Chapter 104: Distributing the Harvest

Zhang Lan lovingly stroked Zuo He’s short hair. It was a good thing that the child admired his grandfather. “Yes, Zuo He’s grandfather is indeed very skilled. Auntie has seen it too. In the future, Zuo He should learn well from his grandfather.”

The little one nodded solemnly. “Auntie, I will be even more skilled than my grandfather. If anyone bullies you, I will beat them up.”

Although it was just a child’s innocent words, the couple could hear Zuo He’s protective nature towards their family.

Wang Zhenhe hugged the little one with a smile. “Zuo He, you should learn well. We will rely on you to protect us in the future.”

After a day’s work on the mountain, both adults and children were covered in sweat. Zhang Lan prepared hot water for everyone to bathe. She asked her husband to take the boys to bathe.

Although cold water baths were possible at this time, she was afraid of the children catching a cold, so she intentionally prepared hot water for them.

The commune had already distributed the mountain roots to each household, but the members had to go to the fields to dig them up. This saved labor for the commune and provided more fuel for the members, benefiting both sides.

Mingcheng and the others went to school, while Zhang Lan and her husband took their daughter to the mountain to dig up the roots. Wang Zhenhe used his hoe to dig, while the mother and daughter followed behind to pick them up. They wore scarves on their heads, but they still couldn’t block the dust that came flying at them.

Digging up the roots was a tedious but necessary task. Many families were also digging up the roots, and they all brought their children along.

Wang Qian noticed that many children should have been in school today, but they had skipped class to come and help with the digging.

Moreover, it was a common practice in the countryside to compare work. At first, Wang Zhenhe was in the lead, but due to the large number of people from the neighboring family, he was soon left behind. The man from the neighboring family turned back and said to Wang Zhenhe, “Zhenhe, it’s better to have more boys. They work faster and have more strength. Our family has nothing else but a lot of strong labor. Girls just can’t keep up with the boys.”

In rural areas at that time, there was still a preference for boys over girls, but the Wang family was an exception. The men in the Wang family, in particular, had a fondness for their daughters.

Wang Zhenhe humorously replied, “Lin, I’m not envious. Although your family has a lot of strong labor, our family’s girls are not lacking. Just wait and see. When we’re old, I’ll have my daughters make wine for us. You’ll be envious then.”

“Niece, we’re here,” a voice came from a distance as they were talking. The mother and daughter turned around to see several elderly men hurrying over.

“Uncle Zuo, you’re at such an old age and still come to help. That’s really embarrassing,” Zhang Lan felt a bit awkward. The day before, they had helped them with the harvest, and now they were here to help again.

“Niece, don’t be so polite. We old folks need to stretch our legs. But there’s a condition: you have to feed us lunch at noon,” Uncle Zuo said.

Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “Uncle Zuo, even if you didn’t come to help, I would still feed you. I’ll go home and prepare lunch for you later.”

With the addition of the elderly men, the speed of the Wang family’s root digging noticeably increased. However, compared to the others, Wu Changyong and Left Zhanshan were the most skilled. The way they wielded their tools was something that even the younger men couldn’t match.

Wang Qian was concerned about the elderly men’s health and called out from behind, “Grandpa Zuo, be careful with your back.”

The elderly men chuckled as they dug up the roots. Wu Changyong, without even looking up, replied, “Girl, don’t underestimate your grandpa’s back. It’s not any worse than your father’s, despite his age.”

As noon approached, Zhang Lan took her daughter home to prepare lunch. They didn’t have any fresh vegetables at home, so her daughter needed to catch a couple of fish from the reservoir.

When they arrived at the reservoir, Wang Qian was just collecting water to water the land in her space. Since they had started digging up the roots, the space hadn’t been watered yet.

“Mom, we should start planting in the space. We can’t leave it empty. When we have time, we can buy some vegetables to plant. It will be great to have fresh vegetables in the winter. Also, let’s plant a variety of vegetables. We can sell them in the city for a good price,” Wang Qian suggested.

Zhang Lan’s eyes lit up at the mention of money. “Girl, aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

Zhang Lan had always wondered why her daughter was so bold. So many people Stopped from doing things  because they were afraid to do. Her daughter seemed fearless.

“Mom, what are they going to do to me? I don’t steal or rob. Besides, what can they do? I’m just a kid. As long as they don’t have evidence, they can’t catch me. That’s the advantage of your daughter, something others don’t have,” Wang Qian said confidently.

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but affectionately pat her daughter’s head. “You little rascal, you’re quite clever. Just be careful so you won’t get caught. When winter comes, I’ll go with you to the forest. While others send father and son into battle, our family sends mother and daughter.”

As they chatted by the reservoir, Wang Qian carefully controlled the water flow and guided the fish into the tank.

“Mom, it’s done. Let’s go home and prepare a good meal for the grandpas. Later, I’ll go to the woods to see if I can catch a rabbit or something. We haven’t had it at home for a long time,” Wang Qian said.

Upon returning home, Wang Qian took the fish out of the space and then went to find something else. Although the leaves in the riverside woods were still lush, some had started to turn yellow, and many had already fallen. Ah, the signs of autumn. She realized that she had been here for over half a year.

“Bro, hurry up and block it,” Mingyuan’s voice came from deep within the woods. Looking at the sun, she realized that it was time for Mingyuan and the others to finish school.

Following the sound, Wang Qian found Mingcheng and the others chasing a wild rabbit in the woods. However, the rabbit was quite cunning and not something a few children could easily catch. She hid in the shadows and watched as the rabbit ran in her direction. Silently reciting the command, the rabbit disappeared from its original spot. By the time Mingyuan and the others caught up, she had already taken the rabbit out of the space and was holding it in her hands.

“Bro, look, this is the rabbit you were chasing. I think you tired it out. My legs were shaking from the chase. It’s perfect for a rabbit meat meal for the grandpas.”

Zuo He and the others had been chasing the rabbit to treat the elderly men. They hadn’t expected the grandpas to come for lunch, so when they found out that the elderly men had helped their family with the root digging, they insisted on going to the river to see if there were any crabs left.

After tying up the rabbit, Mingcheng handed it to his elder sister and took Zuo He and Mingyuan to the river to catch crabs.

At this time, there weren’t many crabs left, but they were all quite large. After catching the crabs, the three brothers’ hands were marked with the crabs’ pincers, but despite the pain, they were happy.

The lunch that day didn’t disappoint the elderly men. The dishes were the same as usual, but the fish stew that Zhang Lan made had potatoes and vermicelli, and she added a bit of chili, giving it a completely different flavor. The elderly men started sweating as they ate.

“Niece, this fish stew is delicious. The flavor is just right,” Wu Changyong enjoyed spicy food, and the fish suited his taste. The spicy flavor was acceptable even for those who didn’t usually like spicy food.

“By the way, I heard that you’ll be receiving your grain rations tomorrow. You should go early, and we can help carry some for you,” Old Chen shared the news he had heard with everyone.

The prospect of receiving new grain rations brought the most joy to Mingcheng and the others. They would no longer have to worry about food at home. Zhang Lan and her daughter were secretly pleased, as they could finally take out the items from their space. Otherwise, they would have had a hard time explaining.

With the help of the elderly men, the Wang family no longer had to worry about the allocated lands  to their family.

 The next day, Zhang Lan and her family went to collect their grain rations. People who had received the news gradually gathered in the courtyard. The large scale was already prepared, and the distribution of the grain was based on a set quantity. Adult men received more than women and children, and older children received more than younger ones, taking into account the nutritional needs for growth.

Zhang Lan and her daughter stood in line with the others. Wang Zhenguo, Wang Zhi, and Zhu Qiyu were ahead of them. At this point, the distribution of grain rations required presenting household registration documents and the household owner’s seal. Each person in line held a small red book.

When it was Wang Zhiguo’s turn, the person in charge of weighing the grain wasn’t paying attention. They took the household registration and started counting the number of people. Then, the laborers helped carry the grain to the scale, where the accountant recorded the amount and stamped it.

Coincidentally, the accountant for the production team was Liu Hui’s husband, the neighbor of Wang Qian’s family. As he was about to record the amount, he noticed something was amiss. He quietly said to the person next to him, “Wait a minute, this count doesn’t add up. Their family doesn’t have that many people.”

The person weighing the grain glanced at Zhu Qiyu and remembered what had happened. As he was about to lower the grain, Zhu Qiyu objected, “Why? Our household registration clearly states this many people. Why aren’t you giving us the correct amount?”

Everyone knew that the Wang family had already split, so Zhu Qiyu’s statement was pure fabrication. “Auntie, you and my third uncle have already split. Everyone knows that. Now, each family should receive their own share. You can take your family’s grain, but my third uncle’s family needs his seal.”

Zhang Lan and her daughter, who were still in line, were unaware of what had happened at the front until they heard Zhu Qiyu’s loud voice. They then learned about the situation.

People in line started to discuss the matter quietly, commenting on the behavior of the elderly lady from the Wang family.

“I’m collecting it on behalf of my son’s family. What’s wrong with that?” the elderly lady’s voice could be heard arguing.

Zhang Lan was about to step forward to argue but was stopped by her daughter. Wang Qian knew that her mother wasn’t as sharped-tongued  as the elderly lady, and it wouldn’t be worth it if Zhu Qiyu got her feeling upset.