The taste difference between chive pancakes with eggs and without eggs is worlds apart. Under the right conditions, Wen Ranran really didn’t want to compromise her taste buds!
Although this was something that killed two birds with one stone, Wen Ranran had already weighed it in her mind and knew she couldn’t be too generous.
“A favor as small as a liter of rice can be repaid with a liter, but an excessive favor turns into resentment.” Two eggs were enough to express her gratitude, without making it too formal—the attitude was just right.
Sure enough, after hearing Wen Ranran’s words, the educated youths relaxed a lot and stopped being polite.
Among the educated youths, Liu Changhai was very emotionally intelligent and usually acted as the spokesperson for the group during brigade activities.
He said thoughtfully, “We educated youths come from all over the country to work in the countryside. Our families aren’t around, so we’re like one big family here. When things happen, we should discuss together, love each other, and help each other. Only then can we create a good environment and better contribute to rural construction. What do you all think?”
The others responded enthusiastically.
“Yes, we educated youths must unite. So what if we’re in the countryside? We can still shine!”
“Liu is right, we’ll listen to Liu!”
The educated youths ate the fragrant dinner while silently thinking that since the farm work was heavy and Wen Ranran still hadn’t fully recovered, they should help her more in the next few days.
Everyone chatted and laughed while eating, the atmosphere very harmonious.
Wen Ranran ate one and a half chive pancakes and was already full. She fed the remaining half to the little orange cat she had picked up, then went back to her room to tidy up.
Because it was the peak of the busy farming season, even at night they had to work for a few hours. Wen Ranran had already taken a half-day leave, and if she didn’t go in the evening, the villagers would definitely have complaints.
Although she was aware of her own ability in farm work, being unable to do it and not wanting to do it were two different things.
At the very least, she had to show her attitude, so that when the army conducted her marriage political review later, everything would go smoothly.
Wen Ranran tied her hair into a neat ponytail and wore waterproof rubber shoes. As soon as she appeared at the threshing ground, she immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
Her appearance was striking and her temperament outstanding. Even though she was dressed simply, she still stood out like a white swan in the crowd.
Some aunts and women who had believed Wang Dafen’s rumors shook their heads in pity. The educated girl was still too young—if she ended up with that kind of man, she probably wouldn’t even be able to eat facing his ugly face.
What was even worse was that if either parent was short, the children might also end up like Wang Dafen’s son and daughter—short as well.
Others, however, felt Wen Ranran didn’t seem like someone with such poor judgment. Wang Dafen usually liked spreading rumors; if Wen Ranran liked short and ugly men, why didn’t she just choose Wang Qisong instead?
Wen Ranran didn’t notice the intense thoughts of the crowd at all. She stood among the educated youths and was quickly assigned her task for the night: separating rice seedlings in the seedling field.
She was slightly surprised.
Compared to cutting rice or plowing and transplanting, separating seedlings was not tiring at all. Today really was her lucky day!
Just as Wen Ranran went down into the field, Wang Dafen and her son Wang Qisong arrived.
She bluntly said to the person in charge of assignments, “Chen Yinghua, the seedling separation task hasn’t been assigned yet, right? Let my son do it.”
Originally, Wang Dafen wanted to come earlier, but in the evening she had just fought a three-against-one fight with Zhang Sifeng and the others, and her body was hurting all over.
Those old shrews had really gone hard on her. Wang Dafen’s face was scratched, her hair had bald patches, and her body had no intact skin left.
But she hadn’t lost!
After the three women stopped fighting and went home, Wang Dafen secretly spat behind their backs and cursed their ancestors for eighteen generations!
In the whole Qingshui brigade, everyone knew Wang Dafen was not someone to mess with.
If not for spending extra time treating her injuries, she would have already come to the threshing ground to claim a good position.
She didn’t mind doing hard work herself, but her son was the only heir of the family and needed to carry on the Wang family line—what if his body got ruined?
Wang Dafen felt her request was reasonable, but Chen Yinghua didn’t even look up and said, “Wang Dafen, Wang Qisong, you two go cut rice in the northeast corner field.”
“What?!” Wang Dafen jumped up immediately.
Everyone knew the rice in the northeast corner was the hardest to harvest. The field was full of mud—you could barely pull your feet out once you stepped in, and it was easy to cut yourself while harvesting.
Wang Dafen immediately put her hands on her hips and was about to argue, but saw the brigade leader looking over from a distance with a dark expression, terrifying enough to scare anyone.
So she swallowed her anger, grabbed two sickles, and dragged her son away.
She secretly cursed in her heart: that surnamed Chen old woman, acting all mighty—serves her right that her son drowned saving someone, and her grandson will drown sooner or later too!
The two quickly reached the northeast corner. The rice here had already fallen halfway, making it very difficult to harvest.
Wang Qisong only cut a few strokes before getting tired. He threw the sickle on the ground and complained irritably, “It’s hard to walk and hard to cut—how are we supposed to do this! It’s all your fault. If you had come earlier, we wouldn’t have been assigned this job!”
With the money from marrying off several sisters and his mother earning alone, it would have been enough to support him. He didn’t understand why the brigade insisted on dragging him into this double-harvest work.
If he had the time, staying home and sleeping would be much better.
Wang Dafen also felt guilty toward her son and comforted him, “Qisong, just sit on the ridge. Mom will do it.”
She didn’t expect her son to do much anyway. But since he was at marriageable age, a lazy reputation wouldn’t help him find a wife.
After this period, she would find a matchmaker from a distant brigade or even from the mountains to arrange a marriage for him. Once the girl married in, Qisong wouldn’t have to work in the fields anymore, and she and her daughter-in-law would earn work points.
Then her life would be much easier.
Hearing this, Wang Qisong walked off without hesitation. Wang Dafen reminded him again, “Qisong, just sit by the ridge and rest. Don’t wander around. It’s dark at night—don’t get bitten by a snake.”
Wang Qisong waved her off impatiently. “I know, you’re so annoying. Just do your work. I’m not a kid anymore.”
After sitting on the ridge for a while, he got bitten by several mosquitoes and started cursing, soon forgetting his mother’s words and wandering off.
At that moment, Wen Ranran was pulling rice seedlings in the seedling field. At first she wasn’t very skilled, but after a while she found the trick and became much faster.
Honestly, doing this kind of mindless work occasionally wasn’t too bad.
The moon hung in the sky like a silver plate, its pale light falling on her, outlining her slender and graceful figure. Wang Qisong was instantly stunned.