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In the fields, the rice heads began to swell, heavy and ripening, their colors shifting day by day, with the green veins of the leaves slowly turning yellow. The lush green paddies were transforming into a golden tapestry of harvest.
The village leaders had started making frequent rounds in the fields, inspecting the ripeness of each rice plot. They brought workers to dig open the dikes, letting in water to prepare for the upcoming harvest.
Before the rice was ready to be gathered, news came that the chicks Ye Xin had ordered were ready for pickup. Grandma Wu sent word through a friend that the chicks had hatched and could be collected. Ye Xin was thrilled; on the very day she received the news, she took five pounds of rice and headed to Grandma Wu’s house after work.
The chicks were just newly hatched, fluffy and a warm yellow color, huddled together in a shabby basket lined with hay. They chirped excitedly, their little black eyes darting around as they turned their heads curiously.
“They’re so cute!” Ye Xin exclaimed, her heart melting at the sight.
Noticing her reaction, Grandma Wu couldn’t help but sigh internally. “As the weather gets cooler, be sure to line their coop with some old clothes for warmth. Newly hatched chicks are susceptible to the cold.”
“Got it! Thank you, Grandma Wu!” Ye Xin replied, nodding eagerly.
She handed over the bag of rice, and Grandma Wu went inside to measure out the rice. When she returned, seeing Ye Xin without any tools, she simply used the rice bag to contain the chicks.
Ye Xin carefully cradled the fluffy yellow chicks as she made her way home. Watching her leave, Grandma Wu shook her head again. These chicks were delicate, and even experienced chicken keepers could lose them easily. This young girl had obviously never raised chicks before, and their survival rate was a concern. But her job was just to hatch and sell them; any losses were not her responsibility.
As Ye Xin carried the chicks uphill, her spirits soared, and she deliberately slowed her pace, afraid of jostling the fragile little creatures. Shen Zhuo wasn’t with her; he was busy constructing a temporary chicken coop in their yard.
Although they had planned to raise chickens, they had been too busy until now. Now that the chicks had arrived, the urgency to build a coop had increased. The only available space was the yard and a small area behind the house. Considering the chicks were weak and needed constant attention, he decided to place the coop in the corner of the yard near the gate, diagonally across from the kitchen to keep it further away from the living quarters and minimize any odors.
With limited materials, Shen Zhuo could only pull some wood from the firewood shed. Using his hatchet, he sharpened one end of the wood and stuck it into the ground, creating two rows of walls and leaving a small door. For just five little chicks, he didn’t need to build a large enclosure.
Before he finished, Ye Xin returned with the chicks. Bursting with excitement, she rushed over and exclaimed, “Look! Aren’t they the cutest little things?”
Shen Zhuo glanced at the five fluffy heads and had to agree they were adorable. However, having seen many chickens in the countryside, he felt indifferent; he figured she was just fascinated because she had never seen chicks before.
Setting the chicks down for a moment, Ye Xin joined in on the preparations, searching for straw and old clothes. By the time she found what she needed, Shen Zhuo had completed the coop. She laid the straw inside, added the old clothes for warmth, and gently placed the chicks in their new home.
Shen Zhuo then took some thin branches to fashion a small door for the coop. Meanwhile, Ye Xin went to grab a chipped bowl. While Shen Zhuo was distracted, she quickly went to her space to scoop out some spring water, which she poured into the chick coop for them to drink.
Seeing the chicks tentatively stretching their little heads to peck at the water made her heart swell with happiness. “What should we feed them first? Can they eat corn yet?” she asked Shen Zhuo.
He hesitated, unsure himself. “Maybe some vegetable leaves first? They’re too small for corn, I think.”
Ye Xin then rushed to the vegetable patch, pulled up a few leafy greens, and tore them into small pieces to feed the chicks. Watching them eat happily filled her with joy.
After finishing the small door, Shen Zhuo searched the main room for an old wooden board to cover the coop, protecting the chicks from rain.
By the time they wrapped up, dusk was approaching. Noticing Ye Xin still squatting there, happily watching the chicks eat and drink, he gently reminded her, “Let them eat in peace. We need to start cooking now.”
Ye Xin carefully placed the vegetable leaves into the coop and gently patted the fluffy heads of the chicks before washing her hands to prepare dinner. The days were growing shorter, and it was almost time to light the lamps.
The next day marked the beginning of rice harvesting, heralding the official start of the busy autumn farming season. Team leader Li Xingguo and assistant leader Li Jianbang rallied everyone to work hard during this critical time, urging them not to slack off. They needed to bring in the grain and quickly prepare the fields for winter wheat planting. Time was of the essence; the theme of spring and autumn was always the same: rush to harvest, rush to plant, commonly referred to as “Double Rush.”
Under the clear blue sky of late autumn, the golden rice paddies buzzed with activity. The workers were roughly divided into three groups: those cutting the rice, those carrying the bundles, and those threshing the grain. Ye Xin was assigned to the cutting team, wielding a sickle to harvest the rice. She had already practiced this in her space, so she was managing just fine.
As she worked, she couldn’t help but compare the rice in this world to what she had grown in her space. It was clear that these crops were inferior; from the thickness of the stalks to the weight and fullness of the ears, everything paled in comparison. This only confirmed her suspicion that the yield here was likely quite low.
Yet, she felt a sense of accomplishment as she harvested the very first crops she had planted in this world. She had been part of the entire process, from planting to harvesting, and that realization filled her with pride.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhuo was tasked with transporting the cut rice. His job was to bundle the rice stalks and carry them on a shoulder pole back to the designated drying area. This job involved a lot of back-and-forth between the fields and the drying area, requiring considerable strength, and it was typically done by robust young men.
During a brief pause in her cutting, Ye Xin overheard the nearby women discussing the new recruits for the barefoot doctor training program. Besides Shen Zhuo, three other young people—two men and a woman from other villages—had been selected. Ye Xin didn’t know them personally, but the women who had married into the village surely did, and they all exchanged tidbits of information.
Listening intently, Ye Xin realized how well-informed these women were; sticking close to them meant she could learn a lot. After a long day of labor, however, her back ached and her body felt worn out.
Although she had taken precautions, the physical strain had taken its toll. Her cheeks, arms, and the backs of her hands bore angry red scratches from the sharp rice leaves. The tiny, itchy hairs from the rice plants clung to her skin, and the sweat only intensified the sting.
During dinner, Shen Zhuo noticed her flushed face and frowned with concern. “What happened to you?” He hesitated to reach out, worried he might hurt her.
Looking around at the other women, he realized they didn’t seem to have similar injuries, though most of them had sunburned, rough skin that concealed any scratches. In contrast, he suddenly noticed how much Ye Xin’s complexion had improved; her skin was now delicate and fair, making her more susceptible to scratches. A minor injury stood out starkly against her smooth skin.
He gazed at her, momentarily lost in thought. “You’re from the city; this work must be really hard for you, right?”
Ye Xin was busy peeling salted duck eggs that had been marinating for a month, ready for tasting. She found his question odd. “I’ve been working for quite some time now; why are you only asking this now?”
Shen Zhuo was taken aback, feeling a bit foolish. Over the past few weeks, she had been industrious—working in the fields, gardening, hauling heavy loads, and selling vegetables at the market without complaint.
To suggest she couldn’t handle rural labor would be to underestimate her abilities.
Feeling slightly regretful, he said, “Just don’t overdo it. If you’re tired, take a break. You don’t need to rack up a lot of work points. You’re still new and don’t need to compete with those women.”
Ye Xin couldn’t help but laugh. When she first arrived, she was indeed clumsy and out of her element compared to the village women. But thanks to the nourishing spring water in her space, her physical condition had improved significantly over the past few months. After day and night of farming, she had grown quite skilled at many tasks.
Still, Shen Zhuo’s concern warmed her heart. “I’m fine! I can keep up with everyone now; you don’t need to worry. The scratches on my face and arms will heal once we finish harvesting the rice.”
Shen Zhuo didn’t press the issue further, only hoping that the busy season would end soon.
But Ye Xin had a few words for him, too. “You shouldn’t overexert yourself either. Work smarter, not harder!”
Shen Zhuo shook his head, not agreeing with Ye Xin. “I have enough strength; I can handle it.”
Ye Xin countered, “You’re still growing! Even if you’re strong enough, it’s important to conserve your energy when carrying heavy loads like that. You don’t want to wear yourself out.”
Shen Zhuo insisted, “If I work a bit harder, I can earn more work points.” He had already managed to max out his points.
Ye Xin frowned at his response. She recalled a colleague from her past—a young man from a rural background who had developed a hunchback at a young age. He could never straighten up, and his proportions were all off, with a long torso and short legs. He once confided in her that the hard labor he did during his teenage years had stunted his growth. Coming from a poor family, he had to work the fields, haul water, and carry manure, which took a toll on his body.
While she didn’t know for sure if that was the reason, she was aware that excessive physical strain could harm one’s health. Although her own strength had improved, she was careful not to overexert herself while working. After all, maintaining good health was the top priority. She didn’t want Shen Zhuo to push himself too hard, so she shared her colleague’s experience with him, stressing, “I’d rather not earn as many work points than see you wear yourself out. Too much heavy labor can affect your growth.”
Shen Zhuo nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind.” Though he said this, he still felt he had plenty of energy left and was capable of handling the heavy work.
After months of eating well, he genuinely believed his body had improved significantly, at least in terms of strength. That was precisely why the team leader assigned him heavier tasks; if he didn’t work diligently, how could he accumulate points? If he didn’t earn enough points, wouldn’t that mean all those expensive meats, eggs, and ducks would go to waste?
He also thought that if he worked a bit harder and earned a few more points, he could help make things easier for Ye Xin. But he didn’t feel the need to share these thoughts with her; she was already concerned about him. He too would be careful not to overexert himself—after all, he didn’t want to develop a hunchback. Ye Xin was becoming more beautiful by the day, and he didn’t want to let himself go; he had to keep up with her.
The busy month came to an end, and there was no rest during the National Day holiday, as the farming season continued. The team leader, following higher directives, announced some slogans promoting patriotic sentiments.
However, the farmers mostly listened without much reaction. For them, the practicalities of farming were far more significant than empty rhetoric. Li Xingguo, the team leader, found it pointless as well. He concluded, “Completing our grain production tasks is the best form of patriotism! Let’s celebrate National Day with our actions—let’s speed up the harvest and ensure every grain is stored safely!”