Chapter 127: Bold Mengmeng

“Shujie, I heard from my mom that you spent tens of thousands planting flowers on the mountain. Is that true?” Cao Fei asked.

Cao Shujie held up two fingers. “Don’t listen to Auntie’s exaggerations. Including labor, it only cost 20,000 yuan.”

“Wow, you’re serious!” Cao Fei was at a loss for words.

He murmured, “I only make a little over 2,000 yuan a month. You just spent half a year’s worth of my salary. You’re really extravagant.”

“Hey, why don’t you come work with me?” Cao Shujie suggested with a smile. “I could use an extra hand.”

“No way, I still prefer my current job,” Cao Fei replied, shaking his head firmly.

Cao Shulun chimed in, “Fei, you really have no ambition!”

“What else can I do? I still enjoy being a planner,” Cao Fei said, nodding to himself.

He worked as an operations planner in a supermarket. The job wasn’t easy, often requiring overtime. However, with a salary of over 2,000 yuan plus performance bonuses, it was considered a high income in Pingyuan County. As time went on and his skills improved, Cao Fei’s income could increase further, or he could move to a larger supermarket or mall for better opportunities.

Besides, Cao Fei also did some part-time work. Although it didn’t pay much, he felt it was a steady and manageable way to improve.

But if he worked with his childhood friend Cao Shujie, some things would be uncertain.

Cao Shujie understood Cao Fei’s thoughts. He had only mentioned it casually and didn’t mind.

Instead, he said, “Fei, when my business grows and scales up, you can help me with some planning on the side. I’ll pay you extra.”

“Of course!” Cao Fei replied with a smile.

The others were surprised by Cao Shujie’s words. Cao Shuyang asked, “Shujie, are you planning to expand?”

“While I’m young and energetic, I might as well,” Cao Shujie said.

The group at the table fell silent for a moment after hearing him. Cao Zhen raised his glass and said, “Brothers, Shujie’s right. We’re still young. While we have the energy, we should do more and earn more.”

Everyone turned to look at him, sensing something off in his tone.

Then Cao Zhen said, “After the National Day holiday, I’m going to Xinjiang to plant cotton. If any of you come over, give me a call, and I’ll make sure you have a meal.”

Cao Shujie had heard about this from Cao Zhen before and knew the background. At that time, Cao Zhen had said he didn’t want to go.

Hearing Cao Zhen mention going to Xinjiang again, Cao Shujie was momentarily stunned and asked, “Have you changed your mind?”

In his memory, Cao Zhen had always developed his career in Pingyuan County and had never ventured out.

“Could it be that I’ve changed the world?” Cao Shujie thought the idea was absurd.

He figured that some related events had accumulated over time, leading to a qualitative change, perhaps with him acting as a catalyst. But Cao Shujie felt this thought was overestimating his own influence.

Cao Zhen nodded. “Yes, I’ve been considering it for a while. While I’m young, I should go out and see the world. My uncle and second uncle won’t lead me astray.”

“Besides, we can’t let you steal all the glory among us brothers,” Cao Zhen added casually.

What was meant to be a celebration for Cao Shujie’s new house renovation and upcoming move turned into a farewell party for Cao Zhen.

“Damn, we’ve been together for so long, and you choose now to tell us?” Cao Tiemin grabbed a bottle to fill Cao Zhen’s glass. “You owe us a drink.”

“I didn’t want to, but Shujie’s speech was so inspiring, I had to add some spice,” Cao Zhen said, gesturing with a fist. “Anyway, once I’m there, my uncle will pay me 10,000 yuan a month, plus housing, meal, and phone allowances. If I budget carefully, I can save over 10,000 yuan a month.”

“You dog, already earning over 10,000 a month,” Cao Shuyang said, grabbing him by the neck and pushing him under the table.

What was supposed to be a sad farewell turned into a bragging session about Cao Zhen’s income, making Cao Shuyang and Cao Shulun want to beat him up.

Cao Shujie didn’t just focus on Cao Zhen’s earnings. He asked, “It’s not just about the money, is it?”

“Shujie, you’re sharp,” Cao Zhen replied. “The main issue is the rising cost of raw materials. The factory is struggling, and my uncle and the others are worried. For the long term, we need to secure some raw materials ourselves, and I’m the right fit for the job.”

Cao Shujie raised his glass to him. “Brother Zhen, I wish you a smooth journey. Call if you need anything.”

“Come on, let’s all be happy. For me, this is a great opportunity to prove myself. It’s a good thing. Why the long faces?” Cao Zhen said.

With that, the group returned to their cheerful mood, demanding that Cao Zhen treat them before he left.

Though they were reluctant to see Cao Zhen leave after the National Day, he wasn’t. “I’m not leaving forever. Why the sour faces? When I come back, I’ll be promoted and earn more. Then I’ll treat you all to a feast. You should be happy.”

“Just don’t find a wife over there and refuse to come back,” Cao Shujie teased.

The group burst into laughter again.

But who can predict matters of the heart? Maybe he’ll find someone he likes.

When Cao Jiangang, Cao Zhengyin, Xia Changhong, and Chen Xingquan left, Cao Shujie’s table was still going strong. Cao Shujie personally saw them off.

…

In a field on the west side of Cao Family Village, Cao Shujie, wearing his high school uniform and a scarf wrapped around his head, sat at the edge of the field. He watched as a corn harvester entered his family’s plot, buzzing loudly. Dust and shredded corn leaves filled the air, making a mess.

He had been waiting since dawn, and finally, it was their turn for the harvester. Although it was only 6 mu , his parents valued it greatly.

His mother, Wang Yuelan, followed behind the harvester, picking up any corn that fell or kernels left by the machine, putting them into a bag.

His father, Cao Jianguo, was at the edge of the field, overseeing the process.

A small portion of the corn hadn’t fully ripened yet. Initially, they hadn’t planned to harvest so early, but the weather forecast predicted a cold front with moderate to heavy rain in the coming days. Better to be safe than sorry, they decided to bring the crops home first.

If it were just a light rain, it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, if a heavy rain came, it would be impossible to enter the fields, making the harvest more troublesome and delaying the time to plant wheat.

Seeing the corn harvester reach the edge of the field and turn back, Cao Shujie called out to his father, “Dad, you should head home. In a bit, we can use the truck to bring the corn back and spread it out to dry. Depending on the weather tomorrow or the day after, we can bag it and store it.”

Cao Jianguo didn’t waste any time chatting and rode his electric scooter home.

At the edge of the field, an empty tricycle waited, specifically there to help transport the corn home. It cost ten yuan per trip, which wasn’t expensive, but there were many people harvesting corn.

For Cao Shujie’s six mu of land, it would take four trips.

“Shujie, do you really think it’s going to rain?” asked Cao Jianqiang from the neighboring field, looking up at the clear blue sky. He couldn’t believe such a fine day could bring rain.

Cao Shujie wasn’t an expert in this area, but he replied, “The weather forecasts are pretty accurate these days. During the autumn harvest, there’s no reason for the experts to lie.”

“That’s true. By the way, how’s the work going in your orchard?” Cao Jianqiang asked.

Calling him Uncle Qiang, Cao Shujie replied, “Overall, it’s going well. If it does rain heavily, I could save on fuel costs by not needing to water as much.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Haven’t you finished setting up the new area you rented? If it rains, it’ll be troublesome,” Cao Jianqiang reminded him.

Although he knew this, some things couldn’t be prevented.

Watching the harvester reach the field’s edge, the empty tricycle drove over. Someone opened the grain bin filled with corn, and the golden corn poured into the tricycle’s bed like a stream, quickly filling it up.

The operator closed the bin tightly, and the harvester went back into the field to harvest the remaining corn.

The tricycle loaded with corn drove directly towards the Cao family home, while another tricycle came over to take its place.

In this way, alternating between two tricycles, all the corn from Cao Shujie’s six mu of land was harvested.

When Cao Shujie returned home to help his father turn over the corn, his mother, Wang Yuelan, was still in the field picking up ears of corn left behind during the harvest.

Though she could only gather an extra one or two hundred jin , considering the current purchase price of corn was between 0.95 to 1 yuan per jin, the half-day’s work wouldn’t even amount to 200 yuan. Yet, Wang Yuelan was meticulous in her task. In her eyes, it wasn’t about the 200 yuan; it was priceless.

At home, Mengmeng was next to her grandfather, watching him turn the corn with great curiosity.

Squatting down, she suddenly spotted a green worm slowly crawling on an ear of corn. Not afraid, she curiously shouted, “Grandfather, look, what’s this?”

Seeing the worm, Cao Jianguo quickly pressed it dead with his fingers. Green liquid smeared his fingertips, but he didn’t mind. He wiped his fingers on a nearby corn husk and continued working.

While busy, he explained to his granddaughter, “Mengmeng, that’s a pest that eats the crops, not a good thing.”

Mengmeng seemed to understand. She circled the corn, spotting another small worm crawling on it. She extended a small finger, intending to kill it like her grandfather did. However, her courage faltered, and instead, she found a small stick nearby and used it to poke at the worm.

After smashing the worm to bits, Mengmeng felt she had accomplished something significant. She excitedly called out to her grandfather, Cao Jianguo, “Grandfather, look, the worm is dead.”

Cao Jianguo really came over to take a look. Seeing the worm broken in two on the corn and his granddaughter’s proud expression, he couldn’t help but laugh, yet he still gave her a thumbs-up, “Mengmeng, you’re amazing.”

“Hehe!” Mengmeng laughed with great joy.

For the rest of the time, Mengmeng seemed to be at odds with the worms. She specifically sought them out and killed them.

According to her grandfather, these pests were harmful and had to be eliminated.

After finishing her tasks at home, Cheng Xiaolin put on an old outfit and came out to help. Seeing her mother, Mengmeng eagerly shared her achievements.

Listening to her daughter’s fragmented recounting, Cheng Xiaolin felt a surge of emotions.

She wondered, “How did she become so bold after coming back? If we were still in Beijing, wouldn’t she have run away scared at the sight of a worm?”

How could she be so wild now?

After returning from the fields, Cao Shujie also joined in to help.

“Shujie, is everything done in the fields?” Cheng Xiaolin asked.

Cao Shujie nodded, “It’s all done. Mom’s in the field picking up any leftover corn and checking if the machine can plant wheat.”

“Can’t we wait until after the rain?” Cheng Xiaolin asked.

But looking up at the clear blue sky, Cao Shujie shared the same doubt, “Will it really rain?”

“Who knows? The weather changes faster than anyone these days,” Cheng Xiaolin remarked.

Cao Shujie nodded, “That’s true.”

While working, Cheng Xiaolin remembered something and said, “Shujie, if we’re not busy tomorrow, let’s go to the county to look at appliances. If we find something suitable, we can buy it.”

Cao Shujie agreed, “Sure, it’s just a matter of these couple of days. Some stores might start their promotions early. If we go, we might get a good deal.”

That was exactly what Cheng Xiaolin had in mind.

The day after their house was renovated, Cao Shujie invited the Village Committee, his upstream suppliers, and friends to a meal at Fuxing Hotel in town to celebrate.

However, that evening, the weather forecast announced that a typhoon would bring a cold front in the coming days, leading to widespread heavy rainfall in Yiling City.

To prevent the crops from being affected by the rain, the entire Cao Family Village began to work tirelessly, harvesting the corn even if it wasn’t fully ripe yet.

The Cao family was no exception.

Early the next morning, before Cao Shujie got out of bed, he heard the barking of Daha, Erha, and two German Shepherds, along with the muffled meows of Little Wild Cat Huahua outside.

Puzzled, he wondered what was going on.

He quickly dressed and went out to see. The sky, which had been clear yesterday, had turned overcast today.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, some drifting with the strong wind, but the cool breeze couldn’t dispel the heaviness in his heart.

Cao Jianguo was up too. Seeing the change in the sky, he told his son, “Looks like it’s really going to pour.”

“Dad, should we bag the corn and store it?” Cao Shujie asked his father.

Cao Jianguo shook his head, “With the way it looks, the rain could start any moment. There’s no time to bag it. You go pile up the corn, and I’ll find a tarp to cover it.”

“That’s a good idea,” Cao Shujie said. “Alright, I’ll wake Linlin up to help.”

Wang Yuelan didn’t have time to make breakfast. With four adults working together, it still took nearly an hour to pile up the corn from six mu of land into a small hill, which they then covered with a tarp.

During this time, after Mengmeng woke up and didn’t see her parents, she cried loudly at home. Fortunately, Cheng Xiaolin heard her cries and quickly came back to comfort her, calming Mengmeng down.

“Is everything okay at the orchard?” Cheng Xiaolin asked her husband when she saw him.

Cao Shujie thought for a moment and said, “It should be fine!”

“What do you mean ‘should be fine’? Before it starts raining, why don’t we go check? If there’s anything wrong, we can prepare in advance,” Cheng Xiaolin said, rolling her eyes at her husband.

(End of the chapter)