The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 322 - 311: Helping Out

Chapter 322: Chapter 311: Helping Out

Zhou Dalang sighed, "Today, all the other families in the village have finished harvesting their wheat, but Zhou Hu’s family still has four plots left."

Old Zhou frowned, "Isn’t that too slow?"

"There’s no helping it, his daughter-in-law is still bedridden and can’t move, he has to go back to cook three meals and make medicine for her every day. Luckily, Dafu and Second Son can help out a bit, otherwise he definitely wouldn’t be able to manage both the fields and the household."

Manbao said, "Big brother, why don’t you take Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother to help out tomorrow? I’ll go help after school too, I’ve already learned how to use a sickle."

Old Zhou took a puff of his cigarette and didn’t speak for a while.

After giving him a glimpse, Ms. Qian spoke up, "Let’s do as Manbao says. I noticed the sky was overcast with the sound of thunder today; it might rain at any time. Take Datou, Daya, Second Son, and Erya as well. Since we’re cutting wheat, might as well help them harvest the beans in the field too."

Zhou Dalang happily agreed; he had a very good relationship with Zhou Hu.

Ms. Qian pondered for a moment, then turned to Ms. He, who was busy rolling dough, and said, "You get along well with Zhou Hu’s family. Go over there first thing tomorrow morning. Men can be careless with certain things; it has to be a woman’s job."

Ms. He happily agreed as well.

Her maiden home was quite far from Qili Village, and among all the daughters-in-law in Qili Village, only she and Ms. Chen were from the same village. Moreover, she had grown up playing behind Sister Chen, who took good care of her, so their relationship was pretty good even after she got married.

Especially since her marriage to Zhou Sanlang was arranged by Ms. Chen, their third branch of the Zhou Family had a good relationship with Zhou Hu’s family as well.

Old Zhou said nothing, just took puffs of smoke a bit more fiercely.

Seeing his little daughter’s face also brimming with joy, he couldn’t help but tap her forehead lightly, as if manpower were free of charge.

It’s one thing for one or two people to go and help out, but was nearly half of the household going over?

However, Ms. Qian was determined. Her sons had no objections, nor did her daughters-in-law, so Old Zhou had no good reason to oppose.

No one expected that it would start raining with thunder and lightning that very night. Fortunately, by the evening, the Zhou family had moved everything drying in the courtyard back inside the house.

So the Zhou family members just wearily looked outside for a moment and then went back to sleep soundly, but many other families in the village could not sleep. They had to get up quickly to bring things in.

Even though the grain was covered with straw to protect it from dew, it was clear that straw could not hold back the rain, especially the downpour of summer.

So many families had to get up in the dark to bring in their crops.

In the village, some families had lights on, while the other half were dark, obviously, many people, like Old Zhou’s family, had the foresight to bring things in earlier, not taking any chances.

Zhou Hu’s lantern was on too, but he didn’t have anything drying in the courtyard. Zhou Dalang reminded him in the evening telling him to bring everything in the yard inside just in case it rained at night.

He was hoping it wouldn’t rain, but it did.

He still had wheat unharvested in the fields.

The wind roared, and large raindrops pattered down heavily, but summer storms come quickly and go just as fast.

It was only while Manbao was tossing and turning in her sleep, rolling from one side to the other and continuing to snooze with her mouth open, that the rain outside slowly eased up and then stopped before long.

If not for waking up the next day to find the courtyard damp, Manbao, who slept like a pig, would have had no idea that it rained last night.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Zhou Dalang led his two younger brothers out with their sickles. The children could go a bit later.

After all, since it wasn’t their own field, the kids still had some privileges.

Wheat is very fragile, especially when it has fully ripened and turned yellow. A strong wind and a heavy shower can flatten a lot of wheat, sticking it to the ground.

Some of the lower fields even had pools of water soaking the wheat.

In the entire Qili Village, only Zhou Hu’s wheat was not completely harvested, and the bean situation in the fields was still okay. Many people came out with their sickles early in the morning to harvest beans.

One rain might not affect the beans much, but what about several more downpours?

It’s best to bring the grain back, dry it, and store it in the granary.

The villagers also saw Zhou Dalang and others working in Zhou Hu’s field and after a moment of surprise, they greeted them warmly, knowing they were there to help Zhou Hu. They couldn’t help feeling moved by the act.

Zhou Hu happened to be the last to arrive at the field. After all, he had to cook porridge and prepare medicine for his wife and child when he woke up, so by the time he got there, Zhou Dalang had already led his two brothers to clear a significant area.

Zhou Hu stood there, stunned, with a tinge of red around his eyes.

Zhou Dalang turned back nonchalantly and waved, "Hurry up, the sun will be out soon."

Zhou Hu quickly picked up a sickle and stepped forward. Today’s wheat was even harder to harvest because it had collapsed in patches. Zhou Dalang and Zhou Hu told Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang to cut the intact ones, while the two of them bent over to cut the fallen wheat, their backs almost touching the ground.

When they couldn’t take it anymore, they would crouch down to continue cutting forward.

That’s why they hated encountering rain during the harvest.

The wheat that was cut couldn’t be dried in the field anymore; it was immediately bundled up and carried in bamboo baskets back home.

At noon, when Zhou Hu returned home to bring food to the Zhou family, Zhou Dalang held him back, saying, "Our courtyard is full of wheat and soybeans; we can’t spare anyone. Luckily Third’s wife is here, so she can make something to eat at your house."

Ms. He had no objections.

Bringing food to Old Zhou’s home was akin to inviting the entire Zhou family for a meal. They had many mouths to feed; what the Zhou family ate in one day was probably equivalent to a week’s consumption for Zhou Hu’s family.

Zhou Hu, being a man, overlooked many things, and in the morning, Ms. He spent her time merely cleaning and changing Ms. Chen’s clothes. After that, she washed her hands and went into the kitchen to help with the cooking.

Zhou Hu opened his mouth as if to say something, but Zhou Dalang stopped him, "It’s fine, we’re brothers; we don’t stand on ceremony. Your family is having a tough time right now. By the way, the sun is quite strong today; let’s take a break at noon and go back in the afternoon. We’ll work a little later tonight, and if we continue for half a day tomorrow, we should have everything harvested."

Zhou Hu murmured an agreement and also patted his shoulder, saying, "Good brother!"

Zhou Dalang smiled at him and bumped shoulders with him as well.

After agreeing on the time to resume work in the afternoon, Zhou Dalang, having eaten, led his family back home. When they returned to the fields in the afternoon, they found many people already there.

Zhou Dalang, Zhou Hu, and even those who had come were all surprised.

Zhou Dazhu saw them and, waving his sickle, asked, "How much is left?"

Zhou Dalang was the first to snap out of it and grinned, "This plot and the two by the mountain. With so many of you here, we should be able to finish by tonight."

Zhou Dazhu laughed, "Then let’s get started."

When Manbao arrived at the field after school, Datou was leading his younger brothers and sisters to gather small piles of wheat for the adults to tie up before carrying them home.

Rolling up her sleeves, Manbao asked, "What can I do?"

Everyone glanced at the fair and delicate Manbao and chuckled, "You can’t bundle up wheat with your sleeves rolled up. You have to tie them tight, otherwise Manbao will cry tonight."

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