Era: Craftsmen in the Siheyuan

Chapter 286: Homesickness While Working
"Get up early in the morning to pick up manure..."

This is a true portrayal of this time.

As the saying goes, "A good crop depends on manure."

In the days when fertilizer production was scarce, carrying dung baskets to pick up dung was a job for the weak elderly and children.

"Deeply plow the soil two feet, densely plant one hundred thousand plants, accumulate ten thousand dan of fertilizer, and produce ten thousand catties per mu." The slogan at that time was not just talk.

Of course, the surrounding areas of Sijiu City are relatively normal because they are close.

In order to "launch satellites" and "raise red flags", other places have used all kinds of strange tricks!
For example, there was a rumor in some places that burning human hair into ashes would be excellent fertilizer, so a regulation was made: in addition to paying three loads of earth and miscellaneous fertilizer, each person was required to shave his or her hair for fertilizer.

After the notice was issued, a hair donation campaign was launched in the local area. Men shaved all their hair off, and women shaved their hair into a men's hairstyle, which was named "upstream head".

Suddenly the woman looked like a man, and the man became a bald monk.

It is said that a child was returning home from school. His parents just turned their backs to him, so he mistook "mom" for "dad" and called "dad" "grandpa", making a big joke.

So the following saying became popular in the area: A woman shaves her head like a man, and the man's head is bald. She calls her mother as her father, and her grandfather as her father.

There is also an "artificial sun", which requires every household to move their dressing mirrors and body mirrors to the edge of the field, spread the seedlings in the experimental field to the left and right, and then use the mirrors to reflect the sunlight onto the seedlings.

Others include "sweet potatoes on a dung pile" (planting rice seedlings on a dung pile), "pagoda radish" (building up a mound of earth more than ten layers high, planting a circle of radishes on each layer to resemble a pagoda), "densely planted millet" (as dense as leeks, using bamboo poles and bamboo strips to build a rack to prevent lodging, with a planned yield of 3 jin per mu), etc.

Looking back, there are more advanced places that have achieved "communism". More than 40 foreigners from more than 930 countries and more than 3000 domestic units have sent people to visit, and it has become well-known both at home and abroad.

Of course, this is caused by the limitations of the times. No matter how prosperous these places are now, they will be as severe as the difficult period begins next year.

Today, Xu Deyong got up early again. Aunt Sun saw him and said, "Comrade Deyong, you worked all day yesterday, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Xu Deyong smiled and said, "Auntie, I'm awake now, and I can't fall asleep again."

As he spoke, he scooped up water to wash his face and chatted with Aunt Sun.

At this time, Grandpa Sun, who had rested for a few days, got up, without washing his face, limped over, picked up a shovel, carried a willow basket, and was ready to go out.

Xu Deyong spit out his mouthwash and asked, "Master, where are you going?"

Grandpa Sun said without even turning his head: "Go pick up manure..."

Then the man went out.

Xu Deyong blinked his eyes and said, "Auntie, I need to get out of here..."

Aunt Sun said without even looking up: "Don't worry about him. He can earn a few cents by picking up manure. We are too old to do heavy work. As long as we can move, we can't let the commune support us for nothing."

Xu Deyong hesitated for a moment and said, "What about your children...?"

Aunt Sun said, "One of our sons is working in another city. He wanted us to go but we didn't. Our two daughters have already married. They can just bring the children back to visit us during the holidays."

Xu Deyong nodded. The situation of Grandpa Sun's family was already very good at this time.

Aunt Sun asked casually, "Deyong, I see you look quite young, are you married?"

Xu Deyong smiled and said, "It's done."

Aunt Sun said with a smile: "It's better to get married early and become the head of the family early. When I was working in the fields yesterday, some people asked about you, but none of them even looked at themselves..."

Xu Deyong smiled and said nothing more.

……

After breakfast, the team gathered. Chen Xueru arrived late, her limbs were stiff, her brows were furrowed, and she looked like she was filled with hatred and resentment.

Fan Jin glanced at her unhappily, as if he disliked her for bringing shame to the cadres who had gone to the countryside.

Chen Xueru noticed it, but she was not afraid of him, so she glared back at him.

Fan Jinyou was furious but there was nothing he could do to her!

Xu Deyong looked at his nose with an honest look. He just wanted to spend a month here peacefully and go home to his wife and children.

Of course, we must do the work that needs to be done well, and do more of it!

Seeing that everyone was present, Captain Zhou spoke briefly, and then the militia team held a simple flag-raising ceremony. After all, today is National Day.

The atmosphere was not so solemn with the simple wooden flagpole, but for the common people at that time, whoever could feed them and let them live a stable life was the best.

Afterwards, everyone picked up their tools and pushed their carts, heading out to the fields in a mighty procession.

The school is closed today, so there are many more boys and girls in the team.

Some of them ran around mischievously, and some of them walked around Xu Deyong with clever eyes, because they knew that this "cadre uncle" had candy. Xu Deyong had given some to Captain Zhou's children before, and these children showed off without any secrets.

Xu Deyong smiled and chose not to be moved by the children's little thoughts and the desire in their eyes.

It’s not that he doesn’t have it, but that he can’t. Otherwise, he will really become a “boy who scatters money” and won’t get anything good out of it!
……

The work continued and baskets of corn were harvested.

Chen Xueru was breaking the corns with great effort. Her waist, legs and hands were sore and her hands were cramping. She suddenly felt so aggrieved and felt so sad!
If there wasn't anyone around, she would probably cry.

But now there were people all around her, and she was strong-willed, so she could only grit her teeth and continue working, but her speed was still far behind others.

However, Captain Zhou had obviously given instructions, and those working together would lend a hand, so they were able to keep up with the main force.

Due to the lack of labor, Xu Deyong has changed the team into a transport team.

They carried baskets of corn from the fields and poured them into large long baskets on carts or wheelbarrows.

These long baskets are usually woven from rattan and tied to both sides of a wheelbarrow. They are the main means of transportation for the family.

Moreover, no matter whether it is a wheelbarrow or a cart, most rural areas do not have the conditions to use pneumatic tires at that time. They all have wooden wheels, and it is good enough to be wrapped with a circle of waste tire skin!
Soon several cars were filled.

Xu Deyong rubbed his hands and said, "Come on, let me push the cart!"

A dark and thin villager in his forties grinned and said, "You are young, I'm afraid you can't control this car well!"

Xu Deyong spat, put the handle on his shoulder and said, "Just wait and see."

As he spoke, he straightened up, lifted the wheelbarrow, and walked steadily on the rugged dirt road.

"it is good!"

"Great!"

"I have a lot of strength!"

……

The people around also cheered.

People at this time admire those who are strong or educated. If they are all powerful, that would be amazing!

Fan Jinyou was not convinced and did not want Xu Deyong to take the lead, so he also pushed a cart to give it a try.

There was no problem lifting the car, but after pushing it a few steps on the small road, it became a little tilted and out of control. If the person next to me hadn't helped, the car would have tilted.

"Hahaha……."

The people around smiled "kindly".

Zhou Shan also said: "Comrade Fan, let someone else do this job."

Fan Jin felt a little embarrassed. He forced a smile and went to the side to continue working, cursing Xu Deyong in his heart as a beast.

The members lacked entertainment, so any new news would spread quickly.

……

Among the women working:
"Hey, this Xu what, yes, Manager Xu, he doesn't look strong, but he's quite strong!"

"Yes, he is quite handsome..."

"Haha, whether he's handsome or not has nothing to do with you. He's already married!"

"It seems that cadre Fan hasn't got a family yet."

"He's tall and strong, but he can't even push a cart properly..."

……

We got off work early in the afternoon and the team slaughtered a pig. Everyone came to watch, as if it was New Year's Day. However, each household received less than a pound of meat, and there was always quarreling among those who distributed the meat because they picked the fattest ones and disdained the leanest ones.

In the evening, the aroma of meat wafts from every household.

The National Day of 1958 passed in this way amidst noise and bustle.

Xu Deyong felt a little homesick!
Only two days had passed, and he was already missing his daughter. Was Li'er naughty again? Would Ping'er cry if she didn't see him?
Is Huizhen pregnant with a boy or a girl? Is grandma happy in the courtyard?
……

(End of this chapter)