Just as he reached the foot of the mountain and left the village, he heard the sound of a tractor. Following that, a tractor from the neighboring village set off with a cart of paddy. As the tractor drove past him, Fangzheng could even smell the fragrance of the paddy inside. On this day, almost every household was busy with the autumn harvest. There were not many people in the village, and the guards were all relying on a few mongrels.
Ever since Mengmeng was abducted, the villagers did not dare be careless. Even for the autumn harvest, they would bring their children along.
"Master, where did everyone go?" asked Red Boy out of curiosity.
"They went to harvest the paddy. Today, everyone's mission is to help harvest the paddy. Whoever does the most will have extra rice for dinner! "said Fangzheng with a smile.
The villagers treated One Finger Monastery well, so in return, Fangzheng had to do something for them. Furthermore, his disciples did need to interact with outsiders to understand the outside world. Most importantly, these fellows had nothing better to do on the mountain. They would cause trouble if they had nothing better to do. He might as well throw them down to find work.
Indeed, all of them were filled with enthusiasm when they heard that there was food to eat.
"Master, we aren't gluttonous people! Just tell me how to do it. My claws are already unbearably hungry! "Squirrel waved his tiny hands and shouted in high spirits.
Fangzheng smacked him and flicked him. Then, he looked at the anxious looks on the faces of the others and said with a smile, "Don't be anxious. Once we leave the village, there will be plenty of work for you."
After leaving the village, the two sides of the village road were already golden. The golden paddy extended all the way to the horizon, separated by a windbreak. Even so, when one looked up, the sky and earth were connected. The sky was blue, and the land was golden. Golden sunlight scattered across the land, illuminating the paddy fields like a golden ocean. It was so golden that it shimmered! Amidst the autumn wind, the paddy fields came in waves like the blue waves of the sea. Some birds secretly flew down to eat the paddy, like seagulls stealing fish from the sea …
As he asked about the fragrance of the paddy, Fangzheng could not help but marvel, "Another year of great harvest. How nice …"
"Master, I never expected the paddy to be so beautiful after it matures." Red Boy wasn't tall. He was only a head taller than the wheat, so he couldn't see far. Helpless, he could only keep jumping. One Finger Village happened to be situated at the intersection of mountains and plains. Past Mt. One Finger was the Mt. Tongtian mountain range. The undulating mountains stretched out for five hundred kilometers. And on the other side of Mt. One Finger was an endless plain. It was perfect for planting crops like corn and rice. This was One Finger Village's only source of income in the past.
Fangzheng smiled. "She's pretty even before she matured. You just don't know how to appreciate it. Just wait, the real beautiful scenery isn't now … It's more beautiful in the evening. "
With Fangzheng saying that, Red Boy, Squirrel, Lone Wolf, and Monkey were curious. Evening? Prettier? Why? The little guys began to silently look forward to the early evening.
"Go! Let's go in and take a look! "Red Boy waved his hand and was about to lead his senior brothers into the paddy fields to play.
Fangzheng held back the running Red Boy and reprimanded him, "Don't run around. If you trample on other people's crops, I won't be able to pay for it."
Although he had money, Fangzheng had never thought of squandering it. Although Fangzheng liked money, he wasn't greedy. It was fine as long as he had enough to get by. As for more money, there was still a huge gap when it came to the expansion of the monastery. He decided to save it …
As he walked with his disciples, he could see the villagers of One Finger Village from afar. They were standing in the fields in their old and tattered clothes, patrolling the fields. It was unknown what they were up to.
"Venerable One, excuse me. May I know if there's anyone in the village harvesting the paddy fields?" At that moment, a low, muffled voice with a northwestern accent sounded.
Fangzheng turned his head and saw five men and women with two children. Be it the men or women, they were carrying thick blankets, sickles, and other tools. Even the children were helping to carry quite a bit of stuff. These people had dark skin and rough faces. Their eyes were filled with exhaustion and desire, as though they were waiting for Fangzheng to give them an affirmative answer.
Among the group, only the two children's eyes were bright. Despite their ignorance, they seemed to be filled with curiosity towards the world. They were also a little afraid of strangers, especially when they looked at Lone Wolf and Monkey. It was as though they were looking at monsters. There was a sense of novelty, but most of it was fear. The two children hid behind their parents and secretly watched Fangzheng and company.
From the looks of these people, it was obvious that they were people who led bitter lives. Fangzheng pressed his palms together and said, "Amitabha. Patrons, are you wheat hands?"
Wheat hands had always existed in the northeast, but in the northeast, they weren't called wheat hands. Different places had different names for them. One Finger Village typically didn't have a unified name for them. They were only called helpers, hired helpers, or rice cutters. The name wheat hands came from the south. This name was a lot better than the previous names, so everyone recognized it. Firstly, it was a good name, and secondly, it showed respect.
Wheat hands originated from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. Back then, in order to make a living, large numbers of migrant workers would carry sickles to harvest the wheat every year during the wheat harvest season. They earned a certain amount of money and improved their lives. Such an act was known as herding wheat, and the people who herded wheat were known as wheat hands.
Wheat hands and sabers came from the same lineage. The latter did not harvest wheat, and they were warriors from Guanzhong who guarded the homes of others like bodyguards.
However, in the northeast, there were naturally no wheat hands from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. After all, it was too far away. Typically, the wheat hands that came to One Finger Village to help harvest the paddy were villagers from nearby villages. Everyone was familiar with each other, and everyone knew who worked quickly and who liked to slack off. No one wanted the slackers, but everyone fought for the quick ones. That was the market.
However, the people in front of him looked unfamiliar. Clearly, they were not villagers from nearby villages. Furthermore, their accent did not sound like that of the northeast. Instead, it had a hint of northern Shaanxi. Could it be that the wheat hands from there had come here? But … Was that possible? One Finger Village was so remote …
Although Fangzheng had countless questions, they only flashed across his mind.
The man leading the group had a simple and honest look. When he heard Fangzheng's question, he immediately nodded and said, "Yes, we came from Shaanxi. Venerable One, do you know anyone nearby who needs help reaping the paddy? "
Fangzheng looked at the neat rows of paddy around him. Furthermore, it was already Cold Dew. If no one harvested the paddy, it would be troublesome if there was frost in the coming days. Fangzheng nodded. "This Penniless Monk does know where someone needs help. However, the villagers typically have fixed helpers."
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