Colorful years

Those were difficult years of extreme food shortages; the sky always seemed shrouded in a gloomy hue, and even the sunlight appeared stingy and weak.

In the fields, sparse crops swayed in the wind, as if telling a story of endless sorrow.

Against this backdrop, every grain of rice is like a rare treasure, carefully protected by people.

Congcong was utterly impressed by his father Zhang Zhong's wisdom in survival, especially his father's unique inventions in planning food use, which were like a ray of light in the darkness, illuminating the family's path to hope and leaving a lasting impression on Congcong.

Faced with the grim reality of food shortages, Zhang Zhong did not choose to complain or wait. Instead, he used his extraordinary intelligence to create a fair and efficient method of distributing grain: "rationing to each person and weighing the rice before cooking."

This method, though seemingly simple, actually contains profound life philosophies. To ensure that the family's limited food resources could be distributed fairly and reasonably, Zhang Zhong first carefully selected several sturdy earthenware bowls as the exclusive tableware for each family member.

These earthen bowls, though plain in appearance, hold the hopes and sustenance of the whole family.

Next, Zhang Zhong tailored a detailed grain plan based on the labor intensity, age, and physical condition of each person in his family.

As the pillar of the family, he and his strong older brother, because they undertake more physical labor, can enjoy eight ounces of rice per meal, which is an affirmation and reward for their hard work.

Shi Daya, a hardworking and capable housewife, may not be as strong as the men, but she supports half of the family with her frail shoulders and is therefore entitled to a ration of six ounces of rice.

Grandpa, though advanced in years, is still highly respected and is the pillar of the family. Every meal he eats embodies the filial piety and respect of his descendants, which is why he gets half a pound of rice.

As the bright and clever Congcong is the hope of the family, he also gets four ounces of rice at each meal, which is an expectation and encouragement for his unlimited future possibilities.

The eldest and second youngest sisters, who are still growing, each receive three ounces of rice to ensure their healthy growth. The youngest and cutest brother, although he doesn't eat much, receives two ounces of rice per meal because every bite is filled with the love and care of the whole family.

Before each meal, Zhang Zhong would act like a precise metrologist, strictly following these quantitative standards, carefully weighing the appropriate amount of rice and then gently placing it into each person's bowl.

These bowls filled with rice are like little boats of hope, carrying the whole family's yearning and pursuit of a better life. Finally, Zhang Zhong put all the bowls into a pot and steamed them, waiting for a warm and satisfying dinner.

This method of "quantitative rice distribution to each person and weighing the rice before cooking" not only effectively avoids scrambling for rice due to insufficient supply, but also cleverly prevents those who eat quickly from taking more than their share.

It acts like an invisible ruler, measuring everyone's needs and contributions, making everyone in the family feel fair and respected. More importantly, this method also inspires everyone's appreciation for food.

Whenever Congcong looks at the fixed amount of rice in the bowl, he feels a sense of awe. He knows that every grain of rice embodies the hard work and sweat of the whole family, and is a precious treasure they have earned with their sweat.

However, the days of food shortages did not become easier. As time went on, the external environment worsened.

Droughts, floods, and other natural disasters struck one after another, making the already scarce food resources even more strained. The grain reserves in the granaries were dwindling day by day, silently slipping away like sand in an hourglass.

When the night is quiet, Congcong always lies in bed with a furrowed brow, thinking about how to share some of the burden of life with his parents.

One evening, Congcong overheard his parents talking in hushed tones about the food shortage.

The father, Zhang Zhong, spoke in a low but firm voice: “The situation is getting more and more serious. We have to think of another way. We can’t let the children go hungry.”

Mother Shi Daya sighed, her voice filled with helplessness and worry: "We've tried everything we can think of, but every household in the village is struggling to make ends meet. Where would we find any extra food?"

Zhang Zhong was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "No! No matter how hard things get, we can't let the children suffer. I have an idea. We can try planting some drought-resistant and barren-tolerant crops, such as sweet potatoes and pumpkins. These things have high yields and are hunger-resistant, which may solve our immediate problem."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Shi Daya's eyes: "That's a good idea! But the fields all belong to the collective, and there aren't many vegetable gardens or private plots. Where will we find the space to grow these things?"

Zhang Zhong smiled slightly upon hearing this: "Don't worry about that! We can cultivate some wasteland. Although it will be hard work, it's better than letting the children go hungry."

His words were filled with determination and resolve, as if no difficulty could stop him from moving forward.

Hearing this, Congcong felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew his father was always like this; no matter how great the difficulties, he would always find a way to solve them and never let his family down.

He secretly resolved to help his father reclaim wasteland and contribute his share to the family.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Liang Zhangzhong took his hoe and went out. Congcong quietly followed behind, wanting to see how his father would cultivate the wasteland.