Reborn in 1977

The last militia training was on the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month. Based on an average of once per quarter, wouldn't the next training be around the 22nd of the third lunar month? That would be early May in the Gregorian calendar.

So long!

Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. In two months, he might even be able to level up his skills to level 3.

Zhang Wenliang could tell what he was thinking and couldn't help but say, "What's the rush? After the first lunar month, the production team will enter the busy farming season. After the beginning of spring, they will be busy turning the soil, weeding, applying base fertilizer, pest control, and raising seedlings. The farm work in each household's vegetable garden will also be endless. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, cowpeas, loofahs, bitter gourds, winter melons, pumpkins, peas, potatoes... everything that needs to be planted will be planted.

This busyness will last until mid to late April, followed by transplanting rice seedlings, topdressing fertilizer, planting cotton, and planting rapeseed. After finishing these, it will be around early to mid-May, and then there will be time for militia training.

Anyway, you've already learned how to shoot a gun. Someday, when our militia squad goes hunting, we'll invite you to join us and let you have your fill, wouldn't that be good enough?"

Hearing his words, Chen Fan smiled embarrassedly. He was only thinking about playing with guns, but he forgot that the countryside was about to enter the busy farming season.

In addition to what Zhang Wenliang just said, after transplanting rice seedlings in early May, the rapeseed harvest time will be in late May and early June. After harvesting the rapeseed, drying it, and handing it over, the double抢 (qiang) will begin in July.

Double抢 (qiang) means rushing to harvest early rice and rushing to plant late rice.

Compared to reinforcing dikes, the labor intensity of double抢 (qiang) is not much easier. Moreover, since double抢 (qiang) is the hottest time of the year, it is even more arduous than reinforcing dikes for some people. The scorching sun can really make people dizzy.

In this era, rural students in schools also have special "double抢 (qiang) holidays" to allow them to go home and help with farm work.

After double抢 (qiang), they can't rest. Threshing, drying grain, handing in public grain, picking cotton... after finishing these, they have to harvest late rice and plant winter rapeseed.

After a while, they have to harvest winter rapeseed again.

They will be busy until about December, which is the twelfth lunar month, before they can slightly end the year's farm work.

But at this time, there are other tasks.

Renovating water conservancy, reinforcing dikes, catching fish to clear ponds, digging lotus roots, etc.

Only after entering the twelfth lunar month, when the New Year is approaching, can they truly begin to rest.

This is still without too heavy river work tasks. Otherwise, with a month of river work, only the old, weak, sick, and disabled will be left in the village to slowly work. Then they will have to be busy until the Little New Year before they can rest for a few days.

After the Lantern Festival, when spring is warm and flowers are blooming, another year of busyness will be repeated.

Chen Fan smacked his lips and sighed at the hardship of the farmers, thinking that he must write a few more news articles to showcase the demeanor of the farmers.

Seeing that he was not speaking, Zhang Wenliang thought he didn't believe him, so he said with a smile, "Really, don't think we don't have any mountains here, but there are quite a few wild forests. There are some weasels, foxes, and rabbits. It's not easy to hunt other things, but it's no problem to hunt a few foxes and rabbits."

Chen Fan came back to his senses and asked curiously, "Isn't it said that you can't hunt in the spring?"

Zhang Wenliang nodded and said with a smile, "I can't believe you know this. You're right, there is indeed this rule, but it also depends on what you're hunting. Like weasels and foxes, they will steal chickens, ducks, and geese, and sometimes they will steal smaller livestock. These things can be hunted freely.

Also, rabbits give birth to a large litter at a time, and they can give birth to several litters a year. Those rabbits often eat crops and like to make holes in the ridges of the fields, so you can also hunt them freely.

What you can't hunt casually are birds. Birds can eat pests, so you can't hunt them. Snakes can eat mice, so don't hunt them if you can avoid it. There are also some other things. Anyway, you'll know when you come with us."

Chen Fan understood that their hunting standard was not based on protecting the ecosystem, but on whether it was conducive to production.

All those who steal poultry and livestock are objects of elimination, and all those that are conducive to preventing pests, rat infestations, and other factors that are detrimental to production are objects of protection.

He immediately nodded, "Okay, let me know in advance when you go hunting."

He silently thought in his heart that he could just capture a few litters of wild rabbits alive!

After chatting for a while, Zhang Wenliang looked around, took out a cigarette and handed it to Chen Fan, and asked in a low voice, "Are you still making soft-shelled turtle meat for the market in two days?"

Chen Fan immediately shook his head, "No, I haven't even prepared the soft-shelled turtles, so what would I make soft-shelled turtle meat for?"

He looked at Zhang Wenliang and said with a smile, "I remember you said last time that you were going to set up a stall, are you serious?"

Zhang Wenliang laughed, "Hey, I'm just going to join in the fun."

Chen Fan nodded, "Okay, by the way, I said last time that I would help you make soft-shelled turtle meat. See when you're ready, and I'll go help you."

He guessed that Zhang Wenliang came to him specifically for this.

Zhang Wenliang didn't refuse. He originally came to Chen Fan for this reason, so he immediately said, "Let's do it the afternoon after tomorrow. After we're done, we'll take it over the next morning so it's still fresh."

Chen Fan, "Okay, I'll go over after I get off work the afternoon after tomorrow."

It's just a pot of soft-shelled turtle, it can be done in half an hour, it won't take much effort.

Seeing Chen Fan being so straightforward, Zhang Wenliang laughed and said, "Later, when we sell it and make money, we'll split it half and half."

Chen Fan laughed, "Forget it, I won't take your money."

After a pause, without waiting for Zhang Wenliang to speak, he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Brother Sanhu, don't say I didn't remind you, there will definitely be a lot of people planning to set up stalls to sell soft-shelled turtles this time. You have to weigh it carefully and don't make too much."

Zhang Wenliang nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Then he patted Chen Fan's arm, "It's settled on the money, of course, if we can make money."

After speaking, he gracefully exhaled a smoke ring and swaggered away.

Chen Fan shook his head with a smile, returned to the broadcasting station and stayed until 9 o'clock, then packed his things and went home.

...

Soon, he returned to the educated youth spot with the little colt that had been running around all morning. A kestrel swooped down and landed on the horse's back, causing the little horse to jump around, trying to throw off the bad bird on its back.

The kestrel swayed on the horse's back and couldn't stand the bumps, so it flapped its wings and flew to Chen Fan's shoulder, and gave the little colt a contemptuous look, "Chirp chirp."

The little colt snorted at the kestrel and leaned against Chen Fan for comfort.

Chen Fan touched the horse's back and led it inside, "Okay, okay, a touch and it's all better."

Sure enough, after touching it a few times, the little horse happily ran to its own nest, it hadn't eaten anything all morning and was already hungry.

Seeing Chen Fan coming back, Huang Ying and Yang Ju immediately stepped forward to greet him, "Teacher Chen is back."

In the first few days, they would go to pick up the cloth bag and kettle from Chen Fan's shoulder, but after Chen Fan resolutely stopped this bad habit, they finally had a sense of propriety and only poured tea, made the bed, and folded the quilt, and there would never be any physical contact.

Chen Fan nodded with a smile, shook his shoulder, and the kestrel flapped its wings and flew back to the small bamboo basket under the eaves and lay down, but stretched its head out to look outside.

Looking at the two, Chen Fan said, "Go and call Xiao Jiang and Xiao Liu, let's have a small meeting."

Yang Ju immediately turned around and shouted, "Liu Dan, Lili, Teacher Chen is calling a meeting."

After a while, the two quickly walked out of the kitchen, Liu Dan was still wiping her hands with an apron, it was obvious that she was preparing lunch.

Chen Fan had already entered the room, put down his things, and a cup of hot tea was placed at hand.

This life is...