The next morning, the matchmaker directly led Zhang Zhugen to the girl's house.
Chen Yang didn't tag along to join the fun. He got up, drank a bowl of millet porridge his aunt had made, and then went to the fields with his younger cousin Zhang Shugen to let in water.
His aunt's family grew double-cropping rice. Zhang Shugen carried a shovel. Many people from the village were there. Seeing that the fields above were filled with water, he quickly dug open the gaps in the ridges to let the water from the fields above flow down.
At the very top was the village's irrigation channel. The production team leader led people to operate a water pump. After pumping for half a day, they finally filled the fields that hadn't been filled yesterday.
"Shugen, come, give it a try."
An old man, leading the production team's big yellow ox and a plow, called out to Zhang Shugen from a distance. This was to teach him the technique of plowing; a farmer who didn't know how to plow wasn't much of a farmer.
These were skills passed down through generations. In later generations, many people thought farming was as simple as scattering seeds, letting them grow on their own, and then harvesting them with a combine to produce the rice we eat.
It was nowhere near that easy.
The hardships of farming were only understood by those who had personally experienced it.
China's arable land was mostly distributed in the hills. Even in later generations, only the Northeast and Northwest had two large plains, with a few plains in the Central Plains; other places were completely unsuitable for large machinery.
Not to mention this era, where the degree of mechanization was practically zero. Plowing at this time, with a yellow ox pulling a plow, truly tested the farmer's skill.
Then there was seedling cultivation, and transplanting seedlings. Transplanting seedlings could really break a person's back. If you don't believe me, try bending over and doing a thousand sit-ups.
You'll understand how farmers felt after transplanting seedlings. The number of times they bend over in a day of transplanting is much more than that.
What's more, when transplanting seedlings, your feet sink into the mud, and it takes a lot of effort to pull your feet out. You have to pull off a few big leeches from your legs from time to time. Many city dwellers would probably be scared to tears seeing this scene.
After planting, they still had to pay close attention to the water level in the fields. If it rained and the water rose, they had to go to the fields to open the sluice gates to let the water out; if there wasn't enough water, they had to find a way to pump it in.
This is why many people heard legends from the older generation about how two villages in the countryside would engage in armed conflict, even resulting in deaths.
Most of it was caused by disputes over water.
There was only so much water. If you drew it, others would have less. In those years, water was the lifeline related to food. Farmers fighting desperately for water was also out of desperation. Who would want to fight with people if they didn't have to?
Then there was the usual spraying of pesticides, applying fertilizer, and then the busy double-cropping season, harvesting, and drying the grain...
The experience of being covered in itchy red rashes from the awns of rice stalks while harvesting rice should be familiar to many rural children. In the sweltering heat, sweat would drip onto those wounds.
The sensation was probably unforgettable for a lifetime.
Chen Yang zoned out for a moment. His little cousin had already plowed half a field. He was tall and strong, and the ox was obedient. Under the guidance of the old craftsman, his plowing was also quite decent.
Originally, his uncle was supposed to teach him this task, but his uncle had taken the elder cousin to see the girl. However, the old man taught him diligently.
At that time, grain was still contracted collectively by the production team. The more people who learned this skill, the more people there would be to share the workload during the harvest, so no one was holding back.
It wasn't until 1980 when the household responsibility system was implemented nationwide on a large scale, that people would only look out for themselves. If they were in a good mood, they might teach you, but if not, they might not bother.
Jiangsu province was close to Anhui province. Chen Yang vaguely remembered that Jiangsu province also started the "da bao gan" system the following year, following Xiaogang Village, and didn't have to wait until 1980.
"Brother Yang, I caught a big turtle. Hold it for me. We'll stew it for soup when we get home."
While plowing, Zhang Shugen suddenly bent down, picked up a turtle as big as a human face, and threw it to him.
Chen Yang grabbed the turtle's shell. The wild turtle strained to stretch its neck to bite him, but it couldn't reach his back at all.
This was one of the few joys of plowing. During spring plowing, there were even more small fish and shrimp. When letting in water, you could also catch some small river crabs or the like.
Chen Yang, imitating his deceased father-in-law's method, pulled a handful of foxtail grass from the ridge and wove a grass rope, tying the turtle up like a bundle and carrying it in his hand.
Now, even if the little turtle stretched its neck, it could only bite the air.
"Young man, are you related to old stubborn Zhang? Where are you from?"
Chen Yang was holding the big turtle. An old lady, seeing him idle, came over to chat. Old stubborn Zhang was his aunt's husband's nickname. In fact, few villagers probably knew his real name, Zhang Guoshu.
"Auntie, I'm from Jinling. I used to come to my aunt's house to play often when I was a child. Three mischievous monkeys, do you remember?"
Chen Yang greeted her with a smile. When they were children, he and his siblings, along with their elder cousin and younger cousins, were six little rascals who often ran around the village, so there were probably many people who knew them.
"Are you the son of Li Yun's city-dwelling sister?"
The old lady clearly had a good impression of the city-dwelling children like Chen Yang. She took a careful glance at him.
Seeing Chen Yang nod, she then mysteriously pulled him aside.
Although Chen Yang didn't know what the point of doing this was, they were surrounded by fields, and it didn't seem like a place to whisper secrets.
Was this the mysterious ritual of talking behind people's backs?
"Young man, our village has quite a few beautiful young women. Have you found a wife? If not, I can introduce you to one, and you can pick whoever you like."
The old lady's eyes sparkled as she looked at Chen Yang. In those days, young men from the city were very popular.
If a village girl could marry a man from the city, her children could have city household registration in the future.
How many village girls were willing to marry old men from the city who couldn't find wives, or even cripples, just to live a city life.
They could eat rations and didn't have to pay grain tax. Their wages far exceeded the work points they earned through hard labor.
"Auntie, no, no, no. I got married a long time ago. I already have two children."
Chen Yang glanced at the enthusiastic old lady, truly afraid of being dragged to a blind date by her.
It was too terrifying.
"You have two children at such a young age? Are you lying to me?"
The old lady was still unwilling to give up. Chen Yang was helpless. He never expected that even in this life, he, Chen Yang, couldn't escape the fate of being a coveted catch in the eyes of others.
In his previous life, women coveted his wealth. In this life, they coveted his city status.
"Auntie, I'm really not lying to you. My wife gave birth to twins, two at once. I couldn't help it."
Chen Yang shrugged. Only then did the old lady believe him, half-skeptically, but with a face full of regret.
Such a good young man, tall and strong, clearly healthy, and from the city. If this matchmaking deal had been successful, countless people in the village would have come to her for matchmaking fees.
"Brother Yang, Aunt Shen is known for her high standards. How did you get her to proactively introduce you to someone? Teach me, I want to find a wife too."
Chen Yang had finally gotten rid of the old lady. Zhang Shugen, who had finished plowing, came over with a fawning expression and said to him.
"Shugen, you're only 17. What wife are you looking for? Wait a couple more years."
Chen Yang glared at the boy impatiently. He wasn't even an adult yet, so what wife was he looking for? Su Dan Novel Network.
"Brother Yang, Fatty Hu in my village is the same age as me, and even a month younger. He already has a child. I'm not young!"
Zhang Shugen held his head high. Chen Yang was also troubled. This damned adolescence, the age of surging hormones.