The cost of chemical fertilizers is on the rise, so is the price of agricultural plastic films, and the irrigation fees during droughts are increasing as well. Everything related to the land, except people's height, seems to be going up. Meanwhile, more and more grains are being handed over, making farming less and less profitable. Many young people have simply flown away from the land to work in factories.
No matter how unprofitable it is, Li Dafahinks that the land is the foundation for farmers to settle down and make a living. If farmers leave the land, the little money they earn will be like duckweed on the water. Only with grains in hand can one feel at ease. The problem is that the harvests in the fields are fluctuating, just like one's mood, and there isn't even any extra "duckweed" floating over. So, he still has to go and earn that "duckweed".
The way to earn that "duckweed" is to work as a migrant laborer. There is a labor market in the neighboring village, which is bustling in spring and autumn. When he finishes his own farm work, he goes there to wait, and many others are waiting there too. The faces of men and women are all tanned like caramel. The men are smoking cheap dry tobacco, the best of which is just the "Little Goldfish" brand. The women are wearing the fragrant Friendship brand cold cream. The smell of tobacco and cold cream are intertwined in the air. They are cracking bold jokes, and their laughter scares away flocks of sparrows again and again. They are either standing or squatting, looking very much like livestock waiting to be sold at a good price, waiting for the employers who need them to pick them one by one to help those specialized households with planting and harvesting.
In the same work group as Li Dafah, the men are generally as strong as mules, and the working women are all plump and robust, just like a bustling meat shop. There is a small and thin Sichuan woman who is as plain as water, with a flat chest, and her face is sparsely dotted with small freckles. She looks rather delicate when not smiling, but when she smiles, her small buck teeth are revealed.
The reason this unremarkable woman was chosen by the employer is said to be that she works nimbly and is very down-to-earth, and can do the work of three big Shandong women by herself. She is quite well-known in the local labor market.
There is a famous anecdote about this woman circulating in the neighborhood: in the autumn cotton fields, with white cotton flowers everywhere, the petite Sichuan woman would be submerged by the cotton plants as soon as she bent down. She would then rush out with a big pile of cotton in her arms. And when it came to weighing the cotton, hers was the heaviest.
Li Dafah had also gone to pick cotton. He was so big that his clothes were always getting caught by the cotton branches. Plus, the actions of bending down and squatting made him feel like a clumsy bear.
In the autumn cotton fields, with white cotton flowers everywhere, when Li Dafah was picking cotton while stooping, he was scratched by a sharp cotton branch. His old clothes were really old, and those fibers that had been damaged by time were just waiting for the right moment to rip open and embarrass their owner. So, the cotton branch was quite "helpful" in this regard. Before he had picked much cotton, a big hole was torn in his clothes, and Li Dafah's back looked like he was wearing a tuxedo, revealing his thick waist.
When it was time to take a break, the Sichuan woman saw this and said cheerfully, "Come on, I'll sew it up for you." As she said that, she magically took out a small sewing kit from the bag she carried with her. This sewing kit was what she used for embroidering. Sometimes she would bring these things to work and do some embroidering during breaks.
The Sichuan woman picked out a dark blue thread, spat a little saliva on her hand, twisted the end of the thread, and the thread zipped through the eye of the needle like a bolt of lightning, shining brightly in Li Dafah's eyes.
With her embroidering hands threading the needle, Li Dafah's "tuxedo" was restored to the coarse cloth look of a working man. After sewing up Li Dafah's clothes, the Sichuan woman stepped aside, took out her embroidering tools, and started embroidering by the field.
In the cornfields, the young girls are lively, and by the cotton fields, the women's "meat shops" are open, and there's always some fun to be had. Li Dafah was considered a good-looking man among the rough guys. He didn't take the initiative to provoke those older women and young wives. He thought women were like tigers and he was a bit afraid of them. But those older women and young wives never let him off easily.
An older woman asked him, "Li Dafah, is your bed cold when you sleep alone at night?"
Li Dafah said, "It's okay, not cold. Those dogs and cats also sleep alone, and I haven't seen them cold either."
The older woman said, "Those dogs and cats will start calling in spring. Now even the calling in spring has come earlier. In the middle of winter, you can already hear the cats calling. Li Dafah, how can you stand being alone all year round?"
Li Dafah's bed was often cold. It took him a long time to warm it up by himself. He had tasted theof women. On countless nights, he was as restless as dogs and cats. Dogs and cats could bark and mate anywhere. He thought that since he was a human being, he couldn't act recklessly. He had been defeated in several blind date events. Others regarded him as a cheap radish in the night market, while he thought of himself as an important person. He was waiting, but he didn't know what he was waiting for.
Li Dafah didn't know how to respond to the older woman's words. A young wife said, "Oh, sister-in-law, if you think Li Dafah is pitiful, you should go and warm his bed for him. Hahaha."
Laughter burst out unrestrainedly in the group of men and the "meat shop" of women. The birds in the field had long flown away. Li Dafah was a bit embarrassed. He raised his eyelids and happened to see the Sichuan woman sitting on the outermost edge. The Sichuan woman was embroidering with her head down, and her small buck teeth were also revealed.
Of course, the older woman wouldn't admit defeat. She became even more flirty: "Li Dafah is young and full of energy. I'm afraid I can't handle him. I think a good horse should be paired with a good saddle. We married women should step aside. That little Sichuan woman who just sewed clothes for Li Dafah is quite good. Little Sichuan woman, stop embroidering. Do you want us to be your matchmaker?"
People knew a little about the Sichuan woman: "She is a widow who came to work in Shandong. She has a cousin who married here. She has someone to rely on."
The Sichuan woman raised her head and replied generously: "No need. I can earn enough to eat and drink. When I'm hungry, you can be my matchmaker again."
The Sichuan woman lowered her head to embroider again. The Shandong women were not on the same wavelength as her and continued to tease Li Dafah. Li Dafah responded casually. Sometimes his eyes drifted towards the snow-white cotton fields, and sometimes they drifted to the embroidery of the Sichuan woman. It was a bright red plum blossom.
In the cold and desolate winter, the labor market was also deserted. The livestock waiting to be bought were decreasing day by day. Occasionally, there was some farm work in the vegetable greenhouses, but it was quickly taken by others. Li Dafah met the Sichuan woman in the labor market. She was wearing a big red cotton-padded jacket. The jacket seemed a bit too big for her, making her look even more petite. Her face seemed a bit whiter than when she was picking cotton in autumn, and the bird droppings on her face were even more noticeable.
They were chosen to cut leeks for a leek-growing professional household. There was a Leek Village nearby. Every household in the village grew leeks. If a household didn't have at least ten or eight mu of leek fields, it would hardly be worthy of being called a leek-growing professional household. The price of leeks was always affected by the weather. In a warm winter, leeks were as worthless as grass, so cheap that even cows wouldn't bother to eat them. In a cold winter, leeks were like Cordyceps sinensis, rising in price like a rocket. Not only were leek fried eggs served on grand banquets, but leeks were also a much-sought-after tonic for men.
This winter was very cold. The snot would freeze into chopsticks before it could fall to the ground. The leeks were about to "take off" like a rocket. Before that, they needed to be carefully harvested.
The leek greenhouses were not as imposing as other vegetable greenhouses. They were all low and arched. People couldn't stand up inside. The highest height one could reach was to squat. The people who cut leeks were like those who were stealing landmines, having to crawl forward.
Li Dafah and the Sichuan woman were in one leek greenhouse, one at each end. When they met in the middle, all the leeks would be harvested. They were often work partners, like revolutionary comrades on the land. This was almost the stage of the Sichuan woman. She could nimbly squeeze her petite body into the greenhouse, and her hand holding the sickle was fast and accurate, just like the little flying hero in martial arts movies.
On the other side, it was almost a nightmare for Li Dafah. He was so big that if he wasn't careful, he would lie on the leeks, crushing a patch of precious aphrodisiac leeks. So, he was always very careful to make as few mistakes as possible.
Outside was the howling winter wind, while inside the low leek greenhouse, it was like summer. Li Dafah was sweating profusely and felt a bit stuffy in his chest. He was like a gorilla, curling up his huge body and moving forward step by step. On the other side, the figure of the Sichuan woman was getting closer. She had already taken off her cotton-padded jacket, but the sweater inside was also red.
Li Dafah's breathing became more and more rapid. He felt that the arched greenhouse was too stuffy. He tried to regulate his breathing, cursing himself for being useless, like a paper tiger. He glanced ahead. In the green mist, the red figure looked like a red plum blossom in full bloom.
The soldiers crawling forward finally met. Li Dafah saw the red plum blossom. His eyes went black, and the red plum blossom seemed to disperse like a mist.
How strong was the Sichuan woman? She managed to drag the fainted gorilla out of the greenhouse. A gust of cold wind blew, and Li Dafah woke up. Waking up, he found himself leaning against the Sichuan woman's arms. He cursed himself: "I'm just like a paper tiger. I can't even do this little work. It's so embarrassing. No, don't give me today's wages. Give them all to you."
When it came to calculating the wages, the Sichuan woman insisted on splitting them equally. She didn't take a penny more.
The leeks had "taken off" like a rocket, but no one was willing to use a "paper tiger" like Li Dafah to cut them anymore. Li Dafah was idle from then on. Sometimes he would stand by the wall with his hands in his pockets, basking in the sun and chatting with those very old men. Sometimes he would go to Wang Dafat's small store to drink the cheapest jasmine tea and brag. Sometimes he would stay at home and watch the black-and-white TV programs with only two channels. The TV was always showing meetings all day long. On Tuesdays, the black-and-white TV was full of snowflakes, as if the meetings were taking a break. The price of coal had gone up again. There was no "duckweed" to earn anymore. The coal was full of impurities, so the fire in his stove was always not strong enough. At night, he simply put out the fire in the stove and used firewood to heat the kang, so the bed was warm. Lying in the warm bed, he would think of that red plum blossom.
Throughout the winter, with many snowflakes falling, he was always thinking of that red plum blossom.
In spring, the cats were calling in spring, and the dogs were looking for mates. The leaves were about to bud, and the insects were stirring.
Li Dafah went to the labor market again to have a look. There wasn't much farm work at this time of the year. He unexpectedly met the Sichuan woman. The weather was a bit warmer, but the woman still hadn't taken off her red cotton-padded jacket. He said to his revolutionary comrade: "Happy New Year." He found that his heart was beating a bit faster, and he also realized that the New Year had already passed a long time ago.
The New Year had already passed a long time ago, but the Sichuan woman also said to him: "Happy New Year."
For several consecutive days, no employers came to the labor market to look for workers. He went there every day, and the Sichuan woman was there every day too. They were still like livestock that hadn't been taken away, from morning to afternoon. Until one day, the usual routine of each turning around and going home before the sun set was suddenly broken by the Sichuan woman.
The Sichuan woman said: "Li Dafah, I have no place to live. My cousin and her husband fight every day. It seems that they can't go on like this. I can't just watch them fight like crazy. I want to move out, but I haven't found a place yet. I heard that you have four big north rooms. Let me stay with you for a few days. Don't worry, I'll pay you rent."
Li Dafah finally knew what it meant to have a pie fall from the sky! A pug immediately sprang up in his heart. He went to catch it! But he deliberately tugged at the dog's tail and said: "I do have four big north rooms. One is for me to live in, one is connected to be a small living room, and the other two side rooms are full of grain and farming tools and can't be lived in. Why don't I clean out the room where the grain is stored for you? I have a big wooden board at home. Others can't sleep on it, but you're small, so it should be okay. As for the rent, you can stay first. Anyway, it won't be for long, so don't pay it. You didn't take the money for helping me cut leeks last time. Let's consider this as paying off that debt."
The Sichuan woman and Li Dafah started living together.
In the eyes of outsiders, they were really sleeping in the same bed. A single man and a single woman living together, if there was no such thing as what people usually gossip about, it seemed that they would be letting down those gossipy mouths after people's meals. A widow who had been on a blind date with Li Dafah in the neighboring village said: "I heard that Li Dafah found a mouse as his wife. That woman is so small that she's almost not like a human being. But considering Li Dafah's level, he's just right for a mouse."
Li Dafah emptied a space in the west side room where he stored grain. He took out the big wooden board to be used as a bed. The woman lay down to test it. When she turned over, she rolled down. Although she was petite, the wooden board was still too narrow. So Li Dafah found another wooden board to piece together. There was a big gap in the middle, like a winding sea trench, but finally a bed was pieced together. With bricks supporting both ends, it should be able to bear the weight of the Sichuan woman.
During the day, they still went to the labor market. To avoid gossip, they always left separately, one in front and one behind. Even so, since the spring plowing hadn't started on a large scale, there was still very little work in the labor market. But the Sichuan woman was always chosen by employers more often. When she came back at night, she always said that she had eaten dinner at the employer's house. However, Li Dafah always left dinner for her. He had grain, so he wasn't afraid of running out of food.
One night, Li Dafah made leek dumplings himself. At this time, the leeks had come down from their "rocket ride". As the weather got warmer, they were almost like grass, but the spring leeks were still delicious.
The Sichuan woman said: "I've eaten already, but I'll try a Shandong dumpling, just one."
With this one try, the woman ate up a whole plate of dumplings. She praised: "Li Dafah, you're really capable. Not only are you good at farming work, but your dumplings are also so delicious. These are the best dumplings I've ever eaten in Shandong. Your dumplings look like little pigs!"
Men can't resist sugar-coated bullets. The praise from the Sichuan woman was like the warm spring breeze, making Li Dafah dizzy.
At night, the Sichuan woman suddenly screamed. Li Dafah, who was sleeping soundly, still heard it. He got out of bed, put on his clothes, and rushed straight to the west side room. He turned on the light and found the Sichuan woman huddled in the old quilt, covering her head and closing her eyes in a mess. There were two huge rats scurrying around in the room.
In spring, with the spring breeze blowing, all animals are in the mood for love. Two big, fat rats came out of their holes at night to make trouble. One climbed onto the Sichuan woman's quilt, and the other walked on her head. The woman, in a daze, grabbed the tail of one of the rats. The rat squeaked, and the woman also screamed, almost losing her soul. Rats are the thing that the Sichuan woman is most afraid of. She thought the end of the world was coming.
The two rats that were having their earthly rendezvous disappeared. Li Dafah sat on the side of the woman's bed and comforted her: "Tomorrow I'll get a mousetrap and kill them both, and kill all their descendants. These guys have eaten so much of my grain. It's okay now, don't be afraid."
Even if the rats were killed,