Fang San Di's two older sisters brought him canned fruit. "San Di, we just found out too, how did it get like this? Where's Ji Hong?"
“She went to work in the fields.” Fang Sandi sat up from the recliner.
"You can eat this canned food yourself, it'll help you get some nutrition." The older sister glanced at Fang Yu, who was playing nearby. "Don't be stingy with what you have, okay?"
"I know, I know, Fang Yu, call her Auntie, Auntie."
Fang Yu glanced at them and called out softly, "Auntie, Auntie."
"Oh, Fang Yu, you can play by yourself," the eldest sister replied, then leaned closer to Fang's third brother, "Now that you can't work, has Ji Hong said anything to you?"
"Huh? Why do you think she said something about me? Now all the housework falls on her shoulders, she's so busy she's practically fighting for food."
“It’s good to be busy. Being busy will keep you on your toes. Now that she’s out in the fields alone, you have to be careful,” his second sister said softly beside him.
“Sister, why do you all think of her like that?” Fang Sandi glanced at Fang Yu. “The child is here, don’t talk nonsense. She’s not that kind of person.”
"You're so naive, we always have to remind you."
“There’s too much work in the fields for her to do. Why don’t you ask your two brothers-in-law to come and help us with some of it?” Fang San Di said.
"You've really learned to talk now, you're quite clever." The eldest and second eldest sisters looked at each other.
“We have work to do at home too!” the older sister said. “Since you’ve come over today, let’s help her with some things.”
"Yes, she went to the fields to weed today, and she also needs to apply fertilizer. The sweet potatoes need to be turned over."
"You expect us to do all the housework for you?" the second sister said reproachfully.
"No, no, I'll do as much as I can. I'm really worried she won't make it in time if she's alone."
"Okay, okay, okay, let's go. We really owe you a debt, little brother." The eldest sister and the second sister walked into the field.
“We came to see our brother out of concern, but he’s the one who’s worried about his wife and wants us to do chores for her,” the second sister said, disgruntled.
“It’s a lot of work for Ji Hong to do all by himself. He hasn’t been able to work for more than half a year, and his family needs to eat and drink. Let’s just consider it helping our younger brother.”
From afar, you could see Yu Jihong alone, bent over in the field. The back of her jacket was soaked, clinging to her body like a dark patch.
She held a small rake in her hand, digging it into the mud. She had to bend over and weed around the seedling roots, her bangs sticking to her forehead with sweat.
"Ji Hong!"
Yu Jihong paused as she straightened up, as if her back was still stiff. When she turned around and saw them, she first forced a smile, but sweat trickled down her face. She raised her hand to wipe it away. "Eldest sister, second sister, you've come."
“We just heard about it too. Why didn’t you tell us about something this big? We came over so we could lend a hand.”
"Oh, well, you all have things to do at home too."
"Since we're here today, let's do a little bit together. Every little bit helps."
My two older sisters-in-law grew up doing manual labor and were quite efficient. By noon, they had cleared away all the weeds from the field.
When they got home, there was still rice left over from the morning's cooking. Yu Jihong cooked a dish and everyone ate it together.
Yu Jihong was too tired to cook properly. "Eldest sister, second sister, let's just eat something simple. I'll cook more when I have more free time later."
"It's alright, it's alright, we're all family, as long as we have enough to eat."
"Eldest sister, second sister, could you help us turn over the sweet potato vines this afternoon?" Fang's third brother said.
“No need, I can manage on my own. My eldest and second eldest sisters have their own chores to do,” Yu Jihong quickly stopped her.
“My eldest and second eldest sisters have their husbands helping them with the work, but in our family, only Jihong is busy right now, and we don’t have time to do anything.” Fang’s third brother didn’t stand on ceremony with his own sister.
"Okay, since you're here, do more." The eldest and second eldest sisters reluctantly followed Yu Jihong to the sweet potato field again in the afternoon.
Sweet potato vines spread all over the ground, with newly sprouting tubers hidden under the lush green leaves. They squatted in the sweet potato field, carefully pulling apart the tangled vines and turning them to the side to prevent the nodes from getting stuck in the mud and growing new roots, thus diverting nutrients from the main root.
The older sister was quick; she grabbed several vines, twisted her wrist gently, and flipped them over, revealing the damp mud under the vines, which smelled earthy.
"My two aunts are so good to my younger brother; they came to help right away," a neighbor who was working in the field nearby said with a smile.
“Treat your younger brother well, and you should also cherish his wife,” the second sister-in-law chimed in.
"Yes! Right now, it's all about taking care of my sister-in-law. My third brother can't do it for a while, so this work has fallen to Jihong."
The sounds were carried on the hot air as everyone chatted and their hands never stopped moving.
The turned-over vines were neatly laid out on the ground. When the wind blew, the lush green leaves swayed, looking much more vibrant than before.
The second sister straightened her back and rubbed her back. Seeing that the eldest sister was still engrossed in turning over the soil, she smiled and squatted down, saying, "Almost done, almost done. This little bit of land will be finished in another hour."
In the evening, Fang Sandi's two older sisters dragged their tired bodies home, complaining, "Third brother only cares about his wife, his sisters' strength is nothing."
They married into different villages, and when they reached the crossroads, they went back to their respective homes without making any plans to visit each other's younger brother's house next time.
Temperatures are rising in all regions.
The sun baked the sand and soil on the construction site until it was scorched. When Fang Damiao moved back to the work shed from the pile of steel bars, his blue cloth jacket was already soaked with sweat so much that half a basin of water could be wrung out. It was sticky and heavy against his back.
The shed was made of bamboo strips, and the wind that seeped in through the cracks in the walls was scalding hot. It was accompanied by the clanging and banging of the pile driver in the distance, which made people feel suffocated. There was also the smell of sweat and soap wafting from the shed, which made people feel depressed.
Fang Damiao put his arm under his head, squinted, and thought, "The months with the strongest sun are here. Do I have to grit my teeth and keep going?"
Thinking about the salary, it's much better than farming at home. Is there any other place where I can earn more money without having to work so hard?
My roommate's transistor radio was talking about how the reform and opening up has led to construction everywhere, and there should be plenty of opportunities here. I came here last year, but I haven't even had a chance to properly explore the area yet.
Or, after I get my paycheck this month, I can tell the foreman I have some family matters to attend to and go see if there are any other, easier jobs available during the hottest months. If there are, I can do something else; if not, I can come back later.
As soon as this idea came to mind, Fang Damiao's hope was rekindled, and the fatigue from before seemed to dissipate by more than half.
While working in the afternoon, the foreman praised Da Miao again, saying, "Da Miao has done a great job this year!"
"Hehe!" Fang Damiao chuckled a few times and then continued working.
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