Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

During the wheat harvest, every household was busy with work. Although Lin Shengwen's fingernails had been pulled out, he was unwilling to stay idle at home every day. So, after only two days, he endured the pain, tiptoed, and followed the Ji family to the threshing ground.

Now, like other simple rural children, he is learning to drive mules to thresh, winnow, and sift wheat under the scorching sun... He is experiencing all the hard and tiring work that he never experienced more than ten years ago.

Although it was tough and tiring, he was also very happy.

During the day, he and Ji Yongling would thresh and dry wheat together, and at night they would count stars in the threshing ground. Occasionally, when the mood struck him, he would join Ji Yongning and the others to slide down from the haystacks...

Sometimes you can even see grand performances that you can't see on the city stage, after all, the Ji family's children are so interesting.

Just a few days ago, Yang Jiafa gave Ji Yongning a handful of green beans that could be eaten raw. Ji Yongning was delighted and had just finished praising Yang Jiafa as a good brother when an old man chased him for two miles, carrying him on a tree branch. Ji Yongning even lost his straw sandals in the process.

Two days later, Ji Yongning was chased by Zheng Xiucai, who was carrying a sickle, all the way from Zhangjiapan back to Niujiazhuang. Why? Because he insisted on making Zheng Xiding sworn brothers, and even scared Zheng Xiding into fainting.

To be honest, Ji Yongning's busy holiday was filled with tears.

This year, when harvesting wheat, Ji Manchuan said that there were many people in his family and he didn't need the children to help, so he asked Ji Yongning and a few others to help his husband's family pick up the wheat ears.

During the summer and autumn harvest breaks each year, it's common for the school children to help out at their teachers' homes. This year, Ji Manchuan sent Ji Yongning and Shaowa, along with a few others, to help Zheng Xiucai with the work.

At her husband's house, the kids didn't dare to slack off even a little; they worked incredibly hard, even more so than at home. So every day when they came home, they were exhausted, like dogs, much more tired than when they helped out at home.

Of course, the group also gained Zheng Xiding's friendship during this time. Zheng Xiding and Ji Yongning used to dislike each other, but after Ji Yongning came to help at her house, her opinion of him improved greatly. Every day, she was ordered by her mother to bring food and drink to Ji Yongning and the others, which greatly moved Ji Yongning.

So one day, Ji Yongning suggested, "Since we have such a good relationship now, why don't we become sworn brothers?"

"I think it's a good idea! I agree!" Shaowa and Ji Yongzhou raised their hands in approval.

Zheng Xiding: "?? This...this...no...this won't do!"

"What's wrong with that? What? Are you looking down on us?" Ji Yongning tilted his head and asked, sticking his neck out.

Zheng Xiding hesitated, then said, "No, no, it's just..."

"But what? It's just that he's so shy and hesitant, is he still a boy or not!"

Zheng Xiding was on the verge of tears. She desperately wanted to say, "I'm really not a boy!"

However, Ji Yongning didn't give her a chance to refuse.

"Come, come, let's swear an oath of brotherhood and formally become sworn brothers!" Ji Yongning pulled Zheng Xiding down to kneel on the ground.

Zheng Xiding was completely taken aback. What was she doing? Why was she kneeling down? This was so shameful!

So, in this season when the wheat turns golden, in front of an unnamed grave, five children of all sizes knelt in a row.

"Heaven above, earth below! I, Ji Yongning, and Zheng Xiding are brothers with deep affection. Today, we voluntarily become sworn brothers. We do not ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, nor do we ask to die on the same day, month, and year... From now on, we will share hardships and joys... Speak!" After Ji Yongning finished speaking, seeing that Zheng Xiding was still in a daze, he poked her arm, telling her to speak like him.

Zheng Xiding twisted her body from side to side. Was this something she could say? However, under the pressure of Ji Yongning's gaze, she could only steel herself, close her eyes, and earnestly bow to the sky, repeating what Ji Yongning had just said.

"Brother, when people swear an oath of brotherhood by swearing a blood oath, they bite their fingers until they bleed!" Ji Yongzhou reminded Ji Yongning.

"That makes sense!" Ji Yongning nodded, then raised his index finger and tried to bite it hard. But reality isn't like a storyteller's tale; Ji Yongning bit it twice, but couldn't break the skin.

"You guys bite too!" Ji Yongning reminded Guowa and Shaowa. But still, none of them managed to bite their fingers until they bled.

Chi Yung-Chou continued, "Brother, oh no, someone just set off a sickle. Let's use the sickle to cut our fingers. That way, more blood will flow!"

"That makes sense! It seems your child has developed intelligence!" Ji Yongning praised Ji Yongzhou again.

After saying that, he secretly ran over, picked up the sickle, and gently cut the fingers of Guowa, Shaowa, and the others, causing blood to gush out instantly.

When it came to him, perhaps because his skin was thicker, or perhaps because he was careful not to use too much force, he made several cuts without drawing blood. Ji Yongning, in a fit of anger, made a sharp cut, finally creating a large gash, and bright red blood gushed out.

"Zheng Xiding, it's your turn! Let's finish quickly, then bow once more, and we'll be officially sworn brothers!" Ji Yongning said to Zheng Xiding, one hand holding a sickle and the other bleeding.

Zheng Xiding had been thinking about how to slip away and hadn't dared to look at Ji Yongning and the others. But when he turned his head, he saw blood gushing from Ji Yongning's fingers. His eyes widened, and he instantly fainted.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you all asleep? How can you become sworn brothers if you're asleep?" Ji Yongning roared.

Guowa shook his head and said, "Maybe, perhaps, probably, he's afraid of blood!"

"What? Fainting at the sight of blood? There's such a way to faint? Quick, quick, shake her, pinch her philtrum!" Ji Yongning shook Zheng Xiding's body, and seeing that she didn't wake up, he ignored the blood on his fingers and went to pinch Zheng Xiding's philtrum.

Zheng Xiding was indeed squeamish about blood. She had felt a little dizzy when she saw the blood on Ji Yongning's finger. But it only lasted a moment. Now, after Ji Yongning shook her twice, she was just about to open her eyes when she smelled blood under her nose, and then she also tasted blood in her mouth.

Zheng Xiding completely fainted and couldn't open his eyes. It turned out that the blood from Ji Yongning's hand had splattered all over Zheng Xiding's mouth and face.

"Brother, keep pinching!" Ji Yongzhou urged.

Ji Yongning hastily wiped the blood off Zheng Xiding's face and then pinched him. This only made things worse; the more he wiped, the more Zheng Xiding looked like a victim at a murder scene.

Pot Boy and Spoon Boy also anxiously crawled over and tried to shake Zheng Xiding's body.

Suddenly, Spoonman caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye. "Oh no, someone's here...!"