"You know how to weave baskets?" Xue Huahua pretended to be surprised and asked. As far as she knew, Lu Mingwen did not know how to do handicrafts.
Lu Mingwen was speechless. Almost every male in every household knew how to weave baskets and baskets, but no one in his family knew how to. Firstly, no one taught him, and secondly, he did not have the mood to learn. If he really wanted to weave baskets at home, he would have to find someone to learn. But at this time of the year, no one was willing to teach him.
He frowned and sighed dejectedly. The thought of him idling around all day and doing nothing made him panic. He discussed with Xue Huahua, "Mom, why don't you assign me a job? Fourth Brother can go up the mountain to collect firewood. It's not good for me to do nothing."
Before Lu Jianxun went out, he wanted to go with him. But Lu Jianxun did not bring him along, causing him to toss and turn in bed for the whole afternoon. If this went on, he would grow moldy sooner or later.
Lu Dewen gulped down the rice in his bowl. He understood Lu Mingwen's feelings. In the past, Lu Mingwen would have loved nothing more than to lie on his bed and sleep in. His three meals a day would be served to him. Now that his wish had come true, he wished he could go back to the days of working every day. At the end of the day, he just wanted to eat more. Lu Dewen could empathize with Lu Mingwen and said, "Mom, Second Brother can't stay still. Just see if there's any work at home for him."
Lu Mingwen looked at Xue Huahua eagerly. "Yes, yes, yes. Mom, see what I can do. I will definitely not slack off." He was afraid that Xue Huahua would not believe him, so he waved his fist. "Mom, I am very strong."
He just could not leave.
Xue Huahua thought about it. There was not much work to do at home, and Lu Hongying was busy. Since Lu Mingwen wanted to help, she would not reject him. She said, "Let's make some straw ropes. I'll teach you how to do it later. Start making straw ropes at home tomorrow. Make as many as you can, and sell them for money in winter." Every winter, when it was time to slaughter the pigs, the commune would need a large number of straw ropes to hang the meat. These ropes would be sent to the county or provincial capital. The people in the city did not have baskets or baskets to carry the meat. They needed to use straw ropes to carry the meat. One piece of meat needed one straw rope, so the demand was huge. Lu Mingwen's hands were good, so it was not a problem for him to twist the rope.
Lu Mingwen was very happy to get the job. He had seen his mother make straw ropes before. In winter, she would sit on the porch with a bundle of straw. She would clamp one end between her legs and slowly rub the other end down. When she was done, she would tie a knot and hang it on a bamboo pole. Finally, she would tie it into bundles and send it to Lu Jianguo's house.
"Okay." He replied excitedly and started to eat the rice in his bowl with relish.
Xue Huahua raised her head and looked at Lu Hongying, who was gloomy and silent. She told her about the educated youth's house. "Mom looked for Lu Zhiqing. The book was taken by someone else. It has nothing to do with you. Don't think too much about it. The truth will be revealed soon."
Lu Hongying did not move her chopsticks. Her tone was a little harsh. "I didn't take it in the first place. How can they say that it was me?"
Xue Huahua thought that she was in a bad mood. She explained gently, "They are just making wild guesses. You are the closest to each other. Lu Zhiqing's book is missing. There is no other reason for them to ask you. As for the others, think about it. If you didn't take it, then there must be a thief among them. The educated youth is a thief. How can they accept it? That's why they are trying their best to discredit you. " Speaking of this, Xue Huahua glanced at Lu Dewen, who was still eating happily. She continued, "You were right to argue with them. If you didn't argue with them, they would think that you acquiesced. It's your brother who is in the wrong …" As she spoke, Xue Huahua kicked Lu Dewen. She glared at him. "You were bullied. It's fine if your brother doesn't help you, but he keeps dragging you down. Give him half a bowl of rice tomorrow."
Lu Dewen, who was eating happily, didn't know how he had offended Xue Huahua. Wasn't he afraid that Lu Hongying would be at a disadvantage if they fought?
"Mom." Lu Dewen said softly. "I was afraid that Third Sister would fight with them, so …"
"So what?" Xue Huahua snorted and said with a cold face, "You are in your twenties. Do you only know how to fight when dealing with things? They scolded Third Sister as a thief, but you won't scold them as thieves. You have to stand in front of Third Sister. I don't believe that they dare to hit people. If they really dare to, just shout, and I will rush over with my sickle. I won't let any of them go. "
Lu Dewen's ears drooped, and his expression was so aggrieved that Lu Hongying, who had been suppressing her anger, suddenly burst into laughter. She raised her eyes and looked at Xue Huahua in surprise. She remembered that when she was a child, she and Yingzi went to pry open the root of the ear. Some people's private plot of land had two nests of peanuts missing, and they insisted that she and Yingzi had secretly dug them up and eaten them. When the other party came to find them, Xue Huahua nodded and bowed to apologize to them. She went back to her room and scooped half a bowl of rice to compensate them.
Yingzi was the same as her. She didn't admit that she had stolen the peanuts, but the other party said, "Hongying admitted it, and her mom compensated half a bowl of rice." Because of these two sentences, Yingzi was almost beaten to death by her father. Yingzi's father valued boys more than girls. After that, he didn't give her any food every two or three days. Because of this, Yingzi didn't play with her anymore.
She wanted to dig some wild vegetables to bring home, but she was regarded as a thief by everyone. Since this was the case, why should she be diligent? So she learned from Lu Dewen. If she could be lazy, she would be lazy. Anyway, no matter what, she wouldn't starve to death.
Unexpectedly, this time, Xue Huahua chose to believe her.
Her eyes were bright and full of expression. She stared at Xue Huahua without blinking. Her clear and bright eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. Xue Huahua's heart trembled. She thought that Lu Hongying had seen through something. She pretended to be calm and said, "Mom, am I wrong? If brothers and sisters help each other, the family will get better and better. "
Lu Hongying shook her head. Since she was injured, Xue Huahua's character changed a lot. The villagers said that her mother was beaten by Liu Huaxian's hoe. Not only did she become cheerful and energetic, but she also spoke and did things in an orderly manner. She was not flustered, and she was straightforward and neat. She was completely different from the silent and lifeless person in the past. She was really different after taking a stroll around the gates of hell.
"Mom is right. Big Brother should have helped me." Lu Hongying retracted her gaze. No matter how others slandered her, the trust of her family warmed her heart.
Lu Dewen immediately put on a bitter face and called out to his Third Sister pitifully. Lu Hongying did not look at him. She lowered her head and ate the rice. After a while, she said slowly, "If you work hard tomorrow, you will still have a bowl of rice."
At that moment, Lu Dewen smiled happily. Xue Huahua looked at him and said, "Look at you."
Lu Dewen stopped smiling embarrassedly. He lowered his head and looked at the wild vegetables in his bowl. He couldn't help but grin.
After dinner, Xue Huahua sat on a stool in the eaves and taught Lu Mingwen how to make a straw rope under the moonlight. Lu Dewen and Lu Jianxun moved a low stool out to learn. The three of them had the strength, but the rope they made was loose and prickly. They could not even pass Lu Jianguo's test. Xue Huahua untied the rope and taught them again and again patiently.
The night was quiet and the moon was hanging high in the sky. Xixi nestled in Lu Hongying's arms. He drowsily looked at the three of them who were frowning and distressed. He mumbled, "Work, work."
After saying that, he closed his eyes.
The busy farming season had arrived. Every household went out. The women pulled the seedlings while the men threw the seedlings and transplanted them. The sunny fields were full of busy figures. Chao Caizhi looked for Lu Jianguo to work after her confinement. She was diligent and was assigned the job of pulling the seedlings. She had recuperated at home for a month and was in good health. She had endless energy and was obviously faster than the women around her. Lu Jianguo was in charge of carrying the seedlings. After observing her for two days, he gave her the job of transplanting seedlings.
The women were speechless. They had seen Chao Caizhi's speed. She was indeed faster than them. Even so, she still found time to feed the children. If she didn't feed the children, it would be even faster.
May was the busiest season of the year. Before the seedlings were planted, the wheat in the fields had turned yellow. Some people had to go to the fields to harvest the wheat. At this time, the labor of 10 hours was reflected. They transplanted the seedlings in the fields during the day and went to the fields to pick the wheat after sunset. The ears of wheat were harvested together with the stalks. They were bundled into bundles of straw and carried off with a shoulder pole in the middle.
Almost all the people in the production team only went home when it was dark. They woke up before dawn to work. They were busy but fulfilled. Every tired face was filled with the joy of harvest.
Even Xue Huahua and Li Xuemei were busier than before. The four pigs saw the weather was rising, so they ate all the pigweed in two baskets a day. As the weather got hotter, the fresh pigweed became less and less. Xue Huahua and Li Xuemei discussed and decided to cut the pigweed further away first. They would save the pigweed for later. So they often went to other production teams to cut the pigweed. One basket in the morning and two baskets in the afternoon.
After a few days, the two were exhausted, especially Xue Huahua. She worked outside during the day and returned home at night to check the ropes Lu Mingwen made. The straw was dry, so she had to rub it skillfully to make it smooth and not prick her hands. Lu Mingwen rubbed the straw until it was rough in his hands. If he was not careful, he might hurt someone.
One day, she and Li Xuemei found a place with a lot of pigweed. The two of them finished work early. Li Xuemei went home, and she went to the private plot. She cut the rice and carried it home to rub it with her hands. Lu Mingwen had no problem doing this.
Before they reached home, they heard a sweet female voice. "Comrade Lu Mingwen, I heard that you hurt your feet while working for me. You don't blame me for not coming to see you, do you?"
Xue Huahua's face fell immediately. She heard Lu Mingwen say, "No, I accidentally hurt myself. Comrade Liang Lanfen, did you come here to see me?"
Thinking too highly of himself. Xue Huahua cursed in her heart. She didn't need to look to know how proud Lu Mingwen was when he said this. He really thought that he was important. What a fool.
Inside, Liang Lanfen found a stool and sat down. She put her hands on her knees and looked concerned. "Is your foot okay?"
Lu Mingwen puffed out his chest. "It's fine. I'll be able to walk around in a few days."
Liang Lanfen lowered her head and glanced at her ankle with an apologetic look on her face. Lu Mingwen was not good with words and did not know what to say. He shifted his gaze and looked outside. The sun had set and the sunset glow was bright red. It was the busy farming season and it was getting later and later. His elder brother and sister-in-law had entered the house under the moonlight, saying that they were rushing to harvest. Why did Liang Lanfen come at this time?
Just as he was thinking, he heard Liang Lanfen say, "Comrade Lu Mingwen, I'm going to the commune tomorrow. Can you help me?"
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