. He awkwardly withdrew his hand and smiled dryly, "So are the rest of you in the village now?"

Luo Yuan hummed, "They have just recovered from a serious illness and need to rest. Brother Duan arranged some easy work for them so that they would not be exposed to the rain."

Gu Mengran: "What about the future? Do you plan to live here for a long time?"

"We have no choice!" Luo Yuan spread his hands. "We have nothing to eat or drink, and the boat is out of fuel. Where can we go if we leave here? It's a mess outside. We might as well stay here."

The conversation started, and Luo Yuan said to himself: "But Shijin Village is really not bad. It is close to the mountains and rivers and has plenty of food and drink. The villagers are warm and simple. They took us in when we were in trouble and did not bully us because we are outsiders."

Gu Mengran finished asking questions, and Luo Yuan, who had been answering questions, asked his first question: "I heard that you don't want to stay here? Can you tell me why?"

"It's not that I'm unwilling, I just don't know the situation here, so I can't make a decision rashly." After hesitating for a moment, Gu Mengran chose a more conservative answer.

As soon as these words came out, Luo Yuan's eyes lit up immediately. "If you have any questions, just ask me. I am also half a local, and I still know the basic situation of the village."

"real?"

"Boy, can I still fool you?"

Gu Mengran pursed his lips and chuckled, then slowly wiped the rain off his face and said casually, "Thank you, Brother Luo. I don't have anything to ask for now. Anyway, we will come here to work every day from now on, so let's see."

"What's the matter, kid? If you have any doubts, just ask. We are all sailors. Don't you trust me?" Luo Yuan seemed a little anxious and raised his elbow to bump Gu Mengran again.

Gu Mengran smiled and said, "I will definitely do it next time."

Being too curious will lead to a trap. Gu Mengran is sure that no matter what he asks now, Luo Yuan will give him an answer immediately. And then... as long as he takes the lead, an invitation that he cannot refuse will follow.

They are still family. Luo Yuan should not have any bad intentions. It’s just that his heart is more inclined towards Shijin Village. He has become a lobbyist for the villagers.

But from another perspective, this village should not be that bad. It took less than a month to win the hearts of the people. There should be no bad intentions, but just a simple lack of manpower.

After the casual chat, the three of them quickly came to the foot of the hillside where the trees were piled, rolled up their sleeves and joined the main group, running back and forth countless times on the bumpy muddy path.

There is a sunbathing area at the east end of the village. It is very large, as big as a football field.

The villagers built a large canopy on the top with bamboo poles and tarpaulins. The trees soaked by rain were transported here, dried out of moisture, chopped, and eventually turned into firewood.

The potatoes and sweet potatoes dug out of the mud will be washed clean with rainwater first, and then distributed to the elderly and women in the village to peel and slice them according to their conditions.

Finally, they will smoke it in their respective homes, placing it on a wire grill and smoking it with raw fish over wood fire until all the moisture is completely removed, making it easier to store for a long time.

Luo Yuan stopped pretending, knowing that Gu Mengran had seen through his intentions, and he introduced the village directly and openly. Even after they finished lifting the tree, it was still early, so he took Gu Mengran and Liang Zhao to walk around the village again and again.

Gu Mengran knew that he was showing the goodness of the village in a more intuitive way, because it was indeed good enough.

Food, fuel, tools... The villagers did not lie down and pin their hopes on others, nor did they slack off because of their comfortable lives. Instead, they stockpiled supplies as much as possible.

It must be said that their backbone was very far-sighted and prepared for the future.

Gu Mengran was already exhausted, and after walking around the village for a few more laps, he was so tired that he could hardly lift his legs. But this trip was not completely fruitless. It was almost time for dinner, and almost everyone was in the village. How many people were there in Shijin Village... Gu Mengran had a rough idea in his mind.

There were seventeen people who went up the mountain to cut trees, all of them men, either young people or middle-aged people with strong bodies. There were about thirty or forty people who dug potatoes and sweet potatoes on the mountain, both men and women, and most of them were young people.

There were no more than ten people fishing in the lake, including men, women, young and old.

Finally, there are the people who stayed in the village. It is roughly estimated that there are no more than a hundred people, and most of them are the elderly, the weak, women and children.

Where have all the young people in the village gone?

Although I can't ask, I can still indulge Meng Ran's curiosity.