Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

The six newly arrived educated youth initially felt apprehensive and even somewhat fearful about the unknown rural life, but now they have gradually found a unique sense of security and enjoyment in the regular and fulfilling daily work of reclaiming wasteland.

What they envisioned was integrating into a group of unfamiliar villagers, clumsily learning the farming skills passed down through generations under countless pairs of curious, scrutinizing, or critical eyes, inevitably enduring some well-intentioned ridicule or veiled contemptuous remarks.

They were indeed mentally prepared to be "mocked"—a "baptism" that almost every urban youth going to the countryside in the early stages is unavoidable.

However, reality gave them an unexpected buffer.

Hu Guangming's seemingly casual arrangement "isolated" them on this isolated barren slope, forming a temporary and relatively closed labor collective with Lin Shengli and four other older educated youths who had already begun to adapt to the environment.

Here, there are no experienced, sharp-eyed old farmers to compare against, and no complex and subtle rural interpersonal relationships to deal with immediately.

Since everyone started from a low level, mistakes and clumsiness became the norm, and no one would laugh at anyone for it.

Li Kuiyong's straightforwardness, Jiang Yuanchao's gentle yet earnestness, Wei Jun's down-to-earth work ethic, and Lin Shengli's composure and reliability created a relatively simple and low-pressure environment.

After more than ten days of land reclamation, the two male educated youths performed quite well. Ke Haoqian was able to crack a joke with others occasionally, and Pan Qingzhi was no longer so rigid.

Among the female educated youth, Zhang Xiuying performed very well, Lin Mantong was no longer so spoiled, and got along well with Wang Xueling. As for Zhuang Hui, this girl went from being out of sorts at the beginning to integrating into everyone now, but she didn't talk much and was obviously a little afraid of communicating with people.

Looking at everyone's situation, Lin Shengli banished the female-oriented story he had initially thought of from his mind.

Even if these people were to stage a story about women, it probably wouldn't be too melodramatic.

With the last piece of land leveled, the ten mu of land was clearly divided according to Lin Shengli's plan.

Lin Shengli borrowed planting tools from the village and took out his "mysteriously sourced" seeds. Although everyone was curious, no one asked any questions based on the trust built up over this period of time.

The planting day was chosen on a windless, sunny morning.

Lin Shengli even went to Hu Guangming to ask him to assign an experienced person to teach everyone how to sow seeds.

Hu Guangming waved his hand and directly summoned Hu Laopao.

Hu Laopao has maintained a good relationship with several former educated youth over the past six months and likes these young people from the city very much.

He arrived at the edge of the field with a smile, pointing out how to use the farm tools. As the seed drill glided across the moist black soil, golden wheat was quickly sown. Rows of corn and soybeans were buried in the dark soil by pairs of hands, some rough and some still showing signs of immaturity. They were then covered with soil, gently compacted, and small pits were dug. The people behind threw chopped potato sprouts into the pits and covered them with soil. The whole process was smooth and joyful.

When the last seed was planted, the ten acres of newly reclaimed hillside were covered with a neat, fresh layer of soil, glistening with moisture in the sunlight.

Standing at the edge of the field, gazing at the land to which they had poured nearly a month's worth of sweat, they were exhausted, but their chests were filled with an indescribable sense of anticipation and satisfaction.

From that day on, every day after work or before starting work in the morning, some educated youth would unconsciously walk around to this field, squat down, and examine it carefully.

The ridges were level, the soil was still, and it seemed that nothing had changed.

But people just can't help but come and look, as if taking a few more glances will urge the seeds to sprout faster.

Finally, on a slightly cool morning, in the first wheat field to be sown, near the damp spot by the field ridge, tiny, almost imperceptible, needle-like green shoots quietly emerged!

"It's sprouting! Come and see! The wheat has sprouted!" Wang Xueling, who was the first to discover it, exclaimed in surprise, her voice trembling with excitement.

In an instant, everyone crowded around, including the usually calm Lin Shengli and the always preoccupied Zhuang Hui.

Everyone squatted in a circle, holding their breath, watching the tiny, fragile yet incredibly tenacious green shoots breaking through the soil. It was so small, so inconspicuous, mixed in with the clods of earth, but in the eyes of all the educated youth, it was more dazzling than any beautiful flower.

"It really... came out." Lin Mantong stretched out her hand, her fingertips stopping an inch away from the tender seedling, as if afraid of disturbing it, her face showing a mixture of surprise and tenderness.

"Great! That's fantastic!" Li Kuiyong slapped his thigh, his excitement overflowing. "Our crops have survived!"

Jiang Yuanchao pushed up his glasses and looked at the seedlings carefully: "Hmm, the seedlings are uniform and strong, it seems the seeds are quite vigorous."

Wei Jun was already dreaming: "After the wheat harvest, we'll grind it into flour, make dumplings, steam buns..."

Ke Haoqian stretched out his hands, which had become much rougher, and admired them carefully in the sunlight. The arrogance he had shown when he first arrived seemed to have disappeared from his eyes.

Pan Qingzhi also showed a rare, relaxed smile.

Zhang Xiuying exclaimed happily, "I knew it! Our land will definitely work!"

Even Zhuang Hui leaned down slightly, gazing at that patch of green for a long time, a fleeting, almost imperceptible ripple passing through her eyes.

This first touch of green, like a shot of adrenaline, was injected into the hearts of all the educated youth.

Soon, tender shoots broke through the soil in the cornfields, soybean fields, and potato rows, forming a hazy green expanse.

Patrolling their "territory" every day and watching the lives they had planted grow day by day became the greatest joy and spiritual sustenance for everyone at the educated youth settlement.

That sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of being closely connected with the land is a powerful experience that books and city life have never provided.

Although the future harvest is still unknown, the hope that has broken through the soil is precious enough.

Hu Guangming would often walk with his hands behind his back to "inspect" the hillside that the educated youth had reclaimed.

Seeing the once barren slope transformed into a neat and orderly landscape, watching rows of tender seedlings stretching in the spring breeze, and seeing the group of young people who once filled him with uncertainty, now, though their faces are still youthful, their eyes hold a newfound determination to be rooted here and a bright light of reward for their hard work, the old man couldn't help but beam with joy.

He squatted down at the edge of the field, picked up a clump of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and looked at the growth of the crops. He said to Lin Shengli, who was standing beside him, "Shengli, you've done a good job! This land is quite well prepared, and the seedlings are sprouting evenly. It seems that you guys have put your heart into it."

Lin Shengli nodded: "Everyone worked very hard. It's just that at the beginning, no one had any experience. We are very grateful for the support of the team."

Hu Guangming waved his hand, his smile smoothing out the wrinkles on his face: "Support is the right thing to do! No matter how high the yield of this 'high-yield seed' turns out, just the fact that you've cleared these ten acres of wasteland and planted crops is a contribution! In previous years, this land was just lying there, which was a pity. Now it's great, with ten more acres, we can at least harvest something in the fall. Every little bit helps!"

He paused, then lowered his voice, "Besides, I think these new educated youths have settled down after you've done this, unlike when they first arrived and were still a bit restless. That's good! It's much better than letting them go straight to the fields and struggle with the villagers!"

Hu Guangming had a clear plan in mind: these ten acres of land were an extra project, not originally planned, and he would make a profit no matter how much he harvested.

More importantly, by using this land and the name of "experimentation," he brought together this group of new educated youth who were giving him headaches, and had the reliable Lin Shengli lead them. This not only gave them training, but also avoided possible conflicts and frictions, and also increased the farmland in the village. It was a win-win situation.

Looking at the increasingly green slopes in front of him, and then at the figures of the educated youth working in the fields in the distance, he felt for the first time that receiving educated youth didn't seem so troublesome after all.

If the right approach is taken, these children from the city can become a force for rural development, rather than simply a burden.