On the day the newly arrived educated youth joined the production team in harvesting, many villagers detoured around in their direction, giving them a look from head to toe—eyes clear with undisguised curiosity and, beneath it all, sharp judgment.
"Look at their tiny arms and legs. They definitely can't do anything."
"Hey, how old are these kids?"
"Who cares how old they are. Even my youngest is taller than them!"
"That boy with glasses. Look at him! He's whiter than the girls."
"What work can he do? Now they even send men who work less than delicate little girls?"
"Does that matter? None of these educated youth can work better than the children."
"I heard that the Shen family's little ancestor has been hanging around the educated youth recently."
".... she does?"
"She went inside their house."
"........"
My goodness, what sin did they commit to attract the devil?
. . . . .
Over the recent years, waves of educated youths have arrived in their place. Their growing numbers add up to a certain degree that has started to annoy the villagers. Although their village has vast fields, the output remained about the same every year, and if the weather turned sour, the yield would even be less.
These educated youths from the city can't work as well as a half-grown child, fumbling at every task and are not good at anything. They are pampered and delicate, and are the first to get into trouble even when eating.
It's sad to think about it.
Most people in the village did not have a good impression towards these educated youth, but over the years, the village cadres have learned a thing or two about how to deal with them.
First of all, the educated youth, whether old or new, were assigned to the fourth production team, which was composed of both young and old, as well as those who were sickly.
Separate them! Separate them from the strong working force to avoid being dragged down!
Since they can't earn full work points, just keep pace with the children and do some light tasks. They can also slack off if they want, but they'd better be prepared to spar with wit and courage with the sharp-tongued folks.
Don't say we are bullying other people's children, they are considerate enough, okay?
Still, the new educated youths soon cried from exhaustion.
This made Shen Miaomiao shake her head in disbelief. Who thought it was a good idea to throw these city dwellers straight into the middle of autumn harvest and let them encounter a frontier battle?
Again, harvest season is the busiest.
With the current movement of sending educated youths to rural areas, they should have familiarized themselves with the farming calendar.
The production teams were dashing through the field to harvest wheat. Not only do you have to race against the weather, but you also have to race against the crops.
In autumn, most of the grains are ripe, and people have to harvest the crops before they fall to the ground.
And because the season begins to change, the weather becomes frickle and unstable. Sudden rainfall or even hail could strike at any moment. If the harvest lagged and the weather turned bad, or if the wheat was hit by hail or the sky remained cloudy for a long time, the grain would mold, which would significantly affect both wheat production and quality.
This meant that everyone had to go to the field as soon as the first light appeared, eat their meals among the crops, and return home only after darkness fell. Even at night, someone also has to patrol the fields and prevent thieves from having ideas.
Really, their arrival could not have been timed worse—they were dropped straight into the heart of the battlefield, utterly unprepared, as if fate itself was determined to break them.
Just then, a commotion erupted among the fourth production team. Shen Miaomiao was hardly surprised—until frantic, panicked shouts rang out that someone had collapsed.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the source.
Unbelievable—someone had already 'died' on the morning of the very first day!
"Did he faint from exhaustion?" The team leader Shen of the fourth team asked worriedly. Why is this kid so pale and flushed?!
An experienced old man checked Shen Xingshen and said, "...He's having a heatstroke."
"...."
"...."
Watching Shen Zhiqing struggle for breath, clearly not faking to avoid labor, a moment of silence enveloped the fourth team.
Shen Miaomiao looked up at the sky, then glanced at the sickly beauty.
The sun blazed overhead, shining brightly at them. Indeed, when noon arrived, it felt scorching hot as if a furnace was roasting everyone alive. But during this time of the morning, the temperature has been turning exceptionally cold as we progress further into autumn.