The village became busy, watering the threshing ground, preparing to harvest the wheat.
Tian Jing was unwilling to have her wheat threshed on the same ground as others. Even though it would be pressed separately, she couldn't use her abilities to help.
Besides, what if it rained? The harvest would be too far away, and it was her family's turn at the end of the village.
That threshing ground was by the brigade office, at the head of the village.
Li Zhengguo borrowed the brigade's donkey and stone roller, and made a threshing ground at his doorstep.
The three fen of land were completely abandoned and made into a threshing ground.
In mid-July, the brigade began harvesting wheat.
The Li family's wheat was also ready for harvest. Tian Jing was left to cook, with Damai and Xiaomai as helpers.
Ouyang Meihua and Li Rongguo went to help.
With six people harvesting two mu of wheat, it was all brought back in half a day.
Of course, Ouyang Meihua was the one carrying it back.
After two days of drying, when it was time to thresh, Grandpa Chen arrived. He was the most skilled at this job. The brigade used to assign him this task during busy farming seasons.
"This wheat is truly excellent. I've never seen such plump wheat in my life."
Tian Jing furrowed her brow. Had her abilities given too much?
Li Zhengguo squeezed Tian Tian's hand and whispered, "The Wang and Niu families' aren't bad either. The Yang and Ou families' are also very good."
Tian Jing was relieved. To conceal the specialness of her own family's land, she had intentionally sent her abilities to other families' fields. She had chosen families with more people and who were diligent.
The amount of abilities sent varied, and the difference was meant to motivate more people.
Of course, her family's wheat was the best because the 'seed' was different.
However, before her family's wheat could be stored, it was noticed.
"Zhengguo, has all your family's wheat been handed in? We'll exchange wheat with you, one jin for one jin."
Looking at the wheat on the threshing ground in front of the Li family's house, Captain Ou was very happy.
Li Zhengguo's family had two mu of wheat, which he estimated to be at least six to seven hundred jin.
Li Zhengguo looked at Tian Tian, "My wife makes the decisions for our family."
Tian Jing gave him a playful glare. He clearly wanted to help the production brigade, but wanted her to be the one to play the bad cop.
"What do you need the wheat for, Captain?"
"To be used as seed."
She knew it. Fortunately, she had planted wheat in the mountains, otherwise, she wouldn't be able to eat grain grown by her own abilities.
"Whose wheat are you exchanging with us?"
"Uh." Captain Ou seemed hesitant to speak.
Secretary Yang, with a businesslike tone, said, "Comrade Tian, because each family's wheat is different, we have divided them into grades."
"Your family's wheat is special grade, the Wang and Niu families' are first grade, my family's and Captain Ou's are second grade, and a few other families are third grade."
"The wheat from these families will be collected for seeds. As for the wheat returned to you, we can't make that decision. The commune will collect it uniformly and return it uniformly."
The commune organized it? It seemed Secretary Ji wanted to make a big push. That was good. It was nice to have such a dedicated secretary who truly worked for the people.
"Alright, it could have been stored today. You can bring your sacks to pack it away."
Captain Ou stifled a laugh. This young wife of Zhengguo was even trying to haggle over a few sacks.
Secretary Yang spoke directly, "Good, it is indeed our turn to provide the sacks."
The wheat was taken away. Except for Tian Jing, the Li family members were all happy, as were the other families whose wheat was collected.
Those families were excited. Their wheat had been chosen by the commune to be used as seeds, which was the highest recognition of their labor.
Sister-in-law Niu walked with a spring in her step, bustling into the Li family's house.
"Tian Jing, Tian Jing, you don't know, you don't know, I, I was so excited I cried."
Sister-in-law Niu's eyes welled up again. "Da Niu's father and I went to the fields as soon as we opened our eyes every day, and didn't get home until it was completely dark. We would get up at the slightest sound at night, for fear that some heartless person would ruin it."
Sister-in-law Niu must have been startled by Li Aiguo.
Lately, Li Aiguo seemed to be taming the wasteland south of his house alone. He had become silent, a completely different person.
Uh, her thoughts were wandering.
She heard Sister-in-law Niu continue, "While busy with those four mu of land, we were also busy with the vegetable shed. We were so busy we were running around like headless chickens. My Da Niu is so sensible, he helped in the vegetable shed with Er Niu."
"This time, when the wheat was harvested, it wasn't as good as yours. My sister-in-law said some sarcastic things. I ignored her. Since we had a falling out over the plastic sheeting, our two families haven't spoken much."
"Today, when the secretary and captain declared my family's wheat as first-grade seed, I cried on the spot, and even startled the secretary and captain."
"My mother-in-law's expression immediately changed. She politely told the secretary and captain about the hard work my husband and I had put in. Hmph, do I care about her kind words?"
After Sister-in-law Niu vented, Tian Jing poured cold water on her. "Sister-in-law Niu, your mother-in-law is likely to make a move. Either she'll ask you to support Uncle Da Niu, or she'll insist on a complete separation and live with you."
"Why?"
Sister-in-law Niu was surprised and then displeased. "After the plastic sheeting incident, she didn't say a word and let us and the second brother argue."
"When it came to land adoption, she ignored that there were only two adults in our family and insisted we adopt two more mu."
"Da Niu's father worked himself to the bone. Why should she and the second brother take advantage of it? No, I won't allow it. I'll go discuss it with my man right away."
Sister-in-law Niu rushed off like a gust of wind.
Tian Jing sighed. If her mother-in-law was like that, heh.
Mother Li seemed to understand her daughter-in-law's thoughts and immediately shook her head. "Tian Tian, Sister-in-law Niu's mind is confused. I'm not like that. You are you, and Yao Guo is Yao Guo."
"You've already helped them a lot, and it's because of you that Ouyang Lei felt reassured enough to marry his eldest sister into our family."
"No matter what happens to them in the future, it's their own destiny. You can't force things from others, otherwise, you won't be able to keep it, because it's not what you deserve."
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow. Why was her mother-in-law suddenly saying this? "Mom, you're right. If after helping them a bit, they still can't get back on their feet, they're like mud and not worth expending more effort on."
"Like Aunt Niu, how well did Sister-in-law Niu treat her before? She even exchanged fabric with her, and now look how things have turned out."
"Yes, yes, that's the truth. How much can one eat and gain in this lifetime is determined by fate."
During these days of busy farming, Mother Li saw Hu Hongju, whom she used to envy, working in the fields looking haggard and frail, while also trying hard to curry favor with her cousin, for fear of being sent back to her maiden home again.
The proud scorekeeper who used to be fawned over was gone.
Mother Li felt that this cousin-in-law had prematurely depleted her own fortune, leading to her current predicament. Of course, Zhang Fangcao had played a significant role in this.
Zhang Fangcao was Hu Hongju's retribution, she deserved it!
...
After receiving her husband's comfort, Sister-in-law Niu no longer worried about her mother-in-law's affairs.
She quickly prepared the stubble fields, applied a thin layer of farm manure, and carried water for a day to thoroughly irrigate the land.
Then, she took a bag of seeds to Tian Jing to start seedlings.
The uneven seeds clearly looked like they had been gathered from everywhere.
"Don't worry, you can pick up the seedlings in a week."
With Tian Jing's assurance, Sister-in-law Niu smiled. "Can I not trust you? When I borrowed these seeds, I told them I'd guarantee double the return and give them ten Napa cabbages. I dare to say this because I trust you."