New ink fragrance in old times

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to turn pale, the Lin family, armed with their various tools, set out for Songjiapo. The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and crops, making people feel particularly relaxed.

On the way, Lin Siheng skipped along beside Lin Mo and asked curiously, "Brother, why are we going to cut corn stalks? They look so hard, they don't look like something you can eat directly."

Lin Mo stopped, touched Lin Siheng's head, and explained with a smile: "Silang, look at this corn stalk. Although it can't be eaten directly, it is really useful."

Lin Sizhe asked doubtfully, “What’s the use?”

Lin Mo picked up a corn stalk from the ground, showed it to Lin Siheng, and continued, "These corn stalks can be used to feed our cattle. They will grow stronger after eating them and can help our family do more work."

Lin Sizhe: “Wow~”

Lin Mo pointed to the fertile land in the distance and continued, "Also, corn stalks can be made into fertilizer and spread on the fields. That way, when we plant the seeds next year, we'll be able to harvest more food."

Seeing Lin Sizhe's half-understanding look, he added, "Besides, we also need firewood for cooking at home, and corn stalks can be used as firewood."

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Lin Siheng suddenly understood, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Then I want to help tie the corn stalks neatly!"

Lin Mo smiled and nodded.

When we arrived at Songjiaopo, everyone quickly got busy.

For Lin Mo, collecting straw is not difficult. He does not have to cut it himself. He only needs to tie the corn stalks cut by others into bundles and stack them together in an orderly manner.

Finally, I helped transport the corn stalks back to the Lin family yard. As for how to deal with them, I didn't have to worry about it myself.

While Lin Xuejin was unloading the corn stalks, Lin Mo planned to go into the house to drink some water.

"Sanlang, you're back. Take a rest first and help mother dry the rice later." Han said softly to Lin Mo, holding a clean cloth in her hand, ready to wipe the sweat off Lin Mo's face.

Lin Mo took the cloth with a smile and wiped his face simply: "Mom, let me drink some water and then come over to help you."

Lin Mo helped Han carefully sift out the weeds, debris, and stones in the rice to ensure that every grain of rice was clean and flawless.

While sifting the rice, Lin Siheng came over, imitating the adults with his little hands, sifting clumsily but seriously. "Brother, I want to help too, to make the rice clean."

Lin Mo smiled and touched Lin Siheng's head. "Good brother, you are really capable. Remember to be careful not to mix the rice with the sundries."

As time went by, the golden rice gradually covered the entire yard. Lin Mo and Lin Sizhe carried wooden dingpaos and patrolled around, driving away the birds that tried to steal the rice.

As the sun was about to set, Lin Mo helped turn the wooden windmill to blow away the dust in the rice. Finally, he packed the dried rice into bags and stored it.

Lin Mo looked at the bags of rice, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

……

Lin Mo repeated the steps of the previous day. He went to help collect corn stalks in the morning, and dried rice at home with Han and others at noon. Lin Mo carried a wooden trolley and chased birds everywhere.

Lin Mo took advantage of the short break to sit in the yard and peel corn husks.

The sun shone on Lin Mo and the mountain of corn. Lin Mo's fingers moved flexibly between the corn husks. Although his body was tired, his heart was slightly comforted by this moment of tranquility.

Hu Zi's sudden appearance was like a breeze, bringing vitality and laughter.

"Douzi, let's go fishing by the river! I heard there are a lot of fish today!" Hu Zi shouted excitedly, obviously looking forward to the upcoming adventure.

Lin Mo looked up at Hu Zi's eyes, which were filled with longing. Although he felt helpless, he still tried his best to explain, "Hu Zi, I really can't do it today. Look, I have all these corns waiting for me to peel, and there's still a lot of work to do at home. But after I'm done with this, I'll definitely take you fishing, okay?"

Hu Zi's face fell for a moment, but then he smiled again. He patted his chest and said, "It's okay, Douzi. I'll help you peel them! This way you can finish faster."

A warm feeling welled up in Lin Mo's heart, and he smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Hu Zi."

Hu Zi patted his chest and said, "We are good friends after all."

The two of them worked side by side, and the speed of peeling corn was obviously much faster.

The afternoon passed quietly in laughter and joy until Old Mrs. Lin called them to eat.

At the dinner table, Old Lady Lin looked at Hu Zi, who was eating with gusto. "Hu Zi, your grandmother and the others are at Songjiapo today. San Lang is going to help out in the fields after dinner. You should come with them so your grandmother won't be worried about you."

When Hu Zi heard this, he nodded quickly: "Okay, okay, Grandma Zhao, I will go with Dou Zi then!" After that, he quickened his eating speed.

After dinner, Lin Mo and Hu Zi rested for a while before heading to the fields side by side. The sun shone through the clouds, shining on them, adding a touch of warmth and vitality to this ordinary day.

On the way, Lin Mo and Hu Zi chatted. Hu Zi was full of curiosity about life in the fields, and Lin Mo patiently answered every question for him. The relationship between the two deepened in the relaxed and happy atmosphere.

……

Under the bright moonlight, Lin Mo and everyone else set out on the journey home.

The night gently wrapped around his tired body, but it could not drive away his inner fatigue: although the farm work in the past two days was not as hard as heavy physical labor, it was trivial and complicated, leaving me with almost no chance to breathe.

Lin Mo looked at Lin Sizhe, who was hunching his head beside him, and couldn't help but feel helpless and distressed: "Alas! What a miserable life! These children in the Lin family are just like me, working every day and having no time to play. It's so miserable."

Walking on the way home, Lin Mo felt unprecedentedly tired, as if every cell in his body was telling of exhaustion.

Lin Mo now just wants to find a quiet place, fall into a deep sleep, and let his mind get a moment of peace.

These days, he seemed to be in an endless cycle. Although he worked from sunrise to sunset, he never had the chance to really stop and appreciate the refreshing beauty of sunrise and sunset.

Faintly, Mrs. Lin's warm and familiar voice penetrated the night and floated into Lin Mo's ears: "The work in the back mountain will be finished tomorrow morning, let's work harder."

These words were like a gust of spring breeze, instantly blowing away the haze in Lin Mo's heart.

Lin Mo seemed to see the dawn of hope, flickering not far ahead.

Chapter 63 Arrived with excitement, left disappointed