Chapter 387

For farmers, grain is even more important than money.

However, if one understands the process of harvesting grain, then this sense of importance becomes understandable.

Wang An remembers that when he was in the first grade of primary school, he learned the ancient poem "Hoeing Millet"; this poem can be said to depict this process clearly at a glance.

Most importantly, Wang An can still recite it:

"Hoeing millet in the midday sun, sweat drips into the soil beneath the millet; who knows that the food on the plate, every single grain comes from hard work."

Of course, in the eyes of all farmers, these are not the most important things; that is to say, bitterness and fatigue are just minor matters.

Because farmers are not afraid of bitterness, nor are they afraid of fatigue.

And what farmers truly fear and dread is actually disaster!

In the Northeast, drought is basically non-existent because the Northeast does not lack water, but freezing disasters, floods, hailstorms, and insect plagues are extremely common.

Can you imagine the pain of working hard for a whole year, only to end up with absolutely nothing, and even the seeds being damn well lost?

Therefore, when everyone returned to Wang An's house, Great Uncle Wang Dashu said to Wang An:

"Little An, when are we going to dig that grain cellar?"

After Wang Dashu finished speaking, Wang Daliang and the others also turned their eyes toward Wang An.

It was clear that everyone wanted to go and dig out the grain in the grain cellar.

Wang An looked at everyone's eyes and said quite helplessly:

"I calculated it roughly; the grain in that grain cellar must be at least fifty or sixty years old by now. Even if you dig out fifty or sixty-year-old grain, what use could it possibly have?"

Wang An's words caused everyone to instantly fall into deep thought.

But soon, Wang Dashu said: "Didn't I say that day? If people don't eat it, just use it to feed the livestock."

Wang An looked at everyone's eyes, thought for a moment, and then said:

"Let's agree on this beforehand: I'm afraid the grain in there might be poisonous, so my family won't take it. After they finish killing that big claw, you all can discuss it and go into the mountains to dig it up. Do you think that's okay, Great Uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dashu's face instantly lit up with joy, and he nodded hurriedly:

"That's perfectly fine, as long as you, the leader, have given the word, it's fine. Hahaha..."

After Wang Dashu finished speaking, he started laughing, and immediately after, everyone followed suit.

Only Wang Dazhu looked full of worries, moving his mouth in agreement, but he didn't laugh out loud.

The reason Wang Dashu asked Wang An instead of making the decision to dig it up himself is actually because this is both the rule of mountain-going and human nature; after all, Wang An was the leader when they went into the mountains a few days ago.

And the decision of whether or not to dig this grain cellar also rests in Wang An's hands.

Immediately after, the whole family chatted for a while and then bid farewell one after another.

After everyone had left, Wang Dazhu asked Wang An:

"How do you know the grain in that grain cellar is poisonous and can't be kept? Didn't your Great Uncle say that grain is actually quite good for feeding livestock?"

Wang An smiled upon hearing this: "Dad, think about it, that stuff called grain—not to mention decades, even if it's just left for a few years, what does it taste like?"

Wang Dazhu narrowed his eyes, thought carefully, and said:

"I don't know. Ever since I can remember, there has never been enough grain to eat every year, and I've never eaten old grain either."

Wang An, who had been full of smiles, suddenly froze.

Because what his old man said seemed to be without fault.

Many people might not understand at all what Wang Dazhu meant by those words.

Before the division of land to households, everything belonged to the collective, and individuals were just a part of the collective.

Therefore, although the Northeast is a major grain-producing area, after the grain was harvested, it did not belong to individuals but had to be handed over.

That is to say, you grew the grain, and the harvest wasn't small, but you have to know that no matter how much grain there is, it has absolutely nothing to do with you!

Because it's not yours, it's the collective's, you know?

And all the grain needed to be redistributed.

Just imagine, if all the grain grown belonged to the farmers who grew it, would the people in the city drink the northwest wind?

Therefore, only the rations distributed to you belonged to you.

Of course, there was one benefit here, which was that it didn't matter if you were old or young, a widower, an orphan, sick, or disabled; it didn't matter if you were a laborer or not.

Even if someone was born today, they would have their share when things were distributed tomorrow.

The intention of China was that absolutely no one should be allowed to starve to death.

However, the rations distributed to you were absolutely not enough to eat!

The whole country was like this, and no one could find fault with it.

This is a fact!

Therefore, what Wang An finds most annoying are people who don't understand anything themselves but have a broken mouth and only know how to talk nonsense.

Things like how could a grain-producing place not have enough to eat, or how the Northeast at this time was the wealthiest, rich enough to flow with oil.

It's simply damn speechless!

What does wealth have to do with farmers?

Are there any farmers who seriously farm the land and are rich enough to flow with oil?

Remember one sentence: if farming could make you rich, then the whole of China would be damn billionaires.

Hearing his father's words, Wang An blinked and opened his mouth, but didn't know what else to say.

Wang Dazhu continued to ask tentatively: "How about when the time comes, I go with them to dig the grain cellar too?"

Wang An stopped him without hesitation:

"No, no, no, Dad, you just stay home properly. When Great Uncle and the others come back after digging, you'll know what's going on."

Seeing his son so insistent, Wang Dazhu frowned and fell silent.

Returning to the room, Wang An, having nothing to do, wandered around the room twice and then found an excuse to go out.

It's not that Wang An went far; he just took a turn and wandered over to Shen Wei's house.

Wang An discovered that now, as long as he is idle, his head is inevitably full of women.

If he can't have a few comfortable sessions, then he damn well won't have any energy for anything.

Wang An's arrival made Shen Wei, who was feeding the donkey, instantly overjoyed, as if she had the joy of "long-awaited rain after a drought."

Moreover, having not come for a few days, the donkey Shen Wei bought from Wang An's house had actually given birth to a small donkey foal.

And this small donkey foal was a female donkey, that is, a mother donkey.

It must be said that ever since she started messing around with Wang An, not only had Shen Wei become radiant and more charming, but life at Shen Wei's house was also getting better and better.

The two looked at each other and smiled, then walked into the house one after the other.

Without a word, each quickly removed their own equipment.

As the snow-white flesh danced up and down and swayed left and right, Wang An felt as if his whole person had been sublimated, with a feeling of floating like an immortal.

And Wang An discovered that the two snowballs in front of him seemed to have become a little bigger again.

It really is so strange!

But it must be said that the feel was indeed even better.

After a few rounds, the two chatted while naked for a while, and only then did Wang An leave Shen Wei's house, feeling completely satisfied.

Wang An discovered that whether it was Mu Xueqing or Shen Wei, or even Fang Xiue and Lu Yueyue.

Although they didn't wear any cosmetics, at most rubbing some vanishing cream on their faces, they all had their own body fragrance.

And this scent, once it got on him, wouldn't dissipate for a very long time.

So after Wang An came out of Shen Wei's house, he wandered toward the small shop.

There was no purpose; he just wanted to let the scent on his body dissipate a little.

(End of chapter)