CHAPTER 190: CHAPTER 190: SPRING PLANTING BEGINS

She knew that her sister-in-law had not been able to conceive for three years, mostly due to a cold womb. Back home, she had to work outside even in the dead of winter, and after getting married, she didn’t have the conditions to take care of herself, leading to the likelihood of not being able to conceive.

So she gave her ten yuan, so that if needed, she could go to the health clinic to get checked and buy some medicine to drink.

Early the next morning, just after breakfast, someone came to call people to the brigade office for a meeting.

The content was simple: it announced that spring planting would start tomorrow, explained a lot of precautions, and especially emphasized that during the spring planting period, no leave could be taken, no absenteeism allowed, otherwise, double work points would be deducted.

Lin Xue felt a bit of a headache. Once spring planting started, the progress on building their house would slow down.

Fewer workers naturally meant a slower progress.

However, there was no rush, since it was only April, and there were still two months until the rainy season in June.

In this era, houses were simple, just a coat of paint on the walls, some brick paving, and some soft furnishings like buying cabinets, at most adding a sofa would be the end of it.

So construction was fast, and it was sure to be finished before June.

Spring planting was busy, and anyone who could work in the family, young or old, had to go out and work.

So Lin Xue had no choice but to ask Li Qiang to gather more people.

Early the next morning, Zhang Yuan and Li Jianshe hurriedly ate and went to work.

At this time, only Lin Xue’s family had lunch, other families did not eat lunch at all; they just lowered their heads for a rest at noon and then started working again.

So at noon, Lin Xue cooked and packed food into aluminum lunch boxes to deliver to Zhang Yuan and Li Jianshe.

She steamed a mix of rice and millet and stir-fried shredded potatoes, and that was it.

With so many people in the fields, she didn’t dare make too much food or put in any meat.

But she knew that just this meal could make people crave so much they’d cry.

Not delivering worried her that Zhang Yuan would keep eating three meals a day and get hungry while working today; telling him to come back to eat was not feasible either as everyone just rested a little before starting work again.

She timed it perfectly, almost arriving just as the brigade leader announced a break.

"Zhang Yuan! Your girlfriend is here! Seems like she brought you food!" One of the other two male intellectuals working together with him noticed Lin Xue first and nudged Zhang Yuan, who was just about to find a place to sit.

This morning’s work exhausted the few city intellectuals, Zhang Yuan included.

Although they had worked for half a year last year, having rested for so long, no one could bear it, let alone the intellectuals. Even the old seasoned farmers found it a bit tough.

Zhang Yuan looked back upon hearing this and indeed saw Lin Xue waving.

He quickly put down his farm tools and ran over.

But he saw Lin Xue still waving over here.

He turned back to call Li Jianshe along.

Li Jianshe, feeling honored, followed suit.

The two intellectuals behind them couldn’t help but be envious.

"How about we both get ourselves rural girlfriends? At least, it would improve our meals, wouldn’t it?" Qi Changming said, his eyes nearly bulging out.

"Forget it! Apart from Bai Ruxue’s family, who else in the village can have lunch? They are the richest family in the village. Can we find ourselves someone like Bai Ruxue?" Yang Jiping dropped his farming tool and sat down, speaking.

"Get real! I heard that she goes by Lin now, no longer Bai!" Qi Changming patted Yang Jiping’s arm and sat down as well.

"What’s going on?" Yang Jiping, truly unaware of this, asked curiously.

So, the two of them began discussing this topic.

Nearby villagers, who were also unaware, gathered around to listen, somewhat dispersing the aroma of the food.

"Xiao Xue, why did you come here?" Zhang Yuan ran over and asked.

"Can you endure not eating lunch? I brought you food! Hurry up and eat!" Lin Xue said, taking out the lunch box, along with two bottles of water from the bag.

By the time it was taken out, Li Jianshe had already run over.

"Wow, there’s lunch? Just right, I’m starving, but I’m exhausted! I say, Brother Yuan, when can we go back? I can’t stand it anymore!"

He didn’t stand on ceremony with Lin Xue, since she brought food, he might as well eat generously.

Having spent a few days together, he had already become pretty familiar with their family.

"Eat your food! There’s still time!" Zhang Yuan glared at Li Jianshe.

Realizing he had said too much, Li Jianshe understood such matters should not be casually discussed in such a public area.

Simply smirking, he opened the lunch box to eat without more words.

This kind of meal he found exceptionally delicious, having previously only eaten cornmeal mush or coarse corn porridge with the others, with salty vegetables too salty to bear and boiled vegetables too bland, which never filled the stomach.

Some villagers with craving eyes looked over, but since they were somewhat away from the crowd, they couldn’t really see what was being eaten.

"Xiao Xue, don’t bring food anymore, it’s not good. After some time, we’ll be able to rest at noon and go home to eat!" Zhang Yuan was most afraid of Lin Xue getting ostracized by villagers.

If she kept bringing meals daily, there’d be whatnot said about those who didn’t get to eat, and over time it could even turn into resentment.

"Alright, then tomorrow morning, bring some food out! Even two steamed buns would do! Working a whole morning makes you hungry! How else will you work in the afternoon?" Lin Xue lamented.

"Got it! Good girl!" Zhang Yuan couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head.

Lin Xue quickly dodged, "There are so many people!" she said teasingly.

Li Jianshe pretended not to see, eating his food in big mouthfuls.

He was already somewhat accustomed to Brother Yuan being a wife-doting madman, touching hands and feet spontaneously.

After the two of them finished eating and drinking water, Lin Xue didn’t stay any longer, packed the lunch box, and left.

Behind them, Zhao Hongmei and Liu Lili sat together, their eyes bulging, almost white with envy.

Lin Xue ignored the madwoman, concerned with her own business and starting to walk home.

She still had things to do, like chick hatching in the poultry farm; hatch rates were very high, and each chick was lively and had already started eating.

Alongside the home needing construction and the affairs on Wang Cheng’s side.

She was busy enough that her feet hardly touched the ground.

Taking time to bring lunch to Zhang Yuan was already cutting into her lunch break.

After returning, she still needed to discuss with Wang Cuihua whether to build the new house on the old site or find another location.

In the end, the two agreed to build behind the old house, demolish the old house once the new one was built, and expand the yard.

This way, the masons would have a place to cook lunch and such.

Initially, Lin Xue intended for her grandma to take the two children to live in the town house for the time being as the home was crowded and noisy, unsettling the children’s sleep.

However, Bai Xianglan stated that a daughter-in-law with her granddaughter dealing with the masons wasn’t good for reputation.

Her being an old woman, people would at least hold their tongues.

So they stayed at home, locking doors and windows well while working outside during the day, keeping the children from being too restless.

Everything proceeded smoothly, without a hitch, and the poultry farm started its chicken rearing mode, with all eggs hatched successfully.