Time Travel: Volume 1! Starting from a Small Mountain Village

Listening to the dense sound of rain, Long Lifan fell asleep without realizing it.

When Long Lifan woke up the next morning, the rain was still falling, showing no signs of stopping. When she opened the door, a cool breeze greeted her, seemingly dispelling all the summer heat.

Hearing its owner open the door, Wangcai darted up from the eaves, its body trembling. Its fur was soaked from the pouring rain, and it whimpered as if complaining. It seemed they hadn't had a good time in the downpour. But I hadn't heard any dogs barking last night; perhaps Wangcai and the others were trying to avoid disturbing me?

"Alright, alright, I know you've been wronged!"

Long Lifan comforted Wangcai and the others, then went to the kitchen and opened the door, letting them inside to take shelter from the rain. Next, Long Lifan prepared a meal; the burning firewood cast a warm glow on the surroundings.

The dogs seemed to sense the warmth and gathered around. They huddled together in front of the stove, their wet fur shimmering in the firelight. They pressed close together, as if trying to dry their damp fur with the heat. Their eyes were filled with contentment and happiness, and Wangcai kept licking his puppies.

After breakfast, Long Lifan looked at the still-falling rain and knew that everyone probably wouldn't have to go to work today. However, she was worried about the chicken farm and needed to go there to check on it, wondering if the newly built chicken coop could withstand last night's heavy rain.

Long Lifan pulled out the raincoat her parents had mailed to her from the package. Raincoats of this era were usually made of durable materials such as canvas, thick, soft and not easily hardened, and could maintain their good condition even after long-term storage.

The styles were certainly not as diverse as in later generations, and the colors were much more monotonous. However, this is normal; in this era, practicality was paramount, and designs were typically simple and materials durable. They not only met the basic needs of shelter from wind and rain but also considered multifunctionality to some extent. These raincoats bear witness to the unique characteristics and lifestyle of this era.

After putting on her raincoat, Long Lifan headed towards the chicken farm. Before she even reached the farm, she saw several figures in the distance. They were wearing raincoats and straw hats, talking quietly outside the farm and gesturing with their hands.

"Captain, Secretary Miao, you..."

Fang Longlifan was able to confirm their identities only after they got closer, and quickly greeted them with smiles.

“It rained so heavily last night, we were a little worried, so we came over early this morning to check on things…” Lin Guodong nodded slightly and then spoke.

The chicken farm now represents not only the sweat and dreams of the villagers, but also the hope of the entire village. Under the care of Long Zhiqing and her friends, the chickens are growing and they are about to reap the rewards. However, they are also worried that the heavy rain last night might have damaged the chickens.

"How is the situation?" Long Lifan nodded slightly. She was also a little worried, which is why she came over early this morning.

“When we arrived, Lin Xiuxiu was already at the chicken farm. We asked her, and she said there was nothing seriously wrong.” Hearing this conclusion, Lin Guodong’s face visibly relaxed as he said this.

"I didn't expect Comrade Lin to arrive so early..."

Long Lifan was somewhat surprised. She thought she had arrived early enough, but she was still late. Since Lin Xiuxiu said there must be no major problem, her heart finally settled down, and she couldn't help but praise, "Lin Xiuxiu is truly a dedicated and responsible comrade."

"Yes!" Lin Guodong and the others nodded in agreement. They hadn't even eaten breakfast that morning, just wanted to come and check on things, but they hadn't expected Lin Xiuxiu to already be at the chicken farm.

"Why don't you come inside with me and take a look?"

"Forget it!"

The group waved their hands repeatedly, saying, "Since you're here, Long Zhiqing, we won't go in. We don't want to spread any viruses to the chickens. We still need to go check the fields." With that, they left the chicken farm.

Upon entering the chicken farm, Lin Xiuxiu was carefully feeding the chickens. Seeing Long Lifan enter, Lin Xiuxiu quickly said, "Long Zhiqing, the chickens don't seem to want to eat much today."

"This is normal. Chickens are timid. When there is a thunderstorm, they not only don't want to eat, but they also have the habit of huddling together to hide," Long Lifan explained with a smile.

"You need to pay attention to this. If the chickens are clustered together too much, the chickens on the outside will crowd into the inner coop, which may cause the chickens in the inner coop to suffocate and die. So you need to check on them from time to time."

"I understand."

Lin Xiuxiu nodded in agreement, and in her heart she admired Long Zhiqing even more, feeling that she knew everything.

As her daughter, she knew her mother's temperament perfectly well. Although she didn't know how Long Zhiqing had persuaded her mother, her mother seemed to have returned to her former self. She was very grateful to Long Zhiqing, which was why she had come so early today. Now, she usually volunteered to do the work at the chicken farm, just to express her gratitude to Long Zhiqing in a different way.

"This rain is probably going to last all day!"

Long Lifan looked at the rain outside. Although it wasn't as heavy as last night, it was still continuous. In this kind of weather, one can't help but slow down, enjoy the tranquility, and reflect on the little things in life.

"Yes!"

Lin Xiuxiu also took a small stool and sat down next to Long Lifan, looking outside and echoing, "But this is good too. The corn in the field is starving and desperately needs a heavy rain to nourish it. I just don't know if the heavy rain last night will damage the roots and seedlings." As villagers, they naturally knew the importance of rain for crops.

This rain could be a life-saving savior, or it could be the culprit that destroys the corn seedlings. Lin Xiuxiu prayed silently, hoping that the rain would be just right, quenching the corn's thirst without overwhelming it.

"As the old saying goes, it's really not easy to rely on the weather for a living. Indeed, the weather is unpredictable and hard to fathom. But we can't be helpless because of this; we can only actively find ways to solve the problem."

Lin Xiuxiu nodded as if she understood, and the two of them sat quietly, listening to the patter of raindrops overhead, falling into silence.

Meanwhile, Lin Guodong and his group went to the fields after leaving the chicken farm. As village officials, no one was more worried about the crops than them, as it concerned the entire village's food supply.

The rain fell like a woven curtain, blurring the world. In this rain, several figures moved resolutely through the fields. They wore straw hats and raincoats, but rain still dripped from the hems of their clothes, soaking their trouser legs.

At each cornfield they reached, they stopped, bent down, and carefully examined the leaves and stalks. He gently parted the leaves with his fingers to check the plumpness of the kernels, assessing whether the rain had affected the corn. Lin Guodong's gaze was focused and earnest, as if he were watching over his own child.

“Old Lin, look at the corn that has been fertilized with organic fertilizer. Its stalks are thicker and its leaves are more lush. The whole plant looks strong and vigorous. In contrast, the corn that hasn’t been fertilized with organic fertilizer looks much weaker,” Secretary Miao said with a smile, peeling back one of the ears of corn.

"That's right. It seems that last night's rain shouldn't be a big problem." Lin Guodong and his team inspected the area and found that only a very small portion had been blown down by the wind, and there weren't any major issues.

"It looks like we'll have a good harvest this year."

Secretary Miao gently stroked his sparse beard, a smile playing on his lips, his face radiating pleasure and satisfaction.

In fact, such cadres are not uncommon in this era. They have all demonstrated through their actions what true care and responsibility mean.