country bumpkin

Chapter 17 Autumn Harvest 2

Yesterday, the whole family was busy all day. Today, we're making sweet potato chips at home. After that, we need to put them out to dry. This way, the sweet potatoes can be preserved perfectly.

Each household should also save seeds for next year's planting. Choose the large, good-looking ones and hide them in the cellar, or bury them.

Working at home today is like taking a day off. I'll go back to the fields tomorrow. There are still peanuts and corn to harvest.

We set off early the next morning, at 5 a.m. We packed our lunch and water, ready to go. Today's task was to harvest corn.

Everyone went to the field and began harvesting corn. The golden ears of corn hung heavily on the stalks, and everyone's face was filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The adults skillfully picked the corn off the cob, and the taller children helped. Smaller children like Yunya, who couldn't reach the top of the corn, picked the lower sections.

The adults trampled down several adjacent corn stalks in a circle. They broke off the corn kernels from the surrounding stalks, threw them down, and piled them up for easy bagging and packaging.

The whole family was busy as bees.

After picking all the corn, the sun got hot. The corn leaves had fine fuzz that was very prickly. It stung and itched my arms, face, and other parts of my body.

When the sun came out and shone on the stinging spots, it burned intensely. Children's skin is delicate, and the streaks were red and painful.

Farm children are never pampered. They're all very resilient; even when their skin is sunburned, red, and swollen, they don't cry or fuss.

They continued working diligently, occasionally getting thirsty, taking a sip of water, wiping away the sweat, and then getting back to work.

As noon approached, the sun grew increasingly scorching, so everyone decided to take a break. They found a shady spot under a tree, sat down, drank the cool boiled water they had brought, and ate the dry rations and pickled vegetables they had prepared that morning.

After a short rest, everyone got back to work. By evening, all the corn was bagged and loaded onto the truck. It took two trips to get it all home.

My uncle Kong Xiangguang and aunt Wang Cuihua didn't come to help with the corn harvest this time, or the sweet potato harvest last time. They've already separated their households and have their own land to manage.

Normally, outside of busy farming seasons, they help each other out. When Kong Xiangguang was harvesting scallions at the end of May, Mu Shuyun, Kong Tongming, and Kong Xiangdong all came to help. And in mid-June, when Kong Tongming was harvesting watermelons, Wang Cuihua, the eldest daughter-in-law of Kong Xiangguang, also came to help.

The second son, Kong Xiangdong, had just gotten married and hadn't yet separated from the family. They originally planned to wait until their youngest son got married before separating. Later, his new wife, Zhou Caiyun, wanted to move out and live separately, and there was nothing they could do, so Mu Shuyun and Kong Tongming complied with their decision.

The night sky was filled with stars. The moon was big, round, and bright. There was no air pollution; the air was fresh.

The family sat around in the yard, eating dinner and talking about the day's harvest. After dinner, the children played in the yard, while the adults gathered together to chat and peel corn husks.

Some small corn cobs need to have all the husks removed and then be left to dry together. Some large corn cobs are specifically selected for use as seeds and need to be dried separately.

Some corn husks have their outer outer skin peeled off, leaving the tender inner husk. These husks are then straightened and used as ropes. They are then tied together with another straightened corn husk.

Some people send three or four together, and the maximum number sent at once is six. After they're sent, they're hung on tree branches or on specially made poles or beams for easy drying.

As Mu Shuyun worked, she looked at the stars and thought about her children's childhood. Back then, although the family was poor, they were always happy together.

Now that living conditions have improved, the relationships between family members have become somewhat distant. Perhaps the children have grown up, started their own families, and are no longer as close to their parents, especially her eldest son.

With this in mind, Mu Shuyun decided to spend more time with her family and cherish this kinship. She would try her best to accommodate her eldest daughter-in-law.

She looked up at the moon and found it seemed brighter than before. Perhaps this is the beauty of life; even when things don't go as planned, as long as you pay attention, you can find happiness around you.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, bringing a slight chill. Mu Shuyun unconsciously pulled her clothes tighter.

"Mom, it's a bit cold at night, let's go back inside, we can do it tomorrow," Kong Xiangdong said.

"Okay, sure," Mu Shuyun replied. Then she went inside to wash up.

Yunya was sleepy at 8 o'clock. The little one had been busy with the adults all day and was tired, so she slept soundly. The sounds of talking and chatting outside did not wake her up.

The family peeled corn husks in the yard until after 10 a.m. before stopping.

Everyone entered the house one after another. Mu Shuyun sat on the edge of the bed, feeling happy as she thought about her children growing up one by one.

She believes that no matter how life changes, family ties will always be the most precious treasure. She wants to cherish this family bond and make the relationships between family members even closer.

As night deepened, Mu Shuyun lay in bed and drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she saw her family living happily together, and a contented smile appeared on her face.