Colorful years

It takes at least a month of careful tending for corn stalks to grow strong and produce plump ears of corn before they reach full maturity.

After careful consideration, the school decided to send young teachers and class leaders to form three shifts to ensure the safety of the cornfield. Each shift consists of one teacher and three class leaders, who take turns on duty for twelve days each.

Congcong was fortunate enough to become one of the first guardians. At first, they worked tirelessly, leaving early and returning late every day.

On the first day of their guardianship mission, Congcong got up very early. Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, he and his teammates arrived at the cornfield. At that time, the sun had not yet peeked out, and a gentle breeze rustled the corn leaves, as if welcoming these dutiful guardians.

Congcong stood on the hillside, looking out at the corn stalks all over the mountain, which were laden with heavy ears of corn. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, and a strong sense of responsibility welled up in his heart.

"Today, we must protect this cornfield and keep it safe!" Congcong vowed silently in his heart.

The four of them had a clear division of labor, each performing their own duties. Congcong was responsible for patrolling the surroundings, keeping an eye on any movements; the other two classmates were responsible for driving away any monkeys and birds that might come to disturb them; and the teacher was responsible for recording in detail all the situations that occurred during the guarding process.

Holding a long bamboo pole, Congcong walked around the edge of the cornfield again and again, his eyes sharp and always highly vigilant.

At first, everything was relatively calm. As the sun gradually rose higher, golden sunlight bathed the entire cornfield, and the air was filled with the fresh aroma of soil and corn.

However, the good times didn't last long. Around noon, a group of monkeys suddenly jumped down from the cliff and headed straight for the cornfield.

"Quick! Stop them!" Congcong shouted, waving his bamboo pole and quickly taking action. The other two classmates did not hesitate either; they held stones and sticks, shouting loudly to drive the monkeys away.

The monkeys seemed intimidated by their imposing presence, and they all stopped in their tracks, hesitating at the edge of the cornfield, unwilling to approach.

However, at that moment, a bold monkey suddenly rushed into the cornfield, quickly broke off an ear of corn, and ran back triumphantly, attempting to disappear into the woods.

Seeing this, Congcong was furious. He quickly gave chase, brandishing his bamboo pole to intercept the monkey. With a sudden swing, he struck the monkey squarely on the rump. The monkey shrieked, dropped its corncob, and fled in panic.

"Haha, let's see if you dare to come again!" Congcong laughed triumphantly.

That day, they successfully drove away several groups of monkeys and eagles, and the cornfield remained unharmed.

That evening, they sat together to summarize their experiences and lessons learned, and to discuss their strategies for the next day.

“Tomorrow, we must be even more vigilant and not give those guys any opportunity,” Congcong said firmly.

The next day, they arrived at the cornfield early. This time, they brought not only bamboo poles and sticks, but also firecrackers and gongs. They planned to use these sounds to deter the wild animals eyeing the cornfield.

Sure enough, this tactic worked wonders. The monkeys, frightened by the firecrackers, kept their distance; the eagles, startled by the drums and gongs, dared not approach. The cornfield remained undisturbed all day.

However, just when they thought the day would pass peacefully, a ferocious wild boar suddenly rushed out of the bushes and headed straight for the cornfield.

The wild boar was incredibly strong; it used its snout to knock down several corn stalks and then devoured the tender corn.

"Quick! Stop it!" Congcong shouted, waving a bamboo pole as he charged at the wild boar. However, the wild boar ignored their attack and continued to frantically gnaw on the corn.

Just then, the teacher quickly lit the firecrackers, the loud crackling sound deafening. The wild boar was startled by the sudden noise and jumped up, scattering in all directions before finally disappearing into the dense grass.

"Phew...that scared me to death." Congcong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear.

On this day, although they were attacked by wild boars, they ultimately succeeded in protecting the cornfield.

That evening, they sat together again, sharing their thrilling experiences of the day and reflecting on the difficulty and hardship of protecting the cornfield.

On the morning of the third day, just as dawn was breaking and the sun had not yet fully peeked out, Congcong and his friends, as usual, arrived early at the familiar cornfield.

However, the sight that greeted them when they stepped into the cornfield left them speechless with astonishment.

The once neatly arranged corn stalks were now a mess near the edges. The stalks lay sprawled on the ground, as if they had survived a brutal battle. What was even more heartbreaking was that the places where these stalks should have been laden with heavy ears of corn were now empty, leaving only bare branches swaying in the breeze.

Looking further down at the ground, you can see broken corn kernels scattered everywhere, as well as remnants of gnawed corn cobs.

After careful observation, they finally found a crucial clue in this chaotic land—some animal footprints of varying depths and shapes. Judging from the size and shape of the footprints, it was clearly the work of a group of wild boars that roamed at night.

These cunning creatures, taking advantage of the quiet of the night and the absence of guards, sneaked into the cornfield and wreaked havoc. After feasting, they disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only the devastated cornfield and the helplessness and anger of the guards.