Today was Xu Mengyao's last day at school. The morning sun streamed through the windows, illuminating every corner of the classroom. She walked briskly into the classroom and was met with the expectant gaze of her classmate, Liang Mancang.
"Huang Wenjuan, let's discuss something." There was a hint of urgency in Liang Mancang's voice.
Xu Mengyao smiled slightly and teased: "Nothing good will happen to you anyway."
Liang Mancang got anxious when he heard this. He quickly pulled a stool over and sat down, his tone full of flattery: "Oh, this is really a good thing! I heard that your mother planted a lot of sweet corn this year. Can you give me a couple of them after the wheat harvest?"
Xu Mengyao's heart moved, and she thought of the green sweet stalks. Although not as sweet as sugarcane, nor as thick as it, but the skin is easy to peel and full of juice, it is indeed a rare snack in summer. She thought for a moment, turned to Liang Mancang and said:
"I can give it to you, but I don't want anything anymore. Give me five cents for each one."
Liang Mancang was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll take two."
…………
In the blink of an eye, the wheat harvest season has quietly arrived.
In the summer of 1988, the sun was scorching in the sky and the golden wheat fields rolled like waves, as if telling the joy of the harvest.
Early in the morning, the crowing of roosters awakened the slumbering countryside. Adults emerged from their homes, armed with their own farm tools, to join the wheat harvest. For a moment, the wheat fields were bustling with activity. Some were responsible for harvesting, others for bundling, and still others for transporting. With clear divisions of labor and coordinated efforts, everyone contributed to the harvest.
They bent down, grasping the wheat stalks with one hand and swinging their sickles with the other, skillfully and powerfully slashing the wheat ears. The harvested ears were neatly stacked to the side, forming small hills. As the sun rose higher, sweat began to drip from their foreheads, soaking their clothes. But smiles of satisfaction and anticipation remained on their faces, for every drop of sweat embodied the hope of a bountiful harvest.
Meanwhile, his father, who worked in the mining area, had taken a month's leave to visit his family. He rushed home, exhausted. Huang's father was only half a farmer, and as soon as he got home, he changed into his worn but washed-out farm clothes, picked up his sickle, and hurried to the wheat field.
"Mom, I'm back!" Father Huang shouted to his wife who was already working in the fields.
Huang's mother raised her head, sweat dripping down her cheeks, but her face was filled with a happy smile: "You are finally back, the wheat at home is waiting for you."
Huang's father picked up his sickle and expertly cut off bundles of wheat. Although he hadn't worked in a while, his movements were still deft and powerful. Huang's mother bundled the wheat beside him, and the two worked in perfect harmony, as if they had returned to their youth.
"Dad, take it easy and don't get too tired." Huang's mother reminded him with concern.
"Don't worry, coal miners won't be afraid of this." Father Huang responded with a smile
As the sun rose higher, the temperature in the wheat fields climbed with it. Sweat began to form on Huang's forehead, and his clothes clung to his body. But he gritted his teeth and persevered, unwilling to stop and rest.
"Dad, go take a rest under the shade of the tree and drink some water." Huang's mother looked at her husband with concern and handed him a pot of water.
"No, I can still work for a while. You should go and rest, don't get too tired." Father Huang shook his head and rejected his wife's kindness.
The two of them were busy in the wheat field, occasionally chatting and smiling at each other. Their interaction was simple but full of warmth and tacit understanding.
The four children were busy at work. Xu Mengyao and her eldest sister, Huang Wenrong, were responsible for preparing meals, while Wenxia played with a group of other children in the wheat fields, helping to gather wheat ears. Even her eldest brother, Huang Wenbin, joined in, carrying bundles of wheat to the edge of the field.
In the evening, the four children gathered in their family's fields to help. Despite being fully clothed, Xu Mengyao couldn't avoid the pain of wheat ears piercing her body. She gritted her teeth and persevered, occasionally looking up at her parents as they worked. Seeing their exhausted figures and satisfied smiles, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
"Dad, Mom, you have worked hard!" Xu Mengyao said softly.
Huang's parents looked up at the words and saw that their children were trying their best to help. They smiled at each other, as if all their fatigue had dissipated at that moment.
This week, Xu Mengyao watched her parents rapidly drain away their moisture like flowers, and she had no choice but to send more food to the fields. This morning, Xu Mengyao picked a few melons from her own vegetable patch, washed them, and prepared to send them to the fields.
As she reached the edge of the field, she heard children's laughter not far away. Curious, she looked over and saw several older children chasing and playing. She wanted to see if Wenxia was among them so she could give her a melon. But Erya, from her uncle's family, was already devouring the melon with relish, but her sister was nowhere to be seen.
Xu Mengyao was about to turn and leave when a sudden commotion caught her attention. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw the older children surrounding Erya. They pushed her to the ground and snatched the melon from her hand. Erya's face was filled with fear and helplessness, tears welling in her eyes.
Xu Mengyao was anxious and was about to rush over, but she saw a figure rushing over from the side path like lightning - it was her grandmother!
Although her grandmother was old, she was very agile. She waved her cane and loudly scolded the children who bullied Erya:
"You little bastards, how dare you bully the kids from our Huang family! I'll break your legs!" Her voice was loud and powerful, scaring the children away.
"You silly girl, why are you still sitting on the ground? Get up and go home! I don't know how the eldest couple taught you!" Grandma Huang glared at Erya lying on the ground.
Erya stood up shakily and whispered, "Thank you, grandma."
But the grandmother turned her head away proudly, muttering: "Don't play with those kids in the future, they are all bad. It's better to have a helper when fighting with your brothers and sisters."
Erya lowered her head and spoke even more quietly: "I was originally with Xia and Yinliang, but they disappeared when I went home. I will remember this later."
Grandma snorted unhappily and said, "Well, let's go." Then she turned and left.
Xu Mengyao didn't go over, but quietly walked away from the path, afraid that her grandmother would be embarrassed if she saw her. She couldn't help but feel a little emotional:
I used to think her grandmother was a strict person who didn't like her granddaughter very much, and even more so didn't accept Erya, her adopted granddaughter. But today I saw another side of her. Perhaps people are inherently contradictory, and this old lady is quite interesting.
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