Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

At the end of the day, Liu Xiangyang felt okay, having only used 6% of his strength. Tomorrow he would slow down and try to use only 5% of his strength.

The second team was fertilizing and weeding today, and Xue Bingbing, Le Qi, and Le Yao suffered a lot.

Growing up, all they did at home was cook, wash clothes, and clean. They had never done such heavy work before, pulling weeds and fertilizing, and they couldn't even carry the loads.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and my limbs ached. On the way home, I had to be helped back by other older women.

When Liu Xiangyang was cooking, he didn't see the three of them cooking. When he came to their room, he saw the three of them lying on the kang mat, wiping away tears.

"I noticed none of you have cooked, so I've made some for you too. Get up and eat something."

The three of them struggled to get up, ate their meal, and then climbed back onto the kang (a heated brick bed) to lie down.

"Boil some hot water later and relax your feet. Remember to prick any blisters with a needle."

Le Yao threw her socks on the kang (a heated brick bed): "I have absolutely no strength left. Liu Xiangyang, can you help me?"

Liu Xiangyang looked at the five toes, which were like fine white porcelain, and the legs were straight as if jumping.

Leqi: "Yaoyao, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"I just saw that you and Bingbing were both exhausted."

"You guys rest for a bit, and when you have more energy, you can remove the blisters," Liu Xiangyang said before heading back.

Liu Xiangyang took a handkerchief and walked towards the river. He had worked all day and his body smelled terrible.

A bunch of men, wearing only their underwear, were bathing in the river. When they saw Liu Xiangyang coming, they all greeted him.

"Liu, you're here to take a bath too? I used to think you were just like them, a pretty boy, a good-for-nothing. But now I'm convinced, you're the one." The villager gave a thumbs up.

"Yes, Liu Zhiqing hoeed almost 2 mu of land today. This must be the highest record. When Captain Wang was young, he could only hoe 1.5 mu of land a day."

"Liu, you are the only educated youth I have ever met who could get 10 work points on the very first day."

……

After taking a shower, Liu Xiangyang walked back and found a pile of stones and adobe bricks at his house. The stones were for the foundation and would be laid up to about a meter above the ground to serve as waterproofing.

Otherwise, the adobe bricks would be ruined by rainwater and snowmelt, and the house would collapse.

Mud houses can be built very quickly; once the foundation is laid, the house can be completed in just a few days.

The thought of soon being able to move into my own house and eat meat every day makes me feel wonderful.

At this rate of labor, if I don't eat meat, my body won't be able to handle it soon. Everything will have to wait until the house is finished.

Liu Xiangyang returned to his room, grabbed a straw mat, found a secluded spot, and lay down, imagining himself lounging at home alone, eating meat.

Le Yao: "Liu Xiangyang was assigned to the first team. I saw that most of the first team members were too tired to move after a day, but he looked energetic and lively."

Xue Bingbing: "Liu Xiangyang doesn't look very strong, but I didn't expect him to have such good stamina. He didn't even complain of being tired after a whole day of work."

"Who says otherwise? Sis, can you help me remove the blisters? I'll help you remove them in a bit."

Leqi: "Okay, my little darling, Bingbing, I'll help you later."

"Sis, Bingbing, why don't we go to the captain and apply to join the third team? The thought of having to do this every day makes me want to die."

Xue Bingbing said, "Yaoyao, we've only been here for one day. If we really go to the team leader, what will the villagers and the old educated youth think of us?"

"Besides, we're building houses, which is already quite high-profile. We'll just keep at it and get used to it in a few days."

Leqi: "Yes, we need to keep a low profile during this period. You know, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

Le Yao: "When will this ever end? I feel like even getting into bed is difficult."

……

Ding ding ding, it's a new day again.

The new educated youth found that even after a good night's sleep, they felt even worse. The aches and pains from yesterday were bearable, but when they woke up this morning, they felt as if their whole body had been run over by a car.

But there was nothing I could do; the work bell had already rung, and being late would result in a deduction of work points. So I had no choice but to endure the discomfort, wash up, and go to work.

Roland: "New comrades, hang in there for a few more days. Once you get used to it, it won't be so uncomfortable. Now it all depends on everyone's revolutionary will."

Xie Zhiyong: "The autumn harvest is the most tiring time. We have to go to work in the fields when it's still dark, and we can't come back until it's completely dark. We can only see the sun at noon. We have to eat the other two meals in the dark. That's really tough."

Liu Xiangyang noticed that Xie Zhiyong was always competing with Luo Lan. The two either didn't speak to each other, or if one of them spoke, the other would definitely have something to say.

On the way to the village office, Liu Xiangyang said to Xue Bingbing, Le Qi, and Le Yao, "You can actually learn from those aunties and grandmas how to be lazy."

"During my break yesterday, I noticed that several people in your group would do a few reps and then rest, do a few reps and then rest, so no one could say anything to them."

"Just don't be too obvious. You guys should learn from them; there's an art to slacking off too much."

Le Yao: "Then we must observe carefully today and learn new skills so that we can reach their level of skill as soon as possible."

Wang Lixin: "Come over here quickly and get your tools. Today's task is quite heavy. Don't blame me for getting angry and yelling if you don't finish."

The new educated youth limped behind the main group, doing what they were supposed to do in the fields. If they were slow, they would be scolded by the team leader and then by the team members, because they were slowing down everyone's progress and had to come and help.

After Liu Xiangyang finished work, he saw that they were numb, with no expression on their faces, and they returned to the educated youth settlement one after another.

Xue Bingbing and the others were slightly better off, probably because they had learned the old ladies' trick of procrastinating, and also because the food they brought from home was still quite nutritious.

Five or six days passed just like that, and the educated youth recovered. They gradually adapted to this rhythm of life and no longer felt like they were living a life worse than death.

That day, Liu Xiangyang, Xue Bingbing, Le Qi, and Le Yao had lunch in the field.

"Village Chief Zhang Tiejun just told me that the main beam of the house will be put up tomorrow, and he wants to treat the people who helped to a feast to celebrate the occasion."

"So I'm taking a day off tomorrow to go to the county town to buy some wine and meat, and then cook them a meal when I get back in the evening. Otherwise, people will say we don't know how to behave properly."

Le Yao said, "Sister, Bingbing, shouldn't we also treat them to a feast to celebrate the upcoming wedding? Or should we take a day off tomorrow to buy some things and have a break?"

Liu Xiangyang has plenty of wine and meat in his space, but he can't take them out, otherwise people will think he's a monster. He can only go to the county town to put on a show.

"Then you should go ask Village Chief Zhang and Captain Wang for leave. Once you get to the county town tomorrow, you'll split up and have to be back by the afternoon."

"We'll need to borrow a big pot when we get back. By the way, do you know how to cook big pot dishes? If not, we'll have to ask someone for help."

"Then let's ask the villagers for help. No one knows how to cook in a large pot, and it would be a waste if the food was cooked too late."

"Should we ask the educated youth for help?"

"No!" the three of them refused in unison.