Household Contract Responsibility System

Wang Guixiang was surrounded by several women. She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and began to wipe away her tears, constantly berating her husband's faults.

The turmoil was temporarily suppressed, but the strong smell of gunpowder in the room lingered for a long time.

Back in Chen Yongqiang's kitchen, the two sat around the square table to eat.

Lin Xiulian picked up a potato with her chopsticks, looked up at Chen Yongqiang, and said, "Next time you go to the market, why don't you buy a few chicks to raise? When they grow up, they can lay eggs and we can eat meat too."

Chen Yongqiang picked up the Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) on the table, took a sip, and nodded: "Okay."

He understood that Lin Xiulian intended to stay for an extended period. This response was tantamount to tacitly agreeing to her arrangements.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yongqiang put down his chopsticks and said to Lin Xiulian, who was clearing the table, "I walked quite a distance to the market and I'm a little tired. I'm going to lie down for a while."

Actually, he was thinking about what was happening in Peach Blossom Spring and wanted to go in and take a look.

Lin Xiulian was clearing away the dishes: "Go ahead, don't tire yourself out."

Chen Yongqiang returned to his room, closed the door, and with a thought, his figure disappeared from the spot and entered the Peach Blossom Paradise.

The air in the space remained fresh and full of vitality.

He first looked at the three cucumber plants, where many tender yellow flowers had bloomed on the vines, full of vitality.

"We'll be able to harvest another batch of cucumbers in a few days."

Just as I was about to plant new crops, I suddenly heard a faint "chirping" sound coming from under the melon vines.

He bent down and parted the leaves, surprised to find the six mountain eggs he had previously placed in the space.

At this moment, six fluffy little wild chickens have already hatched and are huddled together, emitting tender chirps.

"I didn't expect the space to have an effect on accelerating incubation."

Chen Yongqiang squatted down, looking at the lively little creatures. "These little pheasants are too wild. It's better to keep them in the space. If Xiulian raises them, they'll probably run away."

He stood up and walked to the one-acre spirit field. He had already carefully divided the spirit field into ten evenly sized plots.

Several different crops, including corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans, were planted.

Chen Yongqiang then exchanged all the remaining Blessing Points for Spirit Spring Water, which he used to irrigate every field.

The special rewards for first planting have expired, and now these crops planted in the Spirit Field grow at twice the speed.

After watering with the spiritual spring water, it can double again.

Although it can't compare to the crazy speed of the cucumber before, it's still far beyond the ordinary. With this space, at least we won't have to worry about food and clothing.

Looking at the vibrant spiritual field, Chen Yongqiang thought to himself: I need to go into the mountains as soon as possible and get more blessings so that I can exchange them for spiritual spring water to irrigate these crops.

It was already afternoon when I came out of the space.

He brought a ladder, carried a few new tiles from under the eaves to the roof, and repaired the leaks from the previous night.

In the blink of an eye, it got dark.

Lin Xiulian came out of the house with a clean towel in her hand and handed it to him: "You've been busy all afternoon, wipe your sweat."

Looking at his sweat-soaked shirt, she said casually, "Your clothes are completely wet. Go change them, I'll wash them for you!"

As she spoke, she turned around and went to the kitchen to fetch a basin of warm water, which she then brought over to wipe Chen Yongqiang's body.

Chen Yongqiang took the warm towel and wiped the sweat from his neck and chest.

He watched Lin Xiulian's busy figure at the stove, feeling somewhat dazed.

Even though he had already divorced Lin Xiuzhen, Lin Xiulian's arrival and the sight of someone taking care of the household chores made him feel that the marriage had not truly left his life.

This home seems to have simply changed to a woman with a similar appearance, and everything has returned to a familiar track.

At this time, Lin Xiuzhen, after several days of bumpy train travel, finally set foot on the land of Guangzhou in the south.

With her solid needlework skills, she quickly found a job in a garment factory and became a female worker on the assembly line.

In the evening, Chen Yongqiang turned off the lights in the yard and went back inside to rest.

After a while, Lin Xiulian, holding her quilt, stood outside Chen Yongqiang's door and knocked.

Are you asleep?

Chen Yongqiang opened the door and saw her standing there holding a quilt.

It didn't rain today, and the roof was repaired. She was standing here now, and her meaning couldn't be clearer: she wasn't making any more excuses; she just wanted to live with him.

Chen Yongqiang looked at her slightly flushed cheeks and her eyes, which were very similar to Xiuzhen's but now reflected a different light, and remained silent for a moment.

In the end, he didn't ask anything, but simply stepped aside to let Lin Xiulian enter the house.

This action speaks louder than a thousand words.

Lin Xiulian carried the quilt inside. Chen Yongqiang watched her back as she spread the quilt, and the last bit of hesitation in his heart disappeared.

Now that fate has brought another person who is willing to be with him to his side, what reason does he have to turn them away?

That night, the earthen bed was no longer cold and empty; two hearts drew closer in silent understanding, ready to face the storms of the future together.

The next morning, after getting up, Chen Yongqiang picked up his coat, which was draped over the back of the chair.

Lin Xiulian also woke up, sat up while still wrapped in the quilt, her eyes still sleepy.

Chen Yongqiang, buttoning his shirt, said to her, "There's a meeting in the village; I'm going to see what they're talking about."

His tone was as natural as if he were informing his wife of his whereabouts.

Lin Xiulian agreed and quickly got up, "I'll get you something to eat; you can't go on an empty stomach."

"No need to rush, I'll be back soon." Chen Yongqiang gestured for her to sleep a little longer, then put on his shoes, pushed open the door, and went out.

Chen Yongqiang walked along the village road, pondering the contents of the meeting.

As we approached the village office, we could see a large number of people already gathered there, chatting in twos and threes, waiting for the meeting to begin.

Chen Yongqiang walked into the village office, his gaze sweeping over several familiar faces.

Wang Guixiang also arrived. She stood not far away, her eyelids were a little swollen, and her complexion was obviously not as rosy and bright as it had been at the market yesterday.

Chen Yongqiang saw it all, but with so many people around, it was inconvenient for him to go over and ask.

Just then, He Jun, the cook in town, appeared, dressed in blue overalls, standing tall with an undisguised smug look on his face.

He sauntered in and deliberately stood in front of the crowd, as if afraid that others wouldn't notice him.

Not long after, village chief Yang Dahai also arrived.

He walked a few steps to the slightly raised earthen platform in front, cleared his throat, and pressed his hands down: "Everyone, please be quiet. While it's cool in the morning, I'll say a few important things so as not to delay you from going to work in the fields later."

Yang Dahai looked around and said in a loud voice, "The higher-ups have issued new directives, and our village needs to change accordingly! The key is this household contract responsibility system!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a buzz of discussion immediately arose from below.