Chapter 211 Harvest

The young policeman was so frightened that he ran to the side, saying, "No matter how much you beg me, it's no use. We're just doing our job according to the law."

"What am I going to do? My son!" Heart-wrenching cries echoed through the police station.

Several haggard, tear-streaked women slumped to the ground, pounding their fists on the floor and muttering incoherent cries.

Their cries mingled together, filling the entire police station with an atmosphere of despair.

After that, Shen Xiaoxiao stopped paying attention to those people in Majia Village.

She only learned from the gossip of others that six people were suspected of extorting money from others and were eventually sentenced to three years of labor reform.

This news was a bolt from the blue for those families, whose homes had been in complete chaos ever since their sons were sent to labor camps.

They argue or fight every day, sometimes even escalating to physical violence, disrupting the peace among the neighbors.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing.

Shen Xiaoxiao walked briskly to the place where the educated youth were working.

From afar, she spotted Xiahou Jie and Dai Xingyun working diligently. With a smile on her face, she quickly walked towards them.

As she approached, Shen Xiaoxiao said to the two men, "Dai Zhiqing, Xiahou Zhiqing, thank you so much for your help yesterday."

“My mother said that it was really not easy for you to come all the way to our village to settle down. So, she specially wanted to invite you to our house for a simple meal to express her gratitude. You don’t need to cook lunch for yourselves today!”

After speaking, Shen Xiaoxiao's face showed a hint of anticipation as she waited for their response.

"Wow! We're so lucky today! I've heard for ages that Auntie's cooking is amazing!"

As Xiahou Jie spoke, he deliberately opened his mouth wide, revealing an extremely exaggerated expression.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao, who was standing to the side, immediately raised her chin and proudly echoed, "Of course! My mother's cooking skills are absolutely top-notch in our village! Everyone knows that!"

Her appearance was exactly like that of a proud peacock.

At this moment, the other educated youth could only watch the three people chatting excitedly with envy in their eyes.

Qin Xiuxiu, in particular, has been unusually quiet and reserved these past few days.

She and Lin Huanhuan used to have a good relationship; at least she had a friend she could talk to.

But ever since Lin Huanhuan left, it seems there's no one left in the entire educated youth compound to confide in.

Seeing that Xiahou Jie and Dai Xingyun readily accepted the invitation, Shen Xiaoxiao did not linger any longer and turned to walk towards the health center.

The morning passed quickly, and not a single villager came to see the doctor.

Come to think of it, the village is not big and the population is limited. There are usually not many sick people, so it's not surprising that there is no one here today.

Around noon, Ma Aning returned home early and began to get busy.

Before long, she had prepared a table full of delicious food.

When Xiahou Jie and Dai Xingyun saw the table full of delicious food, their eyes lit up instantly. Without any hesitation, they sat down at the table and began to eat heartily.

The dinner table was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, and the atmosphere was incredibly harmonious.

"Auntie, your cooking is absolutely amazing! The dishes you make are so delicious and beautifully presented, even better than the chefs in state-run restaurants! Compared to what I cook at home, it's simply inedible." Xiahou Jie praised her with a beaming smile, his words as sweet as honey.

Ma Aning was delighted by his coaxing and responded gently, "Oh, what are you saying, child? Auntie can only cook some simple home-style dishes, it's not as exaggerated as you make it out to be. But since you think it's delicious, come and visit often, and Auntie will cook you something delicious."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Jie nodded eagerly and replied, "Definitely, definitely. Auntie is so hospitable, I'll definitely come over for a meal every few days." He then winked mischievously.

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time to get off work in the afternoon.

The village chief and the brigade leader stood at the entrance of the brigade headquarters and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Everyone, don't rush home yet, come and gather here at the brigade headquarters!"

Hearing the sound, everyone gathered around, whispering curiously about the reason for the gathering.

The brigade leader held a large megaphone, cleared his throat, and announced loudly, "Fellow villagers, I've called you all here today to announce something important."

"The harvest will officially begin tomorrow. This is the most crucial time of the year for us, so everyone must participate, and no one is allowed to take leave!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd erupted in an uproar. Especially the newly arrived educated youth, who looked at each other in disbelief.

They had never experienced such a large-scale harvesting event in the countryside before, and felt that the brigade leader was making a mountain out of a molehill.

From within the crowd, someone muttered in a low voice, "Hey, it's just a harvest rush, why make such a fuss? They won't even let us ask for leave, that's so inhumane!"

Although they complained like this, when they saw the captain's serious and unsmiling expression, even if they were dissatisfied, they dared not openly disobey the order.

So, these educated youth could only exchange helpless glances and silently grumble to themselves.

At this moment, the brigade leader put his hands on his hips, his eyes scanning the group of young educated youth in front of him with piercing gaze, and said loudly: "Gentlemen, this harvest operation is of utmost importance! We must take advantage of the next few days to harvest all the crops in the fields."

"Therefore, everyone will definitely be very tired and overworked during this period. So, if you have any good nourishing foods on hand, don't hold back. Eat them as soon as you can, and make sure you take good care of your health. Don't overwork yourself and get sick."

"At the same time, I also want to remind everyone that we are a collective, and no one can hold the others back!" After saying this, the brigade leader once again scrutinized each of the educated youth present with a stern look.

The educated youth listened attentively, and no one objected.

"Alright, that's all for now. You can all go back and get some rest." The brigade leader said, glancing at the village chief beside him.

The village chief simply shook his head slightly, indicating that he had nothing to say, and the group dispersed.