By around four in the morning, smoke from cooking fires had already risen across Zhang Family Village. In addition to the won who got up early, the young and old with hoes were already busy with farm work in the private plots.
Far away, aside from the crowing of roosters in various yards, there were also the voices of families shouting for their n and children to eat.
Mr. Zhang, hands behind his back, was quickly spotted as he entered the village.
"Old Second, why have you co back so early?"
"Have you eaten? Co over and have porridge at our place?"
Mr. Zhang shook his hand with a smile. Apart from during busy farming days, many families only ate two als a day. How could he be so thick-skinned as to take advantage?
"Has your wife not co back?"
"The children’s mother is chatting with Aunt Ye at the village entrance, she’ll be back soon."
"That’s good, if you need a hand with anything, just shout."
"Sure thing." Mr. Zhang greeted people everywhere, but he did not find the Old Captain. However, he was in no hurry, as he had co to stay till the afternoon.
When he reached the entrance of Uncle Zhang’s ho, Mr. Zhang paused for a mont and went inside, just in ti to see his niece-in-law carrying pig feed.
"Second Uncle, you’ve returned to the village."
Mr. Zhang craned his neck to look towards the main room, "Where’s your father?"
"He’s at the private plot with my children’s father. Co in first and have a seat, I’ll call them back."
Seeing her put down the bucket, Mr. Zhang hurriedly waved his hand, "You go on with your work, I’ll find your father later."
"It’s fine, it’s quite close."
"No need, the pigs are already hungry and calling out." After saying this, Mr. Zhang turned around and walked towards Zhang Guoqing’s small courtyard.
Over there, Qingshan’s wife stood at the gate waiting for him to leave. Once he entered the courtyard, she pursed her lips and sighed regretfully.
Aunt Zhang ca over from the backyard, and seeing her eldest daughter-in-law idle once again, she couldn’t help but ask, "The pigs are starving and crying out, what are you looking at?"
"Mother, Second Uncle is back."
Aunt Zhang glanced at her and lowered her eyelids, "What’s there to talk about when your Second Uncle returns? He cos back every few days, doesn’t he?"
"He hadn’t returned ho yet and ca looking for Dad first."
Aunt Zhang nodded, "The n’s affairs are none of your concern, quickly go feed the pigs. Your father will get angry when he returns and hears about this."
Upon being told this, Qingshan’s wife hurriedly picked up the bucket and rushed to the backyard, yelling for her two daughters in the kitchen to co and help.
Aunt Zhang shook her head at the sight. This daughter-in-law really doesn’t understand how to cherish her daughters. She may regret it when she’s old. Being a grandmother herself, she was too indifferent to offer advice; there’s no use when her words go unheeded.
Mother Zhang entered her own courtyard with a fish in hand, just in ti to see her husband heading towards the backyard, "Why do you start working as soon as you get ho?"
"I feel ill at ease doing nothing."
Mother Zhang jokingly scolded him, "You’re truly fated to love hard work."
"Where did this catfish co from? Eating at in the village isn’t easy, maybe we should turn it down next ti."
Mother Zhang rolled her eyes at him, "Do you think I don’t know that? Our nephew at the village entrance gave it to , that child still rembers our kindness."
Mr. Zhang has many nephews, and if it weren’t for his wife ntioning the matter of kindness, he might not be able to recall which one.
"We should send back so brown sugar as a return gift."
"I was thinking just that." Mother Zhang chuckled and continued, "Xiao Wu’s Aunt Ye is amazing, I see that little boy is already doing fine."
"The saying goes, it takes a hundred days to heal from bone injuries, did you ntion this to our nephew and his wife?"
"The young wife is careful, and this is a boy; she didn’t need to say anything, she was aware. It’s just that the child is too mischievous, I heard he was climbing trees again a few days ago..."
Mr. Zhang observed his wife heading to the kitchen, and he hadn’t intended to go to the backyard just yet, so he stood in the courtyard listening to her chatter.
"... why can’t these kids be more like our Ping’an? Even if they can’t be compared to Ping’an, they can’t even asure up to our Liu Yiwu."
"Dear, why don’t we go to Beijing to see our grandchildren by the end of the year? Looking at the photos Jiao Jiao sends doesn’t bring the sa comfort as seeing the kids in person."
Mr. Zhang burst out laughing, "Alright, it’s all up to you. Shall we go this winter? I must see how Xiao Wu is doing now."
Every ti the old couple idly talked about visiting Beijing, it never materialized. Besides Mr. Zhang working as a temporary street worker, the costs involved made them hesitant.
When the loudspeaker for going to work blared, Mr. Zhang pushed away the wheat straw brush his wife handed him and patted off the dust from his clothes himself.
"Co back early at noon, I’ll prepare catfish stew with eggplant for you." Mother Zhang watched her husband leave, seemingly heading to help out in the fields again.
"This old woman, I’m not a child." Mr. Zhang laughed heartily at her words, waving his hand as he left.
With the loudspeaker sounding to signal the start of work, all the commune mbers gathered in the courtyard in front of the production team. The Old Captain quickly called out nas and assigned everyone their farm duties.
Seeing them all disperse, he walked, hands behind his back, patrolling from the wheat fields to the rice fields. Whenever he found a mber slacking off, he would scold them a bit, then offer so encouragent.
This thod of giving a slap with one hand and a candy with the other proved quite effective over the years. Beyond his prestige, there was a significant factor at play.
Any mber repeatedly pointed out by him would have half of their work points deducted that day. With this two-pronged approach, over the years, the team has remained united at heart.
This approach also pleased the young educated youths who ca here for several months. They worried about united community spirit with communal als, and more particularly, about being bullied as newcors.
But reality was better than imagined. Compared to other places, folks here possessed all the positive traits of Northeasterners.
They were warm, sincere, and simple-hearted. Many daily routines were tily reminders for them, and any help they could offer was straightforward and unhesitant.
As the old ladies of Zhang Family Village would say, the children from the city have it tough too, help them a little more if possible.
Such simple words often moved the five young educated youths, leaving their eyes brimming with tears. As a result, they cherished this kindness even more.
While educated youths in other production teams would try to find ways to take leave and slack off during busy farming seasons, they continued to diligently work under the stars and moon.
The Old Captain slowly walked to the rice paddies, intending to check on the five youths as they initially tackled plant thinning, and anwhile to remind the villagers to look after them.
Since they were here, seeing the situation, it was clear they wouldn’t be leaving for a few years. He figured it was best to plan for these kids, as they needed to distinguish between weeds and rice.
He was quite satisfied with these five young people. Building seedling beds in spring is a tough job, and the rice paddies are cold and icy, yet these kids insisted on contributing with everyone else.
If he hadn’t forced the two young girls to work in the wheat fields, they would probably have fallen ill. Now, after seedling cultivation, there’s the task of leveling and plowing, a more strenuous job. Again, the five youths requested to work alongside everyone else.
Gathering fertilizer, pulling seedlings, and planting them, no matter how their backs ached or legs were sore, nor how mosquitoes intermittently bit them, these kids never backed down. Compared to neighboring teams, these four kids seed even more savvy, diligent, and self-aware, so the Old Captain preferred not to treat them too harshly.
Arriving at the field ridge, the Old Captain saw the young educated youths working slower than the villagers not far away, yet he didn’t call out to them. Slow is good; it indicates careful distinction.
He worried for a mont that in their rush to complete the work, the kids might not be mindful in their actions.
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