Reborn with a Space: Building a Fortune Amidst Famine

Chapter 158: Harvest of 158 years

The three boys were in the back digging out the corn stalks; this was the most tiring task.

If it was a good harvest, there would be motivation, but with such corn cobs, it feels frustrating even to work.

They spent a week on the forty acres of corn.

The corn stalks were all knocked down, too.

The Zhao Family siblings’ first-year task was considered complete.

Although they felt the forty acres of corn were wasted, completing the task still made them very happy.

It’s already early November. During the day, the temperature is around zero degrees.

They agreed to go to the headquarters to get the money tomorrow.

Feng Baoshan saw them coming and greeted them with a smile; no matter what, these kids completed the task.

The two Zhao Brothers earned eight months of wages, which was three hundred and twenty yuan, plus the extra task of three thousand jin, five cents per jin, which made up to one hundred fifty yuan. The five siblings worked for more than half a year, and they received four hundred and seventy yuan in total.

Zhao Qingxiang carefully collected it. This was the result of their five siblings’ hard work.

It was Su Yuanyuan’s and their turn. Their task was twenty thousand jin. In total, they handed over sixty-one thousand jin.

After deducting twenty thousand jin, forty-one thousand jin remained, which equals two thousand and fifty yuan, plus two people’s annual wages of four hundred and eighty yuan. The total was two thousand five hundred thirty yuan.

This time, Feng Baoshan gave each of them a fifty yuan bonus. They finally received two thousand six hundred thirty yuan.

”You two are really impressive.”

Su Yuanyuan sighed, ”Director Feng, we spent more than six hundred yuan on just the plastic film.”

”Still, it’s very impressive.”

With this, they felt at ease. On their way back, they discussed going to help Ma Changshun.

The two arrived at Ma Changshun’s field. They were harvesting sweet potatoes.

The two also guided the donkey to pull the plow.

Ma Changshun was very pleased with their help because their addition sped things up a lot.

Their family’s sweet potatoes were almost the same as the Zhao Family’s. By the afternoon, people from the headquarters came to collect them.

They kept busy until after six in the evening, when it was already dark. They tidied up a bit, declined the invitation to stay for dinner, and went home.

They still needed to work another day tomorrow, but they could finish it then.

”The day after tomorrow, we start picking winter melons. I asked the accountant, and it’s only three cents per jin. Do we need to turn it in?”

Tan Shaoting smiled, ”Then let’s not turn it in. I think the Zhao Family siblings don’t have enough to eat. Let’s give them some.”

”That works.”

The next morning, the two of them still drove the cart there and stayed busy until the evening when Ma Changshun’s grain was also collected.

The Zhao Family siblings went to Team Leader Tian’s house to help; they needed to work one more day. Team Leader Tian took pretty good care of their siblings.

The next day, Su Yuanyuan and the others drove the cart to pick winter melons. They stored everything in the space and delivered a cart full of over fifty winter melons to the Zhao family siblings in the evening. Zhao Qingxiang stored them in the cellar; it was a lifesaver.

In the next two days, their five siblings helped pick winter melons.

Just like that, the yard was already full.

In the end, Tan Shaoting still took a cart of winter melons to the headquarters and exchanged it for fifteen yuan.

The last cart was given to the Zhao siblings.

Now, all the crops in the field were collected.

”Yuanyuan, tomorrow let’s start cutting the damaged sweet potatoes and potatoes; we can dry them and grind them into flour. What about you guys?”

”We’ll be doing the same tomorrow.”

The two agreed to finish everything up before going out.

So they spent two days cutting sweet potatoes and potato slices and also sliced quite a lot of winter melon.

In the evening, they used the corn thresher to de-kernel the corn from the three acres. Each acre yielded only three hundred jin of corn, a total of nine hundred jin of corn kernels. If the two relied on this for food, they’d really starve.

After half a month, they collected the corn stalks and sweet potato vines.

It was already freezing at night, but the sweet potato slices weren’t completely dry, so they just stored them inside, not worrying about them going bad. The temperature wouldn’t cause mold.

It’s already December. The temperature suddenly dropped, it’s already terrifyingly ten degrees below zero at night, and the weather is dry and cold.

The two of them went to the headquarters together and found Feng Baoshan to ask for a letter.

”Will you two be leaving again this year?”

”Yes, I checked the newspaper; it said the cotton yield outside reached over two hundred jin per acre, so we want to check it out, learn from them, and buy some seeds. If it doesn’t drought next year, we can plant here; we plan to plant cotton next year.”

”Will you be going far away?”

”Yes.”

Feng Baoshan didn’t make it difficult and wrote two letters for them.

”If possible, bring back seeds for ten acres of cotton for me, too.”

Both nodded. They indeed planned to go there and trade their resources for some cotton seeds.

Once the letters were in hand, the two went to the Zhao Family.

”Big Brother Qingxiang, we’re going to be out until spring next year. We’ll leave the house in your care.”

”Sure, no problem, where are you going?”

”To buy cotton seeds. If we can, we’ll bring some back for you, too. If there’s no drought next year, we’ll also plant cotton.”

”Okay, bring your donkeys and sheep over, and we’ll keep them here.”

”Yuanyuan, when will you be leaving?”

”We’re leaving tomorrow.”

”Big Brother, let’s make a trip to the city together. You really need to buy a watch.”

The other three also nodded. It’s indeed very inconvenient without knowing the time.

Finally, they decided that Zhao Qingxiang, Zhao Yanli, Su Yuanyuan, and the others would drive the cart and leave together tomorrow, and when they return, Su Yuanyuan and the others would drive back themselves.

The next morning, Su Yuanyuan and the others drove with two carts and three sheep. Then the four of them set off.

It was really cold on the way, and the wind here was particularly strong, so the two girls walked for most of the time, only resting on the cart when tired.

On the way, Tan Shaoting pointed out landmarks to Zhao Qingxiang, making sure they wouldn’t get lost returning.

It wasn’t until eight in the evening that the four reached the city. The siblings didn’t have an introduction letter with them, so Su Yuanyuan and the others booked two rooms, and the donkey carts were parked behind the inn.

It was particularly cold inside, too, but at least there was no wind, and there was hot water to drink.

They managed to get through the night, and the next morning the four of them went out for breakfast. It was nice; there were corn cakes, a bit pricey, but at least they were hot, made of pure grains.

After breakfast, they went to the big building. It had just opened.

The four of them headed straight to the watch counter. Finally, they chose a one hundred seventy-five yuan five-star watch.

Spending so much money at once, Zhao Qingxiang was indeed distressed, but there were still many things needed for the family, and they had to buy them home.