Why grow up? If we don’t grow up, we can keep playing.

The next morning, the atmosphere in Li Yunqiang’s house was even more tense.

The three kids were eating their meals cautiously.

It was Shuxin who spoke first, "Dad, I don’t want to study medicine, and I don’t understand it either. I just want to earn work points now, and when school starts, I’ll go to school.

Dad, trust me, I will study hard."

Li Yunqiang nodded, "Alright, this is what you said yourself, you’re not that young anymore. If you can’t even stick with working, then go directly to the fields to earn work points. You’ll experience how tiring it is to work every day."

Shu Wen saw his third brother speak, and Dad didn’t get angry, so he also spoke up, "Dad, I will also earn work points and go to school."

"Alright, go cut grass, but you must meet the quota. If your work in the record book is not enough, then don’t eat."

Shuzhi saw both of his younger brothers talk to Dad, leaving only himself. But he really didn’t want to.

He thought to himself he’d hold off, he just didn’t want to go to the fields, what’s the point? Cutting grass at least left some time to play.

Li Yunqiang was waiting for his second son, but he kept his head down, eating, showing no intention to speak out.

It didn’t matter, there were always ways to deal with him.

Xiandong kicked his second brother under the table, was he an idiot? Even the youngest had spoken up, but he stayed silent, waiting to be dealt with? Yet after a kick, there was still no response from him.

After breakfast, Xiandong cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. Then he called out to his second brother, who was about to leave with a basket on his back.

"Shuzhi, this won’t work, you’ll definitely be dealt with. Dad had Shuxin work in the fields, cutting grass definitely won’t be enough for you."

"What’s the trouble? I’m also earning work points."

Xiandong looked at his pouting second brother, really tempted to swipe at him. But seeing his brother was nearly his own height, he held back. He’s grown up, and if his older brother’s words wouldn’t reach him, Dad’s surely would.

Li Yunqiang took Shuxin to talk to Li Cunshan, "Brother Cunshan, from now on Shuxin is joining the work too."

"Sure, I’ll note it down."

Only Shuzhi and Shu Wen carried baskets to cut grass.

Shu Wen kept cutting grass, noticing his second brother lounging and playing on the side, but he didn’t dare slack off. His beatings from yesterday still hurt. So, he just obediently cut grass.

By noon, Li Yunqiang still hadn’t said much. The whole family ate together.

But by nightfall, he locked Shuzhi inside the room and beat him with a mattock handle, each scream echoing like a pig being slaughtered.

The four women in the family didn’t dare move, all terrified.

This time, Li Shuzhi was really beaten badly. Li Yunqiang came out afterward, saying nothing.

But the next day, Li Shuzhi limped behind his dad and second brother to work. He was scared now, truly scared.

Many families in the village already knew about Li Shuzhi’s beating yesterday. So no one dared say anything.

Though Li Shuzhi was frightened, deep down he was very unsatisfied.

Yet he didn’t dare slack off in work, knowing there would be checks.

He hated his father, loathed his mother for not speaking for him, and resented his three brothers for not standing by him.

If it wasn’t for what those two said yesterday, he wouldn’t have been beaten.

Although he hadn’t done much farm work before, he could manage, so he didn’t fall behind.

Half a day went by, he didn’t feel extremely tired, just restricted, unable to rest as he wished.

This kind of work was manageable, he’d just keep at it, saving himself from more beatings.

Li Yunqiang came by twice, seeing his second son behaving properly, he felt relieved. Even if he wouldn’t amount to much in the future, he could at least feed himself.

In time, when he marries, he’d bring even more peace of mind. He no longer had high expectations for him, let it be, one day he’d regret.

Once children grow, fathers have little control; whether or not he listens is his own business.

A meeting was already held two nights before. There were only six positions, but there were still many unmarried young men and women eligible by age, making the six slots far from enough.

So Li Yun Gui was also troubled. No matter who he gave it to, people would be offended.

They had already discussed it, and each slot required two hundred yuan. Even so, it was still competitive.

In the end, they had to resort to drawing lots.

Eventually, two girls and four boys got jobs.

This was unavoidable, a matter of personal luck; you couldn’t blame anyone for bad luck.

Finally, things settled down. Li Yungui and Wei Kaiyun were picking watermelons in the melon field.

"This time, are we sending them with the big roosters to the supply and marketing cooperative?"

"Sure, just send them all." The two picked over two hundred large watermelons in the morning.

At noon, each took two home.

"Xiao Wei, this afternoon, let’s go find Yang Zhongyi, hasn’t he had any news at all? Transferred away?

No way, even if transferred, he should at least inform us, right?"

"Alright, in the afternoon we’ll take the cart there."

Wei Kaiyun had also been thinking about Yang Zhongyi these days.

After lunch, they let Li Yungui watch the watermelon loading, and the two headed out with the ox cart.

Tao Chunhe found his way to the edge of the watermelon field, "Village Chief Li, can I buy a few watermelons?"

"Sure, just take them at the price we offer to the supply and marketing cooperative."

"Master Wei’s watermelons are really big, they must be sweet."

"They’re quite tasty, how many do you want?"

"Give me five."

"Where’s Master Wei?"

"He went out with the cart to play."

Tao Chunhe knew he wouldn’t get any news today. People like them, let alone two, why would they venture out to play?

Once the watermelons were loaded, they also added a hundred large chickens. This time Li Yungui accompanied them, after all, he needed to inform that the team’s watermelons were also ripening.

Old Yang drove the cart, while Wei Kaiyun lay in the back, soaking up the sun, starting to feel a bit sleepy.

"You’re just too leisurely?"

"The gentle rocking makes one drowsy. Why did you suddenly think of Yang Zhongyi?"

"It was from a conversation a few days ago, it just felt like he hasn’t surfaced in too long."

"How much trouble could he be in?"

The two reached their destination after more than an hour, and after asking a young soldier at the gate, they found out it was a wasted trip. Their company commander wasn’t there, he was on a mission.

"No wonder, this kid hasn’t shown up at all?"

"Let’s head back."

"Should we visit the mountains?"

"Alright, but it’s already late. If we return too late, the family might worry. Tomorrow morning, let’s head out early for a walk."

"Shi Jing and Jianbin will envy us again."

"Haha, they can envy all they want, they definitely won’t agree to them coming along."

After returning home, the two still went to the watermelon patch, picked two, and left them in the well water to chill. Eating them in the evening would be refreshing.

Li Yunqiang bumped into them, "Xiao Wei, do you have time? Let’s chat?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Sure, at my place?"

"How about outside? Go to the team office?"