Harvesting the Crops 

Since Lin Miaoyin brought Lin Miaojun here, she intended to subtly plant the idea of doing business in his mind. 

Now that Lin Miaojun was asking her these kinds of questions, it showed that he was on the right track. 

She began by presenting the black market in a more positive light, explaining the benefits of joining it, and then analyzed the current situation, stating that the crackdown wasn’t as severe as it was a few years ago, so there was no need to worry too much about being caught. 

Lin Miaojun listened carefully and asked several questions, which Lin Miaoyin answered one by one. 

Of course, he couldn’t immediately agree to join her, but the events of today had already planted a seed in his heart. 

When they returned to the clothing store, the two women had already prepared everything. Lin Miaoyin glanced at the agreement, signed her name, and stamped her thumbprint. 

She then paid and took the two sets of clothes she had ordered last time. 

The two women were good at business and immediately gave her five yuan as a design fee for the two dresses. 

Lin Miaojun was also very tempted by the new clothes, but he didn’t dare to buy them and had to suppress his desire. 

He had just secretly bought some snacks for Cui Fen, which had to be eaten quietly in private. 

As for the meat they bought, they’d have to go to Miaoyin’s place to cook and eat it. 

Thinking about all this made him feel even more conflicted. 

The two of them went to a department store to buy some items to deceive Father Lin and Mother Lin. After a quick lunch, they took the bus back home. 

They first arrived at Lin Miaoyin’s house, where the two men began working on the radio. She quickly fried the meat, covered it with a plate, and had Lin Miaojun sneak it back to Cui Fen. 

After dinner, she began unpacking the items they had bought. 

She took out a round object from the basket and presented it to Meng Yuanzheng like a treasure. 

“Look, what is this?” 

“Watermelon.” 

“It’s too late to eat now, and it’ll cause trouble with going to the bathroom at night. We’ll cut it tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to fetch water from the well.” 

Meng Yuanzheng was fiddling with the second-hand radio. Lin Miaoyin couldn’t figure out how to operate this old antique. 

He inserted the battery, turned it on, and there was a buzzing sound, followed by a long pause. After some adjustment, the sound gradually became clearer. 

“This is great. We won’t have to worry about you being bored anymore,” she said, taking out a stack of notebooks from the basket. 

“This is the best notebook from the shop. See if you like it.” 

Meng Yuanzheng took it, glanced at it, and praised, “Miaoyin, you’re impressive.” 

“How’s your review going? Is there anything you don’t understand? Ask me,” she leaned over, propping her elbow on the desk, resting her chin in her hand while watching him write. 

“No, I’m very capable,” he smiled. 

Lin Miaoyin “…” 

“Take a look. Is it good?” He pulled a sheet from a large notebook. 

Under the oil lamp, Lin Miaoyin’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it. 

It was a sketch of her. 

“You drew this?” She picked it up and studied it carefully. It was vivid and clean—not at all messy like typical pencil sketches, and it looked almost like a photo. 

“Mm.” Meng Yuanzheng’s long fingers continued to fiddle with the radio, causing it to make static noises. 

Lin Miaoyin’s hand touched the sketch, tracing her eyes and nose with her fingers, a silly smile spreading on her face. 

Why did Meng Yuanzheng draw her? And when did he even do it? 

He hadn’t drawn it while looking at her, yet it was so accurate. Was it because he was just that skilled… or because… 

“Why did you draw me?” 

“To pass the time.” He answered seriously. 

“Next week, your leg cast is coming off. Let’s go take a photo then, so when I’m old I can still see what I looked like in my twenties.” 

“Mm.” Meng Yuanzheng looked up and gazed at her softly. 

The dim light, the summer night, and the sound of cicadas. 

… 

Next came the busiest time—harvesting the rice. 

Harvesting wheat and corn were small-scale affairs, but rice had the largest planting area. Moreover, the weather these days was unpredictable. One moment, the sky was clear, and the next, dark clouds would gather. No one knew when the weather would change, so it was best to finish harvesting as soon as possible. 

Everyone was working enthusiastically, especially the educated youths, who were the most motivated. 

Even the female educated youths, who usually complained about aches and pains, pretending not to understand and dragging their feet, were now working hard. 

Recently, officials had come to inspect the educated youths to see how diligent they were. Only those who worked hard would be recommended for further education and qualify as Worker-Peasant-Soldier students to attend university. 

Of course, the number of spots was limited, but the temptation was great. 

What if they got lucky and were chosen? 

If they didn’t try hard, they definitely wouldn’t be chosen. 

Some people secretly mocked Meng Yuanzheng, saying that he had become a hero, broken his leg, received rewards, but now his chance to go to university was gone. 

Knowing the outcome, Lin Miaoyin wasn’t at all anxious; she just went about her business as usual. 

Meanwhile, her relationship with Yan Hongyue had grown stronger. 

Not long ago, the Jin family and the Yan family had broken off their engagement. 

The Jin family parents were very reasonable, even timid. Whatever the Yan family said, they would agree to. Since their family background wasn’t good, they dared not voice any objections. 

Jin Chengren had been very sad at first and had come to Meng Yuanzheng to complain. 

Now, he treated Meng Yuanzheng as his confidant. 

With Meng Yuanzheng’s comforting words, he seemed to have let go and regained his cheerful and optimistic demeanor. 

He also realized that, although he had once thought Yan Hongyue would be his future wife, he hadn’t actually liked her. After the engagement was broken, he understood that it was more of a sense of responsibility than affection. 

So, it all turned out for the best. 

Lin Miaoyin noticed recently that Zhu Wanqin’s expression remained unchanged despite Jin Chengren’s broken engagement. 

If Zhu Wanqin had feelings for him, she should have been very pleased now that the engagement was over, but she seemed indifferent, which confirmed Lin Miaoyin’s suspicion. 

During a break, everyone sat under the shade of the trees, fanning themselves with their straw hats, drinking their own water. 

But many of the educated youth didn’t rest, as this was the perfect time to show off their dedication. 

The exception was Zhu Wanqin, who didn’t join them and sat alone reading a small notebook. 

Lin Miaoyin walked over casually but accidentally stepped on a branch. Hearing the noise, Zhu Wanqin immediately closed the notebook and looked up. 

“Miaoyin? What is it?” 

“Oh, I just saw you sitting alone. Are you reading? It’s too bright; it’ll strain your eyes.” Lin Miaoyin sat down next to her. 

“Yeah…” Zhu Wanqin said stiffly, putting the notebook into her bag. 

“What are the other educated youth doing? Why are they still working when everyone else is resting?” Lin Miaoyin asked, pretending to be confused. 

“They…” 

“Oh, I remember. My father said they all have the chance to attend the Workers, Farmers, and Soldiers University. Why aren’t you joining them? Don’t you want to go to college?” 

“I… I feel that my abilities are not enough. I should let the opportunity go to someone who works harder,” said Zhu Wanqin. 

Lin Miaoyin smiled at her, thinking to herself, “Keep pretending, I’ve already seen through you.” 

“Educated youth Zhu, you really have a great sense of awareness. Truly, a person who’s received education,” she said. 

Time to flatter. 

“Not really, I’ve just read a few more books than you…” Zhu Wanqin smiled. 

Lin Miaoyin… Hmph, is she mocking me? 

Even though I haven’t read many books, my Meng Yuanzheng is definitely better than yours. 

The two women exchanged some pleasantries with fake smiles before getting back to work. 

In the evening, everyone was tired, but it was a rule that every family had to send someone to guard the rice in the drying field. 

The three families took turns guarding it overnight. 

Lin Miaoyin had planned to just bring a blanket and go, but Meng Yuanzheng insisted on going instead. 

Lin Miaoyin disagreed, but he actually threatened to go on a hunger strike. 

This dog of a man is becoming more and more outrageous. Does he think I’m easy to bully? 

Well… maybe she is, kind of. 

Helpless, and feeling uneasy staying home alone anyway, she decided they might as well guard together. 

After dinner and a bath, they grabbed their blankets and went to the drying field. They spread out the rice in the center, leaving a patch of ground empty. First, they laid down a bamboo mat, then a mat on top, and could sleep right there. 

What are the night guards guarding? 

First, they guard against people, to prevent thieves. 

Second, they guard against rats, to keep the rodents away. 

In these times, when people are starving, they’ll eat anything. Rats and snakes are almost extinct, but during harvest season, those rats still come out, sometimes in groups, descending from the mountain to steal food. 

That night, three families were on duty, each guarding their own area. The other two families were men, and their snoring was so loud it could scare half of the rats away. 

Lin Miaoyin’s area was the closest to the mountain, with the strongest mountain winds. 

Meng Yuanzheng sat by the bamboo mat, with his back to Lin Miaoyin, facing the wind, helping her block it. He had slept during the day and wasn’t sleepy. 

Lin Miaoyin curled up behind him, fast asleep. 

Her exhaustion from the day made her sleep deeply. She didn’t even realize where she was, and with Meng Yuanzheng there, she felt secure. 

Just as she was sleeping soundly, she was gently nudged awake by Meng Yuanzheng. 

She opened her eyes and saw him looking at something. He shushed her softly. 

“The rats are here,” he whispered. 

Lin Miaoyin nodded and grabbed the shovel they had prepared. 

How do you deal with rats? Only blood will do. 

You need to kill one right in front of the others to intimidate them. Just scaring them off doesn’t work. 

She and Meng Yuanzheng exchanged a glance, then barefoot and silent, crept over with the shovel. 

The rats had already started eating the rice, making rustling noises. 

Lin Miaoyin approached and, when she was just two meters away, suddenly dashed forward. She raised the shovel and struck hard. 

The moonlight was bright, and the dozen or so rats were eating happily. They didn’t expect Lin Miaoyin’s sudden attack. With one blow, the rats tried to scatter, but it was useless. Every rat would be hit. 

The rats squealed and scattered, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Only one rat, heavily injured by her strike, was still struggling on the edge of the shovel. 

The noise wasn’t loud enough to disturb the other two areas being guarded. 

She brought the shovel to Meng Yuanzheng, showing him. 

Meng Yuanzheng glanced at the half-dead rat and looked away. 

“Throw it aside, it probably won’t come back tonight.” 

“D**n rats, you dare steal our hard-earned food after we’ve worked all year,” she muttered as she used a bamboo stick to knock the rat off the shovel, dug a hole, buried it, and washed her hands and feet with water from her bottle. 

Back by the bamboo mat, she saw Meng Yuanzheng staring at the night sky, lost in thought. 

When she returned, he lifted the blanket for her to lie down. “Get some rest. I’ll go make breakfast when the sun comes up.” 

Under the moonlight above, she could only see his silhouette, with a slight lean toward her as he adjusted the blanket, his warm breath brushing against her. 

“Go to sleep,” he said. 

For some reason, she reached out and tugged on his sleeve, saying, “Let’s sleep together.”