Brush Up Your Proficiency

Those who have experienced harvesting wheat understand clearly that it can be divided into two distinct phases.

One is the ancient era of using scythes, and the other is the modern era dominated by combine harvesters.

For farmers who have personally experienced both eras, the combine harvester can undoubtedly be hailed as the most outstanding invention in the world.

Wang Hao still vividly remembers his childhood, when everyone in his village, regardless of gender or age, from ninety-nine-year-olds to toddlers, had to go to the fields to harvest wheat.

At that time, people's backs were almost always hunched over. Looking out, they resembled ants, constantly bending over and wielding scythes, carefully cutting down the wheat one by one and placing it on the ground, then neatly piling them into heaps before loading them onto the two-wheeled handcarts of the time, laboriously pulling them back home.

Back then, he was young and didn't do much work, only finding it interesting. But now, looking back, he truly feels the suffering and hardship that people endured in that era!

However, with the development of the times and the advancement of technology, a groundbreaking machine, the combine harvester, came into being.

Its appearance completely liberated people from heavy labor and greatly shortened the time required for harvesting.

If the field area is small, it can be harvested in less than half an hour; even for larger plots, it only takes two or three hours at most.

Wang Hao clearly remembers when this magical machine first arrived in their area and began to be used in practice. Witnessing this amazing machinery, he harbored a grand dream for a long time:

In the future, he would definitely own his own combine harvester, so that all the farm work at home could be completed through mechanization, and the whole family would no longer have to work hard in the fields!

This was once his grand ambition, because for him at that time, working in the fields was simply an unbearable torment, and the way to solve this torment was to let the machines do the work.

But later, he gradually realized that the only way to achieve this grand goal was to have enough money.

So, the status of money gradually surpassed ambition and became his new pursuit. Wang Hao couldn't help but wonder, had he forgotten his original intention, or was it the huge wheel of society that was pushing him further and further away from his initial ideal?

In the real world, the wheat in Grandpa Li's field was quickly harvested.

Wang Hao suppressed his thoughts and immediately stepped forward to properly negotiate the specific harvesting location and the grain dumping point with the driver. Then, the deafening roar of the combine harvester sounded again.

Wang Hao didn't stop. He quickly spread out the tarpaulin and secured it, making all the preparations, quietly waiting for the arrival of the first load of wheat.

When his parents and sister arrived, they happened to catch the completion of the first load of wheat, which was being poured onto the tarpaulin.

A heat wave mixed with the aroma of wheat rushed towards them, and smiles appeared on their faces. At this time, people wouldn't think about how much money the wheat could be sold for, or whether the money was enough to buy something else. It was simply the joy of harvest, something etched in their bones, something that this money-driven society couldn't change.

At this time, what the four of them needed to do was to put the wheat into sacks, place them aside, and clear the space on the tarpaulin in time so that the next load of wheat could be poured smoothly.

The family of four picked up the winnowing baskets without hesitation and immediately plunged into work.

His parents formed a group, while Wang Hao partnered with his sister, working together to put the wheat into the prepared sacks.

After his body was strengthened, Wang Hao's strength greatly increased. Facing each bag of wheat weighing more than a hundred pounds, although he couldn't do it effortlessly, he could handle it with ease, which was much easier than before.

Wang Lan only needed to be responsible for holding open the mouth of the bag, making it easier for Wang Hao to do the rest of the work. She just needed to quietly do her part.

In this wheat rush harvest, Wang Hao was undoubtedly the Most Valuable Player (MVP). His speed and frequency surprised Wang Lin and his wife, who thought, 'Wow, our son is so strong!'

Under normal circumstances, when the old couple had just finished bagging and tying a bag of wheat, Wang Hao's side was almost finishing the second bag. This efficiency was twice theirs!

"Xiao Hao, slow down, be careful of your back!" Mother Liu Zhi said with a worried look.

Although her son looked strong, bagging wheat required constant bending and standing, and such repetitive movements were extremely harmful to the back. Her son was still so young, and she couldn't let him develop any underlying health issues because of this.

However, Wang Hao wouldn't listen to his mother's words. He just verbally agreed, but in reality, he worked as he always did. After all, the more he did, the less his parents would have to do.

After the four of them had finished bagging and arranging a full cart of wheat, there was no sign of the second cart arriving, so the four of them finally got a moment to catch their breath and rest for a while.

Mother Liu Zhi brought out the few simple dishes she had prepared earlier, and the four of them hurriedly ate a few bites, just to fill their stomachs.

When the second cart arrived, they didn't forget to share some food with the driver. After all, it was lunchtime, and only a full stomach could provide more energy.

In this way, everyone continued to bury themselves in hard work after a short break, and after several such cycles, night quietly fell. It wasn't until after eight o'clock in the evening, when the sky was completely dark, that this "battle" finally came to an end.

Wang Hao, carrying a bottle of water, walked towards the driver to express his gratitude and settled the payment as agreed.

Then, not wanting his father to do heavy work, he carried bags of heavy wheat, one by one, to the previously booked truck.

As the vehicle started, they slowly drove in the direction of home. In the dark night, the fields twinkled with starlight, as if telling the story of this extraordinary night.

Wang Hao, riding along in the truck, comfortably lay on the "mountain" made of bags of wheat, fully inhaling the rich aroma of wheat. The car swayed forward, and this feeling filled him with satisfaction.

He couldn't help but hum: "We sit beside the tall haystack, listening to Mom tell, the things of the past, we sit beside the tall haystack, listening to Mom tell, the things of the past!"