Bai Fumei in the 70’s

It's the beginning of spring, and the weather is warm and cold at the same time. But farmers who have been indoor all winter can no longer be lazy. They have to start preparing for a year's plan. Preparations for the beginning of spring cultivation, plowing, turning the ground, fertilizing, everything was a delicate work which take a lot of effort.

Li Daniu took over as the captain of the first production team at the end of last year. Suddenly, the spring plowing arrived, and he was so busy but had no idea. Even the arrangement of raising seedlings almost caused the members to quarrel.

He carried two or three pounds of pork and hurried to the He family's house to ask his brother for advice.

He saw that his sister-in-law was holding a bucket of clothes and that she had just returned from washing her clothes by the river.

Li Daniu shouted, "Sister-in-law."

He quickly remembered that He Songye was deaf and could not hear him. He leaned in front of her and spoke very slowly, "I'm here to find my brother."

He Songye looked at his moving lips and understood what he was saying. She nodded and led Li Daniu to her husband.

Li Dali leaned on crutches and moved with difficulties in the house. But today was different. When he got married last year, he could only move with crutches, but now he can move a few steps without the crutches.

There was sweat on his forehead, and as soon as he looked up, he saw the extra person in the room.

He smiled and asked, "How are you here?"

Daniu was overjoyed and helped his brother. "I just wanted to see you. You can walk now. Are you ready?"

"I also want to ask you for advice."

He crackled and said to Li Daniu, "It's time to start spring plowing and work. Are the old fritters in the brigade refused to move and dragged things around? It's like that. I really wanted to hit someone every year. But when I think about it, for the younger generation, it's fine to fight. Only the older generations, they are still relying on their age to sell their complaints. Can we still teach them how to work?"

[T/N: "Old fritters" are a mildly disrespectful term to refer to slick or shrewd person. The logic is when a Chinese doughnut or fritters are old or have sat around for a while, it's greasy and oily.]3

Li Daniu held his stomach and choked air as he heard his eldest brother's complaint.

Li Dali's speech was so fast that He Songye couldn't see clearly, so she only looked at her brother-in-law indignant expression blankly.

Li Dali said, "They just want you to do more work. The new captain is like this... even if you don't ask much, they still won't agree with you."

"Why do you say that. At the end of the year, I don't get much of the food share, and I need to work more... Okay, okay, I pinch my nose and accept it, but they just want me to do all the work! Gee, Shameless." Li Daniu said.

The production team captain has to grow a compromising and exquisite heart. Everyone earned points together and ate a collective meal. After so many years, everyone has long been exhausted. Not only must everyone obey the captain, but also listen to his arrangements. Most people are honest and willing to put more effort, so when the old and feeble made a bit of problems, Li Daniu should open one eye, close another eye, and still record their points.

But this time, eighteen or nineteen strong men also do the same, which really crossed the captain's bottom line. Li Daniu had shallow experience and was easily overwhelmed.

Li Dali thought for a while and said to his second brother, "When you start the mobilization meeting, I will come and listen to it."

Li Daniu got his brother's assistance and thanked him again and again, "They only need to be in front of you to be convinced."

...

In March, He Songbai's pigs had 166 to 170 kilograms each. Although it was less than two hundred kilograms, he had made a profit after the slaughter.

He temporarily found three butchers and taught them by hand.

However, the busy spring plowing also began. He Songbai had to cultivate the land and turn the fields during the day. There are only five cattle available to the entire brigade, and He Songbai often missed his turn. After he finished his work, he lay tired and slept on the edge of the ridge. When he fell asleep, there would be live animals on his body. Sometimes it is a green grasshopper, and sometimes it is a delicious frog.

This time, it was a small and quiet dragonfly stood tenderly on the tip of a weed.

Occasionally it skipped by his shoulder and stopped.

He slept soundly in the splendid spring. He was looking sweet and solid. It was so quiet he almost had no sense of existence.

After Zhao Lanxiang finished her work, she glanced at him and couldn't help but laugh.

After taking advantage of others' self-indulgence, she slowly moved over and coughed.

When He Songbai moved, the frog on his feet fled and jumped away. When he saw that the sun was already high, and he stood up agitatedly.

Zhao Lanxiang said, "It's time for lunch. Don't sleep anymore."

He Songbai silently followed the girl home. He went to the well and washed his face. The light of the early spring was shining on him, and his body was warm. In his eyes, even the smell of fattened mud felt so special. He stretched his muscles and bones, feeling full of energy.

Zhao Lanxiang said, "Feeling happy to work?"

He Songbai nodded.

He went to the kitchen and ate two big bowls of rice.2

He wiped his face and said, "I finished my work for the afternoon. I still have something to do. So I will let Tiezhu play as me in the afternoon."

Today is the weekend. Usually, it would be resting time. However, it was the busy farming season, so the weekend became less like a weekend.

Zhao Lanxiang said, "You pay attention to safety."

She paused again and said, "Can I ask what are you doing?"

He Songbai's movement stopped for a moment, and he quickly picked out every grain of rice in the bowl and ate it clean.

He looked at his girlfriend's eyes, which couldn't help but reveal her worry, and his heart softened.

He whispered, "Do you remember how our pig farm was closed last time?"

Zhao Lanxiang nodded, and the public security caught a few sellers who sold pork.

He Songbai's leaning closer to the girl's ear to whisper, "So this time, I am going to find a relationship and sell pork!"2

Zhao Lanxiang moved suddenly, "Selling pork?"

He Songbai nodded, he quickly cleaned up the table, washed the dishes, and returned to the room without a word. He packed his neat tunic properly and took it out in a bamboo basket.