Chapter 13

The next morning, Wu Xiaoxiao woke up early and went to her private plot to pick some vegetables and fruits.

Ever since she started using her abilities on the land, the vegetables grew much better than those in other households—fresh, green, and vibrant. The rows of melons, beans, and other crops were also much denser than in other fields.

Normally, if fruits and vegetables grew too densely, they would compete for nutrients, leading to stunted or withered crops. However, the ones in her plot not only thrived but also grew exceptionally large.

After picking a few of the biggest ones, Wu Xiaoxiao prepared breakfast, brewed some mint tea, and filled two military water bottles before heading out with the food and water.

She knocked on Aunt Dong’s door next door, and Aunt Dong answered quickly. “Xiaoxiao, let’s go to the brigade office.”

“Alright!” Wu Xiaoxiao responded cheerfully, matching Aunt Dong’s pace.

She took two boiled eggs from her pocket and handed them over. “Auntie, these are for you.”

“This child, you can’t just waste eggs like that, giving them away so easily.”

“I got them from Wu Laosan’s family anyway—if I don’t eat them, it’d be a waste,” Wu Xiaoxiao said with a grin.

“You little rascal.” Aunt Dong sighed, but she accepted the eggs. “Even so, you should save them. No need to be so polite with me.”

“I’m giving them to you because I’m not being polite. If I were, I’d be giving you much more than just eggs for all the help you’ve given me.”

Since Wu Xiaoxiao put it that way, Aunt Dong didn’t refuse any further. She figured she’d just return the favor by giving Xiaoxiao something nice to eat later. The more she looked at the girl, the more she liked her—hardworking, honest, and sharp.

Normally, work points and task assignments were handled by the small teams, so villagers didn’t need to go to the brigade office. But Wu Xiaoxiao was a special case—she hadn’t participated in work points distribution before. Since this was her first time joining the labor force, it was best to check in at the brigade office.

As they walked, Aunt Dong gave her some advice. “I don’t know which leader is at the brigade office today. Hopefully, it’s Captain Huang—he’s fair. Since your father was a martyr, he’ll probably take extra care of you. If it’s Vice Captain Qiao, it might be more troublesome, but it’s fine—we’re not trying to take advantage of anything.”

When they arrived at the brigade office, Aunt Dong took a look inside and was pleasantly surprised. “Ah, today’s our lucky day—it’s Captain Huang!” He was reading a newspaper at his desk.

“Good morning, Captain Huang!” Aunt Dong greeted loudly as she entered.

Captain Huang looked up. “Ah, Aunt Donghua, what brings you here so early?”

Aunt Dong pulled Wu Xiaoxiao forward and introduced her. “Captain Huang, let me introduce you—this is Wu Xiaoxiao from our village. Her father was Wu Jianjun.”

“Ah, so this is Jianjun’s child?” Hearing Aunt Dong say this, Captain Huang put down the newspaper in his hands. He carefully looked at Wu Xiaoxiao—yes, he could indeed see some resemblance to Wu Jianjun in her facial features. Thinking about how Wu Jianjun was a martyr who sacrificed his life for the country, Captain Huang’s expression became more serious.

“Aunt Dong, what brings you here with the child today? If there’s any difficulty that I can help with, please feel free to say so. We would never mistreat the children of our fallen heroes.”

Aunt Dong waved her hand and said, “Ever since Brother Jianjun passed, it’s just her mother and her at home. Her mother has to work in the fields to earn work points while also taking care of the household—it’s not easy.”

She first explained Wu Xiaoxiao’s family situation and then continued, “But you see, Xiaoxiao is a thoughtful child. Seeing how hard her mother works, she came to me and said she wanted to earn work points too. Her mother is struggling to earn enough for two people, so I brought her here.”

What she said was true, and Captain Huang quickly grasped the situation. If Aunt Dong had brought the martyr’s child to ask for policy benefits or extra grain, it would’ve put him in a difficult position.

Although their brigade was relatively well-off in the area, no matter how prosperous, they couldn’t just bypass policies and hand out food.

Generally, the children of martyrs received a considerable pension and later some subsidies, so their lives shouldn’t be too hard. But every family had its own circumstances, and it wasn’t his place to pry. He trusted Aunt Dong’s character—she wasn’t the type to take advantage of government policies.

However, looking at this thin, delicate girl, he wondered—how many work points could she really earn? Captain Huang considered just giving her the base work points for women’s labor. It would be a way to take care of a martyr’s child without affecting the brigade too much.

Just as he made up his mind but before he could speak, Wu Xiaoxiao spoke first. “Captain Huang, I really have the strength! I can at least weed two acres of land a day—I definitely won’t slow the team down!”

Captain Huang couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this. “You little girl, do you even know what it means to weed two acres of land in one day? You don’t have to do that much. Look, I’ll talk to the team about it. Isn’t the village head your third uncle? I’ll have a word with him, and no matter what, we’ll count you as full labor. For female workers, full labor is six work points a day. But let me be clear about one thing.”

His tone became more serious. “I’m only being lenient because of your father. You must work hard and not tarnish his good name. If I find out that you’re slacking off or trying to cut corners, I won’t just dock your work points according to policy—I’ll also make you do a public self-criticism. You must not disgrace your father, and you must not let down Aunt Dong, who personally brought you here.”

Wu Xiaoxiao quickly nodded. “I won’t, Captain Huang! Please trust me, I’ll work hard.”

Captain Huang continued, “Fertilizing and land preparation are too strenuous—those jobs usually don’t involve women. Female workers are mainly responsible for weeding, and sometimes, when there’s a shortage of hands for pesticide spraying, they help with that too. If you don’t want to weed, you can also be assigned to tend to melon vines.”

“Alright! Thank you, Captain,” Wu Xiaoxiao responded sweetly.

Aunt Dong chimed in, “By the way, this child studied up to the first year of high school and had excellent grades.”

Wu Xiaoxiao quickly added, “Captain, if the team ever needs help with writing or calculations, you can call on me too!”

Hearing this, Captain Huang’s eyes lit up. “Oh? That’s great! Being literate and good with numbers is a valuable skill. Alright, I’ll keep that in mind and call on you when needed.”