Chapter 4: Going to Work, The Challenge of Carrying Manure
“Quickly, get a bowl for your rice.”
Ah, people, no matter how many worries they have, they ultimately can't overcome hunger. Two liang of flour isn't much; let alone an adult like Li Feng, even a half-grown child wouldn't be full.
Li Feng, however, thought of a method. He chopped up a lot of foraged wild vegetables and greens.
He made them into vegetable dumplings, boiled them in water, and in no time, a fragrant aroma of flour dumplings filled the air. Although there was no oil or salt for seasoning, it was still the delicious scent of flour-wrapped vegetable dumplings.
“Papa, you eat. We're full.”
Da Ya shook her head and didn't take a bowl. Er Ya, though drooling with hunger, also spoke like her older sister. “I’m full, Papa eats.”
“I don’t have much appetite and can’t eat this much.”
As he spoke, Li Feng ignored the two children's attempts to stop him, served each of them a bowl of vegetable dumplings, and ladled out a lot of noodle soup. “Eat quickly.” To be fair, when one is hungry enough, even these thin, soupy vegetable dumplings taste quite good.
He didn't dare to eat too much. After several days of hunger, Li Feng still understood his body's condition. After eating one bowl of vegetable dumplings, he contentedly rubbed his stomach, feeling much better.
“Papa.”
Da Ya pushed her bowl towards him, and Li Feng was stunned. “Why aren't you eating, child?”
“Papa eats, I'm not hungry.”
“How can you not be hungry?”
This child had eaten a steamed bun around three or four in the afternoon, and now it was almost dark. Not being hungry would be a ghost's tale. In contrast, Er Ya next to her was drooling and couldn't help but eat half a bowl. “I'm… not hungry either.” As she spoke, Er Ya wiped her drool and pushed her bowl. “Papa eats.”
To be honest, Li Feng wasn't a particularly emotional person, but at this moment, he felt a certain degree of emotion for these two children. “I'm full. You two hurry and eat before it gets cold and doesn't taste good.” Seeing that the two children still weren't picking up their chopsticks, Li Feng's face immediately stiffened.
“When I tell you to eat, you eat.”
“I…”
Da Ya seemed alright, but Er Ya shrank her neck in fright, almost crying, but she knew Papa didn't like crying children, so she bravely held it in. “Eat, Second Sister.”
“Oh.”
Er Ya broke into a smile through her tears. This child's thoughts were simple; with vegetable dumplings to eat, she didn't care about anything else. Da Ya was different; she ate in small bites, perhaps intending to save some of the vegetable dumplings. After all, white flour was rare, and this was borrowed with great difficulty. Papa didn't eat cornmeal, but her family didn't have white flour, so saving these vegetable dumplings would always be good.
“Eat!”
Li Feng saw Da Ya occasionally glance at him. Why was this child not focused even while eating? Just as he was about to speak to her, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see Han Anmin.
“Eating, are we?”
Han Anmin's nose was very keen; this was the smell of white flour, and it made his mouth water. He thought to himself that he would have to tell his mother later that they couldn't be so kind anymore. His family didn't even eat white flour during festivals or New Year's, and yet this city person was borrowing it to eat.
“Have a bite.”
Li Feng offered, but Han Anmin waved his hand. “I just ate at home. You look like you're recovering well.”
“Ah, there's always a way through any difficulty.”
Li Feng's mindset was quite good now. Since he couldn't go back, he would just live on. He couldn't really jump into the river, could he? For people, nothing is more important than being alive.
“That's good then.”
Han Anmin thought to himself, 'You might be alive, but you'll probably drag down everyone in our dam.' He couldn't say they'd have to rely on relief, but just looking at how picky Li Feng was, it seemed like there would be no shortage of deficits in the future.
“Whether it's good or not, it's already like this.”
Li Feng washed his bowl and poured a cup of water for Han Anmin. “Is there something you came for?”
“It's like this, the brigade has discussed your situation.”
Han Anmin said, “The team's idea is for you to stay with the team for now, work with everyone, and earn some work points. At least you'll have food to eat. What do you think?”
“Go to work?”
Li Feng really hadn't thought of this. In these times, it was hard to even leave home without an introduction letter. He was an unregistered resident, and if he went to the city, he would probably become a vagrant. “Alright, can we get registered here? You know I can't remember anything now, and I don't know where my home is.”
“You want to register your household?”
Han Anmin really hadn't expected Li Feng to bring this up. Now, the educated youths were making a big fuss, all clamoring to return to the city. “Do you know that if you register your household in our Han Family Dam, you won't be able to return to the city?”
Compared to Han Anmin's surprise, Da Ya's eyes were full of joy. She knew that if he registered his household, it meant Li Feng wouldn't leave. Er Ya didn't quite understand, but she was happy because her sister was happy.
“Returning to the city might be…”
Li Feng felt he could be an actor. Returning to the city? What a joke. Where would he go? Without an identity, he'd probably be sent for re-education within two days if he went back to the city.
Han Anmin saw Li Feng's bitter expression. Although he didn't like people from the city much, on second thought, alas, who would want to leave their hometown?
“I'll talk to my dad about the household registration.”
This matter was simple. City household registration was difficult to obtain, but rural household registration had no restrictions, unlike in later generations.
After settling the household registration matter, Han Anmin discussed tomorrow's work with Li Feng before returning home.
“Household registration?”
Han Fuguo also hadn't expected Li Feng to bring this up. “What is he thinking? You didn't say anything, did you?”
“What could I say? He brought it up himself.”
“This isn't urgent. I'll ask again tomorrow.”
Household registration was a big deal. Han Fuguo knew a bit about the current policies. These educated youths still had a chance to return to the city. If they really registered their household, it would be difficult to go back.
…
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Li Feng heard movement. Han Anmin had specifically come to call him to work. “Eat quickly, we need to get there early.”
But it was too early. Li Feng estimated it was only a little past five, and it wasn't fully light yet. Why were they up so early?
After a quick wash, there was nothing but steamed buns at home to eat, which Li Feng couldn't bring himself to swallow, so he simply didn't eat.
When they arrived at the dam entrance, many people were already there. The work had been arranged yesterday.
“Come over quickly. I'll introduce you around so you can recognize people.”
Han Anmin was a straightforward man with not many ulterior motives. Li Feng's words yesterday had made him think a little less of Li Feng, and now he was actively helping him introduce people.
“This is Uncle Suanpan.”
Han Anmin pointed to an old man in his fifties wearing a grey-blue hat and spectacles on his nose. “He's our brigade's accountant.”
“This is Scarhead Uncle, he's our brigade's militia captain. I'm telling you, Scarhead Uncle has killed American imperialist devils.”
Good heavens, Li Feng thought, no wonder he looked so fierce, especially with the somewhat frightening scar on his face. This man was robust, indeed worthy of having fought the American imperialists. There was also a more refined person, a work point recorder whom Han Anmin called Scholar. Li Feng smiled and greeted everyone.
“You'll follow me today.”
“Alright.”
Li Feng secretly noted the names of the brigade cadres: Uncle Suanpan Han Futian, Scarhead Uncle Han Fuqiang, Scholar the work point recorder Han Anbang, the women's director Shi Chunhua, who was Han Fuguo's wife and Da Ya's Sannai, the first production team leader Han Anding, and the second production team leader Han Anquan.
Then there was the deputy brigade leader Han Anmin. Li Feng only met the others briefly, estimating there were about fifty or sixty laborers in total, both men and women. Among them were a few quite distinctive characters, such as Crooked Neck Uncle, who was smiling and quite enthusiastic when he saw Li Feng.
However, Li Feng felt that this person was shrewd and calculating. His small, squinting eyes and smile were somewhat like You Cai, who ranked sixth and was called Sixth Uncle or Crooked Neck Uncle by others.
Then there was another person named Wu Gou, who looked a bit sly at first glance.
Others included the loud Da Han Saozi and Big Foot Sister-in-law. These women, all over forty, were chattering that Li Feng's face was fair and tender, truly from the city, attracting young wives' affection, and even talked about introducing a young wife to Li Feng and such.
This made Li Feng a little amused and helpless. His face was indeed a bit tender. Although he came from a rural background, he was good at studying as a child, so he basically hadn't done any household chores since second grade. Later, he went to university, met his current wife, and smoothly got married and had children.
Don't look at him now, almost forty; if he went out suddenly, people would still take him for a young man in his thirties. Among a group of dark-skinned rural men, he certainly stood out as a 'pretty boy'.
“Da Han Saozi, don't just pay attention to the pretty boy.”
Wu Gou said with a smirk. “When are you going to introduce a wife to me?”
“Go, go, go! Come back to me when you've changed your glib tongue and your habit of slacking off and being sly.”
“Da Han Saozi, truly worthy of being the head of the literacy class.”
“Wu Gou, aren't you just asking for it?”
Everyone burst into laughter. Wu Gou snorted and couldn't help but glare at Li Feng, the 'pretty boy' in his eyes, which made Li Feng a bit speechless.
“Alright, time to work.”
Han Fuguo tapped his pipe on the iron hoe. They had to start early, otherwise, the sun would be out in less than two hours, and it would get hot. Li Feng followed Han Anmin, and a group of men distributed tools. Li Feng looked and was stunned.
Carrying water. He had never done this kind of work. Let alone carrying water with a pole, he hadn't even carried water by hand much. These wooden buckets weren't small; if they were filled with water, a single load would surely be more than a hundred jin.
Li Feng picked up the water buckets with a bitter face. Good heavens, even the empty buckets probably weighed over ten jin.
“Hurry up.”
Li Feng was helpless, thinking he would be in trouble soon. When they arrived at the spot, he was dumbfounded. “Aren't we carrying water?”
“What carrying water? Today we're carrying manure water.”
Li Feng glanced at the manure water in the pit and almost threw up the vegetable dumplings he had eaten yesterday. The yellowish-grey, foul-smelling manure water was like a nightmare, a vivid recollection of childhood outhouses. “Gag, gag, gag…”
He dry-heaved for a while. Fortunately, he hadn't eaten breakfast, or it would have all been wasted. Others saw Li Feng continuously gagging and burst into laughter. These city people, really, it's just manure water.
“A pretty boy is just a pretty boy.” Wu Gou chuckled, finally getting his revenge.
Han Anmin glanced at Li Feng. He hadn't even started working yet and was already throwing up. What were they going to do? “Don't just stand there staring, hurry up. Today's task isn't light.”
“Alright!”
Wu Gou was unusually active, grabbing a large manure scoop and stirring a portion. Li Feng was almost killed by the sudden, foul stench, nearly dying on the spot. He couldn't do it, he really couldn't. He could endure carrying water, but this manure water was deadly.
“Gag, gag, gag.”
He vomited mouthfuls of sour liquid, and Li Feng finally felt a little better. “This is killing me!”
“I can't do it.” Li Feng finally decided to talk to Han Anmin about changing to a different task; this stench was deadly.
'Do you want to start the Manure Carrying Experience Challenge?'