After eating the meat, everyone helped clean up and then they all took their baskets to hand in their work.
Watching the scorekeeper record their work points, the group of five then went their separate ways.
Since they had eaten meat in the morning, Shen Zhao and He Xiaoshan didn't eat much at lunch. Tan Xiuping found it strange and asked him a few more questions.
He Xiaoshan explained about the meat.
She didn't say anything else, "In the future, help her with a bit more work."
The same thing happened in various families.
Of course, only the male children dared to say it.
Everyone was poor, and the adults understood the situation.
With a few generous educated youths, their children had a way to get by, and they were happy about it.
So they each instructed their children, "Don't talk about this outside, keep it quiet. At worst, help them with a bit more work."
If too many children knew about it, with so many mouths to feed, no one would get much.
So when Shen Zhao went to gather pig grass in the afternoon, the children were more enthusiastic than ever.
Their baskets were immediately taken away.
"We'll do it, you brothers and sisters can rest."
They were left with nothing to do.
Shen Zhao found a large protruding rock and sat under it to shelter from the rain and chat.
A rare moment of leisure.
Gu Qiu even took out sunflower seeds for everyone to snack on.
Shen Zhao didn't like eating sunflower seeds and looked at her companions with ill intent, like a human trafficker about to abduct children.
"Bored? How about I take you to earn some money?"
Gu Qiu scrambled up from the ground, clenched his fists, and raised them above his head.
"Not enthusiastic about earning money? You've got a problem."
The other four were also very interested.
Although they all came from good backgrounds and their families sent them things, if they could earn money themselves, who wouldn't be willing?
"It's that Tuckahoe from lunch. I'll find it, and we'll all dig it together. We'll split the money from selling it."
Ji Bai frowned, "You found it first. It's unfair to you if we split it equally."
Shen Zhao waved her hand, "Oh, please. That stuff isn't hard to find, but it's hard to dig. I don't have the patience for it."
Sometimes you have to dig two or three meters down to find Tuckahoe. The mountains are overgrown with weeds, and there are many stones and roots underground.
She was unwilling to endure such hardship.
"Stop being so sentimental. Hurry back and get your hoes and sacks, and we'll meet in the pine forest ahead."
"Okay, I'll treat you to a meal then." Ji Bai's eyes sparkled.
Shen Zhao... This person was good in every way, except for his habit of flirting at any time.
"Get lost. I don't need a meal, I want meat."
The five people quickly went back to get their tools and returned.
Shen Zhao led them into the pine forest and pointed to a dead pine stump, saying, "Tuckahoe likes to grow under these kinds of stumps. If you see a slightly raised earthen mound, there's a high chance you'll find some."
"I'll do it!"
Gu Qiu, holding a hoe, began digging with all his might.
Shen Zhao found a spot for the others, and the five of them dug their own.
Gu Qiu was strong and quickly found some.
Ji Bai and Wen Yixun were similar, just a step behind.
Only Wang Nan dug for a long time without finding anything.
She was so tired she collapsed on the ground, half-dead.
"This isn't what I should be doing. This money shouldn't be mine to earn."
Shen Zhao just smiled.
If it were easy to dig, why wouldn't she dig it herself and earn more?
In the afternoon, the five of them harvested over a hundred catties of Tuckahoe, all of which were handed over to Shen Zhao for safekeeping, and the money from selling it would be divided later.
Time flew by.
Shen Zhao had been in the village for over a week.
In the past few days, the five of them had dug through the nearby pine forests, harvesting over five hundred catties of Tuckahoe, filling several sacks.
Shen Zhao's cheeks gradually became fuller, her skin soft and smooth, and she was clearly becoming more beautiful.
She had looked in the mirror; she looked very much like her face in her previous life, the vixen-like type, with a pointed chin and upturned eyes that held a captivating allure.
Such looks in the countryside were fodder for gossip among the village busybodies.
A prime example of a seductive slut.
What troubled her most was her height.
Gu Qiu and Wang Nan were typical northern girls, over 1.7 meters tall, fair-skinned, beautiful, and with long legs.
Ji Bai and Wen Yixun were even over 1.8 meters.
As for her, she was a short potato at 1.6 meters.
A head shorter than in her previous life.
One day, after handing in her pig grass, she went out with He Xiaoshan to dig for Fish Mint, carrying her hoe.
She didn't get used to eating this at first, but gradually she grew to like it; it was quite refreshing.
As they walked along the Field Ridge, a Male Comrade blocked their path.
Shen Zhao sighed, leaning on the handle of her hoe.
"Before I get angry, scram."
No matter where she went these days, she would always chance upon Male educated youths trying to curry favor with her.
And this one in front of her was the most persistent.
The dark and thin young man lowered his head, fidgeted, and took out two eggs from his pocket.
"Educated Youth Shen, where are you going? I've brought you eggs."
Shen Zhao said irritably, "I don't need them. I'm on my way to dig up your ancestral grave. Want to come along?"
"You... How can you say that?" The young man's eyes widened. "My mother said that a woman should be virtuous and obey men. If you're like this, how can I be at ease marrying you?"
"My mother wouldn't let a daughter-in-law like you into the house."
I... Damn it!
Where did this mama's boy come from?
Shen Zhao's patience ran out. She delivered a flying kick, sending him tumbling down the Field Ridge. "Are you getting too big for your britches?"
Standing on the Field Ridge, she put her hands on her hips and unleashed a string of colorful curses.
"Your mom said this, your mom said that. Why don't you go live with your mom? I have plenty of people chasing me, how could I possibly fancy a shrimp like you?
You're ugly, and you have delusions of grandeur. You're almost thirty and still a baby who hasn't been weaned. Hurry back to your mom's embrace and drink milk!"
He Zhiyuan, stunned, lay on the ground, lifting his face, which was covered in mud.
The eggs he had intended to give to Shen Zhao were also crushed, the shells and yolks mixed together, sticking to his hands.
Pitiful and disheveled.
"Educated Youth Shen! You've gone too far. My mother said women should..."
"Shut up." Shen Zhao gave him the middle finger. "If you say any more nonsense in front of me, I'll castrate you!"
With that, she picked up her hoe and ran, "Let's go, let's go! Don't get entangled with that idiot."
He Xiaoshan said worriedly, "Sister Shen, Uncle Yuan is the only son in his family, and his mother is a widow, a very fierce one. You..."
Shen Zhao turned and flicked his forehead with her finger, not hard, "Do you even know what a widow is? Worrying about such things at your age.
Let's go quickly. Where did you say the Fish Mint was tender and plentiful last time?"
"Over there."
He Xiaoshan pointed to the side of a Vegetable Patch. Without a word, Shen Zhao swung her hoe and started digging.
In a short while, she had dug up almost half a basket.
The adult and child carried their hoes and walked back along the Field Ridge, their shadows stretched infinitely long by the setting sun.
It was a rare sunny day.
It was also the first time she had seen the sun here.
Peaceful times.
Suddenly, a loud curse exploded in the mountains.
"Damn it! That brat Wen Sang dug up my family's Field Ridge..."
The loud voice echoed, and every household poked their heads out to watch the commotion.
Shen Zhao trembled, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
She quietly looked back and saw an Auntie with her hands on her hips, standing where they had just dug for Fish Mint, cursing, spittle flying everywhere.
Old women were fierce when it came to scolding.
She quickly turned back and glared at He Xiaoshan, "What's going on?"
He Xiaoshan rolled his eyes, guiltily saying, "I... I forgot. You can't dig Fish Mint from the Field Ridge."
"You..." Shen Zhao gritted her teeth, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You still made me dig it."
That brat, daring to trick her.
He Xiaoshan trembled with fear, "I really forgot."
Suddenly, the Auntie's voice rang out from behind them.
"You two in front, did you dig up my Field Ridge? Whose children are you?"
Shen Zhao didn't dare to turn back, "Run!"
She said, and took off, her legs a blur, disappearing into her house in a flash.
As for He Xiaoshan, if he was slow, he'd have to fend for himself.
She returned home, handed the Fish Mint to He Xiaolan, and quickly changed her shoes and washed her hands to destroy the evidence.
About ten minutes later, He Xiaoshan's crying suddenly rang out from outside the door, mixed with a woman's foul curses.
"Tan Xiuping, you damn b*tch, get out here!"
"And Shen Zhao, you slut!"
✦✦✦