Reborn in 1994: Starting from the Autumn Harvest

Liu Xiaocui had just entered the house when she heard her mother-in-law start lecturing again, which made her somewhat worried.

Although he hasn't been with the family for long, his brother-in-law's personality is so distinctive that it's hard not to understand him.

Don't be fooled by their constant smiles and seemingly easy-going nature; they actually don't listen to lectures.

Moreover, he is easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force. Once he gets into a tantrum, only his mother-in-law and eldest sister can keep him in check. He sometimes doesn't even listen to his father-in-law. People say behind his back that he was spoiled by his grandparents.

Although my husband and I have already separated our households, we still need to help our two younger brothers-in-law with building houses and getting married in the future.

A harmonious family brings prosperity; if you don't take good care of them, there will be many problems in the future.

Fearing her brother-in-law might misunderstand, she tried to smooth things over: "Chen Liang and I can't eat any more, so let's have the whole family eat together. Er Mian really likes ribs, so let's eat more later."

Chen Mian lowered her head and tidied the firewood in the stove without saying a word, but she kept those words in mind.

My sister-in-law and my brother-in-law met through a blind date. Both families were of average means, and the two of them were of average appearance. They got together without much trouble.

The Liu family highly regards their eldest brother, Chen Liang. He doesn't smoke, drink, or gamble; he's a hard-working and honest person. Therefore, they didn't ask for too much dowry, and even thought about helping him after the marriage.

After the accident in her past life, her sister-in-law went back to her parents' home to borrow money, and she cried because she couldn't borrow any.

At first, Chen Mian complained a lot about this, but as she got older, her perspective on the issue changed.

Given my situation at the time, spending money was pointless, and both times I went in, I was knowingly breaking the law. My sister-in-law and her two brothers both have families and need to make a living. Why should they help a notorious outsider like me?

In other words, the marriage was already a fait accompli, and they even had a child together; otherwise, the marriage would have fallen through.

Later, Chen Mian felt that money didn't matter anymore, and he was very touched by his sister-in-law's attitude.

As for the favor of that pork rib meal, I'll repay it later when I have the chance; it's no big deal.

Just as Chen Mian was deep in thought, there was a sudden noise outside the courtyard. He leaned back and peered out, only to find that his older brother had returned with the slop bucket.

Liu Xiaocui had just sat down when she hurriedly got up, scooped a ladle of water from the water vat, poured it into the ceramic basin, and urged Chen Liang to wash up quickly.

Chen Liang tugged at his vest and went for a drive, his mind entirely on his younger brother, Chen Mian.

"Er Mian, you're really famous now. The whole village is talking about your fishing. I just went out to empty a bucket, and wow, I ran into several groups of people asking me questions. Even Dad couldn't walk straight and started chatting with people on the street."

"Fire?" Tang Xiuyun couldn't help but laugh, turning to look at her son. "If you blow on him a few more times, he'll catch fire."

Chen Mian shifted her position slightly, grinned at her mother, and seemed eager to banter with her.

As my mother grew older, she became increasingly taciturn, and it was a luxury to even hear a few words of scolding from her.

"Mom, why don't you praise me a couple of times? I'll be so happy I could fly to the moon."

Tang Xiuyun straightened up, patted the dough in the ceramic basin, then glared at Chen Mian with a smile: "Are you a rocket?"

"Ha ha!"

……

During dinner, the aroma of the pork ribs made Chen Mian feel dizzy, but the constant stream of outsiders was really in the way.

They were all there to inquire about mandarin fish, hoping to get some tips from Chen Mian. After all, it was over ten yuan a pound, who could resist the temptation?

But what could Chen Mian say?

It can only be attributed to luck. Even though I put that broken fishing rod on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), I made sure to remove the lure. What else could it be but luck?

If someone insists on believing it's a matter of technique, and that lures are the key, then they are likely a reinvented player. After all, ground lures are not difficult to make, and their emergence would have a devastating impact on fishery resources.

Chen Mian's humility and straightforwardness coincided with the remarks of Zhao Jiefang and others, and people gradually became disappointed and left.

But looking at Tang Xiuyun and her family of four, they couldn't help but feel surprised; Chen Mian was being overly modest.

In the past, he wouldn't need outsiders to praise him; he could talk about himself for ages, wanting the whole village to know. But today, wow, the sun has truly risen in the west. No matter how much people praise him, he absolutely won't take it.

Chen Mian glanced at the clock and realized it was almost ten o'clock. She hurriedly tidied up the place inside and out, her steady pace leaving the whole family bewildered.

Then they gathered together to talk about serious matters.

"Mom and Dad, Big Brother, our two families together have five acres of watermelons to harvest. You two should hurry up and go to the field tomorrow to pick the watermelons and extract the seeds. I'll go to the field to clean up the remaining diseased and worm-infested peaches, and also check the drainage ditches."

Upon hearing this, the other four were greatly surprised. What was wrong with Chen Mian? She was so humble just now, how come she suddenly became arrogant and acted like the head of the household?

A hint of displeasure flashed in Liu Xiaocui's eyes. They say that if you eat someone's food, you're obligated to do so. This brother-in-law had just finished eating and was already giving orders.

After she married Chen Liang, she was allocated 20 mu of land, and the harvest was counted as theirs. But now, the more she thought about Chen Mian's words, the more suspicious they seemed. She probably had a problem with the land allocation.

Thinking of this, she quietly kicked her husband, Chen Liang.

Chen Liang turned his head and glanced at her, then smiled sheepishly and patted his wife to reassure her. Chen Liang didn't believe his younger brother would have any ulterior motives.

Chen Hongguo was keenly aware of his son's changes and also sensed his eldest daughter-in-law's displeasure. This matter needed to be clarified, otherwise it would easily lead to conflict.

"Why the rush to harvest watermelons? They're not worth much this year and they're hard to sell. Whether you pick them early or late, you'll just be selling the seeds anyway, and some of them aren't even ripe yet."

Chen Mian saw that the whole family had become serious, especially her mother who kept giving her meaningful glances, and she understood what they were thinking.

He had already prepared his answer, so he explained, "What if it rains in a couple of days?"

"If God sneezes, we're doomed. We make our living by selling the seeds. If there's waterlogging, the melons will rot and the seeds will turn black and moldy. Cotton is even more susceptible to waterlogging."

"When I came back today, I made a special trip to the depression. The drainage ditches connected to the main canal look like they've been chewed up by dogs. If they're not cleaned up in time, I don't even want to think about the consequences once it rains."

Farmers rely on the weather for their livelihood, and the slightest carelessness can result in a year's reduced yield. This is a hard-earned experience passed down from their ancestors.

The whole family grew up to make a living by farming, so they naturally understood the seriousness of Chen Mian's words. Liu Xiaocui's expression changed as well, as she not only thought about her husband's family but also about her own.

Chen Hongguo then asked his eldest son, but the two of them were so busy all day that they neglected the drainage ditch issue, only thinking that since the weather forecast said there would be no rain, there was nothing to worry about.

But the accuracy of weather forecasts is uncertain, so it's always good to have an extra backup plan.

Seeing that the family was getting serious, Chen Mian continued, "Watermelons can only be sold for the first two days after they're picked; they easily become unpalatable by the third day. If you're picking them to extract the seeds, it's best to do it on the same day you pick them; they'll spoil if left for too long."

"We should collect the seeds and clear the ditches," Chen Mian said, then looked at Liu Xiaocui. "Sister-in-law is pregnant, so we definitely can't let her work in the fields. If the four of us work overtime and plan carefully, we can definitely manage. Let's not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small things."

Liu Xiaocui noticed that her parents-in-law were looking at her, and she couldn't help but lower her head, feeling guilty. Why did she get angry for no reason?

Chen Liang noticed his wife's unusual behavior, so he reached out and touched her. Then he said to his father, "Dad, my brother is quick-witted and makes a good point. We need to take this seriously. It's better to be prepared."

Chen Hongguo nodded repeatedly, agreeing with his second son's words, and dared not be careless.

For farmers, physical strength is the least important thing. If they work harder these two days, it's nothing.

He immediately stood up, reached for the work jacket lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), and said as he put it on, "This is no small matter. I'm going to visit the Party Secretary."

"It's getting late, Daliang, you and Xiaocui should go back and rest early, so we can get to work in the fields early tomorrow."