Reborn in 1994: Starting from the Autumn Harvest

Chen Mian hurriedly went to the door of the main room and looked inside. Her aunt was carrying a tin bucket in both hands and had a lit cigarette in her mouth, striding through the doorway.

"The neighbors all said our family had come, and when I saw the motorcycle, I wondered who it was. Turns out it was the Second Cotton Mill."

"Auntie, are you cooking? I bought pork ribs and pig's trotters."

"How much did it cost?" The aunt quickly put the bucket down, took a final puff of her cigarette, and casually tossed it into the bucket.

"It's not much money, is it?" Chen Mian said with a smile.

"We'll talk more when your uncle comes back." Aunt smiled and didn't rush to wash her hands. Instead, she returned to the gatehouse and fully opened the half-closed wooden door. "Let your uncle reimburse you."

At this moment, Grandma also came into the yard: "Let your eldest uncle reimburse you, or you can send the money to someone after playing cards."

Chen Mian chuckled, then noticed that her aunt had found a long wooden plank and pointed towards the door. Only then did she realize that the motorcycle hadn't been brought in yet.

"Whose son is this?"

"This is Xiuyun's second son. Chen Mian should call him Second Master."

"I heard my mom say that Second Uncle doesn't look like he's over seventy at all. I saw him when he first arrived. He walks with a brisk pace, more energetic than a young man."

……

Under the guidance of her maternal grandmother and aunt, Chen Mian followed the group of elders gathered outside and greeted them one by one. Thanks to her mature mindset, she didn't feel embarrassed at all.

On the contrary, her maternal grandmother and aunt stared at her in astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the rich aroma of stewed meat wafted through the gatehouse and into the street, making passersby glance at the Tang family's house and feel their appetites whetted.

Some people, driven by curiosity, peeked into the courtyard and saw two tables occupied, one inside and one outside, with a total of ten people, young and old, all enjoying their meal. They swallowed hard, too embarrassed to join in.

"Grandma, try it!"

Chen Mian got up and picked up a dark brown, glistening pig's trotter from the rough earthenware basin for her grandmother. The skin and flesh trembled, and the gelatinous substance was so thick and shiny that just smelling it made one's mouth water.

Then he picked one up for his aunt, saying, "Aunt, have a taste."

Seeing Chen Mian plop down, the eldest uncle on the east side of the chair was stunned. He immediately put down the wine glass he was about to drink, picked up his chopsticks, and tapped the table.

"I can't see your uncle."

Grandma immediately retorted, "Don't you have hands? You need someone to serve you a meal."

The aunt snorted coldly: "Even meat and pee can't shut you up."

My cousins ​​and their wives were all holding back their laughter and didn't say anything. They were happy to see Grandma and Mom tease Dad a bit. The kids didn't understand either, and just kept eating.

Chen Mian couldn't help but smile. Her eldest uncle and her youngest uncle were two extremes. Her youngest uncle spent his whole life working hard for his children. After earning enough for the eldest, he would earn enough for the youngest.

On the other hand, my uncle is over fifty years old this year. Ever since his two sons got married and had children, he seems to have completed a major mission in life and has been living a carefree life.

He's content with just enough to eat and spend each month at his job; he doesn't ask for much more and often acts like a child.

It's thanks to his aunt's ability to stand on her own and his two cousins' capable and responsible nature that he was able to resolve many of his worries and live a comfortable life.

"This meal was all prepared by my aunt and cousin-in-law." Chen Mian picked up her nearly empty wine glass and leaned down an inch to clink it with her uncle's. "Uncle, you haven't moved an inch since you came in."

After downing his drink in one gulp, he sighed, feigning grievance, "Your precious nephew has been here for half a day, and he still can't compare to your one hand of Dou Dizhu (a card game)."

The eldest uncle looked at Chen Mian carefully with surprise, wondering when his nephew had become so talkative.

He then shook his finger, laughed and cursed, and took a sip of wine.

During dinner, everyone noticed that Chen Mian had changed. Although she still joked around, she was noticeably more composed than before.

During their casual chat after dinner, Chen Mian also mentioned her family situation, saying that she probably wouldn't be coming over for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When my maternal grandmother and maternal uncle learned about the loan to lease the land, their originally relaxed and happy mood suddenly became tense, but there was nothing they could do. They just said that they would let them know if anything happened in the future.

The uncle and his wife chatted until very late before leaving. Before leaving, they insisted on giving Chen Mian 50 yuan, saying that they had something to do early the next day and wouldn't be able to come and see her off.

Grandma also thought of giving her some money, but Chen Mian was too embarrassed to ask for more. She didn't spend much money on the trip, but instead made several tens of yuan.

They stayed overnight, arriving in a hurry and leaving in a hurry.

Around 10 a.m., Chen Mian returned to the board factory and received good news: the boss, He Weiqiang, had returned.

After lunch, led by my uncle, I walked to the backyard of the plywood factory and met Boss He, whom I had always wanted to see but never had the chance to.

Boss He's residence is decorated in a very simple style, only slightly more spacious and tidy than his uncle's place, and with more appliances.

His own attire was very ordinary, and even his most expensive jacket and high-top leather shoes showed obvious signs of age.

He sits on the sofa with his legs crossed like a boss, but once he takes off his jacket and leather shoes, he looks like a rough, hardworking man.

In my past life, when my family was going through the toughest time, we benefited from the help of the board factory. In return, we were saved by Boss He, and I'm repaying that kindness.

He Weiqiang had already learned about the fish delivery and had a very good impression of Chen Mian, so he personally made the call for Chen Mian.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

A few seconds later, a warm and thick accent from another region came from the other end of the phone. After chatting for a couple of minutes, Boss He got straight to the point: "Secretary Chang, I have a friend here who needs to find five or six skilled cotton-picking women."

The voice on the other end of the phone paused suddenly: "A friend is looking for five or six skilled female workers. How long will they be working, and how will the wages be calculated?"

Old Man He could sense the Party Secretary's concerns and immediately explained, "Don't worry, Party Secretary Chang, it's a respectable family doing respectable work. They have 90 mu of cotton. He's right next to me; let him talk to you about the specifics."

Chen Mian was already prepared. She quickly stepped forward, took the phone with both hands, and gently brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Secretary Chang, my name is Chen Mian, Chen as in 'ear east,' and Mian as in 'cotton'..."

"Yes, we have 90 mu of cotton. We're not considering male workers, but we're thinking of finding five or six female cotton pickers. They'll pay two cents a pound, and they'll work for a month, with room and board provided."

At this moment, there was no sound from the other end of the phone. Chen Mian was not in a hurry and waited quietly for the other party to think.

A few seconds later, the village secretary replied, "Two cents a pound? That's a terrible price! And a month's work is such a short time. How are we going to calculate the travel expenses?"

"I was thinking of asking the Party Secretary to find a tractor to deliver it. I'll cover the fuel and labor costs, and I'll personally take the people back after we finish picking the cotton."

Chen Mian had thought about this problem beforehand. She could actually go and pick up people herself, but the journey was too far, and it would be difficult to travel without a guide. She would also have to suffer in terms of gas money and time.

It's better to spend a little more money for peace of mind, and it will also allow the Party Secretary to earn some extra money and leave a good impression.

The prices for tractors, bread carts, trains, and cars are all different, with tractors being the cheapest option.

In addition, there are long-term benefits, as land leasing will become a future agricultural trend, and the unallocated land in the surrounding villages will be utilized.

With the gradual opening of the cotton market, the demand for cotton pickers is increasing, and we will inevitably have to deal with this Party Secretary in the future.