New ink fragrance in old times

Like a weary traveler, the sun slowly sank below the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant orange-red. In the front yard, the cornpile, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, seemed exceptionally warm and tranquil, but this tranquility seemed at odds with Lin Mo's current mood.

He sighed in boredom, his eyes involuntarily scanning everything around him, but he found that there seemed to be an invisible membrane between him and the environment.

In this world without mobile phones and the Internet, time seems to have become extremely slow, and every minute and every second seems particularly long.

It was the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the transition between midsummer and early autumn. For Lin Mo, accustomed to modern life, this place seemed a little strange and alienated. He began to miss his phone immensely, the small device that allowed him to stay connected to the world and access all kinds of information at any time.

As his thoughts drifted away, Lin Mo recalled fragments of his past life: browsing news on his mobile phone, chatting with friends, watching videos, playing games... Those things that he once took for granted have now become a luxury that is out of his reach.

Lin Mo's thoughts became increasingly confused in the night, and he began to worry whether his modern self was still alive.

Those secrets in the phone that belong only to me - those brainless novels secretly typed late at night, those childish thoughts hidden deep in my heart that occasionally pop up, and the chat records with my brothers that are unrestrained and speak freely. If I really lose them, they will definitely be exposed, causing embarrassment and ridicule from others?

Thinking of this, Lin Mo couldn't help but feel his face flushing and his heart beating fast, as if he could already foresee those embarrassing scenes that would make him tap his toes on the ground.

As the night deepened, the front yard was gently shrouded in a layer of faint moonlight, appearing particularly peaceful and mysterious.

The sound of oxcarts echoed in the quiet night sky, coming and going, busy figures looming in the moonlight. Lin Mo still waited in the front yard, his mood becoming bored and hungry during this long wait.

The lunch meal, consisting mostly of vegetables, was not filling enough for Lin Mo. At this moment, his stomach seemed to be a tireless drummer, constantly playing the "Empty City Strategy," urging him to eat quickly.

The feeling of hunger was like an invisible hand, tightly gripping Lin Mo's heart, but he could only force himself to endure it, looking forward to eating soon.

Driven by hunger, Lin Mo's thoughts kept replaying the not-so-rich meal at noon in his mind, imagining that if he had eaten a little more at that time, perhaps he would not feel so uncomfortable now.

At this moment, a clear and familiar voice penetrated the night and reached Lin Mo's ears like the sound of nature - "There is one more trip." This sentence seemed to give Lin Mo a shot of adrenaline, which instantly lifted his spirits.

He immediately realized that this meant they were about to finish their work for the day and it would be time for dinner for him.

Lin Mo began to silently calculate the time in his heart. Every second seemed so long and full of anticipation.

Finally, the distinct creaking sound of an oxcart was heard in the distance, breaking the stillness of the night. Lin Mo looked up suddenly and saw the Lin family members, carrying heavy backpacks, slowly returning in their oxcarts under the moonlight.

The moonlight is like water, gently sprinkling in the yard, covering the quiet night with a layer of silver gauze.

The Lin family sat around the simple dining table. Although the food on the table was just ordinary, they seemed to be eating with extraordinary devotion, their faces filled with satisfaction. The only sounds on the table were the sounds of swallowing and the occasional clinking of bowls and chopsticks, creating a particularly harmonious atmosphere.

Lin Mo held the same multi-grain pancake in his hand as he had at noon. He took a big bite, the rough texture slowly dissolving in his mouth, and the same hard-to-swallow feeling he had at noon returned.

However, this time, his mood changed subtly.

He recalled how he had felt disgusted at lunchtime, each bite a bitter pill he had to force himself to swallow. But now, that dissatisfaction had quietly dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and cherishment.

Lin Mo's movements became slow and meticulous. He chewed in small sips, sighed softly, and muttered to himself, "I really don't know how to appreciate the blessing I have at noon. This tastes so delicious."

After saying that, he carefully took another sip of the porridge. The warm liquid slid down his throat, bringing a sense of relief.

Lin Mo closed his eyes and savored every bite of food in his mouth. He looked as if he was enjoying some rare delicacies from the mountains and the sea.

Old Master Lin, who was sitting at the first seat, slowly put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, glanced at everyone, and slowly said: "Starting tomorrow, the second daughter-in-law, the third daughter-in-law and your mother, you three will take turns cooking, and the rest of you will all go to work in the fields." His voice was not loud, but it was firm and unquestionable.

Upon hearing this, Han and Lu quickly responded, "I understand, Dad."

Lin Mo yawned, thinking that he would have a good sleep and rest right after dinner.

However, the reality was quite different from what he thought.

Except for Lin Sinan, Lin Siheng and He'er who were coaxed to sleep by their parents, the rest of the Lin family were called to peel corn.

He glanced at Lin Sizhe, who was diligently peeling corn husks, and couldn't help muttering, "He's only four years old! This is simply exploitation of child labor, absolute exploitation."

The moonlight was like water, pouring down on the busy Lin family courtyard, adding a bit of tranquility to the work on this autumn night.

Xing'er, Hua'er, Shen, Han, Lu, Lin Mo and Lin Sizhe sat together, peeling corn with their hands. Although their movements looked a little tired, they were still coordinated.

Mr. Lin, Mrs. Lin, as well as Lin Xueqin, Lin Xuebao and Lin Xuejin were standing by, skillfully operating the threshing tools. The corn kernels jumped in the moonlight, making pleasant sounds, and everything seemed in order.

As the night deepened and the air became cooler, Lin Mo, Lin Sizhe and Hua'er began to doze off constantly, their eyelids heavy and their heads nodding.

Seeing this, Mrs. Lin whispered to Xing'er, "Xing girl, take these kids to bed. We have to get up early tomorrow." Xing'er responded and led Lin Mo and the others into the house.

Lin Mo was taken away by Xing'er in a daze, and he didn't even know how he ended up lying on the bed. He had already gone to keep his appointment with Zhou Gong, and there was still a trace of fatigue on his face.

Late at night, Lin Mo woke from his dream. All around him was silence, with only the occasional chirping of insects outside the window. Lin Mo rubbed his eyes and found that he was alone in the house. Lin Xuejin and his wife had not returned yet.

Lin Mo looked around and vaguely heard the sounds of peeling and threshing corn coming from the Lin family's yard. The sound was particularly clear in the silent night.

On the second day, when there were still a few sparse morning stars hanging in the sky, Lin Mo was suddenly pulled out of his sleep by a burst of rapid shouting.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened them with difficulty, but everything in front of him was still hazy. In a daze, he was led to the dining table and ate a few mouthfuls of breakfast. The taste of the food barely left any impression on his taste buds.