Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 343 Great Harvest

During the double harvest season, there is no fixed time to finish work; the standard is based on nightfall.

We'll stop working whenever the sun goes down.

Sometimes they would continue working even after sunset, until they could no longer see anything, at which point everyone would gradually leave the fields.

As the sun set, the commune members dragged their tired bodies back home.

Even so, almost all the men still had a load of rice on their shoulders. Only after they carried the load back would their busy day officially end.

Meanwhile, the broadcast over the loudspeaker continued, clearly indicating that Zhang Cuie was still at her post and had not yet left work.

After carrying the rice back to the village, the men went to the river together to bathe in the water. When they returned, they would bring back a bucket of water, because the water at home would definitely be used up by then.

That's why everyone is so eager for tap water. If we had tap water, would we still need to carry water?
The women took their children home and busied themselves washing off the mud.

After cleaning up a bit, I rushed to Captain Yang's house to wait for the day's work points to be calculated.

By the light of the electric lamp in the main room, Accountant Liu took the scorebook and recorded the work points for each commune member.

According to the rules of Lujiawan, under normal circumstances, men would receive 10 to 12 points for such high-intensity labor as today, women would receive 6 to 10 points, children aged 12 to under 18 would receive 4 points, children aged 10 to 12 would receive 3 points, and children under 10 would receive 2 points.

Accountant Liu kept a mental record of everyone who participated in the labor. As each group of people passed by him, he remembered clearly who had done the full work, who had only done half the work, who hadn't come in the morning, who hadn't come in the afternoon, how much effort they had put in, and how much work they had done.

He was able to become an accountant and scorekeeper not because his surname was Liu, but because of his ability to recognize people!
Before long, he recorded everyone's work points and also registered them in the "personal work record book," and no one objected.

(Personal work record)
This has been the way it's been every year. Everyone knows who's stronger, puts in more effort, and works longer.

Even if a few "tricky" young people want to ask for one or two more points, they will be pulled away by their families before they can finish speaking.

The Yang, Liu, and Huang families make up the vast majority of the surnames in Team 6. If you question Accountant Liu at this time, you're slapping the Liu family in the face. Do you want to start a war or something?!

After Accountant Liu finished his work, Storekeeper Huang brought over the ice pop box and shouted, "Ice pops are being distributed! According to the previous rules, each household will receive one ice pop. Then, based on work points, we'll distribute the mung bean ice pops first, then the cream ice pops, until they're all gone. No one is allowed to complain."

At this moment, everyone became excited and unconsciously surged forward.

The custodian, Huang, immediately put his hands on his hips, glared at him, and said, "What are you pushing for? Haven't you ever eaten this before or never seen it before? Just wait over there. I'll call your name, and then you can come and get it."

Then, holding the notebook, he said, "First, distribute the money to each household, then the bonuses. The first household is Yang Jimin..."

An elderly man, trembling and leaning on his cane, squeezed out of the crowd and walked out.

The storekeeper, Mr. Huang, quickly brought over an ice cream, saying, "Oh, sir, please slow down. Why did you come in person? Where's Yang Lao Jiu? Couldn't you be helping your great-grandfather...?"

Yang Jimin held out his bowl, watching the storekeeper Huang put the ice cream into it. He grinned, revealing all his missing teeth, and said, "Let him do it? Is my great-grandson not going to eat it?"

After saying that, he turned and left. People around him quickly made way for him and helped him up, afraid that the old man might fall.

Yang Lao Jiu, in his mid-twenties, followed behind with a wry smile on his face.

The custodian, Huang, wiped his sweat. "The second household..."

Captain Yang and Accountant Liu, who were standing nearby, were still shaken.

Accountant Liu nudged Captain Yang with his elbow and whispered, "How long has it been since we've seen the old man smile so happily?"

Captain Yang was already laughing so hard he could barely open his eyes. "Old people are like children, their tempers are just like children's. Little Chen did a good job."

……

The hustle and bustle of the village did not affect Chen Fan.

He was busy in the educated youth compound at that moment, and soon he had prepared three dishes and a soup and put the food on the table.

It still mainly consists of vegetables, supplemented with oil and meat, making it both appetizing and nutritious.

Just then, Jiang Lili, Huang Ying, and Liu Dan walked into the courtyard together.

Chen Fan glanced at them and casually asked, "Where's Yang Ju?"

Liu Dan pointed to the village ahead, "She's still waiting to get her popsicle."

Huang Ying smiled happily, "I just asked, and it's calculated based on 48 households, so the educated youth count as one household, and Teacher Chen, you also count as one household, so we can receive two [items/funds]."

As for the other rewards, like popsicles, they didn't even dare to dream of them.

It's already pretty good that five people share two popsicles; many families with seven or eight members only share one.

Chen Fan smiled and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly froze. He walked over and looked them up and down. "You... how did you get all covered in mud?"

The three girls blushed instantly. Huang Ying covered her face and ran back to her room, while Liu Dan simply covered her eyes, saying, "Don't look, don't look."

Jiang Lili lowered her head awkwardly, looked at the thick layer of dried mud on her arms and legs, and muttered, "There are too many bugs. Applying mud can prevent them from biting me."

Chen Fan blinked. "Are there a lot of bugs?"

"Uh-huh."

Jiang Lili raised her hand and touched her neck and face, which were covered with a thick layer of mud. When she rubbed them, chunks of mud kept falling off.

She said shyly, "When it gets dark, there are many tiny insects flying around in the paddy fields. If you get bitten, you'll get a big welt. So we smear mud on our bodies so we won't get bitten."

Chen Fan nodded in realization, "I see."

He paused for a moment, then pointed to the two buckets of water next to him. "You guys wash first, then take a bath, and come back for dinner after you're done."

Jiang Lili and Liu Dan exchanged a glance, both seeing the embarrassment on each other's faces, and quickly lowered their heads to wash up.

Huang Ying also came out with a basin to wash the dishes.

First, wash off the mud with cold water, then wipe it with warm water, and finally carry a bucket to fetch hot water to take a bath in the back.

A moment later, Yang Ju ran back with a bowl containing two freshly made ice creams. Seeing that the three of them were busy washing, she joined in without saying a word.

It was half an hour later when they had all washed up, changed their clothes, and washed and hung up their dirty clothes.

By this time, the two ice creams had completely melted, turning into a bowl of ice water.

When Chen Fan bought the ice cream, it wasn't very hard anymore. It had been in the box for several hours, and now that it had been brought back and left to cool for another half a day, it was normal for it to melt in this hot weather.

Chen Fan looked at the ice cream water in the bowl, not knowing what to say.

The girls seemed quite happy.

Yang Ju clapped her hands, "It's melted just right, enough for one small cup each."

She went inside and took out five ceramic cups, carefully distributing them one by one, even scraping the bottom layer of the large bowl clean.

Chen Fan also took a cup, brought it to his lips, took a sip, and smiled, "Not bad, it's still cold."

Looking at them again, they were all sipping their drinks slowly, their faces full of satisfied smiles, as if they were savoring some exquisite wine, and even their bodies didn't seem so tired anymore.

With just a small cup of ice cream water, the group quickly finished their dinner.

As is their usual routine, they would go to the general study room at this time, and now they have their books with them, intending to continue studying for a while.

They study mathematics, physics, and chemistry—four subjects: algebra, geometry, physics, and chemistry. Each student can choose one book, so they won't interfere with each other.

However, Chen Fan stopped them, saying, "You're so exhausted, how can you still concentrate on your studies?"

Jiang Lili laughed and said, "You're right, learning is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. If I don't study for a day, I'm afraid my learning will regress."

Yang Ju nodded repeatedly, "It's just studying, much easier than working in the fields, just consider it a rest."

Huang Ying said, "We'll just watch for a little while, and if we get too tired, we'll go to sleep."

Liu Dan nodded again, "Mhm."

Chen Fan looked at them, stood up, and said, "Come with me."

As he spoke, he walked towards the backyard.

Jiang Lili and the other three exchanged glances but said nothing and followed.

A short while later, Chen Fan walked to the new house on the hilltop behind the house. He pushed open the door, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.

He glanced back at the four people, turned on the light, and walked towards the living room, saying, "I just lit a censer here, so there shouldn't be any mosquitoes in this house." There were already many mosquito-repelling herbs planted around the house, and with this censer, there would be even fewer mosquitoes.

The four followed Chen Fan into the house and immediately felt a chill. When they entered the living room, they saw a small incense burner on the coffee table, from which wisps of smoke were rising, and the medicinal fragrance was emanating.

Besides, in the previously empty space, two large beds were suddenly placed, covered with straw mats, and not far from the beds, there was even an electric fan!
Chen Fan pointed to the large bed, "You'll sleep here during the busy harvest season."

The four looked at each other. Even Huang Ying, the boldest of them all, felt a little embarrassed and whispered to him, "Teacher Chen, this is your new house. You haven't even moved in yet. How can we sleep here?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I'll just move in now, that'll solve everything."

Looking at the four people with surprised expressions, he smiled and said, "Originally, I wanted to leave this house empty for a summer and a winter to let the smell and moisture dissipate. However, after the house was built, I felt that there was no smell. Now that the weather is hot, the new house is cooler and more comfortable to sleep in. So I decided to stay here for a few days."

Several girls were tempted, but none of them said yes.

The educated youth settlements were different; they were public spaces where anyone could live.

But this is Chen Fan's own house. What's the point of these girls staying at a guy's house for no reason?!

But when asked to refuse, none of them wanted to speak up.

Ignoring their inner thoughts, Chen Fan turned on the electric fan for them, then turned and walked out. "Read for a while and then go to sleep. Don't stay up too late. I'm in the bedroom next door. You can call me if you need anything."

His idea was simple: to provide them with good logistical support, so that they could eat well and sleep comfortably.

After Chen Fan left and closed the living room door, the four of them looked at each other.

In the end, it was the oriole that made the first move.

She took the book and walked to the sofa. "I'll read for a while, then I'll go to sleep."

The implication is that they stayed.

The others remained silent, each taking a book and finding a place to sit and read.

It must be said that this room is indeed much cooler than the rooms in the educated youth compound. With an electric fan blowing, my body became dry in no time, and I didn't feel stuffy at all.

After a long day of reading, Huang Ying was the first to yawn.

She looked around, too lazy to go to bed, so she simply took a book as a pillow and lay down on the sofa to sleep.

Seeing that she was asleep, Yang Ju and Liu Dan also put down their books and lay down on the bed.

Jiang Lili wanted to read a little longer, but the three people next to her were asleep, and she couldn't stay awake any longer, so she turned off the light and went to bed.

……

After breaking through his mental limits, Chen Fan's memory improved significantly. He could vividly recall everything he had experienced as a child, as if it had happened yesterday.

He remembered that his maternal grandfather's village also had a double harvest season, but that was in the late 90s and early 2000s. However, compared to now, although the double harvest season was still hard, the level of fatigue was far less than that of the 70s.

On the first day of the double harvest, Chen Fan thought it could be considered the limit of rural labor, but as time went by, he realized that it was only the beginning of extreme labor!
The first two days were spent rushing to harvest the rice. By the third day, the first batch of rice had basically dried out and the threshing process began.

If you're busy in the fields all day, when will you have time to thresh the grain?

The answer is nighttime!

After a day's work, the strong laborers washed the mud off their bodies in the river, ate a quick dinner, and then threw themselves into the intense work of threshing.

Aside from the educated youth settlement and Chen Fan's family, the entire Lujiawan Team 6 has 46 households, which means there are 46 threshing grounds. In addition, there is a larger threshing ground at the livestock shed at the entrance of the village, where all the rice is scattered and dried.

However, the team only had two pedal threshing machines, which did not require mechanical power. They relied entirely on manual foot pedaling, which in turn drove the threshing shaft through gears to knock the rice grains off the straw stalks.

These two threshing machines are placed next to the livestock shed in front of the village, and they undertake more than a third of the threshing task.

What about the remaining two-thirds?
Then we can only rely on a "purely handmade" mixing bucket.

(The mixing bucket is a "high-end" product. Inside, there are threshing bars that look like ladders. There is another type with only one horizontal bar inside, where the rice is thrown onto the horizontal bar to help with threshing.)
A large, square wooden basin contains wooden levers for threshing. The entire process is done manually, with people holding the rice stalks and forcefully striking them against the levers to separate the rice grains from the straw and achieve the purpose of threshing.

Before the power is turned on, several kerosene lamps will be hung on the ground for illumination, and several buckets of water will be prepared below so that they can be used to extinguish the fire at any time.

Now that we have electric lights, we can run the wires out and use bamboo poles to hold up the light bulbs on the threshing ground, where people can thresh grain.

At this time, the men still did the main labor. This was a more arduous and tiring job than carrying loads. Even the strongest women could only temporarily help out when the men were resting, and then hand over the threshing position after the men had rested.

After a certain amount of rice is harvested, someone will haul it away to the large open space next to the livestock shed, where it will be poured into a windmill to blow away the excess straw and leaves, resulting in relatively clean rice.

(Threshing windmills are still in use in many places today)

Whether threshing or turning the grain, the presence of electric light bulbs attracts countless mosquitoes. So the villagers would swat the mosquitoes off their bodies while they worked.

At this time, Chen Fan would prepare some medicinal herbs, put them in a ceramic basin, and send them over to be lit, trying his best to drive away mosquitoes.

Accountant Liu, who was constantly patrolling the village and recording everyone's performance, saw this scene and secretly kept it in mind. When he found Captain Yang, he said to him, "Although Xiao Chen did not participate in the labor, he helped drive away mosquitoes and wrote a report on our labor. He submitted articles to the Jiangnan Literature and Art and the Prefectural Committee Daily. He not only helped us gain fame, but also truly helped the commune members. Do you think we should give him some work points?"

Captain Yang hesitated for two seconds, then shook his head and said, "No, no."

He paused for a moment, then whispered to Accountant Liu, "Writing and submitting articles is his job, and helping to drive away mosquitoes is a good thing, but it's not within the scope of the scoring rules."

Besides, he doesn't need those few work points. Instead of recording them, it's better to mention his contributions when registering work points each day. It's not about making him famous, but about letting everyone know he didn't do nothing. Even though he didn't work in the fields, his contribution was significant—that's the point.

Accountant Liu listened and nodded slowly, "That makes sense. Okay, I'll bring it up every day."

Chen Fan had no idea what Captain Yang and the others were discussing, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

He truly couldn't bear the hardship of working in the fields, but he wouldn't stand idly by if it were within his capabilities.

Besides painting, writing reports and doing publicity in the fields, and picking herbs to repel mosquitoes, he would also travel between the various teams to deal with the sudden injuries and illnesses of many livestock. He would also use the herbs sent by the health department to brew herbal tea to clear heat and detoxify for everyone, and treat the commune members who suffered from heatstroke or injury due to labor. He was extremely busy.

Seeing how busy he was, and how Accountant Liu promoted him every night when registering work points, everyone in the brigade praised Teacher Chen for being a good person.

Days passed by, but the harvest season continued.

After harvesting and threshing, the threshed rice cannot be stored away; instead, it must be dried in the blazing sun.

Every grain of rice must be thoroughly dried. Otherwise, a single damp grain could cause a small pile of rice to become moldy, which would fail the grain depot's inspection and require all the rice to be brought back, resulting in a huge loss!

Before the summer grain harvest was even finished, the production team immediately arranged for people to plow the already harvested paddy fields in preparation for planting late rice.

At this time, the diesel engine that Chen Fan had brought back earlier came in very handy!
There was no need to wait for the commune's irrigation team; Chen Fan personally operated the pump, drawing water from the river and pouring it into the main canal of Lujiawan.

River water flows into the rice paddies, nourishing this land.

Once the plowing is complete and the irrigation is in place, the next step is to rush to plant the late rice.

Just as Jiang Lili and the others had said before, they were even busier at this time.

Moreover, it was already late July, and from 12 noon to 4 pm, it was impossible to work in the fields, otherwise the sun would make people sick.

In order to save time, the commune members had to get up at 2:30 a.m. every day and go to the fields together at 3 a.m. Except for the period from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., they had to work until 9 or 10 p.m. before they could go home to rest.

The entire month of July was spent in this repetitive cycle of busyness.

Chen Fan didn't work in the fields, and he lost a lot of weight. His originally fair skin turned bronze, and his appearance changed from fair to dark.

If even he is like this, then Jiang Lili and the others are even more so.

Huang Ying, Yang Ju, and Liu Dan looked like three little charcoal brittle, their faces, hands, and feet were all black, and there were even sunburn marks in some places. You couldn't tell at all that they were teenagers.

Jiang Lili wasn't much better off. Despite her natural beauty, she had a wheat-colored complexion, had lost a lot of weight, and had an unconsciously hunched back, looking like a country girl.

If Jiang Tiantian came to see her at this time, she definitely wouldn't recognize her own younger sister.

Even though Chen Fan cooks delicious meals for them every day and provides them with hot water and electric fans, they still seem to be in pretty good spirits.

Other members of the commune not only lost weight and became darker-skinned, but also lost a lot of their energy, looking listless and weak, as if they had just recovered from a serious illness.

However, the most difficult double harvest season is about to pass. Although the farm work ahead will still be hard, it won't feel suffocating.

This is certainly something to celebrate!

Most importantly, this year's harvest was fantastic!

(End of this chapter)