Go back to the past to plant trees

After planting the saplings, Feng Cheng often had to observe their condition, water them, check for pests and diseases, and fertilize them. However, it would take some time to see if the saplings would survive, and Feng Cheng could only say that he was taking care of the saplings according to the book.

As October arrived, the early winter this year was not too cold, just like in previous years. The winter camp prepared a lot of things this year, including maltose, pumpkin candy, winter melon candy, sweet potato starch, potato starch, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, dried vegetables, and of course, cabbage, radishes, mustard greens, etc. Even if two people ate to their hearts' content, they still couldn't finish all of this.

After the camp had harvested so much, Feng Cheng told Qu He to reduce the amount of supplies he was given, since most of what the bureau was sending were potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and radishes—high-yield but not very tasty things.

Qu He knew about Feng Cheng and Zhao Jinquan growing vegetables in Bashang, but he didn't say anything. After all, the place was too harsh, and it would be unreasonable to be too strict. Now that Feng Cheng had taken the initiative to reduce supplies, Qu He was very happy. This meant that Bashang could solve part of its food problem, which would greatly help with increasing manpower next year. After all, with more people in Bashang, consumption would naturally increase. If the bureau had to solve everything, the monthly demand would be huge. If Bashang could solve part of the problem, even if it was only a third of the total, it would add up to a considerable amount over the year.

Qu He was overjoyed and, with a wave of his hand, arranged for Feng Cheng to have an extra ten catties of white flour for winter supplies. You know, fine grains were hard to come by these days. Ten catties may not seem like much, but it was enough for Feng Cheng and Zhao Jinquan to eat dumplings seven or eight times.

On October 10th, Feng Cheng went home with Zhao Jinquan.

It was about to snow in Bashang, so the meal that the Zhao family had invited Feng Cheng to had to be arranged for this time. If it was any later, it would snow in Bashang, and they wouldn't be able to go.

This was Feng Cheng's first time visiting Zhao Jinquan's home and also his first time visiting Shaquan Brigade. The journey was quite long, and it took the two of them about four hours to arrive without riding horses, even if they walked briskly. Feng Cheng estimated that it was at least twenty kilometers away.

The Shaquan Brigade is located in the direction of the county town, but it's not a straight line. The camp, the county town, and the Shaquan Brigade form a triangle according to the map. It's about 50 or 60 kilometers from the Shaquan Brigade to the county town, which is quite a distance.

By the time Feng Cheng reached Shaquan Brigade, his legs were a little sore. Although he had been working hard for the past two years, walking such a long distance was still quite tiring for him.

Upon arriving at Shaquan Brigade, Feng Cheng looked around. It was an ordinary village with no particularly nice houses; they were all mud houses with thatched roofs. It looked a little better than the camp, but not by much.

The weather has turned cool now, and the work in the fields has been mostly finished. Many people are staying at home. Apart from a few restless children who come out in their clothes to make a fuss at the village entrance, there are not many adults.

"Jin Quan, you're back. This must be your boss!"

As we entered Shaquan Brigade, we encountered several villagers who were preparing to go out. Upon seeing Zhao Jinquan, they asked him a question out of curiosity.

"Yes, this is our leader. He hasn't had much to do lately, so I brought him home to take a look."

"It's all thanks to you, Jinquan, that you've become a worker."

"Hello, leader. Are you still short-staffed? My son is very hardworking."

Feng Cheng gave an awkward yet dignified smile, but did not answer the man's question.

"Xiao Si, hurry up and take your boss home! When I came out just now, I saw your mom busy preparing things; she's probably waiting for you to come back."

A woman in her thirties, who seemed to know Zhao Jinquan somewhat, spoke up to help the two out of the predicament.

"You guys are busy, I'm going home now."

Zhao Jinquan and Feng Cheng quickly left the crowd. Watching them leave, some people showed expressions of disappointment.

I heard that Zhao Jinquan gets paid in winter without having to work. This news made everyone in the team green with envy. Although he was a temporary worker, his salary was more than 200 yuan a year. How could people not be envious? They were broke during the winter. It seemed great, but not earning money for half a year was not a good thing for many families. With only expenses and no income, how could they live a good life?

Two minutes later, Zhao Jinquan led Feng Cheng to a small courtyard.

The yard was surrounded by a fence, with some miscellaneous items piled up inside. There was a stone table and benches, an earthen house, and a thatched roof. At this moment, wisps of smoke were rising from the thatched roof.

If this scene were captured in a photograph or video and posted online in future generations, it would surely attract the envy of a group of people who yearn for rural life.

Unfortunately, this is not the future, but this scene is now a common sight in rural areas.

There are no flush toilets, no electricity, no running water, no internet, and no household appliances. Apart from those who have never lived in the countryside, no one who has lived in the countryside would like to live here.

After experiencing the initial joy, and after spending two years in Bashang, Feng Cheng would often reminisce about his previous life, where he didn't have to wash his own clothes, could take hot showers anytime, could buy food whenever he wanted, and had convenient transportation, communication, and daily life.

Your past life may have had its share of bad things and problems, but undeniably, you were able to eat your fill back then. As long as you weren't lazy and didn't stray into dangerous situations, you could still live a pretty good life.

Of course, this era also had its advantages. The pace of life was slow, there was no mental pressure, no internal friction, no involution, life was peaceful and comfortable, and there was hope. You could know what rewards you would get after your efforts, unlike later generations, where no matter how hard you tried, your future was shrouded in mist, with no light able to shine in.

Feng Cheng could only say that he was just an ordinary person, wanting everything he wanted, which was his current situation. However, he also knew that this was impossible. No matter what era it was, there would be good and bad. You could only try to focus on the good side, otherwise you would only become more and more dissatisfied.

This era has all sorts of bad things, but Feng Cheng is still willing to stay here because his mind is relaxed and comfortable here. Perhaps the material conditions are a bit worse, but Feng Cheng knows that the future will get better, and it will get better and better. He can see this, unlike in later years, no matter how hard he tries, he will always be confused and powerless to change the future no matter how much he thinks about it in the dead of night.

Sometimes Feng Cheng envied those carefree people. They might not earn much or live a very good life, but they were content and satisfied. They didn't think about anything else and just lived their lives. Sometimes Feng Cheng wondered if this was how life should be lived.

However, that was in his past life. He hasn't thought about that question for a long time now. In this life, he has his own goals for the future.