Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

For two consecutive days, Lin Chuan and his father took turns spending the night on the island. There was no professional equipment on the island, and someone had to keep an eye on the temperature of the greenhouse.

On Sunday morning, the soft sunlight gently spilled into the courtyard like a thin veil.

Xiaoman didn't have to go to school today. She walked out of her room sleepily and saw that her mother was already busy in the kitchen.

The flames in the stove danced merrily, illuminating Lin's mother's face.

Sweet potato porridge was simmering in the pot, steaming gently. Next to it, a small bamboo basket held several sliced ​​salted duck eggs, their yolks glistening with oil, looking incredibly tempting.

Xiaoman was wearing loose, old clothes with sleeves that were a bit too long, and her hair was fluffy like a little nest, with a few stray hairs sticking up stubbornly.

She shuffled quickly over to Lin Chuan, who was tidying up farm tools in the yard, wearing cloth shoes that were clearly a size too big.

She grabbed his arm, tilted her little face up, and looked up at him with her sleepy eyes full of anticipation.

"Brother, can I go to the island with you guys today? I want to see the little vegetable seedlings!"

Lin Chuan was checking the wooden handles of several hoes to see if they were loose.

Hearing his sister's words, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He raised his hand and gently rubbed her fluffy head, then deliberately put on a stern face and said...

"Go to the island? That means work. Watering, weeding, and maybe even carrying things. Can our Comrade Xiaoman handle it?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoman immediately puffed out her chest, as if she were about to rush to a glorious post.

"I can do it! I'm super strong! Even my mom says I can carry half a bucket of water!" he said, puffing out his cheeks to show off muscles that weren't actually there.

The old man stood to the side, slowly smoking his pipe, watching the brother and sister bicker. A silent smile bloomed on his wrinkled face, and the creases at the corners of his eyes resembled blooming flowers.

"Alright," Lin Chuan nodded reluctantly, but a smile was hidden in his eyes, "but you, this 'slovenly soldier,' won't do."

Go and get yourself ready first, comb your hair, and wash your face. Otherwise, if Mom sees you later, she'll definitely nag you.

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Xiaoman replied happily, then turned around and ran towards the water tank like a cheerful little deer.

Suddenly, the sound of splashing water and her indistinct humming filled the courtyard.

Just then, a small head peeked in from outside the courtyard gate; it was Liang Wenwu, the youngest son of Aunt Liang.

She is ten years old, the same age as Xiaoman, but she is shy and is often bossed around by Xiaoman.

He carried a small, coarse cloth bag that he had sewn himself and moved in somewhat embarrassedly.

"Grandpa Lin, Brother Xiao Chuan... my mother asked me to give this to your family." Liang Wenwu handed over the bag, which contained a small bag of dried fish that Aunt Liang had been drying, and it smelled delicious.

"Oh, Wenwu's here! Thank you, Mother, for always remembering me," Lin's mother said with a smile as she came out of the kitchen.

As he spoke, he wiped his hands on his apron, took the bag, and patted Liang Wenwu's head. "Have you had breakfast? The porridge in the pot will be ready soon."

"I...I've already eaten," Liang Wenwu said softly, his eyes glancing at the hoes, buckets, and the strangely coiled hose beside Lin Chuan.

He saw Lin Chuan packing his things, his eyes lit up, and he mustered up his courage to ask, "Brother Chuan, are you... going to the island?"

Before Lin Chuan could answer, Li Jiaye rushed in from outside like a gust of wind, holding half a cornbread in his hand.

While chewing, he said, "Brother Chuanzi! My dad said the paperwork for the boat is almost ready... Oh, Wenwu's here too?"

When Liang Wenwu saw Li Jiaye, he relaxed a little, nodded, and then looked at Lin Chuan expectantly.

Li Jiaye's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood. He chuckled and put his arm around Liang Wenwu's thin shoulder.

"Wenwu wants to go to the island to see our greenhouses? Great! Welcome, welcome! You'll be a great source of labor, you'll have to work!"

Liang Wenwu was a little stunned by the words "strong laborer," his little face full of bewilderment, as if he just wanted to go and take a look.

Xiaoman hastily wiped her face, barely tied her hair up with an old hair tie, and skipped back.

Upon hearing the conversation, her eyes lit up, and she immediately switched into the role of a junior leader.

With his hands behind his back, mimicking Li Jianguo's manner during meetings, he cleared his throat and tried his best to put on a serious expression:

"Comrade Liang Wenwu!" she called out clearly and loudly, "If you want to visit and learn on the island, we welcome you!"

However, once you arrive on the island, you must obey orders, follow discipline, and work diligently! Understand?

Liang Wenwu was taken aback by this display of force and nodded subconsciously, "I...I understand."

Xiaoman was satisfied. With a wave of her hand, she made a grand promise: "Great! When all the fruit trees on our island bear fruit in the future..."

Apples, pears, and big, sweet peaches! I guarantee you'll get the biggest and reddest ones!

Liang Wenwu blinked, seemingly convinced by the promise of a bright future, his face showing a conflicted and hesitant expression.

Finally, she nodded resignedly, muttering to herself, "Well... alright then. I'll go get to work."

Lin Chuan and his mother exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh. The old man also laughed so hard that his pipe trembled.

"Alright, little leader, hurry up and set out the dishes for Amu. We'll leave after breakfast." Lin Chuan patted Xiaoman's head.

Breakfast was simple yet comforting.

Sweet potato porridge is thick, sticky, and sweet; salted duck eggs are a perfect accompaniment.

Xiaoman ate very quickly, her eyes constantly glancing towards the door, afraid that the rest of the group would leave her behind.

Liang Wenwu was pulled by Lin's mother to drink another half bowl of porridge, his little face turning rosy.

When Lin Chuan finished quickly handling the daily tasks of recording work points at the brigade headquarters and returned to Beishi Wharf, everyone was already waiting there.

Yesterday, I figured the tide would be low in the morning, so the small pier wouldn't be able to hold the boats, and if the boats stopped, they wouldn't be able to row out.

Two wooden boats were moored side by side. Lin's father was on the island last night, but Lin's mother, grandfather, and the water monkey arrived first this morning.

With the addition of Lin Chuan, Xiao Man, Li Jiaye, Liang Wenwu, and Lin Xuewu, Lin's cousin who was idle at home waiting for the boat, they insisted on coming to help, making quite a few people.

"Wow, what a huge workforce we have today," Lin Chuan joked, looking at the people on the two boats.

The water monkey, steadying the oars on the boat, grinned and said, "Brother Chuan, it's more fun with more people! It gives us more energy to work!"

Liang Wenwu had already boarded the water monkey's boat and was sitting close to the gunwale, feeling both excited and a little nervous.

He looked at Lin Chuan, mustered his courage, and asked again, "Brother Chuan, can I really go? I... I'll do my best."

Li Jiaye, standing beside him, casually put his arm around his shoulder: "Don't worry! Once we get to the island, I'll take you! Let's go see if we can find any bird eggs to collect..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Chuan glared at him and shut him up.

Xiaoman had already nimbly jumped onto Lin Chuan's boat. Upon hearing this, she immediately turned around, put her hands on her hips, and began to lecture Li Jiaye and Liang Wenwu.

"Brother Jiaye, don't lead Xiaowu astray! We're here to take care of the seedlings, not to cause trouble!"

Xiao Wu, don't listen to his nonsense. Follow me, follow my brother, and learn how to farm scientifically!

Her mature demeanor amused the other villagers waiting for their boats at the dock. Someone joked, "With that kind of air about her, Xiaoman could be a women's director someday!"

When Xiaoman heard this, she was not ashamed at all; instead, she puffed out her little chest even more.