With the cheat codes, Xia Ming's road construction speed was incredibly fast. He took a break at noon and casually had a bowl of noodles. By late afternoon, he had already laid the bottom layer of stones at Wang Cai's guard post, and there were still many stones left, enough for Xia Ming to lay another layer.
As for the remaining two hundred meters of road, it was connected directly to the main road with no significant obstructions around, and there were occasional cars and people passing by, making it difficult to work on during the day. So Xia Ming planned to sneak over and lay the road in the middle of the night when there were fewer people and cars, or even no one around, to avoid being discovered.
Xia Ming felt like a thief while laying the road, but he had no choice since he was short on money.
During the process, Wang Cai warned him a few times, and some passersby noticed Xia Ming working alone on the road, but Xia Ming managed to come up with excuses like just finishing pulling stones when the cars had just passed, and he convinced them to move along.
After laying two layers of stones, Xia Ming proceeded to spread the ineffective water-stabilizing material on top. The fine crushed material not only filled the gaps between the stones below but also made the road smoother.
Spreading the water-stabilizing material was much faster than laying the stones since Xia Ming didn't have to worry about the size, just ensuring even coverage. If the gaps were large, he spread more material; if they were small, he spread less. Wherever he walked, he laid the material.
Xia Ming was like a moving brush, leaving a trail of black water-stabilizing material behind him, covering the path he had walked.
In the yellow mountains, a black line emerged.
Around seven in the evening, a flat black gravel road appeared. It would be even more perfect if there was a road roller to go over it, but it didn't matter. After Xia Ming sprinkled water on it tomorrow, the gravel would settle completely. If necessary, when his cousin's excavator returned, he could drive it back and forth a few times to finish the job.
As for roadside landscaping, well, that was a joke. Who needed it?
Looking at the road in front of him, Xia Ming felt a great sense of accomplishment. This was the joy of being a laborer.
Xia Ming planted the shovel into the ground, stood with his feet apart, and placed his hands on the shovel handle. With a serious expression, he shouted, "Attention! At ease! Sit down!"
As he spoke, Wang Cai, with his tongue out, and Bobi, constantly chewing on wild grass, watched him perform quietly.
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"Captain Wang, Team Member Bobi, your performance today was outstanding. You completed the tasks I assigned to you excellently, bringing us one step closer to great construction. The organization won't let you down. I've decided to give you an extra meal tonight," Xia Ming shouted dramatically.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Wang Cai excitedly wagged his tail and barked loudly.
"Yip! Yip! Yip!" Bobi followed suit, although his tail was too short to wag properly.
"Very well, let's go. It's time to go home."
With a swing of the shovel, slung over his shoulder, Xia Ming walked home with big strides.
"Get ready to sing."
"Follow me, we'll depart when it gets dark."
"I haven't
woken up from the dream, and my heart won't be afraid."
"There's a place, the happy homeland."
"It's right in front of us but feels far away."
"Everything I do is to find it, even if it means sacrificing dinner."
"Perhaps after crossing another river of worries, we'll arrive in a moment."
·····
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"Yip! Yip! Yip!"
Wang Cai and Bobi seemed content.
Back home, Xia Ming checked the time. It was almost 8 o'clock, and his parents still hadn't returned, so there was no one to cook. But Xia Ming was mentally prepared for it. They wouldn't be back from a wedding banquet before 7 or 8 o'clock.
Unlike in the city, there was no food delivery in the countryside. If you wanted to eat something, you had to make it yourself or go to the town or county.
Looking through the kitchen and the refrigerator, Xia Ming couldn't help but sigh. There were plenty of ingredients, but he didn't feel like cooking.
"Wang Cai, the situation is urgent now. Your extra meal is canceled."
Although he really didn't feel like eating noodles again, but who made him lazy? Cooking now? Noodles it is.
Boiling water, adding noodles, three eggs, and six meatballs.
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Although he really didn't feel like eating noodles again, but who made him lazy? Cooking now? Noodles it is.
Boiling water, adding noodles, three eggs, and six meatballs.
After the noodles were cooked, Xia Ming scooped out some and let it cool before feeding Wang Cai. Of course, Xia Ming added an extra egg and two meatballs. Bobi's dinner was easier to prepare, just some bok choy and half a radish. Bobi ate with relish, showing no sign of dislike.
Using a large porcelain bowl, Xia Ming scooped out all the steaming noodles at once. As he brought the bowl to the table, the rolling heat filled the air, and the fragrance of mixed scallions and lard wafted through. Xia Ming didn't feel unwilling to accept it.
Scooping up some noodles, he puffed his cheeks and blew a few breaths.
"Swoosh," the noodles slid through his mouth and into his stomach. Taking a bite of the meatball, the combination of tofu, meat, and scallions filled his mouth. A gentle bite, and the chewy custard-like egg yolk burst out. Crunching on a pickled spicy radish strip, it was crisp and refreshing. Xia Ming lifted the noodle bowl and took a few sips of the soup.
"Oh, it's delicious," Xia Ming couldn't escape the law of deliciousness.
As he was eating, his parents came back. His mother was carrying two red wedding candies, while his father had two small cakes.
Seeing Xia Ming eating noodles, his mother asked, "Why are you eating so late?"
Xia Ming mumbled with a mouthful, "Didn't feel like eating this early. You came back a bit late today. Did the car not drop you off at the village?"
"The car broke down halfway, so we called for another one to come and replace it. We had to wait for a while," his mother placed the candies on the table and took off her scarf.
"No wonder it got so late."
On the other hand, his father picked up an empty glass and started brewing tea. Xia Ming was surprised, "What's going on? You don't even have tea leaves for the wedding? "
His mother sat down and said, "What do you mean, we don't have any? It's just that your father always thinks other people's tea isn't as good as what we have at home. How can they have good tea at a wedding?"
His father objected, "What do you mean? It's just that they don't have tea as good as what I can buy. People in Xingguo even say the tea I buy is good. If you don't know, don't talk nonsense. Why isn't there any hot water? Why isn't the water dispenser on? Quickly boil some. Have a drink, my mouth is dry." His father picked up a water bottle, but it was empty.
The "Xingguo" in his father's mouth was his aunt's nickname. In their generation, naming had a distinct characteristic.
"If you want hot water, boil it yourself. I'm not drinking," his mother said, although she went to the kitchen to boil it anyway.
As the two of them were arguing, their aunt walked in and said as she walked, "Why is Xia Ming eating so late? Huang Dong is also eating at home right now. You guys really are cousins. Is there any tea? There's no hot water in the house. Pour some tea."
Xia Ming's aunt lived very close to their house, just about twenty meters away in a straight line, with their front gate facing her back door.
His father handed the
tea canister to his aunt and said, "The water hasn't boiled yet, you'll have to wait."
"Did you buy this tea with me from Dahuaping Tea Factory? It feels much better than mine," his aunt said.
"We bought the autumn tea together last time, I didn't know. Did someone mix them up?" his father thought for a moment and said.
"They're so smart in doing business, how could they make a mistake?"
After finishing the last sip of soup, Xia Ming watched them argue and didn't interject. Let them figure it out themselves.
After washing the bowl and placing it in the cupboard, he took Wang Cai out for a walk.
The conversation between his father and his aunt just now gave Xia Ming some ideas. Since they couldn't sell water, maybe they could sell tea leaves. Xia Ming had some knowledge about tea leaves.
During elementary school, whenever it was tea-picking season, Xia Ming would go to the nearby tea factory after school to pick tea. Half an hour of work would earn him 50 cents, which would be his pocket money for the next day.
So the tea-picking season was also the most prosperous time for the children back then.
As for growing various crops such as rice, rapeseed, and cotton, Xia Ming wasn't that knowledgeable. He only helped with planting at home when he was young. Managing large areas of farmland like his aunt, Xia Ming definitely couldn't handle it, and most importantly, he wasn't interested.
When Xia Ming took over the management of the reservoir, he had the idea of taking over the surrounding mountains and forests as well. But because the pine trees on the mountain were not yet ready for logging, and the investment was significant, he didn't have the money. Plus, he hadn't figured out what to plant, so he stopped thinking about it.
The agricultural channel's "To the Negative Economic Factors" was one of Xia Ming's favorite programs to watch when he was a child, along with "Walking into Science" and "I Love Inventions".
Now with the help of Shiya, planting could be started as well, but they had to wait until next year when the pine trees on the mountain were sold. After all, this batch of pine trees had already grown for more than fifteen years and it was time to sell them.
"I should go to the seedling company in the county tomorrow."
After wandering around the village, maybe because it was too late, the village was very quiet tonight, and there were no drums and gongs at the small square at the entrance of the village.
After returning home, he freshened up quickly and prepared to go to bed, as he had to get up in the middle of the night for labor, peeling bark.
Although he said he would sleep early, once the phone was in his hand, it was impossible to sleep early. As he kept scrolling, it was already past two in the morning.
&
"Although I said I would sleep early, once the phone is in my hand, it's impossible to sleep early. Before I knew it, it was already past two in the morning.
The warm bed is so comfortable. Xia Ming exerted great effort and took half an hour to finally get up.
"Shh, don't make noise. Let's quietly go out. Don't bark randomly," Xia Ming's room is adjacent to the kitchen, not in the main hall, so as long as he's careful, his parents won't notice.
"Brr, it's a bit cold," Xia Ming rubs his hands together and exhales hot breath.
He cautiously opens the courtyard gate and walks towards the unfinished road.
A cold moon hangs in the sky, exceptionally clear. The moonlight spills like silver water, making the village exceptionally tranquil. In the pitch-black night sky, a few dim stars twinkle, as if they could extinguish at any moment.
The moon is exceptionally bright during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and even after the winter solstice, it remains enchanting.
Xia Ming strolls among the mountains, accompanied by a dog and a deer, experiencing a unique sense of delight.
"Drip, stop. Now is not the time to appreciate the beautiful scenery. We must quickly finish paving the road. It's so damn cold; even magic attacks can't stop it. If I had known, I would have brought a hot water bottle," Xia Ming scolds himself, "Who do you think you are, Zhu Ziqing, preparing to write a poem about the moonlit valley? How delusional."
The muddy and slippery road during the day has frozen due to the low nighttime temperatures, making it much easier to walk. But it doesn't matter since Xia Ming plans to start paving from the entrance of the road and go up the mountain.
Looking around, there is no one in sight.
"Let's get to work."
Although there is moonlight, the visibility is certainly not as good as during the day, so Xia Ming's road-paving speed is slower at night.
But it doesn't matter; since I can't see clearly, I'll just lay it on thicker. Two layers during the day, and tonight I'll lay three layers, leaving no blind spots.
Within a distance of two hundred meters, Xia Ming quickly finishes the work. No one passes by during the process.
Afterward, Xia Ming continues walking up the mountain, starting from the end of the road, placing twelve egg-sized stone holes in a row and sprinkling water on the road surface.
After today's sunrise, this road will be ready.
Returning home, Xia Ming discovers that his parents haven't noticed. He sends Wang Cai and Bobi back to their respective beds and quickly undresses to go to bed. It has been an exhausting day."