Chapter 24: Yuanfang, how about a bet? Third Watch

  "Willow catkins, how's the weather on the other side of Yun Province? Are you and Yezi getting used to it?"

  As soon as the finger pressed down, another short message was sent out. Thinking of the first time he made a phone call, Liu Xue's painful expression about roaming charges, Zhou Yi couldn't help but smile.

  Forget it, just send text messages then. At first, I felt very annoyed, but once I got used to it, it had a kind of warm feeling of sending letters across thousands of miles, which can't be compared to shouting into the receiver.

  Unconsciously, Zhou Yi had been living in Yunshui Village for three days already.

  In these three days, his living habits have also undergone a subtle change. Every day, he rises with the rooster's crow and rests with the sunset, more rustic than the villagers in the mountain village, more indigenous than the indigenous people.

  The days in the mountain village are leisurely, and there is really nothing to do in the nursing home. Zhou Yi spends his days wandering around the village after three meals a day, quickly becoming familiar with the villagers, even knowing whether their watchdogs are yellow or black, and what they're named.

  Apart from strolling and daily necessary naps, Zhou Yi's remaining time is either spent chatting with the old men playing chess in the courtyard or texting Liu Xue, but Liu Xue seems to be always busy, every time they chat for a few sentences, she will reply with: "Sorry Zhou Gege, I have something to attend to, let's talk next time."

  "Drip"

  The reply SMS from Liu Xue arrived, and it was indeed this sentence again.

  "Not going back to Yun Province for a family visit, why are you so busy?" Zhou Yi smiled and shook his head, don't guess the girl's thoughts, anyway I couldn't figure it out myself...

  Put away your phone and look at the time for lunch. Zhou Yi was about to go out when he heard Er Lai Zi shouting outside the door, "Uncle, uncle are you there?"

  "What's going on, Second Master? It doesn't seem like it's time for the elderly people's regular check-up today?"

  Zhou Yi smiled and walked out of the door: "Look at your sweaty head, did you run all the way here with emotions?"

  These days, Er Kuai has been calling out "Uncle, Uncle" in front of and behind people. Zhou Yi was initially very unaccustomed to it, even suggesting that he should be on an equal footing with him. But as soon as Er Kuai heard this, he reacted violently, waving his hands wildly, shaking his head like a donkey brother running wildly from side to side. Zhou Yi had no choice but to give up. Unexpectedly, after a few days, he got used to it and even gained some of Li Yuanfang's demeanor when calling out to Er Kuai.

  "Uncle, didn't you say it yourself? At the beginning of summer vacation, I was supposed to notify you..."

  The Second Foolish Son looked at Zhou Yi with a puzzled expression, wondering how this young master from the city could be interested in Xia Shou. Was he like him, wanting to sneak a peek at those big girls and little wives working in the fields?

  At the thought of this, Er Bai's eyes began to wander, causing Zhou Yi to recall the wonderful times when he and his brothers were holed up in their university dormitory receiving further education from Cang Teacher.

  "What? Has summer harvesting begun?"

  His eyes lit up. He grew up in the city and had never seen the busy scene of summer harvest before. Grandpa Zhao said, "Laboring people are the most beautiful." Such a beautiful and moving scene cannot be missed.

  Moreover, after the summer harvest, it will be time to start Master Hong's "Long Table Feast". Zhou Yi still remembers how spirited and majestic Master Hong looked when he told the story of the origin of the Long Table Feast.

  "Little Zhou, I'm not bragging, my Yunshui Mountain is the place where the Han Dynasty's world continued. Back then, that Emperor Liu Xiu, after losing a battle, retreated to our Yunshui Mountain, and seeing that his soldiers had nothing to eat, it was our ancestors' ancestors' ancestors who took out their stored grain, used their own tables, and set up a 10-mile-long table..."

  Let's not talk about whether this legend is true or false, or whether Liu Xiu really fell to the point of running into the mountains to beg for food from the villagers. Just thinking about several villages with nearly a thousand households setting up long tables made of desks, putting up large pots, and noodles flowing endlessly under the pot and onto the table, Zhou Yi couldn't help but be moved.

  What a passionate and lively scene it would be!

  "Come on, take me there quickly." Zhou Yi said with a smile.

  "Uncle, I really don't understand you, what's so great about cutting wheat?"

  The two silly men mumbled a sentence, really can't understand these city people.

  ***

  The fields of Yunshui Village are mostly located in the mountainous areas, with only a small portion on the plain. Fortunately, the water and soil in the Yunshui Mountain area are rich and fertile, so even though it is a mountainous region, it can still achieve two harvests per year, with summer harvesting and planting.

  When Zhou Yi arrived at the edge of the field, all he saw was a vast expanse of golden yellow stretching from the plain to the middle of the mountain. The terraced fields on the mountain were layered and stacked, just like the most exquisite scenery carved by the best craftsmen, truly breathtakingly beautiful.

  In the fields located in the mountainous plains, a combine harvester is rumbling along, cutting down large swaths of wheat, layer by layer, in an orderly manner. Meanwhile, on the terraced fields on the mountain, crowds of people from various households are packed tightly together harvesting, men with their dark, bare chests, cutting the wheat while singing somewhat off-color masculine songs, and the young women and daughters-in-law rolling up their pant legs, revealing their slender white calves, casting flirtatious glances at the men from their own as well as other families...

  In this joyful harvest season, everyone transcended the boundaries of gender, even the most conservative young widows, without exception, opened their hearts and let their silvery laughter ripple through the air, lightly brushing against the hearts of countless male cattle.

  Singing praises of harvest is singing praises of life and human existence. Those who have never experienced such a scene will forever be unable to understand it.

  Zhou Yi's eyes lit up, and he took big strides to rush up the mountain. Unbeknownst to him, he had tapped into the astonishing speed granted by the system's transformation. Er Kuai followed closely behind, panting like a watchdog: "Uncle... can you slow down? My god, I'm clearly a city boy, how did you develop such great footwork? You're going to exhaust me to death..."

  "Uncle, my grandfather's field is on the left, don't run around randomly, that side is Widow Liu's land..." Erzi shouted loudly: "Don't let Widow Liu's lover see you, he's right in that field, he'll think you're trying to steal food!"

  He was anxious, his voice couldn't help but get louder, and many villagers heard it. Suddenly, the pot burst with a loud noise, and some even pointed at Zhou Yi jokingly: "Doctor Zhou, go ahead, I think Liu Widow's land is just right for you to cultivate!"

  "Yes, this land will be given to Dr. Zhou for cultivation, and next year it will surely have a good harvest!"

  "I'm dizzy, these old villagers are so silver-tongued, they can really make Zhu Xiaohua angry to death..."

  Zhou Yi's face turned red, one side muttering about Comrade Xiao Hua, the other slowing down his pace, following Er Lai Zi to Li Yuanfang's field.

  Li Yuanfang was sitting on the edge of the field with his wife and son, having just finished harvesting a batch of wheat. He was drinking tea and resting when he saw Zhou Yi approaching. With a smile, he poured a bowl of tea for him and said: "My great scholar, what are you doing running around in the fields on such a hot day? Why aren't you staying cool at the senior center?"

  "That's right, I said so too, but Uncle Zhou insisted on coming to see the wheat harvest, and he can't even harvest..."

  The two fools ran until they were covered in sweat from head to toe, and their resentment grew even greater.

  "Hehe, this place is too beautiful, let me take a look."

  "Brother Yuanfang, this mu of land needs to be harvested, how much time will it take?"

  "Alas, these mountain terraces can't be harvested by machine. If the three of us work together, it'll still take till late afternoon..." said Li Yuanfang.

  "Want to take up the whole day?"

  Zhou Yi was shocked, having read Tang poetry since childhood, he knew the truth that every grain is hard-earned, but he didn't expect farming to be so laborious. This is just harvesting, not even including the later stages of threshing and winnowing.

  "What's wrong, my big show-off? Surprised, aren't you? Hehe, don't worry if you don't believe me, if a bookworm like you were to cut this mu of land, I'm afraid it would take at least half a month to finish."

  Li Yuanfang joked with Zhou Yi for a sentence.

  "Haha, Secretary said is indeed a big truth, Xiucai, you must believe it..."

  The two foolish men and the villagers next to the field heard this, and they all burst out laughing. This wasn't because they intentionally wanted to mock Zhou Yi, but facing a big intellectual from the city who was skilled in farm work, that was their pride.

  "Half a month?"

  Zhou Yi smiled and pointed to a mu of wheat that had not yet been harvested, saying: "Yuan Fang big brother, why don't we use this mu of wheat to make a bet?"

  PS: I'm really getting old, three chapters a day, only 8,000 words, and my brain is already hurting. And there are still some guys who use 12,000 "update tickets" to scratch the itch in the dark, you guys are really too much!

  How about we make a deal, from now on let's learn from those good comrades who throw out 3000 update votes, they are the kind and generous ones.

  Haha, just kidding.

  But I have to inform everyone that tomorrow is going to be very busy, and I really won't have time to update. The new chapter will be posted directly at night, so please still give me your recommendation votes tomorrow, for the sake of the beautiful girl next door...