As soon as we came down the mountain, we heard the sound of tractors outside the village, and then a tractor from the next village pulled a load of rice and set off. The tractor drove past, and Fang Zheng could even smell the fragrance of rice inside.
On this day, almost every household was busy with the autumn harvest, and there were not many people in the whole village. The gatekeepers relied on a few native dogs.
Ever since Mengmeng was kidnapped, people in the village no longer dare to be careless and will take their children with them even during the autumn harvest.
"Master, where have everyone gone?" Honghai'er asked curiously.
"We've all gone to harvest rice. The task for everyone today is to help harvest rice. Whoever does more will get extra food tonight!" Fang Zheng said with a smile.
The villagers are kind to Yizhi Temple, and in return, Fang Zheng always wants to do something for them. What's more, his disciples really need to have more contact with people outside and understand the things outside. The most important thing is that these guys are in the mountains every day
I'm so idle that I make trouble when I have nothing to do, so I might as well leave it and find some work.
Sure enough, when they heard that there was food, everyone became very excited.
"Master, we are not the kind of people who like to eat! Just tell me how to do it, my paws are already thirsty!" The squirrel waved its little hands and shouted energetically.
Fang Zheng gave him a violent shudder and kicked him on the butt. Then he looked at the others who looked anxious and said with a smile: "Don't worry, after we leave the village, there will be some work for you to do."
After leaving the village, both sides of the village road are already golden. The golden rice fields extend to the end of the horizon, separated by windbreaks. Even so, looking up, the sky and the earth are connected, the sky is blue, the ground is golden, and the golden sunshine is shining on the earth.
The rice fields are set off as a golden sea, and the gold is shining! In the autumn wind, the rice waves come one after another, just like the blue waves on the sea. Some birds fly down secretly to eat the rice ears, just like the seagulls entering the sea to steal fish...
Asked about the fragrance of rice, Fang Zheng couldn't help but admire: "It's another great harvest, it's really good..."
"Master, I didn't expect the rice to be so beautiful when it's ripe." The red boy is not tall, just a head taller than the wheat. He can't see far even with his feet on his feet. He has no choice but to keep jumping and jumping. He points his finger.
The village is located just at the junction of mountains and plains. Beyond Yizhi Mountain is the Tongtian Mountains, with undulating mountains that stretch for thousands of miles. On the other side of Yizhi Mountain is an endless plain, which is just suitable for growing corn, rice and the like.
Crops. This was also the only source of income for Yizhi Village in the past.
Fang Zheng smiled and said: "It's beautiful even when it's not ripe, but you don't know how to appreciate it. Just wait, the real beauty is not beautiful now...it's only beautiful in the evening."
When Fangzheng said this, the red boy, the squirrel, the lone wolf, and the monkey were all curious. Is it more beautiful in the evening? Why? The little guys began to silently look forward to the evening.
"Let's go! Go in and have a look!" Hong Hai'er waved his hand and rushed into the rice fields with his brothers to play.
Fangzheng grabbed the red boy who was running around and scolded him: "Don't run around. You will trample on other people's crops. As a teacher, I can't afford the compensation."
Although he has money, Fang Zheng has never thought about spending money frivolously. Although Fang Zheng likes money, he is not greedy, as long as it is enough to live on. As for more money, there is still a big gap to expand the temple, so save it.
…
As I walked on the road with my apprentices, I could see the villagers of Yizhi Village from a distance, standing in the fields wearing old shabby clothes, patrolling back and forth, not knowing what they were doing.
"Excuse me, Master, is there anyone harvesting rice in the village?" At this moment, a voice with a northwest accent sounded.
Fang Zheng looked back and saw only five men and women with two children. Both men and women were carrying thick quilts, sickles and other tools. Even the children were helping to carry a lot of things. These people had dark skin.
, rough, with a weathered face, and a pair of eyes with tiredness and longing, as if expecting Fang Zheng to give a positive answer.
Among the few people, only two children had bright eyes. They seemed to be full of curiosity about the world in their ignorance, and they were a little afraid of strangers. Especially when they looked at lone wolves and monkeys, they looked like they were looking at monsters.
There was novelty, but more of a fear. The two little guys hid behind their parents and secretly looked at Fang Zheng and others.
Seeing the appearance of these people, they were obviously poor people who had been exposed to wind and sun all year round. Fang Zheng clasped his hands together and said: "Amitabha, several donors, are you Mai Ke?"
Mai Ke, this profession has always existed in the Northeast, but in the Northeast, it is not called Mai Ke, and the names are different in different places. There is generally no unified name in Yizhi Village, they are just called "helpers" and "recruiters"
, "rice cutter", etc. The name "Maike" came from the south. This name is much nicer than the previous title, so everyone recognized it. Firstly, it is a good title, and secondly, it also shows respect for others.
Maike first originated in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. In order to make a living, every year during the wheat harvest season, a large number of migrant workers would go out with sickles to help people harvest wheat, earn a certain amount of money, and improve their lives. This behavior is called
Those who drive to the wheat field are called Mai Ke.
‘Maike’ and ‘Swordsman’ come from the same lineage. The latter does not harvest wheat, but is a Guanzhong warrior who looks after other people’s homes and courtyards, just like a bodyguard.
However, in the Northeast, there are naturally no Mai Ke from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. After all, they are too far apart. Generally, the Mai Ke who come to Yizhi Village to help harvest rice are villagers from nearby villages, and everyone is familiar with them. Whoever works quickly will
Everyone knows who likes to be lazy. No one wants the lazy ones, but everyone grabs the quick ones. This is the market situation.
However, these few people in front of me are very unfamiliar. They are obviously not villagers from nearby villages. Moreover, the accent is not the heavy accent of Northeast China, but has a bit of the flavor of northern Shaanxi. Could it be the Mai Keguo over there?
Coming here? But... is it possible? Yizhi Village is so remote...
Although there were countless questions in his mind, they only flashed through Fang Zheng's mind.
The leader of the man had a very honest face. When Fang Zheng asked, he immediately nodded and said, "Yes, we are coming from Shaanxi. Master, do you know if there is anyone nearby who is looking for someone to help cut rice?"
Fang Zheng looked at the rice that was growing all around, and it was already covered with cold dew. If everyone doesn’t harvest it for a while, it would be difficult if there is a frost. Fang Zheng nodded and said, "I know where there are people who need help, but the people in the village
People generally have fixed helpers."
"Ah...that's it..." After hearing this, the man's eyes flashed with sadness.