Affection for Sidaogou during the Famine

Of all the adults present, only the old lady was calm and composed. She was the only one who knew her granddaughter well, and she would never do anything sneaky!

Since the beginning of spring, as long as the weather is good, the child hardly stays at home. He goes to the mountains to work on the fields every day. In just three or four months, he has worn out the soles of two pairs of shoes.

The thick calluses on the hands were peeled off layer by layer and then grew again. How could they look like those of a child's hands?

"Don't be so stern. Don't you know what the character of your own child is like?

You don't believe the children, but I do! Just look at the calluses on their hands and you'll understand that they've worked really hard.

They were all good kids, understanding the difficulties at home. They used all their free time to scrape food from the wild mountains and wilderness.

In the past six months, has anyone of you seen them go out to play?

They are still so young, but they know how to share the burden of the family. They are so sensible, you guys should be happy!"

Aunt Qian grabbed Xiao Sanzi's hand and stroked it gently. Her son had more calluses than hers. She felt a pang in her heart and her eyes turned red.

Her little son has really grown up! For so long, their family has been busy marrying a daughter-in-law, taking care of pregnant women, and going to work, and they have unknowingly neglected the child.

Not only did he not blame his parents, he also wanted to share the difficulties of the family. She was so wrong!

"Son, I've wronged you!" Mother Qian felt guilty but couldn't say it out loud. She could only hold her son's hand and stroke the back of his head.

Xiao Sanzi was made shy by his mother. He was usually smooth talker, but now he can't do it anymore.

"Well, it's getting late. We have to go to work and school tomorrow. Let's hurry and bring the potatoes home so that Grandma Han can rest earlier."

Mother Niu also smiled embarrassedly: "Yes, yes, there are so many potatoes, hurry up and take them back, we have to put them in the cellar, Aunt Han, we will go home first today!"

Father Niu said, "Don't worry, Zhaozhao and Xiaoyun, about the remaining potatoes on the mountain. I will take half a day off tomorrow afternoon and help you transport them back."

The old lady told him: “Children, you must not make this matter public.

You guys should take care of your family members and don't go out and talk nonsense. Zhengyi, you don't need to ask for leave, otherwise it will be difficult to explain if your company asks about it.

Shuangxi is away on a business trip, so you should do more this time. Come back early after work tomorrow and work the night shift to help the children transport the potatoes.

During the day, we adults should avoid getting involved if we can, because if we get caught, we won’t be able to explain ourselves.”

Uncle Niu understood immediately and said, "Okay! I'll listen to you. Let's do it this way!"

Seeing that there was no one in the alley, the two families secretly transported the potatoes they had received back home overnight.

After they all left, Han Zhaozhao discussed with his grandmother, "Grandma, don't we store our potatoes in the cellar?"

The old lady had an idea. "All the potatoes grown in the backyard are in the cellar. There are still more than 100 pounds! We can't put any more in there. If we can't finish them, they will rot.

Let’s go to bed late tonight. First, wash all the potatoes and steam them in a pot.

I'll go to work late tomorrow and cut them all up and dry them on the roof.

I've checked. It's been sunny these past two days, so the potatoes can be dried in two days.

After it is dried, it can be stored in the basement and eaten for two or three years without going bad. "

"Okay, it's up to you!"

The grandparents and grandson worked for half the night, washing and steaming the potatoes. They steamed three pots in a row before they finally cooked through the more than 100 kilograms of potatoes.

They put the fruits in baskets and left them under the porch to dry before going to bed.

Han Zhaozhao entered the space, fed the chickens, ducks, geese, pigs and sheep, did some boxing, took a bath, then came out of the space and fell asleep on the kang.

The next morning, when she got up, her grandmother had already cut the potatoes into slices. After breakfast, Han Zhaozhao helped the old lady carry the potatoes to the roof in a basket and spread them out to dry. At nine o'clock, the two of them went out together.

The old lady went to work, and Han Zhaozhao and Niu Xiaoyun continued to dig potatoes in the fields.

The two girls worked for a whole day. They hastily roasted four potatoes at noon without taking time to rest. At two o'clock in the afternoon, they finally dug out all the potatoes.

After they finished packing the bags, Uncle Niu came to greet them with Niu Xiaomin, Niu Xiaolian and Xiao Sanzi.

Looking at the vast fields of crops, Uncle Niu was dumbfounded!

"These...these...are all the lands you have reclaimed?"

The five children nodded in unison: "We opened it and we planted it."

Niu Xiaoyun and Xiao Sanzi pointed proudly at the crops growing vigorously in the fields and said, "Look, those sesame seeds are all new varieties, and the pods are so dense!

Those fields were planted entirely with corn, and you see, almost every plant had double cobs!

Over there, peanuts are planted. They are growing so well, with many fruit needles. Although we can't see the fruits underground, we can see now that the yield will definitely not be bad.

Also, those two plots of land are planted with sweet potatoes, and they are growing well!

Also, that field is planted with millet, and that field is planted with sorghum. They have already grown ears of corn, and judging by the size of the ears, the harvest should be good.

Oh, by the way, mung beans and red beans are also interplanted in the millet field. Zhaozhao and Xiaoyun have already picked one crop.

The leaves of that soybean field have turned yellow. In another week, they should be ready for harvest.

Look, the bean pods are so dense, we estimate that we can harvest at least 100 kilograms of soybeans."

Uncle Niu’s eyes were so blind that he looked around following the fingers of Xiao Sanzi and the others.

Oh my! The valley floor is full of lush green, and the hillsides are covered with yellow flowers. It is a vibrant harvest scene.

He felt both happy and terrified!

"What are those things growing on the hillside? They have yellow flowers. Could they be pumpkins?" Oh my God! This seems to be a big deal. The children kept quiet. I didn't expect that they would have to deal with such a big thing!

If this is discovered by the authorities, at the very least it would be considered digging into socialism, and at worst it might be considered an encroachment on state-owned public land!

If this involves family members, at best they may lose their jobs, at worst they may be arrested!

Uncle Niu was filled with fear and panic!

The five children were very proud. Niu Xiaoyun even showed off, "Those are pumpkins and loofahs. There are also beans. Look at the taller ones, they are buckwheat, and the taller ones are castor beans!

Dad, Zhao Zhao said that castor beans can be used to extract hemp and castor seeds can be used to extract oil. We have already inquired about it. We can also sell it directly to the purchasing station. The state will purchase it in large quantities!"

Haha, after harvesting these crops, they won’t have to starve and they can also earn money. Their family will be able to turn things around and get out of poverty and become rich in just one year!

Looking at the children's bright eyes, Uncle Niu was speechless.

Hey! The children are also hungry! They are all growing up, and if they don’t have enough to eat every day, anyone would be angry.

They did not resent their parents for their incompetence, but instead found ways to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land to bring food home. He really couldn't bear to blame them.

Taking another look at the crops in the valley, he had to say that the children were better than their parents!

Uncle Niu walked to the edge of the cornfield, peeled off the husk of a corn cob, pinched it with his fingernails, and said, "Grain is harvested! This corn is growing really well. One plant has produced two cobs!"

He walked to the edge of the millet field and picked up two ears of millet. He said, "Why are these ears of millet so long? They must be about a foot long, right?

How did you find this place? This land is really fertile!"

But I was thinking in my mind that the millet had bent its waist and the sorghum had turned red. In less than half a month, all these grains could be harvested.

He was really worried about the children. They had planted more than ten acres of grain crops alone. If it rained later, they would probably have to harvest tens of thousands of kilograms of grain.