Chapter 61 Victory

Chapter 61 Victory

Shen Jiaming looked at Ji Hongyue and asked, "Is the content of the report true?"

Ji Hongyue replied proudly, "Uncle, of course it's true. I personally led the team to plant and transplant seedlings, worked with them to weed and dig irrigation ditches. When I left, they were almost ready for harvest."

They must be close to finishing the harvest now, right?

Shen Jiaming’s eyes showed approval as he said, "Did the reporter from the Forward Brigade verify the information on-site? Reporting without verification is not being factual."

Thinking Shen Jiaming was doubting him, Ji Hongyue was about to vouch for the Forward Brigade, but Shen Jiaming raised his hand to stop him.

Shen Jiaming said, "Hongyue, don't be hasty or rash. What I mean is that you should take City News reporters and officials from the Municipal Agriculture Bureau to verify the information on-site. They can then write a more detailed and comprehensive report."

Ji Hongyue instantly understood Shen Jiaming’s intention. As expected of a leader, with such foresight!

This way, his achievements would be irrefutable, and those at the county level couldn’t snatch them away or suppress the Forward Brigade.

From then on, the rice fields of the Forward Brigade would become a standard practice, not subject to arbitrary cancellation.

Moreover, once results were achieved, his experimental brigade could be officially approved.

If the Municipal Committee praises it, how could the County Party Committee refuse to approve it?

Ji Hongyue’s thoughts expanded. Once the experimental brigade was approved, he could openly adjust the planting structure, reduce cotton cultivation, and increase food crops and other suitable economic crops, such as the agroforestry and three-dimensional farming Tang Yuan mentioned.

Tang Yuan had discussed this with him before. She said the Forward Brigade had limited fertile land, and the barren land that remained could be developed further, like building mushroom greenhouses and three-dimensional vegetable gardens.

This way, during the winter off-season, the brigade could grow off-season vegetables to supply the city, and three-dimensional farming could better control pests and diseases, increasing yields.

He smiled and said, "Uncle Shen, I'll contact them right away!"

Shen Jiaming nodded slightly. He could give a heads-up to the newspaper and the Municipal Agriculture Bureau, but Ji Hongyue needed to handle the formalities.

This was both a test and something he should do.

In the meeting room of the Binxian County Revolutionary Committee.

The original setup of the County Party Secretary, County Governor, and Deputy Secretary was now replaced by the Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee, four Vice Chairmen, with the Chairman being a military representative responsible for party affairs, one Deputy Secretary also serving as the County Governor, and others overseeing military and personnel matters.

Below them were group leaders, directors, and staff equivalent to various bureaus.

At this moment, they were holding their routine collective meeting.

First, they read the leader’s quotations, then studied the official newspapers like the People's Daily.

Finally, there was a brief summary of work from each department, which was mostly a formality, with most issues handled after the meeting by each bureau.

As the County Governor, Xie Xingzhi was originally responsible for the county’s economy, but the movement in 1966 disrupted the county system, leading to the collapse of government organs due to the destruction of public security and legal systems.

Later, the military moved in to establish a military management committee, recalling some of the original County Party Committee members and absorbing some opportunists from the movement, forming the new County Revolutionary Committee.

Now, he still oversaw the county’s economy, but many of the departments below were run by opportunists.

It was fair to say he was semi-marginalized.

He half-closed his eyes and got through most of the meeting, picking up a few newspapers to browse. Finally, his gaze settled on the City News.

The county’s copy of the City News was never the latest; it usually took two days to arrive.

He pushed the newspaper towards the Chairman, "Secretary Cui, look at this article. It’s about our county."

The other Vice Chairmen also lowered their heads to scan the newspaper.

The one responsible for military affairs had no interest in economics or farming and glanced briefly before turning away.

Deputy Director Ding, who was sipping wolfberry tea, slowly flipped through the newspaper.

Chairman Cui pushed his reading glasses up and quickly scanned the article, then removed his glasses and looked at Gao Sheng and Liu Guangming before turning to the head of the Cultural Bureau. "Why didn’t we report this in our county?"

The head of the Cultural Bureau was confused. Since 1966, their bureau had been practically defunct.

What did they do all day? Print various quotation booklets, study quotations, expose conspiracies of other countries, and praise...

He quickly skimmed the City News, then turned to the person in charge of the county newspaper. "What have you been doing? The City News came to interview a brigade in our county, and you didn’t send anyone?"

The person in charge of the county newspaper felt even more aggrieved.

What was the county newspaper for? Of course, it served the County Party Committee. They reported what the departments instructed them to report, without needing to go out for interviews.

Oh, sometimes they did, but only when instructed by the departments. They wouldn’t just run around aimlessly.

Even if they did, it might not get reported, so why waste effort?

Seeing his aggrieved expression, the head of the Cultural Bureau understood and wiped his sweat, looking at Gao Sheng.

He forced a smile, "Director Gao, isn’t this your agriculture department’s responsibility?"

Why didn’t you let the county newspaper interview them?

Gao Sheng exchanged glances with Liu Guangming, who sat next to him.

Liu Guangming remained calm. What was there to report!

He had held back the draft, just fifty acres of rice.

Rice is grown everywhere in the south. If they aren’t proud, why should we be?

The north should grow wheat and cotton, while the south grows rice and silkworms.

This is called clear division of labor, not just dividing the north and south, but also dividing responsibilities among personnel.

It's wrong for Ji Hongyue to run down to the brigade and manage beyond his level; it disrupts the rules!

Xie Xingzhi looked at Liu Guangming and smiled faintly. "Chief Liu, isn't this Forward Brigade your hometown?"

Liu Guangming didn’t dare to be presumptuous with his superiors. He immediately stood up, smiling and bowing. "Dear leaders, indeed it is, but I know there’s nothing special about it. Moreover, it’s not as exaggerated as the reports say. The rice growth is sparse, and the harvest... well, it’s so-so. After all, an orange grown south of the Huai River is an orange, but north of the Huai, it becomes a trifoliate orange."

Xie Xingzhi: "Are you saying that the City News reporter lied?"

The report clearly stated a bumper harvest.

Gao Sheng quickly smoothed things over, laughing. "County Chief, Guangming didn’t mean that. Guangming is modest and cautious, and since it’s his own brigade, he doesn’t want to boast too much to avoid appearing boastful. We don’t allow exaggeration these days."

Xie Xingzhi: "We need to be realistic."

Be realistic, avoid exaggeration, and also avoid excessive modesty.

Everyone present, except Xie Xingzhi, including the director and deputy directors of the Revolutionary Committee, were more concerned about why the City News reported news from their county without them knowing, rather than the actual farming. After all, it was just fifty acres of rice.

Following the lead from above, the other departments naturally joined in the laughter.

They helped Gao Sheng smooth things over, suggesting sending someone down to interview and verify the situation.

But Xie Xingzhi wouldn’t let go. He knew this was his chance.

No one wants to be sidelined. If sidelined, one can bide their time but cannot sit idly by.

Seek opportunities to gradually regain their rightful authority.

However, he couldn’t do it alone. Without the support of Director Cui, his chances were slim.

Just then, a clear voice sounded outside. "Secretary Cui, County Chief Xie, Director Jing, Deputy Director Ding... Sorry, sorry, I’m late."

Before the voice had finished, Ji Hongyue’s handsome face appeared at the meeting room door. His tall, slender figure and handsome features brightened the shabby old meeting room.

Ji Hongyue?

Everyone looked at him, somewhat bewildered.

He had gone down to investigate, fell into a river, and out of anger ran away, refusing to return to work. He either stayed in the countryside or went to the city. Where did he come from now?

What was his purpose?

Gao Sheng and Liu Guangming were on high alert.

Xie Xingzhi gave him a deep look.

Ji Hongyue greeted the older leaders, acknowledging that everyone present was older than him, some even several years older than his father.

Secretary Cui’s face was stern. "Group Leader Ji, take your seat."

Ji Hongyue: "Mayor Shen and other leaders praised our county for conducting experimental brigades, and asked me to convey their commendations to everyone here."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Cui and others immediately stood up, facing the portrait of the leader, listening to the commendations from the Municipal Committee.

Ji Hongyue: "..."

Mayor Shen indeed took him to meet with several secretaries and deputy secretaries of the Municipal Committee. They all expressed surprise and praise for the Forward Brigade’s successful rice harvest and encouraged Ji Hongyue to continue his efforts.

Ji Hongyue seized the opportunity. "Secretary Cui, County Chief Xie..." He slightly bowed towards the leaders, then mentioned Gao Sheng. "The Municipal Committee believes our Forward Experimental Brigade has great potential and should continue. We should increase our support."

He wanted to solidify this experimental brigade.

In the past, Ji Hongyue was disconnected from reality and overly idealistic. After being hit by reality, he no longer reached too high and decided to start small.

If it were before, he might have approved several experimental brigades at once, but now he decided to focus on making the Forward Brigade a model example, using it as a breakthrough to secure Binzhou.

Securing Binzhou would naturally pave the way for other experimental fields.

Xie Xingzhi nodded, looking at Secretary Cui and smiling. "Secretary Cui, Group Leader Ji has brought back wisdom from the Municipal Committee. This idea is excellent. Although a single brigade is small, if successful, it can serve as a model for expansion."

Secretary Cui, who initially showed little interest, nodded in agreement after Xie Xingzhi’s words.

Gao Sheng: "Secretary Cui, County Chief Xie, wouldn’t special treatment be inappropriate?"

If the Forward Brigade gets special treatment, wouldn’t other brigades follow suit, making management even harder?

Liu Guangming absolutely refused. If the County Party Committee agreed to establish an experimental brigade, his control over the Forward Brigade would diminish to zero.

Imagine having Ji Hongyue stationed there; how much power could his father, just a village party secretary, wield?

Throughout history, power never extended to the countryside, and today, it doesn’t extend to villages either.

Even the commune can’t manage the village, so how could a county official go down and squat in a village?

Ji Hongyue didn’t give them a chance to catch their breath, presenting an approval report to Secretary Cui and others.

He smiled. "I wrote a report on the concept of the experimental brigade. Please provide guidance."

Half of the report was flattering, half of the remaining half affirmed the benefits of current policies, and the last bit outlined his true intentions: reforming the planting structure of the experimental brigade based on practical conditions, adapting to local circumstances and seasons.

He learned this from Tang Yuan.

In the past, he would have scorned flattery, but now he found that flattery made it easier for superiors to accept his proposals.

Liu Guangming couldn't help but say, "Team Leader Ji, this is... overstepping your authority and interfering with the brigade's production. It's..." reckless command!

He disagreed!

Gao Sheng and others naturally supported Liu Guangming as well.

Seeing the opposition from the agricultural group's cadres and staff, Secretary Cui frowned and looked at Xie Xingzhi.

Xie Xingzhi smiled, "Binxian County has 22 communes, each with a dozen or so brigades. Experimenting with just one brigade is very cautious and reasonable."

Liu Guangming then looked at his father-in-law and Deputy Director Ding, who was in charge of personnel.

His father-in-law, although responsible for military service and armed work, had come from the army like Secretary Cui.

Ji Hongyue, fearing that the two would support Gao Sheng and affect Secretary Cui, immediately said, "Secretary Cui, the City News reporter has already gone to the countryside for interviews, and Deputy Team Leader Guo from the Municipal Committee's Agriculture Bureau is also there for inspection..."

Uncle Shen mentioned that Deputy Team Leader Guo's uncle was Secretary Cui's old regiment commander.

Secretary Cui was surprised, "They went directly? Oh, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Gao Sheng and others again argued that it was not following protocol; how could an inspection from the city bypass the county party committee? What did it mean to go around them?

Was this questioning their diligence in work?

Secretary Cui indicated that the County Party Committee should deliberate on Ji Hongyue's report and planned to personally visit the countryside.

Xie Xingzhi said, "Secretary Cui, the Forward Brigade is far and mountainous. With your old leg injury, it's better if you stay here in the county. I'll take a team down to accompany the inspection."

Secretary Cui agreed and instructed him, "Make sure to invite Team Leader Guo and his team to stop by the county."

In the end, Xie Xingzhi led the team, accompanied by Ji Hongyue and Gao Sheng, with Liu Guangming guiding and two agricultural group staff members. Deputy Director Jing dispatched several soldiers with guns for protection, and they set off for the countryside in a grand procession.

The Forward Brigade was completely unaware of this!

They were busy with the autumn harvest.

The second team had almost finished harvesting their rice, with only three acres of late-ripening rice left to wait another couple of days.

Dad Tang was leading a few young people in threshing rice grains in the paddy fields.

Rice, unlike wheat, does not need to be threshed in a field or rolled to separate the grains; it is usually beaten with a wooden bucket.

The brigade did not have a specialized wooden bucket, but they had other tools that could serve the purpose.

The wheat seeds selected in May were also not rolled but beaten, placed directly in a large basket surrounded by tall sorghum mats, allowing the threshed wheat grains to fall into the basket.

Threshing rice could be done similarly.

Once the rice was threshed, it could be dried in the sun for two or three days during the clear autumn weather.

The strong autumn winds made it suitable for winnowing, and Dad Tang found a few skilled winnowers who could finish the job and bag the grain in a day.

The seeds to be kept, those for the city, were packed in jute sacks, while the brigade's own food supply was temporarily stored in granaries.

While they were busy, they saw several city dwellers arriving on a tractor.

Each carried briefcases and bags, and some had strange boxes hanging around their necks.

Most of the commune members did not recognize cameras.

Some started taking photos, others were writing and drawing in their notebooks, and three approached them warmly to greet them.

Dad Tang couldn't handle the situation and immediately sent Tang Aiguo to fetch Tang Bingde and Secretary Liu.

Deputy Team Leader Guo Yan from the Municipal Committee's Agriculture Bureau warmly shook hands with Dad Tang and introduced themselves.

Dad Tang turned red and flustered. He, he, he actually shook hands with a leader from the city?

Where did he get such nerve?

"Hello, leaders, hello!" Dad Tang was nervous and embarrassed, stammering and not knowing what to say.

Although Tang Yuan had trained him to be more composed, it was limited to within the Forward Brigade or facing a few commune cadres, not when facing big leaders from the county or city.

Guo Yan was very amiable and patted Dad Tang on the shoulder. "Brother Tang, you're very good at farming. Your first attempt at growing rice has been so successful."

Some doubted its authenticity, fearing that Ji Hongyue might have exaggerated to gain political credit, given the painful lessons of past exaggerations and false reports.

But now, seeing the thick stalks of rice and the sheaves standing in the fields, and the threshed rice...

Who could doubt it?

Though the acreage was small, they had indeed succeeded!

Xie Weiran and Xiao Ye from the City News also came over to greet them, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.

Xiao Ye was a young woman in her twenties, with two braids, dressed in imitation military uniform, wearing a military cap without the five-pointed star, looking spirited and dashing.

Xie Weiran was a gentle young man, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, smiling warmly, and very approachable.

They even helped Ji Hongyue bring wheat seeds.

Soon, Secretary Liu and Tang Bingde arrived from different directions.

Secretary Liu no longer used a cane and rode his bicycle as fast as Tang Bingde.

Behind them followed Feimao Tui, Liu Youfa, and accountant Liu Youjin.

Tang Bingde came alone, without bringing anyone else, as everyone else was busy working and had no time to seek attention.

In the past, he felt that Secretary Liu could handle the reception, and he didn't want to show up himself. After all, the county commune was full of Liu Guangming's people, so his presence or absence made no difference.

But this time it was someone from the city, and he had to go to support Cadre Ji's face.

When Tang Bingde arrived, Secretary Liu was already chatting with Guo Yan and others. "Yes, the land here is in terrible condition. It floods almost every year except during droughts, making it impossible to grow anything. This year, we decided to plant rice."

Oh, he said "we," but didn't mention me.

Xie Weiran asked, "Secretary Liu, how did you come up with the idea to plant rice?"

Secretary Liu laughed heartily. "I often attend meetings at the county level and heard the head of the Agriculture Department and Section Chief Liu talk about..."

He went on and on.

Dad Tang felt something was off. He was originally embarrassed, but now he wanted to step forward and say it was the fish deity and Cadre Ji who led the initiative, only to be held back by Elder Brother Tang.

Elder Brother Tang whispered, "Second Uncle, the journalist mentioned that our brigade submitted an article. They will clarify everything. They know."

As for why they're asking, maybe they want to verify, or perhaps just make conversation.

He feared Second Uncle might offend someone, after all, he was just a small production team leader. Better let the brigade leader speak.

Sure enough, when he held Dad Tang back, Tang Bingde stepped forward to greet them.

After some pleasantries, Tang Bingde called Dad Tang over to answer the journalist's questions.

"The decision to plant rice was made under the guidance of Tang Fulin and Cadre Ji. He did an excellent job."

As for the fish deity, he felt it couldn't be mentioned. After all, it was their family's story, and sharing it might not be appropriate.

Let's consider the fish deity as Ji Hongyue, allowing Cadre Ji to take credit.

Since we can't mention the fish deity, Tang Yuan must have learned from Ji Hongyue. No need to single her out. Anyway, the credit for planting rice goes to Tang Fulin, keeping it within the family.

Besides, if Ji Hongyue succeeds, he won't forget to help Tang Yuan and Feng Chen.

Tang Bingde had a feeling.

Secretary Liu knew nothing about planting rice, so he was naturally left out.

Uncle Tang, upon hearing the news, also rushed over to try and get some attention.

Of course, there was no chance. The city cadres and officials weren't there just to chat; they were interested only in rice and the mixed planting of trees and herbs.

Fortunately, Secretary Liu had his son to help him out.

By the time Liu Guangming led Xie Xingzhi and others to Tangjia Village, it was already afternoon.

Guo Yan and his group were relatively low-key, arriving in a tractor. There were only five of them.

Xie Xingzhi's group, however, was much more flamboyant, arriving in jeeps and sidecars, with armed soldiers providing protection.

It was quite a grand sight.

This drew crowds from nearby brigades like Yuejin and Xiangyang, with their secretaries and leaders hoping to get noticed by the Municipal Committee and County Party Committee leaders.

Who cares if it works or not? Just standing near the leaders and getting a bit of mud on their shoes made them feel important.

Seeing so many people from the county, Tang Bingde's face darkened.

Damn it!

With so many people, who's going to feed them?

Listen to that fool, wanting to taste the brigade's rice.

Do you even know how paddy turns into rice?

We'd have to hull and pound the rice for you right now?

Xie Xingzhi and Guo Yan focused on the rice fields, personally inspecting the harvested rice and asking Tang Bingde, Tang Fulin, and other rice-cutting cooperative members about field preparation, seedling cultivation, and care.

Though inexperienced in dealing with leaders, they spoke fluently and confidently about farming, explaining things clearly.

Xie Xingzhi and Guo Yan were very satisfied and couldn't help praising Ji Hongyue for his innovative ideas and practical approach.

Ji Hongyue was a bit disappointed that Tang Yuan and Feng Chen weren't there.

He wanted to introduce Tang Yuan and Feng Chen to Guo Yan and Xie Xingzhi, hoping they could get positions in the city.

For ordinary people, moving from the countryside to the city wasn't easy, but for those with power, it was simple.

Gao Sheng and Liu Guangming were frustrated.

Gao Sheng kept a distance from Xie Xingzhi and used the opportunity to smoke to talk to Liu Guangming. "Guangming, the cotton fields in Qianjin Brigade can't be saved."

Liu Guangming was equally frustrated. "Director Gao, please help me. Think of something."

If the cotton fields are gone, where will he earn money?

Relying solely on food rations won't work; they're worth nothing.

Moreover, with both Guo Yan from the city and Xie Xingzhi from the county present, the food quota for Qianjin Brigade can't be set arbitrarily anymore; it has to follow regulations.

As for Ji Hongyue's suggestion to adjust the planting structure and grow herbs,

those herbs would definitely go to Ji Hongyue. What benefit would he get?

He fumed, "Ji Hongyue talks nicely, but I think he's doing it for his own gain."

When the time comes, the County Hospital won't be able to help him collect herbs. Let's see where Ji Hongyue can sell all those herbs he's growing with the Forward Brigade!

Best if they rot in the fields!

Gao Sheng's losses aren't significant. After all, he is the deputy head of the County Agriculture Group and oversees all the communes in the county. Even if he can't demand benefits from everyone, he can still manage a few well-connected and influential ones.

He sighed, "Some people are like cockroaches. You can't kill them, and once they start jumping around, they multiply, making it impossible to get rid of them."

If they had crushed Ji Hongyue back then, none of this would have happened. They didn't crush him, and now he has teamed up with the brigade and connected with the city, making it even more impossible.

Not to mention there's also Xie Hangzhi now.

It's such a headache.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis, wishing for another movement that could take down Xie Hangzhi and Ji Hongyue again.

Unfortunately, Secretary Cui is an official sent by the military. While he doesn't have any ties with Xie Hangzhi, he also doesn't have any with us.

The only hope is that Liu Guangming can influence his father-in-law and get Deputy Director Jing to help.

This depends on how Liu Guangming gets along with his wife.

In any case, they can't stop the Forward Brigade's experimental field.

Both groups stayed overnight at the Forward Brigade and saw firsthand that there was no deception.

The next day, Xie Weiran invited Guo Yan and the others to the county.

Xie Weiran and Xiao Ye wanted to talk to Tang Yuan and Feng Chen as mentioned by Ji Hongyue, but the two were not home.

Dad Tang and Mother Tang, who can't lie, pretended to be busy working to avoid saying anything wrong and left the guests to be entertained by Grandma Feng.

Grandma Feng, however, lies without batting an eye, "The young couple is busy. I sent them to Uncle's place to exchange a few pounds of cotton. Although our brigade grows a lot of cotton, we can't finish the cotton quota, and the members don't get much cotton for winter clothes. Other brigades grow less but get more, so I sent them to exchange some."

Ji Hongyue couldn't help secretly giving the old lady a thumbs-up. She's great at slipping in comments about Liu Guangming.

Grandma Feng acted as if she was just telling the truth, "I'm just an old woman; I don't have any ulterior motives. I answer whatever questions you ask."

Although they didn't get to meet Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, Xie Weiran and Xiao Ye still interviewed Dad Tang, Mother Tang, and Grandma Feng, forming a preliminary impression of the couple.

Xie Weiran, being a journalist, had different interests from Guo Yan and the others, so his focus was different.

After verifying the authenticity of the rice fields and interviewing the commune members, Xie Weiran became even more curious about the person who submitted the article.

Mainly because the article was very mature and hinted at some unspoken rules within the system.

He felt that an ordinary commune member couldn't have written it, so he was particularly interested in meeting the authors.

Through observation, he had already determined that Tang Bingde and Tang Fulin couldn't have written it; they probably couldn't even read it fully.

It could have been written by Ji Hongyue, but Xie Weiran's intuition told him otherwise.

Without meeting the author, Xie Weiran couldn't linger at the Forward Brigade and took Xiao Ye with him on the tractor to the county.

Ji Hongyue returned to the county with them and asked them to bring back the double batch of rice seeds to the city.

On the second day in the county, Secretary Cui and Xie Hangzhi convened a County Party Committee meeting.

Guo Yan led two officials to attend the meeting, and two reporters from the City News conducted interviews on-site.

The meeting discussed the livelihood issues of Binxian County and focused on the feasibility of the experimental brigade.

If it were only Ji Hongyue and Xie Hangzhi, it would have been difficult to pass, but with Guo Yan and others present, it was easier.

It passed unanimously.

Yes, Gao Sheng and Liu Guangming also voted in favor.

If there hadn't been the success of the Forward Brigade, they could have easily blocked it through discussion alone.

Now, with the results and city support, it was hard to resist.

Damn it, if they had destroyed the seedlings or damaged the rice during transplanting, or even sabotaged the irrigation...

Liu Guangming was incredibly frustrated, blaming his father for not thinking of ways to prevent it. How could you just watch the rice standing there every day without doing anything?

Don't you know that it's not just rice, not just food, but a threat to your son's future?

But he really didn't understand his father. His father could make the brigade grow cotton and fulfill public grain and cotton quotas, but he wouldn't actively sabotage food.

No true farmer would ever think of sabotaging food; it's a sinful thought, one that shouldn't even cross their mind.

You can eat green crops when hungry, but you can't destroy food out of anger.

That would invite divine retribution.

With the resolution passed, Ji Hongyue was so moved that he cried tears of joy, hiding in a corner and sobbing uncontrollably.

To those with determination, success will come!

This time, Ji Hongyue returned to the countryside safely without any dogs chasing or thugs beating him.

Tang Bingde and the others were stunned when Ji Hongyue told them that the county had exempted their brigade from the cotton quota and would no longer force them to grow cotton.

They couldn't believe it. Was it really true?

They really didn't have to grow that troublesome cotton anymore?

Spring soaking of seeds, watering, digging holes, planting, thinning, weeding, pest control, pruning, pesticide application, harvesting...

From early spring to late autumn, it was truly exhausting and the most grueling work.

Now they were liberated!

The commune members were overjoyed!

Their laughter rang out like it was the New Year, congratulating each other.

Seeing Tang Bingde, usually reserved and unemotional, wiping away tears of joy, Secretary Liu felt a deep sense of unease.

It seemed everyone had had enough of farming.

But... if you don't plant and I don't plant, both finding it too tiring, who will grow cotton for the country?

Growing cotton is a glorious duty of the commune members!

He also wanted to be an exemplary worker and earn that honor, not for himself but for the brigade.

Why couldn't everyone appreciate this?

Next year, they wouldn't have to plant as much cotton, and the commune members were genuinely delighted.

Their enthusiasm for the autumn harvest and plowing increased.

Captain Chen and Captain Shan came to find Tang Bingde again, asking him to lead them forward.

Tang Bingde said he couldn't even manage his own brigade, let alone lead them.

Moreover, the Fish Immortal said that not all land suitable for water could grow rice; it depended on the terrain and geology.

Anyway, it was quite complicated, so they should wait for Tang Yuan to return and discuss it.

Ji Hongyue had a lot to say to Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, so he decided to go into the mountains alone to call them back.

He only remembered the path to Boulder Peak, after all, with its tall landmarks, he wouldn't get lost.

He shouted from Boulder Peak, but there was no response from the other side.

When he tried to climb the mountain, he could only manage a few dozen meters before giving up!

He hung in a crevice, unable to go up or down, feeling miserable, knowing a fall would break his leg or cause severe injuries.

Just as he was about to slowly descend, a few monkey heads appeared halfway up the cliff, pointing and chattering.

As the sun set and the mountain grew dim, Ji Hongyue mistook them for Feng Chen and called out loudly for help.

Feng Chen and Tang Yuan, along with the monkeys, had just finished harvesting rice and left it out to dry in the sun, then busied themselves turning the soil.

Once the rice was dried, they carried it to the stone cave to thresh the grains.

The cave is very useful after being cleaned up; the threshed rice can be stored directly in the small cave.

Feng Chen wouldn’t let Tang Yuan do heavy work; cutting rice and turning the soil were all done by him and the monkeys.

Although the monkeys lack patience and tend to slack off while working, their numbers make up for it, making them more effective than several Tang Yuans combined.

The monkey king sent the little monkeys to pick a lot of wild grapes, pomegranates, and such, which were meant for Tang Yuan to make wine and dried fruits.

Tonight’s dinner was a pot of spicy rabbit and mushroom stew with wild chicken—all hearty dishes.

After setting aside enough for herself and Feng Chen, she shared the rest with the monkey king and his troop, as promised as a reward.

Just as they were about to eat, a few little monkeys came running over, pointing and chattering, “Caw caw caw...”

There’s an idiot hanging on the mountain, hahaha.

Feng Chen understood and told Tang Yuan before grabbing the climbing safety lock set to rescue Ji Hongyue.

Ji Hongyue shakily descended the mountain, his limbs weak and trembling, which made Tang Yuan laugh.

Ji Hongyue: “If you hung on that cliff for half a day, you’d shake too.”

He reached for the spicy rabbit in the clay pot beside him.

“Squeak squeak.” Several monkeys rushed out, pushed him away, and grabbed the pot, running off with it.

This guy is not only clumsy but also greedy, trying to steal the monkeys’ meat!

How often do monkeys get to eat meat?

They worked themselves to near death harvesting rice!

Ji Hongyue, half-paralyzed, savored the meat, feeling like he was in heaven, and sighed with his eyes closed, “You two live such a peaceful life here, far from worldly affairs, even the monkeys are under your command.”

Given Feng Chen’s abilities, it’s no surprise that he could tame not just a group of monkeys but even a pack of wolves.

Tang Yuan gave half of her freshly steamed rice to him, remembering how the monkeys had complained while pounding the rice. Eating rice wasn’t easy, so they should cherish it.

Feng Chen glanced at Tang Yuan, slightly regretting rescuing Ji Hongyue, thinking he should have left him there.

He scooped some rice from his enamel bowl into Tang Yuan’s, unwilling to let her eat less.

Ji Hongyue, lacking tact, said, “I feel I should have stayed hanging on the mountain, enjoying the breeze?”