The wheat was the main crop of the Green Pine Ridge and also the main food for the members. Therefore, planting wheat and harvesting wheat became two major events in a year.
" At night, the south wind rises, and the wheat is covered with yellow." At the end of May and the beginning of June in the solar calendar, the weather suddenly became hot. In the scorching south wind, one could smell the sweet fragrance of the new wheat. This pleasant smell went straight into people's noses against the gentle breeze. Standing in the field, he looked around. In the layers of terraced fields, the golden ears of wheat were like waves, rising and falling in the breeze. Seeing all this, the farmers were all drunk.
These days, whenever the members went to the fields or finished work, when they passed by the wheat that was about to ripen, there would always be some anxious people standing on the ground. They would pick off a wheat ear and rub it in their palms. Immediately, there would be a small handful of yellow and orange wheat grains that were as fat as the sons of bees. They would lie in their palms and count the number of wheat grains carefully to roughly estimate this year's harvest. Finally, they would throw the wheat grains in their palms into their mouths and chew them to see how ripe they were. After returning to the village, they discussed with each other," That day?
The restless farmers were obviously busy. They took out the branch handles, brooms, wheat ropes, and fan carts that had been left in the cave for a year and sorted them out. When they found that they were lacking things, they rushed to the market to buy more. They nailed a few new scythes with good steel mouths, bought a few hemp ropes for binding wheat, and picked out a few beautiful new straw hats for the girls and daughters-in-law. Then, someone drove the livestock to the wheat field, dug out the field, splashed water, and rolled it until the entire field was rolled into a shiny mirror. Everything was ready and waiting to be harvested.
Green Pine Ridge was located in a hilly area. It was a standard dry land, and the farmers were completely dependent on the weather. If there was a good harvest in a year of good weather, the wheat harvest would be poor and the yield would be reduced in a year of drought or flood. The farmers would not even be able to eat their stomachs full. What else could they say? Before the sickle was put in place to harvest the wheat this year, National Day and a few team members came to the field as usual to evaluate the wheat yield this year. Zhang Mancai from the Association of the Elderly looked at the golden wheat field and said happily,""Can the wheat this year not be good? The heavens had given us the '83rd' rain. If the wheat doesn't harvest, then we can only blame ourselves!”At that time, National Day did not understand the meaning of the " 83 " rain. He thought that there were only 360 days in a year. Could it be that it rained a quarter of the time? Later, he heard that it referred to the three rains in August, October, and March. Last year, before the wheat was sown, it had rained continuously for a few days around the Mid-Autumn Festival. The soil was full, so the wheat was sown on time, the wheat seedlings were full, and they grew healthily. A good rain fell in the tenth month of the lunar calendar. Not only did it replenish the water in the wheat fields, but it also sealed the wheat fields to ensure that the wheat seedlings could survive the winter safely. In March of the lunar calendar this year, just as the wheat seedlings were turning green, there was another Qingming rain that was as expensive as oil. The green wheat seedlings in the fields were like people who had been injected with chicken blood.
In the past, the school would give half a month of wheat leave during the summer wheat harvest season so that the students could go to the fields to help with the summer harvest. At that time, he would also rush home in time for National Day and harvest the wheat with the villagers in an excited mood. However, the feeling of this year's National Day was very different from that time. This year, he was not here to support the summer harvest or help. He had officially become a farmer. He was already a member of the Green Pine Ridge Production Team and had just been appointed as the production team's accountant. Therefore, he was particularly excited.
The day when the sickle was cut. Before dawn, his mother woke him up and handed him the scythe that had been sharpened last night and a small bag of dry food. Once again, he told him to go to the field and learn from those who cut fast. It doesn't matter if you cut fast, but don't be anxious. Be careful not to cut your hand. Guo Qing looked up at the stars that were still blinking in the sky. He put on the thin cotton jacket that his mother handed him and hurried out of the door.
There was a dark figure under the big locust tree. Guo Qing was about to ask who it was when he heard,"Guoqing, come with me. Everyone is leaving.”It was the vice-captain, Brother Cheng Wa.
When Guo Qing followed Cheng Wa to the wheat field on the Eastern Ridge, a red glow had already appeared in the eastern sky. The sky was starting to brighten. Looking carefully into the wheat field, a dark mass of people had already set up a formation and began to harvest the wheat. No one spoke. They could only hear the sound of wheat being cut with a sickle and the sound of wheat straws being piled on the ground. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw that someone had already cut the wheat halfway.
Guoqing did not dare to hesitate. He aimed at the three rows of wheat, waved his sickle, and also cut them. He didn't know if it was because the wheat grew too well this year or because his hands were too small on National Day, but every time he cut the wheat, he had to put the wheat straw in his hand on the wheat shop on the ground. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to put it in his hand. He found it strange. Why did Cheng Wa keep jumping forward? Why didn't he stretch his waist and raise his head? In less than half a cigarette, National Day was left far behind. The more anxious he was, the slower he cut. His two hands seemed to be very uncooperative, and after a while, he felt flustered. At this time, the sun had already risen to the sky. On National Day, he took off his thin cotton jacket and wiped his sweat. He felt that his waist was starting to hurt.
Just as he was wiping his sweat one after another on National Day, he realized that he had pulled away from everyone. Every time he cut a few times, he would straighten his back with difficulty and look up. The more he looked, the further away he was from everyone. It seemed that he was the only one left behind. The sweat on his face blurred his eyes. He was only left with a shirt on his upper body. He followed everyone's example and tied his shirt around his waist. At this moment, he realized that there were many people in front of him. There was Captain Chen Baoxing, Uncle Man Cai from the Elderly Poor Association, and a few unfamiliar girls and young wives. They each divided the three rows of wheat that he had cut one by one. In a few moments, the three rows of wheat were cut clean and laid on the ground smoothly. He felt at once like he had been pardoned, liberated. He smiled and cast a grateful look at the people. Everyone laughed too. Looking at his scholarly face, someone said, You're not used to this work yet. Don't be anxious. Take your time. It'll be fine as long as you practice.
After another round of cutting, the captain called for everyone to eat dry food. Guo Xing felt his stomach growling. He took out the newly steamed white bread his mother had brought and swallowed the two white buns in a few bites with the slightly sweet onion heads. He wiped his mouth happily and felt energetic again. He waved his sickle and started to cut quietly. But when everyone started, he was left behind again. He did not want to be outdone. He spat on his palm, gritted his teeth, and desperately chased after them. He did not believe that a young man like him could not catch up to those big girls and young wives. However, the train was not pushed, and bragging was not bragging! In the end, it was those young ladies and daughters-in-law who brought him to his place.
Breakfast was eaten under the shade of a large persimmon tree. The members all brought their own dry rations. The team sent over fried bamboo shoots and zucchini, as well as two large buckets of millet porridge. Everyone naturally gathered in a few small circles and finished their food and soup in no time. Two young new wives took out their whetstones before they finished eating and began to sharpen their sickles. People often said,"People are not as fast as people!”If he wanted to cut in front of others, the sickle had to be fast. On National Day, he couldn't care less. He ate all the dry food his mother had brought and drank a bowl of rice soup. He fell asleep.
Vaguely, Guo Qing felt that he and Brother Cheng Wa had participated in an intense battle. This was an extremely intense battle. The other party was a group of vicious Japanese soldiers. The enemy defended while we attacked. Although we finally won and wiped out all the defending enemies, we also paid a heavy price. The corpses of both sides were lying everywhere. Although Guo Qing had managed to survive, he was badly injured. At this moment, he was lying weakly on the Gobi Desert. The doctor was squatting beside him to examine his injuries. Someone flipped his hand over. One of his palms had been pierced by a bullet. It was heart-wrenching and painful. His waist was also seriously injured. Was there a piece of shell skin? Anyway, he couldn't move at all. A nurse was wiping his face with a hot towel. He felt very comfortable and wanted to open his eyes to see where he was lying. However, despite using a lot of strength, his eyelids were very heavy and he couldn't open them no matter how hard he tried. He felt very depressed.
At this moment, someone pushed his shoulder and called out softly,"Wake up, National Day. Everyone is going to harvest the wheat.”Suddenly, Guo Qing's eyes opened. He focused his gaze and saw that he had fallen asleep on the ground covered with branches and clods under the persimmon tree. He had a dream just now! He rubbed his eyes and couldn't help but look at his hands. They were indeed injured, but they weren't pierced by bullets. They were just a few blood blisters from cutting wheat. His waist was still hurting, and no one was wiping his face. The sunlight shone on his face through the gaps between the swaying branches...
Guo Qing looked back. Only he and the old man who delivered the food were left under the shade of the tree. The old man said kindly,"Are you tired? Take it slow, don't be anxious, practice first, get used to it. Is this your sickle? Cheng Wa has already ground it for you. Try it and see if it's fast.”Guo Qing thanked the old man, took the sickle, and hurried to chase after everyone. He gritted his teeth and was determined to fight for his pride. He endured the pain in his palm and waist, hardened his heart, gripped the handle of the sickle, and used all his strength to cut with all his might. Needless to say, Cheng Wa sharpened the sickle very quickly this time and cut the wheat. National Day felt that it was very handy. However, the wheat field that was cut this time was not big. In a short while, the end was cut, and it was difficult to tell who was faster or slower. After harvesting the last row of wheat, he heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he straightened his back and was about to wipe his sweat, the world suddenly spun and his eyes went black. Then, he lost consciousness.
People saw Guo Qing's body twist and suddenly fall down. They didn't know what happened to him, but they immediately surrounded him like a swarm of bees. Someone shouted anxiously,"Guo Wa, Guo Wa, what's wrong? Wake up!" Someone picked him up and pinched his philtrum. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes and struggled to stand up, but his legs were weak and he could not stand up no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to vomit, but nothing came out. His head looked as if it had been washed, and sweat dripped down the ends of his hair. Guo Yongsheng, the barefoot doctor in the village, squatted in front of Guo Qing and felt his pulse."He might have collapsed. The weather was so hot and he was sweating so much. He would feel better if he drank some water and rested.”As she spoke, she helped Guo Day to a persimmon tree with everyone. At this moment, the captain of the women's team, Li Junlan, was seen holding a basin and a glass bottle in her hand. She walked over in a panic. Someone immediately ran over to pick her up. It turned out that when she saw Guo Qing lying on the ground, she concluded that he was hot, so she quickly ran to a nearby member's house to get water.
After Guo Qing finished the full bottle of water in one go, he immediately felt much more relaxed. He put his head into the basin and washed it, feeling half better. At this time, he looked at the anxious eyes of the villagers in front of him and looked at the third sister-in-law of the female captain, Li Junlan, who had just returned from fetching water for him. Her face was still dripping with sweat. Suddenly, she started sobbing. Although he tried his best to suppress himself, he could not stop sobbing. He could not stop himself. This made Captain Chen Baoxing, a tough man, tear up. He chuckled and said,"Sigh! He wasn't small, but he was actually still soft. Hurry up and help him back to rest.”
It had been a few days since he suffered from heatstroke during the National Day wheat harvest. Although his body had long recovered, the captain had been quietly taking care of him when he was assigned to work. He was either asked to follow a few old men to the market to sell livestock, or he was sent to the county with a few women to hand in cotton and persimmon wine. The reason was that in the future, as long as it was a matter of handling money, it was better to let Guo Qing, the accountant, personally participate.
One day after the wheat mill was finished, a group of young people went to the grain station to deliver public grain. The vice-captain, Zhang Chengwa, called Guo Qing away, saying that he had to settle the formalities with the grain station. What if the accountant didn't go?
Sending public grain was a heavy job. The sacks used to store public grain were all large sacks with the words "COFCO" printed on them, weighing a full 200 jin. Whether it was loading, unloading, or carrying it to the granary, each person carried a sack. There had never been two people carrying it. Moreover, carrying it up and walking was much more laborious than carrying it. Could he carry that 200-pound sack? Guo Qing wasn't confident, but he had long wanted to give it a try.
When the grain delivery cart entered the gate of the grain station, the quality inspector of the grain station stabbed a sharp iron pipe into the gunny sack. After that, he poured the wheat grains in the pipe into his palm and looked at them carefully. After that, he threw the wheat grains into his mouth and bit them for a few times. After that, he spat the crushed wheat grains onto the ground with a sound of "pu". He then raised his pen and marked the grades of wheat on the quality inspection slip. The grades of wheat were divided into three grades. Although the price of each grade of wheat was only a few cents, the quality inspector of the grain station was very strict. But there were too many of them, so everyone cared. Therefore, while the quality inspector was chewing on the wheat grains and had yet to spit them out, everyone looked at his face nervously. They smiled and tried their best to flatter him. Vice-captain Zhang Chengwa kept stuffing cigarettes into his hands.
After the quality inspector graded the wheat, it was followed by weighing and a second spot check to recheck the quality of the wheat. After the spot checks were done, the people weighing them began to weigh them one pound at a time. As a result, the two carts had a total of 50 bags that day, which was exactly 10,000 catties. After the first pound, Guo Qing did not say anything and walked to the scale. He bent down and placed his hands on his back, letting the people put the sack on his back. Cheng Wa walked over and patted Guo Qing's shoulder.""Get up, don't show off. You're still a soft piece of paper. I can't bear the responsibility of causing your precious scholar to fall ill. Forget it, let's talk about it in two years."
Guo Qing didn't move. He still bent over and said,""It doesn't matter, just let me try.”
"Alright, let him bear it once. You guys take care of him. Don't let him fall.”When Cheng Wa saw that he was insistent, he agreed to try.
The young men were also a little worried. After placing a bag on his back, they followed him on both sides, just in case something bad happened.
Guo Qing felt that the gunny sack was stable on his back. It was not as heavy as they said. She looked up and took small steps. However, the moment he entered the storeroom, he was shocked. Stepping through the threshold of the storeroom was a pile of wheat that led to the roof. From the door to the pile of wheat, there were several wooden boards in different directions. The wooden board was more than a foot wide and more than twenty feet long. There was a piece of wood nailed to the board every step, obviously to prevent slipping. It seemed that he had to step on the wooden board to send the 200-pound sack to the two-meter-tall pile of wheat. Looking at the long, narrow, and steep wooden planks, National Day was indeed a little timid. But they were already here. If they didn't dare to go up, wouldn't they become a joke? There was no room for consideration on National Day. He made up his mind, gritted his teeth, and took a firm step forward. He stepped on the wooden board and carried it step by step.
Walking on the flat road was very different from walking on the wooden board. On the flat road, he could still walk steadily, but on the wooden board, his calves and knee joints had to put in a lot of effort. After a few steps, Guoqing felt his legs go soft and it was difficult to walk. The sack on his back also slid down his butt. He could only bend his waist a little more, lower his head a little more, grit his teeth, and sprint upwards. Finally, before the sack was about to slide to the tip of his buttocks and fall down, he stepped on the last section of the board. He used all his strength and threw the sack onto the top of the wheat pile. He himself fell head-on onto the wheat pile, allowing sweat to drip from his head and face.
"Good!" His companions shouted happily and clapped their hands. Guo Qing heard everyone's shouts and climbed up from the wheat pile. He jumped twice, then like a tiger coming down the mountain, he jumped down the wheat pile in three steps and rushed to the scale, carrying the second bag. However, Cheng Wa stopped him. He said that he could only wait until tomorrow to continue. Everyone was very impressed with National Day. They gave detailed guidance on the methods of carrying sacks and the essentials of walking on National Day. He also said that Guo Qing was a person with a heart. As long as he trained more, he would definitely be stronger than them.
On the way back to Green Pine Ridge after paying the public grain, everyone sat comfortably on the big cart covered with gunny sacks and chatted. Frog talked about the good harvest this year. He estimated that each adult could get 300 pounds of wheat this year. In addition to the corn, broomcorn, and sweet potatoes in autumn, there would be no shortage of grain in the team next spring. Zhang Guangzhi, the driver of the carriage, whipped the mules and horses, and they immediately ran. He straightened his body and sat down firmly."I don't think we need to bring fertilizer to Henan this year to exchange for that kind of rye, right? Save the fertilizer and plant it in our own land. Next year's harvest will still be good!”
"That's for sure. It seems that our situation has reached the bottom.”Cheng Wa echoed.
Guo Qing lay in the carriage covered with sacks and recalled the things that had happened since he returned to his hometown. The honest faces of the villagers appeared in front of his eyes one after another. He couldn't help but feel excited and grateful to the villagers from the bottom of his heart. He turned around and said to the vice-captain, Zhang Chengwa, who was lying beside him,""Brother Chengwa, I really feel bad that everyone cares so much about me. After the summer break, I would like to invite everyone to my house for a meal and a drink! I have to thank everyone properly."
Xin Niu, who was dozing off on the tail of the cart, suddenly woke up when he heard Guo Qing's words. He said excitedly,"I don't need to drink! If you want to treat everyone, book a movie for everyone to watch. Heroes and Children or Conquering the South and North will do.”
Zhang Guangzhi, who was waving his whip, smiled and nodded."National Day, as long as you have the heart, it doesn't matter if you invite me or not.”
"Third Uncle, this is a small token of my appreciation. The villagers are affectionate, how can I be unintentional?”Guo Qing reiterated.
"National Day, listen to me. The villagers care about you and help you because you haven't forgotten your hometown after more than ten years of school. As long as you use all the skills you've learned and do your best to work with everyone and do a good job in our team, it's the best way to repay everyone.”The one who spoke was Zhang Chengwa. Xin Niu also echoed,"Brother Chengwa is right!" Guo Qing looked at Cheng Wa solemnly. He did not expect Brother Cheng Wa to say such touching and high-level words. But his mouth still said,"We must do our job well." But I will never forget the benefits of the villagers.”
Guo Qing was speaking from the bottom of his heart. He was very clear about the care and love of the team members and villagers. He was determined to hone himself in labor. Not only must one have a strong physique, but one must also have excellent labor skills. From then on, he took the initiative to get close to Cheng Wa and Brother Baoxing and learn from them humbly. Every day, when Captain Chen Baoxing rang the work bell, the first person to arrive under the big locust tree was National Day.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]