Chapter 75: A Bountiful Harvest
Chapter 75: A Bountiful Harvest
"Xiaohua, how did you do on the exam?" Deng Shirong asked, turning to his fourth son.
Deng Yunhua didn't dare to look up, his eyes fixed on his shoes. "Dad, I don't think I did well."
Deng Shirong didn't scold him but instead offered encouragement. "You're only in fourth grade. It's not a big deal if your grades are a bit low now. As long as you work hard, you'll naturally improve. If you don't want to suffer later in life, you have to endure the hardships of studying now. Look at your older brother. He has to go to the brick factory at dawn and come back at sunset. That's the result of not studying hard when he was young. You boys should take this as a lesson."
Deng Yunhua nodded. "I understand, Dad!"
Deng Shirong wasn't sure if his son had truly taken his words to heart, but he wasn't a psychologist or an educator. The advice he gave was mostly inspired by the motivational articles he had read online in his previous life.
In any case, he hoped his sons would all get into college. If they didn't, it wasn't the end of the world. With him as their father, their lives would certainly be comfortable. The only question was how high they could rise.
...
Two days later, the midterm exam results were announced.
As expected, Deng Yunsong and Deng Yunhua both scored below ninety on average, while only Deng Yunheng met the mark, achieving an average of ninety-two.
Deng Shirong kept his promise and handed seven yuan to his youngest son. "Yunheng, this is your reward. Keep up the good work, and I'll give you even more at the end of the semester."
"Thanks, Dad! I'll keep working hard," Deng Yunheng said, grinning widely as he clutched the seven yuan. It was the most money he had ever received, even more than the red envelopes he got during the New Year. He felt like he had hit the jackpot!
Standing nearby, Deng Yunhua was envious. Thankfully, he had been smart enough to make a deal with his younger brother earlier, using a slingshot as leverage. Otherwise, he would have had to watch his brother run to the village store every day, buying whatever he wanted.
Even Deng Yunsong, who was twelve, was envious of the seven yuan his younger brother held.
Despite having over five thousand yuan in cash, Deng Shirong had made a deal with his sons. They wouldn't get pocket money for nothing. They had to earn it with good grades. As long as they worked hard and achieved good results, they would have plenty of pocket money.
...
After the midterm exams, the Bangjie Brigade began to harvest the rice fields one by one, and the students were given their agricultural holiday.
In those days, students didn't have as many holidays as they do now. Traditional festivals like Qingming and Dragon Boat Festival were not observed, and even the famous Guangxi March 3rd holiday, which the entire country envied, was not a day off. However, rural students had a special holiday: the agricultural holiday.
As the name suggests, the agricultural holiday was a break given to students during the summer and autumn harvests to help with the work.
The dates of the agricultural holiday were not fixed but depended on the local harvest schedule. For example, this year, due to the impact of the land allocation to individual households, the harvest was delayed, and so was the holiday.
Seeing everyone begin the rush to harvest the rice, Deng Shirong gave a week off to the seven laborers who were tending the orchards and to his relatives.
As for the carpenters like Zhang Jiefang, since the fire ceremony for Deng Shirong's new house was already scheduled, they couldn't take a break to help with the harvest. They had to complete their tasks on time, so their families would have to manage the harvesting on their own.
......
Grandpa Hall was a place name, and the village of Naye had many fields here, including those belonging to the Deng Changping family.
It was already noon, and Deng Changping, his wife Chen Xiaohua, and his parents were out in the fields harvesting rice. While the sun in October wasn't as scorching as it was in June or July, working under the relentless heat was still a grueling task.
But as the saying goes, good news lifts the spirit. Seeing the bountiful harvest this year, even though they were drenched in sweat from the sun, Deng Changping and his wife couldn't help but smile.
Similarly, Changping’s father and mother were beaming with joy.
Although their four sons had already set up their own households, as parents, they all hoped their sons would live good lives.
The eldest and second sons didn’t need much worry. When the family divided, there wasn’t enough space in the old house, so they helped the eldest and second sons build new homes and move out.
The third and fourth sons, however, were still living with them in the old house, which was quite cramped. But this was unavoidable. When they divided the family, their resources were limited, and helping the eldest and second sons build new homes had already stretched their capabilities to the limit. They couldn’t immediately help the third and fourth sons build new homes.
Of course, this wasn’t because they favored the eldest and second sons. When they helped the eldest and second sons build their homes, the parents had already made it clear to all four sons and their wives that they would continue to support the third and fourth sons until they could also build new homes and move out.
So, when it came to harvesting, Changping’s father and mother didn’t go to help the eldest and second sons; they came directly to help the third son. After finishing with the third son, they would help the fourth son.
"Father, Mother, it’s getting late. Let’s take a break and have lunch!" Deng Changping wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel around his neck.
Changping’s father nodded. "Yes, we’re all hungry. Let’s have lunch."
Changping’s mother and Chen Xiaohua also put down their sickles.
The four of them washed their hands in the nearby irrigation ditch and then started eating the lunch they had brought with them.
In those days, during the busy farming season, people would often bring lunch when harvesting fields that were a bit farther away. This way, they could save time by not having to walk back home for lunch.
Their lunch consisted of rice, fried eggs, and braised pork belly with pickled vegetables. This simple meal was a rare treat for the Deng family, and they only indulged in it on such hardworking days.
After finishing their meal and resting for a bit, Chen Xiaohua said goodbye to her in-laws and husband, then hurried home with a load of harvested rice. She needed to prepare lunch for their older children and feed the youngest one.
Deng Changping and his parents, on the other hand, returned to the fields to continue harvesting. They would finish the harvest and then carry the rice back home in loads.
It wasn’t just the Deng family; most other families operated similarly. Everyone was busy rushing to harvest their rice. Before the land was divided, some members of the collective had slacked off during the harvest, but now that the land belonged to them, everyone was highly motivated.
In the fall of 1980, the air above the entire Bangjie Brigade was filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.
(End of Chapter)
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