Rebirth in the 60s: A Path to Counterattack-Chapter 93 - 0. Busy with autumn harvest, taking leave to come

With the contribution of those few types of herbal medicines and purchase prices from Shuzhen and Lianshan, Lin Yuanzhi found that the members under his supervision had become noticeably more industrious. Look at them, running up the mountain before dawn, with two buns and a pot of water, they can wander in the mountains all day and won’t come down until it’s dark!

Even the lazy bums who were notorious for slacking off during team work turned into diligent people in an instant, joining the hustle and bustle all over the hills without missing a day.

With this change, all those old debts in the team were cleared without a cent left.

Because of this, they even awarded him a certificate of merit for advanced individuals from above.

However, he didn’t feel an ounce of joy about it!

In fact, every time he heard the members praising Liu Shuzhen for her skillful hands and keen vision, and Lianshan for his magnanimity, righteousness, and selflessness, and saw how they looked at the certificate hanging on the team office wall with all kinds of meaningful looks, subtly showing disdain, he wanted to shoot these ingrates one by one!

Of course, apart from resentment, Lin Yuanzhi was more worried.

Seeing that the autumn colors were growing heavier day by day, the autumn harvest was just around the corner. The team members were still indulging in digging herbs and picking mushrooms, valuing their small personal interests over the collective and the country’s welfare.

Afraid that when it came time for the urgent harvest, everyone would have all sorts of reasons to shirk, pretending to be sick for leave to avoid work, and sneaking off into the woods to find herbs.

To prevent this, Captain Lin had long started calling on the loudspeakers three times a day, urging everyone to gear up for the autumn harvest. Men, women, and children were all mobilized to ensure every grain made it to the warehouse.

He clearly stated that those who displayed active enthusiasm in the team would be praised, while those who took leave without valid reasons or worked perfunctorily would be penalized one by one.

Even if it were the King of Heaven himself, in front of Captain Lin, there was no room for negotiation.

Of course, no matter how strict the rules, there were always loopholes.

For instance, Lianshan stood in front of him with a wry smile, saying he wished there could be more labor at home to earn some money and make life a bit easier. But his wife was pregnant and stayed at home, drooping and listless, wanting to vomit even after a sip of cold water. When they went to the health center to see a doctor, they only got the words for rest, aside from letting her recuperate, what else could be done?

Lin Yuanzhi was infuriated, but women and children weren’t considered like male laborers, and there were no strict regulations from above demanding they must not fall behind!

Whether to let little Gazi and the old women go down to the fields to earn work points or not, it entirely depended on the couple themselves.

Now that Lianshan was willing to earn money alone to support the family, what could he say?

Knowing full well that nine out of ten he’s lying, it’s still hard to expose him. If not, the fat lady at home would make a fuss when he got back.

Giving him an impatient wave as if shooing a fly, Lin Yuanzhi never expected Lian Yue and Qiu Fang to promptly submit their leave requests thereafter.

The reason being Lian Yue had just been found pregnant with a second child. Ning Jianshe, who dreamed of a thriving lineage, was almost overwhelmed with joy and immediately had Lian Yue stay at home and take good care of herself. Any notion of autumn harvest or work points was out of the question, what could possibly be more important than his second son?

Ning Jianshe looked at the captain with such a demeanor of "If you don’t approve the leave, it’s hindering our Ning family from flourishing," that just one look was unbearable.

In contrast, Lian Hai’s attitude was better, even anxious to get his wife back to the fields.

But their eldest son, Lian Jie, still had a leg in a cast, and their little daughter was only two weeks old, a time when both were truly indispensable. Besides, with Qiu Fang’s physique, it was a blessing in itself not to fall sick and become a burden. Expecting her to turn into an iron lady and compete with the sturdy laborers, how could it be?

One had a reason, the other lacked the strength.

With such open and reasonable excuses put forth, Lin Yuanzhi, despite the resentment bottled inside, had no choice but to agree, allowing the three sisters-in-law to take good care of each other.

And just as Ning Jianshe and Lian Hai walked out of the team office, Lin Yuanzhi immediately broadcasted the team’s latest regulation: Except for pregnant women, sick people, and those with genuine unsolvable hardships at home, no members are allowed to take leave during the critical period of the autumn harvest. Violators will have their work points deducted, receive less grain, and be labeled as backward elements.

This decision sparked a stir throughout the village.

Those who had been planning to fake minor illnesses or take leave to earn some side income all lost interest sloppily.

Afraid this fool of a captain would truly bring out his iron fist, carrying out deductions of work points, reducing grain shares, and handing out the heavy hat of "backward element" status as promised.

Forget it, the common people don’t fight the officials.

Although a village official was no more than a sesame seed, he still managed the heavens over Liu Jia village, didn’t he?

If truly infuriated, forbidding the digging of herbs scattered in the hills or picking mushrooms that sprout after rain, those who didn’t comply would get labeled with capitalist thoughts or something, which was just chilling to think about.

After several rounds of calls to action, mobilizations, and warnings, although the members cursed this captain Lin Yuanzhi no less in their hearts, the trend of taking leave and skipping work to earn money notably ceased before it even began.

All in all, in Liu Jia village, only Shuzhen, Qiu Fang, and Lian Yue from the three aunts and sisters-in-law had taken leave and not participated in the autumn harvest.

The remaining, even sixty or seventy-year-old men and ten-year-old children joined in the autumn harvest. If they couldn’t contribute as full labor, they tagged along with the weak and the infirm. If they couldn’t earn ten points, eight points would suffice; if eight weren’t possible, six would do. After all, working a day meant earning a day’s work points, might as well take what could be earned!

Lian Yue pursed her lips at this. She straightforwardly said that with her sturdy body and the child being robust, going to the fields for a day and earning eight points wasn’t a problem at all. Didn’t you see the elder Huang family’s daughter-in-law from the third team? Over eight months pregnant and cutting sorghum heads without hesitation!

Having just found out she was pregnant, it was a time when one could not be told off or offended. Ning Jianshe had no way to deal with her and didn’t dare nod in agreement to let her earn work points in the fields, just fearing that in case there was an unfortunate mishap affecting her or the baby.

The Ning family had dwindled to only his generation, experiencing the bitterness of solitude and lack of support.

Since the day he got married, he had been fueled with the determination for his wife to have and bear plenty of children, allowing his son never to suffer the way his father had.

Long-awaited, the second child had finally been anticipated, how could he dare to indulge Lian Yue’s whims?

Helplessly, he sighed deeply and confided in his brother-in-law Lianshan, pouring out his worries and troubles.

Knowing that his sister was someone who wouldn’t concede to anyone when working, always eager to compete head-to-head without a smidgen of cunning, he didn’t feel at ease letting her join the autumn harvest.

Can’t stand staying at home?

Feeling restless without doing something?

No problem, she could start assisting her sister-in-law in tending the garden from tomorrow!

The front and back yards alone had nearly half an acre of cabbage, radishes, cilantro, and broccoli or something. Watering, insect removal, weeding, there wasn’t a shortage of work either.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l