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Zhang Lan, with a tender expression on her fair face, embraced her little treasure. “Qianqian, only the two of us know about this. We can only rely on each other for farming. There will be more hardships in the future, and I feel sorry for you.”
Although Wang Qian was only seven years old, in Zhang Lan’s heart, she understood what her daughter said. She had been efficient and left no trace of her actions during this time. Therefore, Zhang Lan naturally regarded her as a precocious child and treated her as an older child.
Despite having the face of a child, Wang Qian had the maturity of an adult. She understood her mother’s feelings. Although her mother was reluctant to see her suffer, the situation was clear. Only the two of them knew this secret, and she had to shoulder many responsibilities. It seemed that her mother was also reluctant to see her in this situation.
Sitting in her mother’s arms, she wiped away the sweat with her small hand and said nonchalantly, “Mom, it’s not hard. As long as our family is harmonious, a little hardship is nothing. By the way, we need to hurry and watch the movie. It’s probably almost over by now.”
The two quickly left the space, tidied up, and hurried towards the direction of the brigade.
The brigade was to the east of their village, not very far from their home. The two of them hurried over, and fortunately, the movie hadn’t finished yet. They didn’t go to find Mingcheng and the others. The screening was outdoors, in the courtyard of the brigade. It was crowded, and the two of them found a spot to stand and watch. The movie was at the scene where Wu Qionghua was leading Nantian on a parade. The members watching the movie couldn’t help but get excited. Someone shouted, “Beat Nantian! Beat the tyrants and bullies!”
The people around were influenced and raised their arms, shouting along. Wang Qian watched everything coldly. Although it was just a movie, everyone’s hearts were united and passionate.
Zhang Lan was afraid of scaring her daughter, so she quickly hugged her close. Wang Qian hadn’t seen enough and secretly looked out from her mother’s embrace. She wasn’t afraid and felt that life seemed quite good. There wasn’t as much pressure as in modern times, and people were enthusiastic and easily satisfied. They had a strong sense of happiness, and their spiritual life seemed to be richer than she had imagined.
The movie soon reached its end, and the crowd began to slowly disperse. Although there was no organized arrangement, everyone was orderly, and there was no stampede. Some carried small stools, others carried chairs, but many were empty-handed, as they had been standing to watch. In her view, these members were really lovely and simple, and adults rarely fought with children and the elderly for seats.
Mother and daughter followed the crowd, hoping to meet the old man and the others.
Sure enough, not long after, Mingyuan’s chattering voice and Wang Zhenhe’s constant agreement could be heard from behind.
“Mom, it’s Dad and them,” she turned around and shouted, “Brother, we’re up ahead.”
The children hurried up when they heard their sister’s voice. “Mom, why didn’t we see you? We saved seats for you, but we waited and didn’t see you coming,” Mingyuan complained.
“Good son, when your mom and sister went, it was already full, and we couldn’t squeeze in. We could only stand outside and watch. We walked slowly to wait for you,” Zhang Lan explained, exciting her slightly unhappy son.
Although it was spring, the evening was still a bit chilly. The four children ran back home, feeling cold, leaving only the couple behind.
“Zhenhe, how are the materials for building the house coming along?” They discussed the house as they walked.
“It’s almost done. I’ve paid the deposit, and we’re just waiting for the delivery. After the busy farming season, we’ll start building the house. But what about the people helping us? Should we provide meals?” Wang Zhenhe was also worried. The helpers were all local people, and they wouldn’t accept money. Besides, they didn’t have money to give. However, they couldn’t let everyone work for them for free. They had to provide a meal, but their family’s situation made him feel conflicted.
Zhang Lan understood her husband’s concerns and comforted him, saying, “It’s okay. It’s just about providing meals. We’ll definitely provide meals, and not just any meals, but good ones. We can’t let people criticize us for being stingy. You don’t have to worry about the food; I’ll take care of it. As for hiring people to build the house, you need to talk to them in advance. Otherwise, we’ll be at a loss when the time comes.”
Zhang Lan’s reminder was a way to ensure that there would be help when it was time to build the house. They alone didn’t have the ability to construct it.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already made arrangements. We’ll wait until the busy farming season is over. Are you sure there won’t be any issues with the food?” Wang Zhenhe asked.
Zhang Lan nudged her husband. “Silly, I told you it’s fine. We’ll have our younger brother bring some seafood over a couple of times. That’ll be enough.”
The couple soon returned home. The children had already washed up and gone to bed, exhausted from the day’s activities. They quickly fell asleep, leaving Wang Qian, with her bright eyes, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. Once her parents returned, she finally closed her eyes in peace. She dozed off for a while and woke up when Zhang Lan nudged her.
The two quietly entered the space. As soon as Zhang Lan stepped inside, she couldn’t help but marvel. The temperature inside the space was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. It felt warm, as if every pore had opened up. It was very comfortable.
Mother and daughter continued working on the remaining unplanted areas. Fortunately, there wasn’t much left. They finished planting and Zhang Lan breathed a sigh of relief. “Daughter, we’ll set up a basin here in a while to hold water. It’ll be inconvenient to step out with muddy feet.”
Wang Qian agreed with this idea. It would also allow them to store water and water the plants whenever necessary.
The mother and daughter checked the remaining corners of the space. There were still some areas left, but they had a plan. They would plant some grapevines and use the space efficiently.
In the space, Zhang Lan had planted an acre of corn and an acre of wheat. They had both coarse and fine grains. The rest depended on the space’s favor.
The next day, the children continued to gather grass and took a stroll by the river. Mingyuan found two duck eggs, which was a good find.
When the children returned home with their harvest, they found a basket of chicks at the door, with fluffy yellow feathers. They were hungry and chirping.
Mingyuan hurried inside, where Zhang Lan was preparing lunch. When she saw her son, she asked, “Mom, are the chicks ours?”
Seeing her son’s excitement, she nodded and said with a smile, “Yes, I asked Dazhuang’s mother to help us hatch these chicks. You’ll be in charge of feeding them from now on.”
Mingyuan didn’t say anything and quickly went outside. He shouted to his siblings who were gathered around the basket, “Sis, these chicks are ours. We’ll have eggs to eat in the future.”
Hearing her son’s words, Zhang Lan shook her head with a smile. “This child…”
The children brought the chicks inside and prepared some food for them. Wang Xuan brought out some cornmeal and found a clamshell to hold water for the chicks. The children happily watched the chicks eat.
When Wang Zhenhe returned home and saw that they had also started raising chicks, he happily joined the children in watching them. Zhang Lan had already prepared the meal, but the old man and the others hadn’t moved. “I said you should eat. After you finish, you can watch.”
The children suddenly realized that he was hungry. “Mom, make a nest for the chicks later, or they’ll be cold at night,” he suggested.
Wang Xuan, being more knowledgeable, reminded them. “Mom knows. Later, i’ll find the potty that you used when you were little. It can be used for the chicks.”
After the meal, Zhang Lan pickled the ten duck eggs and one goose egg that the children had found. They would be saved for the Dragon Boat Festival.
She found the potty that the children had used when they were little and made a comfortable nest for the chicks. At that moment, Xiaoxiang ran in. “Mingcheng, the school notified us that classes will resume tomorrow. Remember to go to school, and I need to inform others. Don’t forget.”
The three children were excited to hear that classes were resuming, but they also felt a bit down when they thought about the situation at home. “Mom, what about the grass at home? Who will take care of it while we’re at school?”
Wang Qian was happy for her siblings that they could return to school and learn something new. Before Zhang Lan could say anything, she waved her hand nonchalantly. “Brother, sister, you should go to school. I’m old enough and don’t need anyone to take care of me. I’ll take care of gathering grass, and if you finish school early, you can come and help. What do you think, Mom?”
Her mother naturally had no objections to her daughter’s arrangement, but she was still a bit worried. “Qianqian, can you handle it on your own?”
Even Wang Zhenhe was a little concerned. He couldn’t bear to leave his seven-year-old daughter alone at home. “Daughter, if it’s not possible, I’ll take you with me when I go to work.”
Zhang Lan gave her husband a look. “Who takes their child to work? If it’s windy, rainy, or scorching hot, how can the child bear it?”
Understanding the adults’ concerns, Wang Qian reassured them. “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I’m not foolish. I promise nothing will happen. I’ll be good. You can trust me. Mom, don’t you believe in me? Think about it. When have I ever done something unreliable?”
After some consideration, the couple realized that their daughter had been quite reliable recently. Her behavior was no different from that of an adult. Wang Zhenhe bent down and hugged his daughter. “Qianqian, how about this? Stay at home for a while. If you feel it’s not working out, we’ll figure something out, okay?”