Chapter 38: Hand-Cranked Corn Sheller

“County is selecting exemplary women?!” In the office, Luo Jiawang was equally shocked.

Jiang An’an calmly nodded and explained that the Women’s Federation, in collaboration with the clothing factory, was offering six positions for female comrades.

“Only women of good character and those facing family hardships will be selected. These women will also become role models promoted by the Women’s Federation.”

At this point, Jiang An’an said apologetically, “As a member of the Nanxi Brigade, I fought hard to secure this pilot position in front of Director Gao. I hope the brigade leader won’t blame me for acting on my own.”

Silence.

A long period of silence.

It was Accountant Huang who nudged Luo Jiawang, prompting him to come back to his senses from his astonishment and smile broadly: “An’an, this initiative is great!”

Initially, he hadn’t expected much, given that Yunzhou County had so many brigades. The Nanxi Brigade wasn’t advanced or particularly needy; even if there were external tasks, it wouldn’t likely fall to them.

Yet, within just a day, Jiang An’an managed to get this sorted out.

Accountant Huang cut to the chase: “The problem is, how do we select from the six spots?”

After the initial excitement, the office fell into silence again.

There were over a hundred eligible female comrades in the brigade; excluding those who couldn’t sew, there were at least twenty or thirty left, not to mention character assessments…

The brigade’s top leaders quickly grabbed pen and paper to draft a list, but they were entangled in various problems. Meanwhile, Jiang An’an lounged in her chair, reading an old newspaper.

As the two debated until their throats were dry, they finally remembered there was another person in the office.

“An’an, do you have any good candidates in mind?” Luo Jiawang, being astute, not only sought Jiang An’an’s opinion but also ensured she wouldn’t act selfishly.

He satisfied himself with a drink from a ceramic mug to soothe his throat.

“I actually have a candidate in mind,” Jiang An’an put down the newspaper: “Comrade Jiang Shulan is not only the only one in our brigade with a sewing machine, but she’s also an experienced tailor who can take on the role of group leader.”

Luo Jiawang and Accountant Huang were taken aback: ?

“To directly appoint her as group leader? She’s really bold.”

Jiang An’an was not just bold; she also loved to create surprises: “Jiang Shulan is already registered with Director Gao. In a couple of days, during the commune’s lecture, the Women’s Federation will also promote her as a role model for marriage law education.”

Luo Jiawang and Accountant Huang gaped in astonishment: ??

“Oh! I almost forgot to mention, I’ve secured a position as an intern officer with the county’s Women’s Federation, and I’ll be entirely responsible for the Women’s Federation affairs in Hongqi Commune.”

Luo Jiawang and Accountant Huang felt their brains were about to short-circuit: ??? …

Got it!

The group leader must be Jiang Shulan.

Even though Jiang An’an is just an intern now, her value is high; it’s equivalent to having someone from the Nanxi Brigade in the county, making things easier for communication and tasks in the future.

–

As night fell, when Jiang An’an returned home, Lin Meiru was tidying up in the kitchen, while the others were in the living room shelling corn by hand.

The traditional method of corn shelling was quite clumsy; first, they used a flathead screwdriver to push down along the base of the corn kernels, allowing their fingers to easily shell row after row of corn from the sides. The mature corn kernels were hard, and after a long time, their hands would easily turn red and sore.

There were about a dozen burlap sacks piled up under the eaves, estimated to hold over a hundred.

Jiang An’an thought for a moment, took out some paper and a pen from her room, sketched a simple design, and then showed it to Jiang Degui: “Dad, can we make a corn shelling machine?”

Jiang Dezhu furrowed his brows tightly, not quite understanding, but it didn’t stop him from praising: “An’an is really impressive, even knows about machinery!”

He was quite proud; after all, he was a typical doting father.

Jiang An’an privately rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile: “It mainly consists of six parts. The outer part is a protective cover to prevent kernels from flying out, and the corn passes through this end, where the shelling teeth inside can strip the kernels off.

This part is the main crank and handle, used to turn the gears. The bottom part can be secured to the table using fixed clips and bolts.”

Jiang Degui went from being dismissive to listening very seriously; he was quick-witted and immediately understood that this hand-cranked machine would be compact and save time and effort.

“Now there are no blacksmiths around; we’ll have to make it at the factory. But Uncle Yu has connections; we can ask him for help.”

Jiang Shulan was equally happy: “With this machine, I won’t wake up in the middle of the night with sore hands anymore.”

In the past, Jiang Shulan always thought her ex-husband was the most impressive person in the world, well-traveled and knowledgeable. But compared to her younger sister, he fell far short.

Clearly, both of them read books; how could it be that some only recited poetry about romance while others learned practical skills?

Jiang Shulan stroked her son’s head, determined to ensure he would go to school in the future; she would be satisfied if he learned even half of what his aunt knew.

The family was happily preparing to eat when suddenly, loud voices from the yard outside interrupted them.

“What a wasteful thing! The Jiang family has had bad luck for eight generations, and now they’ve adopted a white-eyed wolf! You could find any stray dog on the street, feed it, and it would know gratitude. Some people are worse than pigs and dogs, sending their uncle and cousin to prison!”

“That little slut sneaks out at night to fool around, and when her cousin catches her in the act, she bites back and accuses him of robbery. Jiang An’an, get out here, you shameless little whore! If you have the guts, send the old lady to prison too…”

Jiang An’an looked towards the gate.

She saw her cheap grandmother carrying a hoe, looking as if she was ready to kill.

Neighbors, hearing the shouts, came out with their bowls to join the commotion, just in time to catch a series of explosive news.

“What? Jiang Dezhu and his youngest son were taken to the police station?”

“Jiang Yongsheng has never been a good student, always hanging out with delinquents; it’s no surprise he’s involved in something illegal now.”

“Isn’t anyone curious about Jiang An’an being caught in the act?”

“Mom, Jiang An’an was adopted, right?”

“That’s an old story from over a decade ago; don’t go spreading it around foolishly. Back then, when Granny Zhu said a few words, Lin Meiru chased her around the mountains with a shoulder pole to beat her up.”

…

Listening to the whispers around her, the aunt suddenly burst into a sorrowful cry: “Mom, forget it; we can’t compete with Jiang An’an. The police she knows are powerful; what if they take you away too? How will your daughter-in-law survive?”

Old Lady Jiang was furious, cursing even more fiercely: “What’s there to be afraid of? I don’t have many years left anyway; I might as well just crash my head against the door of the second son’s house.”

Splash—

Suddenly, a large basin of water was thrown out from inside, drenching the old lady. Soaked and chilled by the November wind, she couldn’t stop shivering, her momentum instantly diminished.

“Jiang Yongsheng teamed up with delinquents to rob his own cousin; what a heartless scoundrel, he deserves to go to prison.”

Lin Meiru, holding the basin, shouted like a thunderclap: “The slanderer Jiang Dezhu was also taken away this morning. If you want to go in and keep your son company, fine, I’ll find a cart to take you there right now.”

Old Lady Jiang glared at her fiercely, her finger trembling: “You ungrateful, wicked woman! What sins has the Jiang family committed? First, a big whore comes in, and now there’s another little whore…”

“Enough!”

Seeing his mother getting more and more outrageous, Jiang Degui rushed out, clenching his fists: “Mom, if you can’t stand your son, how about I just return this life to you?”