The agarwood tree is not difficult to cut down, but the trunk is large, so cutting off that piece is a laborious task.
Ji Huai had never done any heavy work and was in poor physical condition. He was hanging on a tree and leaning forward to chop. Sweat was flowing down his cheeks and his forehead was also covered with sweat.
In order not to accidentally damage the thin layer of agarwood, cut farther away.
After stopping and cutting for nearly half an hour, he finally chopped down the piece of wood.
After getting off the tree, he sat on the ground, gasping for air, stretched out his hand to wipe the sweat, took the piece of wood, and cut it smaller so that it could be easily put in the bamboo basket and taken back.
After cutting it, he put the piece of wood in the basket, stood up, and walked up the mountain again.
The further you go into the mountains, the more agarwood trees there are, each one extremely tall. Because there are so many, the production team leader in the village has recently organized the felling of agarwood trees for firewood.
He couldn't climb any trees that were too tall or too big, so he had to find some moderate ones.
If he can climb up, he will take the knife in his backpack. If there is no broken trunk, he will work hard to cut down the tree and treat it as pruning. Maybe he can get agarwood next time. .
Knife after knife, slashing until his hands were numb.
This matter was extremely time-consuming. Ji Huai raised his head and glanced at the sun. It was no longer so hot. It was almost time to start work. At this time, he cut off the fourth piece of wood containing agarwood, stuffed it into a bamboo basket, picked up firewood and started going down the mountain.
The trees that had just been cut down were heavy, and there were nearly twenty kilograms of trees in the bamboo basket. In addition, he had just spent a lot of effort to cut down the trees, so he didn't pick up a few firewood along the way.
His body was really overwhelmed and he kept walking and stopping when he was going down the mountain. When he was almost at the bottom of the mountain, Ji Huai stopped and rested against a big tree.
"Choo Choo Choo."
"Chacha."
"Gugu~"
…
The weather is nice today, the sun is strong and the weather is clear. It rained just a few days ago. In the densely wooded area, there are constant sounds of birds.
Ji Huai also saw various birds flying around, some with white feathers, some with black feathers, and some with long tails and colorful birds.
"Chacha scum."
There was a clear and sweet cry above his head. When he looked up, he saw a group of birds learning to fly and flying to the big tree nearby.
A breeze blows, the leaves sway and rustle, and the fresh air hits the nostrils.
Ji Huai kept staring at the birds, as if he thought of something, his eyes flashed, but without thinking much, he changed his route down the mountain and walked into the jungle next to him.
As he walked, he looked down at the ground, as if he was looking for something.
Finally, Ji Huai stopped on a small slope, locked on the vine with small black fruits, and quickly stepped forward and peeled it down along the roots. He could still see that the unripe fruits were green.
Ji Huai's lips curled up.
There was no time to explore slowly, so he tore off the vines on top and followed them down to the roots.
The vines above were extremely fragile and would break if pulled, but its roots were extremely tough. Ji Huai pulled hard, but not only did it not break, but it also scratched the palm of his hand.
Bloodshot quickly overflowed.
Ji Huai endured the pain and climbed out to get the knife again. When he came back, he bent down, grabbed the vine, dug down with the help of the knife, and pulled it out bit by bit.
The surrounding soil was tight, and he heard the radio broadcast from the village. He quickly squatted down and cut off the vine root less than ten centimeters, put it into the bamboo basket with his backhand, and ran down the mountain quickly.
Back at Feng's house, Feng Dafeng and Feng's mother were preparing to go to work. As soon as they left the house, they saw Ji Huai coming back panting, his clothes still mostly soaked with sweat, and holding a few firewood in his hand.
Feng's mother, who had just finished praising Ji Huai with Feng Dafeng: "..."
Feng Dafeng didn't know what expression to put on. If an eight or nine-year-old child went up the mountain for a few hours, he would be able to pick up more than this amount of firewood.
"Mom and Dad." Ji Huai called them as if he didn't notice anything, and turned aside to let them go out first. Then he walked in, put the firewood in the kitchen, and then lifted the bamboo basket to his house.
Feng Qiaolan was told by Feng's mother to go to bed, but she couldn't fall asleep. She kept falling asleep on the bed, touching her belly and interacting with the child. I saw him put the bamboo basket in, and then saw him take out a few large pieces of wood and put them in the corner behind the cabinet, with a puzzled look on his face, "Are you going to use this as firewood?"
The wood was in large chunks, as if it had just been chopped down.
"This can be sold for money. Watch it for me." Ji Huai hurriedly explained, took a few sips of water, and went back to work.
Feng Qiaolan was baffled by what she heard. She got bored lying on the bed and got out of bed and walked towards the pieces of wood. She couldn't squat down, so she bent over and looked at it.
Can this be sold for money
She looked carefully and saw that these woods all had one thing in common, that is, one side was freshly cut, and the other side was scarred, with a layer of yellowish-brown resin attached to it.
This kind of white tree was ordinary. She must have seen many of them, but she didn't know what kind of tree it was.
Feng Qiaolan originally wanted to reach out and touch it, but she stretched out her hand. When she was about to touch it, she stopped and retracted.
Some resins are itchy and allergic to touch. After she became pregnant, she became more cautious.
evening.
There was a lot of work assigned today. The Feng family came back late and it was already dark. A kerosene lamp was lit in the house and the four of them ate around the table.
The news that Ji Huai would not go to school spread throughout the village. Feng Dafeng was still a little doubtful at first. On the way back, he met the old master who worked with Ji Huai and chatted for a few words, and then he had some confidence.
Halfway through the meal, Feng Dafeng picked up a piece of dried radish and ate sweet potato rice. He pretended to ask Ji Huai unintentionally, "Have you really decided not to go to college?"
Hearing this, Feng Qiaolan and Feng's mother became excited, especially Feng Qiaolan, who tightened her grip on the chopsticks.
"I'm going to college." Ji Huai also looked up and returned.
Feng Qiaolan's face suddenly changed, Feng's mother became anxious, Feng Dafeng's face turned even uglier, and before he could say anything, Ji Huai just said, "I said, I will never give up studying. As long as the college entrance examination system exists, I will Go and take part. I will definitely go to college, but not this year. I can take the exam again next year.”
What he said was still as firm as before, but he changed going to college to taking the exam next year.
Feng Dafeng thought he would stop going and earn money to support his family. After all, going to university would mean studying for a few more years. Feng Qiaolan would have to raise his children alone, and the subsidies he received would only support him.
Hearing what he said, his dissatisfaction was no less than before. He snorted with a dark face, "Next year? Your children will be old next year. Who will help you raise your children? You have planned yourself well."
Next year's college entrance examination means studying, and now I am not very active in working. If I live well alone, I don't care about my wife and children.
"I will take Xiaolan and the child with me." Ji Huai was not annoyed and said his plan.
Before he finished speaking, Feng Qiaolan looked at him blankly.
She thought he would stay with her for a year and have to leave next year, but she didn't expect him to say that.
Feng Dafeng and Feng's mother didn't expect him to say this. Of course they didn't want their daughter to leave here and take their children away from home. Feng Dafeng's face darkened, "What will you do to raise your children when you are studying? You really think about things. It’s simple, and what’s Xiaolan doing there with you?”
"I will make plans." Ji Huai said and looked at Feng Qiaolan, "I hope Xiaolan can take the college entrance examination with me. I will teach her. If she passes the college entrance examination with me, she can also receive state subsidies to study. When the time comes, our children won’t have to do hard work like us.”
As soon as these words came out, not only Feng Dafeng and Feng's mother were shocked into silence, but Feng Qiaolan was also stunned. She didn't expect that he planned to take her away and wanted her to take the college entrance examination.
"Xiao Lan is already married and pregnant, how can she take the college entrance examination? That's not..."
Feng's mother came to her senses and felt it was not feasible. Just as she was about to say something, Ji Huai interrupted, "What's wrong with getting married? What's wrong with being pregnant? There's no restriction on registration. As long as she wants to go, I will take her with me."
As he spoke, he looked at Feng Qiaolan with dark and bright eyes and asked, "Do you want to take the exam? Do you want to go to university with me?"
Feng Qiaolan was asked, looked at Feng Dafeng and Feng's mother, and then touched her bulging belly. She didn't know how to answer for a while.
Feng's mother was at a loss and obviously felt that it was not possible, but Feng Dafeng was unusually silent.
"It doesn't matter if you don't want to take the exam. When I go to college, I will work hard to make money to support you and your children. We will work hard for a few years. When I graduate and find a job, my life will be better, and it will be better than now." Ji Huai changed his mind again.
"I...can I?" Feng Qiaolan was extremely unsure.
If she could go to college, she would of course want to follow in his footsteps and go to college. She didn't want to spend her whole life like this.
Ji Huai: "Why not?"
"The baby is about to be born, what are you doing?" Mother Feng's thinking is more traditional and feudal, and she believes that women should take care of the children after giving birth.
Feng Qiaolan's courage that she had just mustered up was lost a lot, and the glimmer of light in her eyes gradually faded.
"Let's take the baby with us." Ji Huai continued to look at her, with expectation in his eyes, "What does it have to do with having a baby? Should we be trapped here for the rest of our lives once we have a baby?"
"I want to go." Feng Qiaolan touched her belly, looked at him, and whispered again, "I want to go with you."
Ji Huai's eyebrows relaxed and he smiled, "Well, let's go together next year."
This made Feng's mother extremely anxious. When Ji Huai went to take a shower at the entrance of the village, she said to Feng Qiaolan, "Are you kidding? Isn't this just a fool's errand?"
"Mom, Ji Huai will not stay here willingly. He cannot bear the pain of digging the ground to plant rice seedlings. He has decided not to go this year in order to accompany me and the children. Will I have the heart to keep him again next year? Will he stay? Come down?" Feng Qiaolan said, her eyes becoming firm, "If we don't gamble, we will live this kind of life forever, and I am willing to gamble. At the very least, he has never thought of leaving me, so I am willing to go with him. .”
When Ji Huai said he would give up college, she looked at him. She was just as sad as he was, and she was also in pain inside. She even thought about letting him go.
Even if he doesn't take her next year, what can she do
"This..." Feng's mother was so blocked that she could not refute. She turned to look at Feng Dafeng. His face was expressionless and his emotions could not be guessed. Before entering the room, he said firmly, "What's the use of talking so much? Wait until you can pass the exam. Besides, otherwise, it’s all just messy planning!”
"Didn't he pass the exam this year? Why don't you take the exam? Why are you taking the exam? What exam?" Feng's mother followed Feng Dafeng into the house and wanted him to stop him.
Instead of getting angry as before, Feng Dafeng said, "If he can really take your daughter to college, let alone take care of the child, I will help them raise this child!"
Ji Huai has no other abilities, but he still has a brain for studying. How many college students are there within a few kilometers around this place
Although he did not read much, he had scholars in his ancestors and did not discriminate against scholars. In the past, he also sent Feng Qiaolan to study. Everyone thought that their family was poor because he only gave birth to one daughter. If Feng Qiaolan went to college, it would be different!
Feng's mother still felt that it was not possible, so Feng Dafeng said directly, "Do you want her to dig in the ravine for the rest of her life, or do you want her to go to college and eat national food in the future? What's wrong with this? You can leave if you want. Let’s go with his wife!”
These words woke up Feng's mother, but she was still very entangled and struggling with her deep-rooted thoughts.
"Okay, let's wait until you pass the exam!" Feng Dafeng waved his hand and went to bed.