CHAPTER 127: 127 EASY BIG AUTUMN

Everyone was very satisfied with Su Yuanyuan and Tan Shaoting. Although this was a job assigned from above and they weren’t provided meals, their performance made everyone happy.

They were both skilled workers. By the end of the day, half of the corn had been picked. These fifty acres yielded forty thousand pounds, which means about eight hundred pounds per acre. Even after accounting for moisture and cobs, there was still a yield of four hundred eighty pounds.

Ma Changshun was stunned by these numbers. Even in good years, good fields only yield a bit over three hundred pounds. This means they’ve increased the yield by more than a hundred pounds during this drought year.

"Girl, how did you plant this corn?"

"Group Leader Ma, we just took care of it like we usually do."

Ma Changshun smacked his lips, unable to express his amazement. That’s just how they took care of it.

The workers had long noticed that the corn they picked was larger than in previous years.

But hearing that the yield per acre could reach over four hundred pounds made everyone envious.

The corn stalks were uprooted with small hoes and stacked in the field, waiting to dry for a few days before being bundled.

Neither of them was tired today. In the evening, Su Yuanyuan prepared sweet potato flour, sorghum flour, and corn flour.

She added a lot of yeast, uncertain whether it would ferment by tomorrow, but it’s definitely tastier than hard bread.

The next day, they also picked the corn from the other fifty acres. This time, Su Yuanyuan kept ten thousand pounds of corn, and Tan Shaoting was responsible for transporting it to the yard.

Initially, they didn’t plan on weighing the corn they kept for themselves, but Ma Changshun insisted on knowing the numbers. In the end, only the corn stalks weren’t completely uprooted.

Ma Changshun meant to deal with the cornfield again tomorrow. With this year’s weather, it makes sense to directly bundle the corn stalks.

Actually, Ma Changshun thought it would be awkward to ask for others’ help to bundle them once everything was harvested.

Everyone followed the leader’s arrangements, so whatever they said to do the next day is what was done.

The corn stalks took two days in total, stacked at the edge of the field, not far from the house.

Over these four days, quite a bit of food from the space was consumed, as there was no other way with so many people to feed.

It would still take several more days to finish everything, especially with the sweet potatoes and potatoes, which had to be handled carefully to prevent damage.

On the first day, everyone cut the sweet potato vines. Su Yuanyuan kept half since they still had two donkeys and a sheep to feed. The rest were transported to the main field.

The next day, Feng Baoshan dispatched five vehicles to collect the sweet potatoes.

The yield was extremely high, reaching five hundred pounds per acre, and the sweet potatoes were very uniformly sized.

Su Yuanyuan and Tan Shaoting had already discussed it. They kept four thousand pounds of sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes took two days to dig up. Potatoes also took two days. They kept two thousand pounds of potatoes, sending the rest along with the vines to the main field.

Feng Baoshan specifically arranged for twenty people to help with storage.

He knew these wouldn’t be stored in the warehouse for long, as some would be sent to higher-ups and some sold to various households.

By October, they had harvested all crops from their two hundred acres.

The soybean yield was average, about two hundred ten pounds per acre, totaling over two thousand pounds, from which they kept five hundred pounds.

In the end, they received four thousand seven hundred and forty-six yuan at the farm. They cleared twelve acres of land and were rewarded sixty yuan each. For coming in first place, they were given an additional fifty yuan each.

All in all, they received four thousand nine hundred sixty-six yuan, splitting it equally to two thousand four hundred eighty-three yuan each.

No one in the Second Farm wasn’t envious. Last year, a family managing at most a hundred acres earned six hundred yuan, and that was with the entire family working.

These two young individuals managed to earn nearly five times as much, even during a year marked by such severe drought.

Tan Shaoting talked while driving the carriage with Ma Changshun.

"Group Leader Ma, actually, we did not earn that much. We used five rolls of plastic mulch and spent quite a bit on corn seeds."

"That’s still impressive, given that it’s all due to your hard work."

"Haha, we plan to try the fertilizer factory in a few days. If we manage to get fertilizer, everyone can earn more."

"Then we’ll be waiting for your good news at home."

"I’ll do my best, even if it means spending a bit out of pocket to get it.

Group Leader Ma, a friend of mine is coming to stay at my house. He’s helping care for the livestock."

Ma Changshun nodded; the farm doesn’t mind such arrangements.

"Group Leader Ma, since so many people helped us, and we two need to leave, we can’t work for the group. So, we plan to give each family a large Winter Melon as a token of our gratitude."

Ma Changshun looked at the speaking girl, reflecting on how generous they were.

"That’s good; it’ll help maintain our connections in the future."

"Group Leader Ma, do you have time tomorrow? We don’t know where the helpers live, so we were hoping you could make a trip."

"Sure, I’ll be free tomorrow."

After lunch, back home, they started picking Winter Melons, but noticed many children turning over the soil looking for left behind sweet potatoes and potatoes.

"This is good, at least the food won’t go to waste."

"They should find quite a bit."

Both understood that it wasn’t work done for themselves, and losing a bit of food was normal.

In the afternoon, after a nap, they went to Shao Ting’s former courtyard. The Winter Melons were the size of aluminum basins, resembling grinding stones. They counted three hundred in total.

"That’s quite a lot. Two for each family, ten for Group Leader Ma and Director Feng’s families, and the rest we’ll store up.

Actually, I still have quite a few Winter Melons stored."

"Keep them stored. Let’s send some to Uncle Bai’s family. Last time I was at their home, it seemed like they were lacking."

By four in the afternoon, they had finished. Upon returning, Su Yuanyuan cooked while Tan Shaoting stirred the corn cobs.

"I have a corn shelling machine; want to try it?"

Su Yuanyuan took out the hand-cranked corn sheller. Tan Shaoting began to tinker with it in the yard.

Dinner was dumplings with chive and meat filling.

As Tan Shaoting ate, he sighed, "This harvest season has been quite relaxing."

"Next year won’t be the same. Maybe we won’t even be able to plant."

That sounds easier. Just worried that after all the hard work planting, to face this situation again would feel truly unjust.

"Isn’t everyone in the same boat?"

After eating, they stored ninety percent of the sweet potatoes and potatoes, leaving the remaining ten percent at Tan Shaoting’s house. Since the Bai Family was coming to stay and would help tend to the livestock, they had to leave some food for them; otherwise, it wouldn’t seem right.

"Let’s transport a few more crates of corn cobs over. That way, it seems fair," Su Yuanyuan thought, deciding to give more so they would willingly feed the livestock.

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