This year’s autumn harvest was much easier than before.
The commune added more than ten tractors and several hand-cranked threshing machines, which greatly helped with the harvest and threshing; the textile factory and match factory’s trucks went to each production team to collect grain, saving the labor of moving grain.
Many elderly people looked at this "new style" autumn harvest and lanted: having served the black land for half a lifeti, they never thought that the autumn harvest could be so easy.
Lin Nianhe and the others had been gone for over a month, although they missed the harvest, it also delayed many things.
Such as dividing the grain, collecting firewood and mountain goods, and gathering vegetables from their private plots and drying pickled vegetables...
In short, the three of them had not prepared at all, and winter was upon them.
They hadn’t done any work, but their private plots were clean and tidy—Sun Guanghui and Sie Yufei quietly worked for two days, harvesting all the vegetables into the cellar;
There was also no shortage of firewood—besides what the Ten Miles Team distributed, Yang Daniu brought them six full carts, enough for the whole winter;
As for pickles, dried vegetables, and mountain goods, the neighbors each lent a hand, and with help from Sister-in-law and Cailan’s mother, there was no shortage.
Even the windows had been sealed.
"After lunch while the sun is still up, hurry and start heating the kang, and take out the bedding to air it," Aunt Li instructed them after the al, "If the house is damp, co over and stay the night."
"Alright, Aunt Li, you rest, we’ll head back now."
"Go ahead, and if you need anything, just co and get it."
At the Educated Youth Corps, the snow in the backyard was swept clean, and four snown were built in front of the two small houses.
There were two big snown in front of Wang Shui and Wen Lan’s house, and one big, one small in front of Lin Nianhe’s house.
Lin Nianhe: "...?"
Niuwa stood next to the smaller snowman, looking earnestly at her: "Sister Hehe, I built this one to keep you company."
Lin Nianhe: "...!"
"Oooh... little treasure, let your sister give you a kiss!"
Lin Nianhe wanted to hug Niuwa, but the little guy had gained quite a bit of weight, and despite her efforts, she couldn’t lift him.
"Hahaha..." Niuwa was still laughing, snuggling up and kissed Lin Nianhe’s face, saying, "Sister Hehe, don’t try to carry anymore, I’ve grown taller and gotten fatter."
Niuwa indeed had grown quite a bit taller, Lin Nianhe took him inside, and pulled Su Yuncheng in as well.
Before she left, she had covered the furniture and kang with old bed sheets and newspapers, so cleaning up wasn’t too troubleso.
Su Yuncheng took her bedding to the clothesline in the yard, grabbing a clothes prop and started to beat the quilt.
Lin Nianhe started a fire to heat the kang, and soon, the room ward up.
Niuwa helped her around, listening to her talk about what was different at this year’s autumn trade fair.
Just as they began working, Sie Yufei sauntered over, his eyes full of anticipation, asking, "Xiao He, did you bring a gift for your brother?"
Lin Nianhe: "No."
Sie Yufei was startled, frowning and tongue-tied: "You could have at least brought a piece of paper, a small token sent from a thousand miles away ans a lot! At least it would make feel like you missed , wouldn’t it?"
Lin Nianhe looked at him for a while, then rummaged through her bag and tossed him an unused notebook: "You’re welco, don’t be too moved."
Sie Yufei: "..."
That was what he had asked for; he couldn’t cry out loud.
Seeing his frustrated expression, Lin Nianhe burst into laughter.
She pulled out so special snacks and a roasted duck that her dad had gotten for her, specifically saved for him: "Here, my dad got it for , specifically saved it for you."
"I knew you wouldn’t forget , Xiao He!" Sie Yufei laughed, taking the snacks and said to her, "I’ve collected your share of the grain and stored it in the cellar, and also the sticky rice buns—Aunt Wang made them, and I helped her when she was making them, so she made so for you."
Lin Nianhe loved sticky rice buns, sweet and soft; Sie Yufei specifically waited for Wang Hong to make them and he requested Aunt Wang to make so for Lin Nianhe to keep.
"Thanks." Lin Nianhe casually asked, "How have Shanshan and Xiao Jun been lately?"
"Sister Lirong ca over once," Sie Yufei sat in the courtyard munching on snacks, not minding the northwest wind, "Xiao Jun is fine, but Shanshan has been a bit irritated—Wang Dong keeps pestering her to play table tennis."
"Ah?"
Lin Nianhe was dumbfounded, turned to Niuwa, and asked, "What’s going on?"
Niuwa sighed with sympathy and then explained, "Sister Wen isn’t here. It’s been Brother Feng Wei teaching us P.E. classes. That day Brother Feng Wei went to the police station, so Brother Wang Dong taught us a Ping-Pong lesson... and then he took a liking to Sister Zheng Shan."
Wang Dong’s Ping-Pong skills were notoriously terrible in the whole village, even a person in a wheelchair like Accountant Zhao could beat him. Who would want to play with him?
So, when he discovered that Zheng Shan wasn’t too bad at Ping-Pong, he targeted this quiet girl, seeking her out to play Ping-Pong whenever he got the chance.
At first, Zheng Shan was sowhat interested, but after three rounds, she looked at Wang Dong the sa way she would look at Bai Xiaojun.
Now, Zheng Shan would turn and run the other way if she saw soone who even slightly resembled Wang Dong from two hundred ters away.
After hearing Niuwa’s account, Lin Nianhe sighed deeply, "That’s terrible."
Feeling pity, she then expressed confusion: "Wait a minute, although Wang Dong is no good, didn’t Zheng Shan also never play Ping-Pong before? How could she not win?"
Sie Yufei and Niuwa exchanged glances, then shook their heads simultaneously: "Can’t win, absolutely can’t win."
Lin Nianhe was even more puzzled.
Niuwa looked at Sie Yufei, as if asking: Can I say it?
Sie Yufei sighed and decided to reveal it himself: "Forget Wang Dong, even I can’t beat that girl."
Lin Nianhe: "...!"
Sie Yufei, who had been raising cats, teasing dogs, and playing Ping-Pong since childhood, though not as skilled as Wen Lan, how could he not beat Zheng Shan?
Lin Nianhe asked subconsciously, "Did you let her win?"
Sie Yufei: "Did you let Niuwa win when you played chess with him?"
Lin Nianhe: "Got it."
Though she understood, Lin Nianhe still couldn’t quite believe it.
After pondering for a while, she tugged at Su Yuncheng, "Brother Yuncheng, do you know how to play Ping-Pong?"
Su Yuncheng first shook his head, then hesitated and added, "Can’t say I totally can’t."
"What level are you at then?"
"Capable of killing soone level."
Lin Nianhe: "..."
If she wasn’t mistaken, he ant that literally.
She gave up on the idea of having Su Yuncheng demonstrate for her and turned to find Wen Lan.
"Sister Lan, are you busy?"
"What do you think?"
Wen Lan rolled her eyes at her and asked with her sooty face lifted from behind the stove, "What’s up?"
"Can you do a favor tomorrow..."
The next day, at noon, on the village playground, Wen Lan and Zheng Shan were positioned on opposite sides of the Ping-Pong table.
Lin Nianhe sat on a stool with her small hands tucked under, watching this uneven matchup with a serious expression on her face.
The first ga, Wen Lan won.
The second ga, Wen Lan won narrowly.
The third ga, Zheng Shan barely lost.
The fourth ga, Zheng Shan won narrowly.
The fifth ga, Zheng Shan won.
The sixth ga, Zheng Shan won.
...
The eleventh ga, Zheng Shan won.
Sister Lan, unbeatable in the Ten Miles Team, lost.
Reviews
All reviews (0)